After Zhang Guoqing picked Ping’an up from kindergarten and brought him ho, without needing any reminders, Ping’an first ran to wash his little hands, greeted Mr. Zhang and the others, and then dashed to the East Wing.
Once in the study, he tiptoed lightly, opened a door between two adjoining rooms, first poked his head in to take a glance, and on tiptoes quietly first looked at the twins in the cradle.
Zhou Jiao was resting with her eyes closed, but hearing the sounds, she knew her eldest son had returned. She secretly opened her eyes and happened to see Little Ping’an happily tilting his head and touching his little brothers’ hands.
"Baby, why are you so happy?"
Hearing his mother’s voice, Ping’an quickly turned his body and ran to the bed, "Mom, you’re not asleep, huh? I was worried I’d wake you. Did you miss ?"
Zhou Jiao helped him onto the bed, "Of course I missed my baby. Are you hungry? What would you like to eat?"
"I missed mom too. I’m not hungry. I want to leave more for mom to supplent nutrition."
With her son feeding her sweet words, Zhou Jiao kissed her son hard, "Mom’s considerate baby! Our family isn’t lacking anything. Co, tell mom what you’d like to eat?"
"Mom, I’ll eat later when no one is around at night. I’m not hungry now; Grandma Chen said we’ll eat when Grandpa cos back. Mom, does your stomach still hurt?" Ping’an asked his mom with a frown, touching her stomach.
"It’s much better."
"The little brothers definitely aren’t as well-behaved as , right?"
Zhou Jiao chuckled and nodded firmly, "Definitely! After giving birth to you, my stomach stopped hurting. You’re mom’s most considerate good baby."
Receiving affirmation once a day, Ping’an showed a satisfied smile. He had always said he was the big brother, and surely more filial than the silly-eating and silly-sleeping brothers.
"Later, the brothers will also beco mom’s considerate babies. If they don’t behave, I’ll hit them."
"Okay, when they get bigger, you can enlighten them and teach them to stand firm. In the future, everyone will envy you for having two good brothers."
"Already many little friends envy ..."
Zhang Guoqing entered and heard his son giving out more sweet words, going forward with a damp towel to wipe Ping’an’s face: "Are you feeling hot? Want to go to the living room to cool down a bit?"
There were hardly any ice trays in the bedroom for Zhou Jiao to recuperate properly after childbirth. Seeing his son’s face flushed, Zhang Guoqing barely restrained himself despite knowing the child would cling and refuse to leave.
"Hot? It’s not hot at all at ho." Ping’an hastily shrunk inward, secretly glancing at his parents, "A kid in my class cried out of heat and was taken ho by his dad."
Zhang Guoqing looked at this little drama king, understanding the child’s thoughts clearly, "Alright. Tomorrow I’ll ntion it to you, and we’ll skip sumr class too."
"Will it be bad?"
"How about dad begs you not to go?"
Ping’an jumped up instantly, pouncing on Zhang Guoqing, "Dad, you’re a great father."
"Co here, let see if my son’s mouth is sared with honey."
Zhou Jiao waited for the father-son pair to finish their playful banter and then got to the main topic.
"Do you an your master knew early about the risk of having twins? And his absence this ti was to find so herbal dicine for the kids to take dicinal baths?"
Zhou Jiao giggled with embarrassnt twice, "Not necessarily, he wasn’t sure either. He just worried about the kids’ constitution being weak, so he ntioned it to , and I made a fuss to send him on the herb-seeking quest. Since the due date wasn’t yet arrived, his return will be just in ti for the kids’ bath."
"Did you know that you almost..." Zhang Guoqing finally got angry, his face tight, "Even telling beforehand when entering the hospital about the risk would have been better."
Zhou Jiao knew he would get angry, and softly replied: "Brother, I didn’t intentionally hide it from you; I couldn’t bear you worrying. I know you can’t sleep through the night. Just hearing about the twins, you’ve already worried yourself thin; knowing the potential delivery risks, I fear you’d break down first."
