Chapter 689: Su He Yuan Becomes a Father
Chapter 689: Su He Yuan Becomes a Father
Lu Jiaxin received a phone call from Zong Shimeng, informing her that Hu Huihui had given birth.
Upon hearing the news, Lu Jiaxin smiled and asked, "Is it a boy or a girl?"
Because the due date had been pushed back so many days, everyone assumed the baby would be a girl. Since the couple didn't mind either way and hadn't done a gender reveal, they didn't know the gender themselves.
Zong Shimeng smiled and replied, "It's a boy."
There's an old saying that boys are born early while girls take their time. That's why Zong Shimeng had thought Hu Huihui might be carrying a daughter. But of course, these things aren't always predictable.
"Was the delivery smooth?" Lu Jiaxin asked.
"Very smooth," Zong Shimeng assured her.
Hu Huihui had maintained her exercise regimen throughout her pregnancy, so the birth was relatively quick and easy. It only took five hours from the time they arrived at the hospital until the baby was born. For a first-time mother giving birth naturally, five hours was considered swift.
Lu Jiaxin glanced at her watch and called Nie Zhan, "Sis-in-law has given birth, and I'm going to the hospital to visit her. I won't be home for dinner tonight."
Given the close relationship between their families, it was only natural for her to rush to the hospital as soon as she heard the news.
"Then let's have Italian food tonight," Nie Zhan suggested.
"Sounds good," Lu Jiaxin agreed.
After her secretary finished running some errands, Lu Jiaxin made her way to the Mater Dei Hospital. Prior to the birth, Zong Shimeng had recommended the Sanatorium & Hospital, but a friend of Hu Huihui's mother was a renowned gynecologist at Mater Dei, so the Hu family decided to follow her suggestion.
When Lu Jiaxin arrived at the hospital room, she found only Zong Shimeng there, keeping Hu Huihui company as she received an intravenous drip. The baby was nowhere to be seen. She tiptoed quietly to the bedside and asked softly, "Sis-in-law, are you doing okay?"
Hu Huihui's face contorted in pain as she replied, "It hurts so much."
Childbirth was known to be painful, and despite her preparations, the intensity still took her by surprise.
Not wanting to frighten Lu Jiaxin and potentially deter her from having children, Zong Shimeng quickly added, "It's quite painful during childbirth, but after three or four days of rest, you'll feel much better."
This was only partially true; younger women tended to recover faster, and it could take longer for older mothers.
Hu Huihui gave her a look, but said nothing.
Changing the subject, Lu Jiaxin asked, "Where's the baby? I don't see him."
A smile spread across Hu Huihui's face. "He Yuan took the baby to the bath. Jiaxin, have a seat."
Once Lu Jiaxin was seated, she asked, "Have you chosen a name for the baby yet?"
Hu Huihui shook her head, indicating that they had only decided on a nickname so far. "His nickname is Niu Niu. He Yuan hopes that he will grow up strong like a little calf."
Before the birth, she had been somewhat disappointed at the prospect of having a son, but the moment she laid eyes on her child, all her objections melted away. More than anything, she wanted her son to be healthy and safe.
After chatting for a while, Su He Yuan returned with the baby. Looking at the wrinkled little face that resembled a tiny old man, Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "This baby has such rosy skin. I've heard that the redder a newborn's skin is, the fairer they'll become later on."
Su He Yuan waved off her comment. "It doesn't matter for a boy. It's fine if he's a little rough around the edges as long as he has talent and ability."
Lu Jiaxin's smile turned mischievous. "Talent and ability depend on nurture, but looks are a gift from the parents."
While plastic surgery was now an option, it wasn't yet widely accessible. Ordinary people wouldn't consider it, not only because it was expensive and painful, but also because of the significant risks involved. Those who could afford it often chose not to due to those very risks.
After chatting for a while longer, Lu Jiaxin took her leave, noticing that Hu Huihui looked tired. Su He Yuan walked her out. Once they were outside, Lu Jiaxin lowered her voice and said, "The Hu family knows why you didn't join them in buying crude oil futures."
