This was indeed a joyful life experience.

  After getting dressed, Zhai Sheng walked over to the bed and took a look at the three babies. He gave a small squeeze on their small but firm arms, testing if they felt as good as what he imagined.

  They felt good to the touch, but his final conclusion was that it might feel good to hold his children. However, it was not as good as holding his wife.

  After confirming this, he went downstairs and ran a few laps to exercise. By the time he was back, Qiao Nan had woken up for the second time and had dressed the three children and brought them downstairs to have breakfast.

  “Crap. Why do all of you get up so early in the morning? Did you put on the clothes for the triplets? Initially, I wanted to give you a hand.” After Zhai Hua woke up, she felt regretful to see that the triplets had already been dressed by Qiao Nan.

  Back then, the triplets were still very young. Even though they wore baby clothes, they would be held in the arms and one could not really tell what they were wearing.

  Now that the triplets could crawl and walk, and they were able to stand upright, the clothes looked particularly beautiful on them. They looked much more adorable than before.

  Therefore, Zhai Hua felt that it was a very interesting task to put on beautiful baby clothes on her nephews and niece now that they had grown up. “Nan Nan, where did you buy the triplets’ clothes? Why haven’t I seen them on other babies?” It was awesome that the triplets were the only babies who had such clothes.

  “Mama, make, make,” San Bao pulled her dress and said proudly.

  To a baby who had just turned one year old, they could not tell what was beautiful and what was not. The only requirement was for the clothes to feel comfortable. If not, they would cry to show their displeasure.

  But San Bao was smart. She might not have known if her clothes were beautiful or not, but she could tell that other people had been looking at the clothes made by her mother enviously.

  San Bao could tell from their expression that the clothes made by her mother must be beautiful.

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  Most importantly, the clothes that her mama made were the best!

  “Nan Nan, you made it by yourself?” Zhai Hua arched her brows.

  Qiao Nan was eating porridge. If possible, she did not feel like answering Zhai Hua’s questions. If she had the time to chat, she would rather finish the porridge as quickly as possible so that she could go to school. “Sister Zhai Hua, don’t you remember that I made clothes for Dad, Mom, and you when I was in high school?”

  Not only did she know how to make clothes for adults, but she also knew how to make baby clothes.

  Qiao Nan did not have a talent in design, but she had nimble hands and a good sense of judgment.

  That was why Qiao Nan did not make money from her limited skills. But she was still able to make some clothes for her family.

  She finally had three children of her own. Their clothes were very tiny and small, particularly San Bao’s. Qiao Nan was very enthusiastic about making clothes for her babies.

  Actually, it would take up much time to make clothes by herself.

  However, Qiao Nan felt that the amount of time spent on her children was worth it.

  Seeing San Bao look beautiful in the dress that she made for her, Qiao Nan felt contented and satisfied. It was a kind of feeling that other people would not be able to comprehend.

  Zhai Hua slapped her head. “It seemed so, but that was several years ago. I almost forgot about it. Now that you brought it up, I have some recollections of it. The dress that you made for me was very nice. The dresses sold in the shopping malls now are not as beautiful as the dress that you made.”

  Qiao Nan felt pleased. The dress that she made was definitely more beautiful than those sold in the shopping malls.

  Qiao Nan raised her head and finished her porridge. “I am on my way to school. Da Bao, Er Bao, San Bao, give me a kiss. Mama is going to school.” After this month, Qiao Nan, who was in her third year, would be doing her internship.

  She stuck out her tongue at the thought of the place that she would do her internship. Her master gave her no chance of taking the normal route. Her master who stayed next door had arranged for her to work with her senior for her internship and to obey their orders.

  In other words, Lin Yuankang had made all the arrangements for Qiao Nan. From now onward, Qiao Nan had to learn the way.

  The triplets only knew how to speak a few words, but they could understand what the adults were talking about. They knew what Qiao Nan meant when she told them to give her a kiss. They were familiar with these words.

  Qiao Nan lowered her head and the triplets pouted their lips to kiss their mama on the cheeks.

  This had become the routine of the mother and her three children before Qiao Nan went to school.

  Qiao Nan straightened after she received the triplets’ kisses. She took a step toward the door.

  Zhai Sheng put on his shoes, placing his hand on Qiao Nan’s waist. “I will send you to school.” Whenever Zhai Sheng was at home and Qiao Nan had classes, he would definitely send her to school. He was seldom at home and he cherished his time with her. He would not leave the task of sending her to school to someone else.

  “Wu……” Er Bao clenched his fists and his eyes turned red. He was annoyed at the sight of Zhai Sheng hugging Qiao Nan.

  Miao Jing and Zhai Sheng were brought to tears at the sight of Er Bao. They were amused seeing how Er Bao held his fist and dashed forward to punch Zhai Sheng.

  This morning, they noticed that Zhai Sheng seemed to be in a cheery mood like he did when the triplets were still young. It was obvious that he had a good time last night.

  Although Er Bao looked as if he wanted to chase the lecher away, Miao Jing and Zhai Hua knew that when Zhai Sheng and Qiao Nan slept with the triplets last night, they did not simply sleep but did nothing.

  “You are my good Er Bao. Let’s not make noises. Mama will be late for school.” Miao Jing carried her beloved grandson in her arms and kissed him on his cheeks. He still had the angry and righteous look on his face. “Don’t worry. Mama will be back after her classes.” It seemed that Er Bao was going to engage in a fight with Zhai Sheng.

  He was indeed Er Bao. From the day he was born, he had been the cheekiest among the triplets. He had never let them down with his antics and tricks.

