Shen Wuqiu nodded, "Yes, I like petty people."
Gu Lingyu couldn't help but smile. The anger she had felt earlier vanished instantly, replaced by heartache and gratitude. She took Shen Wuqiu's hand and kissed it, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, Qiuqiu."
Shen Wuqiu replied to her, "I find this hardship worthwhile."
Gu Lingyu was struck by those words. A warm feeling welled up in her heart, which turned into tears that stung her eyes. She sniffed gently.
Shen Wuqiu withdrew his hand to touch her head, "What's wrong?"
Gu Lingyu shook her head, and the bittersweet feeling was quickly suppressed. "My children and I will protect you from now on and never let you suffer any injustice."
Shen Wuqiu rubbed her head and chuckled, scolding her, "Idiot."
Gu Lingyu rubbed her hand against Gu Lingyu's palm, "Then I'm still your idiot."
Shen Wuqiu smiled, then turned her head to look at the three sleeping cubs. Seeing them fast asleep, she couldn't help but worry about the eldest, "I wonder how the eldest is doing."
"Da Mao will definitely be fine. He'll be alright after staying in the incubator for a few days," Gu Lingyu said with great relief.
"Don't call the babies 'money' or 'cents,' it sounds awful," Shen Wuqiu scolded her. "If we had known the babies were in such a hurry to come out, we should have thought of names earlier."
"What's wrong with it? It's so convenient." Gu Lingyu still felt that there was nothing wrong with the name she had chosen. "Besides, it's just a nickname anyway, and Uncle has no objections."
"..." Shen Wuqiu was too lazy to argue with her, but she was thinking about deciding on the names for the children as soon as possible.
The two spoke quietly for a while, and then Shen Wuqiu drifted off to sleep again.
The quadruplets were a rare occurrence, and not only were the Chen and Gu families overjoyed, but everyone at the hospital who knew about it was also very excited.
The next morning, the head of the obstetrics and gynecology department, along with the vice president, came to offer their blessings. Before leaving, the plump head of the obstetrics and gynecology department gave them some warm advice:
“In the past, most people who were pregnant with twins would choose a C-section. You are very brave to insist on a natural birth for four children. It’s truly admirable. Although a natural birth is easier after delivery than a C-section, you still need to pay more attention. Drink plenty of water, urinate frequently, and be careful about your diet. Oh, and don’t be lazy; get out of bed and walk around as soon as possible…”
The attending physician and nurses had repeated these words several times, but Gu Lingyu and her parents listened patiently and nodded in unison, "Okay, thank you, we will be careful."
After seeing off the doctor who came to offer his congratulations, Zhao Jiujiu immediately came over and said, "You still haven't urinated. Let me tell you, you can't be afraid of the pain and just hold it in. We can't joke about this."
Saying something like this in front of everyone made Shen Wuqiu a little embarrassed. "I know..."
Gu Lingyu brought over a thermos and said, "Don't worry, Auntie, I'm taking care of it and reminding Qiuqiu to drink water all the time."
Zhao Jiujiu wanted to say something to her, but didn't know what to say. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the second child was crying, so she immediately picked him up. But as soon as she picked up the second child, the third child started crying too...
The second and third children's voices grew louder and louder, instantly making the ward lively. Some were coaxing the baby, while others were making formula...
"Er Mao and San Mao's voices don't sound like those of girls at all."
“You all come from the same mother, so why are these little girls so different in personality? Look at Simao, she’s so well-behaved. Even when she poops or is hungry, she just whimpers.”
"Si Mao looks like an easy-going kid..."
Shen Wuqiu listened to everyone's conversation, and hearing them use the vulgar term "a few cents" repeatedly, she felt utterly helpless. She tried to hold back, but finally couldn't help herself, "Dad, Aunt, it sounds so awful for a girl to be called 'a few cents'..."
Mr. Shen: "What's so bad about it? A humble name is easier to raise a child with. We can just give them a better formal name later, right?"
Zhao Jiujiu agreed, "I think 'a few cents' sounds quite catchy."
Of course, she agreed, entirely because she knew that these little ones were all fluffy, and the name "feathery" was quite fitting.
