Chapter 191 The "Happiness" of Postpartum Confinement
"Brother Lu, your wife and nephew are both safe and sound. I'll take Dr. Zhang back to the provincial capital now!"
As Peng Fei jumped into the jeep, a cloud of snow was swept up from the hem of his military overcoat. He waved vigorously through the car window, "Once I'm done with this, I'll bring some good wine to celebrate with Brother Lu!"
Lu Zheng stood in the snow, rubbing his hands and nodding repeatedly: "Be careful on the road! Thank Dr. Zhang for me!"
He didn't turn back until the jeep's taillights disappeared into the end of the snowstorm, his cotton-padded coat wrapped tightly around him, his steps carried by the wind.
The east wing was quiet. Xia Qianqian was fast asleep, with tears still clinging to her eyelashes, but the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, as if she were having a sweet dream.
Lu Zheng tiptoed to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and his gaze was instantly drawn to the little one in the swaddling clothes.
The little one's rosy cheeks were like a ripe apple. He was fast asleep with his eyes closed, his long eyelashes like two little fans, fluttering gently with his breath.
Her little mouth opened and closed, as if she were nursing in a dream, making soft "smacking" sounds.
Lu Zheng's heart melted.
He sat down carefully, afraid that any sudden movement would wake his wife and children.
He stretched out his finger, wanting to touch it but not daring to, leaving it suspended in mid-air, grinning foolishly. This was his son, his and Qianqian's precious child.
After watching for a while, he couldn't resist any longer and quietly moved closer.
The little guy's eyes are narrow and long, just like Qianqian's; but his nose is high and straight, with a stubborn look, making him a perfect replica of Lu Zheng.
Lu Zheng became more and more pleased with himself, as if he could already see him growing up with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, looking dashing and heroic. He was sure to be a handsome young man that girls would chase after!
"You little rascal," he chuckled, his voice full of affection, "you'll be charming countless young ladies in the future, just as lucky as your father!"
As he spoke, he finally couldn't resist gently touching his son's soft cheek with his fingertips.
To everyone's surprise, the little guy seemed to have his sweet dream disturbed by the touch. His little brows furrowed instantly, his little mouth pursed, and he burst into tears with a "waaaah!" The cry wasn't loud, but it was like a kitten's claws scratching at Lu Zheng's heart.
"Hey? Hey! Don't cry, don't cry! Daddy was wrong! Daddy shouldn't have touched you!" Lu Zheng panicked and tried to hug him, but was afraid that he would hurt him because of his clumsiness. He was sweating profusely.
Xia Qianqian was awakened by the crying. She opened her eyes groggily and saw Lu Zheng circling around the kang like a headless fly, muttering, "Baby, don't cry. Daddy will sing you a nursery rhyme, okay?"
She couldn't help but chuckle, her voice hoarse from just waking up: "Silly boy... he's hungry."
Lu Zheng was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant, scratching his head and chuckling, "Right, right, I'm hungry, it's time for milk!"
He clumsily tried to untie the swaddling clothes, but Xia Qianqian stopped him: "Let me do it."
Lu Zheng watched as Xia Qianqian skillfully picked up the child. As soon as the little one touched his mother's arms, his crying immediately subsided, and his little mouth eagerly searched for milk.
"Qianqian's awake? Quick, drink this bowl of black chicken soup while it's hot!" Wang Meihua's voice was like a steaming basket, and before she even entered the room, the crisp sound of clinking porcelain bowls drifted in.
She placed the tray on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), where golden oil floated on the surface of the black chicken soup, and the sweet aroma of red dates wafted into Xia Qianqian's nose.
Seeing her mother-in-law so thoughtfully preparing nourishing soup for her, Xia Qianqian sweetly thanked her, picked up the bowl and drank it all. Seeing that she could eat, Wang Meihua was also happy and said to her, "Qianqian, leave the postpartum meals to Mom. Mom will definitely make sure you are well-fed and healthy."
Xia Qianqian didn't think much of it at the time, but the next day she realized the weight of her mother-in-law's words.
The next day, from millet porridge at the first crow of the rooster to brown sugar poached eggs at noon, and crucian carp soup before bed, Wang Meihua ate seven meals a day. She was like a tireless spinning top, her iron stomach almost turned into a soup bucket.
"Mom, I really can't drink anymore..." Xia Qianqian rubbed her round stomach, looking miserable as she tried to beg for mercy, but Wang Meihua grabbed her hand.
"Silly girl!" Wang Meihua scooped up a spoonful of soup and brought it to her lips. "If you're strong, you'll have enough milk, and the baby will grow up to be as big as a calf! Quick, open your mouth!"
"But……"
"There are no 'buts'!" Wang Meihua's eyes widened, but her tone softened. "Mom knows you've worked hard, but women need to nourish themselves like this during postpartum confinement, otherwise they'll develop health problems that they'll suffer from for the rest of their lives!"
Xia Qianqian looked at the white hair at her mother-in-law's temples, and swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
Yes, her mother-in-law was only doing it for her own good. She pinched her nose and forced herself to drink the bowl of chicken soup, until she was so full she kept burping.
Human patience has its limits.
On the morning of the fifth day, when Wang Meihua walked in carrying a bowl of chicken soup and four red-skinned eggs, Xia Qianqian only glanced at it before her stomach churned and she almost vomited.
"Qianqian? What's wrong?" Wang Meihua put down the bowl and reached out to touch her forehead.
"It's nothing, it's nothing!" Xia Qianqian quickly waved her hand, suppressing her nausea. "I just suddenly feel a little nauseous."
Wang Meihua frowned, but didn't think much of it: "They still need to eat something, otherwise the child will go hungry."
After her mother-in-law left, Xia Qianqian looked at the golden chicken soup in the bowl, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she beckoned to Er Ya, her voice low and stealthy: "Er Ya, come here."
Er Ya came running over, tilting her head with her pigtails: "Mommy, what's up?"
Xia Qianqian scooped up a spoonful of golden chicken soup, blew on it, and tempted, "Want to try some? This chicken soup smells amazing!"
Er Ya's eyes suddenly lit up. Seeing that no one was paying attention, she nodded vigorously. Seeing that she had finished a bowl of chicken soup and two eggs, Xia Qianqian finally breathed a sigh of relief and slowly ate the other two herself.
She whispered to Er Ya, "Why don't you help Mom eat lunch too? Grandma's crucian carp soup is delicious."
Er Ya looked at Xia Qianqian, blinked, and whispered, "Mom, this isn't good. If you don't eat, your little brother will go hungry."
Xia Qianqian was surprised that this clever little devil knew everything. She lowered her voice and tempted him, "I have a lot of hair clips. Do you want to rent them out too?"
Upon hearing this, Er Ya nodded immediately: "I want it! I want it!"
"And these foods..." Xia Qianqian pointed to the bowl.
Er Ya hesitated for a while, but finally nodded in agreement because of the hair clip.
Xia Qianqian felt that this was the happiest day of her postpartum period, but her happiness was short-lived as her observant Daya noticed.
Da Ya not only scolded Er Ya, but also told Wang Meihua and Lu Zheng about it.
Now, Wang Meihua and Lu Zheng took turns watching Xia Qianqian, determined to see her finish every single bite of her food.
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