The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 668 Nervous Soon-to-be New Dad

(Thanks to Xu Peliweng, Reader20180613090017369, Bao Zixiaoyao, General Cheng, and Linqf for the monthly ticket encouragement)

"Yikes, why are your eyes so red?"

Early the next morning, Qiaoqiao got a shock when she saw the red rims around Liu Banxia's eyes.

"Hehe, I couldn't sleep. I made breakfast for you. You go wash your face; I'm taking Tang Dou out for a walk," Liu Banxia replied cheerfully. He was so excited, he couldn't sleep! After he put Qiaoqiao to sleep last night, he had taken extra time to refresh his somewhat forgotten knowledge of prenatal care. Even though she wasn't far into the pregnancy, it was important to start taking it seriously. Especially in the first few months, things could easily get risky.

Qiaoqiao gave him a satisfied glance, appreciating Liu Banxia's carefulness. After all, it showed how much he cared for her; he wasn't a heartless man. The sleep last night had really eased her fatigue, as if it had wiped away all her worries from the past few days.

As soon as Liu Banxia got dressed, Tang Dou ran over, leash dangling. Tang Dou had also been finding the wait agonizing; her usual morning walk time had been pushed back quite a bit. This won't do! This is usually the happiest part of my day!

Walking out with Tang Dou, the dog turned to look at Liu Banxia. Liu Banxia gave a grand wave of his hand and, holding the leash, broke into a run.

Tang Dou was thrilled, her entire face seemed to light up, and her four paws quickened their pace. For a dog's heart to truly soar, this was the way to run.

"Why are you two so late? I've been waiting with Tiggie for ages," Qiu Huaili called out as he saw them approach.

"Slept in a little. Is Ming Yuan coming back tonight?" Liu Banxia asked.

"He's definitely coming back. If it were just me calling, it might be tricky, but once he heard you were involved, he wouldn't miss it for anything. Why isn't Qiaoqiao out?" Qiu Huaili asked.

"Hehe, I let her rest at home. We have two expectant mothers in the family now; we've got to take good care of them," Liu Banxia said delightedly. He wasn't very superstitious; in fact, at this moment, he was itching to tell everyone he met.

"Qiaoqiao's pregnant? That's great news! I'll tell my wife; we'll have to prepare a real feast tonight," Qiu Huaili said. "Have you told your parents and Old Qiao? They were hoping for a grandchild around New Year. Their wish has come true; they must be overjoyed."

"I haven't dared to tell them yet; I'm afraid they'll all rush over here," Liu Banxia said. "Let's wait a few more days. Qiaoqiao is still a bit conflicted and not quite prepared to be a mother, but she should be fine in ten days or half a month."

"Oh dear, is it still okay to keep Tang Dou then? Otherwise, how about you let Tang Dou stay at our place?" Qiu Huaili asked.

"It's fine," Liu Banxia said with a smile. "Tang Dou gets regular baths and all her vaccinations, so there's no issue at all.

"With household pets, as long as you take proper care of them, there's no problem. It's not like those scary stories people spread. Many people say pregnant women can't keep pets, but I actually think they should.

"Take Qiaoqiao, for example. She's been quite conflicted lately, and having Tang Dou around helps lift her spirits and relieve her boredom. This is an emotional knot that she has to untangle herself; others can't really help with it.

"Having little animals around is fine. Whether they're well-behaved or mischievous, they can provide a good distraction. Besides, our Tang Dou is so good-natured, and she's going to have her own little ones soon too.

"Toxoplasmosis, while serious, is typically contracted from stray cats or dogs in the wild. Moreover, transmission to humans usually happens when cleaning their feces.

"Our domesticated pet cats and dogs don't eat wild game. Even if they eat some raw meat, it's meat that has been frozen and deacidified, and it comes with a quarantine certificate, so it's even less of a problem.

"Actually, this is just like asking the neighbors to turn off their Wi-Fi routers when someone in the family is pregnant. It's all caused by excessive worrying; it's completely unnecessary."

Qiu Huaili nodded. "I agree. Back in the day, almost every family in the countryside had cats or dogs. Nobody heard about needing vaccinations or anything like that, and babies were born just fine.

"It's only in recent years that people have made such a fuss about it. Last year, a young couple in our company argued fiercely over this, and they ended up giving their cat away.

"It seems because of that incident, even though their child is quite grown now, they still argue frequently. Currently, it's only the child holding their marriage together. When that's no longer enough, they'll probably get divorced.

"Ah, kids these days... they don't take marriage or divorce seriously anymore. There's even this ridiculous theory online saying that couples *should* argue, that arguing shows you care.

"That's all nonsense. Every argument plants a seed of resentment in your heart. The more you argue, the faster that seed sprouts. Once it grows into a big tree, a breakup isn't far off."

"Wow, I didn't expect Brother Qiu to be so profound," Liu Banxia laughed.

"Well, what do you expect?" Qiu Huaili said proudly. "If you want to live a good life, you have to be willing to give up some things. If you don't dote on your own wife, are you expecting someone else to do it for you?

