NOVPUB
Chapter 390: Chapter 390: Taking Care of the Child
"Mm." Si Chen nodded and took the lead, walking in front.
Lin Fengying watched her tall son moving ahead, suddenly realizing that the last time she strolled solely with her oldest son was many years ago. Back then, he was still a little boy, needing her to hold his hand as they walked.
After her husband’s death, she had not walked alone with her oldest son.
Among the three siblings, Si Chen, being the eldest and sensible from a young age, was often treated as older than he was, causing her to worry less about him and give more attention to her younger son and daughter.
Unexpectedly, among her three children, her eldest son turned out to be the most successful.
Thinking of the past, Lin Fengying’s eyes stung with sorrow. She conceded, "Xiaochen, I was wrong to bring the baby here without telling you, and it’s no wonder that Yaoyao is upset. I’m getting old and forgetting things, not thinking things through properly. Don’t be arguing over this. When Boyi and Lijuan come tomorrow, let them take the child back. As for when you want to have children, I won’t interfere — it’s up to you!"
Upon hearing her words, it seemed as if Lin Fengying had finally come to terms with things and became the sensible person she used to be.
Si Chen, however, noticed something important in her words, "You’re not going back?"
Lin Fengying’s expression stiffened a tad, sheepishly saying, "I can still work and don’t want to be a burden to you two. I will find some dishwashing job in Kyoto. This will earn me some pocket money and allow me to take care of Xiaohui. Both of you happily live in Kyoto. It’s too lonely for me to live alone in the countryside. And please, don’t bring up the issue of finding me a partner. I’ve been managing all by myself for so many years, I don’t need anyone now. Plus, people would talk and laugh behind my back if they knew."
Knowing that her eldest son disapproves of her being with Si Weimin, and unsure about Si Weimin’s thoughts now, Lin Fengying decided to shut her eldest son up with her determination not to find a partner, sparing everyone the trouble of looking for a companion for her.
"Let’s talk about it once Boyi arrives tomorrow." Si Chen, with a hint of irony in his eyes, quickly subdued any further words from Lin Fengying.
Observing her eldest son’s stern expression, Lin Fengying felt a pang of insecurity. She had the feeling that he had thought everything through, waiting for Boyi to join in the plan against her.
They arrived at the hotel shortly after. Si Chen booked a separate room for Lin Fengying, left almost immediately without uttering another word. The hunger pangs hit Lin Fengying as her stomach growled. Just as she was about to go out for a bite, the hotel owner approached her with a grin.
"Here’s the beef noodles your son bought for you from the next door. Have it now while it’s still hot. Just leave the empty bowls and chopsticks in your room. I’ll collect them tomorrow morning."
"Thank you, girl."
Receiving the warm bowl of noodles, Lin Fengying’s eyes welled up uncontrollably. Her eldest son still cared for her after all. 𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝘤𝑜𝘮
If only she had married off her children to good partners.
...
"Did you take Mom to the hotel?" When Si Chen returned, Tong Yao had just finished washing up and was huddled in bed, revealing only a small head from her blanket.
She had placed the baby in the middle of the bed. Fearing she might roll over and inadvertently hurt the baby, she specifically fetched another blanket for herself, keeping a safe distance from the baby.
Another reason she didn’t share a blanket with the baby was that the baby had a strong smell of milk, which Tong Yao found somewhat unpleasant.
"Mm." Si Chen walked up to the side of her bed, took a glance at the baby, and with a softened look, remarked in a gentle voice, "He looks like Boyi."
Tong Yao also glanced at the baby and teased, "Your family’s genes are quite dominant. Yuanyuan indeed resembles Boyi. Good thing he’s a boy. If he were a girl who looked as bold and sturdy like Boyi, it wouldn’t work. Girls should look graceful and delicate."
Si Chen nodded earnestly, his gaze falling on Tong Yao’s face, "Mm, the girls should look like their mother. It’s prettier."
Tong Yao, flattered, pouted and said, "Of course, our daughters should definitely take after me."
Si Chen agreed, "Yes, they should look like you."
At his words, Tong Yao laughed heartily, urging Si Chen to hurry up and go to bed, also specifying where he should sleep: "It’ll be too cramped if the three of us sleep at one end of the bed. You can sleep at the other end tonight, under my blanket, and be careful not to put pressure on the baby."
Si Chen knitted his brows, clearly dissatisfied with the idea of sleeping separately from Tong Yao. However, considering the bed was indeed a bit small, he didn’t voice his objections and went to clean up for bed obediently.
Tong Yao was already half-asleep, but when she felt him getting into bed, she lightly nudged his chest with her foot, mumbling in a drowsy voice, "I don’t know how to take care of a baby or breastfeed. If he cries during the night, you need to get up and feed him, change his diaper. The diapers are on the bedside table..."
After saying her piece, she drifted off into a deep sleep.
A little helpless, Si Chen carefully laid Tong Yao’s foot down and ensured the blanket was tucked in properly around her before closing his eyes. Not even two hours into his sleep, the sound of a baby crying woke him up almost instantly. In order not to disturb Tong Yao, he wrapped the baby in a blanket and went to the living room.
Holding the baby, feeding it, changing the diaper — Si Chen managed all of these unfamiliar tasks at once. Without a baby bottle, he had to feed the baby little by little with a spoon. Fortunately, the one-month-old wasn’t a big eater. Once fed, he would sleep, proving to be quite a good and obedient baby...
When Tong Yao woke up the next morning, the sight of a baby lying next to her stumped her for a moment. Only after a few seconds did she remember the previous day’s events. The thought of facing Lin Fengying later quickly sobered her up.
Looks like a big battle awaits today.
Si Chen, hearing the movement, came in from the living room and casually instructed. "I need to go to work. I left some porridge on the stove, and I bought some steamed buns. Get up and eat while it’s still hot. There’s no milk left in the bowl, so if the baby gets hungry later, you’ll need to find Wang Xia."
After a brief pause, he added, "Whatever it is, wait for me to come back tonight and we’ll all sit down and talk it through."
As a man, he could not turn a blind eye and push all the family disputes onto his wife.
Family conflicts are like illnesses. They need to be addressed at the root cause. Dragging it on would only worsen the situation with no benefit at all to the problem itself.
"Mmm, go to work!"
Tong Yao stretched and got out of bed, careful not to disturb the baby. She thought to herself: This little guy is surprisingly well-mannered. I didn’t hear him cry all night. Maybe taking care of a child isn’t as hard as it seems!
Little did Tong Yao know, Yuanyuan woke up three to four times that night. Perhaps feeling insecure away from his mom, he was reluctant to sleep in the latter half of the night. Any attempt to lay him down on the bed resulted in bouts of fussiness. Si Chen barely slept that night, holding the baby the whole time.
As dawn was breaking, the baby finally drifted to sleep from exhaustion.