Shen Wuqiu still wanted to try, "I've thought of nicknames for them, Da Mao..." Ugh, she almost got led astray, "The eldest will be called Jiji, the second Xiangxiang, the third Ruru, and the fourth Yiyi. Together they'll be auspicious and bring good fortune."
Thinking of the adorable girls in her dreams before giving birth, she felt that only such cute reduplicated words were worthy of being used as names for her baby.
Mr. Shen: "The name has a good meaning, so we can use it as the formal name. The nickname can be Da Mao, Er Mao, San Mao, Si Mao. If you have another child named Wu Mao or Liu Mao in the future, you won't have to worry about the nickname."
"..." Shen Wuqiu was frustrated and could only vent her anger on the instigator by secretly pinching a certain cat.
Gu Lingyu, however, "repaid evil with kindness" and kissed her when no one was paying attention.
This feeling is quite exciting.
Shen Wuqiu's heart raced, and she quickly pushed her away, casually saying to Zhao Jiujiu, who was closest to her, "Auntie, how about I feed her?"
Zhao Jiujiu glanced at her, then looked at the fussy second child in her arms. The child had just taken the nipple in her mouth but then spat it out and started whimpering. After so long of coaxing and feeding, the bottle of milk hadn't been touched at all. She couldn't help but mutter a couple of words: "She's being picky with me now. She was drinking it just fine last night."
"What? Er Mao isn't eating?" Dad glanced at her and proudly shook the bottle in his hand: "Si Mao has almost finished his."
Zhao Jiujiu said, "Si Mao is much more well-behaved than Er Mao. He doesn't make a fuss when he sleeps."
As she spoke, she brought the second child to Shen Wuqiu, saying, "Look at you, you little rascal. You're playing with me, taking the pacifier in and spitting it out, refusing to drink, and you're just whining."
Shen Wuqiu took the baby and the bottle, "Let me see..."
Who knew that as soon as she held the baby in her arms, the little one's head tilted slightly towards her chest...
Zhao Jiujiu blinked. "So Er Mao wants to drink your milk?"
Shen Wuqiu: "..."
Chapter 77 Breastfeeding
The ward was quiet for a few seconds, but it was quickly broken by the second son's loud "Wow!"
Don't let the fact that this little guy is only a tiny bundle, weighing less than two kilograms at birth, fool you. His howls are louder than the nine-pound baby born on the same day next door.
Seeing her crying so hard with her eyes closed and her face contorted, the elders in the ward felt incredibly sorry for her. Shen Wuqiu, the new mother, was even more at a loss, trying to soothe her with a small bottle, saying, "Don't cry, don't cry, baby, drink milk..."
When it came to Shen Wuqiu, the second child wouldn't even take the pacifier anymore. Her mother would offer her a pacifier, and she would purse her lips and dodge it.
The way he was crying so hard was heartbreaking. Zhao Jiujiu said, "Why don't you let Er Mao try your breast milk..."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Gu Lingyu brazenly came over and picked Er Mao up, saying, "She's spoiled. Drink it or not, it's up to her..."
As soon as he was in her arms, the second child cried even harder.
When Zhao Jiujiu saw her rough way of holding the child, she felt even more distressed. "Oh dear, Grandma, take it easy. The child is still so young."
Gu Lingyu grabbed the bottle and shoved it into the second child's mouth, asking, "Do you want some or not?"
"You little brat, what do you know? Don't scare her." Mr. Shen immediately scolded her, then put the fourth child, who was already full and sleeping, into the crib, and took the second child from her arms. "You're impatient, I'll coax her."
To his surprise, the second child wouldn't listen to coaxing and kept crying.
She cried so hard earlier that she's now a little out of breath, and those intermittent sobs and hiccups look so pitiful.
Shen Wuqiu's heart softened completely, "Give me the child..."
Gu Lingyu: "Going hungry for a couple of meals will be fine."
Shen Wuqiu glared at her.
Mr. Shen glared at her, "It's a good thing the child isn't yours, otherwise he would have suffered so much."
Gu Lingyu's eyes widened, and she held back for a long time before she finally refrained from retorting.
Zhao Jiujiu glanced at her, helped Shen Wuqiu adjust her posture, put another pillow behind her, and then said to Shen's father and the others, "You can go out first."
