Chapter 217: Full Moon Banquet

Jinjin also smiled, "Sister… pretty?"

"You can't tell yet; she'll be pretty when she grows up," Jiang Ran patted his son's head. "From now on Jinjin will be a brother, you must protect your sister."

"Mm." Jinjin nodded seriously.

At night, Jiang Ran and Su Ruan lay in bed, both unable to sleep.

"It makes me think of when we had the kids," Su Ruan whispered.

"Mm." Jiang Ran pulled her into his arms. "You worked far harder than Sister Jiaojiao, giving birth to twins."

"But seeing Jinjin and An'an makes everything feel worth it."

They talked for a long time, from the children to work, from the past to the future. Late at night, they finally fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next day, the whole family went to the hospital.

Li Huijuan clutched Yuan Yuan, refusing to let go, while Jiang Jianguo watched beside her, his eyes curving with laughter.

Jiang Nainai also arrived, looking at the great‑granddaughter, repeatedly saying "good."

"Jiaojiao, you've worked hard," Li Huijuan took her daughter's hand. "What do you want to eat? Mom will make it for you."

"I just want Mom's chicken soup noodles," Jiang Jiaojiao said.

"Alright, Mom will make it for you tomorrow."

Jinjin and An'an also saw the little sister. An'an asked cautiously, "Can I touch her?"

"Touch gently," Su Ruan instructed.

An'an lightly brushed Yuan Yuan's tiny hand with a finger: "So soft…"

Jinjin stood at the bedside, looking seriously: "Sister… when will she speak?"

"It'll be a long wait," Yan Shen laughed, patting his nephew's head. "When Yuan Yuan can speak, the first thing she'll say is 'brother.'"

After staying at the hospital for a morning, the adults finally took the children and left, allowing Jiang Jiaojiao to rest properly.

On the way back in the car, An'an was still excited: "Mom, I also want a little sister."

Su Ruan smiled: "You already have a brother."

"But a brother is a brother, and a sister is a sister." An'an's logic was simple.

Jiang Ran glanced at his daughter through the rearview mirror: "Then should Mom and Dad think about it?"

Su Ruan's face flushed, scoldingly looking at him: "What are you saying."

Back home, the children went to nap. The adults sat in the living room, still talking about Yuan Yuan.

"How wonderful," Jiang Nainai said, "Our Jiang Family has added another member, four generations under one roof."

"Indeed," Jiang Jianguo sighed, "Time flies. It feels like yesterday Jiaojiao was just a girl, and today she's a mother."

Li Huijuan wiped her eyes: "I'm happy. My children have all established families and careers, the grandchildren are healthy and adorable; what else could I be dissatisfied with."

At night, after the children fell asleep, Jiang Ran and Su Ruan returned to their own room.

"At the hospital today, An'an said she wanted a sister," Jiang Ran embraced Su Ruan, who was doing skincare, from behind.

"Kids say it offhand," Su Ruan said, looking at him from the mirror.

"Then… should we consider it?" Jiang Ran's hand rested on her abdomen, "Give Jinjin and An'an another brother or sister?"

Su Ruan set down the skincare products, turned to face him: "Jiang Ran, we're now… too busy. The company, design, Jinjin and An'an, and Mom, Dad, Grandma…"

"I know." Jiang Ran kissed her forehead. "Just talking. We'll discuss when things settle later."

He paused: "But whether or not we have a third child, the way we are now is already very happy."

"Mm." Su Ruan nestled into his embrace. "Having Jinjin and An'an, having Mom, Dad, Grandma, and each other, we're already quite satisfied."

Gu Si Yuan's baby's Full Moon Banquet was set for a Saturday at the end of December.

Early that day, the Jiang Family became bustling.

Li Huijuan and Jiang Jianguo busily prepared ingredients, Jiang Nainai sat on the sofa directing, Jinjin and An'an ran around excitedly.

"Slow down, don't fall!" Su Ruan warned while combing her daughter's hair.

"Mom, can I hold sister today?" An'an asked, looking up.

