TIPS – Chapter 88

Yang Shi heard her eldest grandson crying and immediately picked him up, heart aching, as she paced around the room soothing him.

“Oh, oh, don’t cry, don’t cry, baby, don’t cry…”

Song Jingwei glanced at the bowl of soup in front of him, then at Shen Junxi. His gaze was clear and easy to understand.

“….” Shen Junxi sighed, picked up his wife’s bowl of sweet vinegar pig’s trotters soup, pinched his nose, and took several large gulps.

Song Jingwei resigned himself to fate. He never expected Shen Junxi to drink all of it for him anyway. He first finished the huángjiǔ soup, then tackled the remaining more-than-half bowl of sweet vinegar pig’s trotters soup.

“You eat the pig’s trotter and the egg,” he whispered to Shen Junxi, looking at the lone piece of pig’s trotter and a single egg left in the bowl.

“…” Shen Junxi pulled a bitter face, glanced at his wife, then furtively at Yang Shi. Eating was different from drinking soup—if he helped his wife eat, his mother would definitely notice. He gestured, “Mother will know. It won’t work.” If that happened, Yang Shi would surely keep an even closer watch, forcing Song Jingwei to drink all the soup himself—completely counterproductive.

Song Jingwei understood this as well, but he was already so full he felt like throwing up.

“Rest for a bit, then eat later.” Shen Junxi felt bad for his wife. If this were during his peak appetite period, eating wouldn’t have been a problem. But ever since the baby was born, Song Jingwei’s appetite had shrunk. He simply couldn’t eat as much anymore.

“If I have to eat like this every day, I won’t survive.” Song Jingwei leaned weakly against the bed, sighing. “You’d better figure something out, or I’ll make you drink it all every day.”

“…” Shen Junxi shuddered at the thought of that taste, his stomach turning. He hesitantly gestured, “I’ll talk to Mother, but she might not listen.” Though his mother was gentle, she was stubborn about certain things—no one could talk her out of them.

“That’s not my problem. If the portion doesn’t shrink, you’re drinking it.” Song Jingwei touched his still slightly plump belly and firmly decided he wouldn’t eat that piece of pig’s trotter or the egg.

After a long silence, Shen Junxi gestured, “What about these? Are you really not eating them?”

Song Jingwei let out a cold chuckle, his meaning clear.

His wife’s expression was terrifying, and Shen Junxi dared not push further. He hesitantly suggested, “Then… I’ll secretly give them to Xiao Hei.” Thankfully, their family wasn’t relying solely on him to handle the excess—there was also Xiao Hei, their dog.

“Go ahead. Just don’t let your mother catch you.” Song Jingwei finally relaxed a little.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi let out a relieved breath. He was truly afraid of his wife’s cold smile.

From that day on, Song Jingwei’s meals were split into three portions—one he ate himself, one he forced Shen Junxi to eat, and the last went to Xiao Hei. Xiao Hei, of course, was more than happy with this arrangement.

That night, since Yang Shi couldn’t stay to take care of the baby, all responsibilities fell on Shen Junxi. He had to wake up in the middle of the night to feed the baby and keep an eye on both father and son. At the slightest sound, he had to be ready to help.

The baby refused to sleep, insisting on being held and rocked.

Song Jingwei had little patience. “Put him on the bed. He’ll stop crying once he’s tired.”

Shen Junxi shook his head and continued to cradle the baby, pacing the room. He gestured to Song Jingwei, “You should rest, or you’ll have a headache tomorrow.” He had seen what happened when Song Jingwei didn’t rest well—it was miserable.

“Do whatever you want, then.” Song Jingwei had only said that out of concern, seeing that Shen Junxi had barely slept all night. Since Shen Junxi said it was fine, he wouldn’t interfere.

After Song Jingwei fell asleep, Shen Junxi rocked the baby even more gently, and eventually, the baby dozed off. Worried about waking his wife, he carefully placed the baby on his own bed. By the time everything was settled, it was already past midnight. He lay down and caught a short nap.

At dawn, the baby cried again. This time, Shen Junxi was in deep sleep and didn’t wake up immediately.

Song Jingwei, woken by the noise, groaned with a headache. “See what he’s crying about now.”

Once Shen Junxi woke up, he sleepily checked and found that the baby had wet himself. He gestured, “It’s nothing, he just peed. I’ll change his diaper.”

They had prepared everything in advance, so Shen Junxi swiftly changed the baby into a fresh diaper.

After the baby stopped crying, he handed him to Song Jingwei and gestured, “I’ll go wash the diaper. Watch him for a bit.”

“Mm.” Song Jingwei held the now-silent little bundle, feeling exasperated. So this was how exhausting caring for a baby was? As someone who had trouble sleeping, how was he supposed to get through this? He poked the baby’s tiny nose and murmured, “Little guy, be good, alright? Don’t cry all the time.”

The baby blinked and gave a tiny, elegant yawn before falling asleep. If only he could be this obedient at night.

