The night still wrapped the village in its quiet cloak when the baby's first cry rang out, tearing through the silence of the humble huts like a bell announcing new life. In the small room, lit by the glow of an oil lamp, the mother lay on the bed, her face pale with exhaustion but her eyes shimmering with deep joy.
Beside her, Li Hao cradled his child in trembling arms. He gazed at the tiny creature as if it were the most precious treasure on earth. He couldn't find words for the feeling that swept over him—a mixture of fear, delight, and awe.
The mother smiled faintly, her voice weak as she whispered:
—"Hao… we now have a son… What shall we name him?"
He sat beside her, his eyes never leaving the child. He felt that the name they would choose was not just a word, but a promise, a hope, a future placed in the hands of a newborn who knew nothing yet of the world.
He spoke softly, as if searching among the stars for a sign:
—"I want his name to give him hope… to symbolize that he will achieve something great in the future."
The mother closed her eyes for a moment, then looked at her child, tears glistening on her cheeks.
Li Hao said:
—"Let us call him… Li Tian."
For the first time in hours, Li Hao smiled, leaning his head toward her as he added gently:
The words echoed in the room, simple yet heavy with meaning. The mother reached out to caress the baby's warm cheek, her smile trembling with tears:
—"Li Tian… may you live all your days in peace, and grow under a gentle sun, far from the cruelty of this world."
At that moment, the baby stirred, his tiny hand closing firmly around his father's finger, as if agreeing to the name. Li Hao felt his heart tremble, and he lowered his head to kiss the boy's forehead, whispering:
—"Tian… grow up in peace, my son."
And outside, the moon remained suspended above the village, a silent witness to the beginning of a new story.
