The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 104

With the baby born, choosing a name became a significant matter. Wang Yufen had been urging them for some time: “Other people have their baby’s names picked out before they are even born. You two are something else; the child is already here, and you still call her ‘Little Treasure’ all day long. Doesn’t my granddaughter deserve a name of her own?”

Song Mingyue lay lazily on the bed, holding a peach. The peaches on the mountain were delicious this time of year—perfectly sweet and tender—and she had already polished off several. Between bites, she said, “Mom, you are the elder here. Why don’t you come up with one?”

“How can I do that? I don’t have much education, and besides, there is no tradition of a maternal grandmother naming the child.”

“Why not? Everything about this baby’s birth and care is thanks to you, Mom. No one has contributed more than you.”

Although she said this, they both understood that this was the offspring of the Chen family; as the maternal grandmother, Wang Yufen could not truly make the final call. However, Song Mingyue had actually been harboring a particular idea for a long time. Though she loved Chen Che dearly, she felt it was unfair that she was the one who had carried the child, and her mother was the one raising her, yet the baby was expected to take Chen Che’s surname.

Song Mingyue knew that this was common practice in the 1980s and that surnames were held in high regard; it was almost unheard of for a child to take the mother’s surname. But she was not a woman of this era, and she saw no reason to blindly follow the customs of the time. In terms of effort and sacrifice for this child, she had given far more than Chen Che. While she wasn’t particularly attached to the idea of the surname itself, she realized how much her mother loved the child. She thought that if the child took her surname or her mother’s, Wang Yufen would be overjoyed, making her tireless efforts during these past few months feel even more meaningful. She knew, however, that broaching this subject would inevitably stir up trouble, so she decided to wait until the “full moon” (a month after birth) had passed and just stick with a nickname for now.

Becoming a mother to a daughter felt like a miracle to her. She had originally been indifferent toward children, but the more time they spent together, the more she loved her. The little one was beautiful—her skin as tender as a peeled egg, and thanks to the milk, she smelled sweet and milky. Everyone who came to visit said the baby looked exactly like Chen Che, but when Song Mingyue looked at her, she felt the baby looked just like her. She could even see reflections of herself in this tiny little person.

During her confinement, Song Mingyue had a relatively good time thanks to Wang Yufen and Chen Che. During the day, her mother looked after the baby, and at night, Chen Che took over. It was only then that Song Mingyue discovered another side to him: he was gentle as water and possessed inexhaustible patience. The man who was usually stoic and reserved couldn’t help but reveal a fatherly smile whenever he saw his daughter. He would hold her carefully, and even if they just sat there in silence, Chen Che never felt it was boring or tedious. He adored his daughter; she was the child of his and Mingyue’s love, and she gave him even more motivation to strive for the future.

One night, after Song Mingyue woke up, she saw Chen Che with his back to her, soothing the baby. The stars were sparse, and the clear, crystalline moonlight spilled through the window, bathing the father and daughter in a soft glow. Chen Che’s hunched figure made Song Mingyue unwilling to break the silence.

He must love this child so much, she thought. With her, a new ray of light has entered Chen Che’s life.

Song Mingyue suddenly recalled his ending in the original novel—a young life extinguished, leaving nothing behind. That made this moment feel even more precious. She pretended to yawn and asked, “Why aren’t you sleeping yet? Don’t you have to go to work tomorrow?”

“Mom said Little Treasure needs formula soon. You go to sleep; I’ll sleep after I finish feeding her.”

“Oh.” Song Mingyue lay back down, then suddenly remembered something and said, “Mom said it doesn’t sound right to keep calling her ‘Little Treasure.’ We should give her a nickname.”

“Yueyue, how about we call her ‘Fumeng’ (芙夢)?” Chen Che thought of the poem: May the fisherman of the fifth month remember me? With a light oar and a small boat, I dream of entering the lotus pond. He hoped his daughter would find that all her dreams would come true in the future.

Song Mingyue felt the name was a bit of a tongue-twister, but it showed he had put thought into it. Compared to the usual “Plum” or “Chrysanthemum” names, this was quite unique. She suggested, “Why don’t we just pick a nickname first?”

A nickname?

“How about ‘Little Grape’? It’s simple, down-to-earth, and easy to call.”

Chen Che had no right to refuse and nodded, “Alright, whatever you say.”

But the next morning, when Wang Yufen heard this, she immediately vetoed it. “What kind of girl is named ‘Little Grape’? Yueyue, what were you thinking? Even ‘Yao Yao’ would be better than ‘Grape’.”

Song Mingyue looked up and asked, “So, Mom, you already had a name in mind. Why did you even ask us?”

“I… I was just thinking casually. It’s up to you two, especially you, Chen Che. You’re an educated man; you should pick a good name.”

Song Mingyue continued, “Mom, haven’t you heard? ‘Humble names are easier to raise.’ A name is just an elder’s expectation. Let’s all think about it together.”

Under Song Mingyue’s repeated urging, Wang Yufen finally shared her thoughts: “I was thinking the nickname could be ‘Yao Yao,’ and her formal name could be ‘Chen Zhiyao’ (陳之瑤).”

