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墨書 Inktalez
Half a year had passed since the electrical circuit was changed in Hongqi Village. This year's heavy snowfall had completely buried the village and the pastures, leaving everyone huddled at home, warming themselves by the fire or watching television.
At the Cattle Shed, Andrei was checking the health of some pregnant cows with Xu Li. He shared insights he had gathered over the years, and before they knew it, they had examined all the cows in the shed.
Meanwhile, Andreev and Peter were pushing a small cart, mixing freshly made Qing Chu with some corn kernels. They then used a shovel to feed the Beef Cattle, while large yellow salt blocks hung on the sides of the cattle pen. Some of the Beef Cattle found their dinner too bland and licked the salt blocks for extra flavor.
Xu Li joined in to ensure all the Beef Cattle and Grass Sheep were well-fed. He tossed some hay into the sheep pen for them to nibble on during the night. After checking all the doors and windows to confirm everything was secure, they locked up and sat together in the pasture, reminiscing about their old, worn-out bus rides to the village.
Just as Xu Li arrived home and hadn’t even washed his hands yet, his mother-in-law greeted him with a beaming smile. She announced to him and his wife that their daughters were pregnant—both Anna and Eva were showing signs of pregnancy. "Misha, you're going to be a dad again!"
"What???" Xu Li was taken aback. "No, Mom, I've been very careful lately."
"Oh, that doesn’t guarantee anything," Natasha waved her hand dismissively. "Besides, having more kids is a good thing."
"But frequent pregnancies can be exhausting," he replied, still more concerned about his wife’s well-being. "We already have kids; why do we need more?"
Andrei chuckled as he ruffled Xu Li's hair. "Having more kids makes the home lively! Our Slavic women are strong; having a few more children is no big deal."
After washing his hands and face and changing his shoes, he went into the living room to scoop up his two chubby grandsons, one in each arm. He kissed their cheeks playfully. "Did you miss your grandpa?"
"Yes! We missed you so much!" they chimed back.
Xu Weixia was more talkative than her older brother Xu Weihua. She flattered him with sweet words, making him shower her with kisses.
Anna and Eva, however, seemed less energetic, lying under blankets and moaning softly for sympathy. Xu Li couldn’t help but fuss over them, asking how they felt and what they wanted to eat.
He managed to cheer up the sisters before bed by discussing life with their future little sibling. Holding them close, Xu Li felt like the happiest man in the world.
Upon returning to Huaxia again, their family had noticeably grown larger. Besides Xu Li and his mother-in-law, there were also two heavily pregnant women and their chubby sons. Ayesha was there to help care for the expectant mothers along with Zhukov, who insisted on coming despite his crying fits.
Ayesha was Andreev's wife and Zhukov's mother. Since both sisters were expecting twins this time around, Natasha couldn’t manage everything alone; they also had two increasingly mischievous children—Xu Weihua and Xu Weixia—to look after.
After settling everyone into their old apartment where they stayed every year for a while, Xu Li rented a car to buy daily necessities as well as items needed for tomorrow's memorial service.
That evening, the whole family went to a restaurant for a delightful feast. Zhukov and Xu Weihua, the two brothers, were eating with such enthusiasm that they couldn't stop shaking their heads. Little Guy grinned at the smiling Xu Li and said, "Uncle, the meat here is delicious!"
"Then eat as much as you want," Xu Li replied, serving him two pieces of Sweet and Sour Ribs. He also offered some to the shy Ayesha, saying, "Don't hold back while you're here."
Ayesha nodded and took small bites, while Natasha happily attended to her two daughters. The private room was filled only with the little ones, occasionally punctuated by their playful chatter.
The next morning, Xu Li took the two chubby boys to visit their grandmother's grave. Anna and Eva stayed home to rest due to their large bellies and the nature of the place.
"Mom, I'm here to see you again," Xu Li said as he placed lilies at the grave and lit incense. "I have some news for you: you're going to be a grandmother again! This time, Anna and Eva are both expecting twins. Soon you'll have six grandchildren!"
Xu Weihua and Xu Weixia stood silently beside their father, curiously looking around until he prompted them to bow and call out to their grandmother. The two Little Guys sweetly shouted "Grandma," mimicking their father's gentle bow against the stone slab.
Afterward, they rubbed their slightly reddened foreheads and pouted as they followed their father away from this uncomfortable place.
