Qin Junyao safely gave birth to a daughter, which was the biggest joyous occasion for the Zhao family this year.
Everyone in the Zhao family was beaming with happiness.
Only Qin Junyao, feeding her baby indoors, winced in pain. Did newborns have such strength when nursing?
She was already changed into her clothes and semi-reclining, with a bright red "little monkey" latched onto her chest, its features contorted as it suckled.
"Liu Rong, have the wet nurse's tips been given? Hiss~"
Liu Rong stirred the soup bowl. "Madam, the Old Madam Qin has already given the tips."
"Then tell Steward Sun that everyone's monthly wages will be doubled this month, and move those two pots of tea trees from the side hall to this room."
"Thank you, Madam. Madam, let the wet nurse feed her," Liu Rong suggested, looking up and seeing the pained expression on Qin Junyao's face.
Qin Junyao carefully touched her daughter's forehead. "I'll feed her myself first. If she's not satisfied, I'll find a wet nurse. Where are my mother and grandmother?"
"Madam Qin has gone down the mountain to spread the good news, and Old Madam Qin has gone to the ancestral hall to offer incense."
As they were talking, Grandma Qin entered the room. She warmed herself by the entrance before绕ing around the screen to approach Qin Junyao.
"Yaoyao, the incense burning went very well. Although my great-granddaughter is a bit thin, she will surely be as fair and plump as her fourth uncle in the future."
Qin Junyao thought of her daughter being so plump that her eyes were hidden, like little Fourth Ox, and shook her head. That wouldn't do.
"Grandmother, it's not necessary to be as plump as Fourth Ox. She, hiss," Qin Junyao felt a pain in her chest and couldn't help but gasp.
"What's wrong?" Grandma Qin tried to peek at her great-granddaughter through the inner garment Qin Junyao was wearing, drawn by her gasp.
"It hurts when she sucks."
"Is there no more milk? Try the other side. The milk is less in the first few days. Why are you covering yourself so tightly?"
Qin Junyao ignored Grandma Qin's words and shifted her daughter's position, pulling at her inner garment.
"Really, where haven't I seen? Little Hammer needs to eat well. Only by eating well can she grow. If you had eaten more earlier, wouldn't she be plumper? She's only five jin, so small."
Grandma Qin stretched out her palm, gesturing the length of her great-granddaughter, not much longer than her palm.
Qin Junyao felt a bit uncomfortable. "She's so small, yet she tortured me for two hours. If she were bigger, she might have taken my life. Besides, I've been regularly seeing Doctor Sheng for pulse-taking, and she was always very healthy in my womb."
"You're always right. You and your second aunt ate about the same. Your second aunt lies down after eating, while you walk around after eating. You," Grandma Qin saw Qin Junyao's expression becoming increasingly wronged and realized her mistake, gently patting her own mouth.
"It's right that you move around. Your mother took six hours to give birth to you, and that was her second child, yet it was still so difficult. You're doing the right thing."
"Right," Grandma Qin finished and didn't forget to give Qin Junyao a thumbs-up.
Qin Junyao lowered her head, looking at the daughter in her arms, reminding herself not to overthink. Her hormones were currently unbalanced, which would affect her mood. She had to restrain herself.
Postpartum depression wasn't understood here; they might even call her fussy. For her daughter, she had to be strong.
After Little Hammer was full, she closed her eyes and slept. Qin Junyao gently placed her beside her and took the chicken soup from Liu Rong.
Soon, Mother Qin and Second Aunt Qin came over. Grandma Qin stopped the three Qin brothers from entering. The child was too small to withstand disturbances, and every opening and closing of the door would let in cold air.
"Sister-in-law, our granddaughter is truly beautiful. Look at her long eyes, she'll definitely have big eyes. Her little nose is round, and look at her little mouth. Oh my, how pretty she is!"
Second Aunt Qin couldn't take her eyes off Little Hammer. She desperately wanted a daughter. Such a small creature, how adorable.
Unlike her son, that little bull calf, who was less than three months old and already weighed almost twenty jin, heavy to hold.