The old lady was still somewhat doubtful and asked again and again, "You really didn't give that family 300,000?"

She was afraid that Ye Qingqing was saying this on purpose to put her mind at ease. Although Ye Qingqing was not short of money, she never wanted to owe anyone a single penny. Even if it was 300,000, she would have to pay it back. At worst, she could go up the mountain to pick bamboo shoots and tea, and work as before. She would be able to pay it back one day.

"I swear on God, I really don't!"

Ye Qingqing was somewhat helpless and was about to swear an oath when the old lady stopped her, her face darkening. "Can you just swear an oath like that? What are you swearing at such a young age?"

The old lady looked very unhappy, her face was extremely dark. Ye Qingqing's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly realized the reason. The old lady must have thought of Ye Zhiguo. Back then, Ye Zhiguo swore in front of the old lady that he had never harmed her mother, Xu Yali, or else he would die a terrible death and be doomed forever.

As expected, the vow came true. In front of the old lady, Ye Zhiguo was crushed into a bloody pulp by countless vehicles, truly beyond redemption. The old lady must still be unable to let go of this tragedy.

“I’ll keep an eye on Xiao Hua. He’ll have to hand over a thousand yuan a month. That young widow also needs to work. We don’t support idlers. Once we’ve saved three hundred thousand yuan, we’ll let them buy a house in the county town. They can’t stay here with an old woman like me, stuck in the mountains forever…”

The old woman muttered to herself as she walked, talking about her arrangements for Ye Hua. Her back was becoming increasingly hunched, and this old woman who once dominated the whole village had truly grown old.

Back in the ward, the old lady announced, "From now on, you all need to work hard. Xiaohua will receive 1,000 yuan a month, and the remaining 500 yuan will be your living expenses. You must hand it over every month, not a penny less."

Ye Hua whispered, "Grandma, my expenses are increasing now, Ah Zhen and Lele need..."

“I don’t need you to support me. I can work. Xiaohua, you can hand over all your salary. I’ll earn my own living expenses.” Ah Zhen quickly stated, showing great confidence in the future.

She used to sell breakfast at a car repair shop. Although there weren't many customers, she could still earn five or six hundred yuan a month when she was busy. But the Wu family took all that money. Now that the devil is gone, she can earn money in peace. She can go to places with more customers in the morning to sell breakfast and earn a thousand yuan without any problem. That's enough for her family's expenses. If that's not enough, she can set up a street stall to sell toys or hair accessories and other small items.

She's not afraid of hardship, and she has strength and skills; she'll definitely be able to earn money.

The old lady's eyes showed more relief. This young widow was someone who was content with her life. Master Ye was right; she was better than Shen Yanhong.

"You two can decide how much to pay, but it can't be less than a thousand."

Ye Hua was taken aback at first, then overjoyed, "Grandma, you agree to let me be with Ah Zhen?"

The old lady snorted coldly, "If I don't agree, are you going to try to kill yourself again? Since you're so determined to be with her, then you two can live happily ever after. I can't control you, but there's one thing: that 300,000 yuan must be returned, not a penny less!"

Ah Zhen was overjoyed and nodded vigorously, "Don't worry, Ye Hua and I will definitely pay back the money."

The old lady awkwardly turned her head away and even snorted. Ye Qingqing found it amusing and said, "With Ah Zhen taking care of things here, why don't you come stay at my house for a few days? It's more comfortable at home."

"I'll be back tomorrow. Thanks to you this time."

The old lady refused; she was too ashamed to stay there. Her eldest son had done so many wicked things, and it was best for her to keep her distance from this girl's family. Her two sons were honest and upright, but their daughters-in-law were very cunning. If they knew that she had a good relationship with this girl, they might develop inappropriate thoughts. She had to be on the safe side.