CHAPTER 433: CHAPTER 350: YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SIGN YOUR NAME

Luckily, with Leng Mochen by her side, the six hours were not so unbearable. By the time Li Si returned to the hospital room, Mrs. Leng was holding the little baby, beaming as though a flower had blossomed on her face.

Leng Ning was hovering around Mrs. Leng, eager to take her turn holding the baby, but hesitant to actually reach out.

"Xiao Ning! Sisi! Look! This baby looks exactly like Mochen when he was little!"

Li Si had a pain pump attached to her left hand, so now that the anesthesia had worn off, the pain wasn’t too bad, still within bearable limits.

Looking at the baby now, she found him much more agreeable compared to when they were in the operating room. Maybe it was because he had been cleaned and wrapped in a cute little blanket. In any case, he didn’t look as ugly now?

But speaking of facial features, she honestly couldn’t tell who he resembled!

Leng Ning asked Li Si a few concerned questions about her surgery and relaxed upon seeing that her mental state was holding up well.

Upon hearing her mother’s comment, she couldn’t help but tease, "Mom! Honestly, all newborn babies look the same to me. How can you be so clever and figure out at a glance who he looks like?"

Mrs. Leng widened her eyes but continued to laugh, "He’s my grandson! How could I not tell?"

Leng Ning: "..."

"Oh, dear me! I’ve been so thrilled I completely forgot! I must call everyone to share the good news! Your grandpa and the others will be delighted!" Mrs. Leng suddenly remembered she hadn’t called anyone yet. She said a few warm words to Li Si before rushing out of the room, full of energy, to make her phone calls.

Leng Ning watched her mother’s retreating figure, shaking her head with a smile. Her mom was so happy, she practically looked lost in excitement!

The baby was very well-behaved. Sister Ding gently picked him up and placed him in the baby crib, where he rested quietly without crying or fussing.

"Sis-in-law! My goodness, look how adorable the little one is! I think I’ll wait until he’s a bit older before I hold him!" Leng Ning was absolutely smitten but hesitated, worried she might hurt the baby given how tiny he was.

Her mom had sure talked about it at great length earlier.

"As long as you support his head and back, it’s fine, Xiao Ning. Give it a try!"

Leng Ning immediately waved her hands. "Sis-in-law, I’d better not! I’m too clumsy for this, maybe in a few days!"

Leng Mochen stayed by Li Si’s side the entire time. Now that she was lying there unable to move, her hand that had the IV drip was always held firmly in his.

Perhaps it was the aftermath of giving birth or the caesarean operation, but Li Si didn’t yet feel deeply attached to the baby. She only felt quite curious.

Noticing her staring intently at the baby, Leng Mochen had Sister Ding bring him over, placing him beside Li Si.

Li Si observed his little features closely. His body was still a bit bluish-red, though his facial skin was rather tender. One eye was open while the other remained shut. As for Mrs. Leng’s claim that he looked like Leng Mochen as a child, Li Si couldn’t see it at all.

Perhaps he was exploring this unfamiliar environment; his arms were flailing around now and then. The baby’s fingernails were fairly long and occasionally scratched his face.

Feeling a bit concerned, Li Si asked, "Sister Ding, should the baby wear mittens?"

When preparing the delivery bag earlier, she had included some gauze mittens specifically to prevent the baby from scratching himself during the confinement period. She knew his nails couldn’t be trimmed yet.

"Mittens would be good!" Sister Ding found the mittens in a cabinet and gently put them on the baby.

During this time, the nurse came in to check on Li Si and the baby. Everything was normal, which reassured everyone present!

The room temperature was warm, at around 27 degrees, and the nurse softly reminded the family not to cover the baby too heavily—just a thin blanket would be sufficient.

Seeing how experienced Sister Ding was, the nurse complimented her for dressing the baby in a light layer of monk-style clothes without any heavy coverings.

She even mentioned how the baby born yesterday in the neighboring room hadn’t been as fortunate. The grandmother was worried the baby would get cold and piled on too many layers, causing the poor little one to develop a heat rash and suffer greatly!

She added that babies who’ve been overheated are more sensitive to heat as they grow older and will feel discomfort at higher temperatures.

Not long after, the baby in the crib pursed his lips, closed his eyes, and started crying loudly. Sister Ding gently placed her finger near his mouth, and he made nibbling motions.

"Is the baby hungry?" Mrs. Leng heard the cries from the next room and rushed in, momentarily flustered. She might be good at cuddling babies, but when it came to caregiving, she was completely clueless!

Both her son and daughter had been cared for by nannies when they were young—her role had been limited to breastfeeding.

"He must be hungry! Let’s start with some formula!" Sister Ding calmly concluded.

