Chapter 556
The Daily Life of a Stay-at-Home Dad
"crunch-"
The living room was quiet, with only the sound of heavy footsteps.
A pair of slender, fair hands reached out from the dimly lit living room.
The natural wood door, inlaid with stained glass, slowly opened to both sides, the gaps emitting a teeth-grinding scraping sound.
"Um?……"
Cheng Kaiyan turned her head to look at the place where the strange noise had come from.
Three metal hinges were nailed deep into the gap of the balcony door, the bottom one already showing some green rust.
"It's rained quite heavily these past few days, and this stuff has all rusted. I'll fix it later."
Cheng Kaiyan shook her head, not paying much attention.
These days, there's no such thing as enclosing a balcony; after being exposed to wind and rain, the door is bound to develop problems.
He carried two buckets, one large and one small, into the balcony.
I looked up and gazed into the distance.
On a dim early morning in early September, the sun had not yet risen.
Only two thin, light gray clouds were slowly floating above.
My gaze fell.
Across from us, the surface of Tuanjiehu Lake was shrouded in a misty haze.
The mist was like a woven gauze, wispy and fine.
A gentle lake breeze swept by, and the mist rose and fell silently as if it had a life of its own.
Before long, a cool breeze carried the dampness of the lake water, the unique gray smell of a rainy day, and the refreshing fragrance of the summer flowers blooming profusely on the balcony.
Everything enveloped Cheng Kaiyan's face like a gathering mist, dispelling his drowsiness upon waking and the lingering heat of the long summer night.
"call……"
Cheng Kaiyan breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling refreshed.
I breathed in some fresh air.
He placed the two buckets, one large and one small, filled with clothes, on the wooden shelf where flower pots were placed.
Pick up the clothes hanger and start hanging them out to dry.
First, there's a small white bucket, with a few small clothes scattered inside after being spun dry in the washing machine.
These naturally belong to my daughters; they were all changed yesterday.
Compared to him and Sister Xiaoli, the little ones' clothes were far too small.
After the washing machine finished washing and spinning, the clothes were curled up and still smaller than Cheng Kaiyan's palm.
"So cute..."
Thinking of her two beloved daughters, Cheng Kaiyan couldn't help but smile faintly. "Judging by the time, they should be waking up soon."
He picked up the clothes, shook them, and smoothed them out.
The full appearance of the clothes was then revealed: a beige pure cotton open-crotch bodysuit with short sleeves and short legs, perfect for summer.
The sleeves, trouser legs, and collar were all embroidered with delicate little flowers.
Xiaoli made these two items while she was pregnant.
Because they are twins, we need to prepare twice as many clothes as other families.
During her nine-plus months of pregnancy, Liu Xiaoli stayed at home and made more than twenty items, ranging from zero-year-olds to one- or two-year-olds.
In addition, my mother and mother-in-law also did a lot.
Even my aunt gave me a lot, but she didn't know how to cook them, so she bought them herself.
The group of people doted on Xiaozhi and Xixi to an extreme degree.
The two babies have clothes, tiger-head hats, tiger-head shoes, rattles and other small toys scattered around, so many that the house is almost overflowing.
Cheng Kaiyan had no choice but to buy a large wardrobe for the two of them separately and put it in the second bedroom.
Although there are many clothes, they are changed and washed frequently in the summer.
Luckily, we bought a washing machine at home a long time ago.
Otherwise, let alone taking care of the child, just washing diapers would be enough to keep Cheng Kaiyan busy.
"Splashing~~"
Thinking of this, Cheng Kaiyan couldn't help but smile and vigorously shook her clothes.
The fresh scent of laundry detergent immediately wafted in the air, along with a sweet, milky fragrance unique to babies.
They focused on hanging the clothes, and soon the entire balcony was piled high with their laundry.
"Bang bang—"
The wind picked up, and the metal clothes rack and the clothes drying rack on the balcony roof rattled together.
"Tsk tsk..."
Cheng Kaiyan was genuinely worried that all those clothes would collapse the clothes rack above.
He turned around, picked up the watering can, and watered the flowers.
Cheng Kaiyan's thoughts gradually rose and fell with the surface of the lake.
Today is September 9th.
Almost half a month has passed since the birth of Zhi Zi and Xi Xi on August 25th.
Well, now that I think about it...
Cheng Kaiyan then realized that the day the little ones were born...
August 25th, 1982 was the Qixi Festival!
Closer to home.