Zhang Guoqing’s fury was easily snuffed out by her going arm-in-arm and speaking gently; left helpless. His wife...
"Master confided in half a month ago, saying more preparation for Ping’an was also needed. Besides..."
Zhang Guoqing sighed under his breath, utterly defeated. He asked stiffly, "Anything else? Speak the truth. Let’s see how I’ll deal with you after your postpartum recovery."
"Hehe... Brother, you’ll be happy when I tell you."
"Oh, tell then."
"Co, I’ll tell it to you alone, okay?" Zhou Jiao beckoned teasingly with winks.
Ping’an objected, "Mom, and too."
"Or, add you in? Promise mom to keep the secret."
Ping’an thumped his chest, "No problem, I’m the secret-keeping king." He added, patting Zhang Guoqing, "Dad, let’s quickly hear the secret."
"You are everywhere."
Zhou Jiao patted the bed, then mischievously extended her neck to glance at the window. As Zhang Guoqing sat down with their son in his arms, she whispered quickly in his ear, "Just won’t tell you!"
Seeing his dad frozen there, Ping’an laughed hysterically.
Caught between laughter and tears, Zhang Guoqing turned to look at the twins in the cradle, noting they weren’t startled awake, before freeing his hand to deal with the "trickery" before him.
"Wife, you’re clever, actually daring to be so naughty. Speak, how should I punish you?" Zhang Guoqing patted Ping’an on the bum, "Son, bring that notebook over."
Ping’an’s gaze flickered between them, "How many tis will it be recorded this ti?"
"I said I’ll speak right now."
"Save it, follow the rules. This ti it’s recorded as three tis; not over the limit, right?"
Zhou Jiao looked at him mournfully, "Three tis for a joke, too inhumane." She reached to pinch his cheek, "Are you my husband? I need to check if you’ve been swapped out."
At this mont, whatever anger Zhang Guoqing had left was gone, teased by his wife, who smothered him in laughter, pulling her in for a bite.
Ping’an quickly covered his eyes, "I didn’t see anything, I really didn’t..."
Zhang Guoqing planted a kiss on his son’s face, and this action made Ping’an grin broadly in delight.
Zhou Jiao blushed and shot him a glance, "Don’t corrupt my son. I’m a ss; your taste is dire!"
"No, still a fragrant and soft little wife," Zhang Guoqing whispered in her ear, "Wife, fifty-two days left."
Zhou Jiao swiftly pinched his waist, just about to give a proper twist, then sighed, "You’ve lost so much weight; this ti, we must recuperate well together."
"Alright." Not wanting her to worry, Zhang Guoqing pulled their son over to change the topic, "Baby, have the little brothers’ nicknas been decided yet? Lots of folks are asking."
Finally his turn, bringing up his brothers’ nicknas, Ping’an felt troubled, "Dad, do you think May 1st and Liu Yi would be good?"
Zhang Guoqing tilted his head, "Why does it sound like they’re my peers? I’m Xiao Wu, and then a string of numbers follows? Your Uncle Da Yi would be ecstatic, wouldn’t he?"
Since last night, when Ping’an suddenly had the idea to na the twins based on birth weight, Zhou Jiao hadn’t connected the dots, but hearing it now, isn’t it whimsical?
Suddenly Zhou Jiao burst out in laughter.
Gently stroking her back to ease her breath, Zhang Guoqing chuckled to his son with a face filled with grievance, "Dad’s joking; it’s a great idea for their nicknas, smooth and aningful. But if it’s linked to your nickna, it would be even better. Outsiders hear, oh, they’re three brothers."
"Mom..." Annoyed, Ping’an decided to seek his mom’s advice.
Zhou Jiao patted his head, "The nicknas are decent. Look at Ping’an, Zi’an, Ru’an, Ankang, Tailai, do you like them? Think about it."
Zhang Guoqing understood his wife’s sentints better than anyone, "Everything will be perfectly fulfilled."
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