The child was screaming with all his might, the hoarse cries coming in waves, sounding almost like a kitten’s mew as they tore out of his tiny throat.
Panicking slightly, Xia Wanyue grabbed the old clothes wrapped around the baby and lifted him up. She gently bounced him up and down, making soft “ooh ooh ooh” sounds.
Although Xia Wanyue was already thirty, she had never dated, never married, and had never taken care of a child.
Back then, she felt she had money, looks, and everything she needed. There was no reason to find herself a man just to cause trouble.
Given the nature of her work, she had never even considered marriage. At most, she had once thought that when she got older, she might adopt a child to raise.
Now, she had suddenly become the mother of three—and one of them was still so tiny. She was completely flustered and at a loss.
Perhaps the way she was holding him was uncomfortable. The baby’s crying grew even louder, his little face turning red from holding his breath.
Seeing this, Xia Wanyue grew anxious. The sound of his crying stirred something deep within her—her maternal instincts kicking in.
She thought for a moment, recalling how she’d seen others hold babies, and awkwardly copied them. Stiff-limbed, she pulled the baby close and hugged him against her chest.
“Ooh, ooh, ooh… don’t cry, little baby!”
She murmured soothingly while gently patting him.
After a long while, the crying softened a little, but he was still whimpering.
Suddenly, her hand touched something damp.
She felt the baby’s bottom, then the spot where he had been lying.
A flash of realization struck her like lightning.
She instantly understood what it was—and felt thoroughly disgusted.
She hurriedly placed the baby on the bed, ready to go wash her hands.
Just as she straightened up, she remembered there was no water in the kitchen.
She looked at the baby, then at her hands. Without hesitation, Xia Wanyue grabbed the baby again and flashed into the space.
She set the baby down on the coffee table and rushed straight into the bathroom to wash her hands.
After washing, she lifted her hands to her nose. Only the scent of hand soap remained—no trace of urine. Only then did she finally relax.
Walking out of the bathroom, she looked at the baby lying on the coffee table and sighed. She searched the room and found a scarf.
Then she carried the baby into the bathroom, found a small basin, filled it with warm water, took him out of the old clothes, and gently placed him inside. She carefully washed him from head to toe.
The tiny baby was soft and floppy.
Xia Wanyue had to support the back of his neck with one hand to keep him from slipping into the water.
Once clean, the baby smelled sweet and fresh. Unable to resist, Xia Wanyue leaned down and kissed him.
She wrapped him up in the scarf. It was one she had bought overseas—pure cotton, incredibly soft and comfortable. She had only used it a few times before leaving it at home.
Since she didn’t have children, there were no baby supplies in the house.
She searched for a long time before finally finding this scarf, barely suitable to use as a makeshift swaddling blanket.
“There aren’t any diapers… what do I do?”
Staring at the baby’s bare little bottom, Xia Wanyue felt troubled. There were no cloth diapers, let alone disposable ones.
What if he peed again?
“Oh—right!”
Holding the baby, she headed straight for the basement. She searched shelf after shelf until she finally found what she was looking for on a rack in the corner—an entire shelf full of sanitary pads.
“These… should work, right?”
She opened one and stuck it onto the scarf. Thankfully, the scarf was long enough. One end wrapped around the baby, while the other passed under his bottom, with the pad attached on top.
“Haha, perfect!”
After she finished, the baby finally stopped crying. But his little mouth kept puckering, as if searching for something to eat.
His lips wriggled for a long time, finding nothing. His mouth drooped, and he was about to cry again.
“Oh my god… raising a baby is way too hard!”
Watching the baby’s searching mouth, Xia Wanyue lowered her head and glanced at her own chest, her face showing clear inner conflict.
Perhaps because she had just eaten, her chest actually felt a little swollen now.
“Waaah—waaah—!”
The baby’s cries pierced straight into her brain like demonic noise. As she listened, the swelling sensation in her chest became even more pronounced.
Her clothes soon became damp at the front. Xia Wanyue looked down at her dirty clothes, then at the baby. She carried him back to the living room and placed him into the beanbag chair.
She went into the bathroom and undressed, preparing to take a shower. Who knew how long this body had gone without bathing? Even she couldn’t stand the smell—how could she let a baby feed like this?
Such a tiny baby—he’d definitely get sick!
Listening to the cries outside, Xia Wanyue scrubbed herself hard in the bathroom.
After washing two or three times, she finally felt clean. She changed into pajamas and tossed the dirty clothes into the washing machine.
Returning to the living room, she picked up the baby from the beanbag chair and sat down herself.
She opened her clothes, hardened her heart, closed her eyes, and leaned forward.
After a while, she still heard crying. Xia Wanyue opened her eyes to check.
…Oh. She’d stuck it in the baby’s nose.
“Ooh, ooh… here, eat, little one.”
She gently placed it into the baby’s mouth, softly coaxing him.
The sensation against her chest made her feel embarrassed. Why hadn’t she thought to stock up on formula back when she lived in the villa?
If I’d known this would happen, I definitely would’ve hoarded milk powder in the basement.
After eating his fill, the baby finally fell asleep. Xia Wanyue carried him out of the space, stripped the bed of its sheets and covers, took out a quilt from the space, and remade the bed.
Of course, the outer cover was still the original owner’s. The original quilt was the only one she had—completely lumpy and stiff, offering no warmth at all.
Luckily, the weather was hot, so she didn’t need a blanket. But the mattress underneath was stuffed with straw, and it was unbearably prickly to sleep on.
Xia Wanyue threw the original bedsheets into the washing machine inside the space along with her clothes. After washing and drying them, she put them back on the bed and changed her clothes.
Only then did she lie down with the baby and fall asleep.
..
“What time is it already, and you’re still sleeping? Are you all waiting for me to cook for you?”
“No young-lady fate, yet you still want young-lady comfort. Do you think you deserve it?”
“Eldest son’s wife! Second son’s wife! What time is it? Get up and make breakfast! Your father and the others still have to work after eating!”
“You’re all so lazy, you might as well rot in bed!”
Early in the morning, before the sky had even brightened, Old Madam Wang’s voice rang through the courtyard. Her banging and clanging, mixed with indirect scolding, echoed into every room.
Little Madam Li curled her lips, rolled over, and went back to sleep.
Only Madam Miao hurriedly got dressed and came out.
“Mother, I’ll go make breakfast right away…”
Old Madam Wang shot her a glance, then turned her gaze toward Xia Wanyue’s door.
After waiting for a long time without hearing any movement, she was just about to speak when Madam Miao cut in first.
“Mother, why hasn’t Second Sister-in-law gotten up yet? I’ll go take a look. If this drags on, won’t it delay Father and the others’ morning work?”