Chapter 223: 223 has been spoiled Chapter 223: 223 has been spoiled With Mrs. Zhao absent, Ye Gaoshui, a grown man, had few words to exchange with the child; he merely inquired about the recent state of the household before finding himself at a loss for words.

Looking at the empty room, a surging melancholy filled Ye Gaoshui’s heart.

“Dad, Auntie boiled some water, and I’ve brought you a basin to soak your feet in,” Ye Qingzhi said, struggling to carry the wooden basin inside.

Ye Gaoshui quickly went over to take the basin, smiling contentedly, “Qingzhi is so good; only my darling daughter is thoughtful.”

A daughter is more considerate than a son; those two rascals have probably run off somewhere, not giving a hoot about their own father!

As Ye Gaoshui soaked his feet, his heart felt immensely comfortable.

“Qingzhi, your mother… has she come back at all?” Ye Gaoshui hesitantly spoke up.

“She has been back several times, but Grandma said she should stay at the Zhao Family’s place until she brings back the silver,” Ye Qingzhi said, her tone filled with indifference.

Ye Gaoshui also noticed that, after a period of not seeing her, his daughter seemed much more cheerful, sensible, with smiles on her face, unlike the perpetual sour face of before, which was distressing to look at.

Fearing that Ye Qingzhi would miss her mother, Ye Gaoshui comforted her, “Your mother, ah, she’s just been spoiled by the Zhao Family, but she probably learned her lesson by now. As long as she decides to change and stops insisting on taking things to the Zhao Family, Dad will let her come back.”

After all, they had been husband and wife for many years and were connected through their children; Ye Gaoshui did not wish his children to grow up motherless.

“Oh,” Ye Gaoshui failed to notice the momentary silence from Ye Qingzhi after he finished speaking.

In the courtyard, Ye Qingzhi went to sit beside Ye Jiu.

Ye Jiu reached out and gently touched Ye Qingzhi’s head, “Qingzhi, are you unhappy?”

Her crumpled little face already betrayed her mood.

“Auntie is unhappy too,” Ye Qingzhi said, her large eyes fixing on Ye Jiu.

Ye Jiu gave a bitter smile, “Auntie is worried about your Fourth Uncle. According to Grandma, he has been gone for months without returning, and no one knows where he has gone off to.”

No wonder mother always said that Fourth Brother was stubborn to a fault; could an ordinary person stay out searching for so long without returning, even if they didn’t find what they were looking for?

Even Big Brother and Second Brother came back occasionally before heading out again.

Thinking of the Fourth Uncle who would secretly treat her to roasted sparrows, Ye Qingzhi also couldn’t help worrying about him.

Seeing the young Ye Qingzhi with furrowed brows, Ye Jiu couldn’t help but chuckle.

At such a young age, she already knew how to worry.

“Why are you unhappy, Qingzhi?” Ye Jiu asked.

“Dad said he would let mom come back,” Ye Qingzhi spoke very calmly, so calmly that when she mentioned Mrs. Zhao, there was no sign of emotion; it was as if she were not speaking of her own mother, whom she had not seen for several months.

“Do you not want your mother to come back, Qingzhi?” Ye Jiu asked.

Ye Qingzhi did not answer, but her silent expression said it all.

Ye Gaoshui, who was rarely at home, might not know, but Ye Jiu did.

Mrs. Zhao perfectly inherited the Zhao Family’s preference for sons over daughters; even with only one daughter like Ye Qingzhi, there was hardly any affection to be seen.

If it weren’t for all of them living in the same courtyard, with Mrs. He pressuring Mrs. Zhao not to go too far, perhaps Ye Qingzhi would have suffered even more unfair treatment.

Ye Jiu couldn’t help feeling compassion for the girl, “Don’t think too much about it; Auntie brought back a gift for you from the county.”

Ye Jiu ran back into the room and brought out the bead flower and a hair tie, promptly inserting the bead flower into Ye Qingzhi’s braids.

The bead flower was the size of a Copper Coin, a four-petalled bloom with a grain-sized pearl dangling from it. Worn on Ye Qingzhi’s head, it added a touch of sprightliness to the young girl.

She would have been prettier if her skin had not been slightly darkened.

However, among farm girls, aside from those specially favored and taken care of, few had delicate complexions.