Han Fei slowly returned to the present.
The painful memories faded, replaced by the heavy atmosphere inside the room.
Father Han sat down on the nearby chair with a dark expression. His brows were tightly furrowed, and for a moment, he seemed unsure where to begin.
He let out a long sigh.
"Your sister-in-law's house was badly damaged during the winter," Father Han finally said. "And since they had already sold most of their grain earlier, thinking what they had would be enough, the long winter caught them unprepared."
His face grew worse the more he spoke.
"When the food ran out, they had no choice but to buy grain at the high winter prices. Now they have no money left… and no grain either."
Father Han rubbed his forehead tiredly.
"They are even in debt now. Before this, they came to ask me for money." He gave a bitter laugh. "But how could we possibly have money? We're still living in our daughter-in-law's house."
The room grew quiet.
Then Han Wei finally spoke.
His voice was hoarse.
"They said my son is a money-losing burden," he said, his eyes turning red as tears slowly rolled down his face. "They even wanted to sell my son and me."
His hands trembled as he held his child tighter.
Han Fei and Bo Xi both looked carefully at Han Wei.
Only now did they truly notice how terrible he looked.
He had lost a lot of weight. His clothes hung loosely on his body, and his hands were rough and full of calluses. His eyes were sunken, with dark circles underneath, as if he hadn't slept properly for a long time.
Even his lips were cracked and peeling.
Han Fei felt his chest tighten.
His eyes slowly turned red.
Despite everything… Han Wei was still his older brother.
In his past life, during those desperate days, Han Wei had secretly helped him more than once. Even when they were little, their parents favored Han Li; it was often Han Wei who quietly passed him a little food.
Later, when the refugees forced everyone to scatter, the villages had separated during the relocation.
From that moment on, Han Fei had never saw Han Wei again.
Thinking of that now, a complicated feeling rose in Han Fei's heart.
Bo Xi gently tugged at Han Fei's sleeve.
No matter what decision he made, she would follow his wishes.
To outsiders, Bo Xi seemed like a thoughtful daughter-in-law who cared deeply for every member of Han Fei's family. She bought medicine for them and protected them when danger came.
But in truth, Bo Xi was not that kind-hearted.
She was a very cold person.
The only reason she cared for the Han family was because of Han Fei. She did not want him to feel sadness or regret. So she treated them well, for his sake.
Han Fei understood this clearly.
That was why he felt even more grateful toward her.
But at the moment, his mind was in chaos.
Han Fei knew he could not support his older brother forever. Their food and supplies were limited, and the future disasters Bo Xi predicted will soon arrive.
Yet… what should he do?
He simply couldn't think clearly.
Mother Han also looked troubled.
In her heart, she thought bitterly that if their own house hadn't been damaged like the others, this situation might have been easier to deal with. They would have had an excuse.
Now everything had become awkward.
After a long silence, Han Fei finally spoke.
"Brother… why don't you stay here for a few days?" he said.
Han Wei immediately shook his head.
"How could I?" he said anxiously. "Our whole family is already living in Sister in law's house. How can I impose like this?"
Before Han Fei could respond, Bo Xi spoke calmly.
"Don't worry, brother. Stay here as long as you like. This house can also be considered your home."
Han Wei hesitated.
He knew his situation was desperate. Returning to his in-laws' house was no longer possible, and he had nowhere else to go.
Thinking about his young son, he finally gritted his teeth and nodded.
"Thank you…" He said hoarsely.
Han Fei then stood up.
"Father, we'll go change first. Our clothes are dusty and smell after being outside all day," he said.
Father Han nodded silently.
Han Fei and Bo Xi walked back into their room.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Han Fei pulled Bo Xi into a tight embrace.
"Thank you," he said softly, his eyes turning red. "You always support me… and take care of me."
Bo Xi wrapped her arms around him and gently patted his back.
"Fei," she said quietly, "no matter what happens, I will always stand by your side."
Han Fei nodded, holding her for a moment longer before slowly letting go.
Bo Xi smiled faintly.
"Come on," she said lightly. "Let's change our clothes first."
She looked at him gently.
"Don't worry too much. You should stay happy now."
Her gaze unconsciously drifted to his stomach.
After all…
There was already a new life growing there.
Both of them quickly washed up and changed their clothes. By the time they finished, the sun had already begun to set, the fading light casting long shadows across the courtyard.
Ever since Han Fei's family had moved in, things had sometimes felt a little inconvenient. But perhaps because they felt guilty about living in Bo Xi's house and relying on her food and supplies, Father Han and Mother Han rarely allowed Bo Xi to do any housework.
They handled most of the chores themselves.
When Bo Xi and Han Fei came out of their room, dinner was already prepared.
Han Wei, who had washed up earlier, looked slightly better than before, though the exhaustion in his eyes still remained.
Only now did Bo Xi and Han Fei finally see the child clearly.
Earlier, Han Wei had been holding the swaddled baby tightly against his chest, so they hadn't gotten a proper look.
But now…
The child looked to be in terrible condition.
He was frighteningly thin, his tiny limbs barely visible beneath the cloth. His complexion had a faint yellow tint, and his face looked weak and drawn.
Perhaps because of hunger or prolonged weakness, he didn't even seem to have the strength to cry or move.
If it weren't for the faint rise and fall of his chest, Bo Xi might have thought the child was no longer alive.
Han Wei greeted them softly while holding a bowl of thin rice porridge.
The porridge was almost clear, with only a few grains floating inside.
Bo Xi frowned.
"Is that for the child?" she asked.
Even adults would struggle to gain nutrition from such watery porridge, let alone a baby.
Han Fei quickly spoke, worried that his brother might misunderstand Bo Xi's intention.
"She means… is that enough for him? Maybe we should add some boiled vegetables or a little meat."
Han Wei shook his head gently.
"It's fine for him," he said gratefully. "He hasn't eaten much for a long time. I'm afraid that if I suddenly give him richer food, his stomach might not be able to handle it."
Carefully, Han Wei adjusted the baby in his arms and slowly fed him the porridge.
The child weakly opened his mouth.
Despite his fragile state, he greedily swallowed the thin porridge.
Seeing this made Han Wei's eyes redden.
"The dinner is ready," Father Han called out from the table.
Han Bei was already placing bowls and chopsticks neatly on the table.
"Brother, eat while feeding him. I'll help hold the baby for a while," Han Fei said.
He pulled a chair closer and gestured for Han Wei to sit down.
Han Bei also quietly sat beside him, ready to help.
Han Wei finally sat down.
When he looked at the food on the table, simple but plentiful compared to what he had been eating, his chest tightened.
For a moment, he felt tears welling up in his eyes.
But he forced himself to hold them back.
He didn't want to lose control in front of everyone.