Chapter 288: 288 hired someone to do the work Chapter 288: 288 hired someone to do the work After Ye Jiu left, Ye Wenzheng called Ye Yun over, “Little sister, there’s some watermelon left on the table that Aunt Xiaojiu brought over. You go and eat it.”

Apart from wild fruits from the mountains, Ye Yun had never tasted any snacks as delicious as this before, and she was moved to tears as she ate.

“Brother, I’ll take some to mother,” Ye Yun said.

“I’ve already taken some to mom. You eat it yourself, and save the rest. I’m going out for a while. You stay at home and take good care of mom,” Ye Wenzheng said.

Knowing that Ye Wenzheng worked with Ye Jiu, Ye Yun felt grateful towards Ye Jiu, so she advised, “Brother, Aunt Xiaojiu has helped our family so much, not only by paying to redeem me, but also by giving you a job. You must help Aunt Xiaojiu diligently in the future and must not harbor any ulterior motives.”

Ye Wenzheng smiled and patted Ye Yun’s head, “Brother knows. Aunt Xiaojiu said that I should work hard, and then I could earn ten taels of silver as monthly salary, plus additional rewards. In a couple of years, I will definitely arrange a splendid dowry for you, so you can marry off in style.”

Ye Wenzheng knew that although Ye Yun was his sister, from the moment she found out that Ye Jiu had paid to redeem her, she had been utterly devoted to Ye Jiu.

As for betrayal, not to mention the many things Ye Jiu had done for their family, just the poison she made him swallow alone would deter Ye Wenzheng from making any reckless moves, as long as he valued his own life.

Moreover, now that he had a job and was earning a salary that could match another person’s annual income in just one month, he would be foolish to betray Ye Jiu.

Ye Wenzheng’s words made Ye Yun blush and smile shyly, thinking of the increasingly hopeful days ahead and reminiscing about the hardships of living with their grandparents in the same yard, which seemed like a world apart.

As Ye Wenzheng had said, indeed there were many idle people in the village.

Ye Wenzheng didn’t go to find people himself but had asked a villager with a good relationship with his family to help out.

The land under Old Man Ye’s name, even adding the few acres Ye Jiu had recently acquired for him, was not much, so in total, they found only five or six young, strong, and honest men.

On the road, someone asked Ye Wenzheng, “Wenzheng, you are helping your noble grandfather’s family find people to work. Why are you handling it? Moreover, these past days, I’ve seen you walking close with their family’s daughter.”

“Uncle also knows, as of now, we three have been driven out and own not a single plot of land. Noble grandfather’s family is doing business, and I shamelessly stepped forward to find some work for myself. It was noble grandfather feeling sorry for us that let me stay and help around,” Ye Wenzheng knew Ye Jiu was buying estates outside the Ye Family’s knowledge, so he dared not disclose any news, thus not mentioning Ye Jiu at all.

“I see, you should really thank your noble grandfather then. Be diligent in your work as it gives you a way forward. With your noble grandfather’s favor, if you do well, you might do even better than those in our village who own land,” the man chuckled and advised him.

Ye Wenzheng nodded, showing he understood.

Old Man Ye, leading a donkey, finally managed to plough all the soil in the field. With a hoe, he and Mr. He smashed the clods and leveled the soil. Watching his brother, Ye Zhong, also handling a hoe and working the soil beside him, Old Man Ye suddenly felt a softening in his heart.

After all, there wasn’t much enmity between their two families, and they were blood brothers. They had not been in contact for many years simply because of a dispute over who their widowed mother should live with when they divided the family’s assets.