Third Uncle Ye turned around, his eyes sparkling.
“Mom, what is it?”
Was his mother finally feeling sorry for him?
She had to be, right?
He had been busy for hours.
Cleaning rooms, moving furniture…
Surely she was worried he was tired and wanted him to rest.
Thinking that, he eagerly added,
“Mom, I’m not—”
Before he could say tired, Old Madam Ye cut him off.
“Don’t move their things yet. Move your things out of your room first.”
Third Uncle Ye froze.
“Huh? Why?”
“Your room is spacious, sunny, and comfortable. Xiu’e and Wanwan can stay there.”
Third Uncle Ye: “……”
Where had the loving mother who spoiled him gone?
He wanted to cry.
“Mom, if I move out, where am I supposed to sleep?”
Old Madam Ye pointed toward the empty room.
“Didn’t you just clean that one? You’ll stay there.”
“I won’t do it!”
He almost cried.
After all, “cleaning” had only meant removing a few random items.
Old Madam Ye stared at him sharply and sneered.
“Fine. Then go get back the twenty yuan you gambled away.”
Third Uncle Ye instantly lost his nerve.
His mother’s stare made him uneasy.
What’s wrong with Mom? Why is she still angry?
But there was no way he could recover that twenty yuan.
He already felt guilty about losing the family’s grain and money.
Still, that room had been reserved for his future wife.
How could he simply give it away?
Trying one last emotional appeal, he said,
“Mom, I haven’t even gotten married yet. If you make me stay in that room—”
“Are you moving or not?!” Old Madam Ye shouted.
“I’ll move! I’ll move! I’m moving!”
He nodded frantically.
He decided to make his mother happy first.
Later, he would find an opportunity to move back.
Besides, if his room was being given to Second Sister, surely she’d feel obligated to lend him some money.
With that thought, he obediently moved into the shabby room.
Meanwhile, mother and daughter settled into his spacious, bright, and clean room.
Ye Xiu’e had tried to refuse.
Old Madam Ye practically shoved her inside.
At first, Ye Xiu’e worried people would resent her for taking someone else’s room.
But everyone in her family seemed delighted.
The truth was that they weren’t excited about her moving in.
They were excited about Third Uncle Ye moving out.
They had long been annoyed by his laziness.
Seeing him suffer brought them great satisfaction.
That evening, Eldest Aunt Zhou Xiaonan prepared a table full of delicious dishes.
The entire family gathered for a lively dinner.
Everyone was happy.
Except for Ye Shengli and Third Uncle Ye.
Earlier, Ye Shengli had practically jumped with excitement when he heard there would be meat.
He had expected to eat a lot.
But Grandma kept putting meat into the ugly little cousin’s bowl and never into his.
Third Uncle Ye felt equally depressed.
Normally, all the best food in the family went to him and Ye Shengli.
Tonight, Su Wanwan alone ate more than half the braised pork.
Whenever he tried to grab another piece, Old Madam Ye stared at him.
He didn’t dare continue.
The others didn’t really mind.
Whenever there was meat, they only got a few bites anyway.
This meal wasn’t much different from usual.
Su Wanwan was too busy eating to notice the resentful looks from Ye Shengli and Third Uncle Ye.
The food was incredible.
Zhou Xiaonan’s cooking skills were outstanding.
The braised pork was tender and flavorful.
The steamed buns were soft and fluffy.
Even the simple vegetables were delicious.
Braised pork.
Steamed buns.
Rice.
Zhou Xiaonan had truly gone all out.
By the time Su Wanwan put down her chopsticks, her stomach was round and full.
That night, Old Madam Ye insisted on sleeping with Su Wanwan.
Old Master Ye objected.
If Wanwan slept there, he wouldn’t have a place to sleep.
Old Madam Ye didn’t even discuss it.
She simply kicked him out and sent him to sleep with Third Uncle Ye.
Fortunately, Old Madam Ye had always been domineering.
No one found her behavior particularly strange.
In a dusty room with a worn-out wooden bed, Old Master Ye and Third Uncle Ye lay side by side in the darkness, staring at each other.
Neither could understand how, in just one afternoon, their lives had become so miserable.
Meanwhile, Ye Xiu’e had an entire spacious bed to herself.
Yet she couldn’t sleep.
For the first time, her daughter wasn’t sleeping beside her.
Her heart felt strangely empty.
She was jealous.
But she also felt relieved.
If Old Madam Ye truly liked Wanwan, then at least no one would bully them in the Ye household.
As for Su Wanwan, she happily snuggled beside her grandmother.
The two talked endlessly.
Su Wanwan even revealed the secret of the research laboratory.
Old Madam Ye was shocked and delighted.
She firmly believed it was a gift from heaven meant for the two of them.
In her heart, she vowed to perform good deeds and live righteously to repay that blessing.
They talked for most of the night.
Neither knew exactly when they finally fell asleep.
When Su Wanwan woke up the next morning, her grandmother was already gone.
After getting dressed, she stepped outside.
Immediately, she saw Old Madam Ye holding a hoe and working in the courtyard.
“Grandma,” she called sweetly.
She couldn’t help thinking how quickly her grandmother had adapted.
Ye Shengli, who was sitting in the courtyard enjoying the sun, corrected her.
“That’s my grandma. You should call her Grandma Ye. Why are you calling her Grandma?”
Nearby, Ye Shengnan smiled at Su Wanwan.
Hearing her granddaughter’s voice, Old Madam Ye immediately stopped working.
“Wanwan’s awake?
There’s breakfast in the kitchen.
Grandma will get it for you.”
She tossed aside the hoe and headed straight toward the kitchen.
As she passed Ye Shengli, she added,
“From now on, I’m Wanwan’s grandmother too. Understand?”
Although she was smiling, there was a sharpness in her eyes.
Ye Shengli instantly backed down.
Grandma wasn’t gentle anymore.
It was all this ugly cousin’s fault.
Feeling wronged, he mumbled,
“Okay, Grandma. I understand.”
Su Wanwan couldn’t help smiling.
Grandma really couldn’t stand seeing her suffer even the slightest bit.
All the good food from the previous night was gone.
Breakfast was simple.
Just sweet potato porridge and a small plate of pickled vegetables.
Yet both grandmother and granddaughter found it especially delicious.
Back in the modern world, they couldn’t easily find food this natural and fresh.
While eating, Su Wanwan noticed a bowl of herbal medicine on the stove.
Curious, she asked,
“Grandma, whose medicine is that?”
Old Madam Ye replied,
“Oh, that’s for your eldest uncle.
Your eldest aunt prepared it for him.
His illness needs constant treatment.”
Su Wanwan nodded thoughtfully.
Her eldest uncle’s goiter was difficult to cure in this era.
But in modern times, it was hardly a serious illness.
He was an honest and hardworking man.
His wife seemed kind.
Ye Shengli was only a little greedy.
Ye Shengnan treated Su Wanwan well.
She wanted to help them.
Her laboratory contained every kind of medicine imaginable.
Naturally, it also had medication for treating thyroid disorders.
With a thought, a test tube filled with clear liquid appeared in her hand.
It contained Iodine-131, an effective treatment for thyroid disease.
Su Wanwan carefully poured a small amount into her eldest uncle’s medicine bowl.
Then she returned the test tube to the laboratory.
Just as she finished, Zhou Xiaonan entered the kitchen and picked up the bowl.
Su Wanwan watched as she carried it into the room.
Old Madam Ye had seen everything.
Quietly, she gave her granddaughter a thumbs-up.