Chapter 18: Taking Advantage

“Let’s go, let’s hurry back!” Ye Xin called out, slinging the heavy basket onto her back and hopping onto the back seat of the bicycle.

Without needing to be told, Shen Zhuo already knew what she was worried about—the meat might go bad in the heat. He nodded and, as soon as she settled in, pedaled the bike away from the town, heading toward home.

It was barely past nine in the morning, but the heat was already sweltering. Pedaling the bike required effort, and with Ye Xin holding tightly to him, the heat seemed to double.

After what had happened last time, Shen Zhuo had stopped saying much. He simply put up with it, though it still felt… strange. It wasn’t exactly the kind of thing he was used to.

To distract himself, when they hit a smoother stretch of road, he finally spoke up, “You bought so much… what if we run out of money?”

Ye Xin rested her forehead against his back to shield herself from the sun, and without skipping a beat, replied, “If the money runs out, I’ll just make more.”

“It’s not that easy to make money,” he said, frowning as he tried to explain. He didn’t want her to get too carried away with spending, only to find themselves struggling later. “Look, we worked hard three times to gather herbs and only made a little over four yuan. And you… you spent more than that in one go!”

Ye Xin gave him an innocent look. “I know money isn’t easy to make. I’ve never thought it is.”

Whether in this era or her past life, money was always hard to come by. Whether it was physical labor or mental work, both were exhausting. And it wasn’t just about the effort—people often had to endure all sorts of frustrations. It felt like working through a graveyard shift, only to scrape by with a meager “survival allowance.”

But that’s just life, she thought. Everyone’s just trying to get by, and there’s not much more they can do.

Still, she now had her “golden finger”—a small edge that could help her live a little more comfortably than before. This gave her hope, making her bolder in facing life’s challenges.

Ye Xin understood that Shen Zhuo thought she was a bit too free with her money. People in this era had been poor for so long that they were afraid of spending even a little. They hoarded what they had, always scrimping and saving—he wasn’t the only one with that mentality.

She decided to change his perspective. “We don’t really have any other expenses right now. Since we have the money, we might as well buy some good food and nourish our bodies. If we get weak now, we’ll struggle later, and no amount of food afterward will help. Once we’ve built up some strength, we can focus on saving again.”

She paused for a moment, then added, “And don’t think I spend too much—every cent I spent was well worth it. I even bargained hard for every item!”

Shen Zhuo sighed, “I didn’t say you spend too much…”

Ye Xin grinned. “But that’s exactly what you mean!”

Shen Zhuo was getting frustrated. “I just want you to be more careful. If you spend all the money too quickly, earning it back will be much harder. It’s easy to fall into luxury, but hard to get back to simplicity!”

Ye Xin, knowing that she still needed his help to pedal the bike and would need him for more work in the future, decided to smooth things over. “Okay, okay. I know you’re just looking out for me. I’ll think more carefully about money from now on.”

Shen Zhuo’s irritation seemed to ease. “Good. I’m glad you understand.”

Ye Xin smiled quietly behind him. This young man was easy to calm down.

Then she said, “But life is more fun when you can eat well and live well. I don’t want to keep drinking sweet potato porridge at every meal like before. To keep eating well, we need to think of more ways to make money!”

Shen Zhuo raised an eyebrow. “So, should we go into the mountains to gather more herbs?”

Ye Xin shook her head. “You already said that gathering herbs is slow and tiring. Besides, we can’t keep going into the mountains every day.”

Shen Zhuo asked, “So what should we do? The vegetables are still growing, and when they’re ready to sell, there’ll be too many vendors and we won’t get a good price.”

Ye Xin thought for a moment before suggesting, “I saw that the Chen family has rabbits. Maybe they’re wild ones that they caught and are selling. Do we have rabbits on the mountain?”

Shen Zhuo nodded. “We do have some, but…”

“Easy to catch,” Shen Zhuo said.

Ye Xin grinned and suggested, “What if we try setting traps? If we catch some wild rabbits or pheasants, we won’t have to sell them—we can eat them ourselves and save the money.”

Shen Zhuo gave her a helpless smile, shaking his head. “You’re always thinking about food.”

Ye Xin responded with pride, “Of course! Good food makes you strong! Eating meat helps you grow and build strength!”

And she was right. Ever since she bought meat and eggs on their last trip to the market, Shen Zhuo had noticed a gradual increase in his strength. He felt less hungry and tired at work, and overall, his energy had improved.