By September, the summer vacation was over, and universities in Beijing gradually started their new semester.
The dog days of summer have already begun.
Based on Cheng Kaiyan's many years of experience, this is the hottest time of year in the capital.
The entire city felt like it was under a giant steamer, constantly enveloped in the dry, sweltering heat.
At first, Cheng Kaiyan was worried that Xiaoli, who had just given birth, and her two little ones would not be able to withstand the high temperatures that often reached 37 or 38 degrees Celsius.
In addition, hospitals are crowded with people, and young children are more likely to get sick.
Therefore, after Cheng Kaiyan completed all the procedures and documents for the two children and confirmed that Xiaoli had recovered almost completely after a few days of rest in the hospital, she quickly took them home to escape the summer heat.
After all, there are several electric fans and a refrigerator at home, and there is a large lake nearby, so the temperature is relatively cool.
The day after I got home, it rained heavily for more than a week.
The cool and clear weather naturally dispelled Cheng Kaiyan's worries.
Little Gardenia and Sisi successfully navigated the most vulnerable two weeks after their birth during this rainy season.
"Time to prepare the formula..."
After watering the flowers, Cheng Kaiyan closed the door and went to the kitchen to make milk.
First, I boiled a kettle of water, then took the baby bottle and formula out of the refrigerator.
These two items were sent by my aunt. She said she had someone buy them from abroad.
These days, domestic milk powder production is less than 50,000 tons, and less than 15% of that is specifically for infants.
Insufficient production naturally leads to limited supply.
You need to get a special certificate from the local street office, and it's limited to one can per month, but even with a ticket, you're unlikely to be able to buy it.
The official price of a can of milk powder is two yuan, but it can be sold for three times that amount, to six or seven yuan a can.
For more than 90% of children, let alone milk powder, even brown sugar water is a luxury.
Many mothers who don't have enough breast milk or none at all have to borrow milk. If they can't borrow any, they have to use rice cereal, rice water, or flour paste as substitutes.
This resulted in many children suffering from rickets, anemia, and malnutrition.
These days, domestic milk powder formulas can hardly be described as scientifically formulated and nutritious; they're just powders made purely from milk.
Only Bright Dairy's milk powder has some added vitamins.
……
My own milk is certainly not enough, let alone for two children.
This shows how precious these imported milk powders are. Although her aunt didn't say who it was, Cheng Kaiyan could guess that it was probably Ning Qiuyue.
"We're even now..."
Cheng Kaiyan shook her head, cleaned the baby bottle, and poured in the correct amount of formula.
Finally, pour in cooled boiled water. Once the water is boiled, pour it into the baby bottle according to the specified ratio and shake vigorously.
He checked the temperature again, confirming it was around 40 or 50 degrees Celsius, before carrying the bottle into the bedroom.
"Whoohoo-"
The bedroom door was open, and a mosquito net curtain was nailed to the outside.
The room was quiet, with only the soft footsteps of Cheng Kaiyan and the whirring of the electric fan in the bedroom audible.
A corner of the curtain peeked out, and the light was dim.
Through the mosquito net curtain at the door, Cheng Kaiyan could vaguely see his wife sleeping peacefully on the large bed, and two petite figures curled up quietly in swaddling clothes on the small bed by the window.
They lived by the lake, which was cool, but one downside was that there were a lot of mosquitoes.
When Cheng Kaiyan first returned some time ago, she didn't notice this problem.
That evening, Xiaoli took the two little ones, Xiaozhi and Xiaoqianqian, back to their room to sleep after their bath.
Before long, the two of them were crying their eyes out, and nothing could soothe them.
This startled Cheng Kaiyan and Liu Xiaoli, who had just become parents and had little experience.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the daughters' delicate, porcelain-white skin had several small red bumps from mosquito bites.
That very night, Cheng Kaiyan repelled mosquitoes and installed screens on all the windows and doors in the house that could be opened.
That's good.
"Still not awake? Time for milk!"
Cheng Kaiyan pulled back the gauze curtain and walked quietly to the crib. The rich milky scent mixed with a faint floral fragrance was refreshing and delightful.
He gazed at the two little ones, who were fast asleep with their eyes closed, with tenderness and affection.
The two sisters are indeed twins; their faces are identical, and even their sleeping postures are the same.
Just like her mother, her little legs were stretched straight out, and even her little feet were pointed, with her toes touching the bottom of the blanket.
Two chubby little pink fists peeked out from under the blanket, clenched tightly, as if they still couldn't forget the umbilical cord.
