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

Ye Qingqing paid the remaining balance, watched the bodyguard leave, and breathed a sigh of relief.

The grain cart was pushed back into the yard, and the neighbors peered over the walls.

Ye Cuicui paced around the granary, "Second Sister! Did you really bring it back? So much..."

Ye Qingqing patted her sister's head. "Nonsense."

The neighbors were peering over the wall, their eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. In this day and age, that was a mountain of gold and silver that could save their lives!

Ye Cuicui circled the granary, her mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg. "Second Sister! So much..."

Ye Qingqing smiled without saying a word, and the divination slips' predictions came true one by one.

Before the villagers could take any action, she was about to go out.

Ye Dali then harnessed the green-covered carriage again.

Li Chunyan had already cleaned the car thoroughly and was carrying several bundles in and out.

The whole cart was full of things she was taking back to her parents' home. Her father even complained that she hadn't brought enough for her in-laws and kept telling her to take more grain and meat.

On the train, Li Chunyan neatly arranged her bundles: twenty or thirty jin of rice and flour, two sturdy bolts of coarse cloth, and forty jin of pork belly.

There were also more than a dozen plump and tender mandarin fish that Ye Qingqing had caught, frozen solid, looking incredibly tempting.

This time when she went back, she had completely upgraded her equipment!

The thought of her parents having a good winter filled her with immense joy.

Parents, your daughter has finally made us proud, hasn't she?

Ye Dali gave the reins a tug, and the chestnut horse stomped its hooves.

The horse-drawn carriage clattered out of the village. Several early-rising villagers along the way, seeing the Ye family's complete carriage and the dazzling baskets of fish and meat, stopped to look, whispering among themselves.

"The Ye family... they're still so extravagant even after hauling grain?"

"They hired bodyguards, and their skills are truly exceptional!"

Lijiatun is eight li away from Kaoshantun, which is not far.

Upon entering the village, the local dogs barked. Several old men squatting by the wall smoking recognized Ye Dali and nodded with smiles when they saw that it was the Ye family's carriage.

Li Chunyan's parents lived in a fenced courtyard with three mud houses at the west end of the village.

Upon hearing the car, a thin, yellow dog darted out first, followed by the creaking door opening, where an elderly couple, dressed in patched-up clothes and looking pale and sickly, emerged.

Upon seeing their daughter and son-in-law return, the elderly couple beamed with joy, their wrinkles crinkling into smiles.

"Yan'er! Dali! You're back!"

But when his eyes fell on Ye Qingqing sitting in the car, his joy froze, and the corners of his mouth turned down.

The original owner of this body, Ye Qingqing and her husband, knew what that thing was!

They drained the Ye family's already meager resources, leaving them with nothing to eat and forcing Yan'er to return to her parents' home to beg for food.

Everyone in the village knows this.

In the eyes of the elderly couple, Ye Qingqing was a troublemaker, and they looked at her with disdain and contempt, as if she were a piece of mud stuck to their shoes.

Li Chunyan was incredibly shrewd; she immediately noticed her parents' expressions. She quickly jumped off the cart and carried the dozen or so kilograms of grain, two bolts of cloth, forty kilograms of pork, and the mandarin fish into the yard, displaying them to her parents with a smile.

"Father, Mother, look, this is all earned by Qingqing through hunting! She caught fish in the river and chased wild animals up the mountain to get this, and insisted that I give it to you two to help you through the winter."

Ye Qingqing also got out of the car. She didn't say much, but just smiled slightly at the two elders, "Uncle, Aunt."

Old Man Li glanced at the pile of solid stuff: white flour, fine rice, thick cloth, thick pork fat, and even fish!

The lingering resentment in his heart stirred involuntarily.

Li Chunyan's mother was even more decisive. Seeing her daughter secretly slip her five taels of silver, which felt heavy in her hand, her expression immediately brightened. She took Ye Qingqing's hand and said...

"Second daughter, this is too much trouble for your father. Thank you so much..."

