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

She paused, then gave a self-deprecating smile: "Later, a scholar came to listen to me play the zither every day, saying he wanted to marry me. I believed him."

Ye Qingqing's fingers tightened slightly.

"He took me away from Yangzhou, saying he would take me back to his hometown to marry me. I believed him... but we encountered bandits halfway there."

He and the bandits took all my valuables, not even leaving me a hairpin...and then they ordered me killed.

The room was quiet for a while, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire.

Miss Zhen raised her hand and touched a faint white scar on the side of her neck, then chuckled softly.

"Luckily, your father happened to be passing by. He has a very kind heart, so he carried me back to Kaoshan Village and took care of me with your mother for a month, which saved my life."

She lowered her hand, her gaze towards Ye Qingqing filled with indescribable complexity.

"Second girl, I'm telling you this not so you'll pity me."

I just want you to know that I don't come from a respectable background... Your father saved me, he gave me my life, so I treat you like my own niece.

But I'm afraid that if you hear these things from other people in the future, you'll feel uncomfortable. Do you...do you despise your aunt?

When Jane asked that last question, her voice carried a hint of sadness.

Ye Qingqing looked at her quietly, feeling a mix of emotions.

This woman, who was usually so energetic and shrewd in town, now sat under the lamp without her usual allure, revealing something on her face and in her heart that she had never seen before.

"aunt……"

Ye Qingqing picked up the wine cup, took a sip, swallowed slowly, and then spoke.

"My master once taught me a saying... In this life, very few people can choose their own birth."

But how you choose to live your life is entirely up to you.

She looked into Miss Zhen's eyes, her tone neither too loud nor too soft, but very clear:

"It wasn't your fault that you were sold into a brothel. It wasn't your fault that you trusted that person."

But you survived, opened a shop, and established yourself in this place... Not all women have this ability.

For that alone, I respect you.

The air suddenly became quiet.

Miss Zhen's eyes reddened, and she looked at her with glistening eyes.

Ye Qingqing said casually, "You are good at business, and you treat me sincerely. You are very good to my father and to me."

Are these things fake? If you feel inferior because of past events, that's foolish!

Miss Zhen was stunned, and her eyes slowly reddened.

Ye Qingqing smiled, with a touch of girlish playfulness:

"Besides, if you're not serious, then there won't be any serious people left in this town!"

I don't look down on you at all. In fact, I think my Aunt Zhen is the most capable woman in the world. Coming from that kind of place, she's managed to survive all this time on her own; not many others could do that.

She didn't flatter; she spoke the truth.

The fact that Aunt Zhen could honestly recount her unpleasant past shows that people truly care about her.

The highest form of living is to treat each other with sincerity.

Miss Zhen's eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Ye Qingqing didn't expose her and lowered her head to eat her food.

After a long while, Miss Zhen finally raised her head, her eyes red-rimmed, and she smiled through her tears, saying...

"You silly girl, when did you become so sweet-talking? You've completely charmed your aunt...it's melting my heart!"

"truth."

Ye Qingqing couldn't help but rub her nose. "Aunt Zhen, I'm already thinking of treating you like my mother. I'll cling to you every day then."

Miss Zhen stopped crying and smiled, flicking her forehead with her finger in a sweet, reproachful tone:

"You wish."

After eating and drinking her fill, Ye Qingqing leaned back in her chair and couldn't help but yawn.

Miss Zhen asked her with unusual gentleness, "Are you sleepy?"

"Yeah, I got up too early today."

Ye Qingqing nodded honestly and said expectantly, "I'm so sleepy."

Miss Zhen patted her and said, "Go to the side room to sleep... Don't worry, the bedding is all freshly aired."

Ye Qingqing stood up, took two steps, turned back and smiled at Miss Zhen, then suddenly said,

"Aunt Zhen, thank you for telling me all this."

Miss Zhen paused for a moment, then waved her hand, "Go on, go to sleep."

Ye Qingqing raised an eyebrow and followed the maid carrying the lantern to the side room.

Miss Zhen sat alone at the table, watching her back until she disappeared from sight. She couldn't help but lower her head and take a sip of wine, a slight smile appearing on her lips.

She's made up her mind about this child!

Looking back, she once thought of giving up everything to follow her benefactor, Brother Ye.

But Brother Ye already had a wife, and Sister-in-law Ye had taken care of her tirelessly for over a month. She couldn't let him get away with it!

……

The next morning, Ye Qingqing returned to Kaoshantun.

The first thing I did when I got home was to see my father, and then I called my older brother and sister-in-law in.

"Brother, sister-in-law, come in, I need to discuss something."

Ye Dali put down the sack in his hand, and Li Chunyan wiped her hands with an apron and followed him in. The family of three, along with Ye Dazhuang, sat around the kang table in the main room.

Ye Youliang puffed on his pipe, looking at his daughter.

You could tell from her expression that she had accomplished her task.

"Father, elder brother and sister-in-law, the shop deal is finalized! The Zhao family will come tomorrow to complete the formalities. Once we have the money, we need to take over and get things organized as soon as possible."

Ye Qingqing rubbed her hands together and counted on her fingers, saying, "What I mean is, big brother, tomorrow you and sister-in-law should take Zhao Laoda and the others to town to clean up the shop first, repair what needs repairing, and replace what needs replacing."

Sister-in-law, you're so skillful; I'll leave the shop's layout to you."

Li Chunyan's eyes lit up. "Second Girl, you want me to do it? You...you're not comfortable with that?"

She had never taken on such a big job before, and she herself was a little incredulous.

Ye Qingqing glanced at her. "If you don't trust me, how can I entrust this to you? The only thing is, sister-in-law, you can't be stingy with the renovations. You have to use the best materials and labor. Our family depends on this shop for our livelihood, so don't be stingy!"

Li Chunyan blushed, "..."

That really hurts, Er Yatou!

Ye Dali chuckled sheepishly and quickly spoke up for his wife.

"Don't worry, Er Yatou, Chunyan is usually stingy, but she's very clear-headed when it comes to important matters!"

Ye Qingqing said with a smile,

"Well, don't rush the money. Once the formalities are completed tomorrow, we'll use some to make purchases."

She turned back to Ye Youliang, "Dad, you and Dazhuang can look after things here. I'll probably have to go to town tomorrow after I finish the formalities with the Zhao family."

Ye Youliang tapped his pipe: "You decide for yourself, I'll go along with it."

"Alright, it's settled then."

Ye Qingqing stood up, patted her coat, and said, "Brother and sister-in-law, we'll set off early tomorrow morning. Take a few more people with you. I'll have someone inform Boss Zhao later."

Ye Dali patted his chest confidently: "Don't worry, Er Yatou, Dad and Dazhuang will be at home looking after things. Your sister-in-law and I will keep the shop in perfect order!"

Li Chunyan had already started making plans, her face beaming with undisguised joy.

"Then I'll have to bring a broom and a rag! That shop's been closed for a month or so, who knows how thick the dust is..."