Chapter 67

Chapter 67: The Confinement

Ji Yunshu glanced down at Nian Nian, who was fast asleep in her arms, and asked in a low voice, "Mom, what do you think?"

"What am I supposed to think? Of course I'm worried—she's my own flesh and blood. How could I feel good about her getting bullied? But you've just given birth and haven't left the hospital yet. How can I leave? If I go, who will take care of you? Xiao Pei has to work, watch the kids, and cook all by himself—how could he possibly handle that?" He Qiuxia sighed, picked up the letter, glanced at it again, then set it back down. "You know your father—he's been an honest man his whole life, but he's useless with words. Going up against someone like He Jianjun's mother, he's bound to lose. The two of them going at it is like a scholar meeting a soldier—there's no reasoning with her. But I also don't want your father to have a falling out with Lizi. After all, she's his biological daughter too. It took so long to bring her back into the family—if they ruin their relationship over something like this, how are they supposed to get along going forward?"

"Mom, why don't you call Dad first and get the full story? What Dad says himself will be clearer than what's in the letter. If the He family treats Lizi badly, she can come home—Dad wouldn't turn her away. Why doesn't she dare go home? There might be something else going on here."

He Qiuxia mulled it over and agreed she had a point. She stood up, tucked the letter into her pocket, and said, "Xiaoshu, have Xiao Pei watch the kids tomorrow. I'll go to the post office and call your father long-distance to get to the bottom of this."

The next day, when He Qiuxia came back from making the call, Ji Yunshu could tell her expression was even more troubled than before she'd left. He Qiuxia seemed both angry and upset—her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were red, like she'd been crying.

Ji Yunshu quickly asked, "Mom, what did Dad say?"

He Qiuxia sat down on the chair by the bed, poured herself a cup of warm water, and took a few sips to calm herself. She set down the enamel cup, took a deep breath, and began telling Ji Yunshu everything Ji Haiguo had said on the phone, word for word.

On the phone, Ji Haiguo told He Qiuxia that he'd originally planned to stand up for Meng Li and get He Jianjun to treat her better. After all, Meng Li was his own flesh and blood—what father could stand by and watch her get her arm twisted by her mother-in-law? But instead of being grateful, Meng Li—once she heard that He Jianjun was highly regarded by his superiors—had already gone out of her way to make up with him. The two of them had instead teamed up, thinking he was meddling, being too harsh, and not giving his son-in-law any face... He was angry, but this daughter had only been found after so many years of being switched at birth, so he let it slide.

Then a few days later, someone reported He Qiuxia for going to the island to take care of Ji Yunshu, accusing her of colluding with the capitalist's daughter and having questionable ideological leanings. Fortunately, Ji Haiguo had a solid reputation, and He Qiuxia's character spoke for itself. After looking into it, the military found that He Qiuxia had just gone to take care of her adopted daughter, whose identity was now above reproach. So no action was taken, though they did tell Ji Haiguo to watch his image, given the sensitive times.

Ji Haiguo was furious—his daughter had married far away to follow her husband to the base, and after finally giving birth, what harm could it do anyone for He Qiuxia to go take care of her? Later, someone quietly told him that He Jianjun's mother was the one who'd filed the report. Following that lead, he discovered that the leader He Jianjun was now attached to wanted to move up—but that position was currently held by Ji Haiguo. Ji Haiguo had been in the military for nearly forty years, with just a few years left before retirement. They couldn't wait—they wanted to use his biological daughter and son-in-law to wage a public opinion war and force him out.

"Your father said his heart went cold. That's why he told Lizi not to set foot in the Ji family home again! And guess what Lizi did? She went around saying your father only cares about you, his 'capitalist's daughter,' and that I went to the island for you because we're biased. She twisted your father's warning, painted me and your father as cold and heartless, and played the victim around the compound to win sympathy. Some families in the compound just love watching other people's misfortunes. Your father said he's a grown man and can't go bickering with women like a shrew. And then Lizi still has the nerve to write me a tearful letter?" He Qiuxia's voice trembled as she spoke—whether from anger or hurt, it was hard to say.

