During famine years, I had a divination slip in hand, and my whole family ate chicken, duck, fish, a

"Yan'er, is this enough?"

Seeing his wife happy, Ye Dali also smiled broadly. "We've only bought two bolts of cloth and ten catties of cotton. Don't we still need to stuff quilts? Should we buy some more?"

"Buy my ass! Ten pounds isn't enough?"

Li Chunyan glared at him with a smile, then secretly pinched him.

"This is our own savings, don't be so generous! Just get my dad some more wine later, that'll be enough!"

"Candied hawthorn berries!"

Suddenly, little Huanhuan poked her head out from Ye Qingqing's arms, pointed at a haystack covered with candied hawthorns, and shouted, "Auntie, look! Candied hawthorns!"

"Uncle, I'd like to buy some candied hawthorns."

Ye Qingqing quickly stopped the seller, lifted Xiao Huanhuan high with both hands, and said, "Huanhuan, pick one yourself, I'll grab a few and your aunt will buy you a few!"

"Oh……"

Little Huanhuan clapped her hands happily and plucked one with each of her two little hands.

She tried to pull it off, but the candied hawthorns were too heavy for her two little hands to grasp. In her haste, she opened her little mouth and took a big bite, finally freeing her hands to grab another one.

"Waaah, waaah..."

Saliva dripped down her chin; she wanted more, wishing she could have eight hands.

Suddenly, a candied hawthorn skewer was extended in front of Xiao Huanhuan.

Ye Dazhuang wrapped Huanhuan's small hand in his big hand, held the chopped ...

His hand had long, slender fingers, distinct knuckles, and exceptional strength; it could grip an entire haystack full of candied hawthorns.

Ye Qingqing pointed at the two of them, overjoyed, and shouted.

"Hey! No cheating! Big Zhuang, this is unacceptable! Cheating!"

"You didn't say you couldn't help."

A smile appeared on Ye Dazhuang's strong face as he lowered his head and said softly, "Huanhuan, shall we pick all the candied hawthorns from the haystack?"

"Waaaaah... Waaaaah..."

Huanhuan bit into a candied hawthorn, drooling as she nodded vigorously.

Big business!

The old man selling candied hawthorns was overjoyed. He quickly picked all the candied hawthorns off the haystack and helped stuff them into Ye Dazhuang's big hands, saying "thank you!" repeatedly.

"Young man, here! Here! There's still room!"

Ye Qingqing blinked, momentarily dazed.

Holy crap, she actually saw an extreme tenderness in this taciturn man's eyes!

It's the kind of love that's full of paternal instincts, tolerance, and doting.

She had only ever seen that look in her eyes when her father looked at her and her older brother looked at Xiao Huanhuan!

Ye Dazhuang, no, this future "benefactor," probably already has a wife and children at home, right?

Otherwise, how could you see that look in a child's eyes?

He looks to be at most 20. In ancient times, men married and had children early, so his child might already be three or five years old...

Ye Qingqing felt a pang of sadness, wondering what he had gone through to end up in the countryside, while his wife and children eagerly awaited his return.

Unfortunately, he had forgotten even his own surname and given name, let alone how to go home.

The divination slip for Ye Dazhuang last time didn't offer any hints on this matter. If possible, Ye Qingqing would really like to help him go back and reunite with his family as soon as possible.

Should we ask about it in tomorrow's divination?

Although I'm a little reluctant to part with it.

After all, Ye Dazhuang is a very good partner.

The whole mountain is full of prey waiting for her to hunt. Without Ye Dazhuang, wouldn't she be at a loss?

While I was lost in thought, I suddenly felt a pair of eyes staring at me, and then a candied hawthorn was handed to me.

"Here you go, pay up."

Ye Qingqing's eyes widened instantly. "Holy crap..."

Ye Dazhuang held a handful of candied hawthorns in Xiao Huanhuan's hand, while the haystack was empty.

"Girl, that'll be one hundred and twenty coins in total."

The old man selling candied hawthorns beamed with joy.

Ye Qingqing's lips twitched.

"Second daughter, don't spoil her... You little glutton, this bunch of candied hawthorns is enough for you to eat all winter!"

Li Chunyan grinned and pulled out her money pouch. "Let me do it!"

The candied hawthorns were wrapped in straw paper, a huge pile of them, making Xiao Huan's happy little face shine.

She freed one of her little hands to take the candied hawthorn out of her mouth and handed it to Ye Qingqing, saying in her childish voice,

"Auntie, have some candied hawthorn! Candied hawthorn is so sweet..."

Ye Qingqing took the candied hawthorn stick, which was coated with "saliva sauce," and affectionately pinched her little nose.

"Xiao Huanhuan, you two cheated! How cunning!"

"Huanhuan didn't!"

Little Huanhuan tilted her head and made a face at her, "It's because Uncle helped Huanhuan get it, so it doesn't count as cheating!"

The air suddenly became still.

"Cough cough cough..."

Ye Qingqing almost choked on her saliva, and they hurriedly covered her mouth.

"What uncle? Don't talk nonsense! Little Huanhuan, don't slander me!"

She glanced at Ye Dazhuang, whose expression also faltered slightly.

"Mmm..."

Xiao Huanhuan pried her hand open a crack and said in a muffled voice,

"Auntie, is that what everyone in the village is saying?"

Ye Qingqing took a breath, "What are the people in the village... saying?"

Little Huanhuan blinked and said in her childish voice, "So Uncle Dazhuang is Huanhuan's uncle-in-law...?"

"No, they're talking nonsense. Little baby, you're not allowed to listen to them, or your auntie won't buy you candied hawthorns anymore!"

Ye Qingqing's face immediately turned red.

Ye Dazhuang was slightly taken aback, and something flashed imperceptibly in his deep eyes.

"Second Girl, that's what everyone in the village is saying behind your back, didn't you hear?"

Li Chunyan moved closer to her, winked, and whispered something.

"No wonder, you two are always inseparable... Some people even said that you dumped that bastard from the Fang family for this kid!"

"Hey, tell your sister-in-law, are you really not interested in him? Actually, I think this guy is a pretty good person and looks..."

"Stop!"

Ye Qingqing glanced at Ye Dazhuang, who was following behind the carriage, and rolled her eyes at Li Chunyan.

"What could I possibly mean? Sister-in-law, look at him, he must be in his early twenties, he probably already has a family!"

Don't go along with other people's wild guesses; I really have nothing to do with him.

Li Chunyan's heart skipped a beat, and she panicked a little. She whispered to Ye Qingqing,

"Yes, yes, I always thought Brother Dazhuang was incredibly capable. Following him, we'd never have to worry about food or drink. How could I have forgotten that!"

Ye Qingqing scratched her nose.

She and Ye Dazhuang were inseparable, that goes without saying!

Her older brother doesn't know how to hunt, and her father's legs prevent him from going up the mountain. If she doesn't stay "inseparable" from Ye Dazhuang, who will she go hunting with?

"Then you should spend less time with him in the future, otherwise what will the people in the village say? How will you ever get married?"

Li Chunyan nudged her again and whispered.

"That won't work."

Ye Qingqing raised an eyebrow. "If we don't go up the mountain together, who will hunt? Do you know how or do I?"

To avoid gossip, I'd cut off my own source of income? Unless I'm insane.

Li Chunyan, "Strangled..."

That's absolutely right!