Chapter 24

When Zhou Jingchen packed up and went out, Old Man Sun was already waiting outside the yard.

Yu had also risen and was in the yard with Ye Jia, carrying the stove and pots. Her face was not looking good. She probably didn't sleep well the night before. Her son had laid the matter out in public, and no matter how much she wanted to say, she couldn't. This matter was weighing on her heart, and she couldn't let it go. She glanced at Ye Jia several times, worried that her words yesterday had made her daughter-in-law harbor ulterior motives and that she would abandon her son and go to that Cheng Xiaoerye in town.

Zhou Jingchen quickly washed up, walked over to take the things from the two people's hands, put them into the car one by one, and set off for the town.

Perhaps it was because yesterday's chive and egg pancakes were so amazing, that before they even reached West Street today, many fellow vendors, carrying their baskets, were already asking for a few. And indeed, no one does business as honestly as Xishi's stall. There were so many large eggs inside. The chives were fried to a fresh and fragrant taste, and each pancake was only seven fen—truly a good deal.

By the time the couple went to their old spot, set up the pot, and lit the fire, a crowd of people had already gathered around them.

Over 300 cakes were sold, and they were even more popular than yesterday. Because everyone who ate them yesterday praised their quality, even more people followed suit today. Many town residents came early in the morning to buy snacks, and just like the first time, they were sold out in an hour.

When I was closing the stall, some people came to ask about it. It seemed that the stall was even more popular than the first day.

"No more," Ye Jia smiled and shook her head, "Make more tomorrow, they're all sold out today."

This kind of prosperous business lasted for more than ten days.

Aside from the first few days when he'd been selling around 300 pancakes a day, Ye Jia later noticed that the pancakes were selling well, bringing in 400 or 500 pancakes to the town. Hiding in his room, Ye Jia counted the copper coins over and over again. It was a staggering 31 taels. After deducting costs and daily expenses, he'd saved 27 or 28 taels. Adding the 32 taels he had saved at home, Ye Jia had unexpectedly saved 60 taels in just a few months of setting up his stall.

The street vendors really make money!

"It's no use just sitting there," Ye Jia, influenced by later generations' financial thinking, always felt that money sitting there was no longer money. He had to find something to invest it in, so that it could make money. "We need to buy some real estate."

Although Yu Shi had no financial sense, she trusted Ye Jia. Since all the money was earned by her daughter-in-law, it was natural for her to make the decision: "But we're in a chaotic place, so we have to buy land and property. If a war breaks out and bandits enter the village..."

That's true. Libei Town is not like the Central Plains. Once a war breaks out, even the best crops in the fields will be destroyed overnight.

People in this area raise more livestock than they buy land, partly due to the climate and partly due to the impact of the war. After all, cattle and sheep can be herded when trouble strikes, but land can't be scooped up and taken away. But none of the three and a half members of the Zhou family have any experience raising livestock. The only one with experience raising chickens is Rui Jie'er, who is three and a half years old. She chases after the lambs all day long, and the most fluent phrase she utters is, "Auntie, your cooking is delicious today!"

Ye Jia frowned, thinking about how to use the money, when someone shouted in the yard outside.

Sure enough, one of the twenty people in Wangjia Village was Zhou Jingchen. The voice outside was the village chief's son, urging Zhou Jingchen to go to the village chief's house immediately. Ye Jia and Yu Shi, still worried about what property to buy, were no longer in the mood.

"No problem, I'll go there." This matter had already been discussed. Yu knew that it was useless to stop him, so she kept a sullen face and said nothing.

Ye Jia thought about it and decided to go with him.

Many people in the village had never seen Zhou Jingchen before. Although they lived in the same village, the young man from the Zhou family had spent the previous few years in the West Field, only being carried back three months ago, covered in blood. Back then, he was covered in dirt and blood, and no one had a clear idea of ​​what he looked like. The sudden sight of him in person brought a hush to the village chief's noisy courtyard.

After a long while, someone finally asked in surprise, "But is it the Zhou family kid?"

"It's me." Zhou Jingchen walked up to the soldier who was registering the roster and said calmly, "Zhou Jingchen, nineteen."

