Chapter 165: Younger Twin

Chapter 165

Younger Twin

Nie Shuang had already fallen asleep. Song Qilin bent down and kissed her smooth forehead, not caring that others were still in the room. His large hand gently traced the outline of her sweat-drenched face, brushing aside a lock of hair that had fallen across her beautiful features. Each time she gave birth, she endured immense pain and suffering, not to mention the discomfort her body faced during pregnancy. If this was what she had to go through, he no longer wanted her to suffer.

He carefully adjusted the blanket to cover her and tucked the edges with care before rising from the bedside. The children had been carried out to the outer room, where their grandfather and grandmother eagerly awaited. The expressions on the Hou and Xu Shi’s faces were radiant, their laughter mingling with the cries of the newborns. Upon seeing Song Qilin walk out, they excitedly called to him.

“Qilin, come look. Your little ones are crying loudly. They seem to be very strong.”

He walked over to his mother. Xu Shi handed him one of the newborns to admire. She was so tiny. The other child was cradled in the Hou’s arms. Song Qilin still didn’t know the baby’s gender. His father’s posture was noticeably stiff as he held his grandchild. Xu Shi followed his gaze and spoke up.

“The younger one is a boy. Shuang Shuang is remarkable at giving birth. Look at that—twins again in her second pregnancy.”

Song Qilin’s expression softened as he gazed at the children in his parents’ arms. Seeing them so happy, he felt like he had fulfilled his duty as a filial son. At that moment, Xiao San entered, looking exhausted.

“This is the youngest Young Master, the midwife has just finished cleaning everything up.”

Song Qilin was stunned. Upon seeing his face, the Hou and Xu Shi burst into laughter.

“Why are you so surprised? This is all your doing.”

Earlier, he had been too preoccupied with worrying about his wife to count how many babies there were in the bundle. Now, the young man was utterly speechless.

“Earlier, I heard Nie Shuang mention that you named your son Wumin and your daughter Zili. Then, let your father name the youngest.”

At Xu Shi’s suggestion, the Hou’s face lit up with pride. He cleared his throat before offering his input.

“Well, since Qilin insists, I will name the youngest grandchild myself. But naming requires careful consideration. It can’t be done hastily. Let’s call him Wushang.”

Mother and son exchanged knowing glances. It seemed the elder had quietly decided on the name for the new grandchild well in advance. Luckily, with multiple births, the Hou had the chance to use the name he had picked.

Now that their daughter-in-law had given birth to three more grandchildren, there was no doubt that no other household in the capital could rival this feat. The Hou was filled with pride, already planning a grand celebration for the babies’ one-month banquet so that everyone would know the Yong An Hou Manor now had six heirs.

“Thank you, Father. Wushang is a wonderful name.”

Song Qilin thanked his father and took the youngest child from Xiao San’s arms, sitting down beside the elders.

When Nie Shuang awoke, she found her husband sitting by the bedside reading a book. It was late summer, and the weather was quite stifling. Moreover, she had to go through postpartum confinement. The room was thick with the scent of medicinal herbs. Song Qilin, prone to feeling hot, was drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through. Yet, he refused to leave her side. When he saw that his wife had woken up, he immediately went over to support her.

"You’ve been asleep for quite a while. Drink some warm water first."

After he helped Nie Shuang sit up against the headboard, he then turned to pour her a glass of warm water.

"Are you hungry yet? Mother had someone make chicken soup to nourish you. Do you want to eat now?"

Nie Shuang shook her head. A moment ago, she had been so exhausted that she fell asleep, not even having the chance to see her babies.

"And the children? I want to see their faces."

Song Qilin smiled, lovingly cupping her cheek.

"Don’t rush. They’re all healthy and strong. They’re probably asleep right now."

Nie Shuang looked up at him.

"Twins again, aren’t they? To be honest, you already have your hands full with those three little turnips..."

"It’s no big deal. Before you know it, they’ll all be grown,"

Song Qilin paused briefly before asking,

"Are you still in pain?"

Nie Shuang nodded, then urged her husband,

"Go and bring the children to me. I want to see them."

