"Brother, why don't you go out first?"
Ye Zhinan felt the tense atmosphere between the two and quickly spoke up to break the ice.
If this kind of embarrassment continued, even with Qin Yihuai's good temper, he would surely start to get angry.
"Then you should take care of yourself."
Ye Yingfeng glanced at the people lying in the room and then turned around and left without hesitation.
In just a short while, Ye Zhinan had finished the suturing.
She didn't want to cause trouble for herself, nor could she bear to see these people suffer.
So she secretly used the silk thread from the space. It was hardly noticeable and more conducive to the wound's recovery.
"Stay in bed and rest for the next few days. Don't move around, or you might cause secondary injuries."
The conditions here were nothing like those in modern times. Everything was extremely simple.
She could only do her best. As for the rest, it all depended on the physical fitness of these people.
"This is alcohol. Remember to wipe and disinfect their wounds every day to prevent infection."
She closed the door and handed Qin Yihuai a glass bottle filled with disinfectant alcohol.
He opened the lid and took a sniff. His brows suddenly knitted together.
"Okay, I'll be careful."
He didn't know what the thing in his hand was, but he trusted Ye Zhinan.
That was enough.
"I'll ask Chen Zhenhai to take you back later."
Qin Yihuai stood at the door and handed her the cloak.
Chen Zhenhai?
Ye Zhinan was stunned for a while before she remembered the young constable who had brought her here.
She pursed her lips. The name wasn't very good.
She wasn't the kind of person who liked to cause trouble. Moreover, names were given by elders, and they must have their own expectations and reasons.
"If you have something to ask, just ask."
He stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes clear as he stared straight at her. His gaze was like a blazing fire, burning Ye Zhinan's heart.
For some reason, she suddenly started to feel guilty.
It wasn't until she took a few deep breaths that she had the courage to look him in the eye.
"I just didn't expect you to be stuck in a ninth - rank official position."
In her heart, Qin Yihuai should have greater ambitions, instead of staying in the Northern Border as an unremarkable patrol inspector, wasting his life.
Qin Yihuai's eyes darkened suddenly. He didn't answer directly but was silent for a moment.
He rarely showed such a lack of candor.
"I was abandoned by my parents. I have no one to rely on in this world. Thanks to the support of a noble person, I was able to get a job to make a living."
Ye Zhinan was very smart. She could tell the truth from the falsehood in his words.
However, since Qin Yihuai didn't want to say more, she wouldn't do anything annoying.
"You're well - read. You should have a bright future."
Qin Yihuai lowered his eyelids, slightly curled his lips, and laughed at himself.
"I just want to be a carefree scholar, able to support my family and live out my life. That's enough."
Ye Zhinan didn't say anything more. She just nodded gently and turned to leave the room.
There seemed to be layers of veils between her and Qin Yihuai, everything hazy.
Whenever she thought she was about to see him clearly, she found that it was just a slightly clearer silhouette.
"Brother, let's go home."
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and dragged her feet back.
She had lost the interest in prying. The journey back was much quieter.
It wasn't until they were near home that Chen Zhenhai behind her suddenly spoke.
"I was rude last time. Please forgive me."
Ye Zhinan's lips curled up slightly, and she gently shook her head.
"It's not your fault. I'm just someone who works under you. You're just doing your duty."
Surprise flashed in Chen Zhenhai's eyes, and then he quickly covered it up.
He had heard from Qin Yihuai before that this Miss Ye was an extraordinary person.
Now that he had gotten along with her, he found that it was really so.
When Ye Zhinan walked into the yard, she saw Han Xiangmei sitting on a chair, embroidering with her head down in the moonlight.
"Mom, do you still want your eyes?"
There was a hint of reproach in her tone. She quickly walked over and snatched the embroidery frame from Han Xiangmei's hand.
Han Xiangmei frowned, twirled the needle and thread in her hand, and sighed.
"The moon is still bright. I can see clearly."
Ye Zhinan's breath caught in her throat. Her heart ached.
It wasn't that the moonlight was bright. It was that her mother was reluctant to use candles.
She forced a smile, pulled Han Xiangmei up, and coaxed her into the house.
"Even if I earn ten taels of gold, I can't buy back your eyes. Go back and rest quickly. It doesn't matter if you finish these stitches later."
Han Xiangmei said she would agree, but her eyes kept wandering to the embroidery frame in Ye Zhinan's hand.
Ye Zhinan straightened her face, hid the needle and thread behind her back, and stared directly at Han Xiangmei.
"Starting tomorrow, you have to hand over your needle and thread to my room every night. If I find you embroidering again, I'll make sure Granny Wang never comes to ask you to embroider again."
Han Xiangmei knew her daughter's temper best. Once she made up her mind, there was no way she wouldn't succeed.
Moreover, not letting her embroider was also for her own good.
Han Xiangmei stared at her for a while before going to bed peacefully.
"I've settled Mom down. Go back and sleep in peace."
Ye Zhinan watched her brother's back as he left. Only then did she notice that in just a little over a month, Ye Yingfeng's figure was no longer as straight as before.
Maybe the work in the mine was too tiring, or maybe life was too hard.
She returned to her room. Looking at the unfinished handkerchief in her hand, she suddenly lost all sleep.
She turned and went to the kitchen, secretly adding some cabbage to the food storage before lying down in peace.
"I will surely strive for a better future for our family."
...
On the day they had agreed to go to the market, Sister Hong had been waiting at the door early in the morning.
Ye Zhinan specially changed into a clean and decent set of clothes. She hid Han Xiangmei's handkerchief in her sleeve, with a smile on her lips, and walked out quickly.
"Have you been waiting for a long time? Let's go quickly. Don't waste any time."
She affectionately wrapped her arm around Sister Hong's, but immediately, the hand in her embrace was pulled out.
"Go and change your clothes. Put on the ones you usually wear for work."
Sister Hong rarely straightened her face. Ye Zhinan didn't understand, but she obediently followed the order.
She turned around and went back to change into a tattered dress. When she came out again, Sister Hong suddenly smeared some soot on her face.
"That's good."
She pursed her lips, feeling a little unhappy.
In order to go to the market, she had been so excited last night that she couldn't sleep. She was afraid of embarrassing Sister Hong, so she had even taken out the washed - and - starched clothes.
Unexpectedly, all her preparations were in vain.
Even though she had complaints, she remained extremely calm on the surface and didn't dare to let Sister Hong notice the slightest bit.
It wasn't until they got on the ox - cart that Sister Hong turned her head, her expression serious.
"I know you're complaining, but the outside world is not as peaceful as you think."
Sister Hong lowered her voice, afraid that the constable driving the cart in front would hear.
Ye Zhinan gradually realized why Sister Hong had done this.
"This is the Northern Border. Apart from exiled people, there are also bandits in the mountains. None of them are good people. If you dress so nicely, are you just waiting to be robbed?"
"If they just rob your money, it can be considered a way to avoid a greater disaster. But since you have nothing on you, what do you think they'll be after?"