Han Xiangmei didn't notice Ye Shenyan's mood and snatched back the needle and thread.
"Aren't there the eye - clearing and mind - refreshing soups made by our daughter?"
"Go to sleep. It's too late."
Without any room for argument, Ye Shenyan pressed the needle and thread under his pillow and lay down heavily.
Seeing this, Han Xiangmei didn't dare to disobey anymore and could only lie down reluctantly.
Then she said softly, "I just want to share more of your burdens. Our daughter has lost a lot of weight."
"Sigh!"
Ye Shenyan let out a long sigh but finally said nothing.
Before long, the even breathing sounds came from the room. The two of them fell into a deep sleep.
This shabby cottage was small and there was no way it could be sound - proof. Ye Zhinan, who was in the next room, heard every word of her parents' conversation.
She felt sorry for her mother, but she couldn't completely hide things. The orders she handed in were only one - third of the total. The rest were all completed in the space. So with the heavy workload, her dark circles under the eyes had become much darker. She had tried hard to cover them up, but unexpectedly, her mother still noticed.
"Sigh!"
She let out a long sigh in a low voice and fell asleep before she knew it.
The long journey is endless. What wakes people up is not the rooster crowing at dawn, but the suffocating life.
Ye Zhinan took a few more orders for scarves. Feeling the gradually bulging money bag, the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up.
"Mother, I'm going to the town to do some shopping. Do you need anything?"
Han Xiangmei shook her head as usual. "Mother is old. I don't need anything. You can buy some cosmetics for yourself."
She looked at her daughter's makeup - free cheeks lovingly. Fortunately, Ye Zhinan was born beautiful. Even without makeup, her face was always glowing.
Ye Zhinan knew that her mother was reluctant to spend money, so she didn't say any more.
It was the day to go shopping with Sister Hong. As usual, she changed into men's clothes.
They met at the appointed place and then went about their own business.
Ye Zhinan first went to the cloth store and made a dress for Han Xiangmei. Then she went to the tea store and bought the tea that Ye Shenyan liked best. Finally, she went to the winery and chose a good pot of wine for Ye Yingfeng.
Finally, she walked towards the marinated food stall with her full purchases. But before she got there, she saw from afar that there was a crowd in front of the stall. When she got closer, she found that there were government officers.
A tall and strong government officer frowned and scolded loudly, "No stalls are allowed here. The stall is confiscated. You two come with us to the yamen to pay the fine."
"Sir, we are new here and don't know the rules. Can you let us off just this once because it's our first offense?"
Lu Yanlai pressed Li Feilong's hand, smiling and speaking softly.
The government officer stared at Lu Yanlai lecherously from head to toe.
Li Feilong clenched his fists tightly. There was a strong killing intent in his eyes. Just when he was about to lose control, he noticed Ye Zhinan standing in the crowd.
At this time, Lu Yanlai felt the subtle change in Li Feilong's mood. She also found Ye Zhinan following the direction of his gaze and quickly shook her head imperceptibly.
The two quickly packed up their stall and followed the government officers to the yamen. Ye Zhinan quietly followed behind. Among the onlookers, there were some gossips. From their conversations, Ye Zhinan learned something.
"I don't know who this couple has offended. The government officers have been causing them trouble again and again."
"Exactly. They said it was disturbing public order before, and now they say no stalls are allowed here. It's just people queuing up to buy food."
"Right. I don't know who is so fussy."
"Someone must be jealous. The person who can collude with the government is not a good person. You'd better be careful what you say."
After hearing this, everyone quickly shut their mouths and dispersed.
Ye Zhinan's eyes darkened. Thinking over what she had just heard, she quickened her pace.
She waited outside the yamen for a while before Lu Yanlai and Li Feilong came out.
"Are you two okay?"
Ye Zhinan was worried that Li Feilong would act impulsively, but she felt relieved when she saw that they were unharmed.
"If you hadn't held me back, I would have punched that government officer."
Li Feilong gasped. After all, he had once been a general on the battlefield. Now he had to be submissive to those lackeys.
Lu Yanlai quickly comforted the hot - tempered man beside her.
"Times have changed. Sometimes it's better to take a step back."
Ye Zhinan couldn't help but cast an admiring look at Lu Yanlai. Even she, when seeing the government officer's lewd look, had the urge to punch him, let alone Li Feilong!
"I heard that you've been constantly picked on recently?"
"Yes!"
Lu Yanlai nodded. "At first, I thought we had set up the stall in the wrong place. But after changing several locations, the government officers still harassed us from time to time. Today, we even had to go to the yamen. Fortunately, we just paid the fine and had our stall confiscated."
Ye Zhinan looked guilty. "Tell me earlier next time so that we can think of a way together."
"You're already very tired. I'm sorry to trouble you. I didn't think it would be so troublesome at first, and..."
She glanced at Li Feilong, then pulled Ye Zhinan aside and whispered, "And I gave them some silver."
A look of surprise flashed in Ye Zhinan's eyes. She said seriously, "Don't do this again next time."
Although she understood that money was the quickest way to build connections, she didn't like it.
Seeing her serious expression, Lu Yanlai immediately understood. "There won't be a next time."
Li Feilong was not happy seeing the two whispering to each other.
"What can't you say in front of me?"
"Brother Li, don't be angry. We're just talking about some girlish things. You've been wronged recently. Leave this matter to me. I'll find out the truth."
Ye Zhinan's deep eyes looked at the yamen as if a cold light flashed through.
At night, a gentle breeze blew.
She was sitting in front of the stone table in the yard. There were two teacups on the table.
"Why aren't you sleeping so late?"
A dark figure flashed by and sat on the stone bench beside her.
Although it was already spring, the temperature dropped sharply at night. The cold wind blew, and the coldness of the stone bench seeped through her clothes, making people shiver involuntarily.
Qin Yihuai saw that Ye Zhinan was only wearing a thin shirt. When the wind blew, the thin shirt clung to her skin, and her figure was faintly visible.
He consciously turned his head and said in a deep voice, "I know about today's incident. Those yamen runners did take the money."
"Who?"
Ye Zhinan couldn't wait to find out the person. Although she wouldn't skin and draw out his tendons, she would at least not let him go easily.
"Yan Xuan."
This name sounded a bit familiar.
"Him?!"
Ye Zhinan widened her eyes in disbelief. Staring at Qin Yihuai, she seemed to be asking for confirmation that things were not as she thought.
But Qin Yihuai quietly picked up a bowl of tea and took a sip. His cold eyes were full of certainty.
"That's right."
Hearing these two words, Ye Zhinan's heart sank.
There are eight or nine things in the world that we don't understand. The unfathomable human nature is as common as three meals a day. But no matter how many times she experienced such things, she didn't want to admit that her judgment was wrong. However, the reality was so cruel.
Ruonan, are you okay?