Chapter 24: This Girl is Really Pretty

Ye Siran saw the old lady running so fast and exclaimed, “Wen Lin, look! You scared the old lady so much she’s practically flying!”

“Ranran, what if the old lady falls? Will she come after me for it?” Wen Lin asked worriedly.

“That’s possible, Wen Lin. From now on, you need to be careful. Even if you give money, don’t give too much,” Ye Siran warned kindly.

In her past life, she remembered hearing He Yongchang mention once that Wen Lin, the only daughter of the Wen family, fell ill and died shortly after being sent to the countryside!

Back then, her eyes were fixed only on He Hongwen; she paid no attention to other people or events. Now, looking back, it must have been money that caused all the trouble.

Curious, Ye Siran asked, “Wen Lin, are you carrying a lot of money on you?”

“Not really! Ranran, look, it’s all here.” Wen Lin innocently laid out several bundles of brand-new bills in front of Ye Siran.

Ye Siran’s gaze turned serious, her tone unusually stern. “Wen Lin, didn’t your parents teach you not to flaunt wealth?”

“They did! My parents and my three older sisters-in-law all said that, but… Ranran, you’re not an outsider!”

“Wen Lin, luckily I’m not a bad person. But have you ever thought about what might happen if you meet a greedy person? Seeing that you have so much money, how would they react?”

“What could they do? I can’t just give all my money to someone for no reason… Could someone really want to harm me for it?” Wen Lin’s voice trembled in shock.

“Wen Lin, you’ve lived a comfortable life, you’re generous, and you don’t have a proper sense of money. You throw money around recklessly.

Today, you met someone like Grandma Zhong, and she was scared away. But if you encounter a greedy person, they won’t run—they might even try to snatch it from you.”

“Oh my! I forgot that there really are people like that in the world. Ranran, how about I give all my money to you? You can manage it, and if it runs out, we’ll write to my parents.”

Wen Lin had originally wanted to take care of Ye Siran like an older sister. But after learning they were the same age, with Ye Siran even a month older, she felt reassured.

“That’s not good! What if it gets lost?” Ye Siran probed cautiously. Loss was impossible anyway—she had her space.

“Then it’ll be lost. I’ll write home to ask my brothers for more. Or you could just keep ten yuan with me—if yours gets lost, at least we won’t starve.”

Seeing Wen Lin speak sincerely, Ye Siran worried more about her habit of tossing money around recklessly—it could lead to real trouble.

“Alright then. We’ll keep track of how much we spend together. But I’ll charge a fee for keeping your money.”

“Fine, fair’s fair among brothers. I like your style, Ranran. How about a storage fee of one yuan per month for keeping a hundred yuan?”

Wen Lin added, “Ranran, maybe I should keep it myself. I’m afraid if others know you have money, they might try to steal it or even hurt you!”

“Don’t worry! I won’t let anyone know. Besides, I’m incredibly strong—most people don’t have the strength to harm me.

Wen Lin, just remember: you only carry ten yuan on you. Not a penny more.”

“Okay! From now on I’ll listen to you. My Ranran is the best!” Wen Lin grinned, thinking of Ye Siran’s incredible strength.

“Mm, the water’s hot. You go wash up first.”

“Ranran, you go first to wash—”

Ye Siran looked at Wen Lin leisurely and asked slowly, “I thought you said you’d listen to me? Besides, I’m going to hide the money now.”

“Alright then!” Wen Lin said, scooping half the hot water to wash up.

While Wen Lin bathed, Ye Siran quickly entered her space to store the money. Then she went to the bathroom to wash her hair and take a shower, finally relaxing in the spirit spring bath for a while.

In her villa, she had a washing machine, but she placed her dirty clothes in a plastic tub.

“Oh my! Ranran, you look even prettier than Jian Yueshi after washing up! Why did you look so dull before?” Wen Lin exclaimed, rushing toward Ye Siran.

“Cough… cough… you forget I was carrying two big bags, so I didn’t have time to wash up,” Ye Siran said, pretending to dry her long hair with a towel.

“Ranran, I can’t cook. How about I wash clothes by the well, and you cook?” Wen Lin’s hunger grew at the sight of her beauty.

“Mm, I brought some cured meat. Tonight we’ll have cured meat rice.”

“Good! The meat counts as money, cooking doesn’t. I’ll go wash the clothes now, and later I’ll do the dishes,” Wen Lin said wisely.

She was about to praise Ye Siran some more when a woman outside the cave called, “Ye Zhiqing! Is Ye Zhiqing here?”

Wen Lin rushed out. “Here! Auntie, what can I do for you?”

“You’re Ye Zhiqing? I’m the village chief’s wife. I thought since you just arrived, I’d bring you some eggs and vegetables.”

“Thank you, Auntie. How much are these eggs and vegetables?”

Wen Lin almost said the price outright but remembered Ye Siran’s advice: don’t flaunt money; bargain instead.

The village chief’s wife was struck by Wen Lin’s beauty. No wonder her husband sent food!

So Ye Zhiqing really was pretty enough to match their youngest son.

She instantly regretted not listening to her husband and only bringing a small amount of rice. She had brought a few black buns and some cheap vegetables instead.

Her dark face was smiling, and her tone soft. “I’m glad you like them. These aren’t worth much.”

“I’m Wen Lin. Ye Zhiqing is cooking, so we won’t invite you in. Could you tell us how much these eggs and vegetables cost?”

“They’re from my own home, not worth much. Just two eggs, a handful of vegetables that aren’t fresh, and five black buns. What price could that be?”

The village chief’s wife said embarrassedly, surprised that such a polite and pretty girl even wanted to pay.

“Thank you, Auntie! I brought some White Rabbit candies from home—here, have three to try,” Wen Lin said politely.

“Thanks. I need to get home and cook. You two carry on,” the village chief’s wife said, handing over the basket and taking the candies.

“Ranran, I’m going to the well to wash the vegetables. Wait for me!” Wen Lin called inside before heading out.

Ye Siran stir-fried the vegetables, Wen Lin wiped down the old wooden table, and they sat at the cave entrance to eat.

As evening fell, the last rays of the sun faded behind the hills, casting a gentle night veil over the vast yellow earth.

Occasionally, distant dogs barked or livestock returned to the pens, quickly blending into the quiet.

Smoke curled from the chimney, mingling with the dusk to create a warm scene, while the aroma of food filled the air.

“Ranran, your cooking is really delicious,” Wen Lin said happily, her heart full of hope for the future.