Jiang Si thought for a moment and said, "Mom, why don’t you sleep with me tonight? Let Tingzhou stay in your room."
Hearing this, Mother Huo’s eyes lit up.
That made sense—after all, it was just sleeping on the floor, so it didn’t matter where.
"Alright, then I’ll sleep with you tonight," she agreed.
As soon as the words left her mouth, Huo Tingzhou, who had been tidying up the bedding, stopped abruptly.
He raised his head and glanced at Jiang Si.
Though he didn’t say a word, Jiang Si instantly understood the accusation in his eyes.
She blinked, pretending not to notice.
She couldn’t take back her words now—that would be too awkward.
Besides, was it really such a big deal for just one night?
Huo Tingzhou answered with actions: yes, it was a big deal, and he absolutely couldn’t compromise on this.
If he let this happen tonight, there’d be no place left for him to sleep on the floor in their room ever again.
So he fixed his mother with a solemn look, took a deep breath, and said, "Mom, you should go back to your own room."
Mother Huo was puzzled. "Can’t I just sleep with my daughter-in-law for one night?"
Huo Tingzhou replied, "Mom… you snore when you sleep. Jiang Si is a light sleeper—she won’t be able to rest."
What?
Snore?
Mother Huo’s eyes widened in disbelief, as if she’d just heard something outrageous. "You… you’re saying I snore?"
Huo Tingzhou nodded. "Yes."
And quite loudly, too. Back when they lived together, he’d been woken up by it many times.
"That’s impossible! I sleep very quietly!" Mother Huo waved her hands dismissively, looking utterly wronged. "You know how your father is—he can’t stand the slightest noise."
"If I snored, he would’ve said something long ago."
Huo Tingzhou fell silent for a moment. "Mom… is it possible that Dad just doesn’t care?"
At that, Mother Huo went quiet.
Well… that was a little embarrassing.
Honestly, after so many years of marriage, why couldn’t he just mention it?
Her gaze drifted away awkwardly. "Well… it’s getting late. Jiang Si, you two should rest. I’ll… I’ll go to bed now."
Watching her mother-in-law flee in a fluster, Jiang Si couldn’t help but chuckle.
But then, a thought popped into her head uncontrollably.
"Do I snore when I sleep?" she asked.
Huo Tingzhou shook his head. "No."
"Really?" Jiang Si eyed him skeptically.
If she did, they’d have to sleep in separate rooms.
Otherwise, poor sleep would take a toll on her health.
Huo Tingzhou answered without hesitation, "Really."
After a pause, he added, "You’re very quiet when you sleep."
As quiet as a kitten.
Her breathing was soft and even.
So much so that he now instinctively checked on her every time he woke up.
Seeing no sign of deception in his expression, Jiang Si let the matter drop.
"Let’s sleep. You have a prenatal checkup at the hospital tomorrow morning," Huo Tingzhou said gently.
Jiang Si nodded.
She slept soundly through the night, and by the time she woke up, breakfast was already on the table.
The main dish was pumpkin and red date millet porridge, mixed with an assortment of beans.
While Jiang Si was washing up, Mother Huo had ladled out the porridge to cool—now it was just the right temperature.
"How is it? Does the porridge suit your taste?" Mother Huo asked.
Though Jiang Si wasn’t much of a cook, she could tell this porridge had been made with care.
"Mom, I don’t have a big appetite. You don’t need to get up so early just to make this—plain congee would be fine."
But she had to admit, this porridge was far tastier than plain congee.
As she spoke, she took another spoonful.
Seeing her enjoy the meal, Mother Huo was delighted.
Truthfully, she’d already noticed Jiang Si’s small appetite the day before.
Fortunately, she’d come prepared. "Jiang Si, take a look—what would you like for lunch? I’ll make it for you."
Jiang Si was momentarily stunned by what Mother Huo handed her. "Mom, what’s this?"
"A recipe book."
Mother Huo gestured for her to open it. "I meant to show you yesterday, but after Tingzhou’s interruption, I forgot."
Jiang Si flipped through it, her expression turning to one of astonishment.
"Mom, you can cook all these dishes?"
"Of course."
There was a hint of pride in Mother Huo’s voice.
"Most of these recipes are medicinal dishes. Just let me know what you’d like—don’t hesitate."
"And don’t worry about your small appetite. We can do smaller, more frequent meals."
