Everyone in the Ping Cheng quad knew that the entire Zhai family lived in the capital and had not returned in years. Because of the distance, when talking about the Zhai family, they often could only rely on news from the television. ‘See, that’s what the news on television said. I used to be neighbors with their family and lived in the same courtyard.’

  Since the Zhai family was in the capital and Qiao Nan had never been to the capital, how had Qiao Nan managed to hook up with Zhai Sheng and enchant him to such an extent that he was willing to marry an old spinster who was nearly forty years old?

  In Qiao Zijin’s mind, she had never treated Zhai Sheng and the Zhai family as people from Ping Cheng. As such, although everyone in Ping Cheng already knew about their family, she felt that it was likely that Zhai Sheng and the Zhai family did not. With such a bold assumption, Qiao Zijin faced the Zhai family with full confidence.

  “Alright, let’s go. I don’t want Nan Nan to starve.” Miao Jing wound up the window, no longer in the mood to care about Qiao Zijin. She had to do what she could. She had to tell everyone that apart from their family, no one was allowed into the compounds.

  With that idea in mind, Miao Jing hurriedly made a call to the guards to inform them that no one who claimed to be from the Qiao family from Ping Cheng should be allowed in, apart from an old man. If a middle-aged woman or an old auntie appeared, neither of them should be allowed in. The Zhai family did not have so many relatives in the Qiao family.

  She had done so just as a precaution.

  On the day of Qiao Nan and Zhai Sheng’s wedding, Shi Qing had sent Qiao Zijin and Ding Jiayi to the police station as well and Miao Jing had only found out about it afterward. Because of that matter, Miao Jing knew that she had to be more cautious.

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  Upon receiving Miao Jing’s call, the guard instructed his subordinates never to let anyone from the Qiao family into the compounds, as long as they were not male.

  But Qiao Zijin knew nothing about that. Before she could even come up with the idea of getting into the compounds using her relationship to the Zhai family, Miao Jing had already cut that possibility off!

  “Mom, you’re here?” Qiao Nan looked much better than she had been now that she was in the hospital. At the very least, she was no longer bleeding, and neither did her stomach hurt.

  “Don’t get up. Just lie down.” Seeing Qiao Nan, who had lost quite a lot of weight, Miao Jing’s heart broke. “Zhai Sheng, how’s Nan Nan’s condition today? Did the doctor say anything?”

  Zhai Sheng poured a glass of water for Miao Jing and took the thermos flask over from her. After pouring the soup out, he blew on it to cool it before feeding it to Qiao Nan. “The doctor said that Nan Nan’s and the children’s conditions look quite optimistic. We’re nearing the eighth month, and if we can maintain this, the children will be able to stay in Nan Nan’s womb for a while longer.”

  Actually, Zhai Sheng thought that eight months was already quite a significant period of time. She should give birth now if she could. If she held on any longer, it could increase the risk that both Nan Nan and the children faced.

  All Zhai Sheng wanted was to be a good husband, but unfortunately, Qiao Nan disagreed. Qiao Nan remembered clearly that the doctor had told her in her dream that remaining in the mother’s womb for another day was much better compared to a whole year’s worth of nourishment after birth. Even if she only had one child, Qiao Nan would wish for her child to remain in her womb for as long as possible so as to develop more fully.

  Anyway, there were so many competent doctors and nurses in the hospital. Neither had she bled again after being hospitalized. This meant that the children could remain in her womb for a little longer. She would be willful just this once. She didn’t have many chances to be willful in this lifetime anyway.

  She would be willful to the end regarding the children. She wouldn’t force her children to remain in her womb, but as long as they were willing to do so, she was in no hurry to chase them out to meet their family.

  They had already waited for such a long time. Would another few days make a difference?

  Seeing Qiao Nan’s stubbornness, Zhai Sheng had no choice but to agree to Qiao Nan’s demands and communicate with her doctor to see if any problems would arise if they went ahead with that.

  Thankfully, the doctor’s opinion was similar to Qiao Nan’s. With the help of the hospital and nurses, Qiao Nan maintained quite good health and was not forced to the point of childbirth. Since she had no major problems, there was no need for her to induce labor.

  She would only have to undergo premature labor if anything went majorly wrong with her body or the children’s health.

  Since the doctor had already said that, and given Qiao Nan’s insistence, Zhai Sheng, who had never made a compromise in the military, finally gave in. He paid close attention to Qiao Nan’s needs and took care of her meticulously in case anything happened and he missed it out.

  Being a good father was naturally no mean feat.

  “That’s good.” Miao Jing smiled. She had been scared out of her wits initially when Qiao Nan had complained of discomfort and upon hearing that Qiao Nan had bled. It had been an even bigger scare than when she had given birth herself. Qiao Nan had not even reached her eighth month of pregnancy yet. If Qiao Nan was forced to give birth at this moment, their family’s triplets would be no bigger than a kitten once they were born.

  She had heard that it was difficult to raise children that small and it was expensive as well. Her heart ached upon thinking about how the grandchildren, whom she had been longing for, would be so small when they were born. As elders, their hearts would definitely break if the children felt uncomfortable or fell ill.

  Every day longer the children spent in the womb was good news. Because of this, Miao Jing could not help but feel anxious. “The doctors in this hospital are quite good and their skills are quite advanced too. I think that we can rest assured putting Nan Nan in their hands.”

  At times, when Miao Jing looked at Qiao Nan’s protruding belly, she had to resist the urge to ask Qiao Nan to give birth immediately. She was a mother too, and she understood a mother’s heart. Even if she wanted Qiao Nan to do it, Qiao Nan, as the triplet’s mother, might not agree.

  “Nan Nan, do you have any cravings? I’ll try to make you whatever you want as long as pregnant women are allowed to eat them.” Miao Jing’s voice was soft, out of fear that she would scare Qiao Nan and the children if she was too loud.

  Drinking Miao Jing’s hot soup, Qiao Nan’s cheeks were flushed. “I don’t have any particular cravings. The children and I enjoy whatever you bring, Mom. You don’t have to prepare anything special.”