He was adorable. The moment he opened his eyes, he looked bewilderingly adorable. His dense black hair stood in a couple of bundles, looking like the feathers on a rooster’s neck that had exploded, and once he recovered from his stupor, he exuded an aura of cunningness.
Just like himself, Lu Jiang thought.
Just as this thought passed through his mind, he saw his darling son blinking his big round eyes, smacking his rosy lips, instinctually arching towards his mother’s embrace for nourishment, like a little piglet.
Something didn’t seem right to Lu Jiang, but before he could figure out what, he saw Feng Qingxue closing her eyes and unbuttoning her top.
She was wearing a nightgown she had sewn herself, with a slanting collar and ties that opened easily with a light pull.
A glimpse of her snowy skin and crimson nipples flashed before his eyes.
Despite having delivered a child, her body remained as perfect as ever.
"Ah!" Little Fatty latched onto her nipple with a speed rivaling lightning, happily suckling away. His eyes squinted in delight, his chubby cheeks resting against her soft, white skin. Feng Qingxue skillfully made sure his little nose wasn’t smothered against her breast, ensuring his breath wasn’t hindered. Meanwhile, Lu Jiang’s eyes nearly spat fire, seething with jealousy, wishing he could replace Little Fatty.
Little Fatty, save some for your dad!
Lu Jiang, sitting up and leaning inwards, almost cried out but held back in fear of waking Feng Qingxue, who seemed to be on the brink of sleep. He swallowed his words down, going off with a gulp.
She must be exhausted, Lu Jiang thought sympathetically.
Even though he’d never cared for his own or any other child, he often listened to his comrades talk about their family life while in the army. They’d always say how hard it was to raise a baby, having to feed them milk every one or two hours during the first few months, changing their diapers... the mothers never got a good night’s sleep.
The comrade who shared these sentiments would often express guilt for not being there for his wife during her pregnancy and their child’s growth.
Now, that comrade lies forever at the border, never to see his wife and child again.
Each time he thought about the past, Lu Jiang would feel tremendously fortunate to have his own family. But as he turned his affectionate gaze towards his wife and child, he noticed his wife touch the baby’s diaper and then open her eyes, "Xibao, why didn’t you tell me you peed?" The diaper was soaked through.
Xibao, who was still suckling her nipple, made an innocent face.
"Qingxue, teach me how to change his diaper!" Lu Jiang said. His two eyes, however, wouldn’t detach from his wife. The air filled with the warmth of his gaze like a fire that was about to burn all the furniture in the room.
How could Feng Qingxue not feel it?
"Right, Ajiang, you’re back. I forgot." She was exhausted, her mind a blur.
She sat up while still feeding Xibao. Before she pulled the blanket over herself and her son, she instructed Lu Jiang, "There’s a diaper of Xibao’s on the smoking basket, fetch one."
At that moment, she remembered why she hadn’t put a disposable diaper on her son at night. It was because Lu Jiang was home, and it wasn’t convenient to use one.
Compared to the current cloth diapers, disposables were really advanced.
The smoking basket, a bamboo basket placed over a brazier, was a special item crafted by Lu’s father, based on the baskets of old times. The cleaned diapers would be placed on the basket and they’d dry quickly. Warm diapers could then be put onto the baby’s bum without fear of catching cold.
... Xibao is not a genius child, nor an exceptional child. I’ve never raised a child, so I had to consult with two spicy mothers at home. I’ll update more before bedtime.