Ji Yunshu hadn't expected it to be like this either. She comforted He Qiuxia, saying, "Mom, don't worry too much. Dad's always been aboveboard—nothing's going to happen to him."

He Qiuxia looked down at Sheng Sheng in her arms—he'd just had his diaper changed and was staring up at her with big, dark eyes. She reached out and gently touched his little cheek. "I know your father's personality. I'm just angry that she could say such things about us. We're her real parents! I didn't approve when she insisted on publicly cutting ties with the Meng family, but I only found out after seeing it in the paper—she never even talked to us about it. Your parents are honest folks too. How did she end up with a personality like that?"

Ji Yunshu couldn't figure it out either—why would Meng Li turn her back on her own parents for He Jianjun? First her adoptive parents, then her real ones—what was she after? Could she know something they didn't? Had she seen more in her dreams than Ji Yunshu had seen? Could it be that... something was going to happen to the Ji family in the future, and Meng Li believed only He Jianjun could protect her, so she was willing to throw her own parents under the bus to pave his way?

Seeing the worried look on Ji Yunshu's face after hearing all this, He Qiuxia was afraid it might affect her postpartum mood and quickly said, "Xiaoshu, don't think about it. Your father did the right thing. Not letting her come back is right. Your father said he's old, but he's not dead yet—if they want him to step down, they can keep dreaming!"

"Okay, Mom. You still have me." Ji Yunshu reached out and took He Qiuxia's hand, but in her head, she was already thinking about asking Pei Yufeng to dig into what was really going on.

Later, when He Qiuxia was out of the room, Ji Yunshu quietly filled Pei Yufeng in on the situation. Pei Yufeng listened with a furrowed brow but agreed to do what she asked.

The day Ji Yunshu was discharged from the hospital was bright and sunny, with sunlight flooding the courtyard. Pei Yufeng had cleaned the house from top to bottom the day before, and He Qiuxia had made up the cribs neatly, with new soft little blankets for the babies.

Huajuan and Shenshen were clearly curious about the two new little creatures that had suddenly appeared in the house. Huajuan crouched by the crib, tilting her head to study Nian Nian for a long while, then gently swept her tail across the baby's tiny foot. Nian Nian kicked her leg in her sleep, startling Huajuan into hopping back half a step before she crept forward again to continue observing. Shenshen, maintaining his usual vigilance, crouched on the windowsill watching the two newcomers from a distance, his green eyes filled with the question "When are these human babies leaving?"

But the postpartum confinement period itself soon pushed all of Ji Yunshu's worries out of her mind—because she was absolutely miserable. The island in August was humid and hot, and He Qiuxia strictly followed the nurse's instructions: keep windows mostly closed, no drafts, no cold water, no washing hair or bathing... Ji Yunshu could only wipe herself down with a hot towel every day. She'd feel comfortable for a while after wiping, but then she'd sweat again, and her hair was so greasy it clumped together. She used to wash her hair every two or three days without fail, but now she hadn't touched water in over ten days. She sat on the bed groaning in misery.

"Mom, I'll just wash it once—it'll be quick. I'll dry it immediately afterward, and I definitely won't let any draft get to me."

"No. Director Jiang said washing your hair during confinement can make you catch a chill, and that'll give you headaches for the rest of your life. Bear with it a little longer. Once the month is over, you can wash however you like—I'll boil you a big pot of hot water and let you soak to your heart's content." He Qiuxia said without looking up, swiftly changing Nian Nian's diaper.

Ji Yunshu buried her face in her pillow and let out a muffled groan. Outside the window, the sea breeze rustled the coconut palm leaves. She could hear the sound of waves crashing against the rocks. She felt like a fish stranded on the beach—wet, sticky, and unable to move, only able to gaze longingly at the distant water, counting down the days until her confinement ended.