"Take your sister-in-law and me, for example. We've never even had a red-faced argument. Whatever she says, goes. I just listen. It's not like she'd harm me; at worst, she just nags me about smoking, drinking, or playing mahjong.

"I'm telling you this to give you a heads-up. Now that Qiaoqiao is pregnant, her temper will definitely change; it's just a matter of time. When she throws a tantrum, you need to humor her. Definitely don't argue back."

"I'm mentally prepared," Liu Banxia nodded earnestly.

"You think you're prepared just like that? Brother, you're still too naive," Qiu Huaili said, looking at him with pity. "When your sister-in-law was pregnant with Doudou, let me tell you, what didn't we have at home to eat or drink? But at one in the morning, she had a craving for stinky tofu. In the dead of winter, where was I supposed to find stinky tofu for sale?

"I was at my wit's end. I had to contact several people before I finally found the stinky tofu vendor. By the time I rushed back home with the stinky tofu, it was already morning.

"So then, we fried it. But as soon as the smell of the stinky tofu filled the air, your sister-in-law said it stank too much and didn't want to eat it anymore. What could I do? We could only take her to stay in another place.

"By noon, she was craving it again. This time, I wised up. I fried it outside so the house wouldn't reek so much. I also wrapped it up tightly. When she saw it, she was tempted again and didn't care about the smell anymore.

"You're a doctor, so you definitely understand these things better than I do. But understanding is one thing; you haven't lived through it. Back then, she'd even get mad just looking at my belly and tell me to go sleep on the sofa."

Liu Banxia's mouth fell open. If Qiu Huaili hadn't told him this himself, he might never have believed it.

After becoming pregnant, hormonal changes and the stress of carrying a child often make many women overly anxious. As a result, they can become irritable and quick to anger. Even things that didn't bother them before can suddenly infuriate them.

Although such extreme cases might be rare, Liu Banxia felt that when it came to Qiaoqiao, he absolutely had to raise his 'prevention and control' level to the maximum. Qiaoqiao had always been straightforward and a bit impatient. Now, because she hadn't mentally prepared for motherhood and the baby had just shown up, she was already very conflicted. In the future, when she started showing, experienced swelling, or found it difficult to move, he would have to be even more attentive. If Qiu Huaili hadn't reminded him, he might very well have overlooked this.

"Alright, Tang Dou has had enough fun for now. Take her home. Come over to my place this afternoon, and we'll talk more then," Qiu Huaili said with a smile.

"Okay. To be honest, I'm a bit flustered now," Liu Banxia said with a wry smile. "I was only thinking about the joy of becoming a father and completely forgot about the pressure that comes with it."

"Haha, it's the same for all of us," Qiu Huaili said with a laugh. "Don't worry about work. Your sister-in-law isn't too busy at home; she can bring Doudou over to play with Qiaoqiao. Besides, she's experienced and can offer Qiaoqiao some guidance and comfort."

"Alright then! Looking forward to a big meal at your place tonight. I'll head off now. Tang Dou, let's go home!" Liu Banxia said.

Hearing his call, Tang Dou, who had been gleefully playing with Tiggie, trotted back happily. Running that far and playing for a while was perfectly satisfying for Tang Dou. A daily outing to let off some steam was all she needed; she didn't expect to be rampaging outside constantly.

"Looks like Tang Dou had a great time. You two should eat soon," Qiaoqiao called out from the sofa as they came in.

"We'll eat in a moment. Is there anything you'd like to eat? I can go buy it for you right now," Liu Banxia quickly said.

"Why are you so tense? I can still eat anything right now," Qiaoqiao said. "Say, should I buy some sea cucumbers? They say eating sea cucumbers is good for the baby."

"Eat whatever you feel like. You're the boss in this matter; we don't have any strict rules," Liu Banxia said. "Are you really sure there's nothing else you're craving? Don't be polite with me. No matter what you want to eat, I can get it for you, really."

"Why are you acting so on edge?" Qiaoqiao asked curiously.

"Well, I ran into Old Qiu just now, and he gave me, this father-to-be, some pointers on what I should be doing," Liu Banxia said.

"Oh no, why did you tell Brother Qiu? He'll definitely go straight to Old Qiao!" Qiaoqiao said, flustered.

"Don't worry, I specifically told him. Even if he wants to notify them, it has to be on our terms," Liu Banxia quickly reassured her. "I'm a rookie father-to-be, and you're a rookie mother-to-be; we're both completely inexperienced right now. When the time comes, Sister Xian can help us out. She can also come over to chat with you and keep you company. Otherwise, I won't feel at ease with you home alone. If it really comes to it, should we call Yanzi over too? Even though she's a bit wild, she can at least keep you company and help you pass the time."

"Oh, honestly, why are you so worked up? Even I'm not nervous," Qiaoqiao said, though seeing Liu Banxia like this, she felt a sweet warmth in her heart, and her expression became a little smug. It was the first time she'd ever seen him so flustered and disorganized. It seemed that the baby arriving secretly like this wasn't so bad after all. It wasn't as terrifying as she had imagined, and look, everyone was so concerned about her.