Chapter 412

The child didn't think it was too big; he stuffed it into his mouth in one bite and happily began eating. His small mouth wasn't big to begin with, and forcing such a large piece of meat in made chewing a struggle.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to snatch it from you." Han Xiaotao looked at her son, a pang of sadness striking her. These past few days she'd earned a little money, but she simply hadn't had time to buy him something tasty, and the boy was still starving.

"Han sis, when you have a moment, buy the kid some meat to eat; if you're busy, just braise a bowl of red‑cooked pork and leave it at home so he can feed himself." Jiang Yunxiang couldn't bear to watch any longer—this child was truly pitiful.

Han Xiaotao let out a bitter laugh.

"Sister‑in‑law, I'm not refusing to buy him food; I'm just afraid he'll eat too much at once… he… his body is too weak."

As Han Xiaotao spoke, a few tears streamed down her cheeks; her already delicate face, now dotted with tears, made her all the more pitiable.

Ye Cheng stood up directly, took a small bowl, and placed a bit of each meat dish in front of Xiao Wei.

"Then, eat slowly—there's enough."

Xiao Wei glanced gratefully at Ye Cheng, and immediately took a liking to this big brother who had given him meat.

Seeing his gaze, Ye Cheng for some reason thought of Dorgon.

As a man, Dorgon set an example for all men in the world: other people's sons are hard to raise properly.

Hiss—

Damn it, I wonder what this thing is for.

Not long after they'd been chatting, a clear, triumphant voice came from outside the door,

"Mom, I'm back."

Qian Shen's face, which had been a little worried, instantly brightened; she rose to her feet and, even though the door was only a few steps away, went out to meet him, speaking affectionately,

"This child, why are you so late? The guests are waiting."

As she spoke, a young man nearly 1.8 meters tall strode in from outside, his face full of vigor and ambition.

This was He Feiyang, Qian Shen's son; he had formerly been from the village, so everyone naturally knew him.

But this time his appearance made him seem a little unfamiliar—he wore a standard black suit, giving off the air of a successful person.

"Feiyang's become a boss, eh? Old He, you've got good fortune!" Ye Guowei said, his eyes full of admiration.

Duan Chunsheng also nodded repeatedly,

"He looks much more spirited than my son Duan Yong."

The others also kept congratulating Qian Shen, making her smile so wide she could hardly close her mouth.

The fatigue from sustained effort on her face vanished completely.

Only Ye Cheng's expression remained unchanged; this was indeed a Western suit, but a cheap one.

Since Western suits were introduced to the country, they have always been attire for high‑end formal occasions, generally worn only at weddings.

Walking out in a suit makes others look up to you by three tenths.

But in later times, no one knows exactly when it started, suddenly you see everyone on the street wearing suits.

Especially the migrant‑worker brothers who come to the city for work—no matter what they're doing, when they arrive in town they're definitely wearing a suit, but it's always that sort of cheap, low‑quality goods.

So for Ye Cheng, a suit really isn't a sign of high status.

Moreover, the suit He Feiyang is wearing is obviously cheap at a glance; he must be heading home, so he deliberately dressed a bit better.

Ye Cheng also understands this—returning home in fine clothes, who wouldn't want to show their best side to family and villagers?

Later generations have even made many films like this; even if you've been a mess out there, when you go back to the village you have to present yourself respectably.

"Feiyang's here." Ye Cheng and Xiao Hu also greeted him.

He Feiyang is three years older than the two of them; they used to play together as kids, but later the age gap meant they played less, and once He Feiyang went out to work they grew even more distant.

He Feiyang greeted everyone proudly, each calling out a name; upon seeing Ye Cheng and Xiao Hu, he said indifferently,

"Lao Er and Xiao Hu are here too."

His tone was noticeably cooler; in his memory, those two were still the village's chicken‑stealing, dog‑snatching types.

He doesn't know what Ye Cheng looks like now, but Qian Shen does—she's pinning her hopes for a good life on this Ye Cheng.

Moreover, she wants Ye Cheng to bring his son and stay in the village to make money.

She quickly grabbed her son, pointed at Ye Cheng and Xiao Hu, and said,

"Feiyang, your older brothers Cheng and Hu are really impressive now; you ought to learn from them properly."

He Feiyang looked at Ye Cheng and Xiao Hu with a hint of surprise; they were still dressed like good‑for‑nothings and sat in the lower seats—how could that be impressive?

He probably thinks his own mother hasn't seen much of the world, so that's why she feels that way.

But after his mother said that, He Feiyang also made a token remark,

"From now on, let's all study more."

Said so casually, it left Ye Cheng stunned—he hadn't been addressed so offhandedly in a long time.

Whoever steps out ought to praise Grandpa a few words.

Xiao Hu, on the other hand, had no psychological burden; his heart was bigger than the sea.

Hearing her son say that, Qian Shen felt a little embarrassed; she apologetically glanced at Ye Cheng and said,

"A Cheng, don't hold it against him—he's just come back."

As soon as He Feiyang heard that, he immediately became a bit displeased,

"Mom, what do you mean "don't hold it against me"? I'm telling you, stop always looking at village affairs—do you even know how fast the outside world is developing?"

After being snapped at by her son, Qian Shen felt a bit embarrassed, but she couldn't bring herself to scold him, so she quickly turned to Old He and sternly rebuked him,

"Hurry up and pour drinks for everyone."

Old He then realized what was happening, stood up, and refilled the drinks for the men; Ye Guowei had nothing else to do that night, so he asked for a bit more, and Duan Chunsheng also had a drink.

When it came to Ye Cheng, he simply waved his hand,

"Uncle, I still have to pilot the boat tonight, so I won't drink."

"Don't drink and drive, don't drive and drink"—that saying has been etched into our minds in later times, and the same goes for operating a boat.

Roads are myriad, but safety comes first.

Seeing Ye Cheng not drinking, Old He was a bit at a loss.

"Dad, forget him not drinking, give me some more." He Feiyang said dissatisfiedly.

As soon as that was said, the atmosphere became a bit awkward.

The most difficult part was Aunt Qian; she originally wanted to get closer, but now she seems to have made a mess, feeling neither here nor there.

Young people like him who went out to work for a few years and came back a bit clueless, Ye Cheng couldn't be bothered to argue with him.

He picked up his chopsticks and said to Aunt Qian,

"Aunt, let's eat; we still have to go out to sea later tonight."

"Eat, eat, everyone hurry up and eat, don't be polite, eat more, eat more." Qian Shen hurriedly said, then started bustling about serving dishes and urging drinks, immediately getting busy.

He Feiyang looked a bit dissatisfiedly at his busy parents, feeling as if he were begging them to eat.

Those present, Ye Guowei and Jiang Yunxiang are next-door neighbors, and they've always had a good relationship with the family; also Duan Chunsheng is about the same age as the parents, so being polite with them is fine.