Chapter 3: It Was Actually Jiang Han

Looking at the small tooth marks he left behind, Hu Yao felt indescribable emotions.

Hu Guifen had been very good to her in her childhood, but all that goodness ended when she was six years old.

Her father, who worked outside, never came back after she turned six, leaving no trace.

It was said that her father had married into the Hu family, and the Hu family didn’t like him. He often worked outside.

He never came back, and Hu Guifen took her and Hu Qiao to remarry with a man from the same village.

Soon after, she gave birth to a younger brother, Hu Yaoguo.

Hu Yao didn’t have a good time in her new home. Hu Guifen treated her worse and worse each day. She had to do all the chores in the house, and if she made a mistake, Hu Guifen would beat and scold her.

Gradually, her personality was no longer as lively as it was in her childhood. She became quieter and learned to follow their wishes, so that she could have a slightly easier life.

Growing up in that environment until she was sixteen, she had long given up on any affection for Hu Guifen and the others. All that remained was a numb and quiet resignation. After her father’s disappearance, no one in the world cared about her, and no one loved her.

Hu Yao knew that Hu Guifen had always wanted to use her good looks to marry into a wealthy family and get a large sum of money, so that she wouldn’t waste the rice she had fed her all these years.

She wasn’t surprised that Hu Guifen would sell her after her accident, but…

It was actually Jiang Han…

Her thoughts raced, and Hu Yao couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Xiaochao, who was sleeping soundly beside her leg. Lin Zhaodi had helped him bathe, and his soft, wet hair hung over his fair forehead.

He had washed himself, but he was still too young, and he had fumbled around, even buttoning his clothes wrong.

Hu Yao looked at him for a few seconds, and his half-closed eyelids had already completely closed, and he was asleep. His small, white hand was tightly gripping her clothes.

Jiang Xiaochao’s eyelashes were very long, thick and delicate, like a beautiful little girl. His sleeping face was very cute.

Lin Zhaodi said that his full name was Jiang Fuzhao, named by the old intellectual who was sent down to the countryside by Jiang Han.

Hu Yao’s gaze fell on his small face, her eyes softened.

Perhaps because of their shared blood, from the moment she opened her eyes and saw him, she felt an inexplicable sense of closeness, and occasionally she would have flashes of memories of the years she had spent with him.

He was her son!

The wound on her head still hurt, and even the slightest movement caused a throbbing pain.

Hu Yao frowned, looked around, picked up the towel that Jiang Xiaochao had carelessly thrown nearby, and gently wiped his wet hair, then straightened his sleeping position.

“Mom…” Jiang Xiaochao mumbled, his small voice soft and sweet. He felt her touch and tightened his grip on her clothes.

He was too tired, and even though he was, he didn’t wake up.

Hu Yao paused, hesitantly and stiffly stroking his back: “Good boy.”

She gently comforted him, and Jiang Xiaochao slept even more soundly. He didn’t make any other movements, but he moved his hand from her clothes to her finger.

The soft and obvious grip made her heart soften.

This feeling… seemed really good.

It was probably because she had been unconscious for too long, and Hu Yao didn’t fall asleep until midnight.

The next day, Jiang Xiaochao woke up before dawn. When he woke up, he found himself in Hu Yao’s arms, and his sleepy little face turned red with embarrassment.

But he liked the warmth and softness of Hu Yao’s embrace. With a red face, he leaned against her and rubbed against her, before reluctantly and carefully getting out of her arms and climbing out of bed to pee. He couldn’t hold it anymore.

Jiang Han was not at home, so Jiang Xiaochao went to find the family’s food as usual, holding it and running to Lin Zhaodi.

He knew that Hu Yao was injured and needed to eat good things to recover, so he even found the family’s eggs.

“For Mom!” He asked Lin Zhaodi to make it for him.

Lin Zhaodi smiled, used to it: “Okay, Auntie will make it now.”

Lin Zhaodi’s husband, Li Zhuangzhi, was Jiang Han’s brother. Every time Jiang Han went out, he would ask them to look after Hu Yao and Jiang Xiaochao, and their homes were close to each other.

“Xiaochao, did your dad say when he’s coming back?” Lin Zhaodi asked Jiang Xiaochao, who was sitting on a small stool beside her while she steamed the eggs.

“I don’t know.” Jiang Xiaochao shook his head. Jiang Han usually only told him a few things before going out, and never told him when he would be back.

Most of the time, he was at home with Hu Yao.

“Oh, okay.” Lin Zhaodi added some firewood to the stove, then looked at him again. Seeing his well-behaved appearance, her heart filled with joy again.

She and Li Zhuangzhi had been married for seven or eight years, earlier than Jiang Han and Hu Yao, but her stomach had been silent for all these years, and she had no children, so she was particularly fond of Jiang Xiaochao.

Hu Yao was in that situation, and she had almost treated Jiang Xiaochao as her own child in these years.

“Your mom is much better now. Xiaochao will have a mother to love him from now on.” Lin Zhaodi sighed. Hu Yao had a stroke of luck this time. She suffered this pain, but she was finally clear-headed.

Jiang Xiaochao blinked, not quite understanding what she meant. In his memory, Hu Yao had always been good to him.

When Lin Zhaodi finished making breakfast and put it in the basket, he took it home.

Lin Zhaodi wanted to go with him to check on Hu Yao, but she was called by her mother-in-law. There was a lot of work waiting for her at home.

When Jiang Xiaochao went back, Hu Yao was also awake. She still seemed a little uncomfortable with the surroundings.

But most of the time, it felt familiar. The only thing she was uncomfortable with was her current state after her clear memories.

” Yaoyao, you’re awake!”

“Are you hungry?”

“We’re having eggs today!”

Jiang Xiaochao’s childish voice was very cheerful. He first tiptoed carefully to put the basket on the low table beside the bed, then rushed to her side.

He was so well-behaved, so young and already knew how to take care of her. Hu Yao looked down at him, her eyes curved as she stroked his cheek: “Thank you.”

This was the first time Hu Yao had formally thanked him. Jiang Xiaochao’s watery eyes froze for a moment, staring at her blankly, then he blushed and shook his head.

The steamed eggs were fragrant and smooth, but the pancake was a bit burnt and a bit bland and dry. Hu Yao nibbled on it, looking at Jiang Xiaochao beside her, who was struggling to swallow the pancake with his neck stiff, and smiled again, pouring him a cup of water to drink.

“Let’s eat slowly, no need to take such big bites.”

Hu Yao moved the steamed eggs in front of him and gently patted his back.

The gentle actions, voice, and the way she looked at him were things Jiang Xiaochao had never experienced from Hu Yao before. He couldn’t help but blush again.

“Oh, I know.” He nodded, his swinging little feet revealing his happy mood.

Hu Yao thought he was so well-behaved, so well-behaved it made her heart soften.

“Xiaochao…your father,”

After breakfast, Hu Yao hesitated to speak, asking a question but stopping again.

“Ah?” Jiang Xiaochao was chasing chickens all over the yard, the hair Hu Yao had neatly combed for him was now messy.