Chapter 97 Taking the baby out for the first time

Early in the morning, before dawn even broke, Chen Cuijuan was already up. She had packed everything, but she wasn’t sure, so she checked everything again before going to the kitchen to make breakfast. It wasn’t like when she came. It was the middle of winter, and it was still snowing outside. When the weather turned cold, people got hungry easily.

 Chen Cuijuan made a pan of flatbread, packed some steamed buns, boiled a few eggs, and packed some pickled vegetables. Now there were children. Although they weren’t weaned yet, she couldn’t let Shen Zhiyu feed them directly on the train.

She packed some formula in her backpack and also made some rice cakes for them. The rice cakes were made with ground rice. They didn’t add anything else, just rice and eggs. They smelled purely of rice and eggs, and the children loved to eat them.

They could eat one for a whole day. Now the two little guys were starting to get teeth, so she brought some rice cakes for them to chew on. After finishing breakfast and packing food for the journey, Shen Zhiyu and Gu Ye also finished packing. When they went out, they both put on their thickest padded jackets. Gu Ye even insisted that she wear his army coat.

But he had had it altered. Now it came down to her calves, keeping her warm without dragging on the ground. Shen Zhiyu thought it was a little heavy, but Chen Cuijuan kept saying it was good. “What’s heavy? It’s better than freezing!”

Besides their padded jackets, they each had a baby strapped to their chests. This was something Chen Cuijuan had taught them. She had made a baby carrier. It was a piece of cloth that fit perfectly around the baby’s upper body, with four straps that tied around the waist and shoulders. This way, they didn’t have to use their hands to hold the children.

Back in the countryside, when they were working in the fields and there was no one to watch the children at home, they had to carry them on their backs. That’s when she came up with this invention. It was quite practical. Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan were still asleep. But Shen Zhiyu had fed them a little while ago. They had eaten and gone back to sleep.

Chen Cuijuan was happy to see her daughter and son-in-law carrying her two grandchildren. She was full of energy early in the morning, like she had been injected with a shot of adrenaline. “Hurry up. I already boiled the dumplings I made last night. Come eat.”

 It was too cold. They had to eat something warm before going out. Knowing that they wouldn’t have much of an appetite in the morning, Chen Cuijuan had deliberately made sour soup dumplings. They were sour and slightly spicy. Shen Zhiyu wasn’t hungry at all, but after taking a sip of the soup, her appetite was whetted. Gu Ye didn’t need to be told.

He ate a whole bowl of dumplings, leaving nothing behind. Shen Zhiyu still had half a bowl left, and he finished it too. There was a little bit left, so Chen Cuijuan packed it for them to eat on the train. After finishing their meal, they cleaned up the dishes and bowls. They tied up the rice and noodles and hung them on the rafters to prevent anything from stealing them.

 When they pushed open the door, Xiao He was there. “Regiment Commander Gu, Sister-in-law, are you all packed?” “We’re all packed.” “You’re welcome, Xiao He.

” Xiao He smiled sheepishly. “It’s on the way. I’m going to the city to buy supplies today. Sister-in-law, you should get on the train quickly. It’s still pretty cold today.” “Okay.” The roads were bad in winter, so Xiao He drove slowly. Shen Zhiyu leaned against Gu Ye and took a nap. Gu Ye closed his eyes and rested too. Only Chen Cuijuan was incredibly excited.

If she wasn’t afraid of waking up her daughter and grandchildren, she would have talked to Xiao He non-stop! Xiao He drove them directly to the train station. When they got to the station, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan woke up. They were all bundled up in hats, scarves, and gloves. Only their round, bright eyes were exposed. They were carried on their father and mother’s backs, looking curiously around. This was the first time the two little guys had traveled far.

They were so excited. They had bought tickets in advance, of course, for sleeper berths. And they didn’t know if they were lucky this time or if the staff had arranged it because they had two children, but their seats were in the very last carriage. And besides them, there was no one else. Last time, Chen Cuijuan had bought hard seats for herself.

She had sat for a whole day. Oh, her back almost broke. This time, she was riding in a sleeper berth. It was the first time she had ridden in a sleeper berth.

 As soon as she got on the train, she was amazed. “This is so comfortable! There’s a bed!” “Oh my, the bed is soft too. I can actually get a good night’s sleep!” Grandma was excited. Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan were also smiling with her. They even laughed out loud.

Their milky laughter swept away the fatigue of getting up early and rushing to the train station. The carriage windows were very large. As the train started moving, the scenery outside the window kept changing. There were even little snowflakes floating in the sky, beautiful like a painting. The two children didn’t want to sleep.

They insisted that their father and mother hold them and sit by the window, staring out with wide eyes. Occasionally, when they saw a big tree, a mountain, or a lake, the two little guys would exclaim. They not only wanted to see it themselves, but they also wanted their father, mother, and grandmother to see it. Chen Cuijuan spoiled her grandchildren.

When they turned around, she would very obligingly say, “Oh!” The two little guys would immediately grin and turn back to look out the window. The baby carrier Chen Cuijuan had made for them was so useful. It freed their hands, making things so easy.

Although they had brought dry food, Gu Ye still bought three boxed lunches when it was time to eat.

 He also got some hot water. Hot water was free on the train. But the toilets were really dirty, and they had to queue up, so they hadn’t drunk much water.

They mainly used the hot water to mix formula for the babies.

 Chen Cuijuan saw him buy so many boxed lunches and felt heartbroken. But since he had already bought them, she didn’t say anything to dampen his mood. She just felt like her heart was bleeding every time she ate. People got hungry quickly in the winter. After lunch, everyone took a nap together. When they woke up, they gave Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan a rice cake each to chew on.

Chen Cuijuan also took out the flatbread she had made. She ate and played with the children. Having the two children around made the long journey less unbearable. At night, after the train staff turned off the lights, Gu Ye used the bed sheet he had brought to make a curtain around the bed. Shen Zhiyu fed the two children in turns inside.

 After putting them to sleep, she wiped their bottoms and changed their diapers. The train was even more chaotic than the hospital, with rumors of pickpockets and human traffickers circulating everywhere.

Even when the train staff patrolled, they would remind everyone to watch their belongings. If they had children, they would specifically warn them to keep a close eye on their children. This time, they had brought two children. Gu Ye didn’t sleep at all.

After Shen Zhiyu and the two children fell asleep, he sat at the head of the bed, closing his eyes and resting. In the middle of the night, the train was quiet except for the “clackety-clack” of the train running and the occasional snores. Suddenly, Gu Ye heard the sound of deliberate, light footsteps heading towards them.

 He opened his eyes abruptly and looked at the middle-aged woman who was peering into their carriage.