Chapter 244: Nineties: Spring Water Family Chapter 244: Heaven-Shaking Good News, Quadruplets

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"I've shaken off all the bad luck......"

Guben said with a straight face, "Don't believe me? Ask Grandma. Our old Jinan really has this custom."

"I believe you."

Ruirui was quick-witted and spat three times along with him.

"See, even Ruirui knows......"

Guben found it amusing and started coaxing her again: "Good wife, don't disbelieve. Hurry up, you spit a few times too......"

"I want to too......"

Lin Xiyu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Be good, listen......"

Guben continued to coax: "For the sake of our baby, you have to believe even if you don't."

"Alright then."

Since things had been put this way, Lin Xiyu could only go along with his wishes and spat three times as well.

"Good, now all the bad luck has dispersed."

Grandma Gu's mood finally smoothed out, and she broke into a smile.

"Mm-hmm."

Lin Xiyu knew in her heart like a clear mirror that Grandma Gu truly meant well for her; not only did she not blame her for causing a scene at the hospital on impulse, she was actually grateful.

"We shouldn't have come here in the first place; we should have gone to the Maternal and Child Health Hospital."

With her mood smoothed out, Grandma Gu's head cleared too: "In my panic I got all muddled and forgot that a doctor I knew previously works there. In this day and age, having an acquaintance makes things easier, especially at hospitals — slip the midwife a red envelope and the mother suffers a lot less."

"It's a bit late today; let's go another day."

Guben chimed in with a smile: "My wife is now a key protection target; we can't let my son go hungry."

"We don't even know if it's a boy yet......"

Lin Xiaiyu smiled and scolded: "You keep saying 'son, son' — aren't you afraid people will laugh?"

"I have a premonination; it's definitely a son."

Guben had his own reasoning: "A daughter pities her mother and wouldn't want her to suffer. You've had such severe reactions just after getting pregnant — it's definitely a debt collector coming to collect, not a caring little padded jacket."

"Maybe it's a daughter."

Lin Xiyu deliberately sang a different tune from him, dragging the little nephew into it: "Ruirui, you say, right?"

"Right."

Ruirui glanced at Uncle, then at Auntie, and very loyally nodded.

"Ruirui, do you like a little brother or a little sister?"

Grandma Gu found it amusing and asked with a beaming smile.

"Sister."

Ruirui glanced at Uncle and Auntie again, and this time answered even more decisively.

"Hey, you little brat......"

Guben was amused and exasperated: "Do you even know your own surname? Whose grandson are you?"

"Of course I know......"

Ruirui retorted seriously: "Anyway, my surname isn't Gu."

"Hehe."

Lin Xiyu couldn't hold back and burst out laughing, covering her mouth.

——

His wife was pregnant, and a certain someone was in a secretly great mood, calling up relatives and friends one by one.

From his son's great-great-grandfather down to the little nephew who had just turned one month old, he pestered every single one of them.

The relatives and friends were also very supportive; they came from all over the country, traveling thousands of miles to congratulate the young couple.

The old house hadn't been this lively in a long time; ever since the happy news was announced, guests came and went for half a month straight, making Grandma Gu smile until her jaw ached.

Guben was also very happy; he set up banquet tables in the courtyard to entertain the guests.

After Lin Xiyu got pregnant, his main task shifted from buying groceries and cooking to waiting on his wife — a twenty-four-hour full-time bodyguard. He followed wherever she went, not even leaving her side when she went to the toilet.

Grandma Gu was old and couldn't handle fatigue, and his pregnant wife needed nutritional supplements.

The family urgently needed a nanny, but a suitable one couldn't be found in a short time, so he hired a professional maternity matron from the confinement center at a high price to come back early and get acquainted with the family, preparing for the future care of the mother and baby.

The maternity matron's surname was Liu; she was forty-two this year, from Liaocheng, not far from Jinan, and knew how to make authentic Shandong cuisine.

Grandma Gu and Lin Xiyu were very satisfied with the flavor of her cooking, eating with endless praise.

With the nanny, the whole family's daily life was secured, and Guben had even more leisure to accompany his wife. Wherever they went, he waited on her carefully — supporting her when walking, telling the driver to go slow when riding — terrified that one careless move would dash the hope of having a son.

"You go on about 'son' all day — are you like everyone else, preferring sons over daughters? Liking sons but not daughters?"

Lin Xiyu would occasionally get annoyed by his pestering and deliberately pick at him.

"No, absolutely not......"

Guben denied firmly: "I've never preferred sons over daughters. As long as you give birth to it, whether boy or girl, I'll like it."

