Once the three children started crying, chaos ensued in the Zhai family. As the three children grew older, they had more energy to cry, and it was getting harder to coax them.
She had long forgotten how difficult it had been to coax Jiajia to drink milk while she had been at that age since her daughter was already all grown up. But her nephews and niece were still unweaned newborns. Zhai Hua felt helpless. She had long forgotten how to take care of newborn babies. Even she felt like crying once the triplets started crying.
As such, the courageous and fearless Zhai Hua, whose only weakness was Jiajia, had three more weaknesses now. That was the triplets.
Jiajia stroked Er Bao’s chubby and tender hand that was on the milk bottle. “Mom, you look so nervous now. I was just mentioning it. I won’t actually do it. Mom, I realized that Er Bao’s hand has grown again. It was only this big when I held it last time, but it’s already so chubby now!”
Jiajia was astonished by how quickly babies grew. Of course, Jiajia loved the tender and chubby triplets. The long wait for her three younger siblings had been worth it. They were truly the most adorable creatures in the world.
“…” Zhai Hua was also rather speechless watching Jiajia grow into a fool for her younger siblings. Once the triplets were present, no one else mattered to her. “Do you really love your younger siblings that much?”
“Yes!”
“Don’t you think it’s noisy when your younger siblings cry?” Even though they were her nephews and niece, even she got annoyed at their cries at times.
Jiajia shook her head happily. “They cry only when they’re feeling uncomfortable. Since they can’t express that in words, they can only do so through their cries. We have to be tolerant and understanding and take good care of them. Firecrackers are even louder and noisier, but why are there still people setting them off every year? They even cause air pollution!”
As compared to the banned firecrackers, what were her siblings’ cries? Besides, her younger siblings were easily satisfied. As long as they were fed and cleaned up, they would stop crying very quickly and would fall asleep like a little piglet.
Hearing Jiajia’s answer, Zhai Hua suddenly had a ridiculous thought: Jiajia would probably even think that the triplets’ farts smelled good! Jiajia had been bewitched by the triplets! “Jiajia, do you realize that we have to return to Ping Cheng in the morning on the third day of the new year? Your school reopens on the fourth day of the new year.”
What would Jiajia do once she had to return to Ping Cheng now that she was so attached to the three children? She couldn’t possibly bring the triplets back to Ping Cheng, right? The children were still so young. They couldn’t possibly do without their mother, Qiao Nan.
Jiajia’s expression soured. “Mom, can you not spoil the mood by bringing that up? I know that we’ll have to leave on the third day of the new year and that I’ll have to leave my siblings behind. That’s why I have to cherish my time here and spend more time with them now before we leave. Do you understand?”
“…”
The one who was unable to stand Jiajia’s argument was not her mom, Zhai Hua, but her uncle, Zhai Sheng. Jiajia had gotten so crazy that she even slept in the same room as the triplets. She had promised to help her aunt take care of her younger siblings if they were to wake up in the middle of the night because they were hungry or because they needed a change of diapers. Zhai Sheng’s face had turned green the moment he heard that.
Although Qiao Nan was still doing her confinement, the couple still shared a room, and the two newbie parents took care of the three children together. Even though Qiao Nan was not exactly clean because of her confinement and needed rest, Zhai Sheng and Qiao Nan would still behave affectionately from time to time with hugs and kisses since they were husband and wife. Although he could not go much further, it was something, at the very least.
Jiajia was already grown up, and since she was going to stay in Qiao Nan’s room, Zhai Sheng had to move out. Even if he had not, he would never have done things that he could do in front of the three children in front of Jiajia. Whether or not Jiajia was sleeping, Qiao Nan refused, and neither could Zhai Sheng cross his own psychological barrier. It was uncomfortable, to say the least.
Jiajia’s presence had a direct impact on his ‘welfare’. Even though she was his biological niece, she was truly an annoyance at this moment.
Feeling Zhai Sheng’s gaze toward Jiajia change, Zhai Hua hit Jiajia’s back. “You’re sticking to them too much! Aren’t you going to work on your exam papers? Your teachers are going to check them. Didn’t we agree that you wouldn’t neglect your studies even while we’re here? Don’t you think you should try to finish your work today?”
You foolish child. Don’t you see that your uncle’s expression doesn’t look so good? Think about it from his perspective. He finally got married at the age of forty-five and finally had a taste of what it was like to have a wife. Why are you trying to be a third wheel? He sees you as his enemy now!
Of course, it would be too extreme to say these words out loud. As such, Zhai Hua dared not vocalize these thoughts, for fear of affecting Jiajia. Her daughter might have been insensible, but she was stuck between her daughter and her younger brother, who had only been married for a year. What was she supposed to do but help both sides?
As Zhai Hua was trying to discuss the matter with Jiajia, she could not help but glance at Qiao Nan. The men in this family are too petty! How could he throw a tantrum at Jiajia, who’s just a kid? Where had the gentleness in the Zhai family gone to?
Qiao Nan smiled helplessly. This… She had no choice either. It was not as though she could scold Brother Zhai, much less Jiajia. She was in a tight spot too!
Qiao Nan was clear about Zhai Sheng’s temper. In her dream, Zhai Sheng had bought a separate large bed for the triplets the moment they were old enough. Once the triplets turned one, Zhai Sheng had simply put them into another room and had ‘chased’ the children out of their room.
At times, the triplets threw tantrums, wanting to be near Qiao Nan and sleep with her. Unless Zhai Sheng was not at home, it was rare for the triplets to fulfill their wish of doing so. Thankfully, Zhai Sheng had still been young in her dream, and his career had still been on the rise. As such, he spent much more time in the military than at home. That was why the triplets often found it possible to sleep with their mother.
Now…
She glanced at the three children who had had their fill of milk and were glancing around with those bright eyes of theirs. Qiao Nan could not help but feel heartbroken for her three children for a split second.