  Now that there were three amusing kids at home, Miao Jing felt that life could not be any better.

  “Ah.” Da Bao raised his voice. He widened his eyes and stared at Zhai Yaohui. There was more than one stranger in his house.

  The three children might be very young, but they could tell there was another stranger in their house. They had no memories of Zhai Yaohui, their grandpa.

  Da Bao pulled Miao Jing’s trousers. He did not know the words, but he pointed his finger at Zhai Yaohui, who was sitting at the table, eating. He wanted his grandma to send the stranger out of the house.

  1253 The Overbearing San Bao

  Miao Jing wiped the corners of her eyes and patted Da Bao on his head. “Da Bao, this is grandpa.” Old Zhai spent as much time at home as his son. To the triplets, Zhai Sheng was a stranger, so was Old Zhai.

  “Come, San Bao. Let me carry you.” Old Master Zhai, who had had his porridge, wiped his mouth, looking energetic and feeling very proud of himself. He clapped his hands at San Bao.

  San Bao widened her mouth. Under the auntie’s help, she ran toward Old Master Zhai with her two short legs and was carried into Old Master Zhai’s arms.

  San Bao did not fidget in Old Master Zhai’s embrace. Instead, she shifted her bottom to find a comfortable position in his embrace. When she finally settled down, there was a satisfied smile on her face. She drew her small fingers on the table, telling Old Master Zhai that she wanted to eat as well.

  Old Master Zhai looked toward Zhai Yaohui as if showing off to him that he was better with kids. He lifted his chin as he sourced for food for San Bao.

  The triplets had their milk after they woke up and they felt slightly hungry now. Old Master Zhai knew the food that the triplets preferred. He might be old and brusque, but he waited on his great-granddaughter very well.

  Babies were innocent and they would not hide their feelings or emotions.

  San Bao found a comfortable position in Old Master Zhai’s embrace and was satisfied with the food that he gave her. San Bao kept chewing on the food, while she swung her two short legs about.

  One could tell from her movement that San Bao loved it when her great-grandpa fed her.

  Apart from the great-grandpa, there was another grandpa that doted on her and liked to carry her in his arms.

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  Compared to San Bao, who was eating happily in Old Master Zhai’s embrace, Zhai Yaohui had no chance to feed his only granddaughter, while his grandsons would rather be fed by the auntie than to look at their grandpa.

  Old Master Zhai was a father and a grandfather. He had many experiences with children.

  Although he was not as skillful as the auntie, he was better than many other men.

  It was different for Zhai Yaohui. He did not really take care of his daughter and son when they were at a young age. Now that he had grandchildren, he had no experience in child-rearing and he did not know what he should do to make them happy.

  Children who were intelligent and liked to smile instead of cry were well-liked by everyone.

  When they were still infants, he could tell that the triplets were smart and quick-witted. Now that they were turning one year old, one could tell very clearly that they were intelligent and witty. He had made the right guess last year.

  Everyone could not hide their love for the triplets when they saw them. As their grandpa, Zhai Yaohui loved them more than anyone.

  Seeing that the old master carried the Zhai family’s only girl in his arms and was able to keep her happy, Zhai Yaohui could not help but rest his gaze on the two active and bubbly grandsons.

  It was the beginning of autumn. It was especially hot. Da Bao and Er Bao did not wear many clothes. Zhai Yaohui sized them up and deduced that they were very strong and healthy.

  In that case, Da Bao and Er Bao should not be as delicate as San Bao. They should be able to take some teasing.

  Zhai Yaohui, who had no experience with children, wanted to be closer to the triplets, but he was worried that he would give them a fright. He would panic if they broke out in tears.

  His wife held Er Bao in her arms, which left him with his eldest grandson.

  Zhai Yaohui put down the bowl in his hands and walked to stand in front of Da Bao silently. He did not talk to Da Bao but put his arms under his armpit and carried him into his arms. He walked to the dining table and sat down, placing Da Bao on his lap. “Da Bao, what do you want to eat? Grandpa will feed you.”

  Da Bao blinked and looked at the breakfast on the table and at his younger brother who was in grandma’s arms. He then turned to look at the ‘stranger’ who held him in his arms. Da Bao was tactful. He pointed at the food that he liked.

  Zhai Yaohui perked up. His grandson was indeed sensible.

  The reason why San Bao was so comfortable with the old master was not that the latter was good at coaxing babies. It was that the triplets were good-tempered and they did not need the adults to coax them.

  This was the first time that he did something for the triplets as their grandfather. Zhai Yaohui, who was always calm and composed, could not help but feel excited. “Da Bao and I like the same food.” Zhai Yaohui tried to bridge the gap between his grandson and him by saying that they had the same tastes.

  His grandson would turn one year old in a few days. Zhai Yaohui felt that his grandson would be able to understand what he was saying.

  Zhai Yaohui put the plate of food in front of Da Bao and fed him bit by bit. Da Bao behaved like the newborn young chicks. He opened his mouth and waited for Zhai Yaohui to feed him. He would eat whatever that Zhai Yaohui gave him.

  His cheeks bulged as his mouth was filled with food. He chewed on the food like a squirrel. Although Zhai Yaohui was a man and knew nothing about babies and their cute behaviors, he could not help but sigh at the way his grandson behaved. He was handsome and smart.

  Zhai Yaohui reached out his hands to touch his grandson’s soft hair. It felt good to the touch. It was so soft and fine that Zhai Yaohui had a false impression that all babies would have such fine and soft hair. Perhaps this was why people liked to have pets nowadays.

