Old Zhou had hardly reached the gate with his daughter when the door suddenly opened from the inside with a bang, startling both of them.
Zhou Erlang and Zhou Wulang rushed out and upon seeing their father, quickly said, "Dad, Silang's wife is about to give birth, I'm going to call the doctor and the midwife."
Old Zhou came to his senses and waved his hand urgently, "Go quickly, go quickly."
Manbao had already wriggled free from her dad's grip and ran inside, only to see the kitchen bustling with the fire blazing for cooking.
Manbao dashed to the small courtyard and saw the house lit with oil lamps, with Zhou Dalang and Zhou Sanlang taking the children over to the main courtyard. They were to sleep over there tonight and were not allowed to come back to the small courtyard.
Taking advantage of Zhou Dalang's inattention, Manbao slipped into Silang's room.