Qingju was a girl who pitied the poor and lowly. Seeing how pitiful the mother and daughter were, and seeing that Heyi really wanted to help them, she hurriedly agreed and went to prepare.

A moment later, Qingju brought the food. When the young woman saw the food, her eyes immediately flashed with timidity. Even though Heyi really wanted to give them food, the mother and daughter didn't dare to step forward.

He Yi could only squat down and carefully hand over the bowl and buns.

"Eat up, don't be afraid, we're good people. Quickly give the child something to eat, or you won't be able to hold on." Qingju, standing behind, nodded hurriedly. "If it's not enough, there's more inside. Don't be shy with us now that we're here. There's no reason for anyone to starve to death in front of a pastry shop."

He Yi looked at Qing Ju, "Help them to the back room, it's chilly here." Qing Ju hurriedly did so, and the woman was so grateful that she immediately knelt down and kowtowed to He Yi and Qing Ju.

"Thank you, miss, miss, you are such a kind person, you are all living bodhisattvas." Although the peasant woman was starving, she did not rush to eat the red bean porridge herself. Instead, she blew on it and carefully fed a few bites to her daughter.

Watching her daughter wolf down her food, the peasant woman began to sob. Only after her daughter had finished the whole bowl of red bean porridge did the peasant woman eagerly start eating.

Both of them were obviously starving. After the mother and daughter had caught their breath a little, He Yi took a look at the poor woman.

"Sister, where are you from? How did you end up in the capital? Do you still have any family members? How can I help you?" Upon hearing this, the woman burst into tears.

He Yi handed her a handkerchief, and the peasant woman quickly wiped away her tears, choking out, "Replying to you, madam, my husband's surname is Gao, and everyone in the village calls me 'Beautiful Silkworm Mother.' We were originally from Gao Family Village on the outskirts of the city. Two years ago, my husband went to the capital to take the imperial examination and never returned..."

"We, a widow and her child, were left to struggle to survive. This year, bandits roamed the village, and we simply couldn't go on living there! We heard that a distant cousin in the city was a manager at a silk shop, so we wanted to come and seek refuge there. But... but our cousin's uncle looked down on us because we were poor and didn't even let us in the door; he kicked us out..."

At this point, the peasant woman began to sob again. The quiet little girl clung tightly to her mother. Clearly, all of this cruelty was unfamiliar to the five or six-year-old child. Although she couldn't understand a word, her eyes were filled with fear.

[The villainous female supporting character accidentally triggered a hidden NPC.]

[This is important; we'll need it soon.]

This beautiful silkworm seller looks like an honest person.

[Gaojia Village? Oh dear, could it be Gao Dekai's hometown? This is quite a strange coincidence!]

"Gaojia Village?" He Yi felt curious. She had investigated Gao Dekai before, and Liu Yun said that Gao Dekai was from Gaojia Village in the suburbs. But at this moment, He Yi remained calm. After all, the outside world was too dangerous, and this Gaojia Village might not be Gao Dekai's "Gaojia Village".

She looked at the two of them, and felt a pang of pain in her heart. What was going on?

"So what do you plan to do in the future?" You have to survive, don't you? The silkworm-making woman shook her head in despair: "I don't know! We're penniless now," she said, then hugged her daughter tightly. "We truly have nowhere to go. I want to find work outside, but even getting a job at a brokerage requires money; otherwise, they won't recommend us for work. I..."

At this point, Meican Niang began to sob again and knelt down in front of Heyi.

"My dear lady, if it's convenient for you, please give me a bite to eat. I don't care if I die, but I pity my child. I'll do anything. Do you need anyone to carry manure here? I'll do any hard labor, just hoping to live one more day..."

Meican Niang looked at He Yi in despair, her eyes filled with humble pleading.

He Yi also looked at the pitiful mother and daughter, and pondered for a moment.

“I do need someone willing to work hard here. If you are quick and efficient enough to handle some odd jobs such as sweeping and washing, I will consider keeping you. I won’t be too harsh on you, and I will provide you with food and lodging, and pay you a monthly wage. Consider it my way of saving your life. I have done everything I can. You can think about it yourself, and your child can also have a hot meal.”

He Yi emphasized, "This is not a place for idlers to hold a position. If you were to stay, you would be busy every day, unlike this morning when you could just ask for help."

Having said that, He Yi looked down at the beautiful silkworm girl.

She realized that He Yi did indeed seem like someone who had worked hard for many years, and that she must be a reliable person. The silkworm-raising woman looked up at He Yi in disbelief; she simply couldn't believe her ears.

She paused for a moment, then burst into tears, and immediately pulled her daughter down to kneel before He Yi.

"Shopkeeper, that's wonderful! Of course I'm willing! Thank you, shopkeeper, thank you for taking in my daughter and me. We'll do anything for you. We don't care about wages, as long as I have food to eat and my child doesn't starve, that's enough. Shopkeeper, you are our greatest benefactor! From now on, I will work hard to repay your great kindness!"

"Get up."

He Yi reached out and helped the mother and daughter up. "Qingju, take them to the backyard to settle them in and change Sister Meicanniang into a clean set of clothes." Qingju agreed and led the two to the backyard.

The beautiful silkworm girl continued to bow and express her gratitude profusely.

The beautiful silkworm mother and daughter went to the backyard.

[The villainous female supporting character is doing a good deed and incidentally finding a source of labor.]

[The silkworm grower is hardworking, simple, and offers great value for money.]

The villainous female supporting character should have her background investigated; after all, both of them have unknown origins.

After dealing with the matter of the perfect silkworm maiden, He Yi saw Liu Yun return in a flurry of activity. The two entered the backyard of Tianxiang Workshop one after the other.

He Yi then took a closer look at her. Today, Liu Yun was dressed in a neat and tidy outfit, and seemed to exude the air of a grim beggar.

In the secluded room at the back, before He Yi could ask any further questions, Liu Yun said, "It's all been found out!"

He Yi frowned. "Please explain concisely."

Liu Yun nodded: "That adulterous couple who ran to the Minister's mansion and spewed filth, the man is called Lai San, nicknamed Lai the Cripple, and the woman is called Wang Jinhua, who is a cousin of Cui Mama, the maidservant of that brat Zheng Yutang! I have already invited them to an abandoned house in the west of the city."

Seeing how capable Liu Yun was, He Yi clapped happily, "How did you find out?" After all, He Yi herself had dealt with these two guys before.

This cripple and his wife are the epitome of "a dead pig doesn't fear boiling water."

Hearing this, Liu Yun waved his fist in the air, "Although these two are both scoundrels, no matter how tough their mouths are, they can't out-toughen my fists!" As he said this, a cold glint flashed in Liu Yun's eyes.