  Miao Jing was quite surprised when Da Bao sat on Zhai Yaohui’s laps. Miao Jing never dreamed that she would see this side of Zhai Yaohui in her entire life. She was relieved that Zhai Yaohui could help take care of the eldest grandson so that she could focus on feeding Er Bao.

  San Bao behaved exactly like Hua Hua when she was at a young age. Although she was young, she had a bad temper, and she was overbearing.

  Unless Qiao Nan was around, nobody was able to control San Bao.

  Take for instance now that they were having breakfast, the triplets were hungry, but there might not be three adults around to take care of them at the same time.

  If there were not enough adults at home, Miao Jing’s plan was to feed one before she moved on to the next baby. But San Bao would spoil her plan.

  San Bao could not go hungry. If she was hungry and she was not fed right away, she would cry her eyes out.

  In order to stop her from crying, she had to feed San Bao first. There was no room for negotiation.

  1254 Chosen the Right Family to Reincarnate to

  Before San Bao was full, she would not allow someone else to eat from her plate. Even if it was her brother, the little girl would not budge. If someone did that, she would cry until the person surrendered in defeat.

  Right now, Old Master Zhai would feed San Bao, and his grandpa would feed Da Bao. Miao Jing could take her time to feed Er Bao, who was in her arms. Everyone was at peace.

  The three elders were preoccupied with taking care of the three babies and feeding them. Zhai Hua was the only person in the house who did not have a baby in her arms. She was concentrated on feeding herself. The Zhai family who was bustling with activities because of the triplets turned silent in an instant.

  The four adults and three babies had their meals in silence. It was so quiet that even the sound of a needle dropping could be heard.

  The auntie who was cleaning and disinfecting the milk bottles felt unbelievable at the silence in the house. It used to be full of baby sounds and cries. She checked out the situation in the living room to be sure that nothing had happened before she returned to the kitchen to continue with the dishes.

  “Are you full?” Zhai Yaohui was not sure how much his eldest grandson would have for a meal, but he could tell that his eldest grandson had been growing up well. He was chubby and strong.

  While he was feeding his eldest grandson, he realized that he had a good appetite. His stomach seemed to be a bottomless pit and he could take in as much food as he liked.

  Zhai Yaohui wondered whether he had any milk previously.

  This was only breakfast, yet his grandson would have so much food. Would he feel bloated from taking too much food and skip his lunch?

  The auntie assured Zhai Yaohui and told him not to worry. The chief had been thinking too much.

  She had worked in the Zhai family for a long time. She knew the appetite of the triplets and the madams and sirs.

  She might have prepared a slightly larger portion of food, but they were able to finish the food and would not waste the food.

  Da Bao turned his head to the side. He did not feel like eating anymore. Zhai Yaohui could tell that his eldest grandson had a very good appetite.

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  Look.

  After his eldest grandson had his fill, he displayed his outright displeasure at Zhai Yaohui.

  Zhai Yaohui patted his bulging tummy and smiled. ‘It is a blessing to have a good appetite.”

  The triplets were born one month before the delivery date. However, they looked as if they were full-term babies. It was because they had a good appetite. One needed to eat well in order to grow stronger and taller.

  Da Bao tried to tuck in his bulging tummy but to no avail. He turned to get down from Zhai Yaohui’s lap.

  His feet touched the ground and he ran a few steps to widen the distance between Zhai Yaohui and him. He stopped, turned, and used his chubby fingers to poke his round cheeks, making a funny face at Zhai Yaohui!

  Zhai Yaohui paused momentarily before he broke out into laughter. “Are you saying that where’s there’s life, there’s hope?” During the meal, he would remain silent. He was so well-behaved that he turned softhearted.

  Now that he was full, he would make funny faces at him. He had made use of him and no longer needed him anymore.

  “The enemy is stronger than him. Da Bao is very clever to use such a strategy. This is not ‘where’s there’s life, there’s hope’. This is to pursue good fortune and avoid disasters. He would not put up a strong front. He would lay low and make the lethal blow in one strike!” Miao Jing kept praising Da Bao.

  Her eldest grandson was very clever. He knew that he was not Old Zhai’s opponent, but he was hungry as well.

  If he went hungry, he could not win the battle.

  Nothing was more important than filling his stomach. He waited until he had his fill and regained his strength before he settled accounts.

  Zhai Yaohui twitched the corners of his lips and smiled dryly. He did not agree with her but he did not rebuke her.

  Miao Jing was displeased. “What is that snort for? Are you saying that you don’t agree with me?” Miao Jing hugged Da Bao who had run to her side. She seemed like a mother hen that spread her wings to protect her chicks. She stared at Zhai Yaohui fiercely.

  “What did you disagree with?” Zhai Sheng, who was back from sending Qiao Nan to school, overheard their conversation.

  Miao Jing’s eyes lit up. She looked toward the direction where the sound came from in surprise. “You’re back from sending Nan Nan to school?” That was fast.

  Zhai Sheng changed his shoes and washed his hands before he sat down to eat breakfast. “I stepped on it during the journey to school.” Nan Nan said that she was running late today because of the triplets.

  As an experienced driver, Zhai Sheng put his skills to use and hit the gas so that Qiao Nan would not be late. Therefore, Zhai Sheng did not take a lot of time to send Qiao Nan to Peking University. Hence, he was able to make it back home in a short time.

  Other people might not have known, but Zhai Sheng did not put his driving skills to use for nothing. He had asked for a reward from Qiao Nan.

