“Why are you paying me and Ya-ger wages?”

Jiang Mai pulled Jiang Ya behind him, eyes fixed on Ye Li as he asked warily.

“Because you two helped filter the bean curd residue,” Ye Li explained.

“Before, you made us work every day without pay, then brandished a stick demanding to know where my brother hid the family money.”

Jiang Mai remained on guard.

“…I hadn’t reformed back then.”

Ye Li recalled the incident, too.

Muttering curses at his former self inwardly, he said, “Now I’m starting anew. Since you two helped me make tofu, I should pay you wages.”

He held up one finger. “One wen each. How about it?”

One wen each?

Jiang Mai was stunned. Just for filtering the bean curd residue, he was offering him and Ya-ger two Wen!

“Ya-ger gets one wen too?” he asked.

“Right. You both did the same work, so you get the same pay.”

“But didn’t you call Ya-ger a jinx before?”

“That was when I was foolish. Now I see clearly. Since I’ve entered your family, cursing him would just be cursing myself!” Ye Li retorted with righteous indignation.

Jiang Mai: “…”

His little eyebrows knotted like twisted ropes. He couldn’t fathom how his brother-in-law had changed so drastically.

“Alright, alright. Come on over. After paying wages, I still need to wash clothes, and you two must gather firewood.” Ye Li beckoned to Jiang Mai.

Jiang Mai’s eyes darted about, but he still led Jiang Ya toward the kitchen.

He was determined to see if this man would actually pay them.

With that thought, he stood before Ye Li and held out his small hand.

Ye Li took a copper coin from the winnowing basket and placed it in his palm, smiling warmly. “And here’s one for Ya-ger.”

Hearing this, Jiang Ya eagerly stepped out from behind Jiang Mai and held out his small hand toward Ye Li.

Ye Li pinched up a copper coin and placed it in his little hand as well, asking, “Ya-ger, did Second Uncle call you a money-losing good-for-nothing?”

Jiang Ya clenched his fist, about to hide behind Jiang Mai, but his large eyes met Ye Li’s as he cautiously replied, “Big Brother said I’m not a thing. I’m a person.”

“The most important person to him and Second Brother.”

At these words, surprise flashed in Ye Li’s eyes.

For the first time, he felt a spark of interest in his cheap husband.

Not bad for a little one.

He smiled warmly. “Your big brother is right. You are a person—a clever and capable one. Among all the boys your age in the village, who else earns a coin every single day?”

“Only Ya-ger can!”

“Right?”

Jiang Ya blinked his big eyes uncertainly. “Will you give me a coin every day from now on?”

“As long as you help make tofu, you’ll get it every single day!”

Hearing this, Jiang Ya’s eyes lit up instantly. He nodded his little head eagerly: “I’ll help make tofu every day from now on!”

“Good boy.” Ye Li found his little expression utterly adorable and reached out to pinch his cheek.

But halfway up, fear flashed across his face, and he darted behind Jiang Mai.

Jiang Mai recoiled as if facing a great enemy, urgently pulling him backward.

“…”

What a mess this original body left behind!

Ye Li forced a smile. “You two go gather firewood. I need to wash clothes.”

Jiang Mai looked at him vigilantly, and seeing that he didn’t plan to do anything, he quickly pulled Jiang Ya out of the house.

The brothers went straight to the big slope next to them.

After crossing the slope, further forward is the foot of the mountain, where villagers pick up firewood, usually from up the mountain.

Seeing that Ye Li did not chase out, the brothers stopped, took a few breaths, and then Jiang Ya happily raised the copper plate in his hand: “Second Brother, we are rich.”

“Hmm.” Jiang Mai also looked down at the copper coin in his hand.

Has that man really changed his ways?

Confusion flashed in his eyes.

On the first day of his marriage to his eldest brother, he hoped that this brother-in-law could change, but he had looked forward to it for so long; did he really change?

God treated him too well if this was true…

On the other side, Ye Li first boiled the raw soy milk he had scooped out before, and then carried the dirty clothes he had saved to the well to wash.

Halfway through the washing, Jiang Dahe pulled a large stone with a cart and ground it over.

There happened to be a finished stone mill in the stone workshop, so Jiang Dahe bought it and pulled it back with a cart all the way, sweating profusely.

Ye Li was very grateful and scooped out a bowl of soy milk to quench Jiang Dahe’s thirst.

After Jiang Dahe drank the soy milk, wiped his mouth, and went out to find someone to help lift the stone mill off the cart.

Ye Li was busy soaking soybeans and cleaning up the utility room next to the stove room.

Placing the stone mill in the utility room, Jiang Dahe lifted his feet and left. The sun had not yet set, and he could still go to the wheat field to weed for a while.

Soon, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya each came back with a bundle of dry firewood.

Ye Li smiled and greeted the two of them to drink soy milk: “You came back just in time, come and drink soy milk, it’s still hot.”

Jiang Mai was stunned when he heard this.

Jiang Ya’s eyes lit up, he threw the dry firewood on the ground, and ran to the stove room: “Okay, okay.”

