Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

It was three days before Juhua finally saw her two babies. When she laid eyes on the two pink, tender little ones, her heart melted. Her already swollen chest felt even more tight and sore. She had already expressed milk twice, and now, seeing her two little babies, an itchiness welled up in her chest. She said to Yun Ying, "Can I feed them now?"

Yun Ying smiled. "Go ahead. They have quite an appetite. You need to be careful. Here, let me help support him. Otherwise, you won’t be able to hold him for long."

Although she felt the bond of kinship, Juhua wasn’t like some doting parents who baselessly believe their child is as pretty as a flower. Objectively, they were too small. She couldn’t tell if they were beautiful or plain, nor did she feel they looked anything like her or Huai Zi. ’She had always thought all newborns looked pretty much the same!’

Juhua felt weak all over, but holding the little one’s body, she found him to be light as a feather. Her heart couldn’t help but ache with concern. ’Were they premature? Were they not fully developed yet?’

When the tiny mouth latched onto her nipple and she felt a forceful suckling, her heart overflowed with a mother’s love. She chuckled and asked, "Is this one a boy or a girl? Oh my! How do we tell the older one from the younger one? They were both taken out at the same time."

Yun Ying laughed. "This is the boy, the older brother—he came out first. How could they have been taken out at the same time? I don’t have four hands. I still had to cut the umbilical cord and clean him off."

Juhua asked worriedly, "Why is he so light? I held Hulu when he was a baby, and he was much heavier than this. Yun Ying, were the babies premature? Is that why they’re a bit frail?"

Yun Ying looked at her, amused. "You’re comparing them to Hulu? If they were as heavy as Hulu at birth, having two little Hulus in your belly would be terrifying. They’re fine; they were over nine months along. You were the one with the problem—if they got any bigger, you wouldn’t have been able to take it. If it wasn’t because you couldn’t hold on any longer, we wouldn’t have performed the C-section early."

Juhua suddenly understood. No wonder it had felt increasingly unbearable as her due date approached! On second thought, Hulu had been eight or nine pounds at birth. If the two babies in her belly had weighed a combined dozen or so pounds, she was afraid she really might not have survived. As it was, her two babies together weighed just a little more than Hulu. Split between them, each was only about half of Hulu’s weight. No wonder they felt so light.

After Juhua had fed both babies, Yun Ying carried them out, completely ignoring Juhua’s longing gaze.

Liu Yunlan came in to tidy the room and helped her change into clean clothes. "Just bear with it for now," she advised. "This wound isn’t something to be careless about. You need to focus on resting and recovering. Once you’re better, you’ll be able to be with them all day, won’t you? Hulu wanted to see his auntie, but I didn’t even let him come, for fear he’d disturb you."

Juhua nodded. ’I’d better focus on my recovery first.’ With both Doctor Qin and Yun Ying giving her so much attention, having two renowned physicians helping her recuperate was a rare opportunity. She knew she should cherish her good fortune.

For a woman, becoming a mother is a transformative life experience. After having a child, it is often impossible to be as carefree and uninhibited as before.

Juhua felt that after marrying Huai Zi, her heart had softened with tenderness and a sense of reliance, though she had still managed to maintain her easygoing nature. But ever since getting pregnant, her inherently lazy and casual disposition had receded. In its place grew a new thoughtfulness and a need to plan for the future. She found herself thinking about arrangements for the shop in Xiatang Market, the crops and livestock at home, and even her children’s education.

But no matter what, she needed a healthy body. So, she diligently followed Yun Ying’s arrangements for her diet and daily routine, letting her check on her every day, apply medicinal packs, drink tonics, and undergo acupuncture. She recuperated quietly, putting all other matters out of her mind. Even when Huai Zi came to keep her company, she would just smile and listen quietly as he talked about things at home, not saying much herself.

「Twenty days later.」

Juhua’s wound was healing well, so she wanted to have the babies brought to her side. However, her milk supply wasn’t enough for both of them. For the time being, she had no choice but to use Aunt Liu as a wet nurse, sending one of the babies to her for feedings.

That evening, Juhua moved back to her original room. He helped her to the bed and said with a smile, "These bedsheets have all been washed. Let’s move the babies’ little bed into my room for the night. That way, changing diapers and such won’t disturb you. I’ve gotten used to it these past few days. They only need one feeding during the night, so I’ll bring them over and wake you when it’s time."

Seeing her mother-in-law’s somewhat haggard face, Juhua said hesitantly, "Mother, you’ve been so tired these past few days..."

Before she could finish, He shot her a look. "Wasn’t I busy with these things at home even before you gave birth? Don’t you worry about all that. Your only job is to focus on getting well. Doctor Qin said he will definitely help cure your old ailment. You need to take better care of yourself, too. Otherwise, do you think you’ll be this lucky the next time you give birth?"