Before we knew it, it was the end of August. There was still a week left until the due date.

The quadruplets were all grown up now, having studied at No. 5 Middle School for three years. They were old enough to handle their own school registration.

Perhaps because the birth was so near, Zhang Yuxi had been feeling awful lately, and her anxiety was starting to build. In truth, when she was about to give birth to the quadruplets, her fear had far surpassed any anxiety. Now, for her second pregnancy, even with her husband by her side, she still felt panicked.

Her hospital visits had become more frequent recently, but the doctor assured her that the baby was perfectly normal. Lin Feng had already booked a delivery room. She was giving birth at the same Maternity and Child Health Hospital as before, and surprisingly, her original attending doctor was still working there. The hospital itself had since moved to a new building, its old location having been redeveloped.

When the attending doctor heard Zhang Yuxi's name, she remarked, "I remember her. Quadruplets! That was big news for our hospital back then."

During every prenatal checkup, the attending doctor would ask about the quadruplets. One time, the boys accompanied their mother, leaving the doctor filled with emotion for the rest of the day.

As the due date approached, Zhou Cuilan and Zhao Lizhen also came over to see if anything was needed. Lin Feng had already prepared everything—formula, baby bottles, diapers, changes of clothes, small swaddling blankets, and more—just waiting for Zhang Yuxi to go into labor.

A week passed, but the baby showed no signs of arriving. The doctor said to just wait and see, as a delay of a few days was perfectly normal.

Strangely enough, after being so anxious, Zhang Yuxi seemed to calm down completely as her due date passed. Her anxiety vanished; she ate and slept well, even asking Lin Feng to make her a mildly spicy hot pot. With delivery just around the corner, she decided to eat all the foods she wouldn't be allowed during her postpartum confinement.

That night, Zhang Yuxi was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. She hazily wanted to go to the bathroom.

"Honey… I need to go to the bathroom…"

Lin Feng got up, slipped shoes onto her feet, and helped her stand. Leaning on him, Zhang Yuxi walked blindly toward the bathroom. Just as they reached the door, her water broke.

Zhang Yuxi woke with a jolt, utterly mortified. Did I really just wet myself? The bigger the baby gets, the more pressure there is on the bladder, but this wasn't urine.

Lin Feng was stunned.

"Honey, I…"

"Honey, I think your water just broke…"

"Ah, let me see…"

This was Lin Feng's first time facing childbirth, and he was panicking inside. But then he rallied. He'd read plenty of books about childbirth, watched educational videos, and on top of that, he had years of experience raising children. He could definitely handle this! No problem at all!

His first move was to wake Zhou Cuilan and Zhao Lizhen. The family quickly packed and headed for the hospital. The commotion startled the quadruplets, who, now wide awake, insisted on coming along.

Childbirth is different for everyone. When Zhang Yuxi had the quadruplets, for example, the pain hadn't lasted long. Her main memory of that first birth was of being completely dazed, feeling nothing but pain. This time, with her family by her side, she wasn't nearly as panicked.

The attending doctor reassured her, "Don't worry and don't be afraid. You have experience, after all. A second birth will surely go smoothly!"

But that proved to be wishful thinking, as what happened next surprised even the doctor.

That night, after they arrived at the hospital ward, her contractions began, but there were still no signs of imminent delivery. The doctor checked on her periodically and confirmed that everything was normal. It looked like the birth would happen sometime after midnight.

Since it seemed the birth wouldn't happen until the middle of the night, they tried to send the quadruplets home to sleep. But the boys adamantly refused. They wanted to stay with their mother and welcome their new sister. The hospital room was only so big, but Lin Feng had no choice but to let them stay up, hoping the baby would indeed arrive soon.

Though Zhang Yuxi had been sleeping poorly lately, tonight she was incredibly drowsy. Even the contractions couldn't keep her awake. "Honey, I'm so sleepy," she murmured. "I'm going to sleep for a bit…"

Amazingly, she managed to doze off between the waves of pain. Everyone waited, and the four boys eventually dozed off sitting in their chairs.

The long wait stretched past six in the morning. Suddenly, Zhang Yuxi was wide awake, a surge of energy rushing through her. She felt it then, a powerful and undeniable sensation that the baby was coming.

"Honey, get the doctor! I think it's time!"

The attending physician examined her, ordered a quick ultrasound, and then had her wheeled into the delivery room. Another pregnant woman was brought in right after her.

The other family was startled by the large crowd that had come for Zhang Yuxi. The other father stood waiting anxiously, cradling a bundle of baby supplies. The two grandmothers had also arrived, and one of them started chatting with Zhou Cuilan.

"Is that your daughter?"

Zhou Cuilan smiled. "Yes. To me, a daughter-in-law is a daughter."

"Is this her first or second child?"

"Oh, her second."

"This is our first. Have you asked the doctor if it's a boy or a girl?"

"No, it doesn't matter to us either way."

"That's true, it's not like the old days. We asked an acquaintance; it's a boy."

"Congratulations."

"And those boys are…?"

"My grandsons."

The woman was shocked. "What? Quadruplets?"

Zhou Cuilan nodded. "Yes, quadruplets."

Once the quadruplets started high school, Lin Feng had bought each of them a phone. Now, they passed the time by teaming up for mobile games. Lin Feng, however, was agitated, pacing back and forth, praying for the safety of both mother and daughter inside.

About half an hour after she was taken in, a nurse came out carrying a baby. "Who are Zhang Yuxi's family members?"

All four boys leaped to their feet.

Lin Feng was the first to rush over. "I'm Zhang Yuxi's husband!" he blurted out, too excited to say more.

The nurse beamed and handed the baby to Lin Feng. "Congratulations on becoming a father. It's a little princess, a healthy seven pounds, fifteen ounces. Mother and daughter are both safe and sound."

Lin Feng was overwhelmed with gratitude. "Thank you to the doctors and nurses!"

Zhou Cuilan and the others echoed his thanks. The nurse simply smiled and went back inside.

Everyone gathered around, marveling at the tiny infant in her swaddling clothes.

"She's a big girl!" someone said. "She's so fair-skinned and pretty. She'll definitely be a little beauty when she grows up."

Her nickname had already been chosen: Xiao Bao.

As Lin Feng looked at his newborn daughter, the memory of seeing his four sons for the first time flooded his mind. It was still so vivid, a memory he would never forget.

The quadruplets stared at their tiny, soft little sister, utterly fascinated.

"Don't crowd her," Zhou Cuilan told them, shooing them back a bit. "Let Xiao Bao get some fresh air."

Zhao Lizhen came closer. "This child is beautiful. She's sure to be a looker when she grows up."

Lin Feng didn't care about appearances; all that mattered was that Xiao Bao was healthy.

Just then, Zhang Yuxi was wheeled out, smiling weakly at them. Lin Feng gently placed Xiao Bao in the hospital bassinet, then told the quadruplets it was time to go home and get some sleep. "You have school tomorrow," he reminded them.

Zhou Cuilan turned to Lin Dashan. "Drive the boys to school tomorrow and get breakfast on the way."

Lin Dashan nodded. "Got it. Call if you need anything."

Zhou Cuilan then urged Zhao Lizhen and her husband to leave as well. "This room is too small for all of us. You should go home and rest."

Zhao Lizhen shook her head. "No, I'll stay and help. You go back."

After some polite arguing, Zhou Cuilan was the one who ended up staying. Lin Feng had already hired a maternity nurse, who would be arriving shortly. Although he had experience raising children, he had none with a newborn and didn't trust himself to handle it alone.

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