Chapter 454 Current Situations of Many People
Zhao Jing handed the sandalwood box in her hand to Ye Ma. She had intended to give it to Ye Shenge, but seeing that everyone was already surrounded, she decided not to join the commotion.
"When Shaoyan left earlier, he specifically instructed me to deliver this box after Shenge gave birth. It also contains my well wishes. The current situation isn't ideal, but I'll make it up to the child properly once we're all back."
Ye Ma playfully glared at Zhao Jing. "Why are you being so formal? This box alone must be worth a fortune."
"I won't stay long. I'll come back another evening when there are fewer people to have a good look at the child."
Ye Ma sighed as she watched Zhao Jing's retreating back. "Men of business are truly heartless. Of the three brothers, only she remains, and now he's left her alone."
Grandma Bai disliked men who prioritized their careers. If they couldn't even take care of their families, what was the point of their careers?
"She must miss her child. I wonder how she's faring abroad."
"Sigh... it's not easy for anyone."
Little Youyou woke up crying from hunger again, causing everyone heartache. The mobile feeding station was reactivated. This time, Little Youyou was cooperative; after drinking his milk, he played with everyone for a while.
"If we take Little Youyou out some other day, he'll make a lot of people envious. Look how plump he is."
Wang Fengling was genuinely envious. Her grandchildren were all grown up, and she hadn't had the chance to cuddle a baby in ages. She constantly wished her youngest son would remarry and have a child, but he remained unmoved.
Wang Fengling knew that her youngest son was still filled with hatred, waiting for the day he could eliminate the woman who had wronged him and taken his child.
"Look how sharp Little Youyou's eyes are. He looks towards whoever speaks loudly. How can he be only a month old?"
Zi Yisheng noticed Gong Wentao, who was in charge of cooking that day, sitting outside the courtyard smoking after the meal was ready. He wasn't joining the fun, not even drinking.
Zi Yisheng also walked out of the courtyard. For some time now, he had been holding back Gong Shu, otherwise, he would have run away long ago.
Upon seeing Zi Yisheng, Gong Wentao tossed him a cigarette. Without a word, he stared at the distant mountains.
Zi Yisheng hadn't smoked in a long time. He smelled the cigarette and held it in his hand without lighting it.
"Hmph, afraid to even smoke now?"
"Yes, afraid my wife will smell it and be unhappy."
"Heh, you've come to this day."
"They've already reached M Province."
Hearing this, Gong Wentao immediately threw away the cigarette in his hand, stood up, and stomped it out forcefully.
"It's good they're back. It's better than me going abroad to find her. Do you have the exact address?"
"Yes, Li Cheng has people monitoring them. I held you back from going abroad before because I knew they wouldn't be able to manage outside."
Gong Wentao forced himself to calm down, but Zi Yisheng could still see his trembling hands.
"What about the child? Have you seen the child?"
Zi Yisheng's mouth twitched. He didn't know how to answer.
"What's wrong? Has something happened to the child?"
"There's no news of the child, and she didn't bring the child back."
Gong Wentao stumbled, nearly falling, but Zi Yisheng quickly supported him.
"I'll kill her. Something must have happened to the child. After not hearing from her for so many years, I knew such a venomous woman couldn't possibly take good care of a child."
"The ship arrives in three days. I'll send Asen and the other six with you. The man she's found now has brought quite a few people back and seems to have some connections in M Province. We need to plan carefully before acting."
"Don't worry, I still need to thoroughly investigate the matter of the child before acting rashly. M Province will be her burial ground anyway."
Zi Yisheng patted Gong Wentao's shoulder. This man had lived a life of hardship; he wouldn't stop Gong Wentao from doing whatever he needed to do.
"Young Master Zi, if anything happens to me, please give the money I've saved with you to my parents. With my elder brothers around, they should be doing alright."
"You can give it to them yourself when you return. I'm not your butler."
After saying that, Zi Yisheng returned to the courtyard. If Gong Wentao really didn't come back, he might just "pocket" that money.
Gong Wentao stood for a while before disappearing into the night, leaving no word for his parents.
The drinking had already started at home. As soon as Zi Yisheng returned, Asen and the others surrounded him, toasting him with the intent to get him drunk.
Luo Xueli also had a couple of drinks today because Bai Chufan personally came to the educated youth dormitory to pick her up. Bai Chufan had been away before, but upon his return, he personally invited her to the full moon celebration, which solidified Luo Xueli's position and silenced many gossiping tongues.
Today, Bai Chufan formally introduced Luo Xueli to all his family members, showing her the utmost respect. This also surprised the villagers who came, as no one expected the eldest son of the Bai family to be "snatched away" by a newly arrived educated youth.
Meanwhile, Ye Shenge was in the room organizing the gifts she had received since returning. Her maternal grandparents and aunt and uncle had sent genuine gifts again.
"Little Youyou is already worth over ten thousand yuan at just one month old."
Ye Ma had just changed her grandson's diaper. The two of them had already selected some of the out-of-era items and started using them, attributing any issues to Ye Mu'en, as they were only used at night anyway.
Ye Ma glanced at the boxes and red envelopes spread on her daughter's bed. She smiled and tapped her grandson's forehead.
"More than ten thousand. The properties your grandparents and uncle gave away are worth a fortune. When Little Youyou grows up, those houses could be worth hundreds of millions."
"I wonder when the economy will open up. It would be so convenient to travel anywhere then, and we could even take the child abroad."
"Who knows? This world is so chaotic. Perhaps the economy will open up overnight. In any case, we should think optimistically."
Ye Shenge waved her hand, collecting her son's little treasury into her space, and even packed it into a box specifically. She placed Little Youyou in her own quilt, put a pacifier in his mouth, and watched as he fell asleep within two minutes, sucking on it.
"This child is really easy to care for. He's a little guy who understands his mother's hardships."
Ye Shenge lay by her son's bed, smiling tenderly.
"Mom, I feel like my life is complete. Everything I lacked in my previous life, I have now. I wouldn't have even dared to dream of this before."
Ye Ma also smiled with satisfaction, patting her daughter's back.
"That's why we don't fear whatever changes this world undergoes. As long as we live well, that's all that matters."
The banquet continued until past midnight. Ye Shenge had long since fallen asleep from exhaustion. She was woken up by a drunken person clinging to her.
"Did you shower? You reek of alcohol."
"Yes, I did. I even brushed my teeth. Smell me."
"Get lost, you're crushing me."
"Shh... don't wake our son."
"You..."
A night of passion, which would have been perfect if not for Little Youyou's crying in the middle of the night.