Lin Ying looked at him amusedly: "You actually know what people are laughing at?"

Shuanzi nodded: "I know. I'm a big kid now, not Er Ya. Auntie, don't tell anyone that Uncle secretly went to sleep with you last night. It's a bit embarrassing, but he's still my uncle. We can't let outsiders laugh at him."

Lin Ying wanted to laugh, but was also somewhat helpless: "Okay, I won't say anything. I won't embarrass your uncle."

It's not just his uncle who's embarrassed.

Looking at the boy sitting there quietly, Lin Ying thought for a moment and then said to Shuanzi, "Shuanzi, you already met this older brother yesterday. From now on, this older brother will come to our house and live with us. What do you say?"

Shuanzi was taken aback: "What? This brother isn't leaving? Is he going to steal my aunt from me and Er Ya?" There are always kids coming to play at Lin Ying's house, and Shuanzi is used to it.

However, everyone else left by evening. This young man not only didn't leave, but he's not leaving now either, which makes a big difference.

Shuanzi scratched his head, as if to say he didn't want to.

Although the older brother didn't make a fuss or cause any trouble, he still felt that the older brother was trying to steal his aunt from him.

However, he dared not say it, fearing that his aunt would dislike him if he did.

Seeing Shuanzi's hesitation, Lin Ying said, "This little boy was picked up by your uncle on the road. He has no parents, no grandparents, and no uncles or aunts. If your uncle hadn't found him, he would have frozen to death on the road."

"Do you think he'll die if we don't raise him and give him away?"

Lin Ying, looking like she also wanted to send the person away, discussed it with Shuanzi.

When Shuanzi heard that sending this man away would mean his death, his heart softened. Seeing that Lin Ying also wanted to send him away, Shuanzi instead tried to persuade her:

"Auntie, this little boy is so pitiful. Although I don't know what 'pitiful' means, when my parents were lying in a box buried in the ground, the aunties in the village said I was pitiful. But I have grandparents, uncles, and aunties. I definitely won't die."

This young man has nothing; he's more pitiful than me.

"Maybe we should let him stay. At worst, I'll eat less and leave some for him."

Lin Ying feigned hesitation: "Is this really okay?"

Shuanzi nodded vigorously: "Yes! This brother is very good, I don't want him to die."

Lin Ying reluctantly agreed, "In that case, alright. Since it's Shuanzi who wants him to stay, then we'll stay. Auntie listens to Shuanzi the most. However, since it's Shuanzi who's keeping my brother, then I'll trouble Shuanzi to take good care of him from now on. My brother doesn't like to talk, so Shuanzi will have to talk to him more."

Shuanzi patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Auntie, I'll definitely take good care of my brother!"

Lin Ying nodded vigorously, "Yes, Auntie trusts our Shuanzi the most! You are the pillar of our family!"

Lin Ying's conversation with Shuanzi reached the ears of the boy next to her—no, now called Haoyu. Although he didn't speak, he knew that his future younger brother was a fool, easily swayed by a few words.

This woman is really cunning. She clearly didn't want him to come yesterday, but today she's willing to stay. If she didn't want him, she should have just sent him away. Why bother pretending for someone like him?

With an extra person in the family, there's always a period of adjustment.

Three days later, Zhao Qinghuai retrieved the household registration certificates for his three children. Their grain rations were also registered with the military headquarters.

Now, the three children have enough grain for a few kilograms each month, and the family doesn't have to be so strapped for cash.

Of course, that's how it appears to outsiders.

The moment they got their household registration certificates back, Zhao Qinghuai and Lin Ying announced the names of their three children.

After hearing that he had a formal name, Shuanzi went to find Xiaoshuai and told him that he also had a formal name. His name would be Zhao Zeyu! It had one more character than Xiaoshuai's.

But Xiao Shuai told him, "If your name has an extra character, you'll have to write much more than others when the teacher asks you to write your name."

Shuanzi didn't understand what it meant, but he was happy nonetheless.

Haoyu remained silent, and Lin Ying was unsure whether he truly liked the name.

At least now, when Lin Ying calls him, he knows she's calling him. Although he won't respond, he knows to look at her with his eyes, waiting for her to say what she's going to say next.