"Congratulations, congratulations!" Qin Yuanfeng stood in the courtyard, an awkward smile on his face. It was already improper for him to be here during Xiqiu’s childbirth, and now he could only awkwardly bow to everyone in celebration. As he spoke, Ruan Jingliu suddenly emerged from inside. He took a few steps forward, bent over, and gently supported her arm, his movements as smooth as serving an old matron, muttering, "Mind the fetal qi, the fetal qi."

Ruan Jingliu glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and with a surprised look from the Grand Dowager and First Madam, she approached them, giving a slight curtsy. The Grand Dowager said, "You are already with child, be sure not to tire yourself, please sit."

Ruan Jingliu was indeed a bit tired and didn’t stand on ceremony, so she sat down on a chair to the side. The Grand Dowager then asked, "You’ve carefully looked over the two children, they are both fine, aren’t they?"

"They’re both quite well," Ruan Jingliu replied. "The elder one is four pounds and three ounces, the younger is four and a half pounds. Other than being a bit skinny, everything is normal."

The Grand Dowager’s last bit of worry was finally dispelled. She exhaled and held the First Madam’s arm, "That’s good, that’s good!" After she spoke, her gaze fell on Qin Yuanfeng, who had his head lowered, his eyes fixed on Ruan Jingliu’s belly, looking deep in thought, sometimes happy, sometimes worried, sometimes fearful, even trembling a little. The Grand Dowager asked in confusion, "Is Mr. Qin alright, is he unwell?"

Qin Yuanfeng obviously didn’t hear the Grand Dowager’s question, still keeping his head down and staring at Ruan Jingliu’s belly.

Ruan Jingliu didn’t need to look at him to imagine his expression and thoughts at that moment. She answered for him, "He’s always like this, you needn’t worry about him!"

The Grand Dowager nodded thoughtfully, lacking the heart to concern herself with Qin Yuanfeng, and instructed Bihuai, "Take Nurse Zhang to the room to rest; they haven’t eaten yet, quickly serve food to the medical woman."

"Yes!" Bihuai responded, and with Lyuzhi, immediately ordered the maidservants to serve food. She supported Ruan Jingliu to rest in the adjoining room, while Qin Yuanfeng remained tense, following "Old Madam Ruan" into the adjoining room.

The Grand Dowager waited at the door, while inside they were still tidying up. After a while, Chunliu stuck her head out, "Grand Dowager, it’s been tidied up."

"Good, good!" The Grand Dowager was eager to go in; the First Madam let go of her hand, "Mother, I will wait outside."

The Grand Dowager was momentarily surprised, thought for a bit, but then nodded in agreement, looking towards Young Master Zhi and Kun, "You take the two little ones to eat as well." The First Madam responded, intending to speak with Young Master Zhi, who was full of curiosity at this moment, shaking his head immediately, "I’m not hungry," and ran over to the Grand Dowager, "Grandmother, I will go in with you; I want to see my siblings."

The Grand Dowager wasn’t sure of the situation inside; Young Master Zhi was still young, and it was the birthing room, so Chunliu smiled and said, "Young Master Zhi, madam said you could go in." Then looked at the Grand Dowager, "There’s a partition inside, it’s fine."

"Then you must promise grandmother to keep your voice down once inside, don’t disturb your siblings," the Grand Dowager feared Young Master Zhi might speak loudly and frighten the two children.

Young Master Zhi couldn’t wait any longer, nodded hastily, and went straight through the door.

"Where are they, where are they?" In the room, a screen was placed in the center, with gauze curtains hanging; Young Master Zhi didn’t see his siblings, nor did he find his mother. He grabbed the midwife holding a small bundle, "Where are my siblings?"

"This is them," the midwife smiled, handing the bundle to Young Master Zhi. He didn’t expect the newborn baby to be so small, paused in surprise, then leaned forward to look, seeing a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, with wrinkled, pink skin, sleeping soundly with a pout, although its hair was very dark, hard to determine if it was attractive, resembling a little kitten.

Young Master Zhi squinted his eyes and asked, "Is this my brother?" The midwife shook her head, "This is the young lady." Before Young Master Zhi could express surprise, the midwife pointed to the other swaddle in the cradle, "The young master is over there."

"Let me see." Young Master Zhi ran over, leaned forward to look at his brother, also peacefully asleep, smacking his lips, much like the first, also sleeping curled up like a kitten.

Young Master Zhi crouched beside them, murmuring, "Why are they so small..." He measured with his arm, "Really small!"

The Grand Dowager first went in to see Xiqiu, advised her to rest well, then came out to look at the two children, noticing Young Master Zhi murmuring alone in front of the cradle. She couldn’t help but ask, "Young Master Zhi, what are you saying to your brother?"

"Grandmother," Young Master Zhi stood up and pointed to the swaddle, "Can I hold him?"

The Grand Dowager bent to look at the brother in the cradle, smiling warmly, "My darling, though born together, they don’t seem small." She then picked up the little brother, apparently forgetting what Young Master Zhi had just said.

Meanwhile, the midwife handed over the sister, the Grand Dowager holding one in each arm, joyfully watched the other, gently touched a little face, "She really looks like Miss Qiu."

After Nanny Cen changed the sheets, bathed, and dressed her, Xiqiu leaned on Fourth Master Xiao’s shoulder, already sleepy. Though these two children weren’t born with as much danger as when she bore Young Master Zhi, she was far more exhausted. She finally understood why her belly was twice as big as Tong Xiyan’s; she had not expected there to be two children inside.

She squinted at Fourth Master Xiao, who maintained a solemn expression without smiling, and asked, "Go and look at the two children, and think of some nicknames for them first."

Fourth Master Xiao adjusted her blanket, softly said, "You get some sleep first; I’ll go see them once you’re asleep."

Xiqiu listened to the voices of the Grand Dowager and Young Master Zhi outside, nodded slightly, and drifted off to sleep.

Fourth Master Xiao kept her company for a while before rising to go outside to see the two children. The boy lay sleeping soundly in the Grand Dowager’s arms, while the girl was held by the midwife. Young Master Zhi was tilting his head, scrutinizing them; seeing Fourth Master Xiao come out, the midwife greeted him with a smile, and Fourth Master Xiao extending his arms naturally received the child from the midwife.

Fourth Master Xiao held them in his arms, remarking to himself how light compared to when Young Master Zhi was born, considerably lighter, and the complexion wasn’t as rosy as Young Master Zhi’s at that time. Being twins, there was always some deficiency.

The Grand Dowager seemed to decode his thoughts, comforting him, "Don’t worry, they’ve just been born, they’ll grow stronger." The midwife also nodded emphatically, "Children grow quickly, you won’t recognize them in three days."

Fourth Master Xiao responded casually. The Grand Dowager asked again, "Did you send someone to the nursery? When is the nurse coming?" With two babies this time, Xiqiu might be unable to nurse them as before.

"I’ve sent for them," Fourth Master Xiao replied, staring at the little one in his arms before his gaze shifted to the other in the Grand Dowager’s arms, belatedly realizing that Xiqiu had given birth to twins this time.

The Grand Dowager handed the child to Chunliu, "Take them to the door for the First Madam to see; be careful not to startle them." Chunliu agreed, taking the child to the door.