  He would redeem the reward at night.

  “You should take your breakfast.” Miao Jing did not care how her son sent Qiao Nan to school. What mattered was that she was not late and was sent safely to school. “Do you have any plans for today?”

  The question was directed to Zhai Yaohui and Zhai Sheng.

  It was rare that the father and son would be at home together. Now that it was the National Day holiday, they should have some spare time.

  “Stay at home with the children.”

  “Play with the children.”

  Zhai Yaohui answered first followed by Zhai Sheng.

  The father and son had the same goal, which was to spend time with the triplets.

  “Play with them? Do you think that they are cats or dogs?” Lin Yuankang lectured Zhai Sheng with a stern look as soon as he entered the house and overheard Zhai Sheng’s reply. “Besides, you’re the father of the triplets. Even though you are ordered to go back to the central government because of the National Day holiday, have you forgotten that the triplets will turn one year old before the National Day?”

  Speaking of the birthday of the triplets, the Zhai family always felt that the triplets were blessed with good fortune.

  Their grandpa and father were very busy with work. They seldom spent time at home, and it would be difficult for the triplets to see them.

  However, given Zhai Yaohui’s and Zhai Sheng’s status, they most likely had to go back to the capital during the National Day for the important occasion.

  In that case, the triplets would be able to see their grandpa and father during their birthday.

  This was one of the reasons why many people praised the triplets for having good fortune when they held the one-month-old birthday celebration for the triplets at the end of October last year.

  The triplets had good looks, had chosen a good family like the Zhai family to reincarnate to, and were born at the end of September.

  1255 Marvel

  No other children would be able to pick a good timing to be born based on the situations of the elders in the family.

  In that case, Zhai Yaohui and Zhai Sheng would be able to attend the triplets’ birthday celebration for nearly every year. For families like them, having their parents by their side was more important than having expensive presents. This would bring greater joy to the children.

  “I remember.” Zhai Sheng stopped his eldest son who was running toward Lin Yuankang. He pinched his chubby arms. His palms were thick and his fingers were plump.

  Zhai Sheng was lean, while Nan Nan was way too slim. He wished that Nan Nan would put on some weight. Since both of them were slim, why was it that the triplets turned out to be so chubby?

  Da Bao and Er Bao were sons. He could put them through training in the army. He was certain they would be as fit and athletic as he was within three months.

  However, San Bao was a girl. What should he do with her?

  “If so, where are the presents?” Lin Yuankang stretched out his hands toward Zhai Sheng, asking for the triplets’ presents on their behalf, making Zhai Sheng stare askance at him.

  Da Bao was about to run toward Lin Yuankang, yet Zhai Sheng took him away. He had to teach him a lesson.

  Among the triplets, apart from San Bao who was delicate, they did not really like it when people carried them in their arms ever since they started to walk by themselves. They would rather take small steps with their short legs.

  As there were too many ‘strangers’ in his house today, Da Bao, who saw the familiar grandpa who had been keeping him company every day, ran toward him without much thought, abandoning his father and grandpa.

  Now that Lin Yuankang mentioned the presents, Miao Jing directed her cold and hard gaze at Zhai Yaohui. She shot accusing glares at him. It seemed that she was asking him about the presents as well.

  Since Zhai Sheng had to prepare presents for the triplets, as their grandpa, there was no way that Old Zhai would be exempted.

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  Zhai Yaohui stiffened. “Of course, I will give them presents. But since it is their birthday presents, I will have to wait until their actual birthday to give them.” In this way, he would have a few more days to prepare presents for his grandchildren.

  It was not that Zhai Yaohui did not love his three grandchildren or that he had forgotten about it. It was because he was too busy.

  Zhai Yaohui was so busy that when he jolted awake after dozing off at times, he could not remember where he was. Zhai Yaohui did not ask his assistants to choose the birthday gifts for the three children. He felt that this would be letting them down.

  As a result, time passed by and Zhai Yaohui had yet to prepare presents for their birthday.

  Zhai Yaohui quickly changed the topic as he felt embarrassed under his wife’s hard stare. He did not want to lose to Elder Lin, an outsider, in front of his wife, his son, and his grandchildren. “The Shi family has moved from Mo Du to the capital. The Shi family and the Peng family might attend the one-year-old birthday celebration of the triplets.”

  Shi Peng had been transferred back to the central government for a year. Actually, the Shi family should have moved to the capital last year with Shi Peng, their only son.

  The problem was that Shi Kun was afraid of losing face.

  Shi Peng competed with him for the position of the chief back then. After losing to him, he pushed himself to the extreme for several years and resulted in having poor health. In the end, he joined the Ping Cheng army from nowhere and settled down there.

  Shi Kun had thoughts of moving from Mo Du to the capital with the help of his son, Shi Peng. For this reason, when Shi Peng went to Ping Cheng, Shi Kun would rather stay with his wife in the prosperous Mo Du instead of moving with his only son to Ping Cheng.

  Everyone knew about this matter back then.

  Shi Kun gave the excuse that he was advanced in years. He was still suffering from the old wounds that he sustained when he fought in the battles when he was young. Moreover, his wife was in poor health as well.

  Mo Du was a prosperous city. There was a large population and there were many hospitals and doctors. It would be more convenient for him and his wife to stay in Mo Du and nurse their health. If they were in good health, their children did not need to worry for them and they could focus on their career. What they did was, in fact, supporting and helping their children.

  Since Shi Kun gave such a high-sounding and dignified reason, even though many people despised Shi Kun for it, they also pitied Shi Peng for having such a father who brought nothing but trouble to him.

