“All right, Brother Zhu, you can come in now.” Zhu Ping’an and the others had only waited outside for about three to five minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Finally, Li Shu’s voice came from inside.
Zhu Ping’an had barely taken a step when he felt as if he’d been yanked by a bull. His feet nearly left the ground as the outrageously plump Master Li, with astonishing agility, overtook him and charged into the delivery room first.
His old father-in-law certainly hadn’t wasted those two hundred pounds of flesh—his strength was like that of an ox. Zhu Ping’an, stumbling backward from the pull, struggled to regain his balance while silently grumbling.
“Careful, brother-in-law!” If not for his two brothers-in-law quickly steadying him, he might have fallen.
“Thanks, Big Brother, Second Brother.” Zhu Ping’an thanked them while rushing headlong into the delivery room without looking back. As he stepped inside, he could still smell the metallic tang of blood and saw basins of crimson water.
The dangers of childbirth were starkly evident. Li Shu was propped up against the headboard, a headband tied around her head—a traditional precaution against catching a chill. Though she had applied rouge and powder, looking as radiant and captivating as a fairy, her exhaustion was still apparent.
“Little Li, you’ve worked so hard.” Zhu Ping’an’s eyes glistened with emotion as he hurried to the bedside. Ignoring his father-in-law’s glare, he nudged Master Li aside with a bump and tightly clasped Li Shu’s hands, speaking with heartfelt concern.
Beside Li Shu, two tiny babies were swaddled in small quilts, their little hands and feet wriggling, unwilling to be confined.
They seemed to be v. But, alas, Zhu Ping’an’s attention was entirely on Li Shu, his gaze not once straying to the two babies.
As for his father-in-law, the doting old man had rushed straight to his daughter upon entering. Before he could say a word, Zhu Ping’an had shoved him aside. Now, he was busy glaring at Zhu Ping’an and hadn’t yet had a chance to look at his two grandchildren.
Then, the two brothers-in-law entered, also heading straight for Li Shu to check on their sister. They, too, initially ignored the babies. Seeing their sister looking radiant, just a bit exhausted, they were reassured. But with their father and Zhu Ping’an vying for space by her side, there was no room for them, so they turned their attention to the two wriggling babies.
“Oh, my two little nephews are just too handsome! This one’s practically a carbon copy of our sister. I’ve never seen such adorable babies. Hmm, this one looks like our brother-in-law—kind of goofy, no, I mean, honest.” The two brothers-in-law couldn’t take their eyes off the babies, exclaiming as if they’d discovered a new world.
The nephew and niece were easy to distinguish—not because they were bare, but because their swaddling blankets were different. The boy’s blanket was embroidered with a golden kirin, while the girl’s had a colourful phoenix.
The little niece was a miniature Li Shu—though tiny, her features clearly resembled her mother’s.
The little nephew was a miniature Zhu Ping’an, with that same goofy look, unmistakably his father’s son.
The two brothers-in-law were utterly captivated by the two little ones.
“Oh, I nearly forgot about my grandchildren!” Master Li slapped his forehead, remembering his grandchildren. Using his fatherly authority, he pushed his two sons aside to claim the best viewing spot by the babies.
“My darling grandchildren, I’m your granddad!” Master Li squatted by the bed, cooing at the babies. Seeing their appearances, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “My granddaughter is just like Shu’er, and my grandson is much better-looking than his dad—both inherited Shu’er’s best traits.” The two babies, giving their granddad some face, grinned slightly when he teased them.
Their smiles sent Master Li into a tizzy of pride. He couldn’t help but show off, “Haha, they smiled at me! Did you see that? Did you see?”
“That’s blood ties for you! My grandchildren, you’ve got half the Li family blood in you. You feel a connection with your granddad, don’t you? Haha, they smiled again! Darling grandchildren, Granddad has little gifts for you.” As he cooed, Master Li took a jade pendant and a thumb ring from his person and placed them in the babies’ hands as meeting gifts.
But the babies weren’t impressed. They touched the items briefly before pushing them away—cold, boring things.
Of course, another reason was that they were newborns, their tiny hands unable to grasp anything yet.
“Darling grandchildren, these are good things—warm in winter, cool in summer, blessed by a high monk to bring health and safety.” Master Li, with a fawning expression, bent over backwards to please the babies.
“Dad, I’ve coveted that jade pendant for over a decade. I wanted it as a kid, and you wouldn’t give it to me.”
“Dad, that thumb ring was passed down from Grandpa. When I snuck it to play with as a kid, you whipped me with a belt for half a day—nearly killed me…” The two brothers-in-law, seeing their father casually give his decades-old jade pendant and thumb ring to the grandchildren, couldn’t help but exclaim, their voices tinged with a hint of envy.
Those items—they’d once tried to claim them, only to be thrashed by their father, who swore the pendant and ring were his lifeblood. Yet now, he was fawningly giving them to the grandchildren.
Not his lifeblood anymore? Old man, this favouritism is a bit too obvious. Are we not your real sons or what?
“You’re grown men, jealous of babies? Have you no shame?” Master Li glared at them.
The two brothers-in-law were instantly cowed, falling silent.
“All right, Brother Zhu, I’m fine. Go look at the babies—see if you’re satisfied,” Li Shu said, resting in Zhu Ping’an’s arms for a moment. Seeing he still hadn’t looked at the babies, she urged him.
“Satisfied, satisfied, beyond satisfied.” Zhu Ping’an finally turned his attention to the babies. One glance, and he nodded repeatedly. The two little ones were like miniature versions of himself and Li Shu—genes were truly a marvel.
“He’d better be satisfied.” Master Li shot Zhu Ping’an a fierce glare, full of menace. Hearing Zhu Ping’an’s enthusiastic “satisfied, satisfied, beyond satisfied,” he nodded approvingly, thinking, *That’s more like it, kid.
