Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  Qiao Dongliang looked as if he was drinking tonics. San Bao giggled happily at the sight of him.

  Er Bao followed suit as well.

  Qiao Nan did not really mean for the three children to work. She only wanted them to have the awareness that they had to be filial to the elders. After Er Bao gave the bowl a slight push, Qiao Nan took the bowl and praised him. “The triplets have grown up and are so capable. I am very happy. Alright, don’t go starving. Have the soup to see if it is tasty.”

  As soon as Qiao Nan gave the approval, the three children slurped the soups. They paid all their attention to the soup in front of them. They were indeed starving. Qiao Nan made no comments, but Miao Jing and Qiao Dongliang found it painful to watch them. They were already starving, yet they had to help serve the soup and be filial to them.

  Their children were very well-behaved.

  As the mother-in-law, Miao Jing did not say anything. To her, Qiao Nan was their mother. She should not intervene with how she taught her children. Instead, it was Qiao Dongliang, the father, who complained to Qiao Nan that she was being too ‘hard’ on the children. “They are still very young and they can’t even take the bowls, yet you asked them to serve soups.”

  Qiao Nan was very composed. “Didn’t you ask me why I brought six bowls of soup in one go and was so hard on myself? According to you and my mother-in-law’s personality, if I didn’t come out with six bowls of soup, the first three bowls would definitely go to the triplets. I don’t want them to develop the habit that they will get to have the food first while the elders watch by the side. It’s good that they are sensible. I don’t want them to be spoiled.”

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  In her opinion, some traditions in China were good.

  In ancient times, when people had meals at the dining table, if the eldest in the family did not start the meal, the juniors could not have the food no matter how hungry they were. If they gave all the good stuff to the children while the elders watched by the side, the children would become overbearing and not as well-behaved over time.

  Her mother had a large part to play in why Qiao Zijin did not have a good personality. She gave differential treatment and instilled in Qiao Zijin the wrong values. In order to buy over Qiao Zijin so that she would be biased toward her mother, Ding Jiayi would buy a watermelon in summer and allowed Qiao Zijin to have half of the watermelon by herself. When her father was back, the elders would only have two slices of watermelon, while Qiao Zijin, who finished half of the watermelon by herself, would have another quarter of the watermelon.

  If not for the way that her mother raised Qiao Zijin, she would not have the impression that everything in the family belonged to her and that it was right for everyone in the family to sacrifice for her.

  Qiao Nan had three children. She had a heavier burden than the average parents. She must make sure that she kept a watch on the three children and that what happened with Qiao Zijin must not happen to them.

  Qiao Dongliang could not deny that what Qiao Nan said was true. There were very few children in every family. Everyone would naturally treat them as treasures, not allowing them to go through any suffering. Despite that, Qiao Dongliang felt that it would not really matter who had the soup first.

  However, Qiao Dongliang seldom got to see Qiao Nan in a year. It was rare that they could have some time together. Qiao Dongliang did not wish to end up in a quarrel with her.

  Besides, Qiao Nan was the mother of the three children. There was no need for Qiao Dongliang to worry that Qiao Nan would not be good to them. Given how attached the children were to Qiao Nan, Qiao Dongliang was certain that Qiao Nan was a better mother than Ding Jiayi.

  Once he ascertained that fact, Qiao Dongliang put the matter aside and stopped himself from thinking about it.

  He did not have the right to meddle with her affairs. He had two daughters, one of whom had learned the wrong values while the other was estranged with him due to his behavior. He did not raise his children well, so he did not have the right to teach Qiao Nan how to raise her children.

  It was the second day of October. Qiao Zijin and Zhou Zheng would be getting married today. The northern quad set off firecrackers early in the morning.

  Qiao Nan woke up after hearing the loud cracking sounds of firecrackers. She did not forget what day it was today. The three children were sleeping soundly and snoring next to her. They looked like three little piglets, particularly Er Bao, who laid on his tummy, squashing his face and drooling in his sleep. His plump buttocks stuck up into the air, making an interesting sight.

  Fortunately, the weather was not cold now, and Qiao Nan prepared a two-meter long blanket. Otherwise, given the way Er Bao slept, Da Bao and San Bao, who slept next to him, might catch a cold easily.

  If not for the three children who protested strongly against it, Qiao Nan would let them sleep in their own beds and have their own blankets like how they used to do back in the capital.

  They were already three years old. They were considered to be big children.

  With the teacher’s guidance and Qiao Nan’s persuasion, the triplets agreed to sleep by themselves in their own beds. However, their small beds would be placed in Qiao Nan’s and Zhai Sheng’s room. They had moved the other big bed to the guest room to make way for the triplets’ beds.

  Qiao Nan covered the triplets with the blanket before she got up to brush her teeth and wash her face. She tidied herself and checked the clock at the bedside. It was only half past seven. Although Qiao Nan was Qiao Zijin’s sister, she was unwilling to go to the Qiao family’s residence at this time, being there as her parental family to send Qiao Zijin off.

  The invitation that Qiao Nan received stated that the wedding banquet would be on the second of October and it would start at half past ten in the morning. Qiao Nan only needed to arrive on time. It was considered good enough if the wedding banquet would start at eleven o’clock.

  “You are up.” Miao Jing woke up early in the morning due to the loud sounds of firecrackers. “Are the three children still asleep?”

  “Yes, they had a crazy time yesterday. They used to be awake at this time. But they are too tired and won’t get up anytime soon. Mom, what did the auntie prepare for breakfast?” Qiao Nan sat next to Miao Jing, pouring a cup of warm boiled water for her.

  “Most probably porridge,” Miao Jing replied after drinking some water. “It is good for the stomach to have porridge in the morning.”

  Qiao Nan was not picky. She would have whatever that Miao Jing told her. Fortunately, the three children were not fussy eaters either. They would have whatever food that was prepared at home, and they would eat them heartily.

  Qiao Nan went upstairs to check on the three children. San Bao wriggled about on the bed like a worm. She whined and moved about, looking half-awake. Da Bao and Er Bao seemed to stir at the loud sounds that San Bao made. Qiao Nan happened to catch them moving about in their sleep.

  Qiao Nan fished San Bao from under the blanket. “San Bao, wake up. The sun is shining on your buttocks. Shall I bring you to the restroom to pee?”