At the entrance of the delivery room, Shen Que first inquired about Jiang Cheng’s condition, and Xing Er replied, "Don’t worry, everything went smoothly. She needs to freshen up a bit, and she’ll be out soon."
"That’s good, that’s good."
Shen Que finally felt relieved, his eyes fixed on the little one.
Isn’t it too small?
"Come, hold your baby."
Xing Er handed the baby over, and Shen Que took a deep breath, looking as solemn as if he were going into battle.
However, his arms felt like they weren’t his, trying various postures, but he didn’t dare to take the baby from Xing Er’s arms.
Seeing this, Grandma Shen grew anxious and urged, "That’s your son, not a bomb. Just hold him!"
After all, she’s waiting to hold him too!
What an opportunity, yet he’s useless!
Hearing this, Shen Que asked with a distressed look, "Is it...possible to hold him wrong? He’s too small."
Grandma Shen, speechless, pushed Shen Que aside.
"Get out of the way, don’t talk nonsense, he’s a healthy seven-and-a-half-pound boy. What do you mean too small? The number is auspicious."
Pushed aside, Shen Que watched closely as Grandma Shen gently supported the neck, cradled the bottom, using her arms.
Shen Que, summarizing the key points, was still full of questions.
But he didn’t dare to ask.
He eagerly watched Grandma Shen, eyes full of affection as she held the little one. Shen Yue was curiously watching too, and Shen Xing frowned standing next to Shen Que, whispering, "Brother... are babies this small?"
"Shh, don’t let aunty hear."
Shen Xing nodded, standing quietly aside, not daring to touch, only to watch.
Half an hour later, the delivery room doors opened again, and Jiang Cheng came out.
Shen Que rushed over immediately but didn’t see Jiang Cheng’s face.
Jiang Cheng was wrapped tightly, even her head covered with a blanket.
"It’s for the sitting month, avoid catching a cold. We’ll observe in the hospital today, if everything’s okay, then we’ll head home."
Shen Que nodded repeatedly, accompanying the push of the hospital bed to the ward.
The ward had long been prepared, warm and airtight.
Jiang Cheng was carried to the bed by Shen Que, and at last, her head was uncovered.
Shen Que lowered his head, kissing her forehead.
"Thank you, my love."
"I wanted this too, he’s my son after all."
Jiang Cheng’s eyes were full of tenderness, her demeanor slightly changed post-childbirth, less sharp, gaining a maternal glow.
"Where’s the child, let me see, I only got a glimpse inside."
"Here he is."
Grandma Shen brought over the little one, placing him in front of Jiang Cheng’s chest, instructing her on how to hold him.
Perhaps women learn instinctively, or for some other reason, anyhow, Jiang Cheng grasped it in a second, holding the baby before Shen Que could.
"Good thing he doesn’t look much like a monkey."
Jiang Cheng said at once, making Grandma Shen laugh and cry.
"Isn’t that the truth? I remember Shen Que looked just like a monkey when he was born, all dark. Luckily, sons typically take after their mothers."
After saying this, Grandma Shen advised Jiang Cheng, "Hold the baby less; otherwise, you’ll have backaches, and your arms will hurt."
"Okay."
Jiang Cheng didn’t argue, obediently letting the baby lie beside her, refraining from holding him.
The practice of sitting the month, having existed for five thousand years, has its reasons.
Though foreigners return to work right after giving birth and drink cold water and such, in Jiang Cheng’s view, respecting the ancestral traditions of Hua Xia isn’t wrong.
In traditional Chinese medicine’s theory, a woman’s pores open wide postpartum, entering a state of physical weakness; catching cold or exhausting oneself during this time can harm the body.
So, recuperation is crucial.

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