Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

He Damin rushed into the delivery room. Chen Xueru was already asleep from exhaustion, but a faint smile graced her face. He bent down and gently kissed her forehead before walking to the crib. Six little ones lay in incubators, their tiny faces wrinkled, like a group of little monkeys. The eldest was fast asleep with his eyes closed, the second one's bright eyes were wide open, looking around, the third and fourth were huddled together, the fifth and sixth had their little hands clenched into fists, and the youngest, a little girl, had a tiny red mole on her forehead, like a rouge mark.

He Damin reached out and gently touched the little girl's hand. Her hand was so small, only as big as his thumb, yet it gripped his finger tightly. At that moment, he suddenly felt that all the hard work had been worthwhile.

Outside the window, the Swiss snow-capped mountains shimmered in the sunlight. He Damin looked at the six babies in the incubator, then at Chen Xueru sleeping soundly in the bed, his heart filled with a profound sense of loss. He remembered many years ago, when he had first transmigrated to this era, he had nothing and was utterly alone. Now, he had a home, a lover, and six adorable children.

From this day forward, his life will be filled with six more sweet memories.

"Children..." she said in a hoarse voice, filled with the weakness and anticipation of a new mother.

"All good, all good." He Damin quickly grasped her hand, leaned close to her ear, and whispered as if sharing some ultimate secret, "Five boys and one girl. The girl is the youngest, and she has a small red mole on her forehead, just as pretty as you."

Chen Xueru smiled weakly, tears streaming down her face. They were tears of joy, tears of relief from a heavy burden, and tears of anticipation for the future.

The month he spent recuperating in Switzerland became the most "leisurely" period of He Damin's life. He turned down all unnecessary work, and his daily tasks were to accompany Chen Xueru and take turns "inspecting" the six little ones. The nurses all said they had never seen such a devoted father. Every day without fail, he changed the children's diapers (although most of the time he was more of a hindrance than a help), fed them (with bottles), and stubbornly insisted on telling them stories, even though the listeners could only hum and whine.

He Yuzhu spent half a month in Switzerland, asking almost every chef in the nearby Chinese restaurants, all to find a postpartum meal that suited Chen Xueru's taste. In the end, he simply set up a small kitchen in his rented apartment, making chicken soup, fish soup, and millet porridge every day, nourishing Chen Xueru until she had a rosy complexion.

He Yushui became the "purchasing manager," sweeping through all the major European baby brands, filling an entire room with everything from the softest swaddling clothes to the most educational toys. She also hired a professional childcare worker, following along to learn every day, saying she wanted to be the "best aunt."

Although He Daqing and Qin Huairu couldn't come to Switzerland, they talked on the phone almost constantly. He Daqing would always ask, "Has the eldest gained weight? Is the second one causing trouble?" Qin Huairu would remind Chen Xueru to take care of herself, saying that when they returned, she would personally make patchwork clothes for the children.

On the day of the full moon celebration, He Damin booked a table at a local Chinese restaurant and invited the doctors and nurses who had helped, as well as several Chinese friends in Switzerland. The six little ones made their first collective appearance, wrapped in swaddling clothes of different colors, and lined up side by side in a specially made baby stroller, looking like a row of exquisitely carved little dumplings, which attracted everyone to take pictures.

The eldest son, He Fu, remained sound asleep, undisturbed by any attempts to wake him. The second son, He Lu, was the most lively, his big eyes darting around, his little hands constantly waving. The third son, He Shou, and the fourth son, He Xi, were indeed a pair, snuggled close together, even their yawns occurring at roughly the same time. The fifth son, He Cai, and the sixth son, He Kang, were the two youngest boys, relatively quiet, but their little mouths were always pursing. The youngest daughter, He Kang, also known as He Ning, was held in Chen Xueru's arms, her small body curled up, the small red mole on her forehead particularly noticeable under the light, like a tiny cinnabar mark.

Lawrence had also come all the way from Geneva, bringing a bottle of fine red wine and a heavy silver longevity lock engraved with the names of his six children. "Wow," he said, looking at the children in the stroller, "you've truly created a miracle."

He Damin smiled and raised his glass: "It's a miracle we created." He looked at Chen Xueru, who was gazing tenderly at her daughter in her arms, her eyes overflowing with love.

On the chartered plane back to China, six cribs were secured in one corner of the cabin. He Damin and Chen Xueru, along with He Yushui and four professional postpartum nannies, were almost constantly busy. One baby cried, another wet themselves, and just as one was being soothed to sleep, another woke up. The entire cabin was filled with the cries of babies and the sounds of adults comforting and playing with them—a truly lively scene.

He Damin, however, was enjoying himself. He held his crying son, awkwardly patting his back, humming an off-key nursery rhyme. Looking at the little life in his arms, his heart softened more than ever before. He thought of his turbulent youth, of the thrilling times he had experienced when starting his business; all those past hardships seemed to melt away like silk in this moment.

