Chapter 252

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"Guben, tell Sister the truth......"

A thought struck the female cousin, and she teased in her younger sister's name: "Do you like a son or a daughter? No faking it, okay? My sister is right here listening, you won't be able to get away with bluffing......"

"A daughter."

Guben's reaction wasn't slow either; he happened to seize this opening to express his dote on his little daughter, lest his behavior become abnormal later and arouse his wife's suspicion.

The female cousin didn't believe him: "Do you really like her, or are you deliberately saying that to make your wife happy?"

"Of course it's real......"

Guben used actual actions to prove he truly doted on his little daughter.

Just then, both babies woke up together. Dabao Pingping had probably wet himself; his little mouth split open as he wailed.

His father turned a deaf ear and rushed straight to the little daughter's incubator first, lifting Lele out from inside.

Lele hadn't fully woken up yet; she opened her wet, glistening big eyes and looked at him somewhat blankly.

"Lele, call Daddy."

Guben held the swaddling carefully, his gaze at his daughter so gentle it could almost drip water.

Lele couldn't speak; she opened her little mouth and blew a saliva bubble.

"Hehe."

Guben was delighted beyond measure; his daughter blowing a bubble could make him happy for a long while.

"Tsk tsk."

The female cousin watched with clicking wonder; for a good long while she couldn't come up with a suitable adjective to describe the foolish look of this child's father at this moment.

"Did Lele pee?"

Nanny Liu Jie had finished changing Dabao's diaper and walked over holding a clean one, wanting to take Lele over.

"I'll do it myself."

Guben had gone through most of the night, tempered by changing diapers for four babies non-stop within an hour, and had already honed the basic skills of a stay-at-home dad.

He placed Lele on the bed, changed a fresh diaper, and before re-wrapping the swaddling, he didn't forget to have an intimate interaction with his daughter.

With great familiarity and ease, grinning foolishly, he planted a kiss on his daughter's fragrant, soft little foot.

"Smack......"

The female cousin really couldn't bear to watch anymore; she turned her head back with an incredulous face and complained to the child's mother: "Does having kids make everyone lose IQ points?"

"Hahaha."

Lin Xiyu couldn't hold it in and laughed until she sprayed again.

——

"What are you two talking about, laughing so happily?"

The ward door was pushed open a crack from outside; Uncle first poked his head in cheerfully to take a look, then forcefully swung the door wide open and helped in an elderly person with hair white as frost.

"Oh my, Maternal Grandmother, how did you come?"

The female cousin stopped complaining, hurriedly went forward to meet them, and together with Uncle, one on each side, supported Maternal Grandmother to the bedside.

Maternal Grandmother smiled kindly: "Xiyu gave birth; I absolutely had to come see, wouldn't be at ease if I didn't."

"Maternal Grandmother, please sit."

Guben, holding his little daughter, didn't delay in moving a stool for the old lady.

"Which number is the one you're holding?"

Maternal Grandmother smiled with relief; after sitting down she couldn't be bothered to say a word to her maternal granddaughter, her eyes fixed on the baby in his arms.

"The fourth, Lele, a girl."

Guben wore a benevolent father's smile, holding his precious daughter like presenting a treasure.

"This child is pretty, took the best of both of you."

Maternal Grandmother came with her own beauty filter; as long as it was her family's offspring, she praised them all as pretty.

"Maternal Grandmother, what you said is really too right......"

Guben seized the chance to tattle, expressing dissatisfaction with the kids' Aunt Da: "Still, you old folks know how to talk, unlike their Aunt Da, who calls them little monkeys the moment she opens her mouth."

"Who said that?"

Maternal Grandmother's face indeed darkened; she glared at the female cousin in displeasure.

"I was just joking......"

The female cousin didn't dare run her mouth in front of Maternal Grandmother, and explained with an awkward smile.

"Is that how an Aunt Da behaves?"

Maternal Grandmother still scolded in displeasure: "Not a bit of sense, talking nonsense in front of the in-laws."

"It's fine, Old Sister......"

Grandma Gu smiled to ease the atmosphere: "Jokes between the younger generation, I never take to heart; heard them and can't remember, turn my head and forget."

Maternal Grandmother knew perfectly well in her heart: "That's you being magnanimous, not bothering to argue with them."

"Both Maternal Grandmothers are kind people......"

Guben spoke at the right moment; one sentence coaxed both elders into great happiness.

"You're really laying the flattery on thick......"

The female cousin was about to tease him a few sentences, but was glared back by the maternal grandmother with a look.

"Alright alright, I won't say anymore."

The female cousin gave an embarrassed smile, making a gesture of zipping her own mouth shut.

"Hehe."

Guben felt relieved; ever since his wife's sister entered the door, the mouthful of resentment pent up in his heart had finally been vented out.

"Aiya."

Lin Xiyu smiled helplessly, pretending not to have seen through his little scheme.

"Have the babies been given names?"