When Shen Junxi returned after washing the diaper, he saw Song Jingwei holding the baby, dark circles under his eyes. His heart ached. Gently, he took the baby from his wife and gestured, “Sleep a little longer. I’ll hold him.”

Song Jingwei shook his head and said, “He’s asleep. Put him on the bed and get some rest yourself.”

Shen Junxi looked down at the baby, who was indeed asleep, his little face peaceful and adorable—completely different from the fussy troublemaker of the previous night. With a doting smile, he gestured, “It’s still early. I’ll sleep with him. You should get some rest too.”

At last, the three of them managed to catch some proper sleep as dawn broke.

It was only the first night, but Song Jingwei already felt like he had stepped into a life of pure exhaustion. With so many sleepless nights ahead, he didn’t dare imagine how he would survive.

Meanwhile, the baby’s grandmother, Yang Shi, had spent the entire night worrying. As soon as she saw Shen Junxi stepping out in the morning, she rushed in to check on the baby.

“How was last night? Was the baby easy to handle?” she asked, peeking at the still-sleeping child from the bedside.

“Not really. He cried a lot at night.”

Song Jingwei had just woken up. He had asked Shen Junxi to fetch him some warm water to freshen up, and now his stomach was growling. The baby would likely wake up soon, hungry for milk.

“That’s how newborns are. He’ll get better in time.” Yang Shi smiled. Noticing how tired her daughter-in-law looked, she sighed, “If he cries, just let his father hold him and soothe him. You need your rest.”

“Of course. He was the one holding him last night.” Song Jingwei admitted honestly. He wasn’t afraid to let Yang Shi know that Shen Junxi had done all the work.

“As he should! Your health is the priority. You can’t afford to be sleep-deprived.” Yang Shi sighed. “Once the baby gets a little older, it’ll be much easier. For now, you just have to endure it for a while.”

“Mm.” Song Jingwei nodded.

While he was having breakfast, the baby woke up and immediately started crying. Yang Shi quickly picked him up to feed him and called Shen Dongming over to help. As a result, Shen Junxi ended up taking care of Song Jingwei’s meal while the grandparents tended to their eldest grandson. The whole family bustled around the father and son pair, busy yet full of warmth.

As for naming the baby, Shen Dongming held his grandson in his arms and said, “I’ve already told you before—the baby’s name is up to you two. We’ll just pick a nickname for him.”

Yang Shi agreed. “Yes, let Jingwei decide on the formal name.” She looked at Song Jingwei with complete trust.

Song Jingwei said, “Junxi has already chosen a name for him.”

Hearing that their son had picked the name, the grandparents beamed with joy. “What is it? Tell us!”

Shen Junxi smiled and pulled out a neatly written piece of paper from the drawer. On it, he had carefully written two characters: Shen Chang (沈畅). He handed it to his mother.

“Shen… what?” Shen Dongming could only recognize the character Shen (沈). He thought the second character looked elegant but wasn’t sure what it meant.

“It’s Chang (畅), as in shuchang (舒畅), meaning smooth and carefree.” Song Jingwei explained.

“That’s a great name! It sounds like a lucky one.” Yang Shi peered over and also found it both meaningful and well-written.

Shen Junxi nodded with a bright smile and gestured, “This is the name my wife and I both agreed on.”

The elderly couple chuckled, saying, “That’s wonderful! A great name, indeed!”

With the formal name settled, they moved on to picking a nickname.

“What should his nickname be?” they wondered aloud.

Shen Junxi, knowing his wife’s concerns, quickly gestured, “Anything is fine, as long as it’s not Tiedan (Iron Egg), Goudan (Dog Egg), or Erwazi (Second Baby).”

The elders burst into laughter. “Of course, of course! We’ll pick something cute and pleasant.”

After some thought, Shen Dongming suggested, “How about Zhuangzhuang? He looks like a strong and sturdy baby, and we want him to grow up healthy.”

Yang Shi had another idea. “Since his father was called Benben (Silly) as a child, how about we call the baby Congcong (Smart)?”

Shen Dongming frowned. “His father was nicknamed Benben when he was young, and he grew up smart. If we call the baby Congcong now, are you hoping he’ll turn silly later?”

Yang Shi was taken aback by the logic and had to reconsider. “Then what do you suggest?”

“Hmm… Since Junxi was called Benben as a child, why not call the baby Benben too? That way, he’ll grow up smart like his father!” Shen Dongming reasoned confidently.

“Is that really a good idea?” Yang Shi hesitated.

“Why not? We stopped calling Junxi Benben when he turned seven, anyway.”

“Well… if that’s the case…” Yang Shi turned to Song Jingwei. “Jingwei, what do you think?”

Song Jingwei glanced at the “big Benben” beside him and had no objections. “Sounds good to me. It’s a cute name.”