Lin Xiyu didn't believe him: "Then why do you keep saying 'son, son'? I've never heard you say 'daughter' once?"

"Calling him son rolls off the tongue."

Guben argued with a straight face: "Of course. If you want me to call her daughter, that works too — I can practice in advance, straighten out my tongue."

"I think you'd better practice a bit..."

Lin Xiyu smiled and teased him: "I have a premonition — this pregnancy is most likely a girl."

"No way?"

Guben deliberately teased her, counting on his fingers and calculating again and again: "How accurate is your premonition? My calculation shows a high probability of a son — why does it change sex when it gets to you?"

"You're the one who changed sex..."

Lin Xiyu was amused into anger, speechless at his fortune-teller-like remark.

"How about we make a bet..."

Guben seized the opening to cheer her up: "You bet on a daughter, I bet on a son — whoever wins, the child takes their surname."

"That's what you said..."

Lin Xiyu was pleasantly surprised: "No going back on it."

"I won't go back."

Guben said offhandedly: "Whoever goes back is a puppy."

"Fine, just you wait."

Lin Xiyu smiled happily: "My premonition has always been accurate — puppy, you're it."

The couple made a bet, treating it as bedroom fun, just for a laugh.

At this moment, Lin Xiyu didn't really take it to heart either — future children would be named with her surname.

Until they were born, they gave the two of them a huge surprise.

—

The days of recuperating at home flew by, and in a blink it was the twelfth week of pregnancy.

Guben accompanied his wife to the Maternal and Child Health Hospital for a recheck; he waited outside the ultrasound room for a long time with no one coming out, and couldn't help feeling a bit panicked.

He paced anxiously at the doorway, almost unable to resist rushing in.

"Who is Lin Xiyu's family member?"

After waiting a good while longer, a young intern doctor pushed open the door and walked out from inside.

"I am..."

Guben's heart skipped a beat, his breathing nearly stalling.

"Don't be nervous..."

The intern doctor saw he was scared pale, almost couldn't hold back a laugh: "Your wife's situation is a bit special — come in with me."

"O-okay..."

Guben was nervous all right — walking, he even felt his legs go weak.

He entered the room on trembling legs, saw his wife lying on the bed, and his heart clenched violently, nearly stopping.

"Congratulations..."

The attending doctor glanced back at him and smiled meaningfully: "Your wife is carrying multiples — we can currently confirm four heartbeats..."

"H-how many?!"

Guben rubbed his ears in disbelief, suspecting auditory hallucination.

From shock to surprise, the huge transformation left him a bit dazed, needing time to process.

"Four."

The doctor seemed to have anticipated this dumbfounded expression, looking at him with amusement.

"Four?"

Guben pinched his thigh hard, sucking in a sharp breath from the pain.

"That's right, four."

The attending doctor held back a laugh and repeated it seriously once more.

"My heavens..."

Guben's mind went blank, and he blurted out: "Wife, are you dissatisfied that I'm not working hard enough, not earning enough, and want me to work even harder?"

"Pfft."

The intern doctor couldn't hold back and laughed out loud.

"I don't know why it turned out like this either..."

Lin Xiyu wasn't much better off than him — ever since the doctor said quadruplets, she'd been in a daze.

"Quadruplets are great..."

The young intern doctor, encountering quadruplets for the first time, was even more excited than the couple: "Now it's planned childbirth — others can't even get one more child if they want, you have four at once, and you're complaining?"

"We're not complaining..."

Guben gave an awkward laugh: "Just a bit hard to believe — if my wife weren't lying right here, I'd think I walked into the wrong exam room."

"That's right, this is your wife."

The attending doctor found it funny and joined in the teasing: "Quadruplets for sure — later when you go out strolling the kids, one rope leading four, your babies will be the most eye-catching kids on the whole street."

"Hey hey..."

Guben felt it was too early for such talk, his gaze drifting, and he couldn't help glancing at the equipment: "Um, Doctor, can I see the report?"

"You still don't believe it?"

The intern doctor was amused and casually picked up the ultrasound report and tossed it to him.

Guben received it solemnly, eyes glued to it, reading word by word seriously more than once, his gaze finally settling on the diagnostic conclusion — three neat, clear bold characters: Quadruplets.

Lin Xiyu, female, 29 years old, 12 weeks pregnant, quadruplets.

He silently recited it a few more times in his heart, confirming there wasn't the slightest error, only then letting out a long breath and returning to his senses from the trance.

"Confirmed now, right?"

The intern doctor teased with a smile: "It's your wife's report, isn't it? No mistake."

"It's the wife, oh no, it's my wife's report."

Guben's ear roots reddened rarely, and he stammered splendidly.