--

In the first few days of her confinement, Ji Yunshu felt like half her soul had been drained away.

During the day, she had to feed both babies in turns. Nian Nian was an impatient eater—she'd choke once or twice every feeding, then cry, and once she started crying she wouldn't eat properly, leaving Ji Yunshu covered in sweat. Sheng Sheng was quiet, but he ate slowly, nursing lazily for nearly half an hour. After eating, he had to be held up and burped. Sometimes she'd pat his back for ages without getting a burp out, and the moment she laid him down, he'd spit up milk, ruining the freshly changed clothes.

Changing clothes, changing diapers, feeding, burping, soothing to sleep—this routine repeated seven or eight times a day. She'd just gotten Nian Nian to sleep when Sheng Sheng would wake up crying; she'd just fed Sheng Sheng when Nian Nian would wet herself again. He Qiuxia helped with the babies, cooking, and washing diapers during the day, running herself ragged. Ji Yunshu couldn't bear to make her stay up at night too, so every evening she insisted He Qiuxia go to her room and sleep well, saying she could manage.

But Ji Yunshu's own body hadn't recovered yet. Giving birth to twins had drained too much of her blood and energy. She was already somewhat anemic, and now she was only getting three or four hours of sleep a day, waking every two hours to the sound of crying, groggily scooping a baby out of the crib, propping herself against the headboard, and unbuttoning her clothes to feed.

Ji Yunshu would feed on one side, switch to the other, burp the baby, and put them back. Sometimes she was so exhausted that she'd fall asleep while feeding, only to wake up and find the baby asleep on her chest too. She'd put them back in the crib and drift off again. But before long, the other baby would wake up, and before she was even fully conscious, she'd instinctively pick them up and start feeding.

Pei Yufeng saw all of this. Every night, he woke up even earlier than Ji Yunshu—the moment he heard a baby stir, he'd spring out of bed, bring the baby to Ji Yunshu's arms, and after she finished feeding, he'd take the baby to burp and change the diaper, letting her rest a little longer. But even so, Ji Yunshu's sleep was shattered into fragments. No sooner would she fall asleep than she'd be woken again, and after waking, it would take her a long time to fall back asleep. Within just three or five days, her eyes had begun to sink, and the skin beneath them was tinged with a grayish pallor.

Pei Yufeng only had three days of leave. Once those three days passed, he returned to his post on high alert. When he came home in the evening, he found Ji Yunshu leaning against the sofa feeding Sheng Sheng, while He Qiuxia paced the living room holding Nian Nian.

Ji Yunshu's head was tilted against the sofa armrest, her eyes half-closed, her hair pulled back in a loose low ponytail with a few stray strands sticking to the back of her neck. When she heard him push the door open, she mustered her energy to smile at him and said, "You're home early today," then lowered her head to continue feeding, her voice thick with exhaustion.

Pei Yufeng hung his military cap on the hook by the door, walked over to her, and bent down. In the dim light, the shadows under her eyes were darker than when he'd left that morning, and her collarbones were more prominent than before she'd given birth. He reached out and gently tucked the stray strands of hair behind her ear, his fingertips pausing on her cheekbone. "I'll take the babies tonight. You get a good night's sleep."

Ji Yunshu shook her head. "The babies are still so young—they need to feed every two hours. If you take them, who's going to feed them? Mom's getting older too, and she helps with the babies during the day. She needs a good night's sleep as well."

She switched Sheng Sheng to the other side as she spoke. The little one was almost asleep, his mouth still instinctively suckling, his eyes already tightly shut. She looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms, her voice so soft it was almost a whisper to herself: "I'm used to it now. I'm not really that tired."

Pei Yufeng didn't say anything more, but he was determined to let Ji Yunshu get a proper night's sleep. He took Nian Nian from He Qiuxia, burped her, changed her diaper, and put her in the crib, soothing her to sleep.

Before bed that night, Pei Yufeng boiled water and prepared formula in advance, telling Ji Yunshu not to get up at night: "During the day, Sheng Sheng and Nian Nian can have breast milk. At night, I'll get up and give them formula."