Su Heyuan was taken aback for a moment before he said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned it to Huihui. Don't worry, this is the last time, it won't happen again."
Lu Jiaxin said, "You don't have to promise me anything. I won't be investing in any financial products for a while."
There were only three financial-related incidents she could recall from the 1990s. The first was the initial public offering of stocks in the mainland, where those who bought in early made a fortune. She had stayed away from that. The second was the Asian Financial Crisis, which had taught her a lesson about speculating in financial products. And the third was the great flood of '98.
Su Heyuan apologized again, mainly because his wife had asked him about it; otherwise, he wouldn't have brought it up. But he assured her that it wouldn't happen again.
Lu Jiaxin didn't blame him. In any case, she wouldn't be touching any financial products for the next few years. Well, if they had to invest, Nie Zhan could handle it. After all, he had a reputation in the financial world.
On her way back, Lu Jiaxin received a call from Nie Manlin, inviting her for a cup of coffee. The proverb about a weasel paying respects to a chicken came to mind—Nie Manlin's invitation was definitely not a friendly gesture.
Lu Jiaxin didn't give her face, replying, "Aunt Nie, I don't drink coffee. I only drink floral tea."
Nie Manlin was taken aback, as she hadn't expected her friendly gesture to be rejected: "Then let me treat you to tea."
This time, Lu Jiaxin didn't refuse, but she would choose the teahouse. To be honest, she didn't trust Nie Manlin. While the probability of Nie Manlin plotting against her was low, it was always better to be safe than sorry.
Nie Manlin had already heard about Lu Jiaxin's temper from Nie Manli and was prepared, but seeing it firsthand still made her uncomfortable. After some thought, she decided to get straight to the point over the phone: "Jiaxin, there's something I'd like to ask your help with."
Lu Jiaxin refused without hesitation: "Auntie, my abilities are limited, and I'm afraid I can't be of any assistance. If you have any requests, please ask Ah Zhan. He will take care of it for you."
The fact that Nie Manlin had come to her directly instead of going through Nie Zhan meant that she knew he would refuse. It was laughable that she thought Lu Jiaxin would agree when even Nie Zhan wouldn't. As if she was desperate to marry into the Nie family and curry favor with her future mother-in-law!
Nie Manlin was stunned. Lu Jiaxin had rejected her without even hearing what the matter was.
Lu Jiaxin was fed up with this kind of romantic nonsense and didn't want to prolong the conversation: "Auntie, I have some matters to attend to, so I'll be hanging up now."
On the other end of the line, Nie Manlin heard the sound of the call being ended and wore an expression of disbelief. After a long while, her face turned red as she muttered, "Who raised this girl? She has no manners at all."
Back at the office, Lu Jiaxin busied herself with work and put the incident out of her mind. It wasn't until she returned home in the evening and saw Nie Zhan that she remembered it.
"Your mother called me today," she said.
Nie Zhan's expression immediately turned grim. "What did she say?"
Lu Jiaxin explained, "She said she wanted to ask me for help with something. I guessed it wasn't anything good, so I hung up. Do you know what it's about?"
Nie Zhan shook his head, though he already had a suspicion. Nie Manlin was used to a carefree life, and the two months she had spent in Hong Kong City was already stretching her limits. She wanted to go out and play, but the old master had warned her that if she dared to abandon her children and run off like she used to, he would cut off her funds. Nie Manlin was indeed a romantic at heart, but she also knew that money was essential for her to get by. Going against the old master's wishes would only make her life difficult.
Lu Jiaxin didn't press the issue but simply said, "Ah Zhan, you handle this matter."
She had no intention of getting involved in any of Nie Manlin's affairs, and it was even more out of the question for Nie Manlin to try to pull rank on her as a future mother-in-law. Lu Jiaxin worked so hard to make money precisely so that she wouldn't have to endure any more bullying or bow to anyone.
(End of Chapter)
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