The soldier was somewhat captivated by his aura, holding the pen for a long time, not knowing how to write. His frowning face made it clear he didn't know how to write. Ye Jia couldn't help but remind him: "Just be loyal and do your best, and forget the world."

Not only did this fail to remind the soldier who was logging in to the roster how to write the characters, but it made him blush instead.

Zhou Jingchen looked at Ye Jia in surprise, as if he hadn't expected Ye Jia to recite poetry. However, his surprise was short-lived. He turned around and said to the soldier in a good-natured manner, "If it's inconvenient, you can give me the pen and I'll add it myself."

The soldier blushed as he handed the pen to Zhou Jingchen. He watched him smoothly add his name while muttering, "Next."

After signing up for the roster and receiving simple clothing, they returned home and waited a month before being assigned to the barracks.

Ye Jia squeezed the item in her hand. No matter how poorly equipped a war equipment was, it couldn't be worse than this. If she remembered correctly, the Yan Dynasty's formal recruitment not only required the distribution of military equipment, but also required each enlistee to receive a sum of silver to settle down. In times of war, that silver was essentially a life-saving payment. When the eldest brother of the Ye family joined the army, he received over five taels of silver to settle down.

"This is too informal." Even though Ye Jia was new here and didn't understand, he could tell there was something fishy going on.

Zhou Jingchen smiled, lowered his eyes, and didn't know what he was thinking.

Ye Jia looked at his expression and knew that if he didn't want to say it, no one could ask him.

Believing that the villain wouldn't die so easily, she obediently swallowed her heart. When she got home, Yu had already cut the leeks and was washing them by the well. Rui Jie'er was sitting on a small stool, holding the lamb and eating candy. Little girls are at an age when they're most likely to get dirty, but because Ye Jia and Yu were particular, they were dressed neatly.

"Are you back?" Yu was angry and didn't want to pay much attention to her son. She spoke to Ye Jia.

"Yes. Mother, take a break." Although Yu Shi was weak-willed and not good at housework, she was not spoiled and was diligent. She never stopped working when the house was busy. Ye Jia thought Yu Shi had a good temper and was very easy to get along with as a mother-in-law. If she wanted to do something, she would not be restricted. Thinking about it, Ye Jia called Yu Shi into the house.

Zhou Jingchen was leaving, and when he was no longer at home, it would just be Ye Jia, Yu Shi, and Rui Jie'er. She would definitely continue her business, and once she had enough money saved, she would expand her property. It was difficult and unsafe to have no men at home.

Yu wiped her hands and couldn't help but glare at Zhou Jingchen again. If he hadn't wanted to leave, they wouldn't have done this!

Zhou Jingchen let his mother glare at him patiently.

Seeing the whole family looking at him, he finally spoke, "Don't worry, mother. Although I'm often away from home, I'm not completely out of touch. First, the barracks aren't far away. If you two are worried, you can come with me on the day I report. You'll know I'm not making excuses after a visit. Second, I've already asked someone to look after the house. He's a good person and has received my kindness. You can go to him if there's anything going on at home."

Yu pursed her lips and was about to say something else: "Do you think your mother is worried that no one will take care of the family after you leave? You underestimate me too much. Didn't I raise Rui Jie'er by myself during the three years you were away? Yun'an, you know what mother is saying, but you always avoid the topic and talk about other things. Why are you so stubborn?"

Ye Jia pretended not to understand and asked him, "Who did you ask?"

"I'll invite people to dinner at home tonight," Zhou Jingchen said, "Jia Niang, you'll have to work hard."

Ye Jia didn't care whether it was hard or not, it was just cooking a meal. Her main concern was whether their business would be affected by the lack of a man in the family. Whether there was a strong man in the family was another matter.

After putting down his things, Zhou Jingchen said he had to go out for something and was afraid he wouldn't be back by noon.

Ye Jia thought about it and pulled out a tael of silver from his pocket and gave it to him. If nothing else, since he was going out on business, he definitely couldn't be without a penny. Zhou Jingchen took the silver and looked up at Ye Jia with a strange, gloomy look that made people's hearts flutter. Ye Jia quickly pretended to have something else to do and went out with a stone face to work with Yu Shi.

