Old Man Ye also said, "It's my fault for letting you suffer while you were expecting, otherwise our daughter wouldn't have been born in poor health. But she is also blessed, born on the same day as the Prince of Jing's Princely Heir."
"The Prince of Jing's Princely Heir? What's that?" Mrs. He didn't understand.
Old Man Ye immediately covered her mouth, saying, "That's the eldest son of Prince Jing. You mustn't speak recklessly. If someone heard that, it could mean death."
Hearing how serious it was, Mrs. He didn't dare to say any more.
Following that, Old Man Ye looked at his newborn daughter with sorrow, sighing, "Prince Jing's eldest son was also born last night. His birth was marked by a downpour, making him seen as a Lucky Star. The Emperor awarded him the title of Crown Prince overnight."
Thinking it over, his own daughter was also born last night, but because they were merely refugees seeking shelter, this led to their child being born in poor health, without even a moment to see a doctor.
Indeed, how different the fates are between people!
Yet, Mrs. He took the words of Old Man Ye to heart.
If the birth of the Prince of Jing's Princely Heir during a heavy rain was seen as a Lucky Star, then their own daughter, also born last night amidst the same downpour, must surely be a Lucky Star too!
Mrs. He didn't understand any grand principles, but she clung stubbornly to this idea, which established Ye Jiu's unshakable status within the Ye Family.
Dongyue, twenty-fourth year of the Kaiyuan Era
At the main door of the Ye Family's house in Wangshan Village, a frail girl knelt on the ground, her body covered in injuries that nearly cost her half her life, accompanied by a sharp voice scolding her.
In the inner room, Ye Jiu woke up to the noise outside. When she opened her eyes, she saw a familiar scene.
Thatched roof, mud walls, and the earth-bed she was lying on—without a doubt, this was her home where she had lived in a daze for nearly ten years.
Just as she was thinking, a child suddenly ran inside and turned to shout at the door, "Ma, little aunt is awake..."
Right after that, the scolding outside came to a sudden halt, and a frail old lady hurried in from outside, calling as she entered, "My dear treasure, my darling, you've finally awakened. You had your mother worried to death..."
Ye Jiu blankly watched the familiar old lady come rushing toward her and plop down on the earth-bed where she was lying.
Then, Mrs. He stretched her wrinkled face close to her own and touched her forehead, murmuring, "Good, good, my dear treasure has finally broken her fever. If something were to happen to you, how could your mother go on living?"
Mrs. He's sorrow made Ye Jiu feel helpless and distressed. She instinctively stretched out her soft little hand to touch Mrs. He's palm, worn by hard work and suffering through the years, trying to offer some words of comfort.
'Ma, I'm alright, don't worry.' Such a simple phrase—she filtered it through her mind several times but couldn't manage to say it out loud.
Ye Jiu felt depressed. Since being reborn into this world, she was already ten years old, but due to the poisoning incident years ago, she still couldn't control her own body. She didn't know when this kind of life would ever end!
At that moment, Mistress Zhang walked in, carrying a bowl and said with pity, "Ma, the medicine for your little niece is ready. Let me help her drink it."
"Give me the medicine, I will feed her," Mrs. He said, taking the bowl of medicine from Mistress Zhang's hands.
Mistress Zhang wasn't idle either, and quickly helped Ye Jiu to sit up. Meanwhile, Mrs. He kept on instructing gently, "Be careful, don't hurt my dear treasure..."