novellhall Chapter 213 Peaceful Days
Chapter 213 Peaceful Days
Having served in the military for so many years, I've shed blood and sweat but never tears.
Huo Jiyun had long forgotten what it felt like to cry.
Qiao An was stunned to see Huo Jiyun in tears.
In the novel, Huo Jiyun is the male protagonist, and it seems he has never cried in his life.
And now, he's wiping away tears?
"Honey, after the baby is born, we'll hire a nanny from the neighborhood to help us take care of the baby during the day. While you're in postpartum confinement, I... I'll take care of you every day when I get home, and I'll make sure you're not too tired."
In other families, the mother-in-law takes care of the daughter-in-law during her postpartum period, but his mother is not someone he can count on.
"Can."
It's already quite impressive that Huo Jiyun could think of this much.
"I don't want to breastfeed. I bought a lot of formula to prepare for when I have a baby. So you'll have to feed your baby at night."
"Okay, okay, you just need to get some sleep and rest. I'll take care of the rest." Huo Jiyun nodded repeatedly.
He was happy to be able to do something, so that at least Joanne wouldn't think he was completely useless.
Joan knew that she had actually vented her anger for no reason.
She felt unbalanced just thinking about the harm that childbirth brings to women.
She wasn't always like this. Perhaps it's related to hormonal imbalances during pregnancy that caused such a dramatic change in her emotions.
Joan quickly composed herself.
"Honey, let me massage your legs," Huo Jiyun suddenly leaned closer.
"During this exercise, I met someone who comes from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and knows massage, so I asked him to teach me."
He said that giving massages to pregnant women is good for their health.
Huo Jiyun spoke with a fawning expression, which amused Qiao An.
"Alright, then I'll give you a chance to show off."
After saying that, she lay down flat.
Huo Jiyun chuckled, knelt on the bed, and became serious.
A pair of warm hands were placed on her legs. They first tentatively squeezed her legs a few times. Seeing that Qiao An's expression was normal, Huo Jiyun slowly began to increase the pressure.
Since becoming pregnant, Qiao An has always felt that her legs are very sore and tired, and her heels become swollen and painful after walking a few steps.
When Huo Jiyun pressed it, he could indeed feel that the muscles had relaxed a lot.
It seems that my studies were worthwhile.
Joan relaxed more and more, closed her eyes, and her breathing gradually became steady.
Huo Jiyun turned his head and saw that she was asleep.
He turned the electric fan to the lowest setting and moved it a little further away.
Then he lay down next to her.
Qiao An slept well that night, but Huo Jiyun suffered.
This was the first time he had ever felt Qiao An's emotional fluctuations. Listening to the breathing of the person next to him, Huo Jiyun tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
So he started to survey all the women in the compound to see who he could invite to come and take care of Qiao An.
I kept thinking about it until dawn.
Joan opened her eyes in the morning.
As soon as he turned over, he saw Huo Jiyun staring intently at the roof beam with his big eyes.
Noticing the commotion around him, Huo Jiyun turned around, his face beaming with excitement.
"Honey, I've been thinking, Sister Su from the backyard is a good fit."
"Huh?" Joan tilted her head, not understanding what he was talking about.
"I mean, after you give birth, please ask Sister Su to come to our house during the day to take care of you." Huo Jiyun sat up.
"Sister Su's mother-in-law passed away early. She had three children and raised them all herself, so she has experience."
"Besides, Sister Su is a woman of few words, honest, and never gossips. What do you think?"
Qiao An then realized that this was what Huo Jiyun was thinking about.
"Okay, since you think she's trustworthy, I have no problem with that."
"Thirty yuan a month for her salary, plus some groceries and such, should be enough, right?" Qiao An asked.
"That's enough, more than enough."
Huo Jiyun couldn't help but sigh, as his own salary plus bonuses only amounted to a little over eighty.
"You can take the money from my salary to treat Sister Su, otherwise I'll feel like I haven't participated in anything." Huo Jiyun hugged Qiao An's arm, as if she were being coquettish.
"Okay, okay, use your money, don't worry."
"Why."
Huo Jiyun was pleased. "Go wash up first, I'll cook for you and the children."
"There are dried noodles in the kitchen. I want to eat clear soup noodles with a few poached eggs."
"Okay!"
Huo Jiyun happily ran to the kitchen.
Actually, he was a decent cook, and after joining the army, Qiao An had told Huo Jiyun what the seasonings by the stove were and how to use them.
Whenever something seemed unusual, Qiao An would always say that she had asked someone in Guangyun City to buy it from Gangcheng.
When Qiao An finished washing up, changed into clean clothes, and came to the living room, the children were already sitting obediently at the dining table, waiting for their meal.
"Mom, is Aunt Xiaoyun feeling better?" Huo Ning asked, swinging her little legs.
Qiao An sat down and noticed that her hair was a bit messy. She started to comb it for her. "It's not completely healed yet. You'll need to rest for more than a month."
Huo Fang rested her chin on her hands and asked, "Second Aunt, will you have to stay in the hospital for many days when you give birth, like Aunt Xiaoyun?"
In Joan's time, twin pregnancies almost always involved cesarean sections; vaginal births were rare.
Even with vaginal delivery, most babies are premature.
She's almost pregnant, and if it's a natural birth, she'll most likely give birth prematurely around seven months.
That is, September.
September is great, it's not hot during postpartum confinement.
Joan comforted herself.
"Whether or not we will need to be hospitalized depends on the doctor," Qiao An and Huo Fang explained.
"Second Aunt, if you're hospitalized, I'll bring you food every day." Huo Fang straightened up. "I don't know how to cook many dishes, but I can start learning now."
"Second Aunt, I'll take care of you after you give birth."
Upon hearing this, Qiao An felt incredibly warm inside.
But how could she let a teenage girl take care of her?
Huo Fang followed them all the way from Zhongchuan Province to Amutu.
To be honest, Huo Ning, Huo Chen, and Wen Xiaoxiao usually spend more time with Huo Fang.
She has already done Joanne a great favor.
"Fangfang, you'll be starting school in September. Your task is to study hard, get into a good university, and learn skills to serve your country."
"You don't need to worry about your second aunt's childbirth. Your second uncle and I have already made preparations."
Huo Fang blinked. Back in her hometown, she would get scolded or even beaten if she did even a little less housework.
Now at her second uncle and aunt's house, not only does she have to do housework, but Huo Chen, Huo Ning, and Wen Xiaoxiao also have to do housework.
My second aunt said that the home belongs to everyone, so housework is everyone's housework, and there is no such thing as one person helping another.
Although it was still work, Huo Fang was happy to do it.
Because my second aunt is impartial.
"Then I'll stay home and take good care of my younger siblings." Huo Fang still took on a task for herself.
"Okay, you're the eldest sister. If they do anything wrong, you should say so. I'm not home, so you have to help me discipline them." Qiao An looked at her with a smile.
Huo Fang immediately perked up, "Okay! Don't worry, Second Aunt."
As they were talking, Huo Jiyun had already prepared breakfast.
The family chatted and laughed as they ate steaming hot noodles.
After Guo Caifeng left, Qiao An would visit Xia Xiaoyun every day.
Zeng Fushun kept his word and actually asked an aunt in the courtyard to help take care of Xia Xiaoyun during her postpartum period.
She also spent a lot of money to buy red dates, goji berries, and some medicinal herbs for stewing soup from Qiao An.