"Sister Ye, tell me what I should do! I'm too scared to go home!"
Liu Ruonan, with her pregnant belly, had been driven out of her husband's house. She was afraid that going back to her natal home would bring trouble to her parents.
"Come home with me first!"
After saying that, Ye Zhinan seemed to feel a pair of eyes on her. She looked around but found nothing.
Strange!
Ye Zhinan took Liu Ruonan back home first. When Han Xiangmei saw them, she bustled around to settle Liu Ruonan in Ye Zhinan's room. Fortunately, she didn't have much stuff, so the small room didn't look even more cramped.
"I'm really sorry. I won't stay long. You don't have to go to so much trouble."
Liu Ruonan's eyes reddened slightly, overflowing with guilt.
"Don't be so polite. Our family's conditions are not good. I should be the one saying sorry."
As Han Xiangmei was speaking, she spread another layer of quilt on the bed. "Your belly will keep getting bigger. When you feel uncomfortable sleeping, just raise your legs a bit."
"My feet have been cramping from time to time recently."
Liu Ruonan looked at her in surprise.
These things, Mrs. Yan had never told her, and she had never dared to tell anyone else.
Even Yan Xuan would only brush her off with a "What can I do?"
Seeing her looking sad again, Ye Zhinan quickly changed the subject.
"If you have a better appetite, try our marinated food. I'll make it lighter."
Saying that, she ran to the kitchen and brought back a bunch of food.
Liu Ruonan had been through so much and was starving. When she saw the marinated food, although she felt a bit nauseous at first, once she started eating, she couldn't stop.
This was the best her appetite had been in a long time.
Looking at the pile of bones on the table, Liu Ruonan twisted the corner of her skirt with both hands and pursed her lips. "I accidentally ate so much. It's really delicious."
Ye Zhinan wiped the shreds of meat from the corner of her mouth, a proud look on her face.
"If it's delicious, eat more!"
Suddenly, she leaned forward slightly and gave a mysterious smile. "Do you really think it's delicious?"
"Of course. When have I ever lied?"
Liu Ruonan replied loudly.
"I see you cook in the Yan family. Do you want to learn how to make marinated food?"
Liu Ruonan was stunned. "Me? Is that appropriate?"
Wasn't every hotel's signature recipe a well - kept secret? It was the first time she'd heard of someone offering to teach it!
Although it was the first time for her to hear of such a thing, it wasn't the first time for Ye Zhinan to do it.
She nodded seriously. "Just tell me. Do you want to learn?"
Liu Ruonan thought for a moment and then nodded vigorously. "I'll learn!"
"Good. Since you're staying at my place, I'll teach you. Once you learn it, you can help us make it. Consider it as the rent for staying here."
Hearing this, Liu Ruonan let out a sigh of relief.
So it was to offset the rent. That was fine.
After Liu Ruonan went to rest, Han Xiangmei blamed Ye Zhinan for this.
"How could you bear to let a pregnant woman work?"
Ye Zhinan suddenly lifted her lips and smiled.
"Isn't Ruonan much happier?"
Han Xiangmei thought for a moment.
Indeed, when she knew she could offset the rent, it was as if a huge stone had been lifted from her heart, and she slept much more soundly.
"Did you do this to cheer her up?"
Thinking of this, a smile tugged at the corner of Han Xiangmei's mouth.
"You really think things through! But what on earth happened to her?"
They had come in a hurry and hadn't explained the whole story. So Ye Zhinan told Han Xiangmei the ins and outs.
"Sigh, for a woman! If she marries badly, her life is over!"
Ye Zhinan frowned. "A woman doesn't only have marriage as an option! I don't believe a woman can't make a name for herself!"
"Okay, you can make a go of it. But she's pregnant. How is she going to support herself and the child in the future?"
"With a pair of hard - working hands!"
Ye Zhinan raised her hands high, her eyes firm and determined. "It's better to rely on oneself than on others!"
As she was speaking, she suddenly remembered what Liu Ruonan had said when she came.
She had to find out what had happened to Yan Xuan.
So she said a few words and then rushed out of the house.
Apart from her, there was only one person who knew about this, so Ye Zhinan didn't even think twice and rushed to the supply station.
When Chen Zhenhai saw her rushing over in a hurry, he greeted her with a big smile. "Miss Ye is here?"
"You knew I was coming?"
There was a hint of inquiry in Ye Zhinan's eyes.
"The boss told me to wait for you and tell you that he's waiting for you in the field!"
"Field?!"
She followed the direction Chen Zhenhai was pointing.
Wasn't that the direction of the saline - alkali land under the mine?
At this moment, Qin Yihuai and Ye Yingfeng were busy in the field.
When Ye Zhinan arrived, both of them were sweating profusely.
Their clothes were soaked with sweat, and they had taken off their outer garments. In the sunlight, the texture of their skin under the white inner shirts was faintly visible.
Ye Zhinan was momentarily distracted.
What a tantalizing figure!
"Sis!"
Ye Yingfeng's voice interrupted her train of thought. Ye Zhinan quickly pulled herself together. Just as she turned around, she met Qin Yihuai's deep, dark eyes.
Thank goodness she hadn't drooled!
"Aren't you cold?!"
As soon as she said this, she wanted to slap herself.
"Cold? We're almost dying of heat. Right...?"
Ye Yingfeng turned to look at Qin Yihuai, only to find that the latter had already put on his outer garment and tightened his collar.
"You've come at a good time. Let's talk over there."
Ignoring Ye Yingfeng's shocked, helpless, angry, and jealous eyes, Qin Yihuai led Ye Zhinan to a shady place in the distance.
"Was it you who did this?"
Ye Zhinan got straight to the point.
"Yes."
Qin Yihuai's eyes were calm, as if he was talking about something extremely ordinary.
"I just sent an anonymous letter to report him, and his shop was gone, and his backer fell too."
Ye Zhinan would never believe that just one letter could bring down Yan Xuan, but she didn't want to push the issue. She didn't care what Qin Yihuai had done behind the scenes. She only cared about the result.
Qin Yihuai continued. "Back then, you taught the Yan family the duck - raising technique, and they made a fortune from it. But then there was a disaster, and all the ducks they had just bought died. So they decided to take a risk."
"Someone gave them advice?"
Ye Zhinan caught the key point.
Qin Yihuai's eyes darkened, and he nodded slightly. "But we haven't found out who that person is yet. I originally wanted to investigate further through the government, but as soon as the officials in the yamen fell, all the clues were cut off. The corrupt official in the yamen hanged himself. The Yan family's shop was raided, and Yan Xuan lost his qualification to take the imperial examination!"
"I see. No wonder he blamed all the blame on Ruonan. It's good that she left."
"Good!"
Qin Yihuai repeated Ye Zhinan's words like a parrot, and then added, "The Yan family is in big trouble!"
A gentle breeze blew, and Ye Zhinan felt a chill down her back.
"Just teach them a lesson. I don't want anyone to die!"
Qin Yihuai's eyebrows twitched slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Do you want to help him?"