Shen Yanming didn't insist. He tightened the lid on the remaining fish soup and put it away, then prepared to go check on the two little ones.
Before anything could be done, Zhang Heping asked in disappointment, "Hey Lao Shen, is this the feast you've prepared for me?"
Shen Yanming covered his mouth and chuckled, "Time is tight, so I can only make do with this green pepper and pork slices. But don't be disgusted, this is a dish that many people would love to eat outside."
Zhang Heping was aware of the market situation, but his expectations were too high, resulting in a significant disappointment.
He nodded. "Then when Qiao An is discharged from the hospital, I'll come to your house for a meal. You have to show your sincerity and cook a delicious and visually appealing meal."
“Sure, no problem!” Shen Yanming replied.
Having received a satisfactory answer, Zhang Heping began to eat. Although it wasn't quite the same as the lavish meals he usually ate at the Shen family's house, the taste was still quite good.
Although Bi Qiaoan wasn't hungry, she didn't disappoint her husband's kindness. She took a sip of the fish soup and felt that without salt, it wasn't particularly delicious, even though the soup was made with fish and water from her spatial dimension.
She forced herself to drink a small bowl, but then didn't want to continue. She pointed to the things on the bedside table and told Shen Yanming about Ji Kangyong and Li Zhaozhao's feelings.
Shen Yanming nodded, indicating that he understood, and didn't say anything to refuse. After all, they were all familiar with each other, and could guess roughly how much wealth each other possessed.
Shen Yanming whispered in Bi Qiaoan's ear, "It's alright, we can repay this favor when we have the chance."
Bi Qiaoan nodded, not worried at all. They both had special abilities, and there would be plenty of ways for them to help each other in the future. There was no rush to repay the favor.
The two whispered to each other, when Li Zhaozhao asked loudly, "Old Shen, what are you planning to name your two little darlings?"
Shen Yanming glanced at Qiao An, unsure whether he should speak. Bi Qiao An nodded, "Those two names, I think they're fine?"
Li Zhaozhao watched the two interact, completely bewildered. "You two, you haven't decided yet, have you?"
Shen Yanming nodded, "That's right! We didn't know before whether it was one man and one woman, or two men, or two women. We only briefly mentioned it to Qiao An and didn't confirm anything. However, we did prepare a few names that we can use."
"What is it? Tell us. If it's not good, we won't agree," Li Zhaozhao egged them on.
“Yes, Lao Shen, let me tell you all, once a birth certificate is printed, it can’t be changed,” Zhang Heping reminded.
Shen Yanming knew this was everyone's good intention. He smiled and said, "We plan to name our son Shen Xubai and our daughter Shen Qingyu."
Comrade Shen thought the two names sounded nice and was waiting for their praise when he heard Zhang Heping frown and mutter, "No, no, these names don't sound good!"
Shen Yanming frowned. "What's wrong with it? Tell me."
Zhang Heping opened his mouth, but then closed it again, afraid that Shen Yanming would get angry.
Bi Qiaoan was also puzzled. These two names had been approved by the two of them, so why did they sound bad? She asked, "Heping, why don't you tell us? Otherwise, if we really submit them, we won't be able to change them."
Zhang Heping glanced at her, but was still somewhat intimidated by Old Shen's gloomy face, so he shook his head and remained silent.
Li Zhaozhao stepped forward and said, "It's not just a matter of homophones. Shen Xubai, the first two characters sound like kidney deficiency, aren't you afraid that other kids will make fun of you in the future? And Shen Qingyu, it sounds like application, and it's also like both sunshine and rain, it's unpredictable!"
When Old Shen heard this explanation, he was so angry he wanted to punch someone. What the hell was this? Was this some kind of forced connection, this insulting nonsense?
Zhang Heping nodded, "I'm also afraid that such problems might arise in the future, hurting the feelings of my two little ones."
Bi Qiaoan was also somewhat frustrated, "But this connection is really far-fetched. We originally chose these two names with very good meanings, but..."
Before she could finish speaking, Ji Kangyong interrupted her. He said, "Old Shen and Qiao An, don't listen to their nonsense. You two can use whatever names you want. If you really think about things like that, then most people's names would have some negative connotations. Would people even be able to live like that?"
Ji Kangyong said this for two reasons: first, he genuinely didn't think what Zhang Heping and Li Zhaozhao said was true; second, he realized that Lao Shen and Qiao An were genuinely satisfied with the two names. Therefore, there was no need to say anything irrelevant that would upset the couple.
Shen Yanming agreed, "We can't make far-fetched connections. As adults, we should be more rational. If we really have to force a connection, then my son's name could be called Ginseng Root, which is so precious! And my daughter's names are even better: Deep Affection, Jade Green, Green Feather—aren't they all good?"
Zhang Heping and Li Zhaozhao agreed with Comrade Shen's explanation, finding it reasonable. They nodded in agreement.
Of course, it doesn't matter if they disagree. They're not his little darling, so they really don't have any rights when it comes to "naming rights."
Seeing that none of them objected, Bi Qiaoan smiled happily.
And so, the names of the two babies were officially decided: Shen Xubai and Shen Qingyu, hehe.
However, Zhang Heping was quite curious, so he asked, "What do these two names mean?"
"Well, both 'Xu' and 'Yu' mean speaking and writing, so it's meant to allow them to freely express their lives," Shen Yanming explained simply. He didn't elaborate on the other meanings.
Zhang Heping responded with an "oh," indicating that he was just listening for the excitement and didn't actually understand much.
"And what about your nickname?" Ji Kangyong asked.
In fact, nicknames are used more often than formal names in informal settings. For this reason, the two haven't finalized their relationship yet.
Shen Yanming could only tell the truth: "I haven't thought about it yet, let's talk about it later."
Zhang Heping nodded, "Alright, there's plenty of time anyway, you two can discuss it. Now that the name is confirmed, it won't affect the household registration."
The group chatted casually for a while longer before the two little ones woke up and started whimpering.
They had only cried a few times when Old Shen felt sorry for them and went over to comfort and hug them.
Several rough-looking men watched with envy, asking, "Did you poop? Did you pee? Are you hungry?" They were even more anxious than Shen Yanming.
Old Shen just reached into the blanket to check, "No bowel movement, no urination, it must be hungry!"
Then, the anxious trio fell silent. They knew it was time to feed the baby.
"Uh, well, Lao Shen, let's go out first. You and Qiao An, hurry up and deal with it."
As Ji Kangyong spoke, he stood up and walked towards the door. Li Zhaozhao and Zhang Heping followed closely behind.
Shen Yanming stopped the three of them, walked to the balcony, looked out, and said, "Qiao An and I are very grateful that you came to visit. However, the weather outside is not good, and I'm afraid there will be a storm soon."
"Should you guys go back first?"
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