Tie Dan drove back to the auto repair shop. Master Ye still had to go to work, so Ye Qingqing gave Master Ye the two packs of Zhonghua cigarettes that were left in the car, along with two red envelopes.
"I'll accept the cigarettes, but I can't take the red envelope. Xiao Hua is my apprentice, and it's only right for me, as his master, to run errands for him. What kind of behavior is it to accept a red envelope?" Master Ye resolutely refused, only accepting the cigarettes.
Ye Qingqing smiled and said, "The red envelopes are for your two children. I am, after all, the older sister, so I should give you a gift."
Before coming, she had already inquired about the situation. Master Ye's family was not well-off because of the heavy burden on his family. He had two children in middle school, a son and a daughter. Unfortunately, his daughter was not in good health and had an expensive illness. Master Ye earned a decent amount of money, but he still couldn't make ends meet.
Master Ye was seven or eight years younger than Ye Zhiguo, and they were cousins within the fifth degree of kinship, but Master Ye's life was much more difficult than Ye Zhiguo's.
Master Ye's father contracted tuberculosis at a very young age and could not do heavy work. His mother could not bear it and remarried with his sister. At that time, Master Ye was only seven years old. Only his seriously ill father and elderly grandmother were left in the family. He was the only pillar of the family.
But what can a seven-year-old boy do?
He couldn't carry a hoe, and he couldn't even get the oxen to plow the fields. His manure bucket was taller than him. His relatives were too busy taking care of themselves to help him much. So Master Ye and his elderly grandmother worked hard, earning fewer work points than women. During the New Year, they couldn't even afford tofu, let alone meat. His grandmother could only fry a handful of soybeans for Master Ye to eat, which was considered a New Year's feast.
At that time, the old lady struggled to raise her three sons on her own. However, since Ye Zhiguo was already fourteen or fifteen years old, tall and strong, and considered a strong laborer, and his two younger brothers were also able to work, the old lady's life became much easier. Coincidentally, the two families' fields were adjacent, and the old lady sometimes couldn't bear to see them like that, so she asked her three sons to go and help Master Ye and his grandmother.
Moreover, if she cooked some dishes, the old lady would bring some over. Although she had a bad reputation, she was forced by life to do so. Some people were indeed too much, thinking that she was an orphan and a widow and that she was easy to bully, and that she couldn't survive without being fierce.
But the old lady actually had a soft side. When she was young, she loved to wear flowers and floral fabrics. When she saw poor beggars, she would secretly take food from her home to give to them, even if she would be scolded by the adults when she got home.
However, even the softest heart will be worn down day by day when faced with a miserable life.
But when life got a little better, the old lady would help some poor people when no one was watching. The reason she did it secretly was because she was embarrassed. After all, she had been fierce for so many years and was afraid of being laughed at. She herself also felt awkward.
So basically no one in the village knew about the old lady's connection with Master Ye's family. When Master Ye took Ye Hua as his apprentice, the whole village was shocked. Master Ye had even refused his own uncle's grandson, but unexpectedly he was willing to take on Ye Hua, who had a bad reputation.
When Master Ye heard Ye Qingqing bring up the child, he couldn't argue anymore and had no choice but to accept it. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he asked Ye Hua about her situation with concern.
"I need to stay a few more days. Once I've recovered, I can come back to work."
Ye Qingqing looked at Ah Zhen sitting in the back row, who was shrinking back and didn't dare to say a word, and asked, "What are your plans for the future?"
Ah Zhen smiled shyly, her voice low but firm, "I...I want to go find Ye Hua and take care of him..."
If Grandma Ye Hua doesn't look down on her, she's willing to live a good life with Ye Hua. She doesn't ask for a man to be very successful; she'll be content as long as he's kind-hearted, treats her and Lele well, and doesn't hit her.
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