Chuntao lay on her side, nursing the baby. The tension slowly drained from her body, and her heart softened into a warm, fluffy cloud.
She tentatively raised an arm and wrapped it around the baby, curving her waist slightly to accommodate his position. Her gaze was so tender it seemed capable of melting into water.
She did not even dare breathe too loudly, afraid of disturbing the little one, who was concentrating on nursing.
Looking down at the baby drinking contentedly in her arms, Chuntao’s lips curved into a faint, secret smile.
After nursing for a while, the baby seemed unable to draw any more milk and let go. His little legs kicked hard, and his tiny body kept wriggling toward the other side.
Seeing this, Chuntao had no idea what was wrong. She hurriedly offered the other side to his mouth while patting his back in a fluster.
“Why did you stop eating?”
Aunt Zhou immediately understood what was happening and explained, “He’s finished on this side. This little rascal has a big appetite and still isn’t full!”
Aunt Zhou’s words pulled Zhou Zhijun back from his thoughts. He bent down to look at his squirming son, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Come here. Daddy will hold you while you eat from the other side!”
Aunt Zhou quickly stopped him. “The two babies have to take turns. You can’t favor one of them, or one will have plenty to eat while the other goes hungry. That won’t do!”
She sighed again. “Tao’er is weak, and this boy has such a big appetite. Even if he drinks from both sides, it may not be enough to fill his stomach.”
Her gaze shifted to Nuannuan’s face. The baby had delicate pink cheeks, and even her fine downy hair was clearly visible.
Although she was the older sister, Nuannuan was smaller than her brother.
The midwife had pulled her out by sheer force when she was born, and she had not even cried. Fortunately, they had managed to save her life.
Aunt Zhou’s eyes filled with pity as she murmured, “My poor little Nuannuan. We must never let you go hungry.
“This boy is strong and sturdy. Missing one feeding won’t hurt him. We’ll buy some rice flour in town later and feed it to him.”
Her grandson and granddaughter were both members of the Zhou family. Though she favored her granddaughter in words, in her heart she would have been distressed to see either child go hungry.
Nearly everyone in the village favored boys over girls, especially the older generation. They treated grandsons and granddaughters as if they belonged to two entirely different worlds.
Chuntao had been worried that Aunt Zhou might be the same. She had not expected the older woman to be different from the other village grandmothers. Hearing her defend Nuannuan made the worry weighing on Chuntao’s heart finally ease.
Zhou Zhijun felt sorry for his son too, seeing how unsatisfied he looked after feeding. But his daughter had barely eaten at all, and he could not let her go hungry.
His mother was right. Nuannuan had been born weak, and they absolutely could not neglect her.
“Ma, I’ll go into town and buy some rice flour right now!” Zhou Zhijun said, lifting his leg to leave.
Aunt Zhou hurriedly called after him. “Buy two packets of brown sugar as well, weigh out several pounds of millet, and get two pig’s feet too. They’ll help bring in more milk. Tao’er needs plenty of nourishment to recover!”
Zhou Zhijun lifted the curtain and stepped outside. There he saw Zhou Xiaowei standing at the doorway of the inner room, craning his neck to peer through the gap in the curtain.
When Zhou Xiaowei saw him come out, he quickly took a step back and gave him a timid smile.
“Second Uncle!”
Zhou Zhijun glanced at him. “You ran all this way. Go get some sleep. Once you wake up, head home so your grandpa won’t worry.”
“All right!” Zhou Xiaowei nodded quickly.
But not long after Zhou Zhijun left, Zhou Xiaowei could no longer restrain his curiosity and rushed into the inner room.
“Grandma, I want to see the babies!”
He had only gotten one foot through the doorway when Aunt Zhou hurriedly drove him back out.
“Your second aunt is nursing. You can look later!”
Rural women did not usually avoid other people while nursing their babies, but Chuntao was shy. Aunt Zhou was only stopping Zhou Xiaowei because she was afraid Chuntao might feel embarrassed.
Aunt Zhou turned around and helped Chuntao nurse Nuannuan from the other side. Nuannuan’s mouth was so tiny, no bigger than a cherry, and it took a great deal of effort for her to latch on. As she nursed, she kept slipping off.
Aunt Zhou carefully supported her head, doing her best to keep her from losing her grip.
Nuannuan had a small appetite. She stopped after only a little while and looked up at her mother with her soft, pink face.
Her eyes were large and bright, framed by double eyelids. Her thick, curled lashes resembled two little fans, or the wings of a butterfly.
