These sensations usually didn’t last for very long. After a while, the pain would naturally subside.

  After about ten minutes, Qiao Nan’s expression finally improved. “Look, I’m alright.”

  At this time, the doctors and nurses were already by Qiao Nan’s side to give her a physical examination. “Does it really not hurt anymore? Do you have any other pains?” Actually, the doctors and nurses in an obstetrics and gynecology hospital were quite busy. They could not afford to stay by Qiao Nan’s side to take care of her all the time.

  If something really happened to Qiao Nan, they would have to act immediately. If there was nothing wrong with Qiao Nan, the doctors and nurses would naturally leave to take care of other patients.

  It wasn’t particularly comfortable when the doctor laid his icy-cold hands on her stomach, but Qiao Nan knew that the doctor was trying to determine whether she was about to go into labor. However, it wasn’t easy to determine that either, unless her water bag burst. She was only eight and a half months pregnant. In normal circumstances, she should not be giving birth so early.

  “No, I’m fine now,” Qiao Nan answered honestly.

  \r \r \r

  “That’s good.” The doctor sighed in relief. “She’s already eight and a half months pregnant. Given that she’s pregnant with multiple babies, and given her age, you’ll have to pay closer attention to her. It hasn’t been easy for her to carry the children until now. Don’t hesitate to let us know if anything happens. I’ve said that we cannot let our guards down now. If anything happens to the patient, we’ll have to help the three children leave the mother’s body immediately even if there are no signs of labor.”

  There were no signs of the children being born prematurely, but the problem lay with the patient’s age and physical condition. If her body could no longer support the growth of the three children, she might experience symptoms like a sudden increase in blood pressure, dizziness, or even shock.

  “Don’t worry. We will.” Only after hearing the doctor’s words could Zhai Sheng and Qiao Dongliang rest assured. The only thing Qiao Dongliang was thankful for was that Qiao Nan’s sudden pains had nothing to do with his chicken soup.

  But after this scare, and thinking about how much Qiao Nan hated Qiao Zijin, Qiao Dongliang told himself that he would never use anything his elder daughter bought to make anything for his younger daughter. It was not as though he had no money. His elder daughter might not have poisoned the soup this time, but that didn’t mean that she would never do it.

  He had been too foolish. How could he have been so careless about something meant for Nan Nan? Zhai Sheng had been so anxious earlier. If anything were to happen to Nan Nan or the children, Zhai Sheng would probably deal with him himself even if he was Zhai Sheng’s father-in-law.

  “Zhai Sheng, why don’t we take turns accompanying Nan Nan? You’re always by Nan Nan’s side, but there will be times you can’t be here. What if you get too tired and fall asleep? I’m not saying that you haven’t done enough for Nan Nan. I used to be in the military too. I know how much soldiers can endure. The problem is that Nan Nan isn’t young anymore, and neither are you. No matter what you do, you have to think about your health. If you overdo it now, how will you take care of Nan Nan and the three children in the future?”

  Apart from Qiao Nan, Zhai Sheng was definitely the most tired and the one who had it the hardest. Qiao Dongliang was naturally glad that his son-in-law treated his daughter so well. Since his son-in-law cherished his daughter so much, he would take care of him on her behalf. “Don’t worry. If we really take turns, I’ll take good care of her myself. I won’t let anyone in to visit Nan Nan.”

  Just a mouthful of soup had scared Qiao Dongliang out of his wits. Of course, Qiao Dongliang had no intention of ever letting Qiao Zijin participate in something as important as taking care of Qiao Nan.

  “…” Zhai Sheng considered Qiao Dongliang’s suggestion carefully. It had been better earlier when he had still gotten some time to rest. But with what the doctor said earlier, he would have to be on his guard and by Qiao Nan’s side all the time. It would definitely be difficult for him to take care of Qiao Nan alone.

  Before Zhai Sheng could answer, Qiao Dongliang spoke again. “Why don’t I take care of Nan Nan in the morning, while you take care of her in the night? I’m old and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to pull through the nights as well as I did in my younger days. But I’m sure I’ll be fine in the morning.” Qiao Dongliang dared not make any promises he could not keep.

  It didn’t matter if it was embarrassing if he were to break his promise, but Qiao Dongliang felt that he might lose the will to live if something were to happen to Qiao Nan because of that.

  “Alright.” Zhai Sheng agreed. Given the Zhai family’s background, they could just employ someone to watch over Qiao Nan. But Qiao Nan was too important and he didn’t feel comfortable leaving her in the hands of an outsider. Qiao Dongliang might be a little muddleheaded, but as a father, he wasn’t like Ding Jiayi. He would never do something for the sake of one daughter and let the other die.

  As such, Zhai Sheng was still willing to entrust Qiao Nan to Qiao Dongliang.

  Perhaps, it was because they knew of their father’s and grandfather’s difficulties that they decided that they were going to meet the world and their family very soon.

  The longer the duration of the pregnancy, the more obvious false uterine contractions were. Qiao Nan had already gotten used to these sudden bouts of pain. The three children were never a burden to Qiao Nan, but this pain was indeed slightly unbearable for her.

  No one but Qiao Nan could understand the discomfort she faced every day. Neither Zhai Sheng nor Qiao Dongliang could experience it, while Qiao Nan had too many experiences with it and had already become used to it. As such, she did not take it to heart.

  But the pain that Qiao Nan had become used to had not subsided and had, in fact, worsened and become more obvious. Qiao Nan felt that something was amiss and her face paled. “Brother Zhai, come over.”

  “What’s wrong?” Zhai Sheng was in the midst of discussing the schedule with Qiao Dongliang but he rushed over immediately as soon as he heard Qiao Nan.

  Qiao Nan’s eyes reddened. “Brother Zhai, my lower body feels a little numb. Can you help me massage it?”

  “Are you having a cramp in your foot again?” Zhai Sheng was always the one who massaged Qiao Nan’s foot every time she got a cramp. Although Qiao Dongliang was around, Zhai Sheng lifted the blanket slightly to massage her foot. But Zhai Sheng’s gaze suddenly sharpened. “Nan Nan, is your stomach hurting again?”