On another note, did they have to buy just because he wanted to sell? It made no sense!

Ye Yang looked at the villager without any expression on his face as he dwelled in his thoughts.

After hearing from Mo, Ye Ling shut up and furrowed his brow, feeling helpless towards the villager.

He remembered he had to get breakfast ready, so he headed for the kitchen.

Ye Mo gave one last look at the sad villager and returned to the kitchen to make fire in the stove.

The villager only got more devastated after hearing what Mo said.

Liu Duo walked leisurely down the stairs. She stopped abruptly when she saw the villager. Was he back to try to borrow money again?"

"Little Duo, look at you, gazing over here as soon as you came down. Looking for me, perhaps?" Ye Liu teased when he saw her.

She rolled her eyes in response to his playfulness.

Obviously she was looking at the villager, and Ye Liu happened to be in the way. How bold of him to steal the spotlight!

She couldn't be bothered and left to wash up beside the well.

Ye Yang, who had been standing by quietly, spoke up, "Do you want a permanent job?"

He had thought about it. If he employed this villager, the man would have a stable income, and that would mean more assurance and less financial burden when it came to buying medicine for his kid.

Ye Liu had the same thought as well. They had been through a similar ordeal, so naturally, they knew the kind of dilemma this villager was facing.

The villager seemed very willing when he heard the suggestion, "Really?"

"Of course, if you're willing, we'll pay you half a month's salary in advance. That'd be two hundred wen," Ye Liu replied.

For casual workers, he paid them ten wen per day, lunch included. For permanent workers, they would get more, which was four hundred wen per month, also with lunch included.

Getting paid half a month in advance would help a lot with the family's financial emergency. He was very grateful, because this also meant he didn't have to sell his farmland.

The villager immediately nodded, "I'll do it. Thank you, all of you."

Ye Liu called out to Liu Duo by the well, "Little Duo, we're employing this man as a permanent worker. Are you alright paying him two week's salary in advance?"

She looked over at them.

Permanent worker?

She didn't reply immediately, and this made the villager nervous, because he thought she wouldn't agree.

Liu Duo knew they wanted to help him, "Whatever you all say."

She was neither a philanthropist nor a meddler. Sympathy and reality were separate in her mind.

The brothers had been in his shoes before, so they wanted to help him.

Liu Duo didn't object, so Ye Liu went inside to retrieve two hundred wen and passed the money to the man, "You can start work tomorrow."

He arranged it that way, because he knew the man would want to immediately go to town to buy medicine.

"Yes, I'll do my best. Thank you for helping me."

The villager went directly to town after he got the money. His kid at home wouldn't survive through the month if he didn't get medicine soon. He was totally unprepared for this sudden illness.

After washing up, Liu Duo took a deep breath. The air smelled great after the rain. She especially loved the light fragrance coming from the bamboo.

Ye Liu smirked as he swept the fallen leaves with a broom in hand, "Little Duo, you won't be able to smell the wonderful scent on my body if you stay so far away from me. Come on, get closer."

He even waved at her with that silly expression on his face.

Liu Duo rolled her eyes in disregard.

She left her towel out to dry and went to the kitchen, wondering what Ye Ling was making.

"Ling, are you making noodles?" She saw him kneading dough when she entered.

Ye Ling looked sideways at her when he heard her voice. He grinned and said, "Yes, I figured it was about time for you to want to eat noodles again, so here I am."

It had been a few days since they last ate noodles.