The maternal grandmother saw through it but didn't point it out, taking the opportunity to pull the topic onto the babies.

"The pet names have been given."

Lin Xiyu took up the conversation, speaking up on her own initiative: "The four babies together are called Peace and Joy."

"Heh......"

The maternal uncle heard and was also amused, laughing as he asked: "Who came up with it?"

"I came up with it."

Lin Xiyu was a bit tsundere, proudly raising her eyebrow.

"I guessed it was you who came up with it......"

The maternal grandmother smiled indulgently: "Only you, this clever little girl, would come up with such an unconventional name."

"What's unconventional about it?"

Lin Xiyu pouted her cheeks and acted spoiled: "I think it sounds very nice, and it's only the parents of quadruplets who have the opportunity to give such an extraordinary name."

"Giving pet names is just for the sake of the children being easy to raise."

The maternal grandmother gave her examples: "Like Zhuangzhuang, Niuniu, Baobao, Haohao, Xiaoxiao......"

"Our Pingping Anan Xixi Lele are also very easy to raise."

Lin Xiyu deliberately talked back to the maternal grandmother: "Just hearing these names you know the children are healthy and happy, their bodies are super strong, they eat super fragrantly......"

"Hehe......"

The maternal grandmother was amused by her, not minding her great disrespect.

"Pet names are given, what about the formal names?"

The maternal uncle listened with amusement, laughing as he asked again.

"The two girls' formal names were decided long before they were born."

Guben took the opportunity holding Lele to brush up his sense of presence as a father: "The eldest daughter is called Nian Xin, the younger daughter is called Nian Rou."

"Nian Xin, Nian Rou?"

The maternal grandmother carefully savored the two children's names, nodding in satisfaction.

"What about the two sons?"

The maternal uncle cared more about the sons' names.

"The sons haven't been named yet......"

Grandma Gu answered for the grandson: "We wanted to wait for Xiao Bin's dad to come, and then negotiate with him a bit."

The maternal uncle froze: "Why negotiate with him?"

"Are you stupid?"

The maternal grandmother glared at him angrily: "This still needs asking? He is the paternal grandfather, giving the children names, such a big matter, how could his opinion not be sought?"

"Oh oh."

The maternal uncle actually still didn't understand, but constrained by his birth mother being present, he couldn't ask further, only able to give two embarrassed laughs to cover his own embarrassment.

"When the paternal grandfather comes, will it be surname Fu or surname Gu?"

The female cousin was even more curious than the maternal uncle, asking it out in his place.

"That's exactly what I wanted to ask......"

The maternal uncle cast a grateful gaze at his niece.

"My family's old man left the old house to Xiao Bin......"

Grandma Gu's implication was that at least one child would have to be surnamed Gu.

"Still Xiyu would give birth......."

The maternal uncle laughed and brushed it off: "Not too many not too few, exactly two sons, one surnamed Gu, one surnamed Fu."

"Actually I think......"

The female cousin had a different opinion: "Giving birth is hardest on the woman, just one would be fine, but quadruplets, at least one child taking the mother's surname is only fair, right?"

"That's true......"

The maternal uncle and she sang in harmony, laughing in agreement.

Grandma Gu reacted extremely fast, snatching the words to speak: "Then the two sons, one surnamed Gu, one surnamed Lin, not surnamed Fu."

"Not surnamed Fu......"

The maternal grandmother was a bit worried: "Would the paternal grandfather agree?"

"He already has a grandson, does he still have the nerve to quibble over this?"

Grandma Gu pointed at Ruirui, neither justified in reason nor yielding in spirit.

"Back then......"

The maternal grandmother found it funny, laughing and teasing: "Your family's old man, was he also this overbearing, fighting with others for a grandson?"

Grandma Gu's eyebrow raised: "......."

I'm just being unreasonable — what can he do about it?!

"You two as a couple......"

Maternal Grandmother saw through her subtext, smiling until her mouth couldn't close: "It really is true — birds of a feather flock together."

——

Maternal Grandmother's worry didn't come true; the babies' own paternal grandfather was far more magnanimous than anyone had predicted.

Hearing his son say he wanted one of the grandsons to take the mother's surname, he agreed without a second thought.

The speed of it left Guben a bit dumbfounded; the prepared talking points he'd readied weren't used at all, making the situation genuinely a bit laughable.

——

The babies' surnames were settled just like that, happily.

Dabao and Pingping took their father's surname, named Gu Ruiyuan.

Erbao took his mother's surname, named Lin Ruibo.

The two boys' names combined imply wisdom and extensive learning.

Sanbao Gu Nian Xin, Sibao Gu Nian Rou — both girls bear the Gu surname, to accommodate Sixth Grandpa's feelings.

After all, the old master had gifted them a siheyuan worth over a hundred million; letting the two little treasures enjoy his knee-side affection, calling him "paternal grandpa" a few more times to cheer the old man up, was only reasonable.

——

Having one son take her own surname — Lin Xiyu would be lying if she said she wasn't happy.