Even now, pedaling the bike felt easier than it had before.

It was true—the saying “Eat well, gain strength” was something he now experienced firsthand.

He thought for a moment, unable to argue with her logic, and sighed, “You’re right.”

Ye Xin beamed. “See? You should listen to me more often!”

Then, taking the opportunity, she added, “Pedal faster, we’ve got so much food, I don’t want it to spoil in the heat!”

Shen Zhuo sighed, knowing she would say that. But with so much food on board, he wasn’t going to take any chances. They needed to get home as soon as possible.

He steadied the bike and increased his pace.

Under the scorching July sun, a slight breeze couldn’t do much to cool them down. Both their faces were dripping with sweat.

Because they were in a hurry, they didn’t take any breaks on the way back—except for the steep hills where they got off and walked. Otherwise, they rushed home as fast as they could.

Finally, around 10 a.m., they reached home, just in time to avoid the worst of the heat.

Ye Xin hurried to unload the meat and eggs, checking them carefully to make sure nothing had spoiled. She stashed them away quickly. Thankfully, the meat she bought wasn’t fresh, so it didn’t need to be hung in the well like before. But she still needed to keep it safe from rats.

The rice and oil were stored in the kitchen, while the snake-repellent items went into the main room.

They decided not to gather herbs today and take a break. Their days had been packed—either working or foraging for herbs. Even though they had adapted to the rhythm, it was still exhausting. Every now and then, they needed some time to relax.

After putting everything away, they decided to rest for a bit and then spend the afternoon tending to the vegetable garden in the backyard.

But with still a few hours until noon, Shen Zhuo couldn’t sit still. After a short rest, he went outside to tidy up the yard.

Ye Xin, who had been resting in her space, heard the commotion and decided to join him. She didn’t want him working alone.

Shen Zhuo’s yard was spacious. The main house faced directly out onto the open space, with no side wings, giving it a clean, uncluttered feel—mainly because they didn’t have much to clutter it with. The father and son had never been ones to accumulate unnecessary things, so it always looked neat and tidy.

There were no trees in the yard, just a well with a bucket nearby. On the right side, near the wall, there were bamboo poles used for drying clothes. After the clothes dried, they were quickly taken down—nothing was left hanging for long.

Near the two corners of the main house, on the left, was a simple wooden stove room; on the right, there was a half-wall made of mud bricks, serving as a firewood storage area, with a sizable stack of firewood. Usually, the firewood was used for drying herbs, and tools like hoes and shovels were often scattered about, making it a bit messy. Shen Zhuo was cleaning up this area.

Ye Xin came out and saw him carefully reorganizing the pile of firewood, stacking it neatly, one layer horizontal, one layer vertical, all of similar size. She couldn’t help but think that he might have a touch of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

But it was oddly satisfying to watch.

She asked, “Is there anything else that needs to be cleaned up?”

Shen Zhuo glanced at her and said, “Nothing to clean up. You should rest.”

Seeing he was almost done, Ye Xin didn’t want to add to the mess, but something else came to mind. She remembered the last heavy rain when she had been terrified of a flash flood. She said, “Since we have the time, maybe we should clean out the ditches around the yard? It’s July—there could be more heavy rains soon.”

Shen Zhuo said “Alright,” and after neatly stacking the firewood, he grabbed a shovel and headed toward the back of the house.
Ye Xin followed suit, taking a hoe along.

The “sunken ditch” was a simple drainage trench they had dug on the slope of the mountain. Proper drainage was crucial in their location, especially since the summer rains were frequent. However, Shen Zhuo’s house sat on the sunny side of the mountain, and there was no low-lying area to create flash floods.

Even before building the house, they had dug ditches on both sides of the hill, directing water away from the yard. The vegetable plot also had grooves to divert water, ensuring it flowed down and away from the yard—no water ever pooled here.

Ye Xin walked around the yard, inspecting the drainage carefully. There were no blockages; just a few weeds and dead leaves that had fallen in, but they weren’t enough to cause any issues.

She let out a relieved sigh.

Of course, she thought. Shen Zhuo and his father had lived here for over a decade. They’d likely encountered every problem the weather could throw at them and had already taken precautions. If there were ever any flash floods, they’d have moved long ago.

Together, they cleared the weeds and debris from the ditch.

After a while, Shen Zhuo stopped, glanced up at her, but then looked away again. He seemed to be hesitating, unsure whether to say something.

