Some of the trees the old man had brought were already in bloom. A faint, sweet fragrance of flowers lingered in the air as you passed through the yard.

This Saturday, after a full week of gently broaching the topic with the babies, it was finally time to put the "sleep alone" plan into action.

Tian Tian and Fourth Treasure would share a room, while Second Treasure and Third Treasure would each get their own. Second Treasure was no cause for concern, but the couple was most worried about Third Treasure.

They decided to start with naps to let the babies adjust gradually. Tian Tian and Fourth Treasure had no problem with it, happily lying down on their own little beds. Their beds were shaped like cars, painted in bright, pretty colors.

Lin Feng set the air conditioner and tucked them in.

"Let Daddy know if you need anything, okay?" he said softly. "There's a phone here. Just press one, and Daddy will come."

Tian Tian and Fourth Treasure obediently nodded. "Okay, Daddy!"

Other than them tossing and turning, I'm not worried about much else. Lin Feng thought.

Third Treasure's room was in the middle. Since she was sleeping alone, Lin Feng had specifically chosen the middle room, hoping it would give her an extra sense of security. He even had Da Bai stay with her for company.

"Da Bai will keep you company today. If you need anything, use this phone to call Daddy, understand?"

Third Treasure nodded.

Lin Feng kissed her forehead. "Sleep well!"

Finally, he went to Second Treasure's room. The little princess was in the middle of playing happily.

"Alright, sweetie, time to sleep. You can play again when you wake up."

Second Treasure's and Third Treasure's beds were princess-style, with intricate carvings. To prevent them from rolling off in their sleep, one side of each bed was placed against a wall, and a thick carpet was laid out on the floor below the other side.

After coaxing the two little princesses to sleep, Lin Feng quietly closed their doors. He stood outside each room for a moment, making sure the babies were all sleeping soundly and not secretly playing, before he finally went to take his own nap, feeling relieved.

The babies usually napped for about an hour, whereas Lin Feng only needed half an hour to feel refreshed. When he woke up, he started making soy milk for them with the soy milk maker. Once he was done, he checked the time and realized it was time to wake them up.

The babies all did very well napping on their own. The real test, however, would be tonight.

Lin Feng left a small night light on in each of their rooms, and also kept the lights in the hallway and bathroom on. He placed their little potties in their rooms, so they wouldn't have to leave if they needed to use them.

Zhang Yuxi was worried the children wouldn't sleep well through the night. "Honey, I'm going to go check on the babies, see if they're sleeping soundly or if they've kicked off their blankets."

"I'll go, you stay here and rest."

"No, I'm coming with you."

They gently opened the door to the boys' room and, sure enough, Tian Tian and Fourth Treasure were sleeping restlessly. Tian Tian was doing a bit better; his blanket had just been kicked off. Fourth Treasure's sleeping posture was another story entirely. He was lying facedown on the pillow with his little bottom in the air, and his blanket had fallen onto the floor.

The sight was both amusing and heart-wrenching.

Fortunately, the heating was on, so they weren't at risk of catching a cold.

When they got to the girls' rooms, they saw Second Treasure sleeping pressed right up against the wall, her legs somehow sprawled up on it as well. Just as Lin Feng adjusted her position, she rolled over and ended up pressed against the wall again. Lin Feng sighed, helpless, and simply covered her with her blanket.

Third Treasure was sleeping soundly while hugging a doll. Just as the couple was about to leave, Third Treasure's eyes fluttered open, and she saw Lin Feng.

"Daddy..."

"Shh, be good. Go back to sleep," Lin Feng whispered, returning to her bedside to soothe her.

Still half-asleep, Third Treasure didn't seem to realize where she was. She simply turned over and drifted off again. Lin Feng tucked her in and quietly exited the room.

Zhang Yuxi yawned, went back to bed, and fell asleep after a little while.

In the dead of night, just as dawn was approaching, Tian Tian came running into their room, crying. He startled Lin Feng, and Zhang Yuxi woke up as well.

"Daddy," Tian Tian sobbed, "I couldn't find the bathroom..."

Lin Feng saw that his son had wet his pants and quickly went to get him a fresh pair. Tian Tian had woken up needing to pee, but in his dazed state, he had forgotten where he was. By the time he saw the little potty by his bed, it was already too late. Startled, he had run to his parents' room.

Lin Feng held him and comforted him for a while.

"Daddy, can this be our secret, okay?" Tian Tian asked, slightly embarrassed.

