Chapter 405 Empathy

Chapter 407 Empathy

Zi Yisheng unnaturally covered his mouth. Why did his future father-in-law look so pathetic now?

"Ahem, Uncle Ye, it doesn't seem like Shengge has been shortchanging you on your allowance, has she?"

Ye's father leaned back against the chair with annoyance, feeling quite humiliated in front of his future son-in-law.

"The allowance isn't small, but it just doesn't feel as substantial when I don't earn it myself. Back in the day, the rewards from missions alone were enough, and I barely touched my salary."

What Ye's father said wasn't just about the original owner's situation; it was the same in his past life. In his previous life, his salary, subsidies, and mission bonuses, though not comparable to his wife's company's earnings, were sufficient to support a family.

At that time, he also had to allocate a portion of his money each month to subsidize the families of fallen teammates. For the original owner, a third of his money each month was also used to support his teammates' families.

Then, shortly after he transmigrated, he retired, which meant he became a non-earning member. Fortunately, his wife's family was wealthy, and his daughter and son could earn money in the black market. Otherwise, he, Ye Huaijin, would truly have become a simple farmer.

Zi Yisheng suppressed his laughter and stood up.

"Uncle Ye, wait for me for a moment."

Zi Yisheng quickly returned to his room and soon came down with a suitcase.

Ye's father took the briefcase Zi Yisheng handed him doubtfully. His eyes narrowed as he opened it.

"You rascal, you dare to hoard private savings behind my daughter's back!"

"Pfft~~, ahem, Uncle Ye, this is money just collected from the antique shop. I haven't had a chance to hand it over to Shengge yet."

Zi Yisheng rubbed his nose. He hadn't planned to hand over money recently because Li Cheng intended to open two more shops in Mishi, which would require a lot of funds.

Ye's father closed the box, and a satisfied smile finally appeared on his face.

"No need. I'll earn my own money. After all, I want to help the disaster victims in the country, and it's not good to burden anyone."

"But Uncle Ye, there are no suitable jobs for you in Mishi, let alone business opportunities."

Ye's father scratched his head in frustration. People said scholars were useless, but he, a tough guy who had been in the field his whole life, had no other means of earning money.

"What? Old Ye, are you short on cash?"

Ye's father shivered all over upon hearing the voice. It was over!

Zi Yisheng quickly and discreetly kicked the briefcase on the floor to the corner of the sofa.

"Not short on money, not short on money. I'm just bored at home every day."

Who was Ye's mother? She had been with Ye's father for decades, and his actions told her whether he was telling the truth.

"Tell the truth."

"Okay."

Ye's father obsequiously helped his wife to a seat. Zi Yisheng, with keen foresight, thought about making an early exit, but as soon as he stood up, he heard a sinister voice.

"Yisheng, why are you leaving? I just wanted to hear what you two, future father-in-law and son-in-law, are secretly discussing."

Zi Yisheng and Ye's father sat closely together, truly feeling like unfortunate comrades, needing only Ye Mu'en to complete the picture.

Ye's mother poured herself a cup of flower tea and drank it leisurely, though her eyes were somewhat unfriendly.

"We, we are discussing a way for me to earn money. I need money, a lot of money."

Zi Yisheng gave Ye's father a thumbs-up in his mind. Brave man, dare to speak!

"Why do you need so much money?"

"Yisheng sent a batch of grain back to the country, and I want to send a batch too, but I don't have that much money."

Ye's mother slammed her teacup on the table with annoyance. Without looking at Ye's father, she turned to Zi Yisheng.

"How much grain did you prepare this time? How much did it cost?"

"Five hundred tons, less than 120,000 yuan."

Ye's mother tutted as she looked at Ye's father, a hint of disdain in her eyes.

"You haven't earned 120,000 yuan in your entire life. How do you plan to earn that money?"

Ye's father understood that his wife was referring to the original owner's earnings, and he often got confused with his past life. Feeling a bit awkward, he nudged Zi Yisheng with his elbow subtly.

Zi Yisheng moved aside. He didn't dare to challenge his mother-in-law's authority, as it would surely lead to trouble. He could only apologize to his father-in-law.

"Yisheng, are you planning to continuously send grain back to the country? As far as I know, the antique shops in Mishi can earn at most a little over 100,000 yuan a month.

The black market in the country has seen business drop by at least half due to the disaster and the inability to transport grain. Relying solely on this one antique shop doesn't seem sustainable for long."

Zi Yisheng pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled.