Zhiyao—the meaning was lovely, describing a girl as pure and flawless. However, it was the surname Chen that made Song Mingyue hold her tongue.

Eventually, the nickname was set as “Yao Yao.” Whenever Wang Yufen called her, she preferred using the formal name: “Chen Zhiyao, Chen Zhiyao, Grandma thinks this name sounds so wonderful, doesn’t it?” Just having a name made Wang Yufen very happy.

Song Mingyue chimed in from the side, “Mom, I feel like the surname ‘Chen’ doesn’t flow well with the name. If we called her ‘Song Zhiyao,’ wouldn’t it sound much more elegant?”

“Isn’t it about the same? This is a descendant of the Chen family. What’s the point of having her take your surname?”

“Taking my surname is fine, too. You are her maternal grandmother and have been raising her. If it weren’t for you, who knows if this baby would have even made it out safely?”

Wang Yufen only heard the first part and thought she was just spouting nonsense. “How could she take my surname? I am only the maternal grandmother. Under the heavens, there is no child who takes their maternal grandmother’s surname.”

“We could be the first. You put in the most heart and soul; what’s wrong with her taking your name?”

Wang Yufen knew her daughter’s head was filled with strange ideas all day long. Seeing that she didn’t seem to be joking, she became serious. “This is Chen Che’s child, the seed of the Chen family. It’s not up for discussion regarding other surnames.”

“Mom, you aren’t part of the Chen family, so why do you keep speaking up for them?”

“It’s not about them; it’s about us, and the principle is right there. The Chen family would never agree to the child taking your surname.”

“So what? Have they done anything? Besides Chen Che contributing a sperm cell, I was the one who birthed her, and my mom was the one who raised her. Why should the fruits of that labor belong entirely to them?”

“Sigh, I won’t listen to your nonsense. You can say this to me, but don’t ever say it again, and absolutely do not bring this up in front of Xiao Che.” She advised earnestly, “Yueyue, as women, we should be content. Look at your husband; he is considerate enough, and he even takes the initiative to look after the baby after work. You didn’t want to breastfeed, and he went out of his way to find formula. I’ve lived for so many years, and this is the first time I’ve seen a man who loves his wife this much. Let’s not push our luck.”

Wang Yufen was truly worried that one day her daughter would cross Chen Che’s bottom line. She found this current line of thinking of hers quite terrifying. It was Chen Che’s child; how could she take another surname? Besides, the Chen family’s social status was much higher than theirs.

The more Wang Yufen worried, the more determined Song Mingyue became. Their itinerary was already arranged: once Song Mingyue finished her month of confinement and rested for a few more days, they would return to Mo City. Song Mingyue couldn’t wait to go back and experience city life again. She was about to die of boredom here.

Yet, from Chen Che’s perspective, he felt sorry for her. He thought Song Mingyue had been clingy toward him only because she was terrified of the childbirth process. Now that the baby was born, her fear had vanished. She had sacrificed so much for this child. Thinking of this, Chen Che couldn’t do much else, so he tried his best to treat them well. Whenever he was home, he would take care of the housework and the baby, rarely stopping to rest.

Knowing Song Mingyue was going back, Chen Che didn’t ask her to stay. Instead, he discussed it with her: “Yueyue, once you get to Mo City, why don’t you hire a nanny? I will send my salary to you on time every month; it should be enough to cover a nanny.” He felt too guilty to let Wang Yufen raise the baby all by herself.

Song Mingyue was still feeling uneasy, but since Chen Che had brought up her mother, she said, “I have money, and I can afford a nanny, but today, Mom and I had a disagreement.” Even though Song Mingyue and Wang Yufen occasionally had conflicts, there were no overnight grudges between mother and daughter. Wang Yufen was very tolerant of this daughter.

Thinking of this, he walked over and ruffled her hair. “What kind of disagreement? Why is our Yueyue so worried?”

“It’s actually related to you, too. It’s about whose surname the baby should take.”

Chen Che didn’t quite understand what she meant.

Song Mingyue continued, “I want the child to take my surname, or my mother’s. She is the one who has contributed the most.”

Song Mingyue carefully observed his reaction. Even though Chen Che’s thinking had become quite progressive, the issue of whose surname a child should take was probably a sore spot for every man. After sorting out his thoughts, Chen Che said honestly, “Yueyue, would you let me think about it?”

This issue wasn’t just up to him to decide; there were many others in the family. Chen Che could imagine that if his mother and grandmother found out the child didn’t take his surname, it would turn the household upside down. Chen Che was frantic, not knowing what to do next.

Song Mingyue gave him plenty of time. “No rush. Let’s call her Yao Yao for now. I’m not leaving for a few days, so I can give you plenty of time.”

She also added, “I have put a lot into this child, and I don’t think there’s any problem with her taking my surname.”

Chen Che looked at her clear, oval face. It was actually quite hard to go through a month of confinement in this season, and compared to before, Song Mingyue did look a bit more worn down. He thought back to how terrified she had been of giving birth.