Chive egg pancakes are really popular and this business will not stop for the time being.

Zhou Jingchen left, and Yu's eyes welled up as she cut vegetables. Ye Jia didn't know how to persuade her, so she quietly finished her work and went inside to change clothes and head to town. Since someone was coming to visit her in the evening, she naturally had to buy some extra food.

The town's tile market was still bustling with activity, so Ye Jia went in for a walk and bought some vegetables. As soon as he got home, Ye Qingjiang arrived.

A letter arrived from his eldest brother. The Ye family delivered the letter to Ye Qingshan, who wrote a divorce letter that same day. While Ye Qingshan expressed gratitude for bearing his children, he felt he had nearly driven his mother to death and ruined his sister's life. He had no choice but to divorce her. Ye Zhang had also been sent back and was now causing trouble at the Ye family. Ye Qingjiang had come to meet his third sister and her husband, intending to settle the matter once and for all today.

Ye Jia quickly put down his things and followed him. Yu followed the two of them and repeatedly asked Ye Jia, "Should we call Yun An back?"

"No need." Ye Jia asked her to go back and said that he could handle it himself.

The two hurried over. Ye Zhang's cries were so loud they could be heard from afar. The neighbors were pointing and talking, watching the excitement. As they entered the house, they ran into Ye Simei helping Ye Su to her feet. Looking up, she felt like she had found her backbone. The women in this family were all weak-willed, but Ye Jia was the only one who had a strong character. The last time Ye Jia came, Ye Zhang had been sent back to her parents' home, so naturally, she was counting on her to speak this time.

"Jia Niang," Ye Sushi had been taking medicine for a while and was feeling better, but she was still thin. "You are finally here."

Inside the room, Ye Zhang knelt on the floor, apologizing to Ye Wangshan. The younger children nearby were also crying, begging their master not to send their mother away. The older boy pursed his lips in silence, his cheeks red and swollen, a sight that suggested he'd been slapped.

"What did Dad say?" Ye Jiabie didn't waste any time and went straight to Ye Wangshan.

Ye Wangshan, clutching his son's letter, naturally felt confident. But seeing his grandson crying and begging like that, he couldn't bear it. Ye Jia knew exactly what he was thinking the moment she saw him like that. He simply didn't want to be the bad guy in front of his grandson, fearing he'd resent him in the future. Ye Jia picked up the letter from the table and read it through. As the saying goes, a person's handwriting reveals his character. From the concise and to the point letter, it was clear that Ye Qingshan was a man of both blood and temper.

"Since my eldest brother has already written the divorce letter, why is Dad still hesitating?"

Ye Jia walked over and brought the letter to Ye Qingjiang, asking him to read it out in front of everyone. Ye Qingjiang hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and read it, shutting up Ye Zhang's excuse that he was illiterate.

Ye Zhang's eyes glared bloodshot, and she looked as if she wanted to beat the two siblings to death. It was this troublemaker who had repeatedly picked on her that had brought her to this point. Ye Zhang felt no regret for her actions, but instead resented the others for colluding to harm her. The younger ones, fearing their aunt Ye Jia, lowered their heads, not daring to look at her. The eldest granddaughter of the Ye family rushed forward and gave Ye Jia a hard shove.

"You are a bad person! You hurt my mother!"

Ye Jia was amused by the Ye family's eldest granddaughter's fierce behavior. She held onto the table to steady herself. She hadn't wanted to argue with a child, but turning her head, she was taken aback by the girl's fierceness. Just as she was about to say something, Ye Qinghe somehow appeared on crutches.

This was the first time he had gone out since breaking his leg, and Ye Wangshan was frightened to death. He didn't care that his grandson was still crying and hugging his leg, and hurried over to support him. Ye Sushi was also frightened and her face turned pale. She pushed away Ye Simei's hand and went to pick up Ye Qinghe. Compared with the grandson, the youngest son was naturally more important. Seeing his face pale with pain, Ye Wangshan felt distressed: "Why did you get up?"

