The photos taken of the child were developed, and two were selected to be framed. Each was put into a separate albumāone for Father Qi to take home, and one for Cheng Yaozu to take back to the old man. The remaining photos were saved by Cheng Su in another album.
With Father Qi and the others gone, Cheng Su earnestly began her postpartum period. However, the weather was so hot that she often woke up in the middle of the night, begging Qi Taiguo to wring out a towel to wipe her down.
"If Mother-in-law finds out, sheāll definitely scold me!" Qi Taiguo said as he helped her wipe her back.
Cheng Su hummed contentedly, "Itās just too hot, and I still need to nurse the baby. Havenāt you smelled this sour milk odor on me? And my hair smells so musty, even I canāt stand it!"
Qi Taiguo sniffed and said, "There is a bit of a smell."
"Qi Taiguo, how dare you despise me!" Cheng Su protested.
Qi Taiguo laughed and said, "How could I ever despise you? Iām just teasing; thereās no smell at all, donāt worry!"
Cheng Su snorted, knowing he was comforting her. In this heat, she couldnāt bathe or wash her hair, so there was bound to be some smell, especially with all the sweating!
"Iāve been counting down the days for you. In just a few days, youāll be able to bathe and wash your hair. Just hang in there a bit longer!" Qi Taiguo said as he put away the towel.
Cheng Su nodded irritably and lay down again, but her chest felt full. Her son was asleep and wasnāt crying for milk, and she had no reason to wake him to eat.
"Iām so full; can you get a bottle? I need to express some milk, itās really uncomfortable," Cheng Su said.
Hearing this, Qi Taiguo fetched a bottle and, knowing how she liked cleanliness, brought a freshly wrung hot towel.
With Mother Cheng present and so many chickens sent from her hometown, they couldnāt finish even one a day, not to mention all the other supplements. Now that the lochia had lessened, she could gradually start consuming supplements. With so many ingredients, Mother Cheng was cooking up a variety of dishes daily for her daughter. Recently, Cheng Suās complexion looked much better than it did initially, and her breast milk was plentiful.
Watching Cheng Su express milk for their son, Qi Taiguo couldnāt help but swallow and turn his gaze away.
Cheng Su noticed and teased him, "What, want to have a taste?"
Qi Taiguo replied, "Want me to help you by sucking it out myself?"
The implication...
Cheng Su blushed and scolded him, "Youāre so naughty!"
Ever since the pregnancy, Qi Taiguo had refrained from being intimate with Cheng Su for fear of harming the baby, even during the safe months. He practiced restraint until now.
As a result, like a monk, he hadnāt broken his fast all this time. Whenever he needed release, he either took care of it himself or coaxed Cheng Su to use her hand.
Now that Cheng Su was teasing him, how could Qi Taiguo not fight back? He flirted right back at her.
"Weāre a married couple; we already have a son. Whatās so bad about being playful?" Qi Taiguo said, sounding like a rogue. As he spoke, he leaned over with an inviting demeanor.
Cheng Su gave him a push, saying, "Donāt act up. If you get worked up, I canāt help you, youāll just be making trouble for yourself!"
She was still in her postpartum recovery period, and they certainly couldnāt do such things.
Qi Taiguo continued jokingly, "Isnāt there another way?"
His suggestion made Cheng Su angry, and she was about to retort when she suddenly felt something was off. She turned her head to see Qi Xiaoqi staring at them with wide eyes. That look seemed to say, "Look at these improper parents, not minding the child in the room, itās embarrassing to watch."
When Cheng Su saw him looking, Qi Xiaoqi closed his eyes again, leaving Cheng Su immensely embarrassed. This little guy, what a precocious child!