A familiar voice and a haggard face.
Yan Xuan had lost his former luster. His eyes were dull and lifeless.
Liu Ruonan looked at his shabby clothes and messy hair. He was so different from the Yan Xuan she had known. Her heart sank.
"You..."
"What are you doing here?"
Han Xiangmei failed to hold Ye Zhinan back. Ye Zhinan ran out first and stood in front of Liu Ruonan, preventing Yan Xuan from approaching.
"Ruonan, come home with me!"
Yan Xuan's voice left no room for doubt.
Liu Ruonan frowned imperceptibly upon hearing this and took a step back.
It was the first time she had resisted this voice.
Ye Zhinan sensed Liu Ruonan's silent response and spread out her right hand.
"She's not going back with you. Please leave!"
"Ruonan, you're pregnant. It's not appropriate for you to stay at your parents' place for a long time."
Saying this, he bypassed Ye Zhinan and reached out to grab Liu Ruonan's hand.
"Master Yan, how can it be considered a nuisance for our Ruonan to stay at her own parents' place? What's wrong with me taking care of my own daughter?"
Wang Zhilan was indignant. She stepped forward and blocked in front, pushing Yan Xuan back a big step.
With two women blocking his way, Yan Xuan couldn't lose his temper. He heaved a long sigh and left after saying "I'll come again tomorrow."
"Mom!"
Liu Ruonan walked out shakily from behind the two women. Looking at Yan Xuan's departing figure, her eyes were filled with both worry and reluctance.
"What happened?"
At this moment, Liu Dongxing came in from outside the door. "I seem to have seen Yan Xuan."
"It's that guy. He came to take our daughter home, but he didn't show any sign of apologizing."
Wang Zhilan was extremely angry. Regardless of whether Ye Zhinan was there or not, she complained huffily.
"You stopped him? How foolish!"
Liu Dongxing heaved a long sigh. His eyes darkened, and he turned to Liu Ruonan. "What do you think?"
"I... I don't know!"
Liu Ruonan stroked her protruding belly. Her face was clouded with worry.
As an outsider, Ye Zhinan didn't want to interfere in other people's family matters. She excused herself and left.
When she got home, she told her family what had happened. Han Xiangmei felt sad along with her.
"Women will eventually have to go back to their own homes."
"But that man doesn't care about her at all!"
Ye Zhinan didn't understand. A look of confusion flashed across her eyes. She licked her chapped lips. "If it were me, I definitely wouldn't go back."
Han Xiangmei shook her head and lovingly stroked her daughter's head. "You're still young. You'll understand when the time comes."
"I won't go back even then. I've never thought of relying on a man. Even if I have a child, I can't sacrifice myself."
The principle of male superiority had never been the rule in her world. So she didn't understand, didn't agree, and wouldn't compromise.
"After all, it's other people's family matter. You'd better care about your own family first!"
Unable to argue with her daughter, Han Xiangmei could only change the subject.
Ye Zhinan's expression turned solemn upon hearing this.
"What? Are you not feeling well, Mom?"
Since they were exiled, Han Xiangmei's health had been getting worse. Although Ye Zhinan secretly added "ingredients" to her meals, it only treated the symptoms, not the root cause. Han Xiangmei was deeply troubled, and it couldn't be adjusted in a short time.
Seeing the worry on her daughter's face, Han Xiangmei slightly raised the corners of her mouth and shook her head.
"It's not me. You've been away from home recently, and your brother has to work on the farm and in the mine. Don't you need to care about him?"
"I've been negligent. I'll go and care about him right away."
Before Han Xiangmei could finish speaking, Ye Zhinan went to find Ye Yingfeng.
In the past few days, Ye Yingfeng had been working day and night. He had lost weight, but his body had become stronger.
At this moment, he was sound asleep, having a wonderful dream of commanding troops on the battlefield.
Ye Zhinan suddenly pushed open the door, scaring the person on the bed.
"Who? Take this!"
Ye Yingfeng rolled over and took out a wooden stick from under the bed. Without hesitation, he swung it towards Ye Zhinan's head.
Fortunately, Ye Zhinan reacted quickly and squatted down immediately, avoiding the blow.
"Brother, look carefully. It's me!"
Hearing this, Ye Yingfeng widened his eyes and saw his sister squatting on the ground with her hands covering her head.
"Why didn't you knock on the door before coming in?"
"Who knew you could attack people even when you're sleeping?"
Ye Zhinan sized him up and down.
Wasn't he supposed to be tired? Apart from his much darker skin, his body seemed stronger.
Ye Yingfeng felt uncomfortable under her gaze. After throwing away the stick, he climbed back onto the bed.
"Do you have anything to say? If not, I'm going back to sleep."
Ye Yingfeng covered himself with the quilt and was about to continue his dream of commanding troops.
But as soon as he covered his head with the quilt, Ye Zhinan pulled it off.
"Mom told me to care about you, so I brought you this."
Saying this, Ye Zhinan stuffed a handful of things into Ye Yingfeng's hand.
He took a closer look. A bunch of long and round pills in yellow, white, and red colors appeared in front of him.
"What are these?"
Vitamins A, B, C, and D.
Ye Zhinan smiled. "These are health - enhancing pills. I specially made them for you with ginseng and other herbs I picked on the mountain."
Ye Yingfeng was skeptical. He smelled them and looked at them, hesitating to take them.
"Don't waste these good things. Eat them quickly!"
Ye Zhinan suddenly pushed his hand, and a bunch of pills instantly fell into Ye Yingfeng's mouth.
"You..."
Just as Ye Yingfeng was about to speak, the pills rolled to his lips. He was startled and tilted his head back, forcing himself to swallow all the pills.
"Are you trying to choke me to death!"
Ye Zhinan squinted her almond - shaped eyes. Looking at her brother's funny appearance, she suppressed her laughter and quickly covered him with the quilt.
"I've cared about you. Go back to sleep quickly!"
As soon as the words were out, she had disappeared outside the door.
The sun was setting. The farmers had all returned home. Smoke was rising from the chimneys of each household. The colder and harsher the place, the more people valued the meaning of home.
Ye Zhinan found out that Liu Ruonan had gone back home with Yan Xuan when she went to the Liu's house to look for her.
Wang Zhilan complained loudly, "It's all her father. He said that a family should be together. He just softened his heart when he saw the whole family of the Yan's come."
"The whole family? Did Yan's mother come?"
Ye Zhinan concealed the worry in her eyes.
"Yan's mother didn't come. His eldest sister came with her husband and the uncles from the Yan's maternal family. They said that a married daughter is like spilled water. Staying at her parents' place for too long would be an insult to her parents' family. They said that their family would take good care of Ruonan, not treat her badly, and ensure that she gives birth to the child safely. In the future, the couple would support and care for each other. Humph!"
Wang Zhilan's last two words were accurate, vivid, and vivid.
Ye Zhinan silently applauded her in her heart, but she was outwardly strong but inwardly weak and couldn't really make decisions against Liu Dongxing.
"Did Ruonan agree?"
After asking this question, she got the answer from Wang Zhilan's eyes.
Liu Ruonan still couldn't let go after all.
Women, the first to fall in love, loses.
Ye Zhinan could only silently pray in her heart, hoping that Yan Xuan would really turn over a new leaf. But would things really go as she wished?