Chapter 77
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The scene in front of him was exactly the kind of day Tang Feng had always wanted.
Suddenly, Dou Dou, who was nestled in Lin Yu’s arms, smacked his little lips a few times. Then, his small head began to nudge around, and his tiny hands loosened their grip on the blanket.
It looked like he was about to wake up!
Tang Feng quickly reached out and gently patted Dou Dou’s little back, hoping to coax him back to sleep.
Unexpectedly, Dou Dou felt someone touching him and turned his head in response to the sensation.
Being a newborn, his eyes had not yet opened, so he looked incredibly adorable, like a little squirrel with his tiny nose twitching.
Tang Feng couldn’t help but smile and reached out to lightly slide his finger along Dou Dou’s little nose. However, this caused a bit of trouble.
“Waah! Waah waah!”
Dou Dou’s loud cries filled the room, instantly waking Lin Yu from his sleep.
“It’s okay, go back to sleep. I’ll handle it.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Tang Feng thought it was his fault for waking Dou Dou, so he clumsily tried to cradle Dou Dou in his arms. However, his awkward posture made Dou Dou uncomfortable, causing him to cry even louder.
Lin Yu watched with a mix of amusement and heartache. He reached out and took the baby from Tang Feng. Although his movements were also clumsy, they had a gentle touch. Combined with Dou Dou’s familiarity with his scent, his cries quickly subsided as he was surrounded by the comforting smell.
“The baby just got born, his skin is so delicate. Look, his nose is already red.”
Lin Yu gently pointed at Dou Dou’s little nose and said softly.
Tang Feng looked at his own calloused hands and grimaced.
“It’s my fault. I didn’t realize my own strength. I saw him twitching his nose as if he was about to wake up. It was so cute, I couldn’t resist touching it.”
“He must be hungry. Go get a milk fruit.”
“I’ll go right away.”
Tang Feng quickly got up, took a milk fruit from under the wardrobe, and went to the kitchen to pour the milk fruit juice.
As Tang Feng was about to enter the room with the milk fruit juice, he saw Old Xiucai Wang and Wang Laomo at the courtyard gate.
“Don’t worry about us. We’re just here to take a look.”
Old Xiucai Wang gestured for Tang Feng to go inside with the milk fruit and not to mind them.
“Why don’t you both come in and sit for a while? I’ll be out in a bit.”
“No need, no need! You go ahead and take care of the baby. Don’t let the child go hungry.”
Wang Laomo urged Tang Feng to hurry inside, afraid that little Dou Dou might be even a bit hungry.
After drinking the milk fruit juice, Dou Dou yawned and soon fell asleep again.
Tang Feng knew that babies slept for long periods, and Lin Yu also needed to rest. So he took the empty bowl and went out. Dou Dou had a big appetite and finished the entire half bowl of milk fruit juice without leaving a drop.
Tang Amo and Lin Amo were cooking, while Wu De and Lin Wen were helping out on the side.
The people in the main hall were still chatting and laughing, making the entire Tang family courtyard feel very harmonious. After a lively lunch, everyone went back to their own homes.
Lin Yu’s body still needed nourishment, so in the evening, Tang Feng prepared a chicken stew with some blood-nourishing herbs for Lin Yu.
Even though it had a medicinal taste, Lin Yu ate it all, knowing that Tang Feng made it for his well-being.
“You should rest now. I’ll go talk with Amo and the others about how to celebrate Third Uncle’s birthday on the sixteenth.”
“Alright.”
At that moment, Tang Amo was taking out all the clothes he had made for the children from his room, preparing to bring them to Tang Feng and Lin Yu’s room.
“These are the clothes I made before. They’ve been washed and sun-dried. When the child grows a bit bigger, he can wear them. I’ll put them in your room for convenience.”
“Alright.”
Tang Feng took the clothes and placed them in the wardrobe, then sat in the main hall with his Amo and father to chat for a while.
“On the sixteenth, Amo said he won’t go, so it’ll just be you going.”
