Lu Xiaotang placed the children on the kang and said to Xu Ning, “After such a long car ride, you must be tired. Hurry and lie down to rest; I’ll go make you some food.”

Xu An chimed in, “Brother-in-law, let me cook. You should take a break too; you haven’t really slept much lately, just taking care of my sister and the kids.”

Lu Xiaotang chuckled, “It’s fine, I’m not tired. You go ahead and cook; I’ll fetch some water.”

Once both of them had left, Xu Ning lay on the kang and sighed, There’s nothing like being at home!

She glanced at the three little ones sleeping beside her and thought about what Dr. Huang had said; the little girl needed to be taken care of carefully!

In the afternoon, Wei Lanlan and Yang Xiaomei came over to see her, bringing eggs and brown sugar.

Both of them knew she had just been discharged from the hospital and had spent several hours in the car, so after chatting for a while, they headed back.

Aunt Dashuan and Aunt Si also came by after finishing work. Aunt Dashuan had made two tiger hats, while Aunt Si had made two pairs of tiger shoes.

Aunt Dashuan laughed and said, “Xu Zhiqing, these are for your children from me and your Aunt Si. We didn’t know you were having triplets, so we only made two pairs. We’ll make another pair for you in a couple of days and bring them over.”

Xu Ning happily touched the little shoes and hats and said, “Aunt, you both have such good craftsmanship! These little tigers look so real and impressive. I won’t be polite about it!”

Aunt Si replied cheerfully, “Xu Zhiqing, I’m glad you like them! They aren’t anything special; people in the countryside can make them. If you like them, we can make more for your little ones in the future.”

Xu Ning laughed and said, “Aunt, that sounds great! I’ll be counting on you both from now on.”

Aunt Dashuan also smiled and said, “What’s the big deal? We’ll take care of your kids’ tiger shoes. We promise to make them every year.”

Lu Xiaotang and Xu An had just seen the two out the door and hadn’t returned to the house when the village head’s wife came by again, bringing a few eggs and an old hen.

Lu Xiaotang and Xu Ning set aside the eggs and told her to take the chicken back.

With a smile, she replied, “Don’t refuse it. This chicken doesn’t lay eggs anymore, and it would be a waste of food to keep it. It’s perfect for making soup for Xu Zhiqing.”

After saying this, she hurried out the door, just as Lu Xiaotang and Xu Ning had rushed out of her house the last time.

Both of them couldn’t help but laugh, and Xu An joined in, saying, “The village head’s wife sure moves quickly!”

Lu Xiaotang said to Xu An, “Xiao An, go check on the main road to see if there’s anyone around. If there isn’t, call Dad and Mom over to take a look.”

Xu An replied, “Brother-in-law, I understand. I’ll keep watch outside. If anyone comes, I’ll let you know.”

Xu Mo was the first to rush in. When he saw the three little ones lined up on the kang, his eyes sparkled with excitement.

He walked over to take a closer look and happily asked Xu Ning, “Sister, are these three little kids all my nephews?”

Xu Ning smiled and said, “Two nephews and one niece. Aren’t you happy, Xiao Mo?”

“Happy! I’m so happy!” he exclaimed.

After saying that, he walked over to the three little ones and remarked, “My nephews look really handsome, just like me!”

As Mother Xu and Aunt Lu just entered the room, they heard what he said and burst into laughter.

Mother Xu gently patted his head and said with a smile, “Stand to the side and let us take a look.”

The two women watched the three children happily, unable to get enough of them.

Xu Ning asked, “What about dad and the others?”

Mother Xu replied, “They’re outside and asked us to bring the kids out for them to see.”

“Let them come in to take a look! What’s the big deal? We’re all family,” Xu Ning said, and then she called out, “Dad, you two come in quickly!”

Father Xu and Uncle Lu both entered with smiles, and upon seeing the three children on the bed, they couldn’t help but shower them with affection.

Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu gently touched the three children and asked, “What did the doctor say?”

Xu Ning replied, “The two older ones are very healthy, but the youngest is a bit weak. However, it’s nothing serious; the doctor advised taking extra care of her for the next couple of years.”

Aunt Lu added, “Make sure she breastfeeds. If there isn’t enough milk for all three, just give the two older ones some formula. Having triplets is quite demanding on your body, so you should rest longer during your postpartum period and take good care of yourself. Once Xiaotang goes back to the army, I’ll come over in the evenings to help you look after them.”

Mother Xu also said, “Xiao Ning, listen to your mother-in-law. Focus on recovering your health first. We’ll take turns coming over at night to help you with the babies.”

Lu Xiaotang came in with the prepared formula, and Aunt Lu and Mother Xu helped to feed the babies.

He said to his dad and Father Xu, “Dad, Xiao Ning and I discussed it! We’d like you to help us name the three children.”

His dad and father-in-law’s eyes brightened at this.

They looked at the couple and said, “Xiao Ning, Xiaotang, is it appropriate for us to name them? You two are the parents, so it’s better if you choose the names!”

Xu Ning laughed and replied, “Dad, we’ll choose their nicknames, but we’d like to leave the formal names to you two.”

The two men chuckled and said, “What’s the trouble with that? We’ve already thought of several names. We’ll bring them over for you to look at tomorrow.”

Lu Xiaotang and Xu Ning exchanged glances…

Heh heh!

Why were you two being so polite just now?