Ye Jiu turned his head to look at Zhang Shi, enduring a headache as he walked over and hugged her, saying, "I'm better now, elder sister-in-law. These years, my poor health has caused you all a lot of trouble. You've worked hard."
"Not hard at all, not hard at all—as long as you're healthy, your elder sister-in-law is happy," Zhang Shi immediately responded.
He Shi gave birth at an older age, plus, at that time, while fleeing from disaster, her body lacked nutrition. After giving birth, she was like half of her life had been drained away, and the hurried journey back meant she had no breast milk at all.
At the time, Ye Jiu's elder sister-in-law, Zhang Shi, and his second sister-in-law, Zhao Shi, had not weaned their own children since not even two years had passed since their births. Children in the countryside don't grow very fast, so they wean late. Hence, He Shi set her sights on her two daughters-in-law.
Originally, to let Ye Jiu eat more, He Shi had arranged for the two of them to take turns nursing.
However, times were tough, and Zhao Shi was reluctant at heart. When it was her turn to feed Ye Jiu, she just perfunctorily gave a couple of sucks.
As Ye Jiu couldn't get enough to fill his stomach, and as time went by, He Shi also noticed the signs. She grew increasingly displeased with Zhao Shi and later simply let the somewhat kinder elder daughter-in-law, Zhang Shi, nurse him alone.
It was Ye Jiu's fortune. In that year, a severe drought had affected nearly half the country, yet, fortuitously, on the very day Ye Jiu was born, it rained heavily, as if welcoming his birth. Combined with what Ye Lao Han had said at the time, He Shi always believed that this girl was a Lucky Star sent by Heaven, just like the Princely Heir.
Otherwise, for a child born into a major disaster and with poor health, surviving safely would not have been easy.
At breakfast time, all members of the Ye Family's fourth household were present, except for Ye Gaoshan, the eldest brother who was out working in town during the farming off-season; Ye Gaoshi, the second brother; and Ye Gaoyun, the third brother, who had married into another family.
At the same time, the entire family was already aware that Ye Jiu had recovered.
Originally, with the injury on Ye Jiu's head not yet fully healed, he was supposed to eat inside. But having lived in a daze for years, once his health recovered, he couldn't wait to see his family and insisted on joining them at the table for meals, against his better judgement.
Yet, the news of Ye Jiu's recovery was met with mixed feelings by others.
However, these were all unimportant. With He Shi here to keep order, regardless of anyone's opinions, they had to keep their thoughts to themselves.
Just as he sat at the dining table, He Shi reached out and placed two boiled eggs into Ye Jiu's bowl. "Darling, you've just recovered, and these past few days, you've suffered so much. Quickly eat two eggs to nourish your body. At noon, Mom will make you something delicious."
"Gulp..."
The sound of someone swallowing saliva came, making Ye Jiu's hand, holding the eggs, stiffen.
Looking up, he saw that the children from his elder brother's household were older. Ye Wenqing was thirteen, the girl Ye Qinghua was twelve, and the youngest son Ye Wenhao was nearly nine, all old enough to understand and not covet the egg in Ye Jiu's hand.
As for Ye Wenyu from his second brother's family, he was already twelve, and Ye Wenxuan was eight. Only their little sister, Ye Qingzhi, at six, was the youngest in the family. At this moment, it was Ye Wenxuan and Ye Qingzhi who were looking at the egg in Ye Jiu's hand with a yearning expression in their eyes.
As for Ye Gaoyun, the third brother, he had long since married into another family and only returned during the holidays.
Then there was Ye Gaoshi, the youngest at sixteen, who had not even brought a wife home yet.
Li Shi and her daughter were the ones with the lowest status in this family. When it was time to eat, they could only scoop half a bowl of watery rice to the side, without any right to sit at the table.
Seeing these two younger nephews and nieces from his second brother's household, Ye Jiu found he truly couldn't eat while letting the two of them watch.