Chapter 1379: It’s Not Easy Being a Mom

Chapter 1379: Chapter 1379: It’s Not Easy Being a Mom

"I thought you might not make it back tonight."

When Liu Banxia returned home, Qiaoqiao said.

"I had to come back, if I don’t see my daughter and son, I just can’t settle down." Liu Banxia said.

"How was your day? You should also get out for a bit, Qing Kewa will be leaving soon, you can’t just stay at home thinking about food all the time."

"We already went out, Xu Yino was with us too. Your two little treasures became the center of attention." Qiaoqiao said with a smile.

"You wouldn’t guess how they behave at home, acting so temperamental. But outside, they’re so well-behaved, not causing any fuss. Do you think they can hear others praising them? If I hadn’t stopped them, there’d be a bunch of godmothers by now."

"Haha, it just shows how much everyone adores our two little babies. No rush, in time, they’ll be chatting with us, no matter what they’re saying." Liu Banxia said.

"Oh dear, how can you be so nonchalant with kids? Finish the shrimp; otherwise, it won’t taste good tomorrow." Qiaoqiao said.

"By the way, what surgery did you do today? I heard from Xu Yino that you guys didn’t have any major accident rescue tasks today, why did it have to be you?"

"There was a patient with late-stage rectal cancer who didn’t want to have a stoma, so we did a TaTME. I’m the only one who can do it. He also had some bowel obstruction, so we decided to solve it all at once." Liu Banxia said casually.

"We chatted during the surgery, this patient left a strong impression on us. He knew that even with this surgery, he wouldn’t live much longer, yet he still wanted it."

"Just to have control over the limited time he has left. He also wanted to stay at his children’s home for a couple of days, then go wherever he wanted."

"I figure, he’s giving his children one last chance to fulfil their filial duty, not wanting them to have regrets after his passing. I think this patient really knows what he wants, so I went ahead with it."

"Sigh... don’t you have a lot of negative influences every day at the hospital? Just hearing about it makes me feel uneasy." Qiaoqiao said.

"It’s not just you, Liu Yiqing hasn’t even performed any surgeries, just listening to the patients already gets to her." Liu Banxia said.

"Not all news are negative, remember when we did that liver transplant awhile ago? The children were all eager to donate their liver to their father, that’s positive energy."

"But when we’re in the hospital, it’s true we get to witness many situations you guys outside can’t see. It’s just more harsh over there."

"Put it this way, you might occasionally hear about someone getting sick or diagnosed with a tumor. But in the hospital, during working hours, there’s always a queue for registration, for handling paperwork."

"Take our hospital’s obstetrics and gynecology department, it’s been open for how long? The delivery rooms are almost full. In our second department, the patient turnover is quite high, and even as a new department, it’s now more than half full."

"Sigh... I used to think about visiting you at the hospital more often. Now, I’m a bit reluctant, seeing so many people sick makes me feel uneasy." Qiaoqiao said.

"I’m just going to manage ’Langtaosha’ and ’Jinbao’ steadily, by the way, how much of a discount should we offer for Wang Chao’s wedding banquet? Two tables."

"Just follow normal friend rates, no need to accommodate too much." Liu Banxia said.

"One reason for choosing our place is because their booking is a bit late, anywhere else might incur a favor. Another is due to our good relationship, they’re more at ease with us."

"You know the situation of their two families, even a small matter could get blown out of proportion. It would become a hassle to handle, but I’m sure you know better than I do."

"Got it, now I understand, you don’t have to worry about the rest." Qiaoqiao nodded with a smile.

Indeed, this decision was delicate to handle, but she needed to know the bottom line. Now that it’s clear, there are no issues, she knows exactly how to proceed.

Liu Banxia enjoyed his meal thoroughly, despite being reheated dishes, they tasted wonderful to him.

A home-cooked meal is all you need, who needs a bicycle?

After eating, while Qiaoqiao tidied up, Liu Banxia went over to his daughter’s and son’s side.

The two little ones have adjusted their schedule now, sleeping soundly. Tang Dou glanced at him, then gathered the kids around him.

"You lot, this family of yours, strong and healthy now. After a while, I’ll take you all to get neutered." Liu Banxia said, rubbing Tang Dou’s forehead.

Not that it could understand him, if it did, it might have fought Liu Banxia.

