Chapter 200: 200 miserable Lee’s mother and daughter Chapter 200: 200 miserable Lee’s mother and daughter “Get up, get up, my good baby, mother has been missing you like crazy these days.” He Shi dried her tears with her sleeve, hurriedly pulled Ye Jiu to her feet, and brought him into her embrace.
“You’ve lost weight, how did you get so thin? I don’t even know what kind of life you’ve been leading outside, it was not easy for your mother to fatten you up with the flesh of good fortune, and now you’re skinny as a rail, it breaks my heart.”
“Mother, little sister just came back and must be very tired. Let’s let her rest in the house quickly, I’ll go boil some water, prepare some mugwort for little sister to wash with, to clear away the bad luck,” Zhang Shi spoke up at this moment.
“Right, right, let’s quickly go inside, I’m really being foolish, let’s continue talking inside.” He Shi still couldn’t bear to let go, making sure to cuddle Ye Jiu in her arms even as they walked.
Ye Jiu had no doubt, if He Shi hadn’t aged and become somewhat frail, she would have undoubtedly preferred to carry him herself for peace of mind.
The house was probably empty, as Ye Jiu only saw the kids from his eldest brother and second brother, with Wenqing and Wenyu not around.
The donkey was still at the front gate, and Ye Jiu said to Ye Qinghua, “Qinghua, go lead the donkey back from the gate, don’t let it run off again later.”
“Alright, I’ll do that right now.” Ye Qinghua, who initially didn’t know what to do with the donkey outside, hurriedly scampered off upon hearing Ye Jiu’s words.
Ye Wenxuan also took a liking to the donkey, being a playful child, he followed right behind Ye Qinghua to lead the donkey.
On the other hand, the almost ten-year-old Ye Wenhao and the seven-year-old Ye Qingzhi, being sensible, ran ahead of Ye Jiu into the house to help him with fetching and carrying water.
When Ye Jiu walked into the courtyard, he saw a millstone at the entrance of the main room, with Li Shi laboriously pushing it to grind flour.
She appeared thin and sallow, exuding an aura of death, clearly out of strength, but still had to keep pushing the millstone nonstop, her body covered with marks left by whippings.
“Mother, what is this…” Ye Jiu was puzzled. Although He Shi had also taken her frustrations out on Li Shi in the past, it had never been this severe. It was as if she wouldn’t let her live.
He Shi scoffed coldly, “My dear child, don’t ask about this matter. She’s a slut who stole another’s man, and even bore that adulterer’s bastard child. Never mind whether she was involved in your disappearance, just for the crime of adultery alone, your old mother hasn’t drowned her and her adulterous partner in a pig basket, sparing her life and that of her born bastard is already merciful enough.”
Ye Jiu didn’t inquire further, regardless of whether Li Shi’s affair was true or false, she couldn’t refute He Shi’s words in front of others.
Just as Ye Jiu was about to step into the house, suddenly, a dark figure darted out from the cowshed and ran towards Ye Jiu, collapsing on the ground and clinging to her legs, “Sister, sister, please plead with our mother on my behalf, spare me and my mother, I promise, my mother and I will behave from now on, work harder and eat less, we’ll never trouble you again…”
Before Ye Jiu could react, He Shi’s foot had already landed on Ye Erya, “You cheap girl, just like your mother, always up to no good, my daughter doesn’t have a sister like you. Keep blathering, and I’ll pluck out your tongue.”
After scolding Ye Erya, He Shi quickly went to check on Ye Jiu’s condition, “My precious baby, are you alright? You weren’t frightened by that damned girl, were you?”
“Mother, I’m fine, just a bit tired, let’s go inside quickly.” Ye Jiu glanced at Ye Erya, who looked worse off than before, then, without looking back, entered the house.