As luck would have it, Father Ye ran into his two sons at the doorstep, carrying a full bucket of fish, followed by his four-year-old grandson holding fishing lines, bait, and other tools.
“Dad, yesterday Xiao Yong said many villagers were fishing in the river outside the village, but very few could actually catch anything. Little Sister asked us to go fishing today, and look—all of these are our catch,” Second Brother said with immense pride.
Father Ye nodded. In the past, some offhand remarks made by Xiaofang had eventually come true, making Father Ye believe the words spoken by the monk years ago.
After breakfast, Ye Zhifang had been watching TV in her room. In her previous life, she spent her days studying, occasionally browsing short dramas and videos, with no time to watch TV at all.
Now, after transmigrating, she was enjoying comforts she never had before—not only receiving care from her family but also being waited on hand and foot. Although the living conditions couldn’t compare to before, this life hadn’t treated her badly either. She even monopolized the TV, which made her feel a bit embarrassed thinking about it.
The two brothers carried the bucket straight into the kitchen, startling Mother Ye and Eldest Sister-in-law inside.
They had heard of people fishing on the ice outside the village, but the fish caught were barely enough for a family to have a few bites. Yet, the two brothers had managed to catch a whole bucket of fish.
After the Ye brothers left, some envious villagers brought their fishing gear to the spot where they had just fished. They put out bait and waited for a long time, but not a single fish was caught.
“Sigh, if only I had chosen these two ice holes when I came. The Ye brothers must have caught all the fish in the river. The two small fish in my bucket aren’t even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth.”
Regret was useless now. They could only hope to come back in a few days and catch more fish.
“Mom, Little Sister wants Braised Fish and Steamed Fish. Pick two fish to cook, and the rest—Eldest Brother and I plan to keep them in a wooden bucket. We’ll eat them slowly when the New Year comes.”
Ye Zhiheng was overjoyed. In previous years, the New Year was his favorite time—not only was the food better than usual, but they could also set off firecrackers. Now that the family’s life had improved, as long as his sister was safe and healthy, everything would go smoothly for the family.
“Dad, you’re back. Let me pour you a glass of water.”
Ye Zhifang’s soul was that of a normal person, but now she had to pretend to be a child with the intelligence of an eight-year-old. So, only tasks like pouring water suited her current age.
Soon, an enamel mug of lukewarm water was handed to her father. Father Ye took it, glanced at his daughter standing on the ground in cotton shoes, and felt that she had changed somehow.
In the past, when he returned from outside, his daughter would sometimes talk to him but never showed such politeness. This was the first time she had taken the initiative to pour water for him.
Although Ye Zhifang had the memories of the original host, these small details weren’t part of those memories. It wasn’t that the current Ye Zhifang wanted to reveal herself.
After taking a few sips of water, Father Ye set the enamel mug aside and remembered the letter in his pocket. He took it out.
The sender’s address on the envelope was indeed written as Beijing, and the recipient was clearly his own name. He had no idea who could have sent him this letter.
Soon, a letter was pulled out from the envelope. As Father Ye read line by line, his expression grew increasingly grim. By the time he finished reading the last word, he slammed his right hand hard on the kang edge.
Ye Zhifang was very curious about what her father had seen that made him so angry, but she ultimately lowered her outstretched hand. The original owner of this body was a fool with only a second-grade elementary school education, barely able to recognize a few characters. She couldn’t risk exposing herself at this moment.
Suddenly, Ye Zhifang burst into tears. Soon, Mother Ye, Eldest Sister-in-law, Eldest Brother, and Second Brother all came in to see why Little Fang was crying.
“Why are you crying all of a sudden, Xiao Fang?”
Mother Ye pulled the woman into her arms, comforting her as if she were a child of just a few years old.
In truth, it was no wonder everyone was so nervous. The last time Xiao Fang cried, Grandfather Ye passed away not long after. The second time she cried, Grandmother Ye died shortly afterward.
Xiao Fang’s crying terrified the whole family, but soon, Ye Zhifang stopped her tears.
“Dad, Dad was so scary just now,” Ye Zhifang said, imitating a child’s tone.
Father Ye had also been frightened by his daughter’s crying. Now in his fifties, he had always been in good health. Could it be that something was wrong with him, and he would soon pass away?
Fortunately, his daughter provided an explanation in time. Father Ye comforted her, saying, “Xiao Fang, Dad isn’t angry with you. I’m angry after reading this letter. Since you’ve all come in, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Father Ye had no intention of keeping this from his daughter. Although she was now an adult, at heart, she was still a child, with no understanding of matters of love or marriage.
Father Ye walked over to the horizontal wooden cabinet against the wall, which was secured with a large lock. The key was always kept on his person—even Mother Ye did not have a key to this cabinet.
Soon, Father Ye untied a string of keys from his waistband, selected one, and unlocked the cabinet. He rummaged inside for a long time before pulling out a slightly yellowed envelope. It looked as though it hadn’t been touched in years, carrying a faint musty smell.
“Dad, what is this?” Eldest Brother, the most educated in the family, was the first to ask.
“Eldest, take a look at these two letters. To be honest, I had almost forgotten about this matter, but today, the post office delivered this letter. What are we going to do?”
Father Ye deeply regretted the decision he had made back then. If his daughter were a normal person, it might have been manageable, but with her intellectual disability, how could the man’s family possibly accept her?
Ye Zhiyuan took the two letters in his hands. First, he read the one Father Ye had retrieved from the cabinet. It turned out to be a Betrothal Contract, with the woman’s side bearing his sister’s name and her Four Pillars of Destiny, while the man’s side listed a name—Pei Shaoting—along with his Four Pillars of Destiny. Inside the envelope was also a silver lock, which he vaguely remembered his sister wearing as a child but had never seen since.
The other letter was from an elder of the Pei Family. Its main content was an invitation for his sister to go to the Pei Family in the capital after the New Year to spend some time with the man she had been betrothed to as a child. If everything went smoothly, they would proceed with the marriage.
“Dad, when did you arrange this Child Betrothal for my sister? How come I didn’t know about it?”
Eldest Brother thought for a long time. The date on the Betrothal Contract was from 15 years ago, but back then, he was already 12 years old. Logically, he should have known about such an important family matter.
Just as Eldest Brother finished speaking, Second Brother Ye Zhiheng snatched the letters from him. Although Second Brother had little education, he was not illiterate.
At this moment, Ye Zhifang was the one feeling utterly restless. She could read perfectly well but had to pretend she knew nothing.
Eldest Brother had just mentioned a Child Betrothal. Could it be that they wanted her to marry someone she had never even met?
She knew nothing about the man—his height, build, family background, or character. How could she possibly marry into such a family?
For now, it seemed best not to reveal that she had recovered. She would have to keep pretending to be naive.