To improve her anemia, Ye Zhinan planted a lot of spinach.
However, no matter how much spinach she ate, the iron supplement was quite limited. It would be better if she could have red meat. Unfortunately, in this era, eating beef was prohibited. So she could only secretly take out iron supplements from her space and add them to the meals.
A few days later, Han Xiangmei's health improved. Her complexion became rosy, and even Ye Yingfeng claimed that he had more strength when practicing boxing.
One day, when Li Feilong was sparring with Ye Yingfeng, he mentioned Xiaohu's health and thanked the Ye family profusely.
"Xiaohu used to be as thin as a carrot. Now he's finally grown into a big white radish."
Li Feilong was a rough - spoken man. Ye Zhinan gave a charming smile and admonished him.
"Children are growing up now. We must pay attention to a balanced diet."
"You know we used to have nothing to eat. If it weren't for Inspector Qin and your help, we wouldn't even have enough to eat, let alone pay attention to nutrition!"
Fushou Village was the opposite. They used to eat game in the mountains all year round with few fruits and vegetables. As a result, their spleens and stomachs were out of balance. Especially the children, who were forced to eat hard - to - digest food before their bodies were fully developed.
Ye Zhinan took out some medicine to regulate the intestines and stomach.
"Here's some medicine. Distribute it to the villagers. Combine it with the previous diet plan. Remember to ensure a balanced diet."
Li Feilong hesitated, not reaching out his hands.
"What, don't you trust me anymore?"
Ye Zhinan pretended to be angry.
"Miss Ye, please don't misunderstand. I just think it's not a long - term solution to always rely on your care."
Li Feilong explained nervously, "This is a little token from the villagers."
Saying that, he placed a package on the table, making the rickety small wooden table shake.
Ye Zhinan was surprised and pushed the package back to him.
"You know we're still sinners."
"Everyone will keep their mouths shut."
Li Feilong's meaning was obvious, but Ye Zhinan didn't dare to take the risk, especially when it came to people's hearts.
"Okay, we can barter. I'll provide the medicine, and you provide the bricks."
There was hope for the greenhouse next year.
After that, more and more people came to ask for medicine, including those from the local village and other villages.
Most people were well - behaved, bringing various things as gifts.
But for those who were really destitute, the Ye family wouldn't stand idly by.
Ye Zhinan was busy saving people while bartering, which helped improve their shabby cottage.
However, no matter how low - key she was, she would still arouse the envy of busybodies, especially Wei Shiqi.
She hid in the dark, watching people coming and going at the Ye family's house. Her hands were clenched so tightly that the veins stood out. She gritted her teeth and secretly swore.
"I'll replace you one day!"
Replacing Ye Zhinan seemed to be the driving force that sustained her. But with the wrong approach, all her efforts were in vain.
One day, just as Ye Zhinan had helped her mother finish weaving, she saw an old man sitting in front of their house.
The old man had gray temples and a wrinkled face.
"Grandpa, the ground is cold. Come inside if you have something to say."
Saying that, she reached out to help the old man.
But the old man pushed her hand away. Due to the excessive force, he staggered and almost fell.
Ye Zhinan wasn't angry. She observed carefully and found that the old man had one leg longer than the other and couldn't stand steadily.
So she quickly rolled out a wheelchair and motioned for the old man to sit in it.
The old man's eyes sparkled when he saw the wheelchair. "Can you sell this to me?"
"Grandpa, I don't sell things. If you want it, you can exchange it with something."
She could tell that the old man was a strong - willed person. If she directly offered to give it to him, not only might he not accept it, but he might also get angry.
The old man hesitated for a long time and then shook his head. "I don't have anything valuable to exchange. Forget it. Thank you for your kindness, miss."
After saying that, he turned to leave.
Ye Zhinan quickly stepped forward to stop him. "Grandpa, where do you live? Can you take me there?"
"It's just a dilapidated house. If you don't mind, you can come with me."
The old man didn't refuse. Just as Ye Zhinan was about to take a step, she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"I'll go with you."
Qin Yihuai's constant presence reassured Ye Zhinan a lot.
The old man's house was even worse than he described. The broken walls let in the wind from all directions, and the rickety roof might not be able to withstand the winter cold.
Qin Yihuai frowned slightly. He didn't know there were such poor families in the village.
"Sir, are you living alone?"
Ye Zhinan looked at the simple bed made of straw mats in the room and asked tentatively.
"Yes, I'm the only one left. My family all starved to death."
The old man's voice was calm, as if he were talking about someone else's business. But the more calm he was, the more it tugged at people's hearts.
"You've seen it. There's really nothing valuable here."
Ye Zhinan wasn't going to give up. She was determined to give the wheelchair to the old man today.
Suddenly, a patch of green outside the window caught her attention.
"I'll take that."
The old man was surprised. He pointed at the thing outside and confirmed several times.
"Miss, are you sure you want those weeds? I don't need your pity!"
Ye Zhinan pulled out the weeds and held them in her hands as if they were treasures.
"Grandpa, these aren't weeds. They're wild lettuce. They're very good for the body. Otherwise, how could you be so healthy?"
Caught living on wild vegetables, the old man felt a bit embarrassed. But he was secretly happy after learning about the benefits of the wild vegetables.
"Since you like them, take them all."
Facing the old man's generosity, Ye Zhinan didn't hold back.
"These are enough to exchange for the wheelchair, and there's even some left. I'll give you some medicine too."
She had long noticed that the old man's foot problem wasn't incurable. So on the way here, she had secretly taken some medicine from her space, which had taken a lot of effort to avoid Qin Yihuai's notice.
Seeing that the old man didn't suspect anything, she finally felt relieved.
On the way back, thinking about the old man's situation, she sighed repeatedly.
"It seems that the lives of the people in the northern border are really hard. You officials can't just ignore them."
Qin Yihuai looked embarrassed. "I'll keep this in mind. But I'm just one person..."
"I've noticed that most of the young and strong men in the northern border have gone out to make a living, leaving behind the elderly and women. And the women are all busy with labor. They don't have the energy to have children. If this continues, it'll be a vicious cycle. The road ahead is long and arduous!"
This was similar to the situation in modern times. Ye Zhinan finally understood the purpose of those calls. Otherwise, she would have been a strong supporter of the idea of being child - free for peace.
Qin Yihuai roughly understood what she meant. There was a storm in his eyes, and his heart was in turmoil.
"Long and arduous..."
Qin Yihuai repeated her words. His eyes drooped slightly, and his expression was solemn.
Here it goes again!
Ye Zhinan didn't want him to get lost in his thoughts again, so she immediately changed the topic.
"We'll have wild lettuce to eat today. Do you want to try it?"
"No, I still have something to do. I'll leave after I take you home."
Ye Zhinan watched his deep back with a sense of loss in her heart.
She always felt that the distance that had just been shortened had become far again.
She tightened her lips and made up her mind.
From now on, she would never be sentimental again!