Perhaps sensing Jiang Si’s hesitation, Mother Huo added, "When your second sister-in-law was pregnant with Jing Qian, she also had no appetite. But after I started cooking different dishes for her, her appetite improved in about half a month."
"Mom, you’re amazing."
Jiang Si sighed suddenly.
"What’s wrong?" Mother Huo’s heart skipped a beat at the shift in her tone.
Jiang Si admitted honestly, "Mom, I’m worried—what if both babies are boys?"
Mother Huo was momentarily speechless. As much as she wanted a granddaughter, she knew it wasn’t up to them.
It all depended on whether Tingzhou could deliver.
Still, she offered comfort. "As long as the babies are healthy, it doesn’t matter if they’re boys or girls. Our family doesn’t favor one over the other—we treat everyone equally."
Jiang Si knew that, but that wasn’t her concern.
With Mother Huo setting such a high standard, she felt she couldn’t even come close to being a "good mother-in-law" herself.
And she was self-aware enough to know she’d never reach Mother Huo’s level, no matter how hard she tried.
But then again, that was a problem for the distant future.
By the time her children married and had kids, it’d be over twenty years later.
If all else failed, she could always throw money at the problem—fortunately, her family was well-off.
With that thought, her anxiety eased.
After breakfast, the two women tidied up briefly and headed to the military hospital.
In the later stages of pregnancy, checkups usually involved just an ultrasound. The hospital wasn’t crowded, and Jiang Si was called in within ten minutes of arriving.
Mother Huo couldn’t interpret the ultrasound images, but seeing Doctor Jiang’s serious expression, she grew nervous.
"Doctor, how is my daughter-in-law doing?"
Doctor Jiang gave her a reassuring look. "There’s no major issue, but the babies’ growth seems a bit slow. Jiang Si, have you been eating well lately?"
Jiang Si nodded. "The heat’s been killing my appetite. I feel full after just a little."
"That’s normal with twins. The expanding uterus puts pressure on your stomach and intestines."
Doctor Jiang continued, "For now, focus on high-protein foods—eggs and milk are essential. Oh, have you ever eaten cicada nymphs?"
Jiang Si shook her head. "What’s that?"
Doctor Jiang explained succinctly, "They’re immature cicadas. Their protein content is five times that of eggs, and they’re richer in amino acids and calcium than milk or beef. You could try having some."
"You can find plenty in the woods near the military housing area. Just go around seven or eight in the evening to catch them."
"Got it." Mother Huo made a mental note of the doctor’s advice.
That evening, they went to the grove in the residential compound with flashlights and caught a small basinful of cicada nymphs.
And you know what? After coating them in flour and frying them in oil, the aroma was surprisingly delicious.
...
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, over two months had passed. Under Mother Huo’s meticulous care,
Jiang Si’s late-stage pregnancy couldn’t have been more comfortable.
Mother Huo not only prepared a variety of delicious dishes for her every day but occasionally even sneaked her extra treats.
As long as Jiang Si craved something, Mother Huo would turn a blind eye and make it for her.
Of course, before doing so, Mother Huo always checked with Doctor Jiang at the hospital.
It got to the point where Doctor Jiang would reflexively say upon seeing the two of them, "Don’t scare me—just take your time and tell me what’s wrong."
But there was one thing Doctor Jiang found a bit strange.
Generally, twins tend to arrive earlier,
yet it was already late September, and Jiang Si showed no signs of going into labor.
If even Doctor Jiang was puzzled, Huo Tingzhou was even more so.
Noticing his anxiety, Jiang Si decided it was time for a serious talk.
That night, after they returned to their room,
Jiang Si cut straight to the point: "If you keep staying up all night like this, who’s going to take care of me when I go into labor?"
"Darling, I—"
She didn’t let him finish. "Doctor Jiang already said I’m fine, the babies are fine, and carrying to full term is actually a good thing."
"I know." He understood the logic, but his heart just wouldn’t settle.
After a pause, Huo Tingzhou squeezed her hand, his eyes filled with guilt. "I’m sorry. I’ll go to sleep right now."
"That’s more like it."
Jiang Si glanced at the dark circles under his eyes. "You better sleep properly tonight. If I catch you sneaking up to stare at me again, just wait and see—"
Before she could finish, her expression suddenly froze.
"Darling, what’s wrong?" Sensing something was off, Huo Tingzhou tensed.
Jiang Si snapped back to reality and looked down at her belly.
"I think my water just broke—"