"Hehe."

The intern doctor held back laughter with great difficulty.

"As long as you confirm there's no mistake."

The attending doctor kindly reminded: "Carrying quadruplets isn't easy; if there's any discomfort, come to the hospital for a follow-up promptly."

"Okay okay, thank you, Doctor."

Guben smiled gratefully, came to the bedside, and as if cradling a treasure, carefully helped his wife up.

Lin Xiyu had four babies in her belly, and she herself felt the pressure was enormous; her movements getting out of bed were much slower than usual.

"Does your family have the twin gene?"

The attending doctor kept watching with a smile, not showing any impatience at all.

"Yes."

"No."

The couple both thought they were being asked, and spoke almost simultaneously.

"Is it yes, or no?"

The intern doctor was a bit puzzled.

"My family doesn't have it..."

Guben finished speaking, then suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Lin Xiyu.

"Maternal Grandmother said..."

Lin Xiyu gave an awkward smile: "My maternal grandfather's family has the twin gene."

"For real, wife?"

Guben was stunned again, momentarily finding it hard to digest the established fact.

"Should be, true, right?"

Lin Xiyu wasn't too certain: "I've never gone back to the old home, just heard Maternal Grandmother mention it once......."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Guben didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Had I known your family had the twin gene, I wouldn't have been so shocked; hearing it was quadruplets out of the blue, my brain nearly exploded, I almost thought I'd been..."

"Been what?"

Lin Xiyu stopped smiling, her gaze cold as she glared at him.

"No, nothing..."

Guben's heart jumped; only then did he realize in his excitement he'd nearly misspoken, forcibly swallowing back the three words 'green hat' that were about to blurt out.

"Hmph..."

Lin Xiyu, in front of the doctor, couldn't well lose her temper, and used eye-knives to fiercely gouge him once.

"Wife don't be angry, when we get home I'll kneel on the washboard myself."

Guben smiled bitterly, his attitude of admitting fault very sincere.

"Pfft."

The intern doctor couldn't hold it in and laughed again.

——

The little interlude at the hospital in no way affected the joy of being pregnant with quadruplets; the couple returned home, and a certain someone again couldn't resist calling a round of relatives and friends one by one.

Relatives and friends who heard the news boiled over yet again; the female cousin lived closest, ran the fastest, and arrived at the old house first thing, showing off her merit: "Not to brag, but your sister is your destined nobleman; if not for me recommending that old Chinese doctor, even if our family has the twin gene, it would've been impossible to conceive quadruplets."

"Yes yes yes, Sister's merit is the greatest."

Lin Xiyu was in a pleasant mood and willing to humor her: "Later when Guben returns, I'll have him kneel and kowtow for me to thank you for your great kindness."

"Kowtowing isn't necessary."

The female cousin laughed until her mouth couldn't close, looked around in a circle, didn't see Guben's figure, and asked in surprise: "Strange, how come I don't see that twenty-four-filial good brother-in-law of mine? This isn't his style at all; wife's at home, yet he's not here? Isn't he supposed to follow you twenty-four hours a day, unwilling to part for even a moment?"

"He went to the airport to pick someone up."

Lin Xiyu smiled gently: "Sixth Grandfather is coming, three PM flight."

"Oh oh..."

The female cousin smiled in realization: "The old master you speak of is the one who used to be a high official in BJ, quite lofty and aloof, right?"

"He's upright and clean, not lofty and aloof..."

Lin Xiyu felt the female cousin misunderstood, and it was necessary to explain a few sentences for Sixth Grandfather: "Actually he's a very good person, not a bit of airs, very caring toward the younger generation; Guben respects Sixth Grandfather the most; if not for the old man being there, those relatives in BJ, he wouldn't even bother associating with them."

"Guben's temperament is also quite lofty and aloof..."

The female cousin blinked her eyes, suddenly dropping this sentence out of the blue.

"I feel he's fine though..."

Lin Xiyu was a bit puzzled: "What reason made you have this view of him?"

"You think he's good because he's good to you..."

The female cousin didn't treat her as an outsider, speaking heart-to-heart: "Toward others, he might not be so good-tempered; his methods are also quite ruthless."

"Sister, did you hear some wind/rumor?"

Lin Xiyu's delicate brows furrowed slightly: "You mustn't hide it from me and let me guess wildly; my heart feels stifled with worry."

"Actually, it's nothing much......"

The female cousin's eyes flickered: "Since you ask, telling you is fine, just don't spread it around, lest Guben finds out and complains I'm meddlesome, making myself disliked......"

"Alright......"

Lin Xiyu nodded in promise: "I won't tell him."