Tang Amo had already told him at noon that he wouldn’t go to the Guo family on the sixteenth. He would stay home to look after Lin Yu and Dou Dou.
“That works. I’ll go then. I can come back the same day. It’s a pity the donkey is still too young. Otherwise, I would’ve ridden it there.”
The little donkey was only five months old. Although Tang Amo found it puzzling to see such a small donkey, after hearing Tang Feng’s words, he realized it wasn’t a big deal. The crops had been harvested, and there wasn’t much work left in the fields.
Meanwhile, at the Zhang family courtyard, as soon as Zhang Lei returned home, his Amo pulled him aside and said enviously, “You should have seen Xiucai Tang’s son. He’s so fair and chubby, absolutely adorable. When will you give me a grandchild? Our family is counting on you!”
Zhang Lei scratched his head. “It’s just that there aren’t any suitable Gers.”
Zhang Amo gave him a sidelong glance. “Don’t give me that. I know you well. There have been plenty of good matches in front of you, but you just keep waiting. What’s the point of that?”
Zhang Lei fell silent immediately. The more he said, the more his Amo would nag. It was better to keep quiet and let he finish her lecture.
Uncle Zhang sat silently on the side, listening without saying a word.
With little Dou Dou in bed, the sleeping arrangements for Tang Feng and Lin Yu changed.
To prevent the baby from accidentally falling off the bed, Lin Yu slept on the inside while the baby slept near the wall. Tang Feng had lined the wall with cloth to keep it warm, so the baby wouldn’t get cold.
Although it was autumn, the tail end of summer hadn’t fully passed, and it wasn’t very cold.
They dared not put the baby in the middle. Tang Feng had heard of a young couple, first-time father and Amo, who accidentally suffocated their baby by placing him between them during the night.
This was no joke!
That night, both Lin Yu and Tang Feng didn’t sleep well because Dou Dou would cry every now and then. Sometimes he was hungry, sometimes thirsty, and other times he needed a diaper change. By the end of the night, Tang Feng deeply realized how challenging it was to be a father.
Tang Amo also worried they might not handle Dou Dou well, so he got up occasionally to listen at their door.
After some thought, Tang Feng decided to make a simple crib.
This time, instead of asking Liu Laosan, he rummaged through his house and found suitable wooden boards. He crafted a basic box-like structure, smoothed the wood to remove splinters, and lined it with two layers of cloth and a small quilt. He also added a piece of smooth fabric as a mattress cover, creating a simple baby crib.
Then, Tang Feng went to Liu Laosan to make a support frame that could be securely attached to the head and foot of their bed, connecting the crib to their bed.
Sure enough, the next day, Dou Dou slept better in the crib because he wasn’t accidentally jostled by the adults.
However, Lin Yu was constantly worried that Dou Dou wasn’t properly covered, so he frequently got up to check on him.
To solve this, Tang Feng added a few wooden supports over the crib and draped a thin cloth over them. This way, no drafts could get in. He also dressed Dou Dou in an extra layer at night, ensuring that even if he kicked off his blanket, he wouldn’t catch a cold.
Of course, this solution would only work for now. Once the weather turned colder, Dou Dou would still need to sleep in the big bed with them.
On September 16th, Father Tang went alone to the Guo family, bringing the gifts that Tang Feng had bought. Tang Feng and Tang Amo stayed at home, each busy with their own tasks.
Tang Amo was making diapers. He had made three, but since Dou Dou needed changing twice a night, they weren’t enough. So he decided to make a few more.
Taking advantage of the good sunny weather, Tang Feng took out the winter quilts and covers to air them out. This way, when it got colder, they would be dry and fresh.
Tang Feng also stopped drying medicinal herbs in the courtyard. With a baby in the house, he worried the strong herbal smells might not be good for Dou Dou.
Father Tang returned by evening, bringing Guo Laomo along with him.
“I heard from your father that the baby was born. I couldn’t wait for the full month celebration, so I left the farm work to your grandpa and came to see him.”
“Thank you, grandma, for your concern.”
