Upon exiting the elevator, they were surprised to find Liang Minfeng had arrived before them. Was this the power of love? Or perhaps a man's sense of responsibility was a more fitting description.
Following the directions, they arrived at the ward. It was quite a lively scene inside. The small room, barely ten square meters, housed three mothers and their newborns. The sound of three babies crying was already overwhelming, and with the addition of family members, the already cramped room felt even more suffocating. To make matters worse, they had to share a single bathroom. Such a noisy environment was undoubtedly detrimental to postpartum recovery.
"Oldest Fourth, why didn't you get a private room?"
"How could I? So many people are giving birth these days, all the private rooms are fully booked!" Liang Minfeng certainly wanted a private room. It wasn't about the money; the issue was not knowing anyone to secure one.
"I'll think of something."
Li Haochen walked out and called Huo Xiaoyan. She was a former close colleague of his mother who had helped him quite a bit. Ling Hanfeng had also given her a push before leaving. Now a deputy director, she should be able to help with this.
"Haochen? What a surprise to hear from me, hehe!"
"Sister Yan, it's been a while. I need your help with something..."
"Oh, I was wondering what it was. Wait for me for a moment."
A few minutes later, Li Haochen received another call from Huo Xiaoyan. The matter was settled. Indeed, before Li Haochen could even re-enter the ward, three nurses approached to help them switch rooms. They were even moved to a deluxe ward with a companion room, much like a business suite in a hotel, boasting a superior environment.
"Oldest Third, thanks!"
"Don't be silly, you shouldn't talk like that to me. Watch out, or I'll smack you."
"Alright, Oldest Fourth, stop being sentimental. Hurry inside and take good care of your wife and son. We're going to grab something to eat and will bring some back for you."
Indeed, it was getting late, and everyone was hungry. Fortunately, they were close to a pedestrian street, making it convenient to find food. Leaving Liang Minfeng alone to attend to things was fine. The deluxe ward wasn't just a name; it came with one-on-one nursing and care. Otherwise, it wouldn't be worth 1200 yuan a day! Therefore, they left with peace of mind to get something to eat.
Liang Minfeng hadn't eaten either, so Li Haochen and the others didn't order from a restaurant. They simply bought a few meal sets from Zhen Kungfu to tide them over. By the time they returned, Murong Yanran was already in the ward, along with delicious and appetizing dishes. She was currently enjoying her meal heartily.
Li Haochen looked at the two meals in his hands. It seemed a waste to discard them, so he turned and walked out to hand them to the two nurses who had helped. Of course, he didn't make the foolish statement that he wasn't eating them.
"Two beautiful ladies, thank you for your hard work. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I just grabbed these. Please don't mind."
The two nurses were taken aback. They had received red envelopes after working as deluxe ward nurses for so long, but this was the first time someone had brought them meals. However, it was a gesture of goodwill, and they were hungry, so they happily accepted.
By the afternoon, Zhang Guifang's complexion had improved considerably. She was already able to chat and laugh with everyone. Natural childbirth was indeed different from a cesarean section; recovery was much faster.
The group didn't linger too long. After all, she had just given birth and needed plenty of rest. After giving a generous red envelope, they all left the hospital.
In the car, Murong Yanran couldn't help but cast envious glances and then looked eagerly at Li Haochen. "How about we go see a Chinese medicine practitioner?"
"Uh, alright."
Li Haochen understood her thoughts and decided to go along with her.
The next day, Murong Yanran took the day off and specifically dragged Li Haochen to see Liu Min, a renowned traditional Chinese medicine master in Binhai.
Liu Min placed his hands on their wrists, felt their pulses, and observed their tongues and eyes, eschewing the tedious examinations common in Western hospitals.
He also asked Li Haochen and Murong Yanran a few questions, even touching upon their marital relations, which made them blush with embarrassment.
"Your condition is due to constitutional liver exuberance, excessive repression, anxiety, and impatience, leading to liver qi disharmony and imbalanced blood circulation, hindering conception. Insufficient spleen and kidney function, coupled with insufficient Ying blood, fails to nourish the liver, resulting in liver qi stagnation and infertility...
I will prescribe a formula for you to regulate the liver and spleen and strengthen your foundation. You will get better, so there's no need to worry excessively. Also, try to relax. Many cases of infertility are caused by the anxiety stemming from an excessive desire to conceive. Take some time to go for walks and clear your mind."
The doctor's explanation was profound and esoteric, leaving them feeling lost in a fog. They couldn't quite grasp the meaning. However, the latter part of his advice was understandable, echoing what other doctors had said – that there was essentially nothing wrong, and it was merely a matter of impatience.
This Chinese medicine was not cheap; each dose cost over 200 yuan, and he prescribed a month's supply. This was just the first stage of conditioning, and they would need to return for follow-up consultations for adjustments or additions based on their progress.
As soon as they got home, Murong Yanran eagerly took the Chinese herbs into the kitchen to decoct them. Once the water boiled, the smell was so pungent it made them want to vomit.
Thinking about having to drink it later, Li Haochen shivered uncontrollably and quickly went to the refrigerator to find some candied dates as a backup.
Two hours later, Murong Yanran, pinching her nose, brought out the decocted medicine. It was dark and cloudy, emitting waves of bitterness that made his stomach churn.
"It's so hot. Drink it later. You should go take a bath. You smell of the firewood used for decocting and the medicinal aroma."
"Yes, it's quite smelly." Murong Yanran sniffed and agreed it was unpleasant. She then added, "I'll take a bath after you drink it."
Hearing the first half, Li Haochen was delighted. Once she went upstairs, he could say whatever he wanted about whether he had drunk the medicine, hehe... But as soon as he heard the second half, he deflated instantly. It seemed there was no escaping it, so he had no choice but to pinch his nose and gulp it down.
"Alright, don't make such a long face. How bad can it be? Just tilt your head back and drink it. I'll give you a chicken leg afterward,嘻嘻!"
Li Haochen's mouth twitched, and he gave her a sideways glance, thinking, "Try it yourself if it smells this bad?"
He downed the herbal soup in three to five seconds and then popped a few candied dates into his mouth. Before he could even taste the sweetness, his entire tongue was overwhelmed by the intense bitterness, nearly making him gag. Fortunately, the sweetness of the dates emerged after a dozen seconds, and it took a while for the bitter taste to finally dissipate from his taste buds.
Considering this was only the first day, and there were 29 more days to go, the thought filled Li Haochen with dread.
Seeing that he had finished the herbal soup, Murong Yanran, overjoyed, went to take a bath.
While the herbal soup was indeed bitter, it seemed to have some effect. Not long after drinking it, Li Haochen felt a slight warmth throughout his body. He dared not indulge too much, as the lingering back pain from last night was still quite unpleasant.