After the family split up, my stepmother and scumbag father begged me to come home.

"Sister, eighty taels plus those twelve taels—ninety taels! We're rich!" Lin Yulong said in a low voice, but his excitement was palpable.

Lin Qianqian pinched his arm and scolded in a low voice, "We'll talk about it when we get home!"

Lin Yulong shrank back, only then realizing that there were too many people on the street and if someone with ulterior motives heard what he said, it would cause trouble.

He awkwardly shut his mouth, but his eyes still couldn't hide his excitement.

The three of them turned into a quiet alley. Lin Qianqian looked around to make sure no one was there before she stopped.

"Tiger," she said, pulling out her purse from her bosom and counting as she spoke, "the wild vegetables and rabbit skin cost a total of two hundred and ninety coins. One hundred coins are yours."

Ding Xiaohu quickly waved his hand: "Sister Qianqian, this is too much—"

"Don't rush, it's not over yet." Lin Qianqian took out a few more pieces of silver. "The small ginseng sold for five taels. Of the three ginsengs, yours and A Long's are about the same age, but yours is older than A Long's—yours is worth seven taels. This is yours."

Ding Xiaohu was startled and backed away repeatedly: "Sister Qianqian, this is unacceptable! You were the one who discovered the ginseng; I only found it because I was following behind. How can I take so much?"

"Take it. And don't call me 'sister' anymore." Without waiting for a reply, Lin Qianqian grabbed his hand, stuffed the money inside, and then instructed, "Keep it close to your body and don't lose it."

Ding Xiaohu clutched the silver, his eyes reddening slightly. "Sister Qianqian, this...this is too much. If my father finds out, he'll scold me..."

"What's so special about it? You deserve it." Lin Qianqian's tone was calm, yet it conveyed an undeniable certainty.

She had her own reasons.

That ancient ginseng was discovered by her, that much is true. She could have easily kept it from everyone—no one could have said a word against her.

The wild vegetables and rabbit were prepared by the three of them together, and it was the rule to divide them equally; she wouldn't take advantage of that.

As for the two small ginseng roots, they were discovered by Hu Zi and Along, with Hu Zi's being a bit bigger.

She brought Ding Xiaohu up the mountain, not because of his strength.

The Ding family had been kind to the siblings.

Her mother died, her father remarried, and she was beaten. Only Aunt Ding helped them, and Uncle Ding helped repair the windows and the gate, never asking for a penny. She remembered this kindness.

Bringing Hu Zi along was just a pretext to let the Ding family also benefit from the situation.

Otherwise, she could have gotten things done by taking Ah Long up the mountain by herself.

But she wouldn't say these words out loud.

"Go back and tell your father that you dug it yourself, and don't mention me," Lin Qianqian added casually, as if she were just saying it offhand.

Ding Xiaohu stared blankly at the silver in his hand, then looked up at Lin Qianqian. His lips moved, but he didn't say anything in the end. He just nodded heavily and carefully stuffed the silver into the innermost layer of his clothes.

Lin Qianqian clapped her hands, carefully put away the remaining silver notes and loose silver, and her tone returned to its usual crispness: "Alright, let's go. Your parents will be worried if we get back late."

"By the way, take this rabbit back with you and give it to your family to help them recover." Lin Qianqian said, taking the skinned rabbit out of the basket and stuffing it into Ding Xiaohu's basket without further ado.

Ding Xiaohu was startled and quickly pushed it away, saying, "Sister Qianqian, this is unacceptable! It's both silver and rabbits, I—I can't take any more!"

"Take it if I give it to you, stop talking nonsense." Lin Qianqian pressed the rabbit back down forcefully, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.

"That's right, Brother Tiger!" Lin Yulong chimed in with a grin, "It's from my sister, just take it. Why are you being so polite with me?"

Ding Xiaohu was about to decline when Lin Qianqian turned around, grabbed a large handful of wild vegetables from her basket, and stuffed them into his arms: "These are for you. Wild vegetables aren't worth much, but they're fresh. Take them back and have Aunt Ding cook them; it'll count as a dish."

Ding Xiaohu hugged the bunch of wild vegetables, looked down at the rabbit in the basket on his back, then at the money in his hand, his throat bobbed, and his voice choked: "Sister Qianqian... I... I don't know what to say. Thank you, thank you so much."

"Alright, stop dawdling." Lin Qianqian waved her hand dismissively, her tone indifferent, as if she had done something utterly ordinary.

Ding Xiaohu nodded heavily, carefully put the wild vegetables away, touched the silver in his pocket, and followed the two with red eyes.

The three of them left the alley one after the other, each with their own thoughts, and hurried towards the village.