  Although Shi Peng was Shi Kun’s only son, he did not get to benefit from it or enjoy any privileges.

  Now, Shi Peng had a successful career. He left his military career but worked as a government official and was doing very well. He was being transferred to the capital.

  Shi Kun’s former acquaintances had been waiting to see Shi Kun’s next move. They wondered when he would be shameless as to move to the capital to join his son. He waited for a year before he could no longer wait and decided to ‘reunite’ with his son in the capital.

  Zhai Yaohui did not care that Shi Kun would be coming to the capital. Shi Kun was not the reason why he brought up this topic at the dining table. In fact, he was more concerned for Qi Minlan, who divorced a few years ago. She brought her daughter with her and went to stay with her parents.

  Qi Minlan was no longer young and she was used to living in comfort. It was impossible for her to be up to anything.

  However, the delicate and willful Qiu Chenxi had changed a lot after the difficulties these past few years. Although she did not change wholly, she had undergone a huge transformation.

  Qiu Qin failed in his career, but Qiu Chenxi did very well in that aspect. She was the uprising star in the political scene in Mo Du.

  Zhai Sheng was already the father of three. As for Qiu Chenxi, after she failed to be engaged to Zhai Sheng, she sought refuge with her maternal grandfather and had been doing very well. But even though she was already more than twenty-five years old, she did not marry nor have children. She did not even have a boyfriend.

  Zhai Yaohui could not help but be concerned about this.

  He had to protect Qiao Nan, his daughter-in-law, as well as his three grandchildren. He had to keep a tight watch on Qi Minlan and Qiu Chenxi.

  Since Zhai Yaohui had been keeping a watch on these two women, it was the same case for Peng Yu, who saw his son as his opponent.

  Zhai Yaohui found out that ever since the Peng family came back to the capital a few years ago, Peng Yu was still very stubborn about competing with Zhai Sheng. He would get hold of all the information regarding Zhai Sheng, in particular his performance in the army. He would be able to land his hand on first-hand reports.

  After Zhai Sheng came back to the capital and went back to the army, Peng Yu had caused serious trouble for Zhai Sheng such that he almost committed a grave mistake and be punished for it.

  Zhai Yaohui had to keep a tight watch on Peng Yu. “The Peng family seems to be arranging blind dates for Peng Yu.”

  Zhai Sheng did not have much reaction at his father’s words. It was Lin Yuankang who arched his eyebrows at his words. “What do you mean? Why would you bring this up for no reason?” Peng Yu was two years younger than Zhai Hua. It was normal for him to go for blind dates and find a wife.

  Since Zhai Yaohui brought this topic up, could it be that there were some underlying issues?

  “The Peng family is looking for young ladies who have a family history of multiple births.” Zhai Yaohui sounded nonchalant, but it was an important piece of news. It came as a shock to everyone. They could not help but wonder whether Zhai Yaohui was referring to……

  1256 If Capable, Let’s Compete in All Aspects

  Miao Jing kissed Er Bao on his head. There was loath and disdain in her tone. “They must be sick.”

  Multiple births?

  It was the Peng family’s wishful thinking. Did they think that it was so easy to have multiple births?

  The Peng family or Peng Yu must be out of their mind. Why were they so bent on competing in every aspect? They even wanted to compete in having as many children as possible. It was insane.

  “If it is true, this is such a joke. Since they want to compete in having more children, should they compete in other aspects as well? Nan Nan is a student at Peking University and she has received many scholarships. If not for the triplets, she would be able to study overseas on scholarship. Elder Lin is Nan Nan’s master. Can the Peng family and Peng Yu compete with us?”

  Miao Jing made a list of all the possible areas that Peng Yu could compete with them. She did not believe that Peng Yu would be able to do better than her son.

  She was not boasting. Nan Nan was a good child. Such a good girl was rare to come by. It would not be easy to find another lady who was just as good as Nan Nan, or even better than her. It was way more difficult than finding a lady who would have multiple births.

  However, since the Peng family or Peng Yu was so competitive, they should strive to be better than Zhai Sheng in all aspects.

  If the Peng family dared to pledge that they would find such a lady who could match all the conditions, and Peng Yu would stay single unless he found such a lady, Miao Jing had to hand it to the Peng family.

  If they were unable to fulfill the pledge, weren’t the Peng family and Peng Yu worried that they would make a fool of themselves in their social circle?

  What were they thinking of?

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  They must be out of their minds!

  Her daughter-in-law was so outstanding. It was difficult to match up to her. Miao Jing lifted her chin, feeling proud of her daughter-in-law. She sounded very confident and sure of herself.

  Miao Jing had total confidence in her daughter-in-law. For those people who wanted the Zhai family to become a laughingstock, she welcomed them to give it a try. If there was a lady who was better than her daughter-in-law, she would not lose her temper. As for those who could not match up to her daughter-in-law and said spiteful words, asking for an insult, they should not blame her for giving them the harsh treatment.

  Qiao Nan’s nose felt ticklish during her lessons. She could not help but sneeze. She took out a tissue to wipe her nose.

  Ever since she had children, Qiao Nan was particularly worried that she would catch a cold. Cold was infectious. The triplets were still young, and they did not have strong immunity. Furthermore, they would not want to leave her side.

  If she caught a cold, and she kept a distance from the triplets, they might cry their guts out and tear down the roof of the house.

  Qiao Nan often had this thought. Perhaps Zhai Sheng was seldom at home, and she had to play the role of a father and a mother. That was why the three children devoted all their love for their parents to her and were twice as close to her.