Lin Feng was a little surprised. So he already cares about his pride at such a young age.

"Okay, this is our little secret. Daddy won't tell anyone."

Only then did Tian Tian smile.

"Come on, Daddy will take you back to your room."

Lying back in his bed, Tian Tian watched Lin Feng cleaning up and said remorsefully, "Daddy, I'm sorry. I won't pee in my pants again."

Lin Feng's heart ached for him, but he was also warmed by his son's maturity. "Daddy isn't angry. I know you didn't do it on purpose, Tian Tian! Next time you need to pee, don't hold it in, okay?"

Tian Tian nodded.

Over on the other bed, Fourth Treasure was tossing and turning restlessly. Lin Feng checked his bed; it was dry. But from the way he was moving, he probably needed to pee. He gently woke Fourth Treasure and took him to the second-floor bathroom. After using the toilet, Fourth Treasure yawned but seemed much more awake.

Lin Feng frowned. "It's still early. Go back to sleep for a little longer."

Fourth Treasure pouted but lay back down, drifting off again a few moments later. Tian Tian was already fast asleep.

Lin Feng then went to Second Treasure and Third Treasure's rooms to wake them up to use the bathroom. Afterward, Third Treasure used Lin Feng's hand as a pillow and fell back into a sweet sleep. Once she was sound asleep, Lin Feng gently slipped his hand out and left the room.

Alright, he could still get another half an hour of sleep before he had to get up and make breakfast.

After Lin Feng finished preparing breakfast, he woke Zhang Yuxi. As soon as she was up, she went downstairs to get the children. As it was now spring, the children wore much thinner pajamas at home than their winter ones, which made it easier for them to dress themselves.

Zhang Yuxi woke them up one by one and helped them get dressed. Then, she waited in the bathroom as they washed their faces and brushed their teeth. The children used small, handkerchief-sized towels. They lined up to wash their faces and then brush their teeth. Zhang Yuxi supervised, watching to see if they could manage on their own.

Hmm, their faces aren't very clean, and a few of them didn't brush their teeth very thoroughly.

But overall, they did quite well. After all, they were only three years old; you couldn't expect too much. Zhang Yuxi then led them to the dining room for breakfast.

Lin Feng had already served the food. "Breakfast is ready!"

For their first night sleeping alone, Lin Feng was very satisfied with their performance. He believed things would only get smoother from here.

***

So, what to do during the holiday? They decided to take the children to visit An Lan.

An Lan was about seven months pregnant now, her belly large and round. They were visiting because she had been feeling unwell. A trip to the hospital revealed that the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby once. This had frightened her and Liu Bo to death.

The doctor reassured them, advising them to come in for more frequent check-ups and giving them a fetal heart rate monitor. They were also told to monitor the baby's fetal movements. If the number of movements suddenly decreased, they were to rush to the hospital immediately.

This was the first time Liu Bo and An Lan were becoming parents. Previously, a Down syndrome screening had come back with slightly elevated numbers, which had terrified the couple. Subsequent tests, including an amniocentesis, showed that everything was normal. They had only just begun to relax when today's check-up revealed the wrapped cord.

The news had scared them half to death all over again, even though their doctor told them it wasn't a major issue. An Lan's mother even showed the test results to an authoritative obstetrician in Modu, who also said it was nothing to worry about. But the couple remained deeply concerned.

An Lan, in particular, was a wreck. She was testing the fetal heart rate every two hours and counting fetal movements every three. She had lost a noticeable amount of weight from the stress.

Lin Feng came over to take her pulse and also concluded that it wasn't a serious problem.

An Lan frowned. "You all say it's not a big problem, but I can't help but worry..."

It was a mother's instinct. She was also following the doctor's advice to get more exercise, hoping the baby would move around inside her and untangle the cord.

Zhang Yuxi hugged her, showing her understanding. An Lan's due date was around the May holiday, and Zhang Yuxi promised she wouldn't go anywhere; she would stay and wait with her for the baby to arrive.

An Lan showed them a chart she had printed out, where she recorded the daily fetal movement and heart rate counts. Zhang Yuxi's heart went out to her.

An Lan stroked her belly. "I love this child more and more..." she said softly. "During the color ultrasound, I saw his little penis. It's a boy." She continued in a whisper, "It's not that I cared if it was a boy or a girl. It's just... seeing it on the screen made me feel so incredible."

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