diskusbooks Chapter 400 The Beloved Little Sister 35
Chapter 400 The Beloved Little Sister 35
After giving birth, Ji Xiaosong began her postpartum confinement period.
The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains in the ward, gilding the white sheets with a golden edge.
Ji Xiaosong slowly opened her eyes, and what came into view was You Yong's profile as he lay asleep by the bedside.
This tough soldier had a slight frown on his brow, as if he was worried about her and the children even in his dreams.
"Brother Yong..." Ji Xiaosong called softly, her voice still somewhat weak.
You Yong immediately woke up and instinctively reached out to hold her hand: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Do you want some water?"
Ji Xiaosong shook her head and pointed to the four swaddled babies in the crib not far away: "Children..."
You Yong understood and quickly got up to check.
The four little ones were sleeping soundly, their little faces rosy and their breathing even.
He carefully checked each diaper, his movements clumsy but extremely attentive.
"Everyone's fine," he reported softly as he returned to the bedside. "Weiguo kicked off the covers, so I covered him up again; Weimin is sleeping the best; An'an spit up a little milk, so I cleaned it up; Kang Kang..."
Ji Xiaosong couldn't help but laugh: "You do know how to tell who's who."
"Of course!" You Yong puffed out his chest. "How could I mistake my own son and daughter?"
As they were talking, the ward door was gently pushed open.
Wang Xiuhua walked in carrying a thermos, followed by Zhou Xiaomei carrying a basin of hot water.
"You're awake?" Wang Xiuhua's eyes lit up as soon as she saw her daughter wake up. "Mom made you some brown sugar millet porridge and poached two eggs. Eat it while it's hot!"
Zhou Xiaomei put down the basin of water and quickly wrung out a hot towel: "Xiao Song, let me wipe your face."
Before Ji Xiaosong could even speak, her mother and sister-in-law had already arranged everything for her.
A warm towel gently wiped my face and hands, and the sweet aroma of brown sugar porridge lingered in my nose.
She was pampered like a porcelain doll, without having to lift a finger.
"Mom, I can do it myself..." Ji Xiaosong said a little embarrassed.
"Don't move!" Wang Xiuhua said sternly. "You just gave birth to quadruplets, you're exhausted, you need to rest and recover!"
Zhou Xiaomei chimed in, "That's right! No matter how strong you are, you can't take this kind of torment. Listen to your mother, rest for a month first!"
You Yong stood aside, watching his wife being surrounded and cared for by her family, feeling both moved and guilty.
He quietly left the ward, intending to buy some nutritional supplements.
Just as they reached the hospital entrance, they bumped into Mr. and Mrs. You, who had rushed over.
The elderly couple carried large and small bags, their foreheads covered in sweat.
"Father! Mother! What brings you here?" You Yong quickly took the luggage.
"How could we not come?" Mrs. You said breathlessly. "As soon as we heard that Xiaosong had given birth to quadruplets, your father and I packed our things and rushed over overnight!"
Mr. You patted his son on the shoulder: "You're a lucky guy! You've been blessed with two sons and two daughters all at once!"
When the three returned to the ward, it was already bustling with activity.
Ji Tiezhu arrived with Ji Jianjun and Ji Jianshe, and they were marveling at the crib.
Wang Xiuhua and Zhou Xiaomei fed Ji Xiaosong porridge and combed her hair, treating her like a little princess.
"Our in-laws are here!" Wang Xiuhua, with her sharp eyes, immediately greeted them.
Mother You rushed to the bedside and grasped Ji Xiaosong's hand: "Good child, you've worked so hard!"
As she spoke, she pulled a red cloth bag from her bosom. "This is a little something from your mother, for you to use to nourish your body!"
When Ji Xiaosong opened it, she found a thick stack of money and grain coupons inside, at least two hundred yuan.
She quickly declined, saying, "Mother, this is too much..."
"Take it!" Mother You said, leaving no room for refusal. "You have rendered a great service to the You family; this is nothing!"
Mr. You also came over and took out several tin cans from his bag: "These are malted milk powder and milk powder that someone brought from Shanghai to supplement the nutrition for the child and you."
The two families chatted happily in the hospital room, naturally focusing on the four newborns and Ji Xiaosong's health.
Surrounded by her parents, Ji Xiaosong felt a warm glow in her heart as she listened to their expressions of concern.
“Xiao Song,” Mother You suddenly said, “when you are discharged from the hospital, go back to the army base with Yongwa. The conditions there are better, and it’s close to the hospital.”
Wang Xiuhua immediately objected: "How can that be? Xiaosong needs to rest during her postpartum period, so it's definitely better for her to stay at her parents' home!"
Seeing that the two mothers were about to argue, Ji Xiaosong quickly intervened to smooth things over: "Mom, Mother-in-law, I'd like to stay at my parents' house for a while, and go to the army when the child is older. Yong-ge was just promoted to deputy battalion commander, and he's very busy with work..."
You Yong quickly stated, "I'll listen to Xiao Song!"
Just then, the nurse pushed the door open and came in: "Visiting time is over, the new mother needs to rest."
The two families then reluctantly parted ways.
As the husband, You Yong was allowed to stay. After seeing off the elders, he returned to his wife and children's bedside to continue taking care of them.
"Are you tired?" he asked softly. "Want to take a nap?"
Ji Xiaosong shook her head, her gaze gently falling on the crib: "I want to see them more..."