Her nose was small and dainty, her lips red as a ripe cherry. Her big eyes blinked slowly, while her little mouth continued to move faintly.
One look at her, and Chuntao’s heart nearly melted.
Aunt Zhou wrapped Nuannuan securely and placed her beside them. The little girl was an amusing one; she stared intently at Aunt Zhou’s face with her enormous eyes.
“Little Nuannuan, you must eat more from now on and grow up fair and chubby!” Aunt Zhou’s voice was as sweet as honey as she gazed at her adorable granddaughter.
Then she picked up Jianshe, who was still hungry and kicking all four limbs, and offered him the milk Nuannuan had left.
“This is your sister’s share. You’re going to drink it all, and when you grow up, you must protect your sister!”
Jianshe finished quickly. Only then did his hunger ease, and he obediently lay still. Before long, he fell asleep.
Once both babies were full, Aunt Zhou went to the kitchen and brought back some warm water for Chuntao to clean herself.
She kept reminding her, “You must wipe yourself clean every time you finish nursing, or the babies may get an upset stomach.
“And don’t eat anything raw or cold either. You have to take good care of yourself, or both you and the babies will suffer!”
After Chuntao had finished cleaning up, Aunt Zhou helped pull her neckline back into place, then called toward the doorway, “Zhou Xiaowei, come in and have a look now. Look at your little brother and sister. Aren’t they well-behaved?”
The moment Zhou Xiaowei heard her, excitement made sweat break out across his forehead. He crossed the room in two strides and hurried to the bedside.
“Don’t be so clumsy. Slow down!” Aunt Zhou scolded lightly as she carried the basin outside.
“Keep your voice down. Don’t wake your little brother and sister! I’m going to the kitchen to make your second aunt a bowl of egg tea.”
With Aunt Zhou and Second Aunt Zhou in the kitchen, Zhou Xiaowei stared at the two pink little faces and whispered, “They’re so beautiful. They’re as cute as dolls in a painting!”
One baby slept soundly, his little mouth still making sucking motions. His long lashes drooped over his eyes, casting a faint shadow.
The other had her eyes half closed. She opened her soft pink mouth and gave a gentle yawn before finally succumbing to sleep. Her long lashes continued to tremble lightly.
It was Zhou Xiaowei’s first time seeing babies so beautiful and soft. He wanted nothing more than to hold them close and give them a good kiss.
But the little ones were asleep, so he could not pick them up. Even if they had been awake, he would not have dared.
His arms and legs were so hard and clumsy. He was afraid he might hurt them.
Tenderness filled Zhou Xiaowei’s eyes as his gaze remained fixed on the two babies’ faces. He could not look away, and he kept murmuring, “They’re so beautiful…”
Chuntao lowered her eyes to the two sleeping babies, unable to suppress her joy.
The children really were beautiful. She was not merely praising them because they were hers; this was the first time she had ever seen babies so lovely.
The light in Chuntao’s eyes was bright and gentle, and a smile rested on her lips.
The arrival of these two little ones had made her a complete woman. A deep sense of happiness wrapped around her, warming her from head to toe.
They were her future and her hope.
No matter what hardships lay ahead, she would have to stay strong. She was a mother now, and she would protect her children and help them grow up happy and healthy.
Both of them gazed at the babies’ rosy faces, quiet smiles on their lips.
After a long while, Zhou Xiaowei finally came back to himself. His gaze shifted to Chuntao’s slightly pale face, and he hesitantly spoke.
“Chuntao…”
He had meant to call her “Sister-in-law Chuntao,” but the words “sister-in-law” caught in his throat. His ears reddened, and he awkwardly scratched his head.
“How are you feeling?”
He simply could not bring himself to call her “second aunt,” and with his second uncle away, he decided not to use the title at all.
Chuntao smiled. “It’s nothing. I’m doing just fine!”
Chuntao had always been frail, and she had just given birth to twins. Zhou Xiaowei thought to himself that if his second uncle really went off to work on the reservoir, he would take good care of Chuntao and her three children on his uncle’s behalf.
“Once we get back, I’ll go up the hill to catch rabbits and raid birds’ nests for eggs. I’ll make sure you get plenty of nourishment!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the breathless voice of Xiangguo, the granddaughter of Second Aunt Zhou, suddenly rang out from the courtyard. “Grandma… Great-aunt, someone’s here looking for my cousin! It’s a woman!”