"Dad," Ye Qinghe had had enough. With his elder brother and nephew gone, and him falling, Ye Zhang was about to overtake the old couple. The events of the Ye family's recent past had left him no longer in the mood for self-pity. He pointed at the little girl who had just pushed Ye Jia and said, "Send this little one away too!"

Ye Qinghe has a hot temper and a bad temper: "It doesn't matter if the offspring is useless. We don't have anything else, but we have many children and grandchildren!"

These words struck a chord with Ye Wangshan, instantly settling his hesitant thoughts. It was like a revelation. Wasn't it? The Ye family had many children and grandchildren. Five in the first wife's family, four in the second. If Ye Qinghe could marry in the future, he'd still have grandchildren. He was overthinking it. It had to be said that when it came to understanding Ye Wangshan's thoughts, Ye Qinghe was the one who understood him best.

Once Ye Qinghe's words were spoken, it would be useless for Ye Zhangshi to make a fuss.

The eldest granddaughter of the Ye family was now frightened and knelt on the ground with her eyes open to admit her fault. But she was a granddaughter, and while Ye Wangshan couldn't bear to part with his grandson, his granddaughter was very willing to do so. He immediately waved his hand and ordered Ye Qingjiang and several of the grandsons from the second wife's family to chase Ye Zhang and her daughter out. The younger grandsons from the first wife's family were about to cry, but when they looked up and saw their uncle with a sullen face, their cries died in their throats.

"If you can't bear to leave your mother, you can just follow her." Ye Qinghe looked at the crying nephews with cold eyes, "After all, the Ye family doesn't need you guys to carry on the family line. Just take care of your mother."

After he said this, the little ones stopped crying and just hung their heads without saying a word.

Ye Qinghe looked at them with great disappointment. These children didn't look like his eldest brother at all.

Regarding the divorce of Ye Zhang, Ye Wangshan had sent Ye Qingjiang to the scene. He hadn't called his daughter, but rather his third son-in-law. Unexpectedly, he wasn't there because he had something else to do. As a father, he naturally didn't have the time to chat with his daughter, so he returned to his room with a sullen face.

Ye Jia didn't plan to stay for dinner. She wanted to leave after finishing her work. But before leaving, she glanced at Ye Qinghe's legs and couldn't help but say, "If your legs were broken and reattached, maybe you could still stand up."

Ye Qinghe suddenly looked up at Ye Jia. Ye Jia curled his lips and said, "The bones are crooked, so naturally you can't stand up."

When their eyes met, Ye Qinghe's face lit up.

Ye Jia cursed her own chastity, put down her teacup, and said she had something to do and had to leave. Ye Qinghe wanted to keep her for dinner, but before she could finish her words, Ye Jia had already walked out of the yard. He sat on the bench, looked down at his legs, pinched them, and his mind was moved.

Yejiazhuang is not far from Wangjia Village, and it is just a few miles away after crossing a river.

As Ye Jia left the village, he overheard a few women gossiping at the entrance. The countryside was full of trivial matters, the kind you see in the family. The Ye family's affairs had just begun, and they were all enjoying themselves. One elderly woman nodded repeatedly, sighing, "Evildoers will be punished by evildoers." That wicked young woman from the Ye Zhang family must have done a lot of bad things. She'd been found naked in the woods out front a while ago. Her hand was broken, and she'd been stripped of all her clothes and jewelry. She was probably never going to get married.

They were talking loudly, and Ye Jia happened to hear them as she passed by. She couldn't help but raise her eyebrows.

Back home, Yu was busy in the yard. Rui Jie'er was dozing on the doorstep, clutching a lamb. Ye Jia had just entered the house when Zhou Jingchen returned with a gray puppy. The little creature was still tiny, wiggling around. It bit when Ye Jia tried to pet it.

Their eyes met, and Zhou Jingchen curled his lips into a smile. He flicked the tip of the little thing's ear with his fingers twice, lowering his eyes to block out the dark color in them. "I caught it outside and will keep it in the yard from now on."

"What is it? A dog?" Ye Jia came over to take a look.

Zhou Jingchen didn't say anything. He just put the little thing in Ye Jia's arms and told her: "Jia Niang, you will feed this little thing yourself from now on."