However, its kids are growing fast, each one quite chubby, with big paws.

Anyway, now they all want Liu Banxia to rub them, and they’re lining up for it.

Sometimes Liu Banxia really wonders if they have a lot of things on their minds too.

For example, when at home, as long as the two little ones are asleep, they never make a sound.

"Go take a bath, you still have work tomorrow," said Qiaoqiao after tidying up.

"Do you think they can understand what we’re saying? I just said I would take them to get neutered, and they didn’t get mad. Usually, when we ask them to do something else, they can understand," Liu Banxia said.

"Ah, I’ve studied them for longer, and still can’t figure it out. Go take your bath; don’t expect any time to play with the kids," Qiaoqiao warned.

"By the way, there’s another thing. In a few days, my return time at night might be uncertain; I need to go to the Third Hospital to observe pediatric surgery," Liu Banxia said.

"You guys go ahead and eat without waiting for me. I don’t know how long their surgeries will take, but pediatric surgeries are generally lengthy."

"Alright, got it, we’ll eat without you," Qiaoqiao nodded.

"But you’re not going to be this busy all the time, right? If these two little ones don’t see you for a long time, they’ll surely forget you. Anyway, they are now close to Qing Kewa and Yanzi—they play with them all the time."

"No, I plan to spend about a month observing pediatric surgery, and I won’t be going every day; only when there’s a suitable surgery," Liu Banxia said.

"Anyway, it will be hard on you during this time, and later you’ll take care of the little ones more. How did I marry such a wonderful wife?"

Qiaoqiao glared at him cautiously, "Confess honestly, did you cause any trouble?"

"No way, this is my genuine feeling," Liu Banxia said with a wry smile.

"Today there was another patient. She’s bringing her child for treatment, but actually, she has PTSD due to miscarriage and premature birth experiences. Her husband doesn’t quite understand her, thinking she’s just at home with the child, how hard can it be?"

"Fortunately, after our explanation, her husband learned of her hardships and will accompany her to psychological counseling. I feel this is just a microcosm."

"Actually, under our current social conditions, although there are many wealthy people, even more are living under high pressure."

"Mortgages are a significant expense, and when a child is born, if the grandparents live nearby, they can help care for them; otherwise, the wife has to stay home to take care of the baby."

"Our two little ones are still so small right now, and every day they stir up chaos at home. When they grow older, can move around on their own, they’ll require constant supervision."

"We’re reasonably well-off, but many families live under such pressure. Raising children isn’t easy; many mothers’ hardships are not understood."

"You do have a point; it’s indeed exhausting. I have so many people helping me and still feel tired; it’s even harder for others," Qiaoqiao said.

"But in many cases, it depends on the situation. Generally speaking, mothers are more attentive with children. If you men were in charge, you’d probably be worried while working outside."

"Actually, I don’t feel it’s too much, but those mothers in average financial families do struggle a lot. Today, we even chatted about how kids will need tutoring, clothes, and preschool—everything costs money."

"What kind of classes will you sign our children up for in the future? Should they take the same classes or different ones? Should they explore the arts? Not to aim for the entertainment world—it’s too chaotic—but mainly to cultivate their temperament."

"By the way, they must learn swimming. I can teach them myself by renting a pool at a resort. It’ll save first child from having to choose whether to rescue mom or girlfriend during a jump into the river."

Liu Banxia was a bit speechless; Qiaoqiao’s divergent thinking was too powerful. He looked at the two little ones sleeping soundly and resigned himself, as the father, to only supporting them mentally.

With no time to care for the kids, their upbringing would rely on Qiaoqiao’s opinions.

No matter what, he had to firmly stand by Qiaoqiao’s side. He was pretty aware that he had to follow the leader. Whatever the leader decides goes; in this family, Qiaoqiao is the leader.

He went blissfully to take a bath, knowing that his words wouldn’t provide any substantial help to Qiaoqiao, but still necessary to say.

People often discuss family roles, but how clear-cut are they? Couples should focus less on nitpicking and more on understanding and tolerance.

The shared goal is to make life better and happier, not to treat the spouse’s hardships as justified or taken for granted.

As for Qiaoqiao, she was equally delighted.

She’s not expecting Liu Banxia to do anything specific for the family; having an understanding word was more than enough.