An Lan retorted, "What's wrong? Am I not right? Then tell me, what did you name him?"

Honestly, pet names were usually chosen by the fathers. I wasn't good at coming up with names. However, if the kids happened to come up with a good one, that was great too.

"We call him Cai Cai!"

An Lan hadn't processed it yet. "Cai Cai? What does that mean?"

An Lan's mother, fanning her daughter, asked, "Cai Cai, as in the 'cai' for vegetables?"

Guo Guo happily praised his grandmother, "Grandma, you're so smart! You guessed it right away, even faster than Mommy!"

An Lan's mother said, "...Uh, it really is?"

An Lan's mouth twitched slightly. "Who came up with that? So creative."

"It was Fourth Treasure brother! This way, our family has both fruits and vegetables now."

Looking at her son's innocent expression, An Lan took a deep breath. "That's wonderful. Now our home is complete, and we'll never have to worry about food."

Guo Guo pitter-pattered away to tell Liu Bo the news.

Once her little grandson left, An Lan's mother chuckled. "That's actually a very good name."

"It's much better than the ones you were thinking of!"

An Lan sighed. "Fine, let's just go with that."

Seeing her daughter so unhappy after giving birth, her mother asked, "What's wrong? No one's upset you, have they?"

An Lan felt wronged. "Mom, I wanted a daughter, not two sons! When they get married, they'll belong to their daughters-in-law. A daughter is the one who truly cares for her parents."

Her mother laughed and scolded, "A daughter cares for her parents? I'm not so sure about that. It doesn't seem like you've ever cared much for me!"

"Who says that? I miss you the most! I never knew how hard being a mother was until I became one myself. Now I can finally understand a little."

That was why daughters often grew closer to their own mothers after becoming mothers themselves.

An Lan's mother knew she longed for a daughter. Ever since becoming pregnant with her second child, she had hoped for a girl every day. People always say, 'cravings for sour means a boy, spicy for a girl,' and she loved spicy food.

She had even happily exclaimed that having a son and a daughter would form the Chinese character for 'good.' She spent months in a blissful dream, only for it to—SNAP!—shatter, leaving her irritable.

"You have no idea, so many people are having sons these days."

"I've had two. Among Director Lin's brothers, they all have sons. Only Director Lin himself has two daughters!"

"Guo Guo and Cai Cai will face so much competition in the future. How will they ever find wives?"

The thought alone was enough to make her worry. The gender ratio was so unbalanced, yet here she was with two sons. She worried about how much she'd have to prepare for their bride prices.

Her mother was almost amused.

"You're getting way ahead of yourself. We can worry about that when it's time for them to get married."

"Besides, maybe your sons will be so capable you won't have to worry about their marriages at all."

An Lan nodded. "True. What if they make us proud?"

But the more she thought about it, the more uncertain she felt.

Seeing her daughter so troubled, her mother comforted her, "Your father and I worried so much about your marriage back in the day!"

"But in the end, didn't everything work out naturally? We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"The boys are still so little. If you start worrying now, you'll have endless things to worry about in the future."

An Lan realized she was right, but she couldn't control her anxiety. This was especially true when her second child came over to ask if she was tired or in pain. Her regret only deepened.

"Mom, I want a daughter. Do you think I should try again? What if my next child is a daughter?"

Her mother was speechless. She took a deep breath. "Let's not rush into this. We'll take it one step at a time!"

Lin Feng took the kids home in the evening. Guo Guo was reluctant to leave, but at least he had his little brother with him.

That night, An Lan chatted with her best friend and began considering a third child...

"It used to be that everyone was desperate to have sons, but now everyone's desperate for daughters... Sigh, it's so hard on us women."

Zhang Yuxi laughed. "You know Lin Jiajun, right? After having two sons, he wants to try for a daughter too. Haha!"

It must be nice to have both a son and a daughter and not a care in the world!

"You guys keep at it! Work hard and produce a 'little cotton-padded jacket' for me to see, hahaha!"

An Lan was speechless.

Damn, the pressure is immense!

