Two hours later, the ward door was gently pushed open, and Xiao's father walked in cautiously, carrying a thermos bucket, afraid to make any noise. The rich aroma of chicken soup wafted from the thermos bucket, instantly filling the entire room.
"What's going on? Are Xiaoru and the children okay?" Father Xiao put the thermos on the bedside table and asked in a low voice, his eyes full of concern.
"I'm fine. I can eat and sleep well. I'm pregnant with five little ones!" Xiao's mother replied with a smile, pointing to the five children who were sleeping soundly, her tone full of pride.
Father Xiao leaned over and, using the light coming in from the window, carefully examined the five little guys. His weather-beaten face was now filled with a smile, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were stretched out, making him look like Maitreya Buddha.
"Oh, this little nose and eyes are just like Xiaolang's when he was a child!" Father Xiao couldn't help but reach out and gently touch the face of the little grandson closest to him. It was soft and smooth, and felt very good.
The more he looked at them, the more he liked them. He wanted to hug all five children and give them a kiss. However, he held back and just stood there, grinning foolishly.
"Old man, why are you grinning like an idiot? Your saliva is about to flow down!" Xiao's mother joked.
Father Xiao finally came to his senses, wiped his mouth a little embarrassedly, and said defensively: "I'm just happy! Who wouldn't be happy to have five more grandchildren all of a sudden?"
"By the way, how long has Xiaoru been sleeping? Should we wake her up to drink some chicken soup? She just gave birth to a baby and needs to be well nourished." Father Xiao remembered the important business and asked.
Mother Xiao nodded: "Well, it's time to wake her up and eat something. She must be hungry after sleeping for so long."
"Xiaoru, Xiaoru, wake up and have some chicken soup." Xiao's mother patted Chen Xiaoru's shoulder gently and called softly.
Chen Xiaoru slowly opened her eyes, still a little confused. She looked at Xiao's mother with a dazed look, and then looked at Xiao's father who was standing beside her.
"Dad, you're here." Chen Xiaoru's voice was a little hoarse and a little tired.
"Hey, here it comes. Come on, drink this chicken soup while it's hot. I specially stewed it. It's very nutritious!" Father Xiao quickly opened the thermos, and an even richer aroma wafted into his nose.
"Well, okay," Chen Xiaoru said. Xiao's mother stood up and slowly helped Chen Xiaoru up and leaned her against the head of the bed.
"Mom, have you thought of names for these five little ones?" Chen Xiaoru suddenly remembered this and asked softly.
"Not yet. Do you and Dad have any ideas?" Xiao's mother's voice was very soft, as if she was afraid of disturbing something.
"Your father and I came up with a few names before. What do you think? The eldest will be named Xiao Yuanhang. We hope he can sail far and wide in the future. The second will be named Xiao Xingchen, shining like a star. The third will be Xiao Zeyu, with a broad mind. The fourth will be Xiao Muyang, forever bathed in sunshine. As for our little princess..." Mother Xiao paused, her eyes becoming especially gentle. "Let's name her Xiao Ruoxi, as warm and beautiful as the first ray of sunshine in the morning."
Chen Xiaoru silently recited these names, and a warm feeling surged in her heart. These names were very well chosen, and each one carried the expectations of the elders.
"Mom, these names are great, I like them very much." Chen Xiaoru said softly. She could feel her mother-in-law's love and expectations for the children.
"As long as you like it, your father and I spent several days looking through the dictionary to decide on this." There was a hint of pride in Xiao's mother's tone.
"By the way, Mom, do you think they will often fight over toys or snacks when they grow up?" Chen Xiaoru suddenly thought of this question, with a hint of worry in her tone.
Xiao's mother smiled and comforted her, "It's normal for children to fight and quarrel, but we are here to watch over them and won't let them get hurt. Besides, the four brothers will surely love their sister very much. How could they bear to bully her?"
"That's right. If these brats dare to bully Ruoxi, I will skin them alive! Xiaoru, eat it while it's hot. It won't taste good if it gets cold." Father Xiao glared at the crib, as if the five little guys had started bullying their sister. His tone instantly became "fierce", but his eyes were full of doting.
Chen Xiaoru was amused, and a hint of color appeared on her frail face: "Dad, don't worry, they are still young, how can they understand what is bullying or not."
"Hmph, don't think they are as well-behaved as cats now. When they can crawl and walk, who knows how they will make trouble! Then I will have to set some rules!" Father Xiao was harsh in his words, but his hand gently stroked the face of the little one nearest him, his movements so gentle as if he was afraid of breaking something precious.
Mother Xiao smiled and handed the bowl of chicken soup to Chen Xiaoru. "Your father is just hard on the outside but soft on the inside. Come on, Xiaoru, eat quickly. This is the old man who got up early in the morning, went to the market to pick out the old hen, and stewed it himself. It's delicious!"
Chen Xiaoru took the bowl and was greeted by a rich aroma, which made her feel even hungrier. She sipped the chicken soup in small sips, the warmth flowing down her esophagus into her stomach, dispelling her fatigue.
Since Mr. Xiao entered the ward, his eyes never left the five little ones.
"Hey, old man, your eyes are almost glued to the child! If someone doesn't know, they would think you are the one who just gave birth!" Xiao's mother couldn't help but joked.
Father Xiao's face flushed, and he argued with his neck stiff, "I...I'm not really interested in them! Who has five babies in just a few months? As a grandfather, shouldn't I be able to watch them a few more times?"
"Yes, yes, you are the most precious!" Mother Xiao smiled and shook her head, then turned to Chen Xiaoru and said, "Xiaoru, eat slowly and have a good rest after eating. Your father and I will take care of the rest."
"Well, thank you, Mom." Chen Xiaoru nodded, feeling warm in her heart.
Suddenly, there was a slight noise in the crib. It turned out that the third child, Xiao Zeyu, had woken up. He opened his eyes in a daze, and his little mouth opened and closed, as if he was looking for food.
Father Xiao immediately perked up and leaned over to whisper, "Hey, the third child is awake! Is he hungry? Little guy, you're exactly like your dad when he was a kid!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the third child suddenly cried out "Wow" so loudly that he woke up the little ones who were sleeping soundly next to him.
For a while, the crib was filled with crying sounds one after another, and it was very lively.
Father Xiao suddenly became flustered: "Hey, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Did you pee? Or are you hungry?"
Xiao's mother also hurried over to help. The two of them were busy coaxing the child and checking the diapers.
Chen Xiaoru looked at the chaotic scene and couldn't help laughing. This is home, full of the smell of fireworks and happiness.
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