Ye Laotai and Ye Laotou exchanged glances—this little one was far too sensible! She had eaten at noon, and now night had fallen—how could she say she wasn’t hungry?
Ye Laotai pushed the half-eaten corn cake back toward Ye Anran.
“Darling, be a good girl and eat quickly. Tomorrow, your father will take Qian to town and see if we can buy some grain or other food.”
Ye Anran stared at the half-corn cake marked with two small teeth marks. She really didn’t want to eat, but she couldn’t resist Ye Laotai’s urging. She broke off a small piece and handed the remainder back to Ye Qing’an.
Ye Qing’an’s eyes glimmered with gratitude.
“Sister, you eat it. I don’t need it.”
His heart warmed; his little sister was so young, yet still shared her food with him. Although the main meal wasn’t much, there was leftover wild boar from noon.
Looking at the dark porridge on the table, Ye Anran raised her head to Ye Laotai.
“Grandma, what is this in the bowl?”
Ye Laotai explained,
“It’s made from black flour and powdered bark from the mountain. It’s not very tasty, but it fills the stomach. Don’t worry—your bowl has no bark, so it won’t scratch your throat.”
Ye Anran sipped, nearly spitting it out. Not only did it scrape her throat, she almost couldn’t swallow it at all. If it were her original body, she would have eaten heartily—after all, little girls in this body had never eaten well.
But Ye Anran’s modern palate, accustomed to refined foods, couldn’t stomach the coarse black porridge. She felt a headache coming on and urgently needed to find an excuse to get something from her space.
Her plan formed quickly: she could claim she picked it up somewhere, or say she was going into the mountains.
Her eyes lit up.
“Grandma, can I go to the mountain tomorrow?”
Ye Laotai frowned.
“Darling, you’re only three. How can you go into the mountains? Even if your father goes with you, it’s not safe. You must wait until you’re older.”
Ye Anran didn’t reply, silently plotting her strategy.
After the meal, Ye Laotai took Ye Anran to wash up and tucked her into bed.
When Ye Laotou returned, he saw Ye Laotai holding their granddaughter, gently patting her back and speaking softly.
He froze. Their bed was small, and it seemed Ye Laotai intended to sleep with the little girl tonight. But what was he supposed to do? There were no spare rooms—he couldn’t just sleep outside.
Ye Laotai looked up at his stunned face.
“What are you staring at? No sense at all.”
Ye Laotou shrugged.
“You take the granddaughter, then where do I sleep?”
Ye Laotai rolled her eyes.
“Where else? You sleep with Second Son, of course. Don’t tell me you plan to hang from the beam?”
Ye Laotou huffed and left, closing the door gently behind him.
Ye Anran nestled in Ye Laotai’s arms.
“Grandma, why do you like me so much? I’m not even a Ye family child. Why are you so good to me?”
Ye Laotai interrupted.
“Darling, let me tell you. We are fated. Before you came, I dreamt every day of an old immortal bringing you to me and instructing me to take care of you. Even without the immortal’s command, I would treat you as my own granddaughter. I wanted a daughter but didn’t get one. My sons all had boys, and I was tired of seeing so many sons. Seeing you, I was truly happy and treat you as my own.”
Ye Anran listened and understood. Ye Laotai was a little superstitious, but in her dreams she had seen the immortal, and now she truly cared for Ye Anran. Ye Anran pondered—could she really be the immortal’s fated granddaughter?
Soon, comforted in Ye Laotai’s warm embrace, she fell asleep.
The next morning, Ye Anran woke to find Ye Laotai already gone. After washing, Ye Laotai handed her a boiled egg.
“Eat quickly, don’t let your greedy brothers see it.”
Ye Anran stifled a giggle, remembering her excuse.
“Grandma, I dreamed last night of a white-bearded old man who said I should walk in the mountains. Maybe I could find some wild eggs!”
Ye Laotai froze, eyes wide.
“Darling, tell me! Was the old man’s hair white? A long beard, kind face, holding a jade ruyi?”
Ye Anran nodded vigorously.
“Yes! Grandma, is the old man you saw in your dream the same one I saw?”
Ye Laotai clapped her thigh.
“Of course! That’s him!”
Ye Anran breathed a sigh of relief. Making up a story was effortless—the old woman had already described everything herself.
Ye Laotai, overjoyed, held Ye Anran tight.
“Darling, tell me what the immortal said. How can you find wild eggs in the mountains?”
Ye Anran nodded gravely.
“Grandma, the immortal said I could safely walk in the mountains, and he would protect me. But this can only be told to you.”
Ye Laotai nodded firmly.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone else.”
After this, Ye Laotai sat with Ye Anran at the breakfast table.
Ye Anran glanced at the small plate of pickles and half a bowl of black porridge. Last night they had corn cakes too. Everyone else slurped the porridge as if it were a delicacy.
Wang Xianger nudged her daughter.
“Eat, don’t just sit there!”
Wang Xianger felt sorry for the little girl—she knew the child’s real parents were so poor that she had only ever drunk broth. Now the girl could sit at a table and eat.
Ye Anran shook her head.
“I ate enough the last two meals. I’m not hungry.”
Ye Laotai glared at Wang Xianger.
“You eat your food. Don’t bother with her.”