Chapter 537: Nephews Take After Their Uncle
Chapter 537: Nephews Take After Their Uncle
Standing beside him, Ruan Tang watched as Zhou Chengsen used a stick to carefully guide the fallen chain back onto the gear, then freed a hand to turn the pedal, effortlessly fixing the chain in just a few moves.
"Done," Zhou Chengsen said, picking up the stick from the ground and standing up.
"Thank you, Uncle," Ruan Tang added.
Zhou Chengsen didn't argue, "It's my pleasure."
Ruan Tang understood his meaning; he was returning the favor after she had looked after his children.
He was an old man who disliked being indebted to others.
Zhou Chengsen then spoke to the two children, "Say goodbye to Doctor Sister, we're leaving now."
The two girls obediently said, "Goodbye, Doctor Sister."
Zhou Ying even took out the towel her father had prepared for her from her pocket and handed it to Ruan Tang, "Doctor Sister, your hands are dirty. Here, wipe them."
Ruan Tang was taken aback and looked down at her hands, which indeed had a bit of lubricant from the chain.
"No need..."
She could just wash her hands at the hospital.
But the two little girls had already skipped off hand-in-hand.
Zhou Chengsen picked up the two sticks and used them to pick up a discarded banana peel, throwing it into a nearby animal-shaped cement trash can. He hurried after them, "Slow down, watch out for cars!"
Ruan Tang didn't want to dirty the towel, so she locked her bicycle and went back to the hospital to wash her hands.
She would return the towel to the little girl the next time she saw her.
Ruan Tang had mentioned that her sister-in-law had given birth to triplets, and the babies were in an incubator. She assumed the girl would visit the hospital again.
If not, she would return the towel to the sister-in-law who had given birth to the triplets.
Everyone in the hospital knew that Director Gao had delivered triplets, and they were a rare set of dragon-phoenix twins.
Since Director Gao was her sister-in-law, Ruan Tang also knew who the parents of the triplets were.
In the evening, Jiang Dong, Zhang Fuyan, and Jiang's parents appeared at the hospital ward.
They brought many toys and clothes for the children, having learned the genders and knowing what to buy. However, the clothes and shoes were all identical.
They had heard that twins and triplets should wear matching outfits.
They also brought some bird's nest and donkey-hide gelatin for Jiang Xia.
"Why are you back? I thought you were staying for a few more days?" Jiang Xia's eyes lit up with joy.
"Of course, I came back to see my nephews! It's Sunday, so I have the day off too," Jiang Dong explained.
He and Zhang Fuyan had flown back the previous night. Air travel was expensive, and most people wouldn't splurge on it, but Jiang Dong was eager to return and didn't mind the cost.
When he was younger, he might have been short on pocket money, but now he earned a lot and couldn't spend it all, so he indulged in whatever he wanted.
The group then went to see the children.
The triplets were still asleep.
They had a very regular routine, waking up every four to five hours, feeding, and falling back asleep within an hour.
They only cried when they were hungry or needed a diaper change; otherwise, they slept most of the time, especially soundly.
Jiang Dong stared at his three nephews through the glass, not blinking, and said to Zhang Fuyan, "Each of these babies looks exactly like me when I was little. It's true that nephews take after their uncles!"
Zhang Fuyan was speechless.
Zhou Chenglei was also speechless.
Where did Jiang Dong get the confidence to think his children resembled him?
Jiang Dong and Zhang Fuyan stayed for about an hour before leaving to let Jiang Xia rest.
The couple didn't leave but went to see the children instead. They spent two hours watching over them, seeing them wake up, open their tiny mouths, and being fed and changed by the nurses.
Jiang Dong continued taking photos until 4 pm, and only after greeting Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei in the hospital room did he leave. They were taking the evening flight back to the capital city.
Once the visitors had left, Zhou Chenglei closed the ward door and prepared food for the children. He then poured water from the dispenser into a basin, adding some ginger shoots and other herbs that Zhou Mu had prepared, and used it to wipe Jiang Xia's body.
It was late June, and the heat was unbearable as they entered July. Jiang Xia couldn't use a fan, had to wear long sleeves, and her clothes were constantly soaked in sweat. It was essential to keep her body clean and dry, so Zhou Chenglei diligently wiped her down every day.
These past few days, Zhou Chenglei had been busy taking care of her, even washing the diapers of the children, leaving him little time to rest. Not only recently, but throughout the entire pregnancy, he had been by her side, seemingly more exhausted than her. As he knelt on the floor, wringing out a towel, Zhou Chenglei asked, "Are you tired?"
The water was scalding hot, taken from the electric kettle, and Zhou Chenglei's hands were red from the heat. He held the steaming towel and stood up, saying, "I'm not tired."
He hadn't done any heavy work.
Zhou Chenglei came to the bedside and began wiping Jiang Xia's back, careful not to expose her to the cool air. He didn't remove her clothes but instead reached inside to wipe her back.
The hot towel felt incredibly soothing on her back. After removing the towel, she felt the heat gradually dissipate, leaving a refreshing coolness that was incredibly comfortable.
Lying in bed all day, with backaches and perspiration, this moment of being wiped down with a hot towel was the most comfortable part of her day.
Zhou Chenglei knew how much she enjoyed it, so he did this for her every morning, noon, and night.
But Jiang Xia couldn't bear to see him so tired, "If you're too tired, just wipe my body once a day."
"I'm not tired. I could do this for a lifetime and never feel burdened."
Jiang Xia: "..."
In the following days, visitors came almost daily to see Jiang Xia—villagers, several factory managers, friends of Jiang Fu and Jiang Mu, all of whom had watched Jiang Xia grow up.
The factory managers had come together, and they all wanted to see the triplets.
Zhou the Plant Manager looked at the three children and smiled, "My little grandsons, the lucky stars of our shipyard are finally born! In the future, Grandpa Zhou will teach you shipbuilding!"
Feng the Plant Manager: "What nonsense are you spouting? Who do you think you are, calling yourself a grandpa? When were you ever the lucky star of our shipyard? During the Guangzhou Trade Fair, Xia spent most of her time at our plastic factory's booth! The triplets are the lucky stars of our plastic factory!"
Zhou the Plant Manager: "I've already acknowledged these three grandchildren, and they share my surname. How am I not their grandpa?"
Feng the Plant Manager was not about to back down: "Then I'll claim them as my great-grandchildren. I'm their great-grandfather!"
Zhou the Plant Manager: "..."
"Do you even have any shame?"
"I never had any to begin with!"
One's reputation is given by others. Those who respect him naturally think he has a face to show!
Zhou the Plant Manager: "..."
Fang the Plant Manager and Peng the Plant Manager ignored their argument and focused on the children.
Peng the Plant Manager looked at the three children and sighed, "I never thought Xia was so capable!"
Initially, she had struggled to give birth to just one child.
Despite Jiang Xia's delicate appearance, she had given birth to triplets in one go!
Fang the Plant Manager looked at the three children, feeling envious, and agreed, "Indeed."
His son had wanted to come too, but she had refused.
If her son and Jiang Xia had gotten together, he would have had three grandchildren in one go!
What a pity!
(End of Chapter)
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