Chapter 154: The Two Cubs

Chapter 154: Chapter 154: The Two Cubs

Aunt Zhao, who was standing nearby, teared up when she heard this. "You’re absolutely right. I can’t help but wonder if my poor child had anyone to look after her when she gave birth."

Mother Su knew her situation too and offered a few words of comfort.

After Su Wan finished expressing her milk, she could finally lie down and rest. Once the pain subsided a little, she started to feel embarrassed.

"Mom, don’t tell anyone I cried from the pain."

"You silly girl, what’s there to be embarrassed about? Almost every woman who’s given birth has gone through this. There’s nothing to be ashamed of." Mother Su found it amusing, but her heart ached for her all the same.

But once her milk came in, she had to express it every two hours, otherwise it would become uncomfortable.

Even so, the twins had such good appetites that she had to supplement with formula to have enough for them.

A month later, Su Wan had completed her postpartum confinement, and the twins were finally ready to leave their incubators.

Today was the first time Su Wan could keep the twins by her side.

After a month of growth, Tuantuan had developed healthily and now weighed five and a half pounds. But Yuanyuan, who had struggled to get nutrients in the womb, had only gained about twelve ounces in a month, even with individual feeding in the incubator.

The little girl looked much more frail than her brother. Ironically, she was the one who most resembled Su Wan, but she also had a touch of Lu Zhengchuan’s striking features. Frail yet resolute, her appearance made everyone’s heart ache for her even more.

"Sigh. Poor Yuanyuan doesn’t have a very good appetite. She eats so little each time, about as much as a kitten," Mother Su said, her heart aching as she gazed at Yuanyuan in Su Wan’s arms. The little one’s eyes were closed, and she was perfectly quiet. Even when she cried, she only let out a few soft whimpers, looking incredibly delicate.

Tuantuan, on the other hand, had a great appetite despite his young age. He always drank his milk in big gulps and was already a pro at using a bottle.

Unlike Yuanyuan, who had a weak sucking reflex. She would drink a little, then turn her head away and refuse to eat more.

"It’s a good thing Tuantuan is the older brother. This little guy will definitely grow up strong and sturdy with a build like Zheng Chuan’s, able to protect Yuanyuan," Father Su said, beaming as he held Tuantuan.

He couldn’t help it; he didn’t dare to hold Yuanyuan, afraid he might use a little too much force and crush his precious granddaughter. Tuantuan was much sturdier. It was easy to see he was developing into a normal, resilient little boy who was easier to handle.

If he was held uncomfortably, the baby would just furrow his little brow, without getting any bruises or injuries.

"By the way, Wanwan, the doctor said the twins are ready to go home and be fed normally."

"When are you coming home to finish your confinement? It’s not convenient to keep staying at the hospital," Mother Su brought up.

Su Wan didn’t answer. Instead, she asked, "Where’s Zhang Qiu?"

"Comrade Zhang is outside the door. Should I call him in?"

As Zhang Qiu was a man, he had been standing guard outside the door this whole time to maintain propriety, and hadn’t come inside.

"Yes. Mom, why don’t you and Dad take Tuantuan and Yuanyuan for a little walk? I need to talk to Zhang Qiu for a bit." Su Wan wanted to speak with him in private.

Mother Su didn’t leave immediately as she usually would. Instead, she stared at Su Wan, making her feel uneasy under her gaze.

"Wanwan, tell me the truth. Is there something you’re not telling me?"

Su Wan blinked. "Mom, what are you talking about?"

"Don’t play dumb with me. Come clean, or I’ll take Tuantuan and Yuanyuan home and leave you here by yourself. I mean it." Mother Su shot her a fierce glare.

Su Wan was left speechless. ’She knew her mother would do it. Besides, her mother was sharp. She probably figured it out long ago and was only choosing to ask about it now.’

"Mom, I’m sorry. I didn’t tell you because the military forbids it," Su Wan sighed in resignation and finally confessed.

’She couldn’t even mention that Lu Zhengchuan had gone to war.’

’She was forbidden from revealing any classified information about the war.’

"Lu Zhengchuan went on a mission. To keep me from getting caught in the middle, the military has assigned someone to protect me in isolation."

"Zhang Qiu is the person the military assigned. Whether I can go home to rest also depends on word from the military."

Mother Su’s mouth fell open. "Is Zheng Chuan’s mission... dangerous?"

Su Wan couldn’t answer that question.

But her silence was answer enough for Mother Su.

"No wonder..."

"I knew it. If Zheng Chuan were just at his base, he would’ve found a way to get leave and come see you and the children."

"Since you can’t talk about it, I won’t ask."

"But we can’t just leave you to take care of two babies all by yourself right after giving birth. Go ask if you can go home now."

Su Wan nodded. She didn’t dare feign agreement this time. She called Zhang Qiu in and asked him about it.

Zhang Qiu said, "Ma’am, for now, it’s best if you stay in the place arranged by the military."

"Command will inform us the moment the situation stabilizes. You’ll be able to go home then."

"But the place I was staying in before is too small. It can’t fit two babies. Can I request a different place?"

"...I’ll submit a request to command."

"Please wait for word from me, Ma’am." Seeing her insistence, Zhang Qiu nodded in agreement and turned to contact command.

’The truth was, Su Wan didn’t want to be neighbors with Huang Qing. It wasn’t a huge problem, but the woman had no sense of boundaries and only cared about herself.’

’Besides, there was also the matter with the Zhao family. It would be best to avoid them if possible.’

"Wanwan, how did it go?" Mother Su waited until Zhang Qiu had left before coming forward to ask.

Su Wan explained the situation.

Mother Su frowned. "Then I’ll stay and take care of you. Your confinement should last at least forty days."

"I’ll have your father go back first and get the business going again. I’m worried about your second brother shouldering it all alone. After all, the family will have a lot of expenses from now on. I won’t feel at ease if we don’t earn a bit more."

"Mom, you don’t have to. You and Dad should go back together. It’s been hard on you this past month. Even if I do a full forty-day confinement, I can move around now. Aunt Zhao can help me with the babies, and Comrade Zhang is in charge of meals. I can totally manage."

Su Wan quickly replied. ’She wasn’t that helpless. She had already gotten through the hardest part; she could definitely handle it on her own now.’

"Besides, I need to get used to taking care of two babies."

Mother Su nodded. "Alright. But if it gets to be too much, just call me."

One reason Mother Su agreed was her desire to earn money, but there was a more important reason: she was worried something had happened to Lu Zhengchuan.

Therefore, earning more money right now was the most practical thing they could do.

’Besides, the New Year was approaching, and she wanted to take the opportunity to earn a bit extra before then.’

Upon returning to the courtyard compound, Su Wan found that she had indeed been moved to a different courtyard.

"Ma’am, this is the new courtyard. Not many people live here, so it’s a bit quiet. What do you think?" Zhang Qiu showed her around the courtyard.

Su Wan nodded. "It’s fine."

’This was perfect. She wouldn’t have to socialize much. Lately, she had been so busy with her confinement and taking care of the two babies that she hadn’t completed a lot of her studies. She needed to catch up.’

Back in the room, she saw two cribs standing side by side next to her bed. The room was quite large; even with a full-size bed, two cribs, a desk, and a wardrobe, it still felt spacious.

When Su Wan entered, Aunt Zhao had just lulled the two babies to sleep.