Ye Zhinan suddenly sat up from the bed, and all the aches in her body vanished.
With bright eyes, she leaned over to Ye Yingfeng.
"We've got our pay. From now on, we don't have to go to the government office for rations. We can buy things at the market."
Ye Yingfeng carefully took out the copper coins. There were exactly twenty coins in total, just enough for the whole family.
If it were in the past, they wouldn't have cared even if these coins were lost.
But now he treasured them and stuffed them into his bosom, fearing any accident.
These were the pillar of their life, and there mustn't be any mistake.
Ye Zhinan counted the coins carefully, and the corners of her mouth almost reached her ears.
"Let's give them to Mother for safekeeping. She's been managing the household for years. She must have more experience than us."
She smiled with her eyes curved. Even after Ye Yingfeng left the room, she was still too excited to calm down.
She rubbed her hands excitedly, but when she touched the wound on her hand, she suddenly froze.
Farm work was tiring and hard. The farm tools were heavy, and her hands had long been skinned.
There were also some calluses on her hands, deeply ingrained, and they might never go away in this lifetime.
Even though they got paid, the family's diet didn't improve much.
But the porridge they drank became a bit thicker, and Ye Zhinan had more strength to work.
"I heard that the Wei family has been living a prosperous life recently. Their inconspicuous concubine - born daughter always brings things into the house."
During the break from work, several women got together to chat.
Ye Zhinan was sitting beside them, hammering her sore legs and eavesdropping.
"Not only does she bring things, but she also gets more allowance than others. Didn't you see their eldest mistress? She went to the market early to buy things."
Everyone was chattering away, discussing the affairs of the Wei family.
Ye Zhinan casually glanced into the wooden house. The seat in front of the loom was still empty.
She was really strange.
Ye Zhinan seemed to think of something and shook her head with a bitter smile.
"You seem to have something on your mind?"
Han Xiangmei noticed her abnormality.
She blinked her eyes and didn't tell her real thoughts but just gave a vague answer.
"It's nothing. I just thought of the principles my father once told me. I didn't understand them before, but now I do."
Those who take shortcuts will surely be punished one day.
In the afternoon, everyone had to continue working. The teaching woman came over and looked at Ye Zhinan quite satisfied.
"You're quite diligent. You do much more work than others every day."
Ye Zhinan wiped the sweat off her forehead and looked up with a kind smile.
"Since we've fallen to this state, we shouldn't think about other things. Being honest and doing our work is the most important thing."
A look of surprise flashed in the teaching woman's eyes and was quickly concealed.
This young woman was really different from ordinary people.
Ye Zhinan put down the farm tools and bowed slightly.
"I have something I'd like to ask you. I wonder if you can give me some advice?"
Even when asking for help, she was polite and proper.
Her tone was polite, and her manners were perfect, leaving no room for criticism.
Although she bent her waist, her back was straight, and the determination in her eyes made the woman look at her favorably.
"Just tell me."
"My elder brother told me that we can exchange things at the market. I wonder where the market is?"
The woman frowned slightly and then smiled. She tapped Ye Zhinan's nose.
"You probably want to ask what kind of business you can do at the market, right?"
Ye Zhinan was surprised. She wasn't very familiar with the woman in front of her, but she could sense that the woman appreciated her a bit.
She was just plucking up the courage to inquire, but unexpectedly, her true intention was immediately seen through.
Perhaps noticing Ye Zhinan's strange reaction, the woman's expression softened a bit.
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about this."
"The small stalls nearby can only sell vegetables. If you want to buy other things, you have to go to the market in the city. But it's a long way, and you may not be able to come back in time."
Ye Zhinan nodded. The long distance didn't matter. She could always find a way to go and have a look.
There were indeed many things in her space, but she couldn't just sit back and consume them.
She was living a real life and had to think of a more long - term solution.
"Thank you."
The woman shook her head and was about to leave. After hesitating for a moment, she looked back at Ye Zhinan.
"If you have anything you want to take, you can give it to me."
This sudden kindness made Ye Zhinan quite uncomfortable. Along with it came a sense of vigilance and suspicion.
The woman was just the person in charge of them. Logically, there should be a clear distinction between the superior and the inferior.
But she was not overbearing at all. Instead, she repeatedly gave her advice.
She suddenly thought of the accident in the mine. A chill ran down her back, and she felt terrified.
Ye Zhinan instinctively thought of Qin Yihuai. During the break, she wanted to ask him about the woman's background, but she was stopped.
"Qin Yihuai is not here. You'd better come another time."
She was anxious but could understand.
After all, Qin Yihuai was a government official. He couldn't just revolve around her every day.
She turned around and left, vaguely hearing the man behind muttering something.
"… Why is there a change today?"
In the dead of night, Ye Zhinan was lying in bed, recalling what the woman had said during the day.
She tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep. She vaguely heard footsteps pacing outside.
"Who's there?"
The footsteps stopped abruptly, followed by a low - pitched reply from a man.
"I heard you were looking for me during the day, so I came to see you."
Ye Zhinan frowned and walked to the window. Qin Yihuai was really a strange person.
He didn't come to her during the day but came at night.
People who didn't know might think she was having a secret meeting with her lover.
"It's nothing. I just wanted to ask you about someone. I might have said something I shouldn't have. I'm afraid she has hidden motives."
The two were separated by only a window and talked in a low voice.
She told him in detail what had happened during the day, afraid of missing anything.
"We all call her Sister Hong. She's the kindest among the teaching women. She looks fierce on the surface, but actually she has no bad intentions. You can trust her words."
After getting a positive answer, Ye Zhinan heaved a sigh of relief, but she still couldn't figure out why Sister Hong was getting close to her.
It was said that a woman's heart was like the needle in the sea. Maybe even Qin Yihuai didn't understand the reason.
After much consideration, she still didn't want to trouble him.
It was said that time would reveal a person's true nature. She could handle the matter of human relationships well.
"Since you've got the idea of doing business, you must be extremely careful. Don't let others catch you with a handle and make them jealous."
Qin Yihuai's sudden words made Ye Zhinan a bit dazed.
Could it be that doing business had become something sneaky?
"Thank you for your advice. I earn money by my own ability. There's nothing to be ashamed of, and I'm not afraid of others' gossiping."
Through the silhouette on the window, she could see Qin Yihuai opening his mouth, but in the end, he didn't say a single word.