The moment she thought of Erbao bearing the Lin surname, her heart felt sweet as honey; she smiled happily all day long, unable to stop grinning.

With her mood good, her recovery went well too; by the third day post-surgery she had breast milk and could personally nurse the babies.

Wu Meng's Shisan Dabu Tang finally came in handy; after drinking it her milk supply was indeed abundant, more than enough to nurse four babies, making Maternal Grandmother Gu beam with joy.

All four babies also loved clinging to their mother; as long as they lay in her arms, they absolutely wouldn't cry or fuss.

Especially Dabao — his reaction was remarkably obvious.

When Liu Jie held him, he wailed at the top of his lungs; the moment he was placed beside his mother, he stopped crying instantly, kicking his little legs in delight.

"This child is the sharpest......"

Maternal Grandmother Gu watched with amusement: "Just like Guben when he was little — grew up to be a mischievous rascal too."

"Dabao looks like his mother; by rights he should've taken after her temperament, no?"

Liu Jie smiled in agreement: "Mother is both gentle and virtuous, with a good temper and personality."

"That's not necessarily true......"

Guben was changing Lele's diaper, not even lifting his head, casually remarking: "Who was more mischievous as a child — that's still up in the air."

"Xiyu was quite mischievous as a child too?"

Maternal Grandmother Gu chuckled, glancing at her granddaughter-in-law: "Couldn't you tell?"

"This person is just jealous......"

Lin Xiyu pouted coquettishly: "Envious that the babies are close to me."

"I'm not jealous......"

Guben finished changing Lele's diaper, then picked her up to tease his little daughter: "Speaking honestly, I just hope all these little brats are close to you — then I can catch a breather too; otherwise I'm really about to collapse from exhaustion."

"Young Gu has had it hard."

Liu Jie saw clearly, nodding in agreement: "Several days straight without a solid night's sleep."

"What's he tired for?"

Maternal Grandmother Gu didn't know Lele's condition, didn't take it to heart: "Being a dad is never that easy — it's just changing a diaper, what's there to complain about?"

"I'm not dealing with one brat — I'm dad to four brats......"

Guben laughed helplessly: "To put it crudely, I'm really tired like a dog."

"Young Gu truly cares for the children......"

Liu Jie added: "After changing each baby's diaper he holds them a while longer, has some intimate interaction with the babies — especially Lele; once he picks her up he's reluctant to put her down, that clingy energy — even I find it remarkable; in all the many households I've worked as a nanny, not one husband could do this much, none had his patience."

"Guben seems especially attached to Lele."

Lin Xiyu noticed it too, giving Guben a meaningful look.

"Lele likes Daddy most, is closest to Daddy."

Guben found himself a reason: "Because when she opened her eyes, the first person she saw was Daddy."

"Is that so?"

Lin Xiyu teased with a smile: "The first person she saw shouldn't have been the delivering doctor?"

"No."

Guben recalled that moment in the NICU locking eyes with Lele, his heart warming: "On this I can confirm — the doctor was standing right beside me; she opened her eyes, didn't look at the doctor, but looked at me."

"Does the baby recognize you?"

Lin Xiyu didn't take it seriously, smiling as she scolded: "You make it sound real — who are you fooling?"

"A newborn baby can recognize people......"

Liu Jie interjected: "As long as proper prenatal education was done during pregnancy, a newborn can distinguish Daddy's and Mommy's voices right after birth."

"Really?"

Lin Xiyu was pleasantly surprised: "Then the babies can also understand when Mommy calls them?"

"They can."

Liu Jie was very certain.

"That's wonderful, let me try......"

Lin Xiyu looked up at Lele in Guben's arms, waving her arm: "Lele, look at Mommy, look at Mommy......"

Lele turned her lively, jet-black eyes, and sure enough looked over following the sound.

"She really can understand..."

Lin Xiyu smiled with delight, her eyes narrowing into crescents.

"Wasn't I telling the truth?"

Guben's eyes revealed pride, quite carrying a father's pride: "Back then Lele opened her eyes precisely because she heard Daddy's voice."

"Count it as you guessing right."

Lin Xiyu giggled and shot him a reproachful glance.

"Only Xiao Liu alone helping to watch the child, it is a bit tiring..."

Grandma Gu looked from the side at her grandson's gaunt cheeks, and still felt a pang of heartache: "Better hire two more nannies, one to help watch the child, one to cook, so you two husband and wife won't have to work so hard, can spare time to sleep a bit more."

"Fine."

Lin Xiyu agreed without a second thought, while instead Guben frowned, wanting to object.

"Don't just stubbornly hold on."

Grandma Gu, not knowing his inner knot, stopped him before he could speak: "I'll decide this matter, the nanny money I'll pay, no need for you to fork out money."

"It's not that I'm unwilling to spend money..."

Guben still harbored concerns: "The hospital has regulations, even if we hire people, the ward doesn't allow that many people to stay."