426: Chapter 427 Conversation!

"Some tasks, this child myself felt were not done well enough. If not for the elders guiding from the side, I am afraid things would have gone wrong long ago."

"In my heart, I always feel... somewhat unworthy of Father's trust."

Ye Changge looked at him, his heart softening slightly.

This child was usually carefree, but he hadn't expected him to harbor such concerns in his heart.

He did not rush to comfort him, but simply smiled and said:

"You feel your ability is mediocre, but in the half year since you took over the fishery, the output has been twenty percent higher than in previous years, and the accounts are crystal clear. Is this not capability?"

"You are still young, just learn as you go. No one is born knowing how to do everything."

Ye Xiu blushed from the praise, scratched his head and smiled, and the trace of unease in his eyes dissipated quite a bit.

Afterwards, Ye Changge went to look for Ye Zhi, Ye Ruyi, and the others.

Ye Zhi was a quiet and introverted girl. She usually didn't speak much, but she was extremely meticulous in her work.

What she was responsible for was the allocation and recording of some miscellaneous chores within the Family. Although inconspicuous, it was crucial.

She stated that everything was well, only occasionally feeling that the younger brothers and sisters were too young and could not remember some rules even after being taught many times, inevitably leading to some exhaustion.

As for Ye Ruyi's reaction, it greatly exceeded Ye Changge's expectations.

She was assigned to help in the spirit herb garden, tending to flowers and plants every day, and was very happy.

Seeing her father come to ask questions, she blinked those large eyes, tilted her head to think, and said very seriously:

"It is quite good! The younger brothers and sisters all respect me very much! A few days ago, a little younger brother even gave me a flower he planted himself!"

Ye Changge looked at his daughter's small face full of complacency and couldn't help laughing out loud.

This child was bold yet careful, and possessed full emotional resilience, completely seeing no problem at all.

This might not necessarily be a bad thing.

Walking around a circle, Ye Changge gained a more intuitive understanding of the children's situation within the Family.

The "estrangement" and "unease" mentioned by Ye Pingan truly existed.

And Ye Xiu's "acknowledging mediocrity and harboring guilt", as well as the timidity and unfamiliarity of more young offspring, were all problems that needed to be faced.

He felt more assured in his heart.

Ye Changge walked around the Family everywhere, getting a rough grasp of the children's situations.

With his hands behind his back, he walked slowly along the bluestone path on the back mountain of Longmai Mountain. The mountain breeze brushed his face, carrying the fresh and moist breath of grass and trees, and crisp bird chirps came from afar.

Passing through a patch of low shrubs, the view ahead suddenly widened.

That was a gentle slope facing a cliff, covered with soft green grass, and several old pines with intertwined gnarled branches, as verdant as canopies.

Under the pine shade, two figures were sitting side by side, not knowing what they were talking about.

Ye Changge's footsteps paused slightly.

That youth was around fifteen or sixteen years old, slightly taller than children of the same age, with a straight back and shoulders. Sitting there, he naturally possessed a steady demeanor.

Beside him was a little girl of seven or eight years old, tied with double buns, stretching her two short legs and swinging them back and forth, clutching a handful of unknown wildflowers in her hand, smiling with her eyebrows and eyes curved.

It was precisely Ye Tian and Ye Caizhen.

Ye Changge did not deliberately restrain his footsteps, stepping on dead branches and making a slight cracking sound.

Hearing the sound, the youth turned his head. Seeing that it was him, he immediately stood up, crossed his hands, and performed a proper salute: "Father!"

His voice was clear and bright, his posture upright and proper, without the slightest panic.

The little girl, however, was a completely different sight.

The moment she saw Ye Changge, her eyes instantly lit up, like two black grapes lit up by sunlight,

Then she dropped the wildflowers in her hand and sprinted toward him with her two short legs: "Daddy! Why are you here!"

Ye Changge squatted down, opened his arms, caught the little girl who rushed over in one sweep, and picked her up by momentum.

Ye Caizhen hugged his neck, giggling non-stop, her small head arching back and forth in the crook of his shoulder like a spoiled kitten:

"Daddy hasn't come to see Caizhen for a long time! Caizhen misses Daddy so much!"

Ye Changge let her make a fuss for a while before freeing one hand to gently pat her back:

"Isn't Daddy here now?"

Only then did Ye Caizhen give a satisfied "Mn", burying her small face in the side of his neck and quieting down.

Holding her, Ye Changge walked over to Ye Tian. His gaze fell upon his son's face, which still carried childishness but already had initial sharp contours, and he smiled gently:

"Xiaotian, just now at the assembly, this father saw you looking like you wanted to speak but hesitated. Could it be that you still have something left unsaid?"

Ye Tian looked up at him, then quickly lowered his eyelids. After a moment of silence, he said:

"Father sees everything clearly."

"If you have anything to say, speak directly."

Ye Changge sat down on a flat bluestone beneath the pine tree, placed Ye Caizhen beside his knee, and casually tidied her collar which she had rubbed into a mess just now.

"You have always been a child with your own opinions. Since you have thoughts in your heart, hiding and tucking them away is instead unappealing."

Ye Tian pursed his lips, seemingly weighing his phrasing.

A moment later, he raised his head, his gaze meeting his father's eyes openly: "Father, this child believes... within the Family, rules come first."

Ye Changge did not take up the conversation, simply looking at him to signal him to continue speaking.

"If the Family wishes to endure long, it cannot rely solely on Father alone to support it."

Ye Tian's voice was not loud, yet it carried a composure inconsistent with his age,

"This child knows Father cares for us dearly, and wants every brother and sister to live well and freely.

But if freedom lacks the constraint of rules, after a long time, it is easy to breed laxity or even overbearingness.

What Father said at the assembly today, that brothers and sisters must be harmonious and help one another, is naturally correct. But relying solely on the words 'must be harmonious' is probably not enough."

He paused, his tone growing increasingly earnest:

"This child believes that clear regulations should be established—every member of the Family, regardless of direct or collateral lineage, regardless of age, needs to make contributions within their ability for the Family.

Whether cultivating spirit fields, practicing techniques, or patrolling and guarding... even if it is just helping the matron of the spirit herb garden weed for a day, it is still doing one's part.

Those who do well should be rewarded; those who do poorly or are lazy and derelict should also be punished.

Only in this way can everyone truly regard themselves as a member of the Family, rather than cage birds being raised."

Hearing this, Ye Changge tapped his fingertips lightly against his knees, his expression unchanging.

Ye Caizhen by his side, however, became unhappy.

She pouted her small mouth, swung her two short legs, and said crisply:

"Brother, you are too strict! Didn't Daddy say, as long as we grow up happily, that's all that matters!

People each have their own aspirations, right? Some like planting flowers, some like fighting, and some just want to lie down and sunbathe every day—is that not allowed either?"

Ye Tian glanced at his younger sister, a trace of helplessness flashing across the depths of his eyes, but his tone remained gentle:

"Caizhen, what you said also makes sense.

But have you ever thought, if everyone only cares about their own 'happiness',

if the Family encounters foreign enemies, who will resist?

If the spirit fields are not cultivated by anyone, where will the food come from? These matters always need someone to do them."

Ye Caizhen was choked up by his words, puffed out her cheeks, and ultimately couldn't think of words to refute back.