Ye Xin, sensing something was wrong, asked, “What’s the matter?”

Shen Zhuo finally met her eyes, his expression serious, almost conflicted. She could tell he had something on his mind but was struggling to voice it.

“Just say it,” Ye Xin urged, her tone sincere. “If I’ve done something wrong, let me know. I’ll fix it.”

Shen Zhuo hesitated, then muttered, “It’s not that…”

He had been thinking about their interactions over the past few weeks, and the more he thought about it, the more something seemed off. But he didn’t know how to start the conversation.

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, his voice unsure, “Today, when you told Dr. Xu that you were my fiancée…”

Ye Xin blinked, surprised that he wanted to discuss this. “Did it cause you trouble?” she asked. “But when Dr. Xu asked, it would’ve been awkward to say nothing. And since we’re always going there together, it makes sense to have a clear identity, right?”

Shen Zhuo fell silent, clearly troubled. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and frustrated. “But… you’ve been saying it to other people too—when chatting with the aunts or talking to the other young people. It sounds like we’re some perfect couple. What happens if… we don’t end up together?”

Ye Xin stared at him, confused. “What do you mean, ‘what happens’?”

Seeing her dismissive reaction, Shen Zhuo’s brow furrowed deeper. “Everyone thinks we’re so happy, that we’re going to stay together forever… But that’s not the case. If we don’t get married and go separate ways, how will we explain it?”

It finally clicked for Ye Xin.

Shen Zhuo was worried that she was treating their engagement as if it had never existed, but still going around referring to themselves as an engaged couple. He probably didn’t want to give people the wrong impression, especially since they had been acting quite close—like when she held onto him while riding the bike.

She knew it wasn’t intentional, but it seemed to be bothering him, even though he hadn’t said anything until now.

Seeing his distressed expression, she realized he had probably been carrying this concern for some time, and only now, after much internal struggle, had he spoken up.

Shen Zhuo was indeed troubled.

If she truly thought the engagement was over, she should be more mindful, avoiding situations where they appeared too intimate. And, well, not acting like a couple if they weren’t actually going to follow through on it.

He turned to her and asked, “Do you still consider our engagement real?”

Ye Xin blinked, surprised by the question. She replied, “Do you want to take it seriously?”

Her face flushed slightly, and she huffed in mild annoyance. “I ask you a question, and you answer with another one.”

Ye Xin glanced at his fair, slightly reddened face and started to understand his hesitation. This was her first time in such a situation, but since he was the one who blushed first, she felt strangely calmer.

She said, “Because it’s you who’ll be at a disadvantage.”

Shen Zhuo blinked, puzzled. “How is it my disadvantage?”

She chuckled, her eyes twinkling with mischief, “I have nothing. If it’s real, then I’ll be the one taking advantage of you.”

She shot him a teasing look, “It all depends on whether you let me take advantage or not.”

The words hit him like a wave, and his face turned even redder. He muttered, “You have nothing, and so do I.”

“How are we the same?” She smiled at him, her gaze soft and playful. “You have plenty.”

Thinking she was teasing him, he huffed, “What do I have? I’m poor and empty-handed.”

She tilted her head, “You have a house… and a car.”

He frowned, “A broken house and an old car, nothing special.”

She grinned, “And you’re good-looking.”

Shen Zhuo blushed deeper, stealing a glance at her, unsure of how to respond. He thought her eyes were big and bright, more captivating than any compliment he could muster—but he didn’t dare say it.

Ye Xin pressed on, “See? When it comes to people or possessions, I’m the one taking advantage. Of course, I’d be happy to continue with the engagement… but I’m afraid you might not want to.”

The trees on the slope shielded them from the blazing sun, casting patches of golden light through the leaves.

A summer breeze stirred the golden specks in the shade, cool and soft, while the distant hum of cicadas played in the background.

Shen Zhuo, his face still flushed with embarrassment, paused for a long time before he spoke, his voice quieter, “I… I’m willing too.”

Ye Xin felt a sudden wave of calmness wash over her. Her lips curved into a smile as she stepped closer and wiped the sweat from his brow. In a soft voice, she said, “Then it’s settled. Our engagement still counts.”

Shen Zhuo, a bit shy but clearly pleased, couldn’t help but grasp her hand, his clear eyes shining with sincerity. “Before, it was my father who decided for us. Neither of us were truly willing. But now, it’s settled. From now on, we’ll take it seriously.”

Ye Xin smiled and nodded, “Mm!”