"Dad, how do you think Wu Jia compares to you?" Guo Xuyang asked.
"She does much better than I did."
"Would you like Wu Jia to come help you when she's back?"
"That would be great. She's so much better than all of you. You all just eat and don't think about doing anything."
"I don't know how, that's why I'm finding someone for you now. You'll have to train her well."
"She doesn't need any training from me. Not only is the young lady beautiful, but she's also an excellent cook."
"Indeed. Don't girls nowadays need to be capable of both hosting guests and managing the kitchen?"
"I haven't seen anyone else come to help me," Guo Yixiang said.
"That's because they don't know how, so they don't dare to show off in front of you. With Wu Jia around, you can finally rest."
"Then you better not mistreat the young lady."
"Absolutely, Dad."
As the three were talking, Wu Shangqing came down carrying the baby Guo Yishun.
"I could smell the aroma from upstairs. Why is it so fragrant today?"
"I didn't make this. It's this young lady."
Guo Yixiang pointed at Wu Jia.
"Who are you?" Wu Shangqing asked, puzzled.
"Mom, this is Wu Jia. She just arrived this afternoon. Aren't Li Xiaolu and Gao Yuan overwhelmed? I've hired two more nurses to help. Wu Jia is a good cook, so she's come to help Dad." Guo Xuyang quickly explained.
"Wu Jia? The young lady's cooking is good. I smelled it from upstairs," Wu Shangqing said.
"Thank you for the compliment, Auntie," Wu Jia replied quickly.
"Sit down, don't stand. Yangzi, get that high chair for Da Bao," Wu Shangqing said as she sat down.
Wu Jia hurried over with the high chair and placed the baby Guo Yishun into it.
"Aaaah..." Baby Guo Yishun kicked his little legs and cried.
"Be good, baby. Auntie will serve your meal." Wu Jia bent down to get Baby Guo Yishun's bowl and chopsticks.
"I'll do it. You sit first," Guo Xuyang said.
"No need. I didn't know we had another Da Bao at home. If I had known, I would have made some vegetable congee too," Wu Jia said.
"Give him some mutton soup, then pick out a few pieces of lamb for him. He loves soup, but the lamb needs to be chewed finely for him. Let my mother do that; others can't feed him."
"He can eat lamb?" Wu Jia asked, a little surprised.
"Yes. He loves it. This lamb is special, imported from abroad, and it melts in your mouth. Da Bao can eat a little. Serve him some of those seafood dishes too, just one tablespoon of each is enough for him."
"That's not enough," Wu Shangqing interjected.
"Da Bao's appetite has grown. He drinks at least four bottles of milk a day and eats solid food as well."
"It's good that he can eat and grow. Why hasn't Iliana come down yet?"
"The women are chatting in Iliana's room."
"But they need to eat. They can't just chat and forget about eating," Guo Xuyang said.
"You don't need to worry about that. They'll be down soon. Today's mealtime is a few minutes earlier than usual. They always come down on time."
"They're all so lazy, can't they come down earlier to help Dad with some chores?" Guo Xuyang was a bit annoyed hearing Wu Shangqing.
"Just say a few less words. They are all pregnant now, and even if they came down, they couldn't help. It's good enough that they come down to eat on time. Let's eat first; we don't need to wait for them. Whoever comes down eats. Whoever finishes last washes the dishes." Wu Shangqing said, picking up a piece of lamb, chewing it, and feeding it to Da Bao.
"Auntie, it's unhygienic for you to feed Da Bao like that," Wu Jia said quickly upon seeing it.
"I've always fed Da Bao like this. How is it unhygienic?" Wu Shangqing replied while feeding.
"Auntie, please don't be angry with me for saying this. It's mainly because adults' mouths have various types of bacteria. Children are still too young. If you feed them improperly, it can cause oral thrush, and in severe cases, it can be life-threatening for the child."
"Are you telling the truth?"
"Yes. Our hospital has handled such cases before. It was because the grandmother fed the baby, and he got infected with thrush, leading to a high fever. Fortunately, he was rushed to the hospital in time; otherwise, the consequences would have been dire."
"That serious?"
"Yes. Now, when feeding babies, it's best to give them liquids or pureed fruits and vegetables. If you're feeding them meat, it's best to mince the meat finely with a knife. This way, the baby can absorb it more easily."
"You're a professional, so I believe what you say. However, we elders have always fed children this way." Wu Shangqing said.
"You are right. In the past, there were many children, and there weren't as many conditions to do these things. Nowadays, we have fewer children, and the family conditions allow for it. So, if you feed Da Bao again, I suggest mincing all meat dishes before feeding him."
"Alright, we'll discuss this tomorrow. Today, I must finish feeding Da Bao." Wu Shangqing said, feeding him another mouthful.
Wu Jia felt quite speechless, but she knew it was inappropriate to say more, so she simply kept quiet.
"The young lady just said something, and you're still doing it. Isn't that not good?" Guo Yixiang said.
"Didn't I say tomorrow? The food is already prepared; how can I mince it for Da Bao now?" Wu Shangqing said unhappily.
"Fine. You have the final say. Wu Jia, please eat quickly and ignore your auntie."
"Yes, Wu Jia, you eat first. You can take over from Yang Bin later so she can come down for a meal," Guo Xuyang said.
"Should I take it up to Sister-in-law first? We'll come down to eat later," Wu Jia said.
"No need. It's too hot; she won't be able to drink it. Let's eat first, and then we'll switch," Guo Xuyang said, then dialed Yang Bin's number.
"Yang Bin, come down for dinner first. The food is ready."
"Okay, I'm coming down right away," Yang Bin replied.
"Sister Xiao Xi, Mr. Guo said the meal is ready. What would you like to eat? I can bring it up to you."
"You go down first. I just had a bowl of porridge and I'm not hungry yet," Li Minxi said.
"If you get hungry later, just ask Yangzi to cook for you."
"That's fine too. If you're hungry later, tell me, and I'll cook for you."
"You can cook too?"
"Yes. I learned at the postpartum care center; it's all about nutritional meals for mothers and babies."
"You are all so capable, all of you can cook, much better than us."
"It's all due to the environment; even if you don't know how, you'll learn by being around it," Yang Bin said with a smile.
"It should be said that the environment shapes people. Then you should go down and eat. Come back up to chat with me after you're done," Li Minxi said.
"Okay, Sister Xiao Xi. I'll head down then."
"Go ahead. I'm going to sleep a bit longer." Li Minxi waved her hand.
She didn't know why, but she felt drowsy ever since returning from the hospital. Little did she know, the baby in her belly was affecting her sleep; it was all because the baby was keeping her restless.