  That was why whenever Zhai Sheng was back and she had to go to school, Qiao Nan could not wait to put Zhai Sheng in charge of taking care of them. She wished that Zhai Sheng could spend twenty-four hours a day with the triplets before he went back to the army.

  She believed that if they spent more time together, the triplets would accept that Zhai Sheng was their father.

  The National Day holiday was coming. As a third-year student, Qiao Nan still had to do her internship. After taking her lessons at school today, she would only go back to school about a month later.

  Since the holiday was coming, the professors did not go through many learning points. After the professors and the counselors gave their instructions and reminders, the students left the school and went back home.

  Qiao Nan came back to the Zhai family’s residence travel-worn, with beads of perspiration on her forehead. She did not hear any crying sounds of the babies coming from the house. Instead, the triplets were making threatening gestures and she could hear funny quacking sounds like the ducks coming from the house. One did not know whether to cry or smile.

  Qiao Nan was stunned momentarily when she heard the funny quacking sounds. She entered the house and was amused.

  San Bao, the fat chubby girl, sat on Zhai Sheng’s shoulders. Her two fat and short legs could be seen swinging about Zhai Sheng’s chest. She grabbed Zhai Sheng’s hair to steady herself and ordered Zhai Sheng to run around the house.

  Zhai Sheng’s hair was as short as the bristles on the brush. She had to hand it to her daughter for getting a grip on them.

  “Ma.” Da Bao, who would stare at Zhai Sheng from time to time for fear that Zhai Sheng would steal her sister when he was not watching, noticed that the door opened to reveal her mother who just came back from school.

  Ever since the man came to their house, Da Bao realized that his grandma and all of them were behaving oddly.

  Da Bao did not know that there were human traffickers around. But at his young age, he was aware that he had to protect his sister from being taken away by other people.

  Da Bao was worried sick that his grandma and the rest of them did not stop the man from carrying his sister and playing with her.

  Now that his mama was back, Da Bao knew that as long as his mama was around, she would prevent San Bao from being taken away by the bad guy.

  Qiao Nan was amused at the relieved look on Da Bao’s face. He looked mature for his age. She washed her hands and face quickly and ran to carry Da Bao. “Da Bao, be good. Tell me what’s wrong.” Her triplets had a fair complexion while their father was tanned. Qiao Nan could not help give Da Bao two kisses on his cheeks.

  Da Bao, who pulled a stern face, finally smiled at his mama’s kisses. Da Bao grabbed his mama’s neck and turned to look at San Bao. “San, San.” Da Bao did not know how to say the word ‘sister’. He only knew how to say the word ‘san’, but he was anxious as he looked at San Bao. Qiao Nan understood what her son was talking about.

  Qiao Nan planted another kiss on Da Bao’s cheeks. “Da Bao is so sensible, but Da Bao might have forgotten. Mama has told you that he is your papa. He is papa. Papa will not take San Bao away.”

  “Photo, photo?” Da Bao was confused. He remembered his papa was in the photo that his mama showed him.

  “Haha. That’s mama’s mistake. This is papa. The man that you saw back then is papa’s photo. Da Bao, call him papa. Papa is very strong. He can lift you high up into the air and he knows how to use a gun. In the future, let’s get papa to teach you, shall we?” Da Bao and Er Bao, who were only one year old, started to have different likes and dislikes from San Bao.

  Qiao Nan used to worry that there were too many bullet shell models at home. It was such a waste.

  However, now that she had triplets, each of them would be able to have one model. It was just nice.

  Under Da Bao’s and Er Bao’s influence, San Bao would fiddle with the bullet shell models occasionally. Compared to San Bao who was not as interested, Da Bao and Er Bao cherished their bullet shell models. At times, they would hug them to sleep.

  No matter how Qiao Nan tried to coax them to pass the bullet shell models to her, they would not let go of the models. She had to wait until they had fallen asleep before she pried the models out from Da Bao’s and Er Bao’s embrace.

  1257 A Stab to the Heart and the Eyes

  Qiao Nan knew from Da Bao’s and Er Bao’s behavior that they were indeed from the Zhai family. They were born with a passion for guns.

  “Tatata?” Da Bao’s eyes lit up.

  As boys, Da Bao and Er Bao had many toy guns. The Zhai family doted on them and would buy them toy guns that could produce sounds. Some of the guns could even release harmless bullets.

  Fortunately, the two children were sensible. At least, they would never point their guns at anyone. At most, they would point them at the letters.

  Da Bao did not understand what it meant to be lifted high into the air, but he understood what it meant by using the guns.

  Er Bao, who was being fed with fruits, slipped away from his grandma and ran before stopping in front of Zhai Sheng. He made gestures of a gun with his hand. “Tatata?” Did you know how to use a gun?

  Zhai Sheng raised his eyebrows at his sons’ passion for guns and smiled. “Yes.”

  Er Bao’s eyes lit up. He reached his hands to pull Zhai Sheng’s trouser leg.

  Zhai Sheng held onto his chubby daughter and nodded. “I can teach you.”

  Er Bao grinned and patted Zhai Sheng’s trouser leg, as if saying that they had made a promise.

  Er Bao learned this gesture from Qiao Nan. When they obeyed their mother, their mama would pat them in the same manner.

  If Zhai Sheng was not as tall, he would have patted him on his head as a form of encouragement and recognition. Er Bao was no longer as defensive toward Zhai Sheng. He smiled as he leaned against his leg.

  “Crap. How can he be so gullible?” Zhai Hua was dumbfounded.