Ji Yunshu disagreed: "The doctor said breast milk is better for the babies. Formula is convenient, but the nutrition can't compare to breast milk. I can handle it. I have to make sure Sheng Sheng and Nian Nian grow up healthy from the start."

Pei Yufeng didn't argue with her. He just tucked the blanket around her and gently brushed his lips against her forehead. "Then sleep first. We'll talk about the babies in a bit."

He turned off the light. The two babies slept on either side of Ji Yunshu, squeezing Pei Yufeng to the very edge of the bed. In the darkness, Pei Yufeng didn't sleep. He lay quietly, watching Ji Yunshu's sleeping face.

She had been so exhausted lately that she fell asleep almost the moment her head hit the pillow. Because she couldn't bathe during her confinement, she was very resistant to any physical contact with Pei Yufeng.

Ji Yunshu had a bit of a "beauty complex." She'd always known she was beautiful and always made an effort to look beautiful—even during her confinement when she couldn't touch water, she tried hard to keep herself clean and presentable, doing her best to look energetic. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she smelled bad without bathing, and she didn't want Pei Yufeng to see her "less than perfect" side.

But to Pei Yufeng, the lively, animated Ji Yunshu was what he loved, and this version of her—devoting herself to caring for their children—made his heart ache even more. How could he possibly be put off because she didn't look as polished as before? Besides, He Qiuxia helped Ji Yunshu wipe herself down and change into fresh clothes every day. Ji Yunshu only smelled of sunshine and the faint fragrance of soap—nothing else.

But Ji Yunshu still wouldn't let Pei Yufeng get too close, and she wouldn't agree to his proposal of giving the babies formula at night. Pei Yufeng had to find another way to let Ji Yunshu sleep more.

That night, Ji Yunshu slept so deeply that she didn't wake until 7:30 the next morning. Lately, her sleep had been so light that any sound from the babies would startle her awake. But that night, she heard nothing—no sound of Nian Nian choking, no sound of Sheng Sheng crying hungrily. She simply slept soundly, like a small boat that had drifted at sea for too long and finally reached shore, wrapped in steady, warm drowsiness, not even dreaming.

When she opened her eyes again, several beams of sunlight were already streaming through the gaps in the curtains. Ji Yunshu blinked, sitting up in disbelief. Outside the window, the sky was fully bright. Coconut palm leaves swayed gently in the morning light, and the distant sound of fishing boat engines drifted across the sea.

Ji Yunshu looked down at herself—her clothes were neatly in place, the blanket tucked up to her chest. The space beside her in bed was empty, but the warmth of Pei Yufeng's body still lingered in the sheets. She turned to look at the cribs—Nian Nian and Sheng Sheng weren't there, but the patchwork quilts in the cribs were folded neatly. Without bothering to put on slippers, she ran downstairs barefoot. Halfway down the stairs, she caught the aroma of millet porridge drifting from the kitchen, along with the faint, distinctive scent of formula.

He Qiuxia was sitting on the sofa changing Nian Nian's diaper. She looked up and saw Ji Yunshu standing barefoot on the stairs, and quickly grabbed a thin blanket draped over the sofa armrest to wrap around her, her tone filled with worried reproach: "Why did you run out without your shoes? Go back and put on your slippers right now! You can't catch a chill during your confinement!"

"Mom, where's Brother Pei?" Ji Yunshu asked.

"In the kitchen making formula for the babies. Did you sleep well last night? You look much better today." He Qiuxia quickly asked.

Ji Yunshu had slept wonderfully—the exhaustion of the past few days had almost completely melted away. She walked barefoot to the kitchen doorway and saw Pei Yufeng standing at the stove, pouring cooled warm water into a bottle. He deftly scooped a few spoonfuls of formula into the bottle, screwed on the cap, shook it, tested the temperature on the back of his hand, then handed it to Sheng Sheng, who was fussing in his arms. His movements were focused and practiced—clearly not his first time doing this. On the small stool beside him lay a notebook with neat handwriting recording that Nian Nian had fed four times last night and Sheng Sheng five times. Pei Yufeng had even precisely noted the time of each feeding.

