"You've come back just in time. Come on, let's eat first, and we'll talk after we finish eating!"
The old lady urged her children and grandchildren to eat first, and then said to Mr. Jiang, "Sir, please eat with us too. Don't mind that there are many people in our family and it's noisy."
"Madam, you're too kind! I don't mind at all! It's more lively with more people!"
Mr. Jiang, without any hesitation, sat down next to Li Lao Er and said with a smile, "I usually live alone, which is very lonely. With such a lively dinner table, I can eat two more bowls."
Everyone laughed, truly treating him like family.
They each served themselves rice and soup, chatted for a bit, and then started eating.
Jiayin didn't have much of an appetite, but it's true that it's good to eat when there are many people around.
While everyone else was enjoying their food, she unconsciously drank half a bowl of porridge and ate a boiled egg as well.
The old lady and Tao Hongying secretly breathed a sigh of relief when they saw this.
If a child is not hiding illness and can eat and drink normally, there is no problem. On the contrary, if the child is listless and has no appetite, then there is something to worry about.
After the meal, Shuiyun and Shuiling quickly cleared the table and replaced it with tea and fruit. Then everyone started talking about the Sun family.
Li Lao Er said, "What happened today was quite a coincidence, and it's probably unbelievable to everyone."
There are two Mr. Suns in the north of the city. One is named Sun Chengjian, which matches the name given by Sister Li, so he should be the uncle of this child from the Sun family. The other is named Sun Siyuan, who is said to be a relative of the Sun family and came from the north to seek refuge.
He took a sip of tea and looked at Li Laosi. "This second Mr. Sun Siyuan, I've met him before. He's the same Mr. Sun who taught Jiaren at Hanbo Academy in Junyang County."
"Oh, it's Mr. Sun! I've met him twice, when I delivered holiday gifts to him." Old Li exclaimed in surprise, "He also came here during the relocation of the capital?"
Li Lao Er nodded, "I heard that's true."
Old Mrs. Li was a little confused when she heard this, and asked, "Second son, are you saying that there are two members of the Sun family in the north of the city? The Mr. Sun we know is Nannan's cousin, and the one that Sister-in-law Li is looking for is her uncle?"
“Yes, Mother.” Li Lao Er cupped his hands to Mr. Jiang and said with a smile, “We were also a bit confused when we inquired at the time, but fortunately Mr. Jiang helped us.”
Mr. Jiang quickly waved his hand, "I just asked a few questions for someone. You could have found out by asking around in any teahouse. It's really nothing serious."
"How are those two families doing? Especially the girl's uncle's family?" Tao Hongying has a fiery temper, but a soft heart.
She thought of the late Madam Sun; even if she didn't like Nannan, she didn't want to entrust her love to the wrong person.
Perhaps if she meets a good family and receives strict guidance, she might be able to get rid of all her bad habits.
Li Lao Er then said, "Nannan's uncle, Sun Chengjian, is a scholar who runs a school with twenty students. He has one wife, three concubines, and eight children. They live in a two-courtyard house, and they are quite poor."
"Another Mr. Sun Siyuan, also a scholar, now works as a clerk in the government office. Perhaps he originally had some wealth, because he now lives in a three-courtyard house and has only one wife, one concubine, and three children."
Grandma Li and Tao Hongying exchanged a glance, both frowning.
Judging from these circumstances, it seems that the girl's uncle's house is not a suitable place to stay, while this cousin is a better option.
Mr. Jiang, being straightforward, interjected, "Mr. Sun Chengjian has a terrible reputation in the north of the city. He's concerned with appearances, but he's always a bit stingy and petty. His wives and concubines at home are also restless, always arguing, and are laughed at by the neighbors."
"Moreover, I heard that he was the eldest son of the first wife of the Sun family. After the old master Sun remarried, he had another son, and the old master did not treat him well. Therefore, he separated from the family early on, set up his own household, and rarely interacted with the clan."
"I see..." Old Mrs. Li nodded, thought for a moment and said, "The things are ready. Call Sister Li over tomorrow and talk to her in detail about which family she wants to take Nannan to. Let's see what she chooses."
Li Zhensheng and his brothers all agreed, "Okay, we'll listen to Mother."
Grandma Li then said, "Go and rest, especially Mr. Jiang. You've been up all day, you must be exhausted."
“You’re too kind, Madam,” Mr. Jiang said with a smile as he stood up. “Then I’ll head back to the school first. To be honest, I’ve been thinking about the hot spring pool there ever since I heard about it.”
Everyone laughed, and Li Lao Er personally escorted him to the door.
Seeing that the Li family had arranged everything properly, the Marquis refrained from interjecting further. He then hugged Jiayin, and seeing her yawning, he felt even more at ease.
"Auntie, I'm going to the city tomorrow. If you need anything, just send someone to the Marquis's residence to let me know."
"Okay, go ahead and do your work. Don't worry about home, Zhensheng, the second son, and the fourth son are all here," Grandma Li said, taking her granddaughter from her.
The Marquis then went back to the courtyard next door.
Feeling sorry for her mother-in-law, Tao Hongying said, "Mother, shall I look after Fu Niu'er tonight?"
Jiayin knew that her grandmother needed to sleep well, so she quickly hugged her mother's neck, and the old lady let go.
"Okay, Fu Niu will sleep with me again tomorrow night. We'll take turns, and you can rest too."
After the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law discussed it, they went to the side room to see Hui Niang and the two children.
With Shuiyun helping to keep watch at night, they finally felt at ease.
These past two days, Li Yong has replaced Li Laosi and gone to the dock.
Taking care of the child alone at night is a bit overwhelming for Hui Niang, but with Shui Yun here, things are much more convenient.
Although Jiayin drank the herbal medicine and received a box of Jin Kezi brand painkillers, her injured little hand still hurt.
During the day, with people coming and going, it can help to distract oneself.
The pain becomes more pronounced when it's late at night and quiet.
The burning pain made her irritable, but she dared not turn over too much for fear of disturbing her parents.
With their daughter sandwiched between them, how could Tao Hongying and Li Laosi not see that she was in pain?
But the chubby girl endured it all, not uttering a single sound.
A four-year-old child so sensible is heartbreaking.
Tao Hongying held her daughter in her arms, patting her gently again and again, humming an unknown lullaby.
The melody is gentle and melodious, and it brings a sense of peace in the dark night.
Jiayin had been worried that her mother would get tired, and thought she would lie in her mother's arms for a while before getting down.
Unexpectedly, as she listened to the lullaby, she gradually forgot about her hand pain and fell asleep.
Listening to her daughter's steady breathing, Tao Hongying continued patting and singing, not daring to stop for even a moment, for fear that if she stopped, her daughter would be startled awake.
Li Laosi felt sorry for his daughter and wife, but he couldn't help them.
After thinking for a moment, he sat down behind his wife, using his broad back to support his wife and daughter.
With support, Tao Hongying had much less effort and became even more determined to continue filming and singing.
And their chubby daughter, lying in the warmest embrace in the world, forgot the pain and slept even more soundly...
The moonlight outside the window mischievously peeked in through the window frame, then quickly slipped away, seemingly envious.
What in this world is greater than the love of parents?
To outsiders, the child seems to grow up in the blink of an eye.
In fact, which child isn't raised little by little with parents' painstaking efforts and constant concern?
Perhaps as children grow up, parents will have higher and higher expectations for them, hoping that their children will be successful and bring honor to the family.
But initially, all parents hoped for in their children was simply that they would be healthy and safe, even if they were ordinary...
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