"Ah!" Jiayin responded very clearly this time.
The old lady then picked up the hot water bottle. She was clever; after fiddling with it for a few moments, she realized it was for holding water.
Then, remembering her grandson's frostbitten toes, she quickly got out of bed.
A short while later, she returned carrying a warm water bottle.
"Grandma's darling granddaughter, she's such a treasure! Your brother won't have to suffer from the cold anymore!"
Jiayin danced with joy; a good start is half the battle.
With this hot water bottle as a test, Grandma won't be too surprised if we take things out of the space again in the future.
Gradually, he might even become a good helper to cover for her.
Grandma Li had no idea that her granddaughter had been thinking about this for so long. She found a sewing basket and started sewing a cloth cover for the hot water bottle.
This is a treasure my granddaughter found; I can't let anyone see it.
Don't cause trouble for your eldest grandson, and don't cause trouble for the family, after all, there are plenty of envious bad people outside.
The next morning, the whole family got up early to get busy.
Ordinary families typically don't hold extravagant celebrations for a child's 100th day.
But Jiayin is the apple of the family's eye, so we should make it a lively occasion. Preparing a sumptuous feast is a must, and everyone has even prepared gifts.
Zhao Yuru's best skill was needlework, and the gift she gave to Jiayin was a small rabbit fur hat.
The hat has two round eyes embedded in the front and a tiny rabbit tail sewn on the back, making it look exceptionally lifelike.
Jiayin really liked it. She grabbed the hat and put it on her head while making cute, clumsy movements that made everyone laugh.
Jia'an and Jiaxi quickly took out their carefully prepared gifts, which were lifelike little horses and tigers made of straw.
It's admirable that they studied so diligently and created such exquisite little gadgets.
Li Laosan's gift was a bit bigger; it was a wooden horse that he had carved himself, saying that Jiayin could ride it herself when she was older.
Li Lao Er gave them two red ropes with two silver beads strung on them.
One is engraved with "No Taboos" and the other with "Good Fortune and Happiness," making them perfect for a 100-day-old baby to wear on their wrist for good luck.
Tao Hongying hugged Jiayin and thanked everyone with a smile.
However, among all the gifts received, Wu Cuihua was the only one missing.
Jiaren was puzzled and looked around before discovering that his mother was hiding to the side, fighting with Jia'an and Jiaxi for food!
"Mother! What are you doing!" Jiaren blushed with embarrassment and went forward to pull her away.
Unexpectedly, Wu Cuihua shook off his hand and even rolled her eyes at him.
"I've wasted my time raising you! And you, with a few coins in your pocket, you're always eyeing the girls in the other room, but you haven't even bought me a snack as a sign of respect!"
Jiaren was speechless with anger at these words, thinking of his father who was anxious to earn money to support his studies, and even his younger brother Jiayi who had gone south to work as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort).
Of the whole family, my mother is the most troublesome; she's completely unreasonable...
After a lively day, the whole family rested comfortably, and then got up to take Jiaren back to the academy.
Grandma Li deliberately avoided Wu Cuihua and quietly called her eldest grandson into the house.
Jiaren dared not be negligent. Guessing that his grandmother probably had something to tell him, he asked, "Grandma, is something the matter?"
Jiayin was lying on the bed practicing turning over. Perhaps she was getting into it, and she kept turning over, forgetting that she was too close to the edge of the bed and almost fell off.
Jiaren rushed forward, picked up his younger sister, and smiled helplessly, "You naughty little girl!"
Grandma Li was also startled and quickly took her granddaughter from her. Seeing that the girl was kicking her arms and legs happily and did not seem scared, she was relieved.
She casually pulled a hot water bottle from under the covers and shoved it into Jiaren's arms.
"Try it, this thing is really warm. Take it to the academy, keep one in your arms to keep it warm, and put the other under your feet, then you won't have to worry about getting frostbite again."
"It's warm and cozy in my arms," she asked with a delighted smile.
"Grandma, what is this? Where did it come from? It's so warm!"
Grandma Li glanced warily out the window, then quietly nudged Jiayin with her lip and whispered a few words of advice.
"This is a treasure that your sister begged the gods to bestow upon you. You must never let outsiders see it. Use it secretly, understand? Especially your mother, she can't keep a secret and will easily get into trouble."
Jiaren quickly nodded solemnly, "Grandma, don't worry, I understand."
"As long as you know what you're doing, Grandma trusts you."
Grandma Li patted her grandson on the shoulder, still somewhat reluctant to let him suffer.
Even though my family was poor, we were always able to eat our fill and stay warm. The academy, on the other hand, was ultimately inconvenient.
Jiaren guessed what his grandmother was thinking, so he picked out some good things to say about the college, such as the teacher's praise and the classmates' interesting stories, which made the old lady smile again before she stopped.
Jiayin found it interesting and casually took out seven or eight boiled eggs from the space.
Grandma Li almost crushed the egg when she turned around, but after she saw it clearly, she gave her granddaughter a big kiss.
"Grandma's lucky girl, how can you be so lovable? When your brother grows up and becomes an official, he'll support you and buy you all the good food!"
As she spoke, she stuffed all the eggs into Jiaren's hands.
Jiaren thought his grandmother had secretly cooked it early in the morning, and since he couldn't refuse, he accepted it.
After having breakfast and bidding farewell to his family, Li Jiaren carried his luggage and set off alone on his way back to the academy.
He never expected that he would see Wu Cuihua sitting by the roadside as soon as he left the village.
"Mother, it's so cold, why are you sitting here?" Li Jiaren was startled and went to help her up.
Wu Cuihua simply stretched out her hand and said, "Give it to me!"
Li Jiaren immediately remembered the water bag his grandmother had given him, so he turned to the side and asked, "What does Mother need?"
"What else could it be? Don't think I don't know. The old lady secretly pulled you into the house just now. She must have given you a lot of money, right? Hurry up and give it to me. I'll take it to your uncle!"
Wu Cuihua got angry when she saw her son pretending to be stupid, and stepped forward to pull at his bundle.
"How can you be so heartless? Your uncle is out there starving and destitute, living a life worse than that of pigs and dogs, and you, who clearly have money but don't think of helping him out, instead hide it away!"
She kept swearing and cursing.
"Your Li family is heartless. Such a big courtyard with empty rooms, yet not a single one of you is willing to take in your uncle. A bunch of heartless bastards!"
"Mom, stop fooling around!"
Li Jiaren forcefully broke free from his mother's grasp, his tone growing increasingly harsh as he knew his mother couldn't see the hot water bottle.
Wu Cuihua nearly tripped and was even more furious. Her usually obedient son dared to scold her; this was outrageous!
"Oh dear, you think you can act tough in front of your mother after only two days of studying? Even if you become a scholar, you're still my son! Hand over the money now, and I'll make your uncle pay you back when he gets rich!"
Jiaren's temples throbbed with anger, but he suppressed his rage and tried to reason with him.
"Mother, Uncle is perfectly capable. If he were a little more diligent, he could support himself. Our family isn't wealthy, and we don't have the extra resources to help him. Besides, Grandma didn't give me any money; I only have a few dozen coins for pocket money, which I can't give you!"
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