Not wanting to disappoint her, Song Qilin got up and left the room. Moments later, he returned with Xiao San and Xiao Tong, their trusted maids, both carrying bundles wrapped in cloth. Nie Shuang began to frown as Song Qilin carefully placed one of the bundles in her arms.

"This is Li’er."

He then turned to receive another bundle from Xiao San, placing it beside her.

"This is Min’er."

Xiao San stepped back, and Xiao Tong handed him the last bundle, which he placed gently next to the others.

"And this is the youngest, Shang’er."

Nie Shuang looked up at her husband in shock. Triplets! She had given birth to triplets again!

"Qilin!"

Seeing her stunned expression, the General couldn’t help but laugh. Her wide-open eyes and mouth formed perfect circles.

"Mm, triplets again. It looks like the wet nurses we arranged won’t be enough. We’ll need to find more."

He spoke nonchalantly, as if it weren’t an issue, but Nie Shuang knew that they would both be exhausted for years to come. When the children were still young, they needed their parents the most. How would she and Song Qilin manage to do anything at all?! If they weren’t in Hou Manor, wouldn’t they be overwhelmed with taking care of the children?

It seemed as though he knew what she was thinking, as he reached over to gently smooth the furrow between her brows and reassured her,

"Don’t worry. After all, you still have me, don’t you?"

Hearing this, Nie Shuang felt a bit more at ease. Just then, A’Li stirred in her arms, and she adjusted her clothing to breastfeed her. Song Qilin watched the scene in front of him with a heart full of emotion.

"And what about Bao Bao and the others? Is anyone taking care of them?"

Nie Shuang asked as she kept her eyes on her little daughter, who was drinking hungrily, her delicate face already showing signs of beauty. Her brows were arched, and her long eyelashes were visible even from a distance. The tiny mouth suckled her mother’s breast with such hunger, all while with her eyes closed.

"Father and Mother took them back to their quarters. They were probably worried the kids might make too much noise and disturb the little ones."

As she fed the baby, Song Qilin had someone bring in the chicken soup, and he fed it to her himself. The couple conversed softly, the atmosphere in the room filled with warmth and tenderness.

"Qilin...after this, we mustn’t neglect the older ones. They might feel neglected once they see we’re focused on the new babies,"

Nie Shuang said softly.

"Mm, you just gave birth today. I was worried, so I’ve been giving you a bit more attention. I wasn’t planning on neglecting them,"

Song Qilin explained as the little girl nursed at her mother’s breast for a while before falling asleep. However, her lips kept moving, as if still sucking. Just as she was about to drift off, she would resume sucking again, which was quite amusing. Meanwhile, her two younger brothers remained soundly asleep in their swaddles.

"Shuang Shuang..."

He called her and then went quiet. Nie Shuang looked up at him, noticing the serious expression on his face, and raised her eyebrows in curiosity.

"What is it?"

"I don’t want you to get pregnant again. Six children are enough. I’ll go see the royal doctor to get a prescription."

Nie Shuang agreed.

"Alright. From now on, have someone prepare birth control medicine for me to take after we share a bed."

As she spoke, Nie Shuang noticed her husband blush slightly. People of this era likely weren’t used to speaking so openly about such matters. Song Qilin shook his head.

"I’ll take the medicine myself. I’ve heard there’s one that makes it so men can’t have any more children."

Nie Shuang looked shocked.

"How can you do that? What if your father finds out...?"

"No one will know but us. Don’t worry. Six children are enough. The birth control medicine is bitter and hard to take, and if you take it often, it might affect your health. I’m strong, so there won’t be many side effects for me."

After explaining, he refused to let her argue any further. Nie Shuang knew her husband wouldn’t change his mind, so she didn’t press the issue. She understood how much of a sacrifice he was making. In this era, what man didn’t want to have many children to continue their lineage? But Song Qilin didn’t want her to suffer any more. For that, she was truly grateful.

"Qilin...you’re such a good husband."The couple shared a loving glance before slowly kissing, while their three little ones slept soundly beside them.