For the next couple of months, the three Little Guys clamored every day to go out and play. Xu Li didn't refuse; he rented a minibus with a driver, which came at a considerable monthly cost.
The driver was a cheerful uncle who took them to various scenic spots every day. Whenever possible, they also visited nearby Suzhou, Taizhou, and Diao Zhou in Wuxi.
Especially at Diao Zhou's Dinosaur Paradise, not just the three little ones but even the heavily pregnant Anna and Eva were overjoyed. They pulled their mothers and Ayesha along, taking photos while leaning against their husbands.
The driver was a smart man who never asked unnecessary questions. So every time he took this family out for fun, he would receive a local specialty as a gift for his own children.
On the morning of the designated date, the whole family carried bags of all sizes while supporting Anna, who was showing signs of labor. After checking Anna thoroughly, the doctor also examined Eva, who had been rather unresponsive.
That evening around seven o'clock, less than ten minutes after Lao San was born with a loud cry, Lao Si also made his entrance with soft whimpers from Qi Qin's body. Nurse Sister emerged from the delivery room holding two swaddled babies.
Seeing Xu Li's imposing presence made her instinctively step back as she stammered out the details: "The first is a girl, measuring X centimeters and weighing Y pounds; the second is a boy, measuring X centimeters and weighing Y pounds. Congratulations, sir! You have one of each."
"Thank you! Thank you!" Xu Li beamed with joy as he took the babies into his arms, grinning like a fool. Zhukov tugged at his shorts: "Uncle! Uncle! I want to see my brother and sister!"
"Don't be silly," Ayesha pulled Zhukov aside. "Congratulations to you too, Makarov."
"Hehehe! Thank you!" Xu Li cheerfully handed the two children over to Zhang Ji Niang and said to Ayesha, "You keep an eye on Eva in the ward for now; I'll go over with Anna shortly."
"Okay!"
Ayesha led the three-headed Zhukov to the hospital room, while Natasha followed, holding her two grandchildren. Anna had no issues and would be out shortly after her procedure.
Misha exclaimed, "Giving birth hurts so much! I don't want to have children anymore!"
As Anna was wheeled out of the delivery room, she clutched her husband's hand, crying softly. Xu Li leaned down and kissed her forehead, reassuring her, "We won't have any more babies from now on!"
That evening, Zhang Ji Niang and Ayesha brought Xu Weihua and Zhukov along, while Xu Li stayed in the hospital room to look after Anna and little Eva, who wasn't feeling too well.
In a daze, he heard Eva calling for him and quickly rubbed his face before walking over. "What's wrong, Eva?"
"My stomach hurts, and my bottom feels wet," she replied.
Xu Li was startled by her words. He lifted the thin blanket and saw that Eva was bleeding. Panicking, he rushed out of the room shouting for a doctor.
"Don't shout! The other patients need to rest!"
A nurse who had just finished administering IVs to other pregnant women hurried over and urged him to lower his voice. Xu Li pointed back at his room. "My wife is bleeding! You need to check on her!"
The nurse quickly entered the room for a check-up and immediately ran out to call for help. Soon, several medical staff arrived to take the frightened, sobbing Eva away. Xu Li followed closely behind, continuously comforting her. "It's okay, Eva. Don't be scared; it will be over soon. You're the bravest!"
"Family members must stop here!"
A young nurse blocked Xu Li, who towered over her, and shut the delivery room door behind her. After thinking for a moment, he called his driver. "Uncle Li, could you please come to my house and pick up Zhang Ji Niang? Eva is having a baby too, and I'm the only one here at the hospital. I really appreciate it!"
After hanging up, he rushed back to the hospital room to find Anna peacefully asleep. He thought for a moment before picking up both children and waiting outside the delivery room; in these times, who knew if there were any crazy human traffickers around?
What if someone took his child away? He wouldn't even have a place to cry!
When driver Uncle Li and Zhang Ji Niang finally arrived, panting heavily, the delivery room door swung open. The nurse who had previously stopped Xu Li nodded at him while holding two swaddled babies. "Congratulations, sir! You have two boys."
Xu Li handed one of the children to Zhang Ji Niang and stepped forward to take the baby from the nurse's arms. She pointed at one of them: "The one on the left is the eldest; he weighs so many pounds and measures so many centimeters long. The one on the right is the younger brother; he weighs so many pounds and measures so many centimeters long as well."
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