Ye Qingqing was taken aback. She hadn't expected that Tie Dan, with his rugged appearance, could weave such an exquisite straw cage. She gave him a thumbs up and sincerely praised him, "You're so skillful!"
Tie Dan, having received praise, grinned foolishly, a suspicious blush appearing on his dark face.
"Everyone in my village can weave, I'm just clumsy..." Tie Dan felt he didn't deserve such high praise. Weaving baskets and cages was just something everyone in the village was skilled at, as common as eating and dressing.
“Not stupid… Egg is smart…” Ye Tong said loudly, grabbing Iron Egg’s hand.
Tie Dan grinned like a blooming chrysanthemum, he couldn't be happier, this was the first time in his life that someone had praised him for being smart!
Hearing the commotion outside, the old lady had Xiao Li push her out. Upon seeing the clean and pretty Ye Tong, and the dark-skinned, sturdy, and honest Tie Dan, she couldn't help but smile and asked, "Are they your friends, girl?"
Ye Qingqing quickly introduced, "This is Niu Tiedan, the comrade who took care of Lu Mo, and this is my younger brother, Ye Tong."
She nudged Ye Tong, "Xiao Tong, call her Grandma Sheng."
Ye Tong obediently greeted, "Hello, Grandma Sheng."
Tie Dan also cried out, then hesitated, unsure of what to do with his hands. He then told Ye Qingqing that he was going to keep Lu Mo company.
The old lady could tell at a glance that Ye Tong had intellectual disabilities. She had heard Master Chang mention the child, but she hadn't expected Ye Tong to be so clean and beautiful, and also so sensible. Qingqing had raised her younger brother very well.
"Come inside and have some mung bean soup. Look how hot the child is."
The old lady invited the siblings into the house and asked Xiao Li to bring out some mung bean soup. Ye Tong obediently accepted the soup and said, "Thank you."
"Good girl, has Xiaotong gone to school yet?" The old lady looked at Ye Tong, who was quietly drinking soup, and was very happy. Beautiful children are easy to like, let alone such a well-behaved one!
"We haven't contacted any schools yet." Ye Qingqing frowned.
She hasn't even raised enough for her tuition yet. She'll go up the mountain to collect herbs another day. It's just a pity that herbs don't usually sell for much money. Pipi has already gone to the mountains to inquire and said he'll let her know when he has any news so she can go collect herbs.
The old lady glanced at Ye Tong and said, "Judging by her height, she must be eleven or twelve years old, right? We can't delay any longer. No matter what, she still needs to go to school. I'll have someone contact a special school for you so that Xiao Tong can start school in the second half of the year."
Ye Qingqing was even more embarrassed. After hesitating for a long time, she finally stammered out the reason, "I found a school, but I haven't raised enough tuition fees yet. Once I have enough, I'll send Xiaotong to study there."
"How much is missing? I'll make up the difference for you," the old lady said readily.
Ye Qingqing quickly waved her hand and said, "No need... I can earn money myself. I didn't even take Lu Mo's money, so how could I take yours? It's almost enough. I'll go and gather some more herbs and I'll have enough."
She absolutely refused to accept the old lady's money. She believed that accepting favors was a virtue, and Ye Qingqing would never borrow a single penny unless absolutely necessary!
Only then did the old lady understand why Ye Qingqing had risked her life to climb down the cliff to pick Ganoderma lucidum.
"Don't your parents have money?"
"My mother died when she gave birth to Xiaotong, and my father remarried." Ye Qingqing didn't say much, but the old lady understood immediately.
With a stepmother, even the biological father becomes a stepfather.
The old lady looked at Ye Qingqing with pity. Ye Tong was ignorant and knew nothing, so all the burden fell on Ye Qingqing's shoulders. It was really hard on this girl!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com