He used to be indifferent, driven by emotion and a sense of detachment. To him, Yu Lian was simply a woman he disliked who disrupted his carefully planned course of events. Whether she lived or died was none of his concern, and even the child she bore would not elicit his affection.

Now, as an observer who had witnessed everything clearly, he couldn't forgive himself. But he didn't act impulsively and didn't stand outside the wall for long. As he turned to leave, he could still hear the two women in the backyard chattering incessantly. Endure it for a while? He Lin wasn't one to tolerate things; he usually retaliated on the spot. But now, as a young man without any status, he could only endure it for a moment and settle the score later.

"Why have you been out for so long? Were you playing around?"

Looking at the still-childish young man in front of him, Uncle Chen thought that he was so dazzled by the things in the city that he didn't want to go home.

"No, Uncle Chen, here's the stuff for you. I was a bit conflicted, that's why I was delayed on the way."

"What is it?"

He Lin said in a low voice, "Who lives over there? It seems like the maids look down on her and treat her badly."

Uncle Chen knew about this: "Don't worry about it, just make sure the goods are delivered."

"Oh, I understand."

Old Chen turned around, hesitated for a moment, then turned back: "Don't overthink it or talk about it too much. It's a taboo subject in our family. It'll be fine in a few months."

Uncle Chen's words made He Lin realize that everyone in the family believed that as long as she gave birth to the child, the He family would drive Yu Lian away. This was probably the source of their confidence in bullying her.

"Dinner's ready!" the chef in the kitchen called out as I pondered.

He Lin subconsciously stepped towards that direction. The He family's old house was very large, and both the front and back yards needed cleaning, but the manpower required had been reduced by 90% compared to before. There were only three people helping out at home, and now there were four including him. After the main family finished eating, it was their turn to eat. In a time when many people were starving, working for the He family meant they could at least eat meat every few days.

He Lin hadn't thought much of it before, until he wandered the streets and alleys in this body, doing odd jobs at Uncle Chen's behest, and witnessed hardships he'd never seen or experienced before. He then learned that the He family had almost handed over their entire fortune in exchange for their peaceful life these past years. But with the sudden change in circumstances, those peaceful days wouldn't last much longer.

He Lin desperately wanted to change something, but as a new helper in the He family, it was too early for him to act. If his family found out, every step from then on would be even more difficult.

"How can you, a young man, eat so little? You can't even eat as much as the old lady in the front yard." The chef was slapped on the back of the head by Uncle Chen as soon as he spoke: "Don't talk nonsense. If anyone hears you, you'll be in for a beating."

There was someone in the family who wasn't the head of the household, but even Uncle Chen dared not offend her. She had been with the He family since birth, bringing young He Jianguo to Yuncheng, and had devoted herself wholeheartedly to caring for them. She had worked for the He family her entire life, and her position was unshakeable. Everyone in the He family, from the servants to the maids, called her Grandma. She was over sixty years old and had never married. She was devoted to everyone in the He family, meticulous in her work, and rarely smiled. She could discipline the younger generation of the family even when they were young, and even when she used corporal punishment, the parents of the children never complained.

"I'm speaking softly, she can't hear me a thousand miles away. Eat quickly, it'll get cold soon."

The three of them sat down to eat, and not long after they started eating, the "grandmother" the chef had mentioned arrived.

"New guy, two beggars came to the door, get them out of here."

This was the first time He Lin had met her mother-in-law. Before, she had only had the chance to see her from afar—they couldn't enter the main house without permission. Following her mother-in-law to the front yard, she saw two beggars asking for alms at the gate through the fence.

"Handle it well. If you're not quick-witted, you'll be paid and fired after this month's work is done."

He Lin accepted the offer without being humble or arrogant, said nothing else, and turned to walk towards the door.

At first, he said in a formal tone through the door, "Gentlemen, please leave immediately."

"Young man, please give me some food, your family is very wealthy..."

He Lin had never handled this matter before; he usually delegated it to his subordinates. Now…

"Beep—beep—"

The car horn made the two of them stand up and walk away. He Lin looked up and saw himself. His mind had been too chaotic lately, so much so that he had forgotten it was the day he was returning from his business trip. He stood there stunned for a long time before snapping back to reality after the third car horn rang. He opened the large valve and watched the car enter the yard.

He Lin can calmly face the He Lin of another world who has not yet been tainted, but he will feel pressure when facing his true self—even the self from many years ago.

"You're so clumsy. I don't know how old man Chen managed to shamelessly beg the master to let you stay. If you delay the master's time again, you can pack your bags and leave."

"Okay, I understand."

After being scolded, He Lin silently retreated to a safe place to observe. Meeting his younger self evoked mixed feelings. He wanted to slap himself hard, but he lacked the strength—looking at his current small, bamboo-like body, even if he could get close enough to his twenties to deliver a powerful punch, he would only be pinned to the ground and suffer a crushing defeat.

"Xiao Zhang, was that person a new employee?" Young He Lin clearly remembered that his family had dismissed everyone they could to avoid trouble, so how could a new helper have come in?

"There was a severe drought in Uncle Chen's hometown a while ago. This is a relative of Uncle Chen's. He asked the master for help, and the master agreed. He has only been here for a few days. Apart from being playful and fond of going out, he has not done anything wrong."

"Okay, keep a close eye on the newcomers, make sure they don't cause any trouble."

Xiao Zhang agreed and drove away. He entered the living room; his parents were both there.

"How did the collaboration go?"

"It's alright. But Director Chang said he needs to reconsider. I only gave them some suggestions; the decision-making process is none of my business." The situation is very different now than before; the factory is now run by the government. If the He family weren't such rare business talents, they wouldn't have persisted in their posts during this special period.

"Dad, it was the right thing for you to step down from your position as deputy factory director a couple of years ago." His son's short sentence gave He Jianguo a lot of information.

"Well, no matter what, as long as our family can live a good life, that's fine. You focus on your work and don't let anyone find fault with you."

After a brief chat, the family went about their own business. Through the glass windows of the He family home, He Lin occasionally observed the expressions inside the main house under the guise of cleaning. Having gone through it once, he roughly remembered what had happened—just some simple conversation, nothing major.

"What are you looking at?" Xiao Zhang suddenly appeared.

He Lin had anticipated being watched, but didn't expect it to happen so soon: "I'm just taking a look."

Zhang immediately sensed something was wrong with just one sentence—the aura this person exuded was completely different from his appearance, yet it gave him a strange sense of familiarity.

"Have we met before?"

One sentence made He Lin realize that he hadn't chosen the wrong person. It's just that at the time, everyone was struggling to make ends meet due to family problems. If Xiao Zhang had stayed by his side, he would have had a better future than being a driver.

"No, you're mistaken. I still need to clean."

Seeing him turn and leave, Xiao Zhang wanted to say something but had no reason to stop him. His doubts lingered, and watching his departing figure, Xiao Zhang decided to keep an eye on him.

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