49

Zhong Wan and Chu Qinghuai didn't sleep deeply in the first half of the night, afraid that if they fell asleep they wouldn't hear the children crying. They forced themselves to stay awake until the second half of the night, making sure the three children were asleep and that nothing unexpected would happen before they could finally lie down in peace, by which time they were so sleepy they could barely keep their eyes open.

The empty bed, without the connecting crib and railings, felt strange to the couple who had shared the same bed for so many years. There was no longer a soft, warm baby to hold beside them, and no more chattering sounds in their ears. Everything returned to calm.

Zhong Wan said, "What should I do? It seems I'm the one who can't get them to fall asleep on their own."

She began to miss Mumu and Caicai, who could be her hand warmers, and to miss seeing Xiaohe's face pressed against her shoulder as soon as she woke up in the morning.

Chu Qinghuai rolled over, wrapped his arms around her waist, and brought his head very close, "Aren't you satisfied with me?"

How can you compare to babies?

"Um?"

Chu Qinghuai's voice carried a hint of warning as he lightly poked her itchiest spot. Zhong Wan immediately surrendered, quickly saying, "Okay, okay, you're the most important. Having you is enough."

"That's more like it."

Chu Qinghuai patted her lower abdomen, "Go to sleep, you still have to take care of the baby tomorrow."

"good."

Zhong Wan placed her hands on his, closed her eyes, and soon fell asleep.

...

The next morning, the two woke up to the sound of the alarm clock. Chu Qinghuai was sleeping very comfortably with his head on Zhong Wan's arm, and reluctantly moved away from the soft and sweet embrace.

Chu Qinghuai stretched comfortably on the bed, having not had such a peaceful sleep in a long time, and without worrying about being pushed off the bed.

"Get off me, my hand is numb."

Zhong Wan clicked her tongue impatiently and pushed him away.

Chu Qinghuai then lifted one leg and placed it on her lap, saying, "It's still early, sleep a little longer."

"No, baby is hungry and needs to eat breakfast."

Upon hearing the refusal, Chu Qinghuai opened his eyes, and once his vision was clear, he sat up abruptly in bed. "I must have owed them something in my past life."

"Don't say things like that. All I asked you to do is make breakfast. Hurry up and get dressed."

Zhong Wan pushed and kicked him at the same time.

Without the noise of children, Chu Qinghuai was obviously much more relaxed and free. He had taken off his pajamas and short sleeves at some point and was now shirtless, revealing his lean physique. Zhong Wan looked him up and down and felt even more strongly that she needed to urge him to exercise more. Any more fat on his body would look bad, and any less would make him look weak. He was just right now.

Zhong Wan was worried about the children, so she didn't stay in bed and got up with Chu Qinghuai. After they finished washing up, they went out together to check on how the three babies were sleeping.

Mumu's room is next to the master bedroom. When Zhong Wan opened the door, she saw the little girl sitting on the edge of the bed folding a small quilt. She wasn't crying or making a fuss and was playing happily by herself. She said, "Baby's awake."

Upon seeing the visitors, Mumu immediately jumped off her crib, huffing and puffing, "Daddy, Mommy!"

Good morning~ How was your sleep, sleeping alone?

"I'm going to sleep alone tonight!"

This was the answer. Chu Qinghuai stood to the side and said, "Right? I didn't lie to you. Sleeping alone is really nice."

Mumu nodded repeatedly.

Zhong Wan led her outside, "Let's go see if our younger siblings have woken up yet?"

Upon entering Xiao He's room, a wave of floral fragrance wafted towards her, almost intoxicating. Zhong Wan could even detect a hint of the fresh scent of springtime renewal within it.

Chu Qinghuai was right. Xiao He was still asleep, sleeping like a sweet little pig, making it hard to wake her. She usually slept the most, and it would take at least another hour before she woke up.

The baby is still small and growing, so Zhong Wanchu and Qinghuai didn't disturb her. They gently closed the door and took Mumu to open the door to Cai Cai's bedroom.

"Knock knock".

Zhong Wan knocked twice to show respect, but heard no sound from inside. She assumed Cai Cai was asleep, so she simply turned the handle to open the door. However, she did not see the child on the bed.

Chu Qinghuai turned on the light and frowned: "Where is he?"

Zhong Wan took two steps forward. Suddenly, Mu Mu beside her exclaimed "Ouch!" The three of them looked down in the same direction and saw Cai Cai, with rosy cheeks, sleeping on the ground with her little blanket.

The bitter smell of vegetable juice filled the room.

I don’t know how long he slept on the ground. Luckily, there was a thick blanket on the ground so he wasn’t too cold. Cai Cai curled up in a ball, like a chubby little dumpling, lying motionless on the ground.

Zhong Wan picked him up immediately.

Upon closer inspection, they noticed two obvious tear tracks under the child's eyes, and tears still clung to his long eyelashes, indicating that he had been heartbroken.

Touching his mother's warm arms, Cai Cai twitched his nose like a puppy and rubbed his head against hers. It wasn't until Zhong Wan asked, "Baby, are you awake yet?" that he opened his eyes.

"Mommy." The voice was still childish.

"Hey~ why are you sleeping on the floor?"

Tears welled up in her eyes again at the mention of painful memories. "Mom."

He just kept calling for his mother.

Thinking about it carefully, one can understand what the child went through, and Zhong Wan felt a slight sense of guilt for it.

