Grandma Hua, who was usually reluctant to spend an extra penny, was about to get up as she spoke.

Granny Yang held her hand tightly, saying, "There's no rush. I still have some left. I'm just worried that we won't be able to make it through this."

"It will be alright." Granny Hua knew that everyone was having a hard time, but what could she do?

What can you do about natural disasters and man-made calamities? Just hang in there, things will get better eventually.

Jiang Wei followed Zhao Hui, taking several detours, until they arrived at Zhao Hui's house.

Zhao Hui pushed open the door. In the middle of the small, white courtyard, no bigger than a palm, was a muddy path, which must have been dug out with a shovel.

Jiang Wei looked at the window on their wall. The window paper was patched up like the clothes of a poor family. Small pieces of new paper were pasted on the yellowed window paper to patch up the original torn window paper.

They wouldn't even use a whole sheet of paper.

Grandma Hua heard the creaking of the courtyard gate and hurriedly got up to greet them, but before she could see anyone, she was opening the door to the side room.

She called out, both anxious and excited, "Hui'er is back!"

She opened the door with her wrinkled hands.

Jiang Wei did not expect that the old woman who sold wontons that day would be the same one they met today. She was different from that day. On that day, her clothes, though not new, were clean and tidy and had not been mended. But today, the cuffs and elbows of her clothes were patched.

The indigo clothes had been washed until they were faded.

Granny Hua seemed a little nervous when she saw a stranger next to Zhao Hui. After taking a closer look, she realized it was Jiang Wei. In an instant, a friendly smile involuntarily appeared on her face, and she was completely unguarded.

Grandma Hua took a few steps outside to greet them, "It's the master! Master, please come in and sit down."

After she warmly invited him over, she realized that Jiang Wei was dressed in fine silks and satins, and her home didn't even have a decent place to sit. She felt embarrassed and scratched her hair.

Jiang Wei noticed her embarrassment and said, "Then I will trouble you."

After saying that, Jiang smiled and looked at Granny Hua, waiting for her to lead him inside.

Granny Hua looked at Jiang Wei in disbelief, but Jiang Wei showed no disgust and looked at her expectantly.

I like this girl more and more from the bottom of my heart.

"Hey," Granny Hua came to her senses and led Jiang Wei into the room with the charcoal fire.

Once inside, Jiang Wei realized that her decision was right and absolutely necessary.

When you first enter the house from outside, there is a bit of warmth because it is very cold outside.

If you stay in this room for too long, it might get a bit cold. Although the room isn't exactly big, there's only a little charcoal burning in the fire pit, with tiny embers barely extinguished.

Jiang Wei glanced around the room. All the utensils for eating were in this room: a few bowls, a small earthenware pot, and two pairs of chopsticks on the table. There was nothing else. In the corner, there was a bed and two wardrobes. That was all the things in the room.

Grandma Hua happily wiped a small wooden stool clean and placed it aside for Jiang Wei to sit on.

Granny Yang forced a smile, "Oh dear, we have guests at home, so I'll head back now."

She got up and left with a worried expression, without even glancing at Jiang Wei.

"Sit down, sit down, take a good look at who this is," Granny Hua told Granny Yang not to leave yet.

Seeing that Granny Yang's eyes were empty and she was looking at her in confusion, Granny Hua patted the hem of her clothes and said, "The owner of An Sheng Ji, how could you not recognize us when we went to buy grain and charcoal?"

Old Mrs. Yang peered through the dim light shining through the window paper at Jiang Wei for a while, then exclaimed, "Oh dear, it really is true."

Granny Hua poured two bowls of water, giving one to Jiang Wei and then handing the other to Lian Sang.

"Why are you here, sir? Is there something you need?" Granny Yang asked her casually.

But she couldn't figure out what business she could have come here for. Her old sister had no connection with the owner.

She just said that her boss ate wontons at a good stall. Does that mean she wants to eat wontons?

"Is the master here to eat wontons?" Granny Yang asked Jiang Wei.

Jiang smiled and shook his head, saying no.

Grandma Yang couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Her old sister had just said that Dongjia Ping would raise prices. Could it be that they've split up the business now and the prices won't go up?

She blurted out, "The boss is here to talk about the price increase of grain and charcoal?"

Granny Yang looked tense, as if tears would flow from her eyes at any moment.

If prices don't rise, the money she has won't last long; if prices rise again, how will they survive?

Granny Yang's eyes were slightly red, and her hands trembled as she held onto the hem of her clothes.

Jiang Wei hurriedly replied, "The price will not increase. The grain and charcoal at An Sheng Ji shop will never increase in price."

Seeing that Granny Yang visibly breathed a sigh of relief, she comforted her, saying, "We'll definitely get through this winter safely."

A tear rolled down Granny Yang's weathered face, and she nodded with great difficulty.

We'll get through this...

Granny Yang wiped away her tears, "It will pass..."

Jiang Wei looked at her thin clothes, which were also patched, and she couldn't tell how many layers she was wearing, or whether she was wearing all her clothes.

However, there wasn't a single piece of clothing that could keep them warm.

"Mother-in-law, the shop sells cotton. Why don't you buy some to make winter clothes?" Jiang Wei asked her with concern.

Granny Yang was somewhat at a loss for words and could only smile.

"The cotton in the shop isn't expensive, and I won't raise the price," Jiang Wei told her, reassuring her to buy it without worry.

Granny Yang just smiled and nodded, but didn't reply.

From her clothes and her expression, Jiang Wei roughly knew the reason.

Granny Hua knew that Jiang Wei meant well, and she also understood Granny Yang's situation. "In these cold days, we people don't go out and stay in the warm rooms with charcoal fires all day, so we haven't gone out to buy cotton to make clothes."

Jiang Wei nodded and didn't say anything more.

Granny Hua sat to the side, smiling kindly. "Master, is there something you need today?"

"It's nothing. I just happened to run into your grandson while walking around, so I went with him to show you around." Jiang Wei replied humbly and politely, without any airs.

She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is it just you and your grandson at your mother-in-law's house? Your grandson told me on the way here that it's just the two of you at home."

Grandma Hua paused, her expression shifting from a smile to a wistful look, before regaining her smile after a moment. "Yes, there's only this old woman and my grandson at home."

She looked at Zhao Hui with loving eyes as she spoke.

"Then your son Fa, daughter-in-law and..." Jiang Wei paused, wondering if asking too directly would hurt her feelings.

"That year, the northern barbarians invaded the border of my Great Xiao. My son went to the battlefield with a prince and never came back. He died in battle." Granny Hua spoke of her son with pride. Her son was a hero.

She sighed again, "My daughter-in-law received news of her death from the border and fell ill. She died within two years, leaving only my grandson and me."

Granny Yang also looked sorrowful, "Yes, now that the Great Xiao is prosperous and strong, they are gone."

"Them? Your son went to the battlefield too?" Jiang Wei asked, puzzled.