The two held their breaths and stared intently at the dark figure.
Qin Yihuai stood behind Ye Zhinan. His gentle breath tickled the back of her ear, making her feel flustered.
Thankfully, the dark figure only circled around the Ye family compound and then left.
Ye Zhinan immediately pushed the man away and kept a safe distance.
Qin Yihuai's eyes burned with intensity, and his face was grim.
"I apologize for any offense. It was an emergency."
He clasped his fists and bowed in apology.
"Forget it. I'm magnanimous and won't hold it against you. Who do you think that person was? Could it be the Wei family?"
Qin Yihuai shook his head firmly.
Sure enough, those who are paid will do their job.
Ye Zhinan snorted. Qin Yihuai didn't understand her meaning at all and explained, "I don't know who it was. The Wei family has many members, and it will take some time to investigate them one by one."
So that's what the head - shaking meant.
Thinking of this, the frown on Ye Zhinan's face relaxed slightly. Then her eyes flashed. "Could they be looking for this?"
Saying this, she took out a small bottle from her bosom. It was the thing they had taken from the Yan family for testing that day.
"You said earlier that it wasn't suicide as I thought, but a murder, right?"
Qin Yihuai's deep, dark eyes stared directly at Ye Zhinan, making her shiver involuntarily.
"It's cold. Wear more next time."
What a straight - laced man!
Ye Zhinan tightened her clothes and continued, "She was poisoned by Luoshihui, a slow - acting poison. After being poisoned, a person will be delirious, weak all over, and then fall into a coma."
After she finished speaking, seeing that Qin Yihuai wasn't surprised at all, she suddenly realized, "You already knew?"
"Judging from the appearance, it didn't seem like a suicide. But your discovery just confirms my speculation."
"No wonder you asked me to test it. Here, take this as evidence."
Ye Zhinan stuffed the small bottle into his hand and turned to go back to her room.
"Wait a minute."
Qin Yihuai blocked her way. "Don't argue with Sister Zhang when she digs the well."
Ye Zhinan gave him a disdainful look. "I don't want to pick a fight. It's a good thing for her family to dig the well. It's good for everyone."
Saying this, she walked away without looking back.
Qin Yihuai watched her slender back with a sinking look in his eyes.
She wanted Sister Zhang's family to become the target of public criticism instead of theirs!
Sure enough, since Sister Zhang had dug the well in a high - profile way, people often went to her house to ask for water. As time went on, rumors started to spread. People said that Sister Zhang was too greedy for taking advantage. While everyone was working hard to dig the canal, her family had taken the groundwater resources of the village and didn't help with the canal - digging.
One day, Ye Zhinan returned home after finishing her farm work and saw Han Xiangmei circling around the duck shed.
"Mother, what are you doing?"
Han Xiangmei pointed at a fat duck with a beaming smile and said, "How about roast duck for dinner tonight? Do you think this one is fat enough?"
A look of surprise flashed across Ye Zhinan's eyes. "What's the occasion today? Is it Father's birthday? Or Brother's? It's not yours either. Are we commemorating our arrival in this cold and hard - working northern border?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? We just haven't had meat for a long time."
As Han Xiangmei said this, she lunged at the duck. The duck was startled and flapped its wings desperately, but the harder it struggled, the tighter it was grabbed.
Ye Zhinan's clear eyes moved slightly. "When I came back, I saw that Sister Zhang's house was locked. You've heard about it, right?"
"I've heard. They're just getting their due for their wrongdoings."
Just as she thought.
Sister Zhang didn't want others to take advantage of her, so she pushed those who asked for well - water or wanted to dig a well to the Wei family. No one knew what the Wei family said, but rumors about Sister Zhang started to spread outside.
Han Xiangmei had heard the workers' discussions early in the morning and had been in a good mood all day.
"Since you're in a good mood, I'll add another dish!"
Saying this, Ye Zhinan rolled up her sleeves and was about to start.
Han Xiangmei's face changed drastically, and she quickly hid the basket of eggs behind her.
"We're not having the egg feast today!"
The last time Ye Zhinan cooked a meal, she used up a month's worth of eggs from their family. So now, everyone would instinctively hide the eggs when they saw Ye Zhinan roll up her sleeves. Even the big hen at home would avoid her.
Ye Zhinan pouted. "No, no. I'm going to make spinach with sesame paste. It won't be too hot."
"How are you going to make it?"
Han Xiangmei looked puzzled.
Ye Zhinan squinted her eyes slightly. "I'm going to crush the peanuts and sprinkle them on the spinach with sesame paste. It's really delicious."
"Is it that simple?"
"That's it. I'll take some to Ruonan after I'm done."
Speaking of Liu Ruonan, Han Xiangmei seemed to remember something. She wiped the water off her hands, ran into the house, and came out with a package a moment later.
"Take this to her too!"
There was a big question mark in Ye Zhinan's mind as she opened the package.
Inside, there were a pile of children's clothes. She had made more than a dozen pieces, from newborn to one - year - old.
"Mother, you stayed up late again, didn't you?"
Ye Zhinan was a bit angry, but she knew that Han Xiangmei liked Liu Ruonan from the bottom of her heart, so she felt even more sorry for the pregnant woman.
"I'll take this to her right away."
Saying this, she had already made the spinach with sesame paste. She picked up the clothes and went out.
At this time, Liu Ruonan was doing the accounts at home. When she saw Ye Zhinan coming, she quickly put down her work and welcomed her out.
"You're not in good health. You should be careful!"
Ye Zhinan noticed the ledger on the table and continued, "How's the business recently?"
Liu Ruonan poured her a glass of water and said, " Sister Yanlai taught me how to do the accounts. I've finally got the hang of it recently. Since you're here, take a look and see if I've done it right?"
Saying this, she put the teacup on the table and picked up the ledger.
Ye Zhinan saw that the thick ledger was filled to the brim, and there were even some notes beside some entries.
"Not bad. The accuracy is quite high. You're teachable."
After hearing this, Liu Ruonan stroked her swollen belly and showed a faint smile on her face. Suddenly, her brows frowned, and she let out a groan.
"What's wrong?"
Ye Zhinan immediately became nervous.
"It's okay. The baby kicked me."
Liu Ruonan pointed at her belly, and the belly was rising and falling quite vigorously.
"The baby is happy for you!"
As Ye Zhinan said this, she remembered the package beside her. She put the package on the table. "These are the clothes my mother made for the baby. Take a look."
"Thank Mrs. Ye so much."
A sincere smile appeared on Liu Ruonan's face. She flipped through the small clothes one by one and then gestured in front of her belly. "I know you all care about me. So I'll be strong, for the baby and for my parents."
As she said this, Ye Zhinan seemed to see a glimmer of light in her eyes. The light flashed by and turned into the warm spring breeze, moistening the heart.
As the old saying goes, a mother will be strong for her child. Maybe that's exactly what it means!
After leaving the Liu family, Ye Zhinan was in a great mood. Walking on the ridge of the field, she watched the setting sun. A ray of afterglow hung in the sky, and the red light covered the earth.
At the end of the earth, a familiar figure was approaching. It wasn't until the figure walked in front of Ye Zhinan.
"It's you?"