Little Guo Yishun, with his big, round eyes, began looking from one person to another.
"Mom, look how energetic he is, peeking at everything," Li Minxi said while playing with the baby.
"At this age, babies' eyes aren't fully developed; they can only see outlines. He's just woken up and is full of energy," replied Wu Shangqing.
"Look, he's listening to you," Li Minxi added.
Indeed, Little Guo Yishun was staring intently at Wu Shangqing, as if he understood her words.
"He can hear us now, but he might not understand. You can try to play with him, make his eyes follow your finger," Wu Shangqing advised.
Li Minxi extended her finger in front of the baby's eyes and slowly moved it to the left. The baby's eyes followed to the left. She then moved her finger to the right, and the baby's eyes followed to the right.
"Mom, look. He can see. It's so much fun."
"You've got a new toy now. You can help me look after the baby from now on," Guo Xuyang said, standing nearby.
"Of course, I'm his mother, aren't I? You don't need to worry about this," Li Minxi retorted.
"If you can truly treat the baby as your son," Guo Xuyang said.
"How could that be fake? He is our son, after all, right?" Li Minxi pulled the other women into her argument. Guo Xuyang had no grounds to object, as they were all his women.
"Since the son has your help in taking care of him, I don't have to worry about Mom getting tired. I can rest a bit too. Yu'er, let's go out for a bit and buy some food," Guo Xuyang said.
"I'm going too," Li Minxi declared, unwilling to be left behind.
"Aren't you supposed to be helping to take care of our son? We'll be right back," Guo Xuyang said.
"There are so many people here, I don't need to help," Li Minxi replied.
"When you go out, remember to bring back something juicy for Yilianna; it will help with her milk production," Wu Shangqing instructed.
"Okay, Mom. Xiaoyun, call Liu He and ask him to prepare some nourishing soups and dishes for new mothers. I'll take them to pick them up later," Guo Xuyang told Xiaoyun.
"You go ahead. I'll call him right away," Xiaoyun said, dialing the phone.
"Manager Liu, please arrange for the chef to make a soup and dish to help with milk production. Yangzi will pick it up later. Okay, it should be ready in about half an hour. Thank you, goodbye!"
"Manager Liu said it should be ready in about half an hour," Xiaoyun said after hanging up.
"Alright. We'll go now, and we can bring your food back with us," Guo Xuyang said, turning to leave the room. Li Minxi and Yu'er followed closely behind.
Before they reached the hospital lobby, they saw Wu Youzhi's wife, Wu Aili, coming down from upstairs.
"Sister-in-law, what a coincidence. What brings you here?"
Wu Aili was walking with her head down and only realized it was Guo Xuyang when she heard him call out.
"Brother, what are you doing here? I came for a check-up."
"Yilianna gave birth today. We came this morning."
"Yilianna gave birth? So soon? A boy or a girl? How much did he weigh?"
"A boy, seven jin and eight liang."
"Congratulations, congratulations. That's quite a substantial baby. Yilianna must have gone through a lot of hardship, right?"
"It was a natural birth. She didn't suffer too much."
"It's good that both mother and child are safe. When are you planning to have the celebration banquet?"
"After the New Year."
"Make sure to let us know when the time comes. Don't forget," Wu Aili said.
"We won't forget. President Wu should be back from Kyoto by then. How was your check-up?"
"The doctor said I'm pregnant, but they couldn't tell if it's a single or multiple pregnancy. They said it's too early to tell and I need to come back for a follow-up later," Wu Aili said happily.
"Then congratulations, sister-in-law."
"Thank you. If it weren't for you, we would probably still be worried."
"You're welcome, it was just a small favor. Has President Wu been informed?"
"I just finished the check-up. I haven't had a chance to call him yet."
"You should inform President Wu about this as soon as possible. If President Wu finds out, he might rush back today."
"It's the twenty-seventh today, and he should be returning. However, he called a couple of days ago saying he wouldn't start his journey back until the morning of the thirtieth. Business has been too good these past few days."
"When I returned, I asked President Wu, and he said he'd try to work a few more days before the New Year and take holidays after. He wants to sell more before the end of the year."
"That's how business works. During busy times, these few days are crucial. Some businesses earn their entire year's income during this period."
"I don't really understand these things. It's all thanks to President Wu and President Pi helping with the work."
"You've been busy with the important matters. Old Wu said that if you hadn't found so many good materials outside, we wouldn't have been able to earn so much this year."
"It was also good luck. I selected quite a few good materials. Good materials are becoming increasingly scarce now."
"Old Wu earned more last year than in previous years. It's fortunate you helped."
"It's a win-win cooperation. I only select materials; carving and marketing are up to President Wu and the others."
"What floor is Yilianna on? I'll go and see the baby."
"They are on the second floor. Let Xiaoxi take you there. I need to go get Yilianna's meal," Guo Xuyang said.
"I can go by myself. The second floor is easy to find."
"Sister-in-law, how did you get here?"
"I took a taxi."
"Then let's go up together. I'll give you a ride back later."
"It won't delay getting Yilianna's meal, will it?"
"It's fine. I've already called the restaurant. It will be ready when we get there, and it will be quick."
"Then let's go up and take a look."
When the four of them arrived at the ward, Yilianna was breastfeeding the baby. Those present had seen Wu Aili at Guo Xuhui's wedding. They were surprised that Wu Aili had come to see the baby.
"Mom, we saw Sister-in-law downstairs just now. She came for a check-up. She heard that Yilianna gave birth and came over."
"Auntie, congratulations. Congratulations on the arrival of your robust grandson," Wu Aili said.
"Congratulations to you too. It's all thanks to Yilianna."
"The baby is so cute. He looks like Yangzi. He'll surely be a handsome man when he grows up."
"Yes. This baby has inherited the best traits from both of them, a perfect blend," Wu Shangqing said.
"Today is a special occasion, and I didn't bring any gifts. I'll leave this small item for the baby," Wu Aili said, taking out a jade pendant carved into a Guan Yin statue.
"This is too much," Wu Shangqing said, trying to refuse.
"Auntie, this has been blessed. I specifically went to the temple to pray for it to protect the baby and ensure his healthy growth."
"Thank you so much."
"Auntie, I'll take my leave now. Yilianna, take good care of yourself. I'm heading back," Wu Aili said, walking out of the room. Wu Shangqing and the others saw her off at the stairwell.
"Auntie, you should be careful on your way back."
"Okay, you all take care."
By the time Guo Xuyang escorted Wu Aili home and arrived at Junyue, Liu He had already packed six dishes into food containers.