Zhang Yuxi comforted her friend, "Raising sons is great too. Look how well Lin Feng treats his parents. Our two sons are wonderful, aren't they?"

"Big Treasure and Fourth Treasure are hardly any trouble at all."

"And now that Guo Guo is a big brother, I'm sure he'll be much more sensible!"

After chatting for a long time, An Lan's anxiety finally began to subside.

Cai Cai had been home for nearly a week. He was indeed a quiet, well-behaved child, not nearly as boisterous as Guo Guo.

An Lan's biggest worry was colic. Guo Guo had suffered so much from it, and she was terrified Cai Cai would have it too.

Fortunately, Lin Feng was around. Even if it happened, he would surely find a solution.

「In a flash, August arrived.」

Big Treasure and Fourth Treasure passed their black belt exams, so Lin Feng took them and Second Treasure back to Modu for Third Treasure's concert. The performance was expected to be a success, which would lead to interviews. As Third Treasure's parents, they would also be invited, so they needed to prepare.

Before leaving, Lin Feng brought the children to say goodbye to their two little cousins, Guo Guo and Cai Cai. They would be gone until school started in September.

"Why is An Lan still in bed?" Lin Feng asked while helping An Lan's mother cook in the kitchen. They had an early flight the next day, so they were having lunch together before leaving.

An Lan's mother frowned slightly. Some things were awkward to discuss with a man like Lin Feng.

"She gave birth prematurely, which weakened her body. The medicine she's taking isn't helping much."

"The doctor told her to rest in bed as much as possible. She'll go back to the hospital for a follow-up later."

Hearing her speak so cryptically, Lin Feng mostly understood the situation.

Liu Bo came home for lunch. No matter how busy he was, he tried to make time to eat with his wife and children, especially since An Lan had been in low spirits.

Lin Feng found a moment to ask Liu Bo about her condition.

It was all related to women's health issues. She hadn't suffered much pain during the birth itself, but the premature delivery had caused various complications. To breastfeed her youngest son, An Lan couldn't take oral medicine or get injections; she could only use topical ointments. The condition would heal, but it would take time—anywhere from two or three months to as long as half a year.

After lunch, An Lan lay down again to feed her youngest son. Afterwards, she handed him to the maternity nurse. Her lower back ached and her lower abdomen throbbed whenever she stood up. Since she couldn't take medication or injections, she had to endure the pain.

Once An Lan finished feeding the baby, Lin Feng entered the room with Liu Bo.

"Do you want me to check your pulse?" Lin Feng asked.

An Lan was surprised. "What, you know medicine too?" As she spoke, she held out her wrist. "Go on, take a look!"

After all, Lin Feng's skilled hands had easily cured Guo Guo's colic, which had lasted for months. Maybe he could cure her as well!

An Lan decided to give it a try, carefully studying Lin Feng's expression.

His diagnosis was similar to what the doctors had said. But then he added, "I'll prescribe you a few courses of Chinese medicine and perform some acupuncture. You'll be fine after that."

"Don't breastfeed for two hours after taking the medicine. It promotes blood circulation and removes stasis, so passing it through your milk wouldn't be good for the baby."

"If you time it with your feeding schedule, there won't be any conflict."

An Lan's eyes widened. "Are you serious? You can't be joking!"

There wasn't a hint of a joke on Lin Feng's face. "You can choose not to believe me. It makes no difference to me."

An Lan glanced at Liu Bo.

Liu Bo trusted Lin Feng completely. They had known each other for years; he knew exactly what kind of person Lin Feng was.

An Lan pursed her lips. "Fine!" She then teased, "I never knew you were a man of hidden talents, Lin Feng!"

Next was the acupuncture.

An Lan drew a sharp breath. "Director Lin, are you... are you really doing this?"

Lin Feng ignored her and told Liu Bo to help her adjust her clothing.

"It won't be too painful."

"After this is done, you just need to use the restroom, and that'll be it."

Lin Feng performed the acupuncture for an hour. The dull ache An Lan felt grew increasingly intense.

Lin Feng said calmly, "Just bear with it. Go to the restroom in a little while, and you'll be fine."

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