Her rosy little lips were also pouting slightly, as if she were trying hard.
"Um...which one is Gardenia and which one is Sisi?"
Cheng Kaiyan looked at her daughters with tenderness in her eyes for a while, then gradually became troubled.
I can't tell them apart! I can't tell them apart!
I really can't tell!
It's easy to tell when they're first born.
After all, Zhi Zi's weight and size are both greater than Xi Xi's.
However, after birth, the baby's development speed is even faster.
Now, the two little ones have grown to be almost identical, making them difficult to distinguish with the naked eye.
"Time to get up and have some milk!"
Suddenly, an idea popped into Cheng Kaiyan's mind, and she randomly chose one of the two adorable little babies.
She stretched out her little finger and gently poked the soft little belly under the blanket.
One or two times...
Okay! Nothing happened!
This little one, who sleeps soundly and won't wake up until she's so hungry she cries, is Little Gardenia!
Cheng Kaiyan smiled gently, then poked the baby's tummy on the right and said softly, "Qianqian, time for milk~"
"Waaaaah~~"
Sisi's thick, long eyelashes fluttered twice, and her two dark, bright eyes lit up.
In an instant, Cheng Kaiyan felt the entire bedroom light up.
"Yaaaaah!!!"
Then, little Princess Sissi, who didn't have many eyebrows yet, frowned and glared angrily at Cheng Kaiyan. Her big, clear eyes were filled with dissatisfaction and resentment, and her little mouth was babbling in baby talk.
Anyway, they started waving their two little fists!
Cheng Kaiyan glanced at him and saw that the little guy looked very angry!
"Sisi~ What are you saying? Daddy doesn't understand."
Cheng Kaiyan smiled, reached out and picked up Qianqian, holding the pacifier to Qianqian's lips, "Come on! Now that you're awake, are you hungry? Have some milk!"
After this period of training, he has learned a series of skills commonly used by new fathers, such as holding and comforting babies.
"call……"
Xiaoxixi.
Well... Liu Yifei just rolled her eyes at him helplessly, her small mouth open as if she sighed.
Then she took the nipple in her mouth and began to drink the milk, sucking and slurping with her little mouth.
The milk flowed down the baby's throat and into the baby's tiny stomach.
It brings unparalleled satisfaction.
The warm, sweet taste of the breast milk immediately made Liu Yifei squint her big eyes with delight as she drank it with great relish.
Ok……
Regardless, it's still quite reliable.
Liu Yifei was drinking milk from a bottle when she glanced at Cheng Kaiyan out of the corner of her eye, thinking to herself.
Based on her limited observations during this period when she was lucid, this father was quite competent, attentive, patient, and never prioritized his career.
It truly means that he cherishes, protects, and spoils her and her younger sister in his heart.
The kind of person who can't bear to cause even the slightest harm.
"Dad?"
Liu Yifei raised her head, her bright and clear eyes meeting those beautiful eyes.
Those eyes were filled with tenderness and affection.
Liu Yifei loosened one of her small hands and gently touched the arm that was firmly protecting her.
She savored the warmth from her tender palms and the pleasant scent of her father.
She gradually came to accept her father in this world.
"He is a qualified... father."
She drank the milk quickly, and as soon as she finished, a wave of drowsiness washed over her again.
This is a bodily instinct that even an adult's will cannot resist.
Sleep is extremely important for babies during their developmental stage.
Cheng Kaiyan gently held her in her arms, walking around the room while softly rocking her to sleep.
Little Qianqian closed her eyes and fell into a sweet sleep again.
He then put her back in her swaddling clothes.
"Waaaaahh ...
The innocent cries of a newborn child rang in my ears.
Alright~
One just fell asleep, and the other woke up.
"Oh my... our little darling... Little Gardenia's awake!"
"Don't cry, don't cry... Daddy's here~"
Cheng Kaiyan's eyelids twitched, and she quickly glanced at Qianqian and Xiaoli to the side.
Fortunately, the two of them weren't woken up by Xiao Zhizi.
"Little Swallow~ wearing a flowery dress~"
I come here every spring~
Cheng Kaiyan quickly picked up Xiao Zhizi, humming a nursery rhyme as she fed her with a bottle.
The days passed slowly in such simple yet heartwarming moments.
The summer of 1982 had entered its most brilliant and vibrant time.
Summer is almost over, and autumn and winter are just around the corner. (End of Chapter)