Chu Qinghuai picked up the small blanket from the ground and wrapped it around his entire body.

Cai Cai's little hands were ice cold, and her little feet had bumped against the corner of the cabinet, leaving red marks. Zhong Wan touched them tenderly: "Did you miss your mother?"

"Mmm." He rubbed his eyes, looking aggrieved. "Scared, scared~"

The room was too dark, and he was sleeping alone; he didn't feel safe.

"Why didn't you come to find your mother when you were scared? Your mother sleeps right across from your room."

"It's black."

"All right."

Zhong Wan pouted as well, sat on his bed, and gently patted his back, "Our baby has had a hard time sleeping by himself."

"Mom, I want to sleep with you."

"Sure, you can sleep with me and Daddy tonight, and try sleeping by yourself tomorrow, okay?"

He obediently agreed.

Of the three children, Cai Cai was the most timid and the most insecure. At first, Chu Qinghuai was puzzled, thinking that no boy was like that, always hiding behind his sisters. He was neither as brave as Mu Mu nor as outgoing as Xiao He. But he soon realized that this was a misconception. There was nothing wrong with girls being brave and boys being timid. There was no right or wrong in personality. It was enough for children to grow up healthy.

Zhong Wan and Chu Qinghuai's greatest wish for their children has always been for them to be safe and happy.

Everyone in the family knows that Cai Cai is timid, and no one ever laughs at him. For example, when they encounter a fierce little stray cat on the street, Xiao He will stand in front of Cai Cai, stretch out her arms, and let out a howl to scare the cat away. She thinks that protecting Xiao Cai is a very important thing.

Now, Mumu took off her shoes and climbed onto Caicai's bed, staring intently at his expression, waving her hand back and forth, "What's wrong with you?"

He shook his head, not wanting to answer.

"Then I'll sleep with you?"

"Cai Cai is not sleepy anymore."

"Let's go play!"

He then nodded.

Zhong Wan found clothes for the children to wear, and after washing up, the two of them stayed in Cai Cai's room to play with toys while she and Chu Qinghuai made breakfast.

This was the first breakfast in the new home, and Zhong Wan rarely had any sense of ritual, so she made a very lavish breakfast, a combination of Chinese and Western dishes, including steamed buns, sandwiches, and fruit for the children to enjoy after the meal.

Mumu and Caicai got bored after playing for a while, and the two of them went to Xiaohe's room and woke her up. The three children then played together in the living room until Chu Qinghuai called out "Dinner is ready." Like little robots, they obeyed the instructions, climbed onto their high chairs, and waited for dinner.

The new life is spent enjoying hearty breakfasts.

-

In mid-July, the sweltering weather needed a refreshing downpour to wash it away. Accompanied by a loud bang in the sky, lightning streaked across the heavens, like a giant crack about to burst open, ready to swallow the darkness.

At the dinner table, Zhong Wan spoke to everyone about something serious.

"This Saturday we're not going out, we're going somewhere else."

"Where?"

"Do you babies know who the father who is going to see Mommy is?"

Mu Mu did not disappoint Zhong Wan's expectations and blurted out, "It's Grandpa!"

"Yes! That's right, we're going to see Grandpa tomorrow."

"Where does Grandpa live?"

“Grandpa is different from us. He lives in a very quiet place. You’ll find out soon enough.”

Zhong Wan's most respected relative since childhood was her father, but after his death, no one would treat her so selflessly anymore. Chu Qinghuai was different; after all, love had an added layer of impurity compared to kinship.

She visits her father's grave every year, usually with Chu Qinghuai. This time, with the addition of three new children to the family, she wants her father to share in the joy.

Zhong Wan's parents divorced when she was in the third grade of elementary school. She soon went with her mother to remarry. Her stepfather wasn't exactly bad to her, but he was extremely hypocritical, shameless, and obsessed with saving face. "Meaningful" was the most appropriate word to describe him.

She has a bad relationship with her mother; they don't visit each other all year round, and their relationship is purely one of transferring and receiving money.

Zhong Wan hadn't seen her mother for several years, and she never expected to meet her again at her father's grave.

...

The family of five arrived a little after six o'clock. A cool breeze blew across their arms, and soon they got goosebumps.

As usual, Zhong Wan first arranged the offerings and incense, then sat on the ground and chatted with her father. She first introduced the appearance of the three children, and then described their individual personalities. Although the process of their meeting was very strange, the ending was good. She and Chu Qinghuai deserve praise for raising the three children like this.

"Qinghuai and I originally planned to have our own children, but their arrival was so timely. I will not have any more children. Mumu, Caicai, and Xiaohe are our children."

"If you were still here, you would like them too."

Zhong Wan's personality is somewhat like her father's; both father and daughter are exceptionally good people. She tells the children that this is their maternal grandfather, who is watching over them from heaven and will bless them with peace throughout their lives.

"Then how do we talk to Grandpa?" Mumu asked.

"You can just say it directly, he can hear you."

Mumu nodded, seemingly wanting to say something, but then hid behind her father.

The family stayed at the cemetery for a long time, but the atmosphere wasn't too oppressive because the children were there, and Zhong Wan did most of the talking.

The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, and the temperature was about to rise. Zhong Wan was worried that the children would get heatstroke, so she led them away. Before leaving, she said to the tombstone, "Goodbye, I'll bring the children to see you again next time."

No sooner had they left than others stood in the same spot.