"I can’t believe you’re actually jealous of the little ones. You’re really outdoing yourself..." Chuxia rolled her eyes at her, took Nannan from Old Lady Zhao’s arms, and went inside. Zhao Yulan quickly followed, holding Beibei.

Nannan and Beibei were already over four months old, chubby and adorably plump. They were just so cute and were starting to recognize people. Although they couldn’t speak yet, they beamed at Chuxia more cheerfully than at anyone else.

"You little rascal, you don’t like grandma when you see your mom? Grandma and great-grandma spoil you for nothing, don’t they?" Zhao Yulan teased, gently tapping her grandchild’s little forehead.

Chuxia suddenly realized she hadn’t seen Old Madam Zhou, Lin Yanqiu, Yu Tao, or Aunt Cong since entering and asked curiously, "Mom, where have grandma and the others gone?"

Zhao Yulan replied, "Yanyan is getting her vaccine today, so everyone went together. They said they were having lunch with old friends at noon, so we don’t need to wait."

"Oh right, I remember hearing about this a few days ago, but I completely forgot. Sigh..." Chuxia lightly patted her forehead, "Having a baby really does affect your memory. I made some really silly mistakes on my exam too. Mom, were you like this before?"

"Chuxia, you’re being too hard on yourself..." Zhao Yulan looked at her daughter seriously, "Xiaoqiong and Doudou are coming over, so you’ll have to take care of them too. You also need to remember Nannan and Beibei’s feeding times. What’s forgetting a little thing? As for the exam, you ranked fifth this time, which is quite impressive considering how long you’ve been out of class.

Your father was saying the other day how he feels bad seeing you work so hard, thinking it’s because we were unsuccessful that you’re so overworked. If he heard what you just said, he’d probably feel even worse."

"Mom..." Chuxia looked helplessly at her mother, "I’m really not being hard on myself. Honestly, my memory just hasn’t been as good as it was lately. I’m not blaming myself, I was just asking if it was the same for you before, to see if I inherited it from you. Oh, the things you say..."

"Well, that’s my misunderstanding..." Zhao Yulan smiled sheepishly, after thinking for a moment, she said, "I also had memory issues for a while after you were born, but it got better after a few months. It’s mainly because of a lack of rest that affects memory. Right now, you have to get up at night to feed them, so your energy is a bit lacking. Once they can eat solid food, it will get better."

After hesitating for a moment, Chuxia looked at Zhao Yulan with some worry, "Mom, do I look older?"

Zhao Yulan looked at her daughter speechlessly, not knowing what to say.

Chuxia gave an embarrassed smile, "I mean, because I’ve had to get up at night so often lately, maybe I look more tired or worn than before, hehe..."

"You’re only looking tired because of taking care of the two little guys. If Xiaomi dislikes you for that, I won’t stand for it!"

Looking at her mother’s indignant expression, Chuxia felt exasperated. Why did her mom have to think of that? Actually, she wasn’t worried about Zhou Mikang coming back and finding her looking worn. She was just concerned about looking older than her peers...

Alright, she made the same mistake many girls do. Considering these matters during her breastfeeding period was a bit untimely. Anyway, the baby’s health is the most important!

Letting go of these messy thoughts, looking at the two little ones with their rosy cheeks after being fed and then falling asleep, Chuxia felt her heart melt, making all the hardships seem worthwhile!

The arrival of Luo Xiaoqiong and Yun Doudou and Yun Guoguo made Chuxia’s family’s house more lively than before, and because Luo Xiaoqiong and Yun Doudou got to be with some of their good friends every day, their health had greatly improved.

This finally put Li Aiyuan, who had been somewhat anxious, at ease. However, she still felt a bit uneasy about staying at her niece’s house, so she was always eager to do this or that, and there was nothing that Old Madam Zhou and Lin Yanqiu could say to stop her. Reluctantly, they let her be.

Privately, Chuxia also had a chat with her, saying that her mother-in-law and her old lady were genuinely not the type to worry about such things and that all the elders in the husband’s family were open-minded, so she should just relax.

But Li Aiyuan said, "Chuxia, just because others don’t mind doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be considerate. Your parents are good to you, but that’s because of their relationship. Why should your aunt just enjoy the benefits?"

There was nothing else Chuxia could say to convince her otherwise. Anyway, compared to working in the fields back home, the tasks here were really light. Letting her keep busy was fine, so that she didn’t always feel guilty.

A month later, Zhao Qihui enrolled in school, leaving only Zhao Yushan at home. Chuxia discussed letting Li Aiyuan return to her hometown, "Aunt, you haven’t seen Uncle in months. Anyway, there are enough people here to take care of Xiaoqiong, so there’s nothing to worry about."

Li Aiyuan was hesitant. She did want to go back and see, but she also felt uncomfortable leaving Luo Xiaoqiong here, as she was her daughter-in-law.

Seeing her concerns, Old Lady Zhao said, "How about I go back with your father? Your father’s health is almost fully recovered, and exercising more back home wouldn’t hurt."

Indeed, Old Master Zhao had recovered to about eighty or ninety percent, but it was still best for him to stay here a while longer, since Elder Qi was watching over him. So, whether prompted by Old Lady Zhao’s suggestion or not, Li Aiyuan decided not to hesitate any further and agreed to go back and visit home.

Seeing her mother’s decision, Zhao Qihui advised, "Mom, why don’t you stay home for a while? Dad always eating alone isn’t great either. We’ve got grandma and grandpa here, and I’ll come back immediately after class, so my sister-in-law won’t feel unwelcome."

Chuxia laughed, "I bet Fat Auntie will rush over when she hears Aunt’s gone back. She’s been wanting to come and see Xiaoqiong for a while now."

"Oh right..." Luo Xiaoqiong suddenly realized, "How could I forget that? I’ll write to my mom right away and have her come stay for a while..." Turning to Li Aiyuan, "Mom, it’s not that I’m trying to separate from you by having my mom over. I just think it’s the right thing to do given the current situation, so please don’t mind, okay?"

"I’m not that petty!" Li Aiyuan laughed, looking at her daughter-in-law, "Alright, mom won’t insist this time. Let your mom stay for a while, and when you’re about to have the baby, I’ll come over again."

With plans set, Li Aiyuan returned to her hometown the following day. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com), with recommendation votes or monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)