Days passed in a dull yet busy rhythm.
Ye Yingfeng still went to the mine and worked in the fields as usual.
Ye Zhinan continued to till the land and do the accounting.
Lu Yanlai came to see her every now and then, always carrying a thick ledger in her arms.
One day, she was sitting on a stone bench in the Ye family's courtyard, sipping the newly picked tea leaves by Ye Zhinan and praising them repeatedly.
"I've found that you're really good at growing everything. You're simply a master at farming!"
"Thank you for the compliment. Come on, tell me what you want me to do."
Ye Zhinan had long seen through Lu Yanlai's flattery. Whenever her words got sweet and her manner polite, a request would follow.
Lu Yanlai beamed and leaned forward.
"No one knows me better than you, sister. You're like a little bug in my heart. If only you were the same in other people's hearts!"
Ye Zhinan, puzzled by the ambiguous words, pushed her away.
"Just tell me what it is. Is the marinated food not selling well? Or is it difficult to grow watermelons? Or did Brother Li steal money again to buy cheap wine?"
"Teach me how to do accounting!"
Lu Yanlai put away her joking expression and held the abacus in her hands, looking serious.
"Are you serious?"
Ye Zhinan couldn't have wished for a better request. She had long advised Lu Yanlai to learn accounting, but every time Lu Yanlai had found excuses to avoid it.
"But what made you change your mind?"
Lu Yanlai frowned as she said, "It's all because I can't do accounting. Brother Li has laughed at me several times."
She was good at everything, cooking and attracting customers alike, but numbers always gave her a headache.
Ye Zhinan found her dejected look cute, pitiful and funny.
"I'll teach you. Calculation is very simple. Just remember the formulas and practice hard, and you'll be fine."
"Is it really that simple?"
Lu Yanlai looked incredulous.
Of course it wasn't that simple.
"Sure!"
Although Ye Zhinan said one thing but thought another, she was always diligent and honest when teaching others.
She sat up straight, held her head high, picked up a thin stick casually, tapped on the small stone table and said in a serious tone, "I'll teach you the simplest 'Multiplication Table' first. Once you've learned this, you'll be invincible."
"Multiplication Table?"
Lu Yanlai looked blank.
"Come on, repeat after me. 'One times one is one, one times two is two, one times three is three'..."
Ye Zhinan waved the small stick as she spoke.
Although Lu Yanlai didn't quite understand, she recited it aloud with admiration on her face. She had a good memory, so she quickly memorized it all.
Ye Zhinan had always been amazed at the powerful memory of people in ancient times. The great masters in the books could often read ten lines at a glance and remember everything. Even Lu Yanlai had the ability of instant memory.
"Have you remembered it all?"
Lu Yanlai nodded obediently, with a look of unquestionable determination in her eyes.
"Then recite it backwards."
"Nine times nine is eighty - one, eight times nine is seventy - two..."
At this moment, Ye Zhinan looked at her with admiration. Her eyes sparkled, showing a long - lost brilliance like a starry river.
"Now I can help Sister Ruonan with the accounting too."
Ye Zhinan was stunned. She hadn't heard any news about Liu Ruonan for a long time, so she quickly asked, "How is she recently?"
Lu Yanlai's eyes flickered and she stammered, "She's fine. There are many customers in the shop."
"I'm asking about how she is personally!"
Ye Zhinan didn't miss the slightest change in her expression. She frowned slightly and said seriously.
"She told me not to tell you."
Lu Yanlai looked flustered and unconsciously rubbed the sleeves of her clothes with her hands.
"You always act like this when you're nervous. Just turn around and talk to the wall as if you're talking to yourself."
Lu Yanlai obediently turned around and started talking to the wall to herself, "After Sister Ruonan went home, Young Master Yan followed her to the shop to help. I thought it would be good for someone to take care of her since she was getting heavier. But one day I found that Young Master Yan had hidden some money, although the accounts were in order. So I came to learn accounting from you. I need evidence before I can tell Sister Ruonan."
A hint of coldness flashed across Ye Zhinan's eyes.
Sure enough, a leopard can't change its spots.
"You're doing the right thing. Thank you for taking care of Ruonan, sister. If Yan Xuan is just hiding a little money, let him be. The most important thing now is Ruonan's health. We'll talk about everything after she gives birth safely."
Ye Zhinan knew that Ruonan couldn't have been unaware. Whether it was because she was powerless or indulgent, this wasn't the right time.
A woman fears marrying the wrong man. The old saying is really true.
Liu Ruonan had met a heartless man. She hoped that Ruonan wouldn't have the same tragic fate as Xichun.
The night was deep and the wind was blowing gently.
Ye Zhinan couldn't sleep again.
She sighed at the hardships of women and felt frustrated at her own powerlessness. She just tossed and turned in bed.
Suddenly, there were three soft knocks on the window.
It had been a long time since she heard this familiar sound, strange yet familiar and warm.
Ye Zhinan immediately got out of bed, opened the door. The familiar figure stood under the moonlight outside. A faint fragrance of wintersweet wafted by. Qin Yihuai stretched out his long hand and said, "Want some?"
Ye Zhinan took it without hesitation and opened it. It was a chicken leg.
"It's so greasy at night!"
Although she said so, her actions were honest.
"It would be even better if there was a pot of wine."
"Okay, next time."
Qin Yihuai replied in a low voice.
Ye Zhinan was concentrating on eating the chicken and didn't notice what he said. "What did you say?"
"Do you know that Liu Ruonan has returned to the Yan family?"
There was not the slightest ripple in Qin Yihuai's dark eyes.
"Yes, I know. There's nothing I can do. What can I do?"
The more Ye Zhinan talked, the more it showed her helplessness, unwillingness and indignation.
"Have you found out anything else?"
"Nothing."
Actually, Yan Xuan had been targeted by someone, but Qin Yihuai was secretly protecting him. He wouldn't tell Ye Zhinan about these things.
Chen Zhenhai once complained, "Doing good deeds without leaving a name. When will Miss Ye ever notice the boss's kindness?"
Every time at such moments, Qin Yihuai would only give him one word.
"The emperor isn't worried but the eunuch is."
One was slow - witted and the other was stupid. They were really driving Chen Zhenhai crazy.
"Boss, that Yan Xuan will die sooner or later. What's the difference between dying early and dying late? Besides, he's a scoundrel. Why are we protecting him?"
Chen Zhenhai kept muttering on his way back to the supply depot.
Qin Yihuai didn't even give him an ear and always kept a cold face.
Ye Zhinan had said that Liu Ruonan still had feelings for Yan Xuan, which meant that Yan Xuan was very important. He couldn't die. If he died, Liu Ruonan would be sad. If she was sad, Ye Zhinan would be affected and sad too.
He didn't want Ye Zhinan to be sad, so he had to make Chen Zhenhai put up with it.
Fortunately, the people who were targeting Yan Xuan found that someone else was also watching and gave up. So Qin Yihuai had the time to come and find Ye Zhinan to eat chicken legs.
Under the moonlight at this moment, a woman was wiping the grease from her mouth without a care. After that, she looked up with a smile.
The moonlight shone down, making her fair face look even smoother.
"Here, this is for you."
Ye Zhinan took out a bag. Judging from the clinking sound, it was silver.
Qin Yihuai was stunned and didn't take it.
"Take it. Although it's not enough yet, I'm sure I'll be able to collect three hundred taels of silver soon."
"I have money!"
"We agreed before. Consider it as the payment for the chicken legs."
With that, Ye Zhinan stuffed the silver into his hands without giving him a chance to refuse. Then she turned around, went into the house, closed the door and got into bed.