Seeing this, Jiang Mai hurriedly followed.

Ye Li lifted the lid of the pot and scooped the remaining soy milk from the pot into a bowl.

He also took out a jar of cane sugar and added sugar to the soy milk.

Seeing this, Jiang Ya immediately stretched out his little dirty claws to hold one of the bowls.

But the wall of the bowl was a little hot, so hot that he immediately retracted his little hands.

“Go wash your hands and drink with a spoon.” Ye Li said gently.

“Okay.” Jiang Ya glanced at him carefully, and when he saw that he looked calm, he ran out of the stove room to wash his hands.

Jiang Mai glanced at Ye Li suspiciously, but did not follow.

Ye Li saw that he was standing still, and he didn’t urge him, he just put the spoon in the bowl.

Jiang Ya quickly entered the stove room again. He grabbed the spoon, scooped a small amount first, puffed out his mouth and blew on it, and then drank the soy milk in the spoon into his stomach.

The sweet taste spread in his mouth with the rich aroma of beans. He was very happy, his little head looked at Ye Li, and whispered, “Thank you, Brother Li.”

He only drank a bowl of sweet tofu yesterday.

He drank sweet soy milk again today. Brother Li has been so good these past two days.

But when he turned his head and saw his second brother standing motionless, he couldn’t help but urge, “Second Brother, drink up.”

“You drink first.” Jiang Mai shot Ye Li a wary glance.

This person was too strange—not only did he offer soy milk to him and Ya-ger, but he’d even added sugar!

Something felt off about it all.

Ye Li was puzzled by Jiang Mai’s stare: “ Xiao Mai, why are you looking at me like that? Why aren’t you drinking?”

“How did you become…” Jiang Mai scratched his head. Seeing Ye Li’s expression unchanged, he decided to stop beating around the bush: “You didn’t put sleeping potion in this soy milk, did you?”

“…”

This little rascal was full of tricks.

But it was precisely those tricks that saved Jiang Ya.

Yesterday morning, the original body had been unusually kind to Jiang Ya, even letting him skip the usual firewood gathering with Jiang Mai after breakfast.

After Jiang Mai left, Ye Li grew increasingly uneasy. He recalled the original body threatening to sell Jiang Ya after arguing with Ye Daji, so he hurried back home.

But the original body had already taken Jiang Ya out. He ran to find Jiang Fuzheng, urging him to harness the mule cart and chase after them.

Only now, the original body was gone, and this little rascal’s tricks were being used on him instead.

“No medicine in it. I’ll drink it for you to see.”

Ye Li took out another bowl, poured out a small portion of Jiang Mai’s soy milk, then picked up the bowl and began sipping it slowly.

He was a bit thirsty anyway.

Seeing Ye Li like this, Jiang Mai’s little face flushed bright red.

He understood—he had wrongly accused his brother-in-law.

But apologizing? That was impossible.

He felt awkward drinking the soy milk himself, so he carried the remaining half bowl over to Ya-ger: “Ya-ger, you can have this half bowl later.”

Ye Li: “…”

Stubborn little brat.

He smiled warmly. “Xiao Mai, your caution is necessary. You’re looking out for Ya-ger’s best interests—you’re a responsible big brother.”

“A good big brother should drink sweet soy milk. Go on, drink up.”

Jiang Mai: “…”

He’d accused this person unfairly, yet not only did the person not hit him, they even praised him as a good brother!

Staring at Ye Li for a few moments, inhaling the lingering soy milk scent on his nose, he couldn’t help but swallow hard.

Just then, Jiang Ya spoke up: “Second Brother, drink up. It’ll get cold soon.”

“Exactly, drink up. Then we’ll go chop pig feed. It’s getting dark, and I need to make dinner.” Ye Li added her own prompt.

Both of them offered him an escape route.

Jiang Mai’s mouth twitched a couple of times. Finally, he picked up the bowl, turned his back to Ye Li, and began sipping it in small mouthfuls.

Ye Li watched his bright red ears and chuckled inwardly. Not bad.

A bit awkward.

But not stubborn.

After finishing the soy milk, the two little ones went to chop pig fodder, preparing to feed the pigs and chickens.

Ye Li rolled up his sleeves to make dinner.

He’d slept in that morning, so by noon, when neighbors came calling, the tofu hadn’t fully set.

He planned to eat and sleep early, rising at dawn to make tofu.

Perhaps today’s auspicious start had soothed his anxiety. Lying down on the worn earthen bed for the second time, he slept soundly through the night.

The rooster crowed for the first time, and he woke. Though still drowsy, he dressed and rose.

But today, without the mule, he had to push the mill himself.

After grinding ten pounds of soybeans, he was drenched in sweat, his arms aching.

After breakfast, he began making tofu. By noon, the firm tofu was pressed to perfection.

But today, the number of customers buying tofu has plummeted. By midday, he had sold only twelve pounds.

This was within his expectations. The remaining tofu would be perfect for frying tofu puffs.