After the figure of Doctor Luo disappeared completely, Gu Jinchen could no longer hold back and hugged Luo Ge, cheering.
"Wife, we're going to have a baby!"
Suddenly being held in his arms, Luo Ge let out a soft cry, but seeing his steady movements, she tapped him disapprovingly.
"The pregnancy is not stable yet, don't be reckless."
Hearing this, Gu Jinchen came to his senses and gently put her down, but still held her tightly, his chin resting on her head with a blissful smile.
In his embrace, Luo Ge could still hear his strong, excited heartbeat.
"Wife, I'm so happy."
His heart was brimming with joy, as he truly didn't expect them to have their own child so soon.
Being able to have a child with Luo Ge, he was truly overjoyed.
And felt incredibly blessed.
"Mm, I know." It was hard not to notice with how excited he was.
Moreover, she was quite happy too, although also a bit surprised.
Having a child with one's beloved was a joyous and blissful feeling.
"But...can we hold off a bit and continue this inside?"
Turning to see the innocent gazes of the two little ones at the door, Luo Ge felt her face flush with heat.
Hearing this, Gu Jinchen paused, as if realizing something, and turned to look at the door.
"......"
Seeing Gu Jinchen look over, the two little ones simultaneously covered their eyes with their little paws.
"Older Baby didn't see anything!"
"Oh my, Second Baby didn't see anything either!"
As they spoke, they turned around and slowly inched their way back to their own room, quickly disappearing from sight.
The explanation Gu Jinchen was about to give got stuck in his throat.
"Pfft, little but mischievous." Seeing this, Luo Ge couldn't help but laugh.
Gu Jinchen also smiled and tapped her nose.
"Should we go back and rest? I can cook lunch."
"!!! No, I'll do it, cooking a meal is still manageable."
Although his skills had improved, they were...still a work in progress.
"Then I'll lend a hand....oh, should we have fish? If not, let's skip it, it's too much trouble."
Seeing how severe her pregnancy symptoms were, he didn't want her to be exposed to the fishy smell again.
"Yes! It's fine, I've already recovered. I've been craving sour fish soup for a long time."
She had been looking forward to it since yesterday, and again after a busy day catching the fish, she didn't want to give up now that it was almost within reach.
"Alright, then I'll slice the fish and prepare it to remove the fishy smell as you instructed."
"Good."
Luo Ge went into the kitchen to prepare the meal, getting the pickled greens, Sichuan peppercorns, and other ingredients ready, while Gu Jinchen sliced the fish and marinated it outside.
"I've washed the shrimp, let me cook those to show you my skills?" He had promised to let his wife try his cooking yesterday.
"Sure." Recalling what the little ones said yesterday, Luo Ge didn't refuse.
And then...she watched as Gu Jinchen boiled some plain poached shrimp.
Hmm...she silently made a simple dipping sauce with minced garlic and soy sauce.
After the shrimp, he stir-fried some vegetables, and then started on the sour fish soup.
The fish fillets were already sliced and marinated with salt, egg white, cornstarch, and black pepper, set aside.
Adding these seasonings would make the fish more tender and smooth.
He heated the pan with oil, then added the saved fish bones and pan-fried them until golden brown on both sides, then scooped them out to use later.
Then, using the same pan oil, he stir-fried the minced garlic and washed pickled greens until fragrant and cooked through, then added the fried fish bones, salt, black pepper, and water to simmer.
When the broth turned white and thickened, he scooped out the greens and set them aside in a bowl.
Leaving the broth to boil, he added the fish fillets and stirred for two minutes to cook evenly, then transferred them to the bowl with the greens.
Finally, he heated oil with Sichuan peppercorns and dried red chilies, let them sizzle until fragrant, then poured the oil over the fish and greens. He garnished with scallions and cilantro, and the sour fish soup was ready.
"Gurgle." At some point, the big one and two little ones had quietly gathered beside her, mouths watering.
"What are you spacing out for? Let's take it to the hall and eat," Luo Ge said with a laugh.
"This fish is quite big, we can cook the other one for dinner."
"Okay." These few dishes were already enough for a meal, so naturally Gu Jinchen and the little ones had no objections.
The dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns weren't spicy, just a slight tingling sensation, so the two little ones could eat it as well.
Speaking of which, children really grow fast, it seemed like just a short while ago and they had grown taller again.
"Little Auntie, Older Baby can eat spicy food."
"Second Baby can too."
When Luo Ge was about to give them the non-spicy dipping sauce for the poached shrimp Gu Jinchen made, the little ones suddenly said this.
"Alright then, let's give it a try, but you must say something if you can't handle it."
Seeing their eager expressions, Luo Ge didn't refuse.
She felt it would taste better with some chili, mainly because she herself loved spicy food.
Children's stomachs aren't as strong as adults', so while she was afraid they couldn't handle it, Luo Ge added just a little chili for them.
"Mm, okay."
As soon as they received the dipping sauce, the two little ones excitedly peeled and tasted the shrimp, their eyes immediately lighting up.
"So delicious!" Second Baby smiled brightly, resembling Luo Ge's own smile.
Older Baby expressed his liking through action, and the two little ones started fighting over the shrimp.
Gu Jinchen had already peeled a bowl of shrimp for Luo Ge without her noticing, placing it in front of her.
"You should try it too." Hearing Second Baby's words, a smile appeared on his face as he gazed at the anticipation in Luo Ge's eyes, unrestrained.
Although it was just a common poached dish, it was made by his own hands, and being liked by others did give a sense of accomplishment.
If his wife also enjoyed it, he would be even more satisfied.
"Okay." Seeing his expression, Luo Ge naturally didn't refuse.
After tasting it, she gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up: "Husband's shrimp is really delicious!"
The river shrimp they had just caught was incredibly fresh and sweet, cooked just right, not overcooked at all, and paired with the dipping sauce, it was truly excellent!
Hearing Luo Ge's words, Gu Jinchen's smile grew even brighter, almost radiant: "Then have more, I'll peel some more for you."
"You eat too, have some of the fish, this sour fish soup is really delicious."
Luo Ge spoke as she picked out some fish fillets for him, also serving the two little ones after removing the bones.
"Try it."
Seeing Gu Jinchen start eating, the two little ones followed.
In an instant, their eyes lit up, the tangy, spicy, and numbing flavors combined with the tender fish meat were so delicious! It was the kind of dish that left you craving for more, not cloying at all.
No more words were needed, actions spoke louder than words.
"Eat slowly, be careful of the bones," Luo Ge reminded them with a smile.
"Okay."
"Little Auntie, eat up and nourish yourself, make the little brother or sister nice and plump."
After seeing that Luo Ge was almost done with the shrimp in her bowl, the two little ones started peeling more for her without prompting, speaking so thoughtfully.
They had understood the doctor's words too - Auntie wasn't feeling unwell, Little Auntie was pregnant.
Soon they would have a little brother or sister.
They wanted Auntie to eat more delicious food to nourish herself.
At the same time, they hoped that once the little brother or sister had eaten their fill, they wouldn't trouble Auntie anymore, as it would be very difficult for Auntie if she was unwell.
The little brother or sister should behave once they're full.
Hearing this, Luo Ge felt both amused and deeply touched.
"Thank you, Older Baby and Second Baby."
She had been wondering how to tell the two little ones, but never expected them to be so considerate.
They were truly two adorable little rascals that she couldn't help but dote on.
Seeing the two little ones' actions, Gu Jinchen also revealed a smile.
