“Zhihuan, did we wake you up?”

Qin Bin glanced down at Shen Zhihuan’s messy bedhead, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Could this girl be any cuter?

“No,” Shen Zhihuan yawned, covering her mouth as she turned to fetch water from the well to wash up.

While she was busy washing her face, Li Qiuhua had already set the table with warm rice porridge, steamed buns, and boiled eggs.

“Fifth Brother, Brother Huang, have you had breakfast? Would you like to eat something?” Shen Zhihuan glanced at the table and invited the two men, who were washing their hands at the well after moving the cotton.

“I’ve already eaten, but Fifth Master hasn’t had time yet. He was too busy fetching the cotton from Master Tan this morning,” Huang Xia’er replied with a smile.

Hearing this, Li Qiuhua quickly went back to the kitchen to ladle a bowl of rice porridge. She added two freshly picked cucumbers from the morning and seasoned them as a side dish, feeling that just an egg and some pickles might be too plain.

“There’s nothing fancy here in the countryside, Xiao Qin, just make do with it,” Li Qiuhua said cheerfully, pushing the food toward Qin Bin.

Shen Zhihuan stifled a laugh and grabbed a steamed bun to eat.

Yesterday, wasn’t it her mother who said they shouldn’t associate with him?
And now, the moment he arrived, even her daughter was sidelined.

Shen Zhihuan’s suppressed laughter earned her an exaggerated glare from Li Qiuhua.

“When you’re done with breakfast, go to the supply store and buy some meat, snacks, and two bottles of wine,” Li Qiuhua instructed while pulling a large bill and several ration tickets from her pocket, placing them on the table in front of Shen Zhihuan.

“Don’t we already have some?” Shen Zhihuan motioned toward the net bag on the side cabinet with her chin.

Li Qiuhua shot her another glare. “This afternoon, we’re visiting your two little nieces. How can you, as their aunt, not bring some snacks and treats? Wouldn’t that be embarrassing?”

If they didn’t bring enough, knowing her eldest daughter’s mother-in-law’s miserly ways, she feared the girls wouldn’t even get a taste.

Li Qiuhua sighed inwardly, her thoughts drifting to the two quilts.

“Fine, fine. I’ll buy out the entire supply store and stuff that miserly old woman until she bursts,” Shen Zhihuan replied, feigning exasperation.

Having a shameless and stingy mother-in-law like that must be her eldest sister’s worst luck.

But the real victims were her two young nieces.

Just thinking about it made Shen Zhihuan feel frustrated. She couldn’t fathom how her eldest sister tolerated such a situation. Was it love?
If so, it was a love not worth keeping.

Li Qiuhua glanced at Qin Bin, relieved that he showed no reaction. She quickly gave Shen Zhihuan another fierce glare.

What kind of daughter had she raised? Blurting out family grievances for others to hear—was she trying to embarrass them?

“Mom, Aunt Wang is here to see you,” Xiao Weidong called from the courtyard gate.

“Xiao Qin, eat up. I’ll go see what Aunt Wang needs,” Li Qiuhua said before heading out of the hall.

Once Li Qiuhua was gone, Qin Bin leaned in slightly and asked in a low voice, “That ‘old miser’ you mentioned—is she your eldest sister’s mother-in-law?”

“Mm.” Shen Zhihuan threw a piece of cucumber into her mouth. “She’s the kind of person who’d stick a finger into passing dung picker’s manure to taste it’s saltiness.”

“…”

Sitting at the door, eavesdropping, Huang Xiao’er nearly choked on his saliva.

This girl was brutal. Who says something like that at the breakfast table?

He recalled a businessman who once offended Qin Bin at a dinner by cursing loudly. Qin Bin hadn’t caused a scene but had quietly set down his chopsticks and walked out.

But now, Huang Xiao’er peeked inside and saw his boss casually chewing a bun and crunching on cucumber slices as if he hadn’t heard anything unusual.

He was dumbfounded.

“You have a second sister too?” Qin Bin asked, his deep voice tinged with amusement.

“Are you here to deliver things or to interrogate me?” Shen Zhihuan shot back, placing her chopsticks on the table after finishing her food.

“You don’t get along with her?” Qin Bin pressed on, his smile widening.

Annoyed, Shen Zhihuan scowled at him, her patience wearing thin.

“Fine, I won’t ask anymore,” Qin Bin said, raising his hands in surrender.

“How much for all the cotton, Fifth Brother?” Shen Zhihuan asked, standing to clear the table.

“One hundred and fifty yuan,” Qin Bin replied. He had intended to say it was free but thought better of it, knowing her personality. He settled on the cost price.

Shen Zhihuan nodded and left the room. When she returned, she handed him fifteen crisp bills.

“Thank you, Fifth Brother. If you ever need my help with anything, just say the word,” she said sincerely.

“Anything?” Qin Bin raised an eyebrow.

“As long as it’s not murder, arson, or anything illegal,” Shen Zhihuan quickly added, her wariness rising.

Before Qin Bin could respond, the sound of approaching footsteps prompted Shen Zhihuan to grab the money and stuff it into his shirt pocket.

The brief touch of her warm fingers brushing against his chest sent a ripple through him, a heat spreading from where her fingers had lingered.

By the time the visitor reached the hall’s entrance, Shen Zhihuan was already tidying up the dishes.

“Aunt Wang, come in and have a seat,” Shen Zhihuan said, stepping aside to make room.

“Thank you!” Aunt Wang replied with a smile.

As Shen Zhihuan carried the dishes to the kitchen, Li Qiuhua and Aunt Wang followed her in.

“Zhihuan…” Aunt Wang hesitated, her expression awkward as she tried to find the right words.

“Your brother Chungen has found a match and will be getting married next month,” Li Qiuhua began, lowering her voice as she glanced toward the hall to ensure Qin Bin wasn’t listening.

“That’s great news,” Shen Zhihuan said with a smile.

“Aunt Wang tried everywhere but couldn’t find any cotton for the wedding quilts. She wants to know if you can ask Xiao Qin to help get some,” Li Qiuhua added.

“How much cotton do you need, Aunt Wang?” Shen Zhihuan asked after a moment’s thought.

“If possible, I’d like to get 20 pounds—enough for two quilts. One for Chungen and one to set aside for Chunxi’s future marriage. The leftovers can be used to make jackets,” Aunt Wang explained, her embarrassment evident.

“If 20 pounds isn’t possible, just one quilt’s worth will do. We’ll save up for Chunxi later,” she added quickly, afraid of causing trouble.