Back at the villa on Victoria Peak, it had already been transformed into a paradise for the children. The nursery on the third floor was divided into six small areas, each with its own crib, wardrobe, and toy box. He Yushui had even commissioned cartoon murals, featuring blue skies, white clouds, and small animals, all brightly colored and full of childlike fun.

Days passed by in this way, filled with feeding, diaper changing, soothing, and making the children laugh. He Damin became a full-time "stay-at-home dad," leaving most of the company's affairs to He Yushui, John, Lawrence, and others. He would only deal with some important documents after the children had fallen asleep each night.

Chen Xueru recovered quickly; her foundation as a Golden Core cultivator allowed her to recover better than that of ordinary postpartum women. She began to personally breastfeed and bathe her children, watching them grow day by day, from tiny crying babies to curiously observing the world with their eyes open, and then to making babbling sounds. Every little progress filled her with joy.

He Damin discovered something interesting. His divine sense could clearly perceive the aura of each child, and he could even "hear" their vague consciousness. The eldest son, He Fu, had a calm and long aura, like a deep pool; the second son, He Lu, had a lively and vibrant aura, like a mountain stream; the third son, He Shou, and the fourth son, He Xi, had complementary auras, like twin flowers; the fifth son, He Cai, and the sixth son, He Kang, had auras that, though immature, subtly revealed a kind of resilience; and the daughter, He Ning, had auras like morning dew, pure and gentle.

He tried guiding the children to absorb the faint spiritual energy and discovered that they were all promising candidates for cultivation, especially He Ning, who had the highest affinity for spiritual energy. This surprised and delighted He Damin; it seemed that the He family was not only thriving but would also produce several excellent cultivators in the future.

Before they knew it, the children were six months old. He Daqing and Qin Huairu made a special trip from Beijing to Hong Kong, only to be stunned by the sight of six little babies crawling all over the place as soon as they entered.

"Oh my goodness, my darling grandchildren!" Qin Huairu put down her luggage and rushed over, almost tripping over a crawling little one. She picked up He Lu, who was closest to her, looking at him from left to right, unable to get enough of him. "Those eyebrows and eyes, they're just like Damin's when he was little!"

He Daqing also squatted down and carefully teased He Ning, who was lying on the ground chewing on a toy. Looking at the small red mole on her forehead, his eyes reddened again: "It looks like her, so much like her... Damin's mother also had a mole like that back then."

He Damin and Chen Xueru smiled at each other, feeling warm inside as they watched the elderly couple surrounded by their children, enjoying the joy of family life.

To make it easier to care for the children, He Damin hired several experienced nannies, making the house even more lively. Every morning, the villa was like a battleground, with feeding, diaper changing, and baby food preparation all happening at once, filled with cries, laughter, and soothing sounds. He Damin and Chen Xueru were delighted, watching their children grow day by day, learning to roll over, crawl, and say "Dad" and "Mom."

When He Ning clearly called out "Daddy" for the first time, He Damin was so excited that he lifted her up and spun her around several times, almost scaring the little one to tears. Chen Xueru smiled and scolded him, "Slow down, be careful not to fall."

He Yushui often came over, always bringing bags full of toys and snacks. She became the children's favorite "Aunt Yushui." As soon as she entered the door, the six little ones would babble and surround her, clinging to her legs. He Yushui would patiently play games with them and tell them stories. Seeing their innocent smiles, she felt that all the hard work was worthwhile.

He Yuzhu's restaurant business grew bigger and bigger, becoming a well-known Cantonese restaurant in Hong Kong. He would come almost every week, bringing the freshest ingredients and cooking for Chen Xueru and the children himself. Watching the children scramble to eat the baby food he made, He Yuzhu's face lit up with a smile, and he felt particularly accomplished as "Uncle Zhu".

Time flies, and the children turned one year old in the blink of an eye. He Damin hosted a grand first birthday banquet for them, inviting relatives, friends, and business partners. The villa was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, filled with joy. The six little ones, dressed in matching little suits and princess dresses in different colors, became the focus of the entire event.

During the "first birthday celebration" ceremony, He Fu picked up a calligraphy brush, He Lu picked up a small soccer ball, He Shou and He Xi picked up an abacus together, He Cai picked up a gold coin, He Kang picked up a small hammer, and He Ning picked up a small flower carved from jade.

Looking at the children's individual "choices," everyone laughed and said, "The He family is aiming for excellence in both academics and martial arts; they want talented people to emerge in every field!"

He Damin held He Ning in his arms, while Chen Xueru led the unsteady He Fu by the hand. Looking at the lively scene before them, their hearts were filled with gratitude. He was grateful for this era, for everything he had, and even more grateful to the woman beside him who had given him a complete family and six adorable children.

As the sun set, golden rays bathed the villa's lawn and the family in its glow. He Damin watched the children chasing and playing on the lawn, and looked at Chen Xueru beside him, smiling sweetly. He felt that nothing could be more peaceful and serene than this.