  \r \r \r

  Compared to Da Bao and Er Bao, San Bao, the girl, was much easier to coax. Of course, it could be because Zhai Sheng favored girls over boys and spent more effort on San Bao, and therefore San Bao had opened up to him.

  Initially, San Bao disliked it when Zhai Sheng got close to her. However, after Zhai Sheng coaxed her by lifting her high up into the air and carrying her on his shoulder, she had become closer to him and was able to snuggle in his embrace. She would not allow other people to carry her.

  The young lady was smiling happily in Zhai Sheng’s arms. Her laughter sounded like the quacking sounds of the duck. Zhai Hua could not help but have goose bumps. She was puzzled. San Bao was normal when she was still an infant. Why would she laugh like a duck after she grew older? Where did she learn it from? They never reared ducks at home.

  Zhai Sheng had successfully coaxed San Bao and she no longer rejected his hugs. As for Da Bao and Er Bao, they posed a bigger challenge.

  Once Zhai Sheng made a move to hug them, Da Bao and Er Bao would run off in separate directions. The living room was huge and they would go off in separate directions, making it difficult for Zhai Sheng to catch hold of them in one go.

  Da Bao and Er Bao were still very young and small. When Zhai Sheng was hot on their heels, they would slide under the table to escape from him.

  Zhai Sheng was about 1.8 meters tall. He could not possibly slide under the table like the two children.

  Compared to his natural advantage yesterday, Zhai Sheng seemed to be losing to his two children in the battle between the three of them. They were able to make off in the fastest speed.

  Since Zhai Sheng favored daughters, he did not really bother himself with the two little brats.

  Since they wanted to play hide-and-seek with him, Zhai Sheng decided to change his target and played with his daughter instead. It did not bother him that Da Bao and Er Bao were staring at him. He was fine as long as they did not run all over the place while he was gaining his daughter’s favor.

  To his surprise, after working to win his sons’ favor but to no avail, Qiao Nan’s words changed their attitude toward him. Da Bao and Er Bao had the same love as the Zhai family for guns. At least for now, they would no longer stare at Zhai Sheng as if he was a human trafficker.

  He had won over Er Bao, but Da Bao remained silent.

  Zhai Sheng arched his brows, gazing at his eldest son with a relaxed look on his face, waiting for him to walk into his trap.

  He could feel that his eldest son loved playing with guns and he had a deeper passion for guns than his second son did. Since Er Bao had given in, it would not be long before Da Bao fell for it as well.

  Da Bao flung his head and snorted lightly. He turned and walked unsteadily toward Zhai Yaohui. “Tatata?”

  There was a glow on Zhai Yaohui’s face. He touched the chubby face of his eldest grandson. He did not feel the least bit ashamed at forestalling his son. He sounded very sure and confident. “I am very good at shooting. When Da Bao is older, I will teach you how to shoot. I will buy you whatever guns that you want. I have a horse and it is pregnant. After it gives birth to a pony, I will give it to you.”

  Grandparents would usually dote on their grandchildren.

  As a grandpa, he had an abundance of love for his grandchildren.

  The triplets disliked Zhai Sheng and they shunned Zhai Yaohui, who was seldom at home, as well.

  Compared to Zhai Sheng, Zhai Yaohui was all the more desperate for his grandchildren’s love. But he felt embarrassed to show his feelings in front of his family.

  It would be very awkward if the triplets gave him the cold shoulder.

  Therefore, Zhai Yaohui would not do it too openly when he tried to please the triplets.

  Perhaps Zhai Yaohui was not a good father, and he did not have any experience of coaxing a child. But Da Bao was a boy. Zhai Yaohui only had one simple thought in mind. It was to share his hobbies and passion from a young age with Da Bao. He would ask Da Bao to join him and he also volunteered to teach him.

  Initially, Da Bao remained unmoved as he did not wish to be close to strangers.

  But given Zhai Sheng’s behavior just now, Da Bao would rather get the man who was his grandpa to teach him instead of the papa who used to be in the photo but was alive and standing in front of him. He did not need the papa to teach him. He had many other options.

  Hmmph!

  Da Bao was at odds with Zhai Sheng, and Zhai Yaohui stood to benefit from it. Zhai Yaohui could not help but spread his arms wide. “Da Bao, let grandpa give you a hug?”

  Da Bao was being kind to Zhai Yaohui. He spread his arms and muttered a sound, giving his consent. Seeing that Da Bao had agreed, Zhai Yaohui swept him off his feet right away with a wide smile on his face. He put Da Bao on his thigh.

  Zhai Yaohui panicked but felt contented at the soft and chubby child who was in his arms.

  He was his eldest grandson. He was chubby and there was a sparkle in his eyes. He was quick-witted and handsome.

  Zhai Yaohui touched Da Bao’s round and chubby body with a look of delight on his face. It was as if he had been starved for three years and it took him great pains before he finally saw a tender and chubby little lamb.

  Zhai Hua covered her eyes. “I can’t see this. It is a stab to my heart.” Zhai Hua looked sad.

  1258 Her Bad Temper Is Getting Worse

  When she and Zhai Sheng were at a young age, her father never carried her and her brother in his arms. Could it be that Da Bao, Er Bao, and San Bao were triplets, while they were not?

  It was so heartbreaking.

  Zhai Sheng thought that Da Bao would surrender to him like Er Bao. Instead, Da Bao chose to be with his grandpa, abandoning his father. Zhai Yaohui was the one who benefited from it.