Ji Yunshu stood at the kitchen doorway watching him, and finally pieced together what had happened last night—no wonder he'd prepared formula in advance, no wonder he hadn't argued with her last night.

Before, she'd had to get up several times every night to feed. She slept lightly, and any sound from the babies would wake her. But last night, she'd heard nothing and slept straight through until morning—which meant he'd gotten up every two hours or less, putting the bottle into their mouths before their first whimper could turn into a cry. The babies didn't fuss, the house stayed quiet, and she slept well.

Ji Yunshu walked up to Pei Yufeng and gently tapped his arm. "Why didn't you wake me? I'm awake now—it's my turn to feed."

Pei Yufeng turned to face her. There were faint dark shadows under his eyes too, but his spirits were good, and his uniform was already neatly buttoned: "It's still early. Go back to sleep for a while. The babies just ate—no need to feed them yet."

Ji Yunshu shook her head, reached out to take the bottle from his hand and set it on the stove, then took his fingers in hers and looked up into his eyes. She lowered her voice so as not to wake Nian Nian, who was dozing in He Qiuxia's arms: "Didn't I say last night not to give them formula? Why did you do it anyway?"

Pei Yufeng was silent for a moment. "I know you want to give Sheng Sheng and Nian Nian the best. But does your own body not count?"

Hearing that, Ji Yunshu knew he was worried about her. All her anger—at him for secretly giving the babies formula, at him for quietly doing all the work himself, at him for staying up nights for her even after working all day—all of it dissolved into a powerful surge of emotion that stung her nose. She pulled Pei Yufeng over to the living room sofa, made him sit down, and took a towel to wipe the thin layer of sweat the stove's heat had brought to his forehead. "I know you're doing this for me. But the babies are so young—breast milk is really important. I know my own body. I won't run myself into the ground."

"Right now, all you can see are Nian Nian and Sheng Sheng. You don't even take care of yourself." There was a faint trace of hurt in Pei Yufeng's voice—so subtle that only Ji Yunshu could hear it. "You used to love talking to me during meals. Now you can't even sit down to eat properly—the moment a baby cries, you're up to soothe them, and your food goes cold without you noticing. Since the babies arrived, you've talked more to Sheng Sheng than to me..."

Ji Yunshu froze. She looked at Pei Yufeng—he was sitting on the sofa, his back still straight, his expression still as calm as ever. But as he said this, he wasn't looking at her. His gaze was fixed on the notebook on the coffee table with the nighttime feeding records. And then she suddenly realized that during this time, she'd been so busy caring for the babies that she hadn't really looked at Pei Yufeng's face properly. Besides working, he was also taking care of her and the two babies. She was tired; so was he. She was exhausted; so was he. But she had him to worry about her—who did he have?

Ji Yunshu was deeply moved. She reached out her arm, pulled Pei Yufeng's head down to rest on her shoulder, and gently patted his back as if soothing Sheng Sheng: "It's not that I don't want to talk to you, and the children aren't more important than you. It's just that we've been really busy lately. Once I'm done with my postpartum recovery, I'll definitely spend more time with you. Don't be jealous, Brother Pei, okay?"

Pei Yufeng lifted his head from her shoulder and looked at her, his expression still calm, but his eyes now held a softness that only appeared in front of her: "Then can I still get up at night tonight? I promise I won't let the two kids go hungry, and I'll keep the feeding records clearly. You getting more sleep matters more than anything."

Ji Yunshu was both touched and amused by his deadpan negotiation. She gently tapped his forehead with her finger: "Alright, tonight let me get up to feed once first, and you handle the rest. From now on, no more doing things behind my back. If anything comes up, you need to discuss it with me in advance."

"Okay."

Author's note:

Thanks for reading~