It was summer, and the room was hot.

Han Xiaoqing carried the baby outside. Beneath an osmanthus tree, a cradle was placed.

A small mosquito net made of gauze was draped over it to keep the bugs away.

The baby was sleeping soundly inside.

She, meanwhile, was holding a book, reading contentedly.

Her maternity leave would end in another week.

Sister Lian was helping her care for the child, while Han Xiaoqing was getting ready to return to work.

A sudden knock on the door startled the sleeping child awake.

Woken so abruptly, the baby was in a foul mood and began to cry even louder.

Han Xiaoqing frowned, quickly lifting the baby from the cradle and heading for the door.

Just then, she heard Chen Wenxuan’s voice.

“Wenxuan!” Han Xiaoqing quickened her pace, hurriedly opened the door, and threw herself, baby and all, into Chen Wenxuan’s arms.

Chen Wenxuan dropped his bag on the ground and hugged the two of them, his eyes red.

“Xiao Jing, I’m home. I’m home!”

The already unhappy baby, now squished uncomfortably, began to wail even louder.

Inside, Sister Lian was preparing formula for the baby when she heard his loud cries and rushed out in alarm.

“So it’s Wenxuan who’s back!” Sister Lian said with a smile. “You two have a lot to talk about now that you’re reunited, but you can’t neglect the baby! Hurry inside. You can talk properly in there.”

Hearing Sister Lian’s words, Han Xiaoqing finally realized how loudly her son was crying. “There, there, baby, don’t cry. Daddy’s home.”

Chen Wenxuan flushed slightly and nodded at Sister Lian. “Thank you, Sister Lian.”

Sister Lian smiled. “Of course. Wenxuan, give me your bag. I’ll take it inside.”

Chen Wenxuan shook his head and bowed to her. “There’s no need, I can get it. You’ve taken care of Xiao Jing through her pregnancy, the birth, and her postpartum recovery. I’m truly grateful, Sister Lian.”

Sister Lian was a kind-faced woman of fifty-five. Having lost her husband and son early in life, she had come to work for the Xu family as a maid and had been with them for over thirty years.

Unable to have more children, she had no desire to remarry and was content to work for the Xu family.

She saved all her wages and bonuses, as her room and board were provided by the family. They even took care of her clothing.

Furthermore, the Xu family had signed an agreement guaranteeing they would provide for her in her old age, managing not only her living expenses but also her final arrangements.

When Han Xiaorui became pregnant, Old Madam Xu had assigned Sister Lian to care for her.

Over the years, she had not only cared for Han Xiaorui but also her four children, and now she was looking after Han Xiaoqing and her baby as well.

Sister Lian was meticulous, thoughtful, and gentle-natured; everyone adored her.

Han Xiaorui not only paid her a salary and bonuses but also registered Sister Lian as a company employee, purchasing a pension plan for her.

Sister Lian had bought a total of four properties—some on the commercial street in Jinshan Bay and others in White Crane Village.

They were all currently rented out, generating a considerable monthly income.

Sister Lian was overjoyed. With no worries about her retirement, she dedicated herself to her work with even greater diligence.

Although taking care of Han Xiaoqing was her job, Sister Lian was still very happy to receive Chen Wenxuan’s sincere gratitude.

“Xiao Jing and the baby are doing very well. You’re a man with important work to do; I’ve only done what’s expected of me. Wenxuan, you don’t have to be so formal.”

With that, Sister Lian took Chen Wenxuan’s bag and handed him the baby bottle. “The baby’s hungry. You should feed him.”

Chen Wenxuan awkwardly took the bottle and, with Han Xiaoqing’s help, began to feed the baby.

“Xiao Jing, what’s our son’s name?” Chen Wenxuan asked, holding his chubby boy, bursting with joy.

Han Xiaoqing shook her head. “He doesn’t have a name yet. We’ve just been calling him ‘Baby.’ We were waiting for you to come home and name him!”

Hearing this, Chen Wenxuan looked at his son, who was clutching the bottle as he drank. “Let’s name him Chen Xinghua, shall we?”

“Yes!” Han Xiaoqing smiled, her eyes welling with tears. “It’s perfect. He’s of the ‘Xing’ generation, and the name holds all our hopes for him—that he’ll grow up to be part of a generation that revitalizes the nation.”

After the baby finished eating, it wasn’t long before he peed.

Although they had disposable diapers, Han Xiaoqing felt they were too warm for the summer, so she used cloth diapers instead.

With Chen Wenxuan’s return, Han Xiaoqing was distracted and forgot to hold him out to pee.

The baby couldn’t hold it in and just let go.

Chen Wenxuan, who was holding his son, was christened with a warm stream of child’s urine.

Chen Wenxuan felt a sudden warmth. When he realized what had happened, he chuckled and feigned a scolding tone. “You little stinker! Just wait till I spank you!”

He even reached out and gave the baby’s bottom a gentle pat.

Seeing Chen Wenxuan’s wet clothes, Han Xiaoqing finally remembered and slapped her forehead.

“Oh my gosh, how could I forget? Hold on! I’ll go get a clean diaper!”

Chen Wenxuan could only hold his son with both hands and look down.

The wet spot was in an awkward place, so Chen Wenxuan, too embarrassed to remain standing, quickly sat down.

Han Xiaoqing hurried into the room and came back out with a small basin of warm water, a clean diaper, and a change of clothes for the baby.

She first washed the baby’s bottom, dried him off, then put him in the new diaper, dressed him in clean clothes, and laid him back in the cradle.

“Wenxuan, you should go take a shower and change! There are fresh clothes for you in the closet!”

Chen Wenxuan nodded with a smile. “Alright! I’ll be right back.”

While Chen Wenxuan was getting cleaned up, Han Xiaoqing went to the kitchen.

Sister Lian was already preparing ingredients. “Xiao Jing, I know what Wenxuan likes to eat. I’ve already gotten everything out. I’ll make a few extra dishes tonight!”

“The baby is outside; you should go watch him! Wenxuan has been away for so long, you two must have so much to talk about! Don’t linger in the kitchen. I’ve got this!”

Han Xiaoqing saw that the ingredients were indeed all of Chen Wenxuan’s favorites and thanked her with a smile, “Thank you so much, Sister Lian!”

Sister Lian chuckled. “Look at you two, going back and forth with all these ‘thank yous.’ You’re making me feel embarrassed!”

Having spent the last few years with the Han sisters, Sister Lian knew them very well.

Compared to the atmosphere at the Xu family’s home, where the line between master and servant was clearly drawn, Han Xiaorui and Han Xiaoqing treated her as an equal.

At mealtimes, for instance, the Han sisters always had her join them at the table, never allowing her to just eat something by herself in the kitchen.

The Xu family had also respected her greatly, but they would never have allowed her to eat at the same table as them.

Here, she could feel genuine respect.

That was why she had decided to work in Jinshan Bay until she retired. She had already bought a house in the area for her later years.

‘So many children,’ she thought. ‘I’m watching them grow up, and they’ll be able to look after me in the future.’

As a result, Sister Lian put her whole heart into her work here.

Han Xiaoqing smiled. “In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony with you anymore, Sister Lian!”

Privately, Han Xiaoqing and her sister had discussed Sister Lian. Sister Lian had cared for both of them meticulously through their pregnancies, births, and postpartum recoveries.

Since Sister Lian intended to work for their family until she retired, the sisters had already agreed they would care for her together in the future.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.