Zhong Yanyan cut off her younger brother's words, "Zhong Min, if our family were better off, I wouldn't interfere with Mom and Dad's care. Let me be frank—your niece has insider information. The drought's impact will be severe. Even if half the farmland still yields crops, the harvest will be much smaller than before. If you start borrowing money to buy grain now, what will you do later?"
Zhong Min's face burned with shame under his sister's scolding, but he didn't dare argue.
"Enough. Just do as I say. Gather all the grain under your control first. If we let the old folks continue living on their own, who knows if they’ll even survive this drought?"
Zhong Min’s wife also hardened her resolve—if Zhong Qin, the third Zhong sibling, ever returned, she wouldn’t let her take a single grain!
Nan Sheng asked her brother, "So, did Grandma and Grandpa agree to live with Uncle?"
Mingli still felt awed by their mother’s dominance—none of the Zhong family members, young or old, could stand up to Zhong Yanyan.
"Not at first. The old folks were torn between pitying their grandsons and not wanting to burden their daughter. But after Mom gave them an earful, they finally fell in line."
When their mother wasn’t angry, Grandma and Grandpa had a hundred excuses. But once she lost her temper, to put it bluntly, no one dared even breathe a word of disagreement.
Mingli had come to tell his sister that the grain would stay with them for now. If Grandma’s household ran short, they’d come to fetch more later.
With the Zhong family matter settled for the time being, Nan Sheng brought up the bicycle she’d bought.
"The weather’s getting hotter by the day. Even we youngsters can barely stand it, let alone the elderly. I bought a used bicycle from the black market—it’s a bit rusty from age, but it’ll do for now. You can ride it to fetch ice or run errands."
Hearing this, Mingli assumed the bicycle was old and cheap.
"You really do spoil me, Sis. I’ll drop by more often then. I noticed your firewood’s running low too—we should head to the mountains soon to stock up on dry wood."
Sizhe listened as his mother and uncle talked. He knew their family had money and didn’t mind helping Grandma’s household, as long as he and his little sister didn’t go hungry.
But today, the Lin family faced a crisis of their own.
"Mom, guess why Aunt Zhou Wei hasn’t come home?"
"Waiting for your uncle to fetch her, I suppose?"
Nan Sheng thought it was no surprise—after all Zhou Wei’s devotion to her family, she’d been staying there for days without anyone sending her back.
"No!" Sizhe was stunned himself.
"Aunt Zhou Wei’s been locked up by the Zhou family! They’re forcing her to remarry for a dowry!"
Luckily, Sizhong and Sicheng had gone to check on her today. Aunt Zhou Wei had refused to comply and had already gone two days without food.
"What now? Did your uncle go get her?"
What a spectacle—selling a daughter was one thing, but selling her twice? Unheard of.
"Not just Uncle. Half the village went with him. Big Brother and Second Brother got beaten up by the Zhou family today. Grandpa and Uncle couldn’t just ignore it."
When the people of Xiangyang Village arrived at the Zhou household, they smashed the windows and courtyard. Every Zhou man was beaten without mercy. Eldest Brother Lin grabbed his father-in-law by the collar.
"You want to marry Zhou Wei off? Fine! First, return the dowry you took from me. Then you can do whatever you want with her."
Zhou Wei, just rescued, fainted upon hearing those words. After two days of resistance, her husband had abandoned her!
The Zhou family couldn’t possibly repay the dowry. They’d only gotten twenty silver pieces for selling Zhou Wei this time—far less than the original sum. Helpless, they let the Lin family take her back.
Eldest Brother Lin severed ties with the Zhou family on the spot, swearing never to interact with them again.
"Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I need to go see your aunt!"
Sizhe winced as his mother smacked his head. He’d assumed she wouldn’t want to get involved.
"Fool! Do you want our family to cut ties with your uncle and cousins too? Next time you act this dumb, I’ll hit you harder."
Humiliated at being scolded in front of his uncle, Sizhe shot Mingli a look—only for Mingli to glance away first.
"Don’t look at me. You want me to get beaten too?"
Mingli stayed overnight at the Lin household. The next day, he and Nan Sheng headed to town together. Riding on the bicycle’s rear rack, Nan Sheng sighed in relief—not having to pedal was pure bliss.
At the black market, Mingli balked when he saw the bicycle. It was nearly new.
"This must’ve cost a fortune. Forget it—I can manage on foot."
Nan Sheng raised a hand threateningly, but Mingli stood firm. Just then, Old Huang approached.
"Nan Sheng, want to check the ledger for the past few days?"
"Not yet. Wait till the month’s up. No rush."
When Mingli learned his sister had traded drought warnings for ten thousand pounds of grain, his eyes bulged (⚆ɞ⚆). Then he found out she’d not only shared an ice-making method with the government but also partnered with the black market—his expression shifted to pure shock.
Indignant, he protested, "You made money and didn’t even buy me treats!"
Nan Sheng rolled her eyes. Was this really his takeaway?
She’d planned to hint at opportunities first, then later involve Mingli in Xiao Yi’s ventures. That way, even if she weren’t around, the Nan family would thrive.
After a week at her government job, Nan Sheng’s social circle expanded unexpectedly. She could now chat casually with colleagues.
Though the mayor had approved their ice-distribution plan, its rollout was delayed until today, when village representatives arrived at the town hall to collect their shares.
Nan Sheng and Du Tang handled the task.
To protect her recovering complexion, Nan Sheng skipped the standard army-green cap, opting for a wide-brimmed straw hat instead.
Du Tang, more familiar with each village’s situation, called names and negotiated ice quantities while Nan Sheng weighed and packed the blocks.
Some village heads tried begging for extra. A single stern look from Du Tang silenced them.
Feng Wuquan hadn’t stopped smiling since arriving. Lin Han’s wife truly belonged here—serving the people with dignity.
When only four villages remained, Jia Bing summoned Du Tang.
"Du Tang, the mayor needs a document urgently. He wants you now."
Du Tang hesitated, but Jia Bing insisted. Nan Sheng took the list.
"Go ahead. I can manage."
"Next—Xiaoguan Village!"
Villages had sent their heads personally, some hauling oversized containers in hopes of scoring more ice. Xiaoguan’s leader recognized Nan Sheng from the drought meeting.
"Comrade, our village suffers worst from the drought. You must give us extra."
Nan Sheng checked the ledger.
"Xiaoguan has over 150 households—two-thirds working-age adults, one-third elderly and children. Your daily allotment is three pounds. This isn’t for daily use, but for heatstroke emergencies. Now, let me pack your share."
Xiaoguan was notorious for poverty and bride shortages—few women lived there.
The village chief of Xiaoguan Village, Old Huang, disagreed. "Our villagers work in the fields every day—shouldn’t each of them get a block? No way, you need to give me more!"
Nan Sheng slammed the icebox shut. "Let me say it again—the ice is rationed daily. If I give you extra, other villages won’t get any. If you want more, go ask the other chiefs. See who’s willing to share with you."
In this scorching heat, every village was already short on supplies. Who would willingly give theirs away?
"Listen, Old Huang, are you taking your share or not? Don’t waste everyone’s time!" Feng Wuquan couldn’t stand seeing Nan Sheng being pushed around—she was the pride of their village!
Old Huang threw his crate to the ground with a loud clang. "Fine, load it up!"
Oh? So he was throwing a tantrum now?
Nan Sheng’s expression turned icy. She called for the next in line without another word.
"Chief of Qianmen Village, come collect your ice."