Once inside, the earthen bed was heated, and Chunyan's mother busied herself stewing fish and cooking meat.

At the dinner table, the elderly couple stopped giving Ye Qingqing the cold shoulder and even put a piece of fatty fish on her plate.

"The girl is still growing, eat more."

Ye Dali chuckled as he drank, and Li Chunyan breathed a sigh of relief as she watched her parents' attitude towards her younger sister change.

Ye Qingqing chewed on the plump and tender mandarin fish, its fresh and delicious flavor swirling on her tongue, but her mind was still preoccupied with the divination slip.

"In the desolate mudflats of the Pihe River near Lijia Village, turtles hide in the mud; one can make a small profit by going there."

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content at the Li family's house, the eldest sister-in-law had just impressed her parents with the fish and pork she had earned. Her reputation for "earning by her own abilities" had only just been established. If she could take advantage of her digestion to go to the riverbank and catch a few more turtles, that would truly be considered a sign of competence.

She put down her chopsticks and smiled at Old Man Li and his wife,

"Uncle, Aunt, the fish soup smells so good, I'm so full. My sister-in-law said there's a river here called Pihe River, I'd like to go for a stroll."

Old Man Li, with a piece of pork belly between his fingers, waved his hand vaguely.

"Go ahead, but don't go too far. The riverbank is slippery; be careful not to twist your ankle."

Chunyan's mother nodded, "Stay home tonight, the kang is warm, and you won't be exposed to the wind."

Ye Qingqing responded and left the fenced yard.

Not far to the west of Lijiatun is the Pihe River branch. The desolate mudflats glistened wetly in the afternoon sun. A few clumps of withered willows leaned against the bank. A cold wind blew along the riverbank, dispelling the fatigue after a meal.

A giant arrow suddenly appeared before our eyes.

Following the arrow's direction, Ye Qingqing carefully selected the dark-colored, bubbly mud and squatted down to examine it.

The mud surface had tiny pores that gurgled out. She picked up her small shovel, gently pried it open, and a hard shell lazily emerged from under the mud.

Good heavens, it's an old turtle!

Its shell was as big as a bowl, its neck was tucked in, and it became dazed and motionless after being lightly tapped on the back by her shovel.

The second one was more active, stretching its neck to bite, but she quickly grabbed the thick hem of her skirt and slammed it into the basket.

They moved to the roots of the withered reeds and did the same thing, pulling out three more, each one plump and juicy, with thick, glossy edges that were clearly visible when turned over.

Digging for turtles is so exciting! This little lucky charm is such a great deal.

An old shepherd in the distance called out and asked.

"What are you digging for, daughter?"

"It's nothing!"

Ye Qingqing looked up and called out, secretly watching the five turtles thrashing about in the basket.

Carrying a bamboo basket, they trudged through the mud back to the village, their shoes covered in yellow mud.

When they reached the courtyard gate, Li Chunyan was helping her mother collect the bowls when she saw something wriggling in the basket. She was immediately startled and exclaimed, "Second girl, you really felt something?"

Ye Qingqing lifted the basket and said, "I dug up a few old turtles in the mud by the river. I'll take one to make soup for Uncle and Aunt. It's very nourishing."

Hearing the noise, Chunyan's mother wiped her hands and came out. Upon seeing the fat turtle, her eyes crinkled with laughter.

"Oh, Second Sister, you're something else! This stuff is precious; we've lived this long and never tasted it before. It's such a waste!"

Old Man Li put down his pipe, touched the turtle shell and clicked his tongue in amazement, "Second Girl, there are few in the village who can match your skill."

I'd heard you used to be unreliable, but today I see you've changed.

He recalled how the original owner had mistreated his daughter, but looking at the present situation, he didn't know what to say.

Ye Qingqing smiled.

"We're lucky to have some on the beach. Uncle and Aunt, please don't be shy, take them and stew them to warm your bodies for the winter."

Li Chunyan quietly tugged at her sleeve, pouting, and said, "You little brat, you know how to play the good guy. Your parents really treat you like their own daughter this time."