Father Shen handed the child to Shen Wuqiu, then teased the third child who had just opened his eyes, before leaving with Gu Junshan.
Shen Wuqiu was still a little uncomfortable. She tried to coax her second child to drink milk with the bottle, but the child still stubbornly refused to drink. She awkwardly tugged at her clothes, but didn't dare to lift them up.
Knowing what she was thinking, Zhao Jiujiu stood up and said, "Alright, I know you're still reserved. Your Aunt Dai and I will go out too."
Shen Wuqiu nodded, then looked at Gu Lingyu standing to the side, "Why don't you go out first?"
Gu Lingyu snorted lightly, "What part of your body haven't I seen?"
"..." Shen Wuqiu spat at her and then ordered her, "Then go and lock the door from the inside."
Gu Lingyu then walked to the door and locked it. When she turned around, she found that her partner had already secretly shown off his alluring peach to a certain boy behind her back.
She immediately walked over quickly and subconsciously pulled Shen Wuqiu's clothes down again, "Let her drink goat milk..."
To be honest, Shen Wuqiu wasn't ready to breastfeed yet, and she was quite hesitant. But her second child was so fussy, and she couldn't bear to see her little face red from crying.
"Stop making a fuss..." Shen Wuqiu said to her, then hurriedly went to comfort the baby who was crying loudly in her arms, "Baby, don't cry, don't cry, Mommy will feed you milk."
Gu Lingyu didn't stop her from lifting her clothes up. She glanced at the peach that had become even fuller, and snorted angrily, "I think she just wants to steal you from me. She was drinking her milk just fine yesterday."
Shen Wuqiu ignored her, lowered her head and carefully held the second child's head close to her chest. She was just thinking about what position to feed him when the second child, as if by magic, found the precise spot and then took it in his mouth...
The moment the little cherry was caught, Shen Wuqiu felt that she had been elevated in that instant, and instantly felt that she had a new identity. Although she knew that she was a mother when she accepted her pregnancy, the feeling of being a mother seemed different when she was breastfeeding her child. In short, it was very wonderful.
However, this feeling was soon infused with something new; she frowned and couldn't help but let out a cry of pain: "Ah..."
Gu Lingyu immediately went over and asked, "What's wrong with Qiuqiu?"
Shen Wuqiu took a deep breath, her expression a mixture of embarrassment and pain, "The second baby is sucking so hard, it hurts a little..."
Gu Lingyu wished she could take the baby away immediately. "Is there no breast milk? Then don't feed her, let her drink goat milk instead."
Shen Wuqiu wasn't sure if she had any breast milk, but the little one suckling at her nipple was doing so enthusiastically with his eyes closed. "Look, she's not crying anymore..."
"If I had that kind of treatment, I wouldn't be crying either..." Gu Lingyu muttered to herself, and then helped her lift up the other side of her clothes.
"What are you doing?" Shen Wuqiu felt inexplicably ashamed.
Gu Lingyu looked at the heavy peach and couldn't help but swallow. "How about I try it on you and see if I can produce any breast milk..."
Shen Wuqiu's face flushed red instantly, and she raised her hand to punch her chest, "Aren't you childish?"
Gu Lingyu, however, was serious and rushed over regardless of the consequences.
Daughter on the left, daughter on the right...
The scene was too stimulating. Although there was no one else in the room, Shen Wuqiu still felt like she was going to die.
Gu Lingyu didn't mean to compete with her daughter for milk; she genuinely just wanted to check if the woman had any breast milk. But as soon as she exerted a little force, a faint sweet fragrance wafted from her mouth...
Not only was she stunned, but Shen Wuqiu was also stunned...
When their eyes met, Gu Lingyu swallowed hard, and the faint sweetness slid down her throat.
"..."
After a few seconds of silence, Gu Lingyu suddenly jumped up and grabbed a water glass from the counter next to her, gulping down water.
Shen Wuqiu looked at her with a complicated expression and said with difficulty, "It...it's not that bad, is it?"
Gu Lingyu was still a little dazed. After a while, she slowly shook her head and whispered, "It smells good and is a little sweet."
Shen Wuqiu looked down at the second child in her arms without saying a word.
Gu Lingyu asked again, "Does it still hurt?"