Chapter 24: This Young Lady is Truly Beautiful

Seeing the elderly woman scurrying away at such a frantic pace, Ye Siran remarked, "Wen Lin, look at you! You’ve scared that poor woman so much she’s practically learned to fly."

"Ranran, if she trips and falls, do you think she’ll come looking for me to settle the score?" Wen Lin asked, her expression full of worry.

"It’s a possibility, Wen Lin. You really need to be more careful in the future. Don't be so generous with your money," Ye Siran kindly advised.

In her past life, she vaguely remembered He Yongchang mentioning that the only daughter of the Wen family had passed away from illness not long after being sent to the countryside. Back then, she had been so blinded by He Hongwen that she paid no attention to anyone or anything else. Now, thinking back, it must have been the money that caused her downfall.

Ye Siran asked curiously, "Wen Lin, are you carrying a lot of money on you?"

"I suppose it’s not that much! Look, Ranran, it’s all right here." Without a shred of guile, Wen Lin laid out stack after stack of crisp, new banknotes before Ye Siran.

Ye Siran looked at Wen Lin with a solemn expression, her tone turning unusually serious. "Wen Lin, didn't your parents ever teach you not to flaunt your wealth?"

"My parents and my three sisters-in-law all told me that, but Ranran, you aren't an outsider!"

"Wen Lin, it’s lucky that I’m not a bad person. But have you ever considered what might happen if you met someone greedy who saw how much money you have?"

"What could they do? It’s not like I’d just hand all my money over to them for no reason. Surely no one would actually go so far as to kill for money?" Wen Lin’s voice trembled with alarm.

"Wen Lin, you’ve lived a life of luxury since you were young. You’re generous to a fault and have no real concept of the value of money; you treat it like it’s nothing. Today, you only managed to scare off someone like Grandma Zhong, but if you ran into a truly greedy person, they wouldn't run away—they might just rob you."

"Oh heavens! I forgot that people like that actually exist. Ranran, why don’t I give all my money to you? You can manage it from now on, and when it’s gone, I’ll just write to my parents for more."

Wen Lin had originally intended to play the role of the big sister and take care of Ye Siran, but upon learning that Ye Siran was the same age and even a month older than her, she felt a sense of relief.

"Is that really a good idea? What if I lose it?" Ye Siran probed. Losing it wasn't a real concern, of course, as she had her interdimensional space.

"If it’s lost, it’s lost. I’ll just write home and ask my brothers for more. How about you keep ten yuan on me, just in case yours goes missing, so we won't starve?"

Seeing Wen Lin’s earnestness, Ye Siran was even more worried that her impulsive habit of throwing money around would lead to trouble.

"Fine. We’ll keep a ledger of every cent we spend. However, I’m charging a fee for safekeeping your money."

"Deal! Clear accounts make for good friends. I love your straightforward nature, Ranran. How about one yuan per month for every hundred yuan kept?"

Wen Lin then continued, "Actually, Ranran, maybe I should keep it myself. I’m afraid that if others know you have so much money on you, they might plot against you!"

"Don’t worry! I won't let anyone know. Besides, I’m incredibly strong; most people wouldn't stand a chance if they tried to harm me. Just remember: you only have ten yuan on you, not a penny more!"

"Understood! I’ll listen to you from now on. My Ranran is the best!" Wen Lin chirped, buttering her up, suddenly remembering Ye Siran’s impressive strength.

"Alright, the water is hot. Go wash up first."

"Ranran, you go first..."

Ye Siran looked at Wen Lin with a calm, composed expression and asked slowly, "Didn't you say you’d listen to me? Besides, I need to hide this money now."

"Fine!" Wen Lin scooped out half of the hot water and went to wash up.

While Wen Lin was bathing, Ye Siran quickly ducked into her space to store the money safely. She then went to the washroom to shampoo and shower, enjoying a luxurious soak in the spirit spring water. She had a washing machine in her large villa, but she left her dirty clothes in a plastic bucket for now.

"My goodness! Ranran, you look so much more beautiful now that you’re clean—even more so than Jian Yueshi! Why were you looking so drab and dusty before?" Wen Lin exclaimed, rushing over to her.

"Ahem... you forgot, I was lugging two heavy bags around, I didn't have time to clean up." Ye Siran feigned wiping her long hair with a towel.

"Ranran, I don’t know how to cook. How about I go wash the clothes by the well, and you handle dinner?" Wen Lin’s hunger grew as she admired Ye Siran’s beauty.

"Sure. I brought some cured meat; we’ll have cured meat over rice tonight."

"Great! The meat counts as money, but the cooking doesn't. I’ll go wash the clothes now and do the dishes later," Wen Lin said, catching on quickly.

Just as she was about to praise Ye Siran again, she heard a woman calling from outside the cave dwelling, "Is the educated youth, Ye, in?"

She rushed out. "I’m here. May I ask what you need, Auntie?"

"Are you the educated youth Ye? I’m the village head’s wife. I figured since you just arrived, I’d bring you some eggs and fresh vegetables."

"Thank you, Auntie. About these vegetables and eggs, I’ll... let me see, how much should I pay you?"

Wen Lin was about to offer a price, but she suddenly remembered Ye Siran’s warning about not flaunting wealth and decided not to set a price herself, aiming to negotiate instead.

The village head’s wife’s eyes lit up when she saw the beautiful Wen Lin. No wonder her husband wanted her to bring food over. This educated youth was so pretty; she would be more than a match for her youngest son. She felt a twinge of regret—she should have listened to the old man and brought a catty of white rice. Her husband had told her to bring rice and eggs, but she had felt the rice was too precious and couldn't bear to part with it, so she had stingily brought a few black flour buns and some cheap vegetables instead.

With a beaming, dark-skinned face, she said in a gentler tone, "As long as you like them, educated youth Ye. They aren't worth much."

"Auntie, my name is Wen Lin. Ye is busy cooking right now, so I won't invite you in, but please, tell me how much I owe you for the eggs and vegetables?"

"They’re just from my own house; they aren't worth anything! Two eggs, a handful of wilted greens, and five black flour buns—how could I charge you for this?" the village head’s wife said, feeling embarrassed. She hadn't realized this pretty girl would be so polite as to insist on paying.

"Then thank you very much, Auntie. I brought some White Rabbit cream candies from home, please take three to try," Wen Lin said courteously.

"Thank you. I have to get home to cook, you two go ahead and get busy." The village head’s wife set down the basket, accepted the candies, and left.

"Ranran, I’m going to wash the vegetables by the well. Wait for me!" Wen Lin called into the cave before heading out to wash the greens and the laundry.

Ye Siran stir-fried the vegetables, while Wen Lin wiped down the dilapidated wooden table. The two sat at the entrance of the cave to eat.

As dusk deepened, the remnants of the setting sun retreated behind the mountains, draping the vast yellow earth in a faint veil of twilight. In the distance, the occasional bark of a dog or the sound of livestock returning to their pens soon faded into the tranquil evening.

Smoke curled gently from the chimney, weaving into the night to create a warm, cozy scene, while the aroma of the meal filled the air.

"Ranran, your cooking is delicious," Wen Lin said happily, her heart brimming with hope for the future.