Chapter 62: Cluck, Chaos, and Confinement Plans

The sun barely peeked over the eaves of the Jia household when the entire residence was already buzzing like a beehive dipped in syrup. Today was the day before Xu Li's expected delivery, and the family had moved into overdrive with precision, noise, and a good helping of loving chaos.

Xu Li had already been shifted to the city's top maternity hospital the evening before, escorted by Jia Zhe and both sets of doting in-laws. Her room was spacious, her necessities packed in three neat suitcases, and a bouquet of spring camellias from Jia Lan sat proudly on the bedside table.

But just because she was at the hospital didn't mean the Jia household had gone quiet. Far from it.

"Careful with the thermos, Jia Wei! Don't spill chicken soup on the quilt!" Grandmother Jia shouted from the kitchen door, waving a ladle like a baton.

"I just brought it in to check if it needed salt!" Jia Wei called back, cradling the precious flask like it contained liquid gold.

Meanwhile, Mother Jia was bustling with a mission. Her prized hens—three of them, all plump and glossy—had been bought weeks in advance. She had tucked them in a custom-built coop near the back garden, fattening them on sesame grains and diced greens.

"These are for confinement meals. We'll stew one every third day. I'm not letting anyone touch these until Xu Li is home with the baby," she declared, wagging a finger when Jia Wei pretended to drool over the fowl.

"They look too smug," Jia Lan said, observing the hens as they strutted in the coop like feathered aristocrats. "Should we name them? Chicken A, B, and Future Broth?"

Her father laughed, folding a newspaper at the breakfast table. "Call them whatever you want, just don't feed them mooncakes again. They didn't lay for a week."

Jia Lan smirked and turned back toward the courtyard where a soft breeze stirred the plum blossoms. She had spent the previous afternoon helping Xu Li wash her hair, a ritual both solemn and surprisingly sentimental.

Xu Li, seated on a low stool, had let Jia Lan gently comb through her long hair, then rinse it with warm water steeped in hibiscus and rose.

"I didn't expect you to do all this," she'd said softly.

"I have many talents," Jia Lan replied, half teasing, half warm. "Besides, you won't get to touch water for a whole month after this. Think of it as your farewell shampoo."

"No washing hair for a full month after the birth," Grandmother Jia had reminded sternly. "This was the last time. That's how we do confinement properly."

Jia Lan had laughed while gently massaging Xu Li's scalp. "Jie, let's enjoy the shampoo for now. After this, it's you versus the chicken soup army."

Xu Li had giggled, cheeks flushed. "As long as it's you bringing the soup, I'll surrender."

Xu Li had laughed, then cried, and they'd ended the night sharing a silent moment under the soft yellow lamplight.

Back in the present, the household was now a storm of movement.

Yao Jing barged in, her cheeks red from running. "I brought the new nightgown! The soft cotton one with the frogs printed on it. Tell me someone packed it?"

"Already in the pink suitcase," Jia Lan said with a grin.

"I swear, this baby is about to arrive with more luggage than a honeymoon couple."

"Better than being unprepared," Jia Wei chimed in, juggling two flasks of red date tea. "Also, who put the diapers in the snack bag? I nearly poured tea on them."

In the midst of it all, Jia Lan managed to sneak away into the study with a fresh stack of system-delivered mock test papers. Her energy perk from the morning's check-in had given her razor-sharp focus, but her mind kept drifting to Xu Li.

Was she nervous? Excited? Terrified? Probably all three.

The thought warmed her chest. She flipped a page and muttered, "Let the baby be healthy. And preferably quiet. But mostly healthy."

Just as she returned to the living room, she found Jia Zhe had returned from the hospital briefly.

"She's settled in," he reported, accepting a bowl of congee. "The doctor said everything looks good, but they want to monitor overnight."

"Good," Father Jia said, placing a comforting hand on his son's shoulder. "You've done well. Now go rest. Tomorrow will be long."

The family gathered for a light dinner that night. There was laughter, teasing, and more than one toast made with chrysanthemum tea.

After everyone had retreated for the night, Jia Lan lingered by the coop, watching the hens peck idly at grain. She whispered, "You better taste good, Chicken A. Xu Li deserves nothing less."

That evening, Jia Lan stepped into her room just as the golden sunset light filtered across her writing desk. Her system chimed with a gentle shimmer.

Ding!

Daily Check-in Complete

Reward: "Mother & Child Protection Charm" (Automatically delivered to Xu Li and her unborn child)

Bonus: "Warming Chicken Essence Soup" (Premium Quality) – stored in spatial inventory.

Jia Lan blinked at the reward list, then smiled. "You're being considerate today."

She tucked a delicate bottle filled with the glowing soup into a cloth pouch, then grabbed a second thermos of home-brewed chicken broth from the kitchen.

"Ready?" her mother asked, bundling up in a coat.

"Let's go," Jia Lan replied, lifting the bag. "Our princess and the future baby are waiting."

And with that, mother and daughter stepped into the cool evening air, their hearts full and their arms loaded with nourishment, love, and just a hint of magic.

Tomorrow, everything would change.

But tonight, they were together—and that was enough.