She smiled and said, "Auntie, you don't need to be so polite. It's fate that we can travel south together on the same boat. It's nothing more than a small favor."
After saying that, she looked at Tao Hongying and asked, "Could you bring your child over so I can see him/her?"
Upon hearing this, Tao Hongying quickly adjusted her posture, picked up Jiayin, and walked to Sun's side.
Jiayin naturally knew that this woman was a benefactor to their Li family, and they would be counting on her for support in the days to come.
So she tried her best to open her little mouth wide and giggled happily.
With that laugh, drool uncontrollably dripped down her neck, tickling her, and she started shaking her head again…
Mrs. Sun was amused and laughed non-stop, and she also brought her youngest daughter closer to the swaddling clothes.
"Nannan, look how cute this little girl is!"
Children are always eager to imitate others, and when Miss Sun saw Jiayin shaking her head happily, she also shook her head and laughed.
Finally, she would reach out her two little hands to touch Jiayin.
"Oh my, my little girl is smiling." Mrs. Sun was even happier to see her daughter so lively.
My daughter hasn't been eating well these past few days, and she hasn't been resting well on the boat. She's been crying and fussing for days, so it's rare to see her so energetic.
This little girl from the Li family is really interesting.
With her on the boat, my daughter will have another playmate, which should make things much better.
The more Madam Sun looked at Jiayin, the more she liked her, and she immediately ordered the maidservant beside her to fetch a wooden box from the dressing table.
When the wooden box was opened, Madam Sun took out a gold necklace with a small longevity lock hanging from it.
“I had this longevity lock made before my daughter was born. I made two, so I’ll give this extra one to your child.”
"Madam, this won't do, it's too expensive."
Old Mrs. Li hurriedly refused, but Mrs. Sun directly put the longevity lock around Jiayin's neck.
“I like this child, so what’s wrong with giving him a small gift?”
After she finished speaking, she gently pinched Jiayin's chubby little face.
Jiayin was surprised by this unexpected gift, and she loved it so much that she gave her benefactor a big, toothless smile!
Grandma Li wanted to decline, after all, she was already very grateful to be able to take a boat south, how could she accept such a valuable gift?
But at this moment, Zhao Yuru carried two bowls of goat milk and walked in with a maid.
"Madam, the goat milk has arrived," the maid whispered. "I supervised the milking and cooked it myself, adding almonds to remove the goaty smell."
Madam Sun nodded, and Old Lady Li recalled a few idle words she had overheard.
The nobles of wealthy families would test food for poison before eating it, and since this goat milk came from the Li family, they couldn't afford to arouse suspicion.
So she quickly called to Tao Hongying, "Fu Niu'er is impatient, let's feed her first."
As she spoke, she took a spoon, scooped up some goat milk, and brought it to Jiayin's lips.
Jiayin mentally gave her grandma a thumbs up, and then drank it heartily.
The aroma of milk gradually filled the air, and the daughter in Madam Sun's arms grew impatient, reaching out her little hand to grab the bowl of goat's milk again, "Hey...hey..."
"Quickly feed the baby some water." Madam Sun hurriedly handed her daughter to the wet nurse.
The maid also scooped up some goat milk and carefully fed it to the young lady.
Perhaps she was hungry, or perhaps she was inspired by the good news, Miss Sun also followed her example and gulped down her drink. Her hearty appetite made Madam Sun even happier.
"We'll continue our journey in a little while. If you need anything, just tell Steward Wang. Don't be shy. You can bring your child over for a chat anytime."
While the two children were drinking milk, Madam Sun gently instructed Old Lady Li and Tao Hongying.
Grandma Li quickly responded, feeling much more at ease.
After the two bowls of goat milk were finished, Jiayin and Miss Sun both had round bellies from drinking.
Miss Sun let out a soft burp and nestled in Madam Sun's arms.
Her dark, grape-like eyes stared intently at Jiayin, who was even younger than her, with great curiosity.
Grandma Li and Tao Hongying chatted with Madam Sun for a while longer until both children became sleepy, at which point they returned to their lodgings.
This is the simplest servants' quarters, located at the far end of the lowest deck. The room has no windows, and the floor is damp.
The Li family members, divided into men and women, occupied two rooms in total. The cramped space made it slightly crowded for them to even turn around.
Even so, the entire Li family was deeply grateful to the Sun family.
As long as they can reach Kyoto safely, they can endure even worse conditions than this.
“Mother, I put a straw mat under your shop. Your legs aren’t good, so don’t let it get damp.”
Zhao Yuru helped the old lady to her berth and gave her careful instructions.
Grandma Li nodded, feeling a surge of relief at her third daughter-in-law's thoughtfulness.
"My second sister-in-law and second brother went to help with the work, and I have to go there in a bit."
Just now, Brother Wang Fu said that you are old and don't need to do much. Hongying needs to breastfeed the baby, and she can do chores when she has free time.
Zhao Yuru was steady in her work and gentle in her temperament. In just a short time, she had become familiar with the servants on the boat.
"Okay, go get to work. Remember to keep an eye on the second son's wife and make sure she doesn't say anything out of line."
Grandma Li gave Zhao Yuru some instructions, and Zhao Yuru agreed. She then straightened the bedding before going out to get busy.
Grandma Li sat back on her berth, took her granddaughter in her arms, patted her gently, and breathed a long sigh of relief.
Only then could their family finally settle down on the Sun family's boat.
Jiayin felt sorry for her grandmother and wanted to make her smile, but she had eaten too much and soon fell asleep.
When the sun was high in the sky, the large ship slid back into the river and set sail for distant shores.
They left the dock, and with it, the desolate disaster victims.
After a day of adjustment, the Li brothers each found suitable jobs to help out.
Li Lao Er was literate and good at math, and he helped Manager Wang with purchasing and bookkeeping, quickly becoming Manager Wang's good assistant.
Li Laosan was a man of few words, but he was originally a bricklayer, skilled and meticulous.
If there are any potential hazards on the ship, he only needs to study them for a while before he can repair and reinforce them by tapping and hammering.
Li Laosi was very strong; moving heavy objects was a piece of cake for him.
It took several servants working together to lift the large cabin plank, but he could lift it effortlessly by himself.
Jiaren and his fellow young men were not idle either; they took the initiative to assist the servants, showing great tact and efficiency in their work.
The main reason is that they are not servants of the Sun family, so no matter how well they do, they will not take credit for it.
Therefore, the servants took a good liking to them and took good care of them in everything they did. Occasionally, they would even secretly slip them a bag of pine nut candy or something similar.
Li Jiahuan didn't wander around with his brothers; instead, he stayed in the kitchen, helping Tao Hongying and Zhao Yuru cook.
He busied himself around the stove, which made things much easier for Tao Hongying and Zhao Yuru.
With the Li family working so diligently, the boat was inevitably much livelier than before.
The sounds of men working and children chasing and laughing added a touch of ease to the ship, which was originally heading south to escape the war.
Hearing the faint laughter and chatter on the deck, Madam Sun gently patted her sleeping daughter, a slight smile on her face.
Outside the window, Jiayin was perched on her grandmother's back, looking at the river view.
Grandma Li, worried that her granddaughter might get wind in her stomach, wrapped her up so that only her eyes were visible, which looked particularly amusing, and everyone who passed by would try to tease Jiayin.
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