"I'm not someone who only gives. There are many ways to serve the country, and a country cannot be supported by me alone.

Once this batch of grain is sent back, we'll know the situation in Chuncheng. Given my current circumstances, I can only send one more batch at most."

Ye's mother nodded. It was everyone's responsibility to contribute to their country.

"Since that's the case, why should you be the only one working hard? What we don't lack in our family is people and money. So, if I make a round of visits to other family members, we'll have everything.

Especially my parents, they are famous philanthropists. The only inconvenience in Mishi is that everyone didn't bring money with them, so we'll have to borrow from Shengge first."

Zi Yisheng gave a thumbs-up with both hands. It was indeed easier for the person in charge to get things done.

With that, Ye's mother busied herself with making arrangements. Before leaving, she couldn't resist casting a glance at Ye's father.

Ye's father just stared blankly as his wife hurried off. Had his problem been solved?

Zi Yisheng picked up the briefcase and was about to leave. It was better to get involved less in his in-laws' affairs.

"Yisheng, what do you think I can do?"

Zi Yisheng turned back helplessly, sighing as he looked at his father-in-law's distressed expression.

"Actually, it would be best for you to stick to your old profession. The timing isn't right now. Why don't you focus on intensifying your training? Once we all return to our rightful positions, we can continue to shine and contribute."

Ye's father fell silent. He had never been away from his post for so long. Whether in his past life or as the original owner, his longest leave had been ten days. But now, he had been rusty for over a year.

How much longer would he have to wait? Ten years or twenty? Ye's father waved away Zi Yisheng dejectedly, signaling him to leave.

Zi Yisheng could understand Uncle Ye's feelings. Did he himself want to live a decadent life? He had ideals and aspirations, but didn't he also have to hide to protect himself and those around him?

Ye's mother's work proceeded smoothly. Grandpa Bai immediately waved his hand, agreeing to send two ships of supplies, and the Bai brothers collectively sent one ship.

Even Qi Lu, who had been born and raised in Mishi, sent a ship. There was no need to burden the rest, as they didn't have much money anyway.

Upon receiving confirmation, Ye's mother hurried to find her daughter. Ye Shengge had been reading in her space. Hearing her mother's voice, she came out, thinking something urgent had happened.

When she heard her father's pathetic wish, she felt a pang of sadness. Once a person has an indelible dream, it becomes deeply etched in their heart. The current life was indeed stifling her father.

"Then our family will also send a ship. I'll give Zi Yisheng the money for five boats of supplies, and Li Cheng can handle the rest.

As for Dad, he does seem a bit pathetic. After all, Dad isn't earning a penny right now, and this will make him feel the frustration of having his talents go unused. Mom, you should comfort him well!"

Ye's mother slapped her daughter's head. The little girl dared to joke about her parents now.

"He, he hasn't rested much all these years. I just want him to have a good rest. I know that one day he'll have to return to that place that constantly keeps people worried. I'm free now, so what's wrong with him spending more time with me?"

Ye Shengge quickly hugged her mother. She knew that in her past life, both her parents were very busy and rarely had time for ordinary life. Now, they had to cherish it.

Ye Shengge thought of Zi Yisheng. Was she not cherishing their time enough? Her boyfriend had also been a busy person before.

"Dad's task now is to accompany you. I think he's just too idle. Mom, you must keep him busy, then he won't have time to think nonsense."

Ye's mother enjoyed her daughter's affection, but her mind was already planning how to "trouble" her husband. It was all due to idleness.

"Daughter, don't you overwork yourself either. Our family doesn't expect you to achieve anything in traditional Chinese medicine. There's no need to put so much pressure on yourself when you come out.

Moreover, a relationship requires mutual maintenance. Between you and Zi Yisheng, it seems like he's the only one making an effort, while you're indifferent. Can this last long?"

Ye Shengge was a little confused. What behavior of hers made her mother feel that she was indifferent?

"I treat Zi Yisheng very well. I'm with him every day."

"With your heart. You're used to letting everything take its natural course. It was because of your illness before that you waited for the final day naturally."

Ye's mother choked up a little at this point. Her daughter had been tormented by her illness to the point of being cold-hearted.

"So, you're doing the same with Zi Yisheng. He's your fiancé, already yours, so you don't care particularly. This is a big problem for you."

Ye Shengge fell into contemplation. So, she was such a person, so uninteresting, so heartless.

Ye Shengge didn't even know when Ye's mother left. When she came back to her senses, she was already being called for dinner.