You Yong pushed the four small beds next to his wife.
Ji Xiaosong stroked each of the children's faces, her eyes filled with tenderness.
"Brother Yong," she suddenly said, "I want to drink chicken soup..."
"I'll go buy it right now!" You Yongteng stood up abruptly.
“No need,” Ji Xiaosong said with a smile, pulling him back. “Mother said she’ll kill a chicken and make soup when she gets home, and bring it over tonight.”
You Yong then realized that his wife was teasing him by mimicking his usual tone.
He bent down and gently hugged her: "You naughty girl..."
In the afternoon, the doctor came to check on the patients and announced that Ji Xiaosong and the children were all fine and could be discharged the next day.
This news kept both families busy.
Wang Xiuhua went home to prepare a postpartum room, You's mother went to buy baby supplies, and Ji Tiezhu and You's father discussed how to modify a donkey cart so that the new mother and her four babies could return home comfortably.
When Ji Xiaosong was discharged from the hospital the next day, she was wrapped up tightly, with only her eyes showing.
You Yong carried her onto a donkey cart covered with quilts, while the four babies were each carried by an elder from one of the two families. The group returned to the village in a grand procession, attracting the attention of passersby.
In the Ji family's courtyard, Wang Xiuhua had already prepared a brazier.
According to custom, new mothers must step over a fire basin when entering the house to ward off bad luck.
You Yong carefully carried his wife across the brazier, drawing cheers from the villagers watching.
Ji Xiaosong's maternity room was arranged in the east wing, which had the best lighting.
Wang Xiuhua not only changed the bedding, but also specially put up New Year pictures on the wall and placed several potted plants on the windowsill, making the whole room warm and comfortable.
"Mother..." Ji Xiaosong was so moved that she didn't know what to say.
"Don't cry, don't cry," Wang Xiuhua quickly comforted her, "Crying during postpartum confinement is bad for your eyes!"
In the days that followed, Ji Xiaosong lived a life of being waited on hand and foot.
Every morning, Wang Xiuhua would bring out boiled eggs in brown sugar water;
At noon, there are various nourishing soups, such as old hen soup, crucian carp soup, and pig's trotter soup, served in rotation.
In the evening, there's millet porridge with side dishes.
Not to be outdone, You's mother sent nutritional supplements to the Ji family every few days, ranging from donkey-hide gelatin to ginseng, offering everything imaginable.
The four children were spoiled rotten.
You Yong specially asked a carpenter to make a large crib, big enough for the four little ones to sleep side by side.
Wang Xiuhua and You's mother took turns caring for her, so Ji Xiaosong didn't even have to change her diapers.
Zhou Xiaomei and Li Hongmei would come to help every day after get off work, washing and cleaning, and running around doing all the chores.
That evening, Ji Xiaosong was leaning against the headboard breastfeeding her child when You Yong brought in a bowl of chicken soup.
“Drink it while it’s hot,” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed and carefully feeding his wife. “Dad specially went to the county to buy this black-boned chicken today.”
Ji Xiaosong took a sip, then suddenly remembered something: "Brother Yong, your vacation..."
“It’s been extended by another half month,” You Yong said with a smile. “The political commissar heard that you gave birth to quadruplets and made a special exception.”
Just then, a commotion arose outside the door.
It turned out that Ji Jianguo had returned from the capital, carrying large and small bags.
"Little sister!" he exclaimed excitedly as he entered the door, "I'm an uncle now! And the fourth one at that!"
Ji Xiaosong looked at her older brother with surprise and delight: "Brother! Why are you back?"
"Such a big thing, how could I not come back?"
Ji Jianguo put down his luggage and couldn't wait to look at the crib. "Oh my, this little nose and eyes, it's just like you when you were little!"
He took out four sets of exquisite little clothes from his bag: "These were made by our professor's wife herself, as a gift for the quadruplets."
Ji Xiaosong took a look and saw that each little garment was embroidered with different auspicious patterns, with fine stitches, showing that a lot of work had been put into it.
"Please thank the professor's wife for me..." she said, moved.
"No need to thank me," Ji Jianguo waved his hand. "The professor heard that you had quadruplets and even wrote a calligraphy piece for you!"
He unrolled a scroll of Xuan paper, on which were written the four large characters "四喜临门" (Four Joys Arrive at the Door) in a vigorous and elegant style.
The family was enjoying themselves when the courtyard gate was pushed open again.
This time, it was You Yong's comrades who came. As soon as they entered, they clamored to see the quadruplets.
These usually serious soldiers became flustered upon seeing the four babies, their expressions of wanting to hold them but not daring to do so amusing everyone.
"Sister-in-law," the communications officer, Xiao Zhang, said, blushing, "this is milk powder and bottles bought with money pooled together by the whole company. Please don't mind..."
Ji Xiaosong's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at the mountain of gifts.
You Yong quickly put his arm around her shoulder: "Don't cry, don't cry, you can't cry during your postpartum period..."
As night fell, the guests gradually left.
The courtyard finally quieted down, with only the chirping of autumn insects remaining.
Ji Xiaosong leaned against You Yong's chest, looking at the four little lives sleeping soundly in the crib, her heart filled with peace and happiness.
"Yong-ge," she whispered, "I feel so lucky..."
You Yong kissed the top of her head: "I'm lucky to have married such a good wife like you."