Back home, Liu Duo stood in front of Ye Liu and spun around him, "Look, Ling, does this look nice?"

He had noticed it, but he had not found the chance to tell her, so he nodded, "Very nice. You look nice in whatever you wear, Duo."

"Of course. It's me we're talking about!" Liu Duo was very proud of herself. She was extraordinarily happy to have new clothes.

By the look of it, this garment had not come cheap, but Ye Ling said nothing. As long as Liu Duo was happy. He could always secretly save money on medicine, or not consume as much.

"Ling, listen, we'll have money in a few days, haha. Then we can buy some new clothes for you, for everyone!"

Ye Ling hesitated and was about to ask why when Liu Duo interrupted, "Don't ask me why. I'll tell you when the time comes. Consider it a surprise!"

Since that was what she said, Ye Ling did not probe further. He nodded.

He turned away and got the dishes out from the pot and set them on the table. The first thing Liu Duo did when she arrived home was to go in the outhouse and change her cloth.

Upon exiting, she washed the used one and hung it on the rope. She murmured to herself, "Next time I change the cloth there should be none left. It's been a few days."

When she changed the cloth just then, there was only a little.

"Duo Er, come eat," Ye Ling called. He had set the chopsticks ready.

"Coming."

At the table, she looked on curiously, "Ling, why is there an egg in my bowl?"

Out of the four bowls, only hers had an egg, sunny side up.

"When I went to Aunt Ye's place to borrow a cloth pad, she gave me ten eggs and said they're a supplement for you, so I fried one for you," he replied with a smile. Aunt Ye was so good to them.

"Oh," Liu Duo thought. Aunt Ye and her family treated them so well. They should pay their respects when they have money.

In the Ye family, only Uncle Ye and Aunt Ye treated them well.

Liu Duo split the egg into four pieces and gave a piece to each of the three brothers. "Here. A bit for everyone. I share what I have. I'm a good girl."

She also divided her rice for everyone.

"Duo Er, you have it. Aunt Ye said it's supplement for you," Liu intended to return it.

Liu Duo fired back, "Don't do that, or you'll make me angry!"

"Just eat it, Ling. This is Little Duo's good will. It's best to not let her down." Ye Liu picked up his egg and ate it, followed by a remark, "Wow, this piece of Little Duo's love tastes amazing. It's absolutely wonderful."

Liu Duo rolled her eyes. There he went, teasing again.

Even his own brother said so. Ye Ling decided to not push the matter, and he ate the egg too. Only Ye Mo kept staring at the quarter of an egg in his bowl, not picking up his chopsticks, as though he could change it into a flower.

It was only when Ye Liu went for his second bowl that Ye Mo ate his egg. Ye Liu looked at him, not saying a word. There were some things Ye Mo had to decide for himself.

"It feels nice to be full," said Liu Duo with an air of satisfaction. "Right, Liu, did you find any suitable work when you were at the alley?"

"There's some, but I don't intend to go." Ye Liu put down his chopsticks. "I'm going there again tomorrow to find more."

When Ye Liu realised Burly Du had signed up for the job he wanted, he gave up on the idea. Burly Du insisted that he sign up too, but he refused, and so it escalated to what had happened later.

Liu Duo did not ask further, for she had guessed why. "So what are we doing later in the afternoon?" With no televisions, and no phones, life was boring.

Ye Mo spoke this time, "I'm going to the paddy field for some weeding. It's March, so it's time to plant some paddy."

"Little Duo, let's go later, so that you won't be bored," Ye Liu suggested.

"Alright." Keeping busy with work was a good way to pass the time.

After Ye Ling cleaned up the cutlery and got out his basket, the four of them headed towards the paddy field.