There were both single and double rooms in the VIP wards in this hospital. This year, they received another donation from a charity organization to build a new VIP maternity ward. The charges for these VIPwards were much higher than ordinary wards. Apart from high-ranking officials and dignitaries, ordinary people could not afford to stay in them at all.
The rooms were empty anyway. If Qiao Mei came to stay in the hospital, it would also generate income for the hospital. This could not be considered a waste of medical resources. Not only could they protect her safety, but the hospital could make money as well. It was like killing two birds with one stone.
"Based on my observations, she keeps going to the toilet at night and sleeps most of the time during the day. During this period of time, she hasn't been sleeping well. She eats normally and everything seems fine. It's just that she doesn't have proper sleep, which is quite worrying," Xia He said as she recalled what she had observed.
These were all normal symptoms of pregnancy and there was no need for special care. Everything would get better after she gave birth. There was nothing anyone could do to help her at the moment.
"It's good as long as she can still eat. The rest are normal symptoms of late stage pregnancy. It's better that you sleep in my lounge tonight. It's too late and I'm worried for your safety if you go back now," Xia Fang said.
"I'd better go back. Qiao Mei is still waiting for me at home. I'm worried that she'll look for me at night. Currently, there's only her mother and me staying with her in the front yard. I'll feel unsettled if I don't go back," Xia He said worriedly.
Xia Fang did not insist that Xia He stay behind and called the Xia family's chauffeur to come and pick her up. She would feel more at ease knowing that there was someone sending Xia He home.
The next day was not as quiet and peaceful as Xia He had imagined. The four children groaned endlessly in the courtyard, especially Zhang Miao, who was even louder than the big rooster next door. Those who did not know better would think that the people in the house were abusing the children!
"Stand properly! Put your hands together on the crease of your pants! Raise your head and puff out your chest! Look straight ahead!" Zheng Peng sternly held out the ruler to guide the children's movements.
As there were both boys and girls among the four children, it was inappropriate for Zheng Peng to use his hands to guide the two girls' movements given that he was a male teacher, so he needed to use a ruler.
Physical fitness was also an important subject in school. Zhang Wei's training was different from the other three children. As he had already built up a certain level of foundation in Foshan Village, he was asked to start with the horse stance while carrying weights and he trained alone.
"From now on, all of you will stand there for 30 minutes without moving! Zhang Wei will do the horse stance for one hour! If anyone moves or does not meet the standards, you will have to continue for an additional five minutes. Do you understand!" Zheng Peng said sternly.
"Understood!" the four children shouted softly.
Zheng Peng looked at them sharply as he said loudly, "What did you say! Louder! Are you still sleeping!"
"Understood!!!" the four children shouted with all their might.
Zheng Peng did not stay idle either. He stood in front of the children in a standard military posture to set an example for them. By doing this, he could also better supervise whether each child was maintaining a standard posture.
Qiao Qiang sat in the long corridor, drinking tea with relish and looking at the children. When he looked at Zheng Peng, it was as if he was looking at himself in the military camp back then. Those days were really unforgettable.
Qiao Mei rubbed her eyes in dissatisfaction and went to the backyard. After hearing Zheng Peng's yells, she had goosebumps all over her body. She recalled those days of military training in university in her other life. She had to run five kilometers every day and needed to take part in marathons at times. It was simply hellish torture.
"Grandfather, isn't this training not so good for the children…" Qiao Mei slowly walked to Qiao Qiang's side and asked softly.
"Huh? Which part do you think is not good?" Qiao Qiang asked.
"Among these children, only Zhang Wei will be going to the military academy. It must be very tiring to go through such physical training." Qiao Mei looked at the other three children with heartache.
However, Qiao Qiang had a different opinion from Qiao Mei. He looked at the children and said, "We're not in the village now. It's been a long time since they went out to run around. Do you still remember what they used to do? It's not good for their physical development if they're kept inside the house like this. Besides, we're relatives with the Xia family. If these children's standards are too far off compared with the Xia family's children, how do you expect them to get along with people from the Xia family in the future?"
Everything that Qiao Qiang said made sense. She really did not think of this part. Although Li Gui and the children had their own house and social activities, they would inevitably have to interact with the Xia family in the future. They would also have to interact with people in the same social circle as the Xia family, so it was better not to have too much of a gap with them.