RYEY – Chapter 244 This Child’s Surname Is Li

Jiang Meili’s actions brought the entire room to a hush. Even Cheng Qiao, who had been continuously vomiting, was startled into stopping. Everyone stared, dazed, at Jiang Meili, who was still retching.

“Meili…”

The first to react was Yuan Qin. She hurried over, patting Meili’s back and softly asking in her ear whether she might be pregnant.

Meili furrowed her brows. She was still just a young girl—where would a child come from? She looked at Yuan Qin suspiciously, wondering if this woman could really be her mother, as no one would try to ruin her daughter’s reputation like that.

“Maybe it’s a stomach problem… should I take a look?”

Cheng Qiao, with her sharp ears, caught Yuan Qin’s words and quickly tried to smooth things over with a loud explanation. Li Huan nodded repeatedly, sneaking a glance at Li Bing, whose face was extremely pale, silently muttering prayers to the Buddha.

Xu Hui seemed to sense something too. He scooped up little Cheng Li, who wanted to follow Cheng Qiao, and lured him into the room to play. Li Le, keeping her head down, followed along. She preferred not to get involved in adult matters.

Cheng Qiao took Jiang Meili’s hand, pressing three fingers to her pulse, left hand on top of right. After a few tense moments under everyone’s watchful gaze, she finally smiled:

“Mom, I’ll cook some glutinous rice porridge for Big Sister later. Big Sister has a stomach problem; the vomiting is due to cold in her stomach.”

Relieved that it wasn’t pregnancy, Li Bing exhaled deeply. He suddenly felt regretful—he shouldn’t have doubted Jiang Meili. Why had he lost control today? Where had he gone wrong?

“Uncle Ye, please help me check her pulse, see how her body is doing.”

Ye Jun eyed Li Bing suspiciously but, out of respect, extended his hand. A few minutes later, Ye Jun’s expression darkened slightly:

“You’ve taken the Rebirth Pill.”

“Uncle Ye…”

Li Bing was startled. He looked at Ye Jun with admiration but remembered that his sister-in-law was Ye Jun’s disciple. The Rebirth Pill must be Ye Jun’s. Standing up straight, he performed a standard military salute:

“Uncle Ye, I can never repay you for saving my life. If I ever frown again without reason, then I am no longer a man.”

Mother Li looked confused. When had Doctor Ye saved her eldest son’s life? He had just come over for a meal today.

Ye Jun smiled at Cheng Qiao. He would take the credit for this incident, though the little girl had grown clever and hadn’t told him about such an important matter.

The Rebirth Pill developed by the Ye family’s ancestors had only been used on one person. It was effective, but it only delayed death by a few days. Perhaps Cheng Qiao’s secret modification of the formula had truly revived him. The world was indeed full of wonders.

Jiang Hua’s eyes gleamed. Today, he had finally seen the legendary miraculous doctor, Ye Jun, who was also Ye Chengying’s cousin. If he could forge a connection, it would be very advantageous.

“Hello, Doctor Ye. I am Jiang Hua, Meili’s father. I’ve wanted to greet you for a long time, but never had the chance.”

Ye Jun nodded slightly. He knew Jiang Hua had been trying to strike up a conversation, but he didn’t like Yuan Qin’s petty nature and always avoided her.

Jiang Hua, seeing only a slight nod in response, turned slightly pale but forced a smile. He would not lose face—he had to maintain his stance.

“So it’s a stomach issue? No problem. Our clever little girl knows medicinal cuisine. Stay a few more days with Bing’er, and she’ll help regulate your stomach.”

Mother Li trusted Cheng Qiao completely. If Cheng Qiao said Meili had a stomach problem, it had to be true—no doubt in her mind.

Seeing how harmonious Mother Li and Cheng Qiao were, Yuan Qin felt a pang of jealousy and worried her own daughter might be sidelined. But thinking of their return to Gan Province soon, that worry faded.

“Disciple, your master has a bold request.”

“Master, please speak.”

“Cough… cough… You’re pregnant now. Could this baby take the surname Ye?”

“No.”

Before Cheng Qiao could respond, Li Huan jumped up. Their eldest son should take the surname Cheng, since Cheng Qiao was the only daughter of the Cheng family, with no heirs—so he willingly took that name.

“Why can it take Cheng but not Ye?”

“The Cheng family has no heirs. Shouldn’t my son take the Cheng surname?”

“I, Ye Jun, also have no heirs. Why not Ye?”

“Ye Chengying doesn’t take Ye; his children and grandchildren already exist.”

“That’s Ye Chengying’s, not mine. Moreover, Cheng Liguo’s family has many siblings; more grandchildren take the Cheng surname. Why don’t you mention that?”

“But those children are not my father-in-law’s grandchildren.”

“Exactly. So why can’t this child take Ye, becoming my grandson? Do you not understand that your master and my father are elders of the same rank?”

“You… you… you’re unreasonable.”

“How am I unreasonable?”

“Sister-in-law, what do you say? Li Bing is married, and the child is the eldest legitimate grandson.”

Mother Li thought: “… I also want the child of our clever girl to take the surname Li.”

Cheng Qiao, seeing Li Huan’s eyes red with anxiety, immediately felt reluctant. She rolled her eyes at Ye Jun, then said:

“Master, let’s compromise. This child will take the surname Li. Next one, I promise, will take Ye—though I can’t guarantee boy or girl.”

Ye Jun sighed. He had only been testing—if Li Huan agreed, fine; if not, he would have to wait for the next time.

Hearing Cheng Qiao speak for him, Li Huan grabbed her tightly, feeling deeply touched. His wife was truly thoughtful.

Mother Li relaxed. The child was secure. She hoped for a boy, but a girl would be fine too. A girl like Cheng Qiao—she’d welcome a dozen.

Jiang Meili slightly opened her mouth in surprise. Wow, Cheng Qiao’s child was so highly prized! Would her own child with Li Bing be neglected?

Jiang Hua and Yuan Qin shared the same thought. Jiang Hua wasn’t too concerned; if Meili’s child weren’t favored by the Li family, he would take care of it.

“Meili, come on. Let’s cook some glutinous rice porridge. I’ll tell you: cook glutinous rice with regular rice until it releases rice oil, then add some brown sugar. Good for the stomach.”

Jiang Meili nodded repeatedly and held Cheng Qiao’s hand as they walked to the kitchen. But upon seeing Cheng Qiao skillfully gathering firewood and washing rice, she blushed.

At the Art Troupe’s canteen, she was used to ready-made meals. She had never handled fire, cooking, or basic ingredients. She truly didn’t know where to start.

“Sister-in-law, when you return to Gan Province, you’ll need to cook for yourself. Couples can’t always eat at the canteen; otherwise, the other military wives will mock you over time.”

Jiang Meili nodded repeatedly. Her own mother had been ridiculed for not knowing how to cook or manage household chores. Only after learning to cook herself did things improve.

“Cheng Qiao, please teach me, okay?”