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Xining asked the question casually; she was open-minded and didn't find it inappropriate.
"Oh, did I say something wrong?"
Chu Qinghuai almost swallowed the food in his mouth, then coughed violently, attracting the attention of everyone at the table.
Zhong Wan, sitting next to him, calmly put down her chopsticks, patted him on the back, and then looked at Xining with a smile, finding him quite amusing. "No, we had a normal marriage."
She wished Chu Qinghuai would marry into her family, but unfortunately he couldn't have children.
"So, who's marrying whom?"
Xining's serious expression amused Zhong Wan, who found it adorable. "Nobody married anyone else, right? We were super poor when we got our marriage certificate, we didn't even have a wedding, so there was no question of marriage."
These words were not embarrassing for her; she could say them easily. But when she heard Xining exclaim in shock, "Wow, that's amazing!" with curiosity in her eyes, she was quite surprised.
Zhong Wan guessed that the other party might feel that she had been wronged or that she was jumping into a fire pit. How could she promise someone her whole life without even having any of the ceremonies and material things that a wedding should have? That was too hasty.
If you really have to ask why, the fact that two people who were both penniless lived together for many years without ending up going their separate ways is the answer.
She didn't neglect material things, so after they got together, she and Chu Qinghuai worked hard to earn money and make their lives better and better. In addition, they had three babies without any pain. She really didn't feel unhappy anywhere.
Perhaps her expectations were too low, which is something that cannot be changed. After all, her upbringing was like a filthy garbage can, so terrible it was appalling, a world of difference compared to now. Her current life has turned her fate around, and people should be content.
She wouldn't tell her past stories to anyone. Playing the victim is the most useless thing in the world, and showing your scars to people other than yourself is the most foolish thing in the world.
She just smiled and let it go.
Xining looked at Zhong Wan with even more admiration and said, "You are really brave."
Fortunately, Chu Qinghuai is a man worthy of being a husband.
"Chu Qing can't even cook, and I only know how to make very simple Chinese dishes. It's a miracle that our family hasn't starved to death." So, it's quite rare for Chu Qinghuai to be able to cook.
Xining told Zhong Wan helplessly that Xiwen didn't like Western food, and for a while, the family ate tomato and egg noodles for a month.
"So what do you usually do? What do you eat?"
It's not good for children to eat noodles and rice balls all day long when they are growing.
“We go to Grandpa and Grandma Xiwen’s house every Sunday to get some stewed meat, which we divide equally each day. When we eat, I only need to cook some vegetables, and that’s a meal.”
Given her family's circumstances, hiring a cook would be no problem at all, but Xiwen is too introverted, values her privacy highly, and doesn't like strangers coming to her home, so she hasn't hired one.
Xining is very busy with work, and he only tries to cook a few dishes when he feels like it. But most of the dishes he makes are terrible. Chu Qing is even worse. He even took a cooking class to cook for his wife and children, but he almost set the classroom on fire, which scared him so much that he dared not cook again.
When Xiwen was little, he could fill his stomach with milk, but not anymore. He needs to eat a balanced diet. Where can Xining Chuqing get that? He just eats whatever is available, so it's no wonder he's a picky eater.
After hearing this, Zhong Wan silently gave a thumbs up in her heart, thinking that she and Chu Qinghuai were simply gifted at cooking.
"When you have time, bring Xining to my house for dinner. Chu Qinghuai is a pretty good cook, and the kids might like it."
“Okay! We’ll definitely go!” she agreed.
-
The four kids were so engrossed in playing that none of them wanted to sleep. Normally, staying up late would be unacceptable, but today was a special case. They could play with Xiwen a little longer, and once they got tired, they would probably be sleepy by six o'clock when they got home, and then sleep soundly until dawn.
She had a very dreamy vision.
"We'll go home after playing for a little while longer," she said, telling Xiaohe to take care of the toys and not to break her brother's things.
The adults were all sitting on the sofa, and there was a whole area in the living room for the children to play. When Xining heard Zhong Wan say that she was leaving, she was the first to disagree. "You should eat dinner before you leave. Chu Qing is coming back early tonight and wants to have dinner with you."
Zhong Wan smiled politely but still declined, "No, no, they go to bed early tonight, we're going home this afternoon."
She's not used to having to eat two meals at someone else's house; it's too much trouble.
As they were talking, the three children, as if bitten by a sleepy bug, ran to Zhong Wan and Chu Qinghuai's side, rubbing their eyes and saying they were so sleepy, even though they were wide awake just a minute ago.
Children also have a biological clock. They would normally be asleep by this time, so the reason they can stay awake until now is because they have so much energy.
Just as Zhong Wan was about to pick up Mu Mu and leave, Xi Wen, who hadn't spoken for a long time, said, "Auntie, let them go to my room to sleep."
His green pupils blinked, sparkling like starlight, and his small lips pursed slightly, as if he were embarrassed.
He must have been thinking about these words for a long time before saying them; his eyes were filled with longing, making it hard to refuse.
Xining meant the same thing: to let the children take a nap in the Western-language room and then have dinner together when they woke up.
