After hanging up, Liu Bo also called to ask if An Lan was hungry, mentioning that he had already started cooking. To be honest, seeing her daughter suffer through childbirth made her resentful toward Liu Bo, regardless of whether her son-in-law was at fault. She felt much better now. "No need, just bring something over tomorrow morning. Lin Feng has already prepared food and is on his way."
A short while later, Lin Feng drove up, carrying several bento boxes. He had made fish and tofu soup, sunny-side-up eggs, porridge, and more. Unsure what An Lan might have an appetite for, he had prepared a bit of everything in generous portions.
Lin Feng walked over to the bassinet and gazed at the sleeping infant.
He couldn't help but reminisce about the first time he met his own four treasures. They were also so tiny, soft, and sweet-smelling. Lin Feng's only regret was not being by Zhang Yuxi's side throughout her pregnancy and delivery, leaving her to endure it all alone.
The mother in the neighboring bed also woke up. The delicious smell made her realize how hungry she was. Her own meal was from the hospital cafeteria. Her child had been born prematurely, but at a healthy six pounds and two ounces. Because everything had happened so suddenly, her family had been completely unprepared.
"Mom, I'm hungry too..." she said weakly.
"What can I do if you're hungry? I can't find any food for you in the middle of the night," her mother replied, then added, "Just bear with it a little longer. I'll get you something as soon as the cafeteria opens in the morning."
An Lan said, "I have plenty here. Let me share some with you." She felt pangs of hunger, but she knew she wouldn't be able to eat much.
"Oh, thank you so much!" the other mother said eagerly.
Just then, the baby started crying. Lin Feng expertly checked the diaper. It was clean; the baby was probably hungry. He picked up the infant and handed him to An Lan.
An Lan took the baby from Lin Feng's arms, feeling a bit clumsy and overwhelmed. This was the first time she had held him; she had been lying down ever since the delivery. Lin Feng gently showed her the proper way to hold him. An Lan got the hang of it immediately—perhaps it was maternal instinct.
Lin Feng drew the privacy curtain to let her breastfeed, while he began to organize the food containers. "Just let me know if there's anything special you're craving. I'll make it and bring it over."
"Deal!"
A natural delivery meant she could leave the hospital in three or four days, unlike a C-section, which required a week-long stay.
「On the other side.」
After returning home, Lin Feng went to the children's room and gently pulled the small blankets over his sleeping quads. Back in the master bedroom, Zhang Yuxi rolled into his arms. "Honey, you must be exhausted."
Lin Feng hugged her, his heart filled with tenderness. Zhang Yuxi murmured something and drifted back to sleep.
「After lunch.」
Lin Feng prepared a nourishing meal of pig trotter and peanut soup, sweet and sour pork ribs, and stir-fried pork liver, which he had Zhang Yuxi take to the hospital.
When the children heard that An Lan had a new baby, they clamored to go to the hospital.
Zhang Yuxi shook her head. "No, sweeties, the baby is still too small. We'll go visit at your godmother's house in a few days when she's back home."
The children were all disappointed, their little faces falling, their unhappiness clear to see.
Lin Feng smiled. "How about this? When Mom gets to the hospital, we can have a video call. Would you like that?"
The children immediately brightened up.
When Zhang Yuxi arrived at the hospital room, An Lan's mother was gone. She learned that she was at home arranging for a postpartum nanny and tidying up the house. Liu Bo and An Lan's father were there instead. An Lan's father had been there all morning, and with Zhang Yuxi's arrival, he prepared to leave, handing things over to Liu Bo.
An Lan was practically drooling. "Yuxi, you and Director Lin are my guardian angels!"
The pig trotter and peanut soup Lin Feng had stewed was a creamy white, and its aroma was intoxicating. He had picked out the leanest pieces of trotter with very little skin.
"I'm starving! I have to eat now!" An Lan declared.
"Lin Feng made a portion for you too," Zhang Yuxi told Liu Bo.
Liu Bo smiled cheerfully. "Then please thank Brother Feng for me. I'll eat after An Lan finishes!"
As he spoke, the baby began to cry, sending Liu Bo into a flustered panic. Seeing the look of sheer terror on his face, Zhang Yuxi couldn't help but laugh.
"Here, let me," she offered.
Zhang Yuxi skillfully changed the baby's diaper and then washed his little bottom. Afterward, she held the baby for An Lan to breastfeed. Infants have no patience; they cry the moment they're hungry.
An Lan took her son from Zhang Yuxi, chiding her husband playfully, "And you call yourself a father. You don't know how to do anything!"
"What can I do?" Liu Bo said helplessly. "He's so fragile! I'm terrified I'll accidentally hurt him."
Since An Lan couldn't eat while nursing, Liu Bo began to feed her.
"I want the ribs. Director Lin's ribs are so appetizing!"
Soon, An Lan was full, and the baby was too. A newborn's stomach is only the size of a marble, so they can't eat much. Zhang Yuxi placed the infant back in the bassinet. Only then did she remember her promise to video call her four treasures.
She aimed the camera at the baby. "Look, this is the baby your godmother had!"
The children were amazed.
"The little brother is sleeping!"
"That's right. He just finished drinking his milk."
"He looks so tiny..."
"Mhm, babies are very small when they're first born, but he'll grow bigger little by little. You were all just like this when you were born."
"Mommy, I wish Godmother had a little sister so we could play with Barbie dolls together."
"Whether it's a little brother or a little sister isn't something your godmother can decide. A boy or a girl, they are both precious gifts to their parents."
"Can he not do anything right now?"
"That's right, he's still too little."
As they chatted, the baby let out a big yawn, and the children noticed he had no teeth.
Zhang Yuxi smiled. "His teeth will start growing in a few months."
After ending the call, An Lan teased, "The quads really love kids. Are you considering having another one?"
Zhang Yuxi shook her head firmly. "Four is more than enough!"
Just then, Liu Bo started to eat his meal. Zhang Yuxi's attention drifted to the family in the next bed. The husband was looking after his wife, while the grandmother cared for the child. But their care, for both mother and child, was rather unrefined. Clumsy, even. For instance, the grandmother was now changing the baby into new clothes that hadn't even been washed yet. That's a huge no-no. A baby's skin is incredibly delicate.
Frowning, Zhang Yuxi took out two clean baby outfits from her bag. "Here, have the baby wear these. The new clothes you bought haven't been washed. They'll irritate the baby's skin."
The elderly woman looked embarrassed. "Oh, we couldn't possibly..."
"Just take them." Then Zhang Yuxi turned to the husband. "Go wash those new clothes and hang them outside to dry." With clothes that small, they would probably be dry by that evening, or by the next day at the latest.
When Zhang Yuxi got worked up, she exuded a powerful aura. Her tone became commanding, leaving no room for refusal.
The elderly woman explained awkwardly, "Our daughter-in-law delivered prematurely, so we had to buy everything at the last minute."
"Even so, these are things you should prepare in advance," Zhang Yuxi said coolly. "Having a baby is a serious matter."
With that said, she glanced at the sleeping infant in the bassinet and sighed inwardly.
An Lan tugged her hand. "Are you bringing me dinner tonight, too?"
"What's this? Getting addicted?" Zhang Yuxi asked.
An Lan pouted. "As if you don't know how good Director Lin's cooking is."
Zhang Yuxi laughed. "What do you feel like eating tonight? I'll text Lin Feng."
An Lan wrapped her arms around Zhang Yuxi, smiling and acting cute. "I'm fine with anything!"
Zhang Yuxi pushed her away playfully. "Get off me! You're a mother now!"
"I don't care!" An Lan replied shamelessly.
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