"Wait until aunt lets you hold her, and you must hold her while sitting, understand?"

"Got it!"

Jinjin also dressed sharply today, in a little suit and bow tie, hair neatly combed.

He stood before the mirror, carefully adjusting his collar.

"Jinjin looks really handsome." Jiang Ran walked over, adjusting his son's bow tie.

"Dad, will sister smile today?" Jinjin asked.

"She might not yet, but she'll look at people." Jiang Ran said, "Later when you tease her, she might look at you."

At ten o'clock, the family set off for the hotel.

The Full Moon Banquet was booked at a restaurant not far from Jiang Jiaojiao's home, with a large private room.

When they arrived, Yan Shen was already there.

The newly‑minted dad looked a bit thinner, but was in good spirits, a smile always on his face.

"Brother‑in‑law, you've worked hard." Jiang Ran patted his shoulder. "You haven't slept well this month, right?"

"It's fine." Yan Shen laughed. "Yuan Yuan is well‑behaved, only waking once at night."

Just as he was speaking, Jiang Jiaojiao arrived, holding Yuan Yuan.

In a month, the baby had grown a lot; skin was white and tender, eyes big and bright.

"Aunt!" An'an was the first to run over, "Sister!"

"Be gentle, don't scare her." Jiang Jiaojiao laughed, holding her daughter a bit lower so the kids could see.

Jinjin and An'an circled the little sister, their eyes unwilling to blink.

Yuan Yuan seemed to sense the older brother and sister's gaze, opening her big eyes to look at them.

"She looked at me!" An'an said excitedly.

"She looked at me too," Jinjin said seriously.

The adults watching the scene all smiled. Jiang Nainai brushed the corner of her eye and said, "How nice, the children have companions now."

The guests arrived one after another.

Relatives of Gu Yanshen, friends of the Jiang Family, and the two's colleagues.

The private room quickly became lively.

Before the noon banquet began, tradition required Yuan Yuan's baby hair to be shaved.

The hired master craftsman, skillful in his technique, shaved while chanting auspicious words: "Shave off the baby hair, may you be clever and bright, healthy and long‑lived…"

The tiny baby hair was placed into a red cloth bag, and Gu Yanshen carefully kept it.

Next came the first grasp ceremony; although only a month old, the ritual still had to be performed.

The red cloth was laid out with many items—books, pens, an abacus, a stethoscope, a microphone, coins…

Jiang Jiaojiao held Yuan Yuan, letting her little hand touch the objects.

The infant unconsciously grabbed the abacus, then tapped the book.

"Good!" Gu Yanshen's father laughed, "Can do accounting, can read, will have a future!"

Everyone laughed, and applause rang out.

The noon banquet began, the atmosphere grew even more lively.

Jiang Ran, as the younger brother of his natal family, naturally had to help his brother‑in‑law block drinks. After a round, his face turned red.

"Drink less," Su Ruan whispered.

"Happy," Jiang Ran said, gripping her hand, "My sister became a mother, I became an uncle, happy."

Su Ruan looked at his shining eyes and also smiled, "Hmm, happy."

At the table, everyone's conversation naturally couldn't stray from the children.

Jiang Jiaojiao shared the insights of this month, Gu Yanshen added details.

The sweetness and hardships of new parents made everyone present feel empathy.

"Jiaojiao, you have recovered so well," a female colleague said, "You look as if you hadn't just given birth."

"Maybe it's a naturally good constitution," Jiang Jiaojiao laughed, "And Yan Shen takes good care of me."

Gu Yanshen scratched his head shyly, "Of course."

Jinjin and An'an became little stars today.

Two four‑year‑old children, one steady and one lively, but both very sensible.

An'an helped the elders pass items, Jinjin sat quietly in the seat, neither noisy nor disruptive.

"Chief Jiang, Chief Su, you have educated them so well," a guest said, "The two children are so sensible."

"Mostly it's because grandpa and grandma raised them well," Su Ruan said modestly.