Shen’s parents laughed and decided, “Then it’s settled. The baby’s nickname will be Benben.” Shen Dongming looked down at his eldest grandson and grinned. “Little Benben, grow up strong and tall, and take the imperial exam like your father did.”

They made the decision entirely on their own, without asking for Shen Junxi’s opinion.

Shen Junxi only smiled and didn’t mind at all. He was willing to be the one with the lowest status in the family, doing the most work, and he had no complaints whatsoever. He felt that his life was wonderful as it was. Instead of feeling discontent, he was always grateful, hoping that this happiness would continue unchanged.

Meanwhile, Yang Shi’s maternal family received the letter and rushed over without delay. Feng Shi brought Yang Shuisheng and his wife, arriving the next evening just in time for the baby’s three-day-wash ceremony the following day.

Feng Shi hadn’t visited Chashan Village in years. She remembered that her daughter’s in-laws’ home wasn’t in this location before, nor was it such an impressive, large house.

“Mother, this is a newly built house,” Yang Shi explained while leading them inside. “Our old house is still over there, but now it’s empty since no one lives in it.” They had initially considered selling it, but Song Jingwei had suggested keeping it—just in case it might be useful someday.

So they had kept it. After all, they had lived there for many years, and despite its poor condition and bad location, they still had some attachment to it.

“This house is huge! How much did it cost?” Feng Shi touched the walls, examined the furniture, and couldn’t help but comment, “How many people are in your family? Do you even need such a big house? What a waste of money.”

“It did cost quite a bit,” Yang admitted with a smile. “But my daughter-in-law likes living in a spacious home. He designed it himself. We also find it beautiful and comfortable to live in.”

“…” Feng Shi fell silent when she heard mention of that daughter-in-law. Since they were wealthy, they naturally didn’t need to worry about money. Still, she couldn’t help but say, “Having money is good, but you must also know how to live wisely.”

Yang Shi only smiled, nodding without arguing. She then turned to her brother and sister-in-law, warmly welcoming them, “Shuisheng, sister-in-law, don’t be shy. We’re all family.”

Yang Shuisheng and his wife, Lei Xiaocheng, were stepping into his sister’s house for the first time, feeling somewhat uneasy. They had never expected their sister’s family to have become so wealthy.

Yang Shuisheng still remembered how, in the past, his second sister had lived in poverty. Otherwise, their mother wouldn’t have ignored her for over twenty years. It seemed that their wealth had come recently, which was why their mother had suddenly reconnected with her.

After setting down their things and having some tea, Feng Shi finally said, “Let’s go see my great-grandson.”

Yang checked the time. It was almost time for the baby and his little father to eat dinner, so she nodded, “Alright, we’ll see them first and then have them eat dinner.”

So, Feng Shi led her son and daughter-in-law, following Yang Shi in a grand procession to Song Jingwei’s courtyard. Inside, Song Jingwei was watching as Shen Junxi changed the baby’s diaper. The little one had just pooped and had cried his lungs out.

“So that’s why he was crying so loudly,” Shen Junxi said with a gentle smile, gesturing as he changed the diaper with great care. Their son was truly a little genius, very clever even at such a young age.

“He just drinks milk; how does he poop so much?” Song Jingwei wrinkled his nose, though he didn’t really mind.

“Even babies who drink milk still have to go.” Knowing how much Song Jingwei liked cleanliness, Shen Junxi kept his explanation brief.

After making sure their little son was clean and fresh again, Shen Junxi handed him back to his little father. He gestured, “He’ll probably want to eat soon. I’ll go ask Mother to come feed him and bring your dinner as well.”

Song Jingwei leaned in to sniff his son. He smelled nice and clean now. “Make sure to serve half portions. If there’s too much, you can eat the rest.”

Shen Junxi smiled helplessly and was just about to leave when there was a knock on the door.

It was Yang Shi’s voice. “Jingwei, Xi’er, your grandmother and uncle are here.”

Just in time. Shen Junxi went to open the door.

Yang Shi beamed as she introduced them. “This is my son.” Then she turned to Shen Junxi. “Xi’er, this is your grandmother, your uncle, and your uncle’s wife.”

Shen Junxi greeted them one by one with a polite yet warm smile.

“This is Xi’er? He’s grown so much,” Feng Shi said, recalling that the last time she had visited Chashan Village, Yang Shi had been pregnant. This must be that child.

“Yes, it’s been more than twenty years. Of course, the child has grown up.” Yang Shi smiled and invited everyone inside. Then she turned to her son. “Your grandmother and uncle came to see your wife and baby. Go let Jingwei know.”

“Alright.” That was necessary, so Shen Junxi immediately went inside.

Behind the screen, Feng Shi and the others couldn’t see what was inside, but just the exquisite layout of the outer room was enough to make their heads spin.

“Your daughter-in-law’s room is even more luxurious than your main hall,” Feng Shi remarked, her sharp eyes scanning the room and noting the abundance of fine things.

_{Is this another one of the troublemaker or just the troubled personality?}