Ye Shengge had released two boxes of gold bars in her room beforehand. Cash wasn't very useful in Mishi, but she felt a pang of regret about her gold.

Zi Yisheng had been watching the newspaper in the living room. He was determined not to disturb the little girl while she was studying upstairs.

When he saw the little girl come down, he clearly sensed that her mood was off. He thought she was upset by what he and Ye's father had done today.

He quickly stepped forward and held her, his voice tinged with anxiety.

"Are you unhappy about something?"

Ye Shengge looked at Zi Yisheng in surprise. She didn't expect him to understand her so well that he could sense it even when she hadn't shown it on her face.

"It's not unhappiness, but rather a kind of distress."

"Can I help you resolve it?"

Ye Shengge looked deeply at Zi Yisheng. This person was actually a bit subservient and ingratiating towards her. Suddenly, she felt sorry for him.

"Of course, only you can."

Zi Yisheng smiled and let out a sigh of relief. It seemed it wasn't his fault.

"Okay, we'll have a good chat in the room later."

This was a rare opportunity, and he intended to seize it.

At dinner, Ye Shengge saw Ye's father's demeanor. He was doing very well. She wondered how her mother had managed to appease him. Only her mother in this world had the ability to manage her father.

At the dinner table, Aunt Zhen also took out five hundred yuan and handed it to Ye's mother, insisting on contributing her share.

In fact, the Ouyang family, Chen family, and Gong family had all contributed some money that day. However, Ye's mother refused. There was really no need for everyone to contribute; it was enough for those who were capable to take the lead.

Seeing that Ye's mother wouldn't accept it, Aunt Zhen directly placed the money on the table.

"Take it. You know I have no one to support, so to put it bluntly, I don't have anywhere to spend the salary Young Master Zi gives me each month. If I were to leave one day, who would I leave it to? I'm certainly not giving it to my sons and grandsons, so it's better to help some people now."

Ye's mother sighed. Aunt Zhen was actually a very stubborn person. After her resolute departure from Mingcheng, she had never thought of returning.

"Okay, I'll take it. Are you happy now?"

Aunt Zhen was actually quite attractive. Although there were many wrinkles when she smiled, she was very pleasant to look at.

"Happy. This way, I won't feel so guilty eating and drinking well every day."

Ye Shengge watched everything with a smile. She truly realized how indifferent she was. She couldn't feel moved by Aunt Zhen's actions, nor could she feel guilty about her own comfortable life. This suddenly made her feel very distressed.

Zi Yisheng's attention had been solely on the little girl. When he sensed her breathing becoming unsteady, he immediately pulled her into his arms.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Ye Shengge lowered her head, her body trembling slightly.

Zi Yisheng suddenly thought of the little girl's heart. He was so scared that he scooped her up.

"Relax, relax!"

"Get away, let me see!"

Zi Yisheng was actually more flustered than anyone. He was pushed aside by Elder Fan.

Elder Fan and Elder Dang each took one of her wrists to feel her pulse. They looked at their little disciple with confusion.

"What's wrong with you? You have a blockage of emotion in your heart. This is very bad for your heart."

Ye Shengge nodded, feeling extremely suffocated. However, fearing her family's worry, she forced a somewhat stiff smile.

"I'm fine. I just got stuck in a rut. I'll be fine once I figure it out."

"Stuck in a rut about what? Daughter, you just need to be happy. We're here for everything."

Ye's father was terrified. He had an instinctive reaction to his daughter feeling unwell. Whenever he heard it, he would panic.

Ye Shengge held her father's hand. She shouldn't have let anyone worry about her.

Ye's mother hadn't expected her daughter to get stuck in a rut because of her words, but she was also a bit angry. What was this? She wanted her daughter to figure it out herself, so she didn't offer any words of comfort.

Zi Yisheng watched the little girl intently. He didn't understand what she could be stuck on.

"Perhaps I can accompany you upstairs?"

Ye Shengge nodded. It would be good to talk, but she didn't know where to start with many things.

Ye's father watched his precious daughter needing someone other than him, and he felt stifled and uncomfortable. He could only pull his wife out for a walk.

Ye Shengge was led back to her room and sat on the sofa, unsure how to express herself.

Zi Yisheng looked at the little girl's appearance with concern. The Ye Shengge he knew was always optimistic.

"Is there something you haven't figured out?"

"Did, did you feel that I was indifferent to you?"

Zi Yisheng frowned. Who had been speaking carelessly in front of the little girl?

"I didn't feel that way at all. You're willing to spend most of your time with me every day, which is already very good."