Liu Meiyu was shocked and immediately put down the basket in her hand, searching everywhere.

"My money! My money was right here! How could it be gone?"

She was extremely anxious.

The sound it made also attracted the attention of others.

"Was it stolen?"

"Or is it placed somewhere else?"

"Look carefully."

Most people nowadays are kind.

Seeing how anxious Liu Meiyu was, everyone offered suggestions and looked around to help.

Yingyue glanced at Liu Meiyu, then at the people coming and going in the market.

It's impossible to tell who the thief is.

Liu Meiyu didn't know when her money and tickets were stolen.

She brought twenty-eight yuan with her, intending to buy some things for her family, but before she could buy anything, it was all stolen...

"sister in law."

Huo Qing held Liu Meiyu's hand and gently comforted her, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, I have some money with me, I'll lend you some."

Liu Meiyu's money was stolen, so she had no choice but to borrow from others.

Huo Qing was already very kind to lend it to her.

"Thank you, little sister. I'll return it to you when I get back."

Liu Meiyu looked apologetic and very embarrassed.

Huo Qing smiled and said it was okay.

He took out twenty yuan from his pocket and handed it to Liu Meiyu.

Liu Meiyu took it.

Zhao Gan, who was standing to the side, looked at his mother and asked curiously, "Mom, can I eat fish balls now?"

Children will always be children. Even though their mother's money was just stolen, they now have money in their hands, right?

Now we can buy some delicious food.

Liu Meiyu couldn't scold or beat her son, since it was her own fault for not keeping the money safe, which led to it being stolen.

What should be given to the children, should still be given.

"All you ever think about is food."

Liu Meiyu nodded her son's head, her tone carrying a hint of complaint.

"Mom's money has all been stolen, and you don't even try to comfort her."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Gan immediately said, "Mom, don't be sad. Out with the old, in with the new."

Liu Meiyu...

Yingyue and Huoqing, who were standing nearby, were also amused by Zhao Gan's unique way of comforting them.

"Xiao Gan, who told you to comfort people like that?"

Huo Qing asked with a smile.

Zhao Gan answered earnestly, "It's Dad."

“Every time I break a bowl or lose my handkerchief, my dad would comfort my mom, saying that out with the old, in with the new.”

After his father said that, his mother seemed happy.

Therefore, he believed that these were very effective words of comfort.

Liu Meiyu had nothing more to say.

Yingyue, Huo Qing, and Liu Meiyu exchanged a few more words before splitting up to explore the market.

Yingyue also took a liking to these willow baskets; she chose three large baskets and two small ones.

The old man selling baskets was very happy to have made such a big sale, so he gave Yingyue an extra small basket worth one cent.

A large basket costs three cents, a small basket costs two cents, and an even smaller one costs one cent.

Yingyue wanted the old man to weave a lid for her willow basket so that when she put fish in it, the rats wouldn't steal them.

The old man chuckled and nodded, "Sure, I can weave it for you right now. Just come and pick it up in a bit."

Behind the old man was a bundle of willow branches. He wove baskets very quickly, and he wove lids just as fast.

When Yingyue and Huoqing returned from their shopping trip, the lid she wanted had already been woven.

She put all the things she bought into a basket, covered it, and then no one could see what she had bought.

The old man also told her that if she took such a basket out to fish, she could thread a strip of cloth through it and make it the right length so that she could wear it across her body like a schoolbag.

"There are two iron hooks on both sides of this lid. When you want to put fish in the basket, just hook the iron hooks onto the basket and it will be stable. No matter how big the fish is, it won't fall out."

The old man chuckled and patted the basket.

He's a veteran craftsman with decades of experience; the baskets he weaves are incredibly sturdy!

Yingyue was very satisfied, nodded, and paid for the willow basket.

Huo Qing also bought two.

The two women, an aunt and a sister-in-law, carrying baskets full of their harvest, pushed their bicycles toward the family compound.

Before she even left the market, Yingyue's shoulder was bumped by a strange man walking towards her.

The other person had a refined appearance, was neatly dressed, and was very humble and polite.

After bumping into Yingyue, he immediately reached out to help her up, apologizing as he did so.

"Excuse me, comrade, are you alright?"

The man looked concerned.

Yingyue nodded.

"I'm fine."

Just as the man was about to let go, Yingyue added what she hadn't finished saying, "But you have something to do."

A strange man?

The bewildered man didn't understand what Yingyue meant. Just as he was about to ask, he saw Yingyue, who had been standing there peacefully, suddenly make a move.

She grabbed the man's wrist and slammed him to the ground. Then, with a quick turn, she grabbed the man who had sneaked up to Huo Qing's side and threw him to the ground as well.

This scene attracted the attention of everyone around.

The two men lying on the cold ground grimaced and rubbed their shoulders. "Why did you suddenly hit me, lady?"

"It wasn't a sudden attack."

Yingyue looked at the men lying on the ground and explained seriously, "It was because you wanted to steal things that I threw you to the ground."

"Stealing?"

Upon hearing Yingyue's words, the onlookers immediately stared at the two men.

Their clothes and appearance didn't resemble those of thugs.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!