TNIBFT -Chapter 15 Let’s Go Home Together

Ye Tian rushed over with a face full of joy, carrying large and small bundles in his hands. Even the cotton jacket over his chest was bulging.

Ye Shuangxue glanced around—front and back—but saw no sign of Xiao Jiang. Coupled with the things in Ye Tian’s hands and the excitement on his face, it wasn’t hard to imagine that Xiao Jiang had been sold by this beast.

She recalled yesterday—when a stranger tried to take her away—the fear and despair she had felt.

She didn’t dare imagine how terrified her little brother Xiao Jiang must have been at that moment.

Seeing Ye Tian getting closer and closer, Ye Shuangxue trembled with anger. Clenching her fists, she demanded furiously:

“Where is Xiao Jiang?”

“What did you do to him?”

“Say something…!”

Her voice was hoarse and shaking.

Even the usually calm Ye Yunting couldn’t hold back anymore—he wished he could cut down Ye Tian right then and there.

Xiao Jiang?

Ye Tian’s eyes shifted. He remembered Xiao Jiang had gone to deliver the meat buns. The buns tucked inside his cotton jacket were about to get cold. He put down the bundles in his hands and reached into his clothes, pulling out a full bag of buns. Looking at Ye Shuangxue excitedly, he said: “Look what this is!”

“Dad bought you big meat buns.”

“Smell how fragrant they are…” As he spoke, he proudly brought the oil-paper bag closer to Ye Shuangxue’s little face, like he was presenting a treasure.

All these years, the original Ye Tian had abused the children—they had barely ever eaten anything good.

Ye Tian was eager, hoping to see Ye Shuangxue—the daughter who would later take revenge on him in the novel—be moved by his actions.

But things didn’t go as he wished.

Ye Shuangxue’s face turned cold as she stared at the buns he held out.

White, soft, plump buns…

She thought of Xiao Jiang’s little face. Unable to hold back any longer, tears streamed down her cheeks. She slapped Ye Tian’s hand away and roared:

“I wouldn’t eat your buns even if I died! You scumbag! Why are you like this? So many people die every day—why isn’t it you?!”

Caught off guard, Ye Tian felt a force hit him. The oil-paper bag in his hand fell to the ground with a “啪!”

Four or five plump white buns rolled across the snow.

“My buns!”

“You kid, don’t you know that saving food is a virtue?” Ye Tian fumed, heart aching as he looked at the buns on the ground. He had been hungry all day and hadn’t eaten a single one, planning to bring them home to share with the three children and improve their relationship.

Who knew what had gotten into this girl again?

Ye Tian crouched down, holding the paper bag in one hand while quickly picking up the buns with the other, instinctively blowing off nonexistent dust from them as he went.

Seeing that Ye Tian only cared about the food and showed no concern for Xiao Jiang, Ye Shuangxue hated herself for having such a cold-blooded and shameless father.

All the cruel words in the world wouldn’t be enough to describe Ye Tian’s wickedness.

As Ye Tian reached for the last bun, Ye Shuangxue stepped forward and stomped on it hard. The soft, fluffy bun was instantly crushed into a meat paste, its juices staining a patch of the white snow brown.

Annoyed, Ye Tian frowned and stood up slowly, looking at Ye Shuangxue.

“I was wrong before. I owe you all. I’m trying to make up for it now. I’m your father—but that doesn’t mean I’ll tolerate you endlessly.”

Ye Shuangxue’s small face was stubborn, her eyes blazing as she glared at Ye Tian.

A clash between father and daughter was about to erupt.

Ye Yunting said coldly, “Where did Xiao Jiang go?”

Just as his words fell—

The three of them heard Xiao Jiang’s soft, childish voice from behind: “Brother, Sister!”

The three of them turned back in unison. Xiao Jiang’s little face was red from the cold, yet he was grinning brightly as he waved at them. As he ran, he looked like a little penguin. When he noticed Ye Tian was also there, his small brows furrowed slightly—something about the atmosphere felt off.

“Xiao Jiang!”

“It really is Xiao Jiang!”

“Xiao Jiang is back!”

Ye Shuangxue stared in disbelief at her brother running toward them. With tears in her eyes, she rushed forward and hugged him tightly. Ye Yunting cast a scrutinizing glance at Ye Tian before walking over to Xiao Jiang, carefully checking him over. Seeing that he was completely unharmed, he finally relaxed and smiled.

“Where did you go, Xiao Jiang? Shuangxue and I were worried sick.”

“Yeah—did he… did he do anything to you?”

Ye Shuangxue quickly asked. Who “he” referred to was obvious without saying.

Xiao Jiang glanced up at Ye Tian, his little face flushing red. “He took me into the city to buy things. He even bought a lot of meat buns—they smelled so good! He said big brother and big sister could have some too.”

Xiao Jiang spoke excitedly, his bright eyes sparkling.

Buy things?

Meat buns?

Out of the corner of her eye, Ye Shuangxue looked at the meat bun she had stepped on and crushed earlier. Her face flushed with guilt, but she still couldn’t believe Ye Tian had really changed. She raised her head and pressed on: “That’s all? He just took you shopping?”

“Mm.”

Xiao Jiang nodded. After thinking for a moment, he added, “We also went to sell things. I can earn money now too! Making money is really fun—you have no idea how amazing Ye Tian is…”

The moment he started talking about Ye Tian, Xiao Jiang seemed like a completely different person, suddenly full of energy.

Ye Yunting and Ye Shuangxue exchanged a glance.

“It’s going to snow. Let’s hurry home,” Ye Yunting said, looking up at the sky. It was dark and heavy, like a storm was about to break—either a blizzard or a hailstorm. The three children began heading home, whispering to each other as they walked, their voices rising and falling.

Looking at the now-cold buns in his arms, Ye Tian felt a wave of disappointment.

He had never raised children before, and part of him wanted to just walk away. But now things were different—somehow, he had become the biological father of these three children. Raising them was his responsibility. He didn’t expect them to love or respect him, but at the very least, couldn’t they get along peacefully, like friends?

The howling north wind swept up the snow on the ground, blurring Ye Tian’s vision.

Suddenly, his palm felt warm.

A soft, small hand gently held onto his finger. Ye Tian looked down to see Xiao Jiang gazing up at him with curious, bright eyes.

When Xiao Jiang noticed him looking, he broke into a wide smile, revealing a row of tiny white teeth. “Let’s go home together.”

“…Okay.”

Ye Tian’s nose stung as warmth flooded his chest. Everything he had done hadn’t been for nothing after all, had it?

“Want me to help you carry something?”

Xiao Jiang volunteered eagerly. From what he had just heard from his siblings, he roughly understood what had happened earlier.

“I can carry it myself.”

Feeling a bit guilty, Xiao Jiang reached out with his other hand, trying to take the bundle from Ye Tian. Ye Tian took a deep breath, steadied himself, and stuffed the oil-paper bag back into his cotton coat. Then he lifted the bundle from the ground with one hand.

“Forget it. You’re not even as heavy as this yet. When your dad’s old and useless, then you can help me carry things.”

Seeing Xiao Jiang holding Ye Tian’s hand, Ye Shuangxue felt irritated, like an itch she couldn’t scratch. Just a few meat buns, and Xiao Jiang had already been won over.

That damn Ye Tian!

She puffed up her cheeks angrily as she followed behind him. Ye Yunting leaned closer and said quietly: “The day after tomorrow in the afternoon, we’ll be leaving by ox cart. Just keep an eye on Xiao Jiang these next couple of days. After that, we won’t have to live in fear anymore.”

“Mm.”

Ye Shuangxue nodded.