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

It was late at night, and the two children were sleeping soundly in the inner room. Little Huanhuan occasionally smacked her lips, while Little Laidi curled up in a ball.

Ye Qingqing tidied up the kang table and said to Li Chunlian,

"Starting tomorrow, you'll stay at your parents' house. Dali will take care of the work in the fields, and your sister-in-law and aunt will take care of the housework. You just need to focus on getting better and raising your younger brother. In this world, women also need to take control of their own destiny."

Li Chunlian looked up, and her bloodshot eyes finally came to life. She kowtowed to Ye Qingqing.

"Girl, you saved my life. From now on, wherever you point, I'll go!"

Old Li tapped his pipe against the sole of his shoe and snorted.

"Second girl, I believe you. From now on, if anyone in Kaoshantun dares to gossip about you, I'll give them a good beating with my pipe!"

Chunyan's mother stopped crying and started laughing. She went to the kitchen to heat up a pot of leftover porridge, and the family ate a peaceful meal with pickled vegetables late at night.

The cold wind outside was still blowing, but for the first time, Li Chunlian realized on the kang (heated brick bed) in the Ye family's house that living meant not being beaten.

As dawn broke through the gray veil over Kaoshantun, the gate to Ye Qingqing's house creaked open amidst the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking.

As soon as she stepped out the door, a cold wind carrying the scent of wheat chaff and earth rushed towards her. But today, the wind seemed to carry a different flavor—the burning gaze of countless eyes and hushed whispers.

"Second daughter, are you up?"

"Qingqing, have you eaten yet?"

Along the roadside, by the wall, and beside the woodpile, seven or eight people had already begun to stand or squat.

Women carrying children and old men smoking pipes all beamed with smiles when they saw her come out, their eagerness as if a mountain of gold were buried in the Ye family's courtyard.

Ye Qingqing remained calm, her gaze sweeping over the crowd indifferently.

She wasn't dressed extravagantly, just a slightly worn blue cotton jacket with the cuffs neatly rolled up. But her eyes were clear and bright, like a cold spring from a mountain stream, making anyone who met her gaze feel a sudden jolt in their heart.

"morning."

She responded with a soft voice, which strangely suppressed all the rustling sounds.

Cui Cui was carrying a winnowing basket to sift grain when she saw this scene. She pouted and said loudly,

"What are you looking at? Can't you see my second sister is busy? Those who need to borrow grain, according to yesterday's rules, wait in the room and take a number!"

The crowd stirred slightly.

Old Wang quickly tapped his pipe, smiled ingratiatingly, and took two steps forward.

"Ah, what Cui Cui said makes sense. Second sister, everyone in our village knows your family is kind and generous. You lent us grain at the original price and even allowed us to pay it back until next year. I, this old man... also want to find a way to survive."

Before she could finish speaking, Sun Erniang swayed her arms and squeezed forward, her wrinkled face beaming with a smile.

"That's right! Second Sister is capable; she built up a family fortune and still remembers her poor relatives. We can barely scrape a tael of chaff from the bottom of our jar, you see..."

Before she could finish speaking, she glanced sideways at Ye Qingqing's calm and expressionless face, and swallowed the rest of her sentence, "Could you give me two more pounds?" She only awkwardly added, "..."

"...Look at this famine, have pity on us."

Ye Qingqing's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile. She didn't respond to Sun Erniang's words, but only spoke to Old Man Wang.

"Uncle Wang, please wait your turn. There's a note on the table. The amount you borrow will be calculated based on the market price before the price increase. You can repay with grain or the equivalent amount in silver next year. Just put your fingerprint on it and take the grain. No credit allowed."

"Hey, hey!"

Old Wang, feeling as if he'd been granted a pardon, nodded repeatedly and waved to the people behind him, "Did you all hear that? Second Sister's willingness to lend us money is an immense favor; don't be ungrateful!"

Someone in the crowd muttered under their breath.

"Exactly, it's better than starving to death..."

But there were also those who were indignant. Er Gou suddenly appeared out of nowhere, standing on the outskirts of the crowd with his neck hunched, snorting sarcastically.

"Hmph, all that talk and no action, it all comes down to a written agreement! If you truly want to be benevolent, learn from the great philanthropists of old, open your granaries, and help all living beings!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Ye Qingqing's gaze suddenly turned to him, like a needle, causing Er Gou to subconsciously take a half step back.

"Uncle Er Gou,"

She spoke, her voice clear and crisp.

"In ancient times, granaries relied on storing grain in good years and providing relief in famine years, so the amount was limited."

Now the world is in ruins, and food is more precious than life. The food in my family is the result of my foresight—I, Ye Qingqing, risked my life to buy it with every tael of silver I had. It didn't fall from the sky.

Drawing up a written agreement is a rule, and it also gives the borrower some dignity. A written agreement ensures repayment of debts, allowing them to hold their heads high next year. Isn't that better than begging for handouts?

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Er Gou's embarrassed face before scanning the crowd.

"I help in emergencies, not in poverty, and I certainly don't help those who are ambitious but have little ability and want to get something for nothing."

"If I can still pay back the grain next year, I'll pay it back in silver at market price, plus 10% interest. It's all written on this IOU."

The crowd fell silent.

Even Er Gou was speechless, stiffening his neck and looking away.

Ye Dazhuang, shirtless, picked up an axe from the yard, stood next to the woodpile, and slapped the back of the axe with his fan-like hands, making a loud clanging sound. His eyes were like knives, sweeping over everyone who tried to take advantage of the situation.

That menacing aura was terrifying to anyone who saw it.

"Get a number!"

As soon as Cui Cui called out, the crowd began to stir and obediently moved into the courtyard.

Ye Qingqing turned and went back to the courtyard, her steps leisurely.

She knew perfectly well that the first day was for establishing her authority, and from then on, it would be a tug-of-war.

Sure enough, the Ye family's courtyard was almost never deserted in the following days.

Some people fawned over her, praising her as a "living Bodhisattva" and "having foresight."

Old Li brought out five jin of cornmeal and started yelling at everyone he met.

"Look at this! Second Sister's written agreement is honest and straightforward! To borrow this much during a famine is truly a blessing!"

Some people were also sarcastic towards her; Aunt Zhou was squatting in the corner, whispering to someone.

"Hmph, she's gained a lot of favors and a good reputation; she's got a clever little scheme going on... If you ask me, who knows where she got that grain from..."

When these words reached Ye Qingqing's ears, she simply ignored them.

Every day, she would get up early as usual, check the accounts, and guide Cui Cui to record the items.

When someone tried to take more than their share, she smiled and pushed the IOU forward.

"The amount is clearly written down; for every extra tael, there will be an extra tael of debt next year."

When someone tried to plead poverty and play the victim, she had Ye Dazhuang bring out an empty bag.

"If you have no ability to repay, then don't take away someone else's livelihood."

They handle situations with ease and remain unmoved by either soft or hard tactics.

At midday that day, the wind whipped up fine sand, stinging people's faces.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the courtyard, louder than usual.

Zhao Ergou, leading a tall, thin man he didn't recognize, stumbled drunkenly into the courtyard gate.

The man was dressed in rags, but his eyes darted around. He was Er Gou's distant cousin, known as "Lai Pi Zhou," famous for his shamelessness.

"Second Girl! Come out here!"

Er Gou raised his voice high, "This is my cousin, from Zhoujiatun, he's had a disaster! You're so generous, aren't you? Lending me ten catties of flour! No IOU? Hey, we're relatives, you can't possibly distrust me, can you?"

Ye Qingqing was sitting at the kang table, looking at the account book by the light from the window, when she heard the sound and looked up.