  Zhai Sheng could tell that three minutes ago, Da Bao disliked him and his father. But since Da Bao was at odds with him, he chose to go to his grandpa.

  Zhai Sheng was helpless that he had such a father who liked to mess things up for his son.

  Zhai Yaohui blinked at the mocking gaze that his son gave him. He felt contented to hold his eldest grandson in his arms. Nothing was more important than the grandson in his embrace. He did not care about his son. His daughter-in-law would be responsible for his son. He could not be bothered.

  He was contented to have his grandchildren!

  “San Bao, let auntie hug you, okay?” Zhai Hua ground her teeth. Her father held Da Bao in his arms, while Zhai Sheng had two children with him. How could Zhai Sheng be so greedy to take Er Bao and San Bao with him? He should pass San Bao to her. It would be fun playing with little girls.

  Zhai Sheng did not bother to look at Zhai Hua. Instead, the little girl in his arms felt that she had enough fun and she no longer cared for the novelty. She shouted for her mama and turned to lean toward Qiao Nan.

  \r \r \r

  “Pass her to me.” San Bao was sitting on Zhai Sheng’s shoulder. It was strenuous for Qiao Nan to carry San Bao from Zhai Sheng’s shoulder. Zhai Sheng was tall and San Bao had put on weight recently. Qiao Nan did not have enough strength in her arms. It was getting more and more strenuous to carry the triplets.

  If it was in the past, Qiao Nan did not even have any strength in her arms.

  Perhaps now that she had three children, she had gained muscle strength from carrying them and taking care of them. “Are you done playing? You finally thought of your mama after such a long time.” Qiao Nan patted her daughter on her chubby bottom. She gave her cheeks a small bite, expressing her anger and love for her.

  When the little girl was on her father’s shoulder, she did not even bother to look in her direction, having lots of fun playing with her father.

  San Bao was quick-witted. She could tell that her mama was jealous. She called her mama endearingly and planted a lot of kisses on her mama’s face. She played the coquette. No one was immune to her affectionate gestures.

  Qiao Nan smiled and returned the kiss. “Now that you realize you are in trouble, you behaved as such. Are you betting that I won’t be able to do anything to you? Such a heartless girl.”

  “Mama, mama.” San Bao called Qiao Nan endearingly. There was no way that Qiao Nan could keep pretending to be angry at her. The young lady twisted about in her mother’s arms, thirsty.

  Qiao Nan sat down with San Bao in her arms while Zhai Hua took a cup of water and fed San Bao with the water.

  San Bao’s heart was with Zhai Sheng. However, since she was in her mother’s arms and Qiao Nan did not object when Zhai Hua fed her with the water, she drank the water happily while kicking her legs.

  She did not trust Zhai Hua nor did she accept Zhai Hua. But she believed that since her mama was around, her mama would not allow anyone to bully her.

  If the bad guy was up to any tricks, her mama would drive the bad guy away.

  Zhai Hua wiped San Bao’s mouth after she finished the water. “How is the arrangement for your internship? What are the guidelines or rules? Tell me about it. Since all of us are here, we can give you some suggestions or feedback.”

  To other people, it was merely a simple internship, but to Qiao Nan, it was not simple at all. Qiao Nan had to treat it as her exams. The internship was tantamount to official employment. Other students could skive during the internship, but Qiao Nan had to work extra hard and make sure that everything was perfect.

  Zhai Hua believed that Qiao Nan should have understood all these and might have known that it would be the case right from the beginning. She believed that Qiao Nan would not react strongly when she brought it up today.

  Qiao Nan was married to Zhai Sheng and they already had children. Qiao Nan should have understood and prepared herself mentally for this.

  Zhai Hua was glad that Qiao Nan kept striving to do better. She was intelligent and flexible. It was her positive traits that made Zhai Sheng fall for her and insist on marrying her. That was why the Zhai family had three lovable and smart children.

  Qiao Nan did not know that Zhai Hua was so conflicted due to the one-month internship. “My master had told me about the internship before school reopened this year. He will make all the arrangements for me. He had told me of my responsibilities. Now, all I have to do is to wait until the internship starts and report to the unit that he had arranged for me.”

  This was indeed a headache. Luckily, she had a capable master and it saved a lot of trouble for her. Particularly, Qiao Nan had no need to worry herself over the different targets that had to be fulfilled in the internship.

  She knew that as her master, Lin Yuankang would make all the arrangements for her.

  Whenever she thought of this, she was thankful that her interests were similar to the path that her master had chosen for her. Otherwise, with such a domineering master who had her best interests, it would be a headache when she graduated and had to decide on the job that she wanted.

  “Elder Lin……” Zhai Hua touched her chin that had suffered a blow from San Bao when she was flailing her arms.

  Zhai Hua could tell that San Bao felt comfortable and pleased to be in her mother’s arms. She had a relaxed expression on her face. However, she could not help but tease San Bao from time to time. She was hoping that through her teasing, San Bao would remember that a few months back, Zhai Hua used to take care of her when she was still an infant.

  She deserved more than Zhai Sheng to be liked and welcomed by the triplets.

  Back when Qiao Nan went to the hospital to give birth to babies, she was the one who stayed by her side and watched as the triplets came to the world. Zhai Sheng was absent all the while. He did not even turn up when the triplets were one month old.

  That was why Zhai Hua behaved like a child and kept teasing San Bao. San Bao could no longer tolerate her teasing. She flushed red in anger and was about to cry out loud.

  Zhai Hua pulled her hands back quickly, not forgetting to mock her. “The little girl has grown taller, but her bad temper seems to be getting worse.”