“Why are you being so formal with me? I used to look forward to you getting married. After you got married, I looked forward to you having a child. Now that the baby is here, I had to come and see him to be at ease.”
Tang Amo took Guo Laomo to see the baby in Tang Feng and Lin Yu’s room, while Tang Feng went to the kitchen to heat bath water for his father and Guo Laomo to wash up.
“This child is really healthy,” said Guo Laomo as he looked at the baby. “Such a sturdy little body! I haven’t seen a baby as robust as this one. He looks like he weighs eight catties, doesn’t he?”
Note: around 6kg.
Tang Amo laughed happily upon hearing this, “He weighs a full eight catties and eight ounces! He’s the heaviest baby born in our village!”
Guo Laomo smiled broadly as well, pleased with the baby’s good health. She looked at Lin Yu and said, “You’ve really worked hard.”
Lin Yu quickly shook his head, “Grandma, it’s nothing.”
Guo Laomo’s smile grew even wider. Initially, when Tang Amo suggested this joyous event to bring good fortune, he was skeptical. But seeing how well Tang Feng’s life had turned out, he had come to believe in it.
After leaving the room, he suddenly said, “Mi Dan is also at the age to get married, but he’s always in town learning craftsmanship and only comes home once or twice a month. When I ask him if he has his eye on any Gers, he always says he’s not in a hurry! But I’m worried, and your third brother doesn’t seem to be in a hurry either!”
“Amo, Third Brother knows what he’s doing. Besides, if Mi Dan hasn’t met someone he likes, he can wait another couple of years. He’s still young. Tang Feng’s situation was different, so don’t worry about it. You should wash up and rest. You must be tired from the journey.”
Tang Amo understood that feeling well. Before Tang Feng got married, he worried about many things. Anything concerning Tang Feng made him anxious.
That evening, after checking Lin Yu’s recovery, Tang Feng was very pleased.
“You’re healing well. In a couple of days, you’ll be able to get out of bed.”
Lin Yu sighed in relief upon hearing this. He had always been an active person, and lying in bed for several days had made him feel almost limp. Now, knowing he could get out of bed soon, he couldn’t be happier!
“Don’t get too excited just yet. You can get out of bed, but try not to bend over too much, avoid any strenuous activities, don’t carry firewood, and don’t clean the pigsty. If anything happens, it won’t be good.”
Lin Yu nodded. He touched his forehead and asked, “Has the color changed?”
Tang Feng moved his hand aside and looked closely at the pregnancy mark.
Since giving birth to Dou Dou, the mark on Lin Yu’s forehead had changed from a dark color back to a vibrant red.
“It’s as bright as it was before you were pregnant.”
Lin Yu felt a stir in his heart. If a Ger’s pregnancy mark didn’t darken after giving birth, it meant he still had the ability to have more children.
Tang Feng didn’t think much about this. He turned around and changed Dou Dou’s diaper, who was fussing.
Author’s Note: <<Out of Reach!”>>
One day, while Tang Feng was eating a banana, two-year-old chubby Dou Dou saw him and wobbled over, looking at him eagerly.
Tang Feng noticed the drool at the corner of Dou Dou’s mouth and, holding back a laugh, grabbed a soft, long, thick banana and peeled it for him.
“Call me.”
Little chubby Dou Dou called out in his sweet baby voice, “Father.”
Tang Feng’s heart melted as he ruffled Dou Dou’s hair. “Eat up.”
Dou Dou happily hugged the banana and obediently sat on the small stool Tang Feng had set for him, enjoying his snack. However, halfway through eating, Dou Dou suddenly started to cry.
Tang Feng was startled, thinking Dou Dou might have bitten his tongue. After checking and finding nothing wrong, he was about to ask when Lin Yu, seeing the scene, chuckled and said, “He’s wearing too many clothes today. His hands are short, so he can’t lift the banana high enough, and he can’t lower his head enough to reach it. He’s crying because he can’t eat it.”
Little chubby Dou Dou: Wah wah wah! It’s not my fault!
(This small theater is from a joke adaptation.)
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