I was reborn after my cousin stole my life.

Chapter 198: Let's Discuss and Negotiate

The following morning, Jiang Zhou mentioned this matter to Yuan Xiu.

"My mom won't be staying here for long. Even if she could stay with us for an extended period, she can't take care of two kids by herself. What I mean is, if you think it's okay, invite someone over to adapt for a while. If it's suitable, we can keep them as helpers. My mom definitely won't be in a hurry to leave. With the two of them looking after the kids, you can focus on your studies after your postpartum period and seriously prepare for the college entrance exam. As for the future..."

Jiang Zhou paused here, then asked her, "Are you planning to apply to the city's medical school?"

Yuan Xiu nodded, "If I can get in, I'll definitely apply to the medical school in our city. Given my current situation, it's impossible for me to go to another city."

"That's good. The medical school isn't far away; it's only a half-hour bike ride. You can go home and see your two children every day after class. If Aunt Zhao can stay for a longer period, it would really be a good thing for us."

Yuan Xiu also thought it was a good idea and nodded in agreement, "Then you tell Mom to quickly invite them over."

Her previous idea was to put the child in a daycare after he got into university, and whoever got back first, she or Jiang Zhou, would pick him up. But that would be too tiring, and she and Jiang Zhou would have to work hard for several years. If someone could stay at home to help, she and Jiang Zhou would have an easier time.

After Ms. An Hui arrived, she secretly hoped that she could stay, but it's good as it is now. Aunt Zhao is probably more suitable to take care of the child than her mother-in-law.

"Are you so sure I can get into medical school? What if I don't?"

Yuan Xiu took the bowl Jiang Zhou handed her. Inside the bowl were three beautiful poached eggs. This was her morning snack. A normal person eats three meals a day, but she needs to eat six: one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one before going to bed at night. Jiang Zhou had calculated it all for her.

While she ate the egg, Jiang Zhou opened the baby's swaddling clothes to check if the two little ones had peed. After all, it was his first time being a father, so he was inevitably a bit flustered. Fortunately, he was gentle enough that even though the older brother was a little dissatisfied, he didn't cry out loud. The younger sister was even more well-behaved, her little hands clenched into fists and held up to her face, sleeping peacefully.

"After all, the college entrance examination has been suspended for eleven years. During those ten years, most young people went to the countryside. How many of them actually touched a textbook? Not to mention the educated youth who went to the countryside, how many of the students in schools today are actually studying seriously? The idea that studying is useless has been prevalent for more than a decade, and many people haven't figured it out. Even if they were to touch a textbook now, how much of it could they actually learn?"

"The school wants to recruit students, so the admission scores for the first cohort definitely won't be high. If you really want to take the exam, this is the easiest time to get in. You haven't relaxed for a moment this year. After you finish your postpartum confinement, if you intensively study for a few more months, your chances of getting in are very high!"

There were only a few months left, Yuan Xiu thought. The exam was in early December. She remembered it because at this time in her previous life, all the educated youth in the village, regardless of age or marital status, rode in tricycles decorated with red ribbons prepared by the village to the county town to take the exam. For the villagers, it was a major event that they could talk about for more than ten years!

By the time she finished her postpartum confinement, it would be late October, leaving her with only a little over a month.

"Since you've put it that way, it would be so embarrassing if I didn't pass the exam."

"What's so embarrassing? What are you two talking about?" Hao Jia came in carrying two bottles of malted milk powder. "I heard you gave birth as soon as I entered the hospital today, and it's twins, a boy and a girl! I wanted to come see you earlier, but the pharmacy was a bit busy today, and I couldn't get away."

She leaned down and stared at the two children, her eyes sparkling. "Who's the brother? Who's the sister? Don't tell me! Let me guess!"

She looked at this one, then at that one, and even reached out to nudge the little fists the brother and sister held up to their faces. "The bigger one is the older brother, right?"

Yuan Xiu smiled and nodded, "Brother is a pound heavier than sister."

"I knew it!" Hao Jia laughed. "They really do look exactly alike! Xiao Yuan, I'm so envious of you. I wish I could have twins too!"

"Then why don't you hurry up and get pregnant?" Hao Jia had been married longer than her, and the couple hadn't had children yet. Both sides of their families were urging them, but the couple just said they weren't in a hurry.

"I'm not in a hurry, let's talk about it next year." Hao Jia didn't say much. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but they just couldn't get pregnant. They had secretly checked their bodies and everything was fine. They could only say that their time hadn't come yet.

Hao Jia didn't stay long. After saying a few words, she went to work. Throughout the day, Yuan Xiu's ward was bustling with people. Some were hospital colleagues who came to visit and see the child, while others were neighbors from the compound. Sister Chunmei and the others also came.

Visitors never came empty-handed; they brought malted milk powder, brown sugar, or eggs—all good things for nourishing the body.

Shen's mother came with An Hui, who was carrying a lunchbox containing Yuan Xiu's lunch: a bowl of chicken soup filled with chicken.

"Your mother-in-law's cooking is really good! I followed her all the way here, and the aroma of her chicken soup filled the air the whole way—it smelled so good!"

An Hui glanced at Jiang Zhou and decided not to steal her son's credit.

"I didn't do it, my son did. I just helped watch the fire for a bit, and I'll bring it over when it's done."

Shen's mother never expected that she had praised the wrong person.

Who would have thought, right?

The man takes care of his wife and children in the hospital, while the mother-in-law takes care of the logistics at home. That's what everyone would think.

"Xiao Jiang's cooking skills are so good? That's great, Xiao Yuan is so lucky. My son-in-law can't even steam rice."

Mrs. Shen also brought gifts. She put down what she was carrying to look at the children. "What a blessing this is! Twins are rare, and twins of opposite sexes are even rarer. You two have a son and a daughter in one birth. Aren't all the people in our compound going crazy with envy?"

Shen's mother was right about this. The news that Yuan Xiu had given birth to twins spread throughout the entire compound at an extremely fast pace. Even the ordinary soldiers in the military camp heard that their Chief of Staff Jiang had twins, and they were all incredibly envious.

"My little Xuanxuan has a companion now. The three little ones are about the same age, so they'll play together, go to school together, and get along well, right, little..." Shen's mother paused, then asked, "Have the two children been named yet?"