Li Si couldn’t help but feel grateful that the nanny had been arranged in advance; otherwise, who among the people here could properly take care of the baby?

Next, Sister Ding got busy attending to the baby, first feeding him 20 milliliters of formula and even taking the time to ask Li Si if she was feeling uncomfortable anywhere.

Sure enough, shortly after drinking the milk, the baby burped, let out a soft noise, and passed some green meconium.

Sister Ding skillfully cleaned the baby with wet wipes and replaced his diaper.

"Try to get some rest! Don’t worry about anything else!" Leng Mochen whispered near her ear. Li Si was indeed exhausted after all the commotion. She had tried to sleep in the observation room earlier but couldn’t.

Now she felt truly sleepy, knowing she wasn’t capable of breastfeeding, unable to move, and dealing with the discomfort of the pain pump and IV drip along with the ache from her incision. Despite this, she soon drifted off to sleep.

When Li Si woke up again, she was startled by the baby’s crying.

"What’s wrong with the baby?" she asked anxiously, turning to Leng Mochen who was sitting beside her. But she still couldn’t move at all.

Under the soft lighting, the contours of Leng Mochen’s face appeared especially gentle as he comforted her, "Don’t worry! The baby is hungry. Sister Ding is feeding him now. Our son has a quick temper—when he’s hungry, he cries up a storm!"

Li Si listened and realized it was true. The piercing cries were incredibly loud; she couldn’t tell whether he resembled her or Mochen in temperament.

"Where are the others?" Li Si looked around but didn’t see Mrs. Leng or anyone else, only Sister Ding at the crib tending to the baby.

"I sent them home," he replied.

Li Si thought about it and agreed—there wasn’t much they could help with here anyway. Moreover, Mrs. Leng, as the nominal mother-in-law, might inadvertently make comments that would put Sister Ding in a difficult position.

Sister Ding finished preparing the formula, tested its temperature, and fed it to the little guy, who instantly stopped crying.

Gulping it down contentedly, he was burped and placed back in the crib, where he stretched his legs for a moment, had another diaper change, and then fell asleep again.

Sister Ding whispered to Li Si, "The baby is quite easy to care for. Madam, you can rest now—I’ll take care of him."

Li Si expressed her gratitude, "Sister Ding, thank you! While the baby is asleep, take the chance to rest a little yourself! Get some proper rest!"

She had heard that newborns wake up every two to three hours—it was going to be a tough first night.

"Got it! Thank you!" Sister Ding smiled warmly and quietly walked out, gently shutting the door behind her.

At this moment, Li Si found herself unable to fall back asleep. Her incision began to throb faintly with pain.

Noticing her furrowed brow, Leng Mochen quickly asked, "Is it painful?"

"A little painful! Honey, being a woman is so hard!" At this moment, Li Si truly felt that men had it easier—they didn’t have to go through these challenges.

Leng Mochen stroked her cheek tenderly, "That’s why they say maternal love is the greatest love of all!"

The comment left Li Si feeling rather proud, "So does this mean I’m officially starting my confinement period now?"

"What else would you call it?" Leng Mochen saw that she couldn’t sleep, so he lay down beside her, propping himself up on one arm as they chatted.

"I just thought a caesarean might be similar to natural childbirth. But this feels more like having undergone surgery!" Li Si sounded confused—it seemed like surgery should sap one’s energy.

"That’s why you need to recuperate properly! Tomorrow, the staff from the postpartum care center will arrive. So your main task for now is to lie down quietly, relax, and not stress yourself out. Got it?"

He truly worried she wouldn’t take it seriously and might end up with lingering health issues.

"Alright, I’ll listen to you!" For now, she felt she had done her part, leaving the rest for him to manage.

"By the way! Have you decided on a name for the baby?" Li Si suddenly asked.

"I’ve got a few ideas. Just waiting for your final approval," he replied while gently smoothing her hair near her scalp—it was said to be a good spot for massages, according to traditional medicine.

Li Si turned her head, her eyes sparkling as she suggested, "How about we call him Buding as his nickname?" She had recently been brainstorming nicknames, mostly cutesy ones, and suddenly felt inspired. Coca-Cola was too common, whereas Buding seemed quite special!

Leng Mochen barely suppressed a twitch in the corner of his mouth, "Whatever you say! You have naming rights!"

He silently worried about his son’s future—was Buding really suitable for a boy? Still, with "Her Majesty" as the one granting the name, he had to support her wholeheartedly. Sorry, son! Dad will make sure your official name is something grand and dignified!

Li Si couldn’t help but chuckle at his expression, only to jolt her incision painfully, "Ugh! You’re so annoying!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian at qidian.com to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation! Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)