The porridge was alright, but unfortunately there wasn't even any pickled vegetables. Yin Lan was a little disappointed. Besides, the two children were growing, and they needed eggs and milk to keep up with their nutrition.

Yin Lan thought, "I'll go to the county today and buy some things, no matter what."

After breakfast, my stomach felt warm and cozy, and I felt comfortable all over.

"Today I'm going to the county to collect your father's allowance, and then we'll have money. From now on, we'll have white rice every day. It's cold outside, so you two stay home and take care of the third child today. You're not allowed to go anywhere, understand?"

While packing her things, Yin Lan said to the two children, "It's the dead of winter. Even though we've changed our clothes, they still look thin. Judging from this morning, the two children wanted to go out and dig for wild vegetables."

The eldest child pursed his lips.

Erwa cried out from inside, "Mom, where are our clothes?"

Yin Lan was stunned. Oh, she had sold them all out.

Unable to explain, she could only vaguely say, "I threw it away..."

"Throw it away!" Chen Yiqi's voice changed with surprise.

His little face scrunched up. He had planned to save it for the third child. His mother was such a spendthrift!

This family will be ruined sooner or later.

I wonder if this house will still be standing when Dad comes back.

Sigh... The little person let out a huge sigh.

Yin Lan had no idea what the child was thinking. After giving her instructions, she left.

She went to Old Mrs. Zhao's house first. If she wanted to borrow something from someone, she should have brought a gift, but her family really had nothing to offer.

Later, after she receives her allowance and gets the system's money properly channeled, she can give back to the system.

So Yin Lan went to borrow things without hesitation, asking, "Where's the oxcart?"

Old Mrs. Zhao thought to herself that she really didn't like her. She treated her like her own stuff, but she was also afraid that she would suddenly start to act coquettishly. "Over there, hurry up and go. Shuanzi's father also needs to go to the county. You all go together!"

"Thank you," Yin Lan said with a smile.

Grandma Zhao was so frightened that she quickly went inside.

Zhao Dashan was Old Lady Zhao's eldest son. He was standing next to the oxcart, which carried several large bundles of wild vegetables and about twenty eggs. It wasn't much; it looked like he was taking them to sell in the county town.

People in the county are better off, but they still have to buy food. So, if villagers have extra eggs or other things that they can't bear to eat themselves, they'll take them to the county town every ten days or so to sell for a few coins.

There wasn't much stuff this time; it was clearly a last-minute trip.

Upon seeing Yin Lan, Zhao Dashan immediately lowered his head, "I...I'm leaving right away."

The Chen family's daughter-in-law became famous throughout the village the day after she went out for the first time, because she was very beautiful.

Everyone says that Chen Yourun is lucky to have married such a wife; the two of them look very well-matched.

Later, she became even more famous, and even the neighboring village knew her, but it was because she was lazy, greedy, and squandered her family's wealth, completely siding with her own family, and even her three sons turned into beggars.

Chen Yourun was such a tall man, but his three sons were as small as quails. People used to envy him, but now they feel sorry for him.

When he comes back and sees his wife insisting on separating the family, and how things are going, and how his son is doing, and that his wife has taken all his allowances without giving the Chen family a single penny, I wonder if he'll be so angry that he'll beat his wife.

He was tall and strong, with thick arms and great strength. He used to wonder how his delicate wife would live with him, and who knows, she might divorce him when she came back.

Yin Lan had no idea that the older brother opposite her was worrying about her future.

He simply sat down and politely thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Brother Dashan."

The sound was crisp and powerful.

Zhao Dashan couldn't help but look up at Yin Lan. His first impression was that she was beautiful, and his second impression was... well, he couldn't think of a way to describe that feeling, but it reminded him of a time when he saw a government official's wife from afar. She was very dignified.

"No...you're welcome." He stammered.

Everyone says that Chen Yourun's wife looks down on people, she has a certain air about her, but she seems quite approachable, doesn't she?

With these thoughts in mind, Zhao Dashan drove the oxcart all the way to the county.

Although it's winter and there have been strong winds for several days, today the weather has cleared up.

The bright sun hung in the sky, looking warm and cozy, and even the wind wasn't cold.

Along the way, there were many people going to the county, all on foot. The oxcarts passed by, attracting passersby to take a second look. What a beautiful woman!

It takes two and a half hours to walk from Tiejian Village, so half a day will pass quickly. Yin Lan walks slowly, so most of the day will be gone. If she walks back, she will be exhausted. Moreover, this trip is to purchase supplies, so a vehicle is necessary.

Sitting on the bumpy ride, basking in the sunlight, breathing in the fresh, unpolluted air, with distant mountain peaks stretching into the distance and cabbages standing tall in the fields, hmm, life here doesn't seem so bad after all~

Inside the thatched hut.

The two children looked at each other, then examined the third child. The third child was truly a precious treasure; once he was full and satisfied, he would stop crying and fussing. In the past, when the two children went out to dig for wild vegetables and beg for food, Yin Lan didn't take the children with her, and he was fine on his own.

“Let’s go to the mountains,” Chen Da-wa said.

"But Mother..."

“Once the allowance is taken, it might end up with the Yin family. If we don’t dig for wild vegetables, we won’t have anything to eat.” Although Mother seems to have changed a bit, she has done this before. But in the end, whenever the Yin family shows up, everything in the house is taken away.

Chen Erqi will listen to whatever his brother says.

Just as the two children put on their baskets and headed out the door, they heard a shrill voice, "Hey, are the eldest and second children going out?"

Upon seeing the person who arrived, Chen Yiqi pursed his lips and gritted his teeth, refusing to speak.

“This child, I don’t know how he was raised. He didn’t even greet his grandmother. Where is your mother? Let her come out, I have something to say to her.”

Chen Erqi glared at the well-dressed old woman in front of him, "Mother's not here!"

Grandma Yin glanced at the two children with disdain. "Open the door, I'll sit and wait for her to come back."

She actually knew it was the day to collect her allowance. When she arrived, she saw Yin Lan leaving in an oxcart at the village entrance before she went to visit.

She stayed here, whereas she didn't have to in the past. Her daughter was so devoted to the scholar that she couldn't wait to divorce him, and she would obediently send over the allowance.

But didn't they beat someone up at home the day before yesterday? It seems this good-for-nothing is actually a little resentful. She used to go back to her parents' house every day, but she didn't go back yesterday.

Fearing she wouldn't get her allowance back, he went to her door in person.

She still had the scholar's handwritten letter in her pocket; she didn't believe this penniless harlot wouldn't pay!

"This is my home!" Chen Yiqi blocked the doorway.

Grandma Yin glanced at it with disdain, "This dilapidated thatched hut is supposed to be a home? Get out of here, you don't know how to respect your elders." She pushed the two children aside and went straight inside.