She originally thought of feeding him by the windowsill, but seeing the old wooden window frames, she was afraid of the draft hitting the child, so she changed her mind.
Little Siyan had no appetite in the morning and didnât eat much. Now, as he tasted the fragrant porridge, he cooperated unusually well.
The room was filled with the aroma of the noodles, and he perhaps understood what Xinyan had said earlier; he just occasionally glanced at his uncleâs lunchbox but didnât ask for any.
Seeing his little look, Xinyan whispered in his ear, "Tonight, Iâll make you a mini soup more fragrant than that one."
To her surprise, the little guy, who had always looked indifferent, smiled, "Okay."
Children might be the most sensitive; they can sense whether you are genuine or not. Being sick makes them even more fragile, and seeing other kids in their mothersâ arms makes them jealous. Now, feeling Xinyanâs attention, he quickly developed a reliance on and trust in her.
Aunt Zhang had been watching them and was very pleased with Xinyanâs interaction with Little Siyan.
Seeing He Jinxuan eating heartily, she laughed and said, "Xinyan, you really have a knack for cooking."
Other patients and their families chimed in, "The room is full of the aroma of noodles."
She continued feeding Little Siyan without leaving a trace and said, "You all know Iâm the adopted daughter of the Yu Family. Since I was a child, Iâve taken on all the housework. If not for my good grades, with the school waiving my tuition, and village officials persuading my family, I might not have been able to study at all.
My adoptive father wasnât too bad; he saw that none of the other kids in the family were interested in studying and, since it didnât cost the family anything for me to attend school, he stood firm in persuading my adoptive mother when the village officials came, and only then was I allowed to study."
Xinyan had long decided that returning to her hometown was impossible. She wanted to stay far away from the Yu Family and wouldnât give them a second chance to sell her. Rather than going elsewhere, sheâd stay here, take the university entrance exam, and deal with the future when it came.
The matter between her and Lyu Juncheng would eventually reach the village, and the people from the Yu Family and Lyu Family might come looking. She had to prepare in advance.
Then, she recounted meeting Granny Zhang and living with her for a year and a half: "Without Granny Zhang, even if I had been able to study, it would have been tough. Granny Zhang was very reluctant to let me go when I left."
She sighed after speaking.
Aunt Zhang, seeing her sigh, consoled, "Xinyan, youâve had a tough time, but youâre really lucky too."
Others joined in, "I was initially puzzled how an adopted daughter turned out so well; it turns out itâs thanks to Granny Zhang."
Xinyan, a bit embarrassed, confessed, "When I first arrived at Granny Zhangâs, I was a skinny, dark-haired girl. Granny Zhang even took me to the clinic for a checkup, and the doctor said I was malnourished. From then on, Granny Zhang put a lot of thought into me, and I can never forget this kindness."
"Truly a good child; when you have the ability, take good care of Granny Zhang."
Xinyan nodded earnestly, smiling as she said, "Granny Zhang will be my responsibility in the future, so I must work hard."
After saying this, the smile on Xinyanâs face vanished.
Everyone seemed to understand Xinyanâs situation; itâs easy to say but hard to do, especially since thereâs still the matter of debt.