"I've already ordered the food. The hotel staff will be delivering dinner tonight, including a copper hot pot. The kids will definitely love it."
"Oh, this."
Zhong Wan held the sleeping Mu Mu in her arms, then looked at Cai Cai and Xiao He in Chu Qinghuai's arms. She knew that waking them up now would definitely make them fuss. So, under Xi Wen's expectant gaze, she agreed, "Okay then, thank you for your help."
“It’s no trouble at all, Xiwen. Hurry up and open your room door. It’s time for your afternoon nap.”
Xiao He was still clutching the plush rabbit's ears in her hand. It was a toy from Xiwen that she liked very much. When Chu Qinghuai took off her clothes, Xiao He didn't want to let go, so he let her hold it while she slept. The adults thought Xiao He looked more and more like the toy rabbit, both of them fair and tender.
Zhong Wan had no idea that her daughter liked rabbits. She remembered it well and thought she would buy Xiao He a rabbit doll next time.
The bed in Xiwen is big enough. The children are small and don't take up much space anyway. It's perfectly fine for four children to sleep in one bed. Once the door is closed, they can sleep quietly without being disturbed.
At what age did your child start having their own room?
Zhong Wan had just glanced at Xiwen's room, and it seemed to fit the characteristics of a boy of this age. The room was also frequently used, so he probably already slept in a separate bed from his parents.
She considered whether or not to let the three little ones, Fruit, Vegetable, and Flower, sleep alone as well.
"You mean Xiwen? I forgot exactly when, maybe before he turned one. I don't think I slept with him much; he grew up in a crib."
Xining has its own unique way of raising children, which is related to the region. People there pay attention to cultivating children's independence. Sleeping with parents not only affects the relationship between husband and wife, but also makes children increasingly difficult to raise.
"Oh my god, is that so?"
"Of course, the earlier children become independent, the easier it is for parents."
"..."
Zhong Wan was very concerned. This matter had been bothering her for three days. She was worried that it would be bad for the babies' development, and she even weighed the pros and cons. However, the main problem was that there simply weren't enough rooms in the house.
After Chu Qinghuai mentioned wanting to change jobs, Zhong Wan's decision truly impacted the entire family.
"Let's rent a place to live."
This was unexpected for Chu Qinghuai, yet also reasonable. The three children were not old, but they would soon be going to kindergarten, and it was time for them to develop a sense of privacy and independence.
Moreover, Cai Cai is the only boy among the three children. Zhong Wan believes it is time for the children to understand gender differences, and it would be inappropriate to let them sleep in the same bed at this time.
The couple sacrificed so much for their child.
“We just bought this house. It’s small, but at least it’s our own. Why are we going to have to rent again?”
"Look at how big our house is. Three children need at least three bedrooms. Even if we don't rent it now, we'll have to rent it sooner or later."
Another reason Xining was right about was that she didn't want to have to go to Chu Qinghuai's study every time for some clandestine meeting, like a secret affair, because it would ruin the atmosphere.
Chu Qinghuai has been quite busy lately, and he can never have too many things to do. In any case, he can fulfill any request Zhong Wan makes.
"Okay, leave it to me. I'll go find a place."
"Ideally, we should find an apartment building with an elevator, in a location that isn't too remote. Even if it's a bit pricey, it's important that the kids are comfortable."
Zhong Wan, who is always frugal, understands that there can be no compromise in this regard; in short, whatever is best for the children and whatever makes them comfortable should be done.
Renting a house is not like buying groceries; the earliest it will be is next month. Zhong Wan patted Chu Qinghuai on the shoulder: "Cherish the time you spend sleeping with the babies."
Chu Qinghuai pretended not to care, his eyes darting around, "Who cares about them? Anyway, I can still sleep with you."
"Tsk."
Zhong Wan patted him again with a smile.
-
Chu Qinghuai's work as a supplier is sometimes busy and sometimes slow. For example, today, he delivered the goods in the morning and then had nothing to do, so he went to pick up his child.
The children were naturally happy to see their father so early. With their little backpacks on, they waved goodbye to Lin Jiang without turning their heads, saying, "Goodbye, Auntie!"
Chu Qinghuai pulled them out to greet them properly before leading the three children away.
"Sister Lin, we're leaving now. We'll come back tomorrow."
"Okay."
Chu Qinghuai told the children that they would have braised pork for lunch, and everyone salivated, already looking forward to it.
"Cai Cai, wipe your drool off, it's dripping onto your pants."
Chu Qinghuai took out a tissue from his pocket to wipe the child's mouth. Just as he squatted down, someone rushed over quickly and almost knocked Cai Cai down.
He looked up angrily, ready to see who it was, but upon seeing the familiar face, he suddenly fell silent and walked away without any hesitation.
The old woman followed, her sharp, triangular eyes filled with feigned tears, and said with snot and tears streaming down her face, "Qinghuai, I really didn't mean to bother you."
"Then you did it on purpose."
"No, it's your brother... he accidentally fell down the stairs."
Chu Qinghuai's expression remained calm. He was anxious to get home and make braised pork for his child, and his words carried a hint of harshness: "If he's missing an arm or a leg, just cut off your arm and leg and put them on him."
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