Inside the house, the coal stove was burning brightly, and the warmth from the heating made one's cheeks feel hot.
Su Wantang leaned against the headboard, holding Da Bao in her left arm and Xiao Bao in her right.
The two little ones were competing, their mouths opening and closing vigorously as they sucked, making gurgling swallowing sounds in their throats, both satisfied and eager. For their mother, feeding two boys with so little milk was truly a huge undertaking.
Da Bao is impatient and sweats profusely while eating, while Xiao Bao is more refined, keeping his eyes closed and his long eyelashes like two small brushes, focusing solely on eating.
Su Wantang looked down at the two soft little balls of flesh in her arms, and her heart almost melted into a pool of spring water.
Wen Yuzhen walked in carrying a bowl of chicken soup with the aroma of red dates. When she saw this scene, she felt heartbroken and her face contorted with pain.
"Tangtang, look at you, feeding one and taking care of the other, your face is all pale from exhaustion." She placed the chicken soup on the bedside table, her brows furrowed. "How about... we add some formula for them? Or we can make some malted milk powder, your body can't take this much?"
These days, milk powder and malted milk powder are expensive, but Wen Yuzhen is willing to spend the money. Her grandson is precious, but her daughter-in-law's health needs to be taken even more seriously.
"Mom, it's okay." Su Wantang looked up and smiled at her mother-in-law. "I have enough milk for them. The books say that breast milk is the best for babies, and no formula can compare. Look at the two of them, how strong and healthy they are."
Wen Yuzhen looked at her two grandsons' chubby little faces; they were indeed robust, even more energetic than many of the single-born babies in the compound. She didn't understand the scientific explanations, but she trusted her daughter-in-law. Her daughter-in-law was educated and knowledgeable.
“Okay, as long as you know what you're doing. You drink your soup first, I'll keep an eye on them.” Wen Yuzhen said, then moved a small stool and sat on the edge of the bed, staring intently at her two beloved grandsons, her face full of affection.
Su Wantang had just taken two sips of soup when there was a soft knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Wen Yuzhen asked loudly.
"Auntie, it's me, Sun Xiulian."
As soon as the door opened, a gust of cold wind swept in. Sun Xiulian stood in the doorway, carrying a cloth bag containing a few sweet potatoes, looking even more shriveled than the sweet potatoes in the bag.
It hadn't been long since we last met, but her eyes were sunken, her cheeks were thin, and she wore a faded old cotton-padded jacket that looked loose and flimsy. A gust of wind made her look like she was about to be blown away.
"Come in quickly, come in quickly!" Wen Yuzhen quickly pulled the person in and closed the door.
“Auntie, I…I came to see Wantang.” Sun Xiulian awkwardly handed over the cloth bag. “There’s nothing good at home, but these are sweet potatoes I grew myself. They’re sweet, and I’m making porridge for Wantang during her postpartum period.”
"You silly child, you came all this way, but you brought nothing with you!" Wen Yuzhen complained, but took the cup and poured her a glass of hot water.
"Sister-in-law Xiulian, please sit down." Su Wantang put the baby, who had eaten and drunk his fill and was already asleep, into the cradle, and then adjusted the position of the older baby.
Sun Xiulian held a cup of hot water, but her eyes were fixed on Su Wantang, then looked at the two babies sleeping soundly in the cradle, her eyes filled with undisguised envy.
"Wantang, you are so lucky. Look at these two children, they are so easy to take care of." She said, then sighed deeply, "Unlike some families, who have such a hard life."
Su Wantang sensed something was off in her words and asked, "Sister-in-law, what happened?"
Sun Xiulian took a sip of hot water, as if she had made a great decision, and leaned closer, lowering her voice: "It's all about Liu Fen's family."
Upon hearing the name, Su Wantang and Wen Yuzhen both perked up their ears.
"What's wrong with her? I saw her the other day, her fever had gone down, and her milk had flowed again," Wen Yuzhen asked anxiously.
"She's recovered, but her life is worse than when she was sick!" Sun Xiulian said, her face filled with anger and pity. "Thanks to you, Wan Tang, otherwise her life... Alas! But you could save her from her illness, not from her suffering!"
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