Teach A Man To Fish, And You Feed Him For A Lifetime!

The great Mister Ye was not blinded to the realities of Qin Lan's misconduct. He saw right through her lies, but he was not going to criticize her right away.

"Those bastards! Qiao Qiao, don't you worry! I'll send someone to have a thorough investigation of it. The money is meant for your foster family!" Grandpa Ye said with conviction.

All hell was about to break loose.

Qin Lan panicked. "Father, I should be responsible for the investigation. You don't have to trouble yourself to do it. I will send someone to do it!"

"Madam Qin, the head of the village is very corrupt! Even the money that was reserved for the construction of water pipes seems to be in his pockets! We should really make a clear review of the whole incident. When do you think the investigation can be completed?" Ye Qiao purposely let the information slip, knowing that Qin Lan was in desperate need of a scapegoat.

"Qin Lan, it may take some time to complete. You should give the money to Qiao Qiao first so that she can bring it back to her foster parents. You'll get your money back afterward," Grandpa Ye demanded, which was exactly what Ye Qiao had anticipated.

"Grandpa, you really are the closest one to me!" Ye Qiao thought to herself and chuckled. 

Who knew how long Madam Qin was going to take to gather the evidence for the lost sum of money that was never remitted in the first place. At least this way, her foster parents did not have to wait forever.

Qin Lan was utterly annoyed, but the show had to go on. She swallowed her difficulties and continued to play the role of a perfect daughter-in-law. "Father, that's very thoughtful of you. All of these hassles could've easily been avoided if I'd been more careful. Right, I'll go get the money now!"

"Go ahead. Also, send someone to investigate the corruption with regards to the water supply," Grandpa Ye added.

Qin Lan maintained her elegant composure while leaving the house. As for Ye Zhenzhen, she headed upstairs to finish her homework. Hence, there were only two people in the living room. Both of them turned and looked at each other in tacit agreement.

"Grandpa, that's very wise of you!" Ye Qiao could not help but express her warm admiration.

"I've been blinded. All these years, I thought your stepmother was really taking care of your foster family. What a shame! Their kindness must be properly repaid. Qiao Qiao, I'll let Xiao Dong go with you tomorrow. Your foster father likes to drink, doesn't he? I have a trove of Maotai in the cellar. Bring a box with you!"

"Grandpa, only two bottles of liquor are allowed onboard. Two will be enough already. My foster father appreciates all goodwill gestures. I'm sure the gifts will make him very happy!" She smilingly reassured.

Grandpa Ye could not hide his amusement. People had always labeled his eldest granddaughter as a foolish, thoughtless girl. However, that was not true. He had just witnessed her wisdom even in the face of challenge. Not even Qin Lan could get an insight into what she was thinking.

As for Qin Lan, Grandpa Ye decided to let the family live in harmony. He would turn a blind eye to her if she stayed within his boundaries.

The next morning, Ye Qiao collected 24,000 Yuan from Qin Lan, combined with an additional 6,000 Yuan from her grandfather. She boarded the flight to L City, along with Xiao Dong, and a collection of gifts.

The sum of 30,000 Yuan was enough to build a house with the best quality and material. However, it would not be wise to spend all of the money on a new house. The one that her foster family currently lived in was still in good condition, so she should save the money for a better purpose.

As the saying goes, give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.

Her foster family should not be dependent on external help, or they would struggle in the same pit forever.

…

It was a late afternoon during summer. The tree at the entrance of the village provided a generous shelter from the sun as a group of women sat by the tree and began talking about their local gossip.

The couple from the Sun family was fighting again, and their clash was the reason why Madam Sun fell ill. Meanwhile, the daughter-in-law of the Li family was carrying another daughter in her belly. Additionally, the cobbler who lived around the further end of the river had just died. The farmer, Liu San, had a broken marriage because his wife chose to leave him for another man. 

Generally, all their gossips were quite the same.

Hu Siniang was famous for her big mouth and had a voice that was loud and clear. She casually fanned herself as she continued to elaborate on other people's lives. "Let me tell you! The girl from the Qiao family is not the daughter of the Ye family. She's actually the illegitimate daughter of Mr. Qiao and the late Mrs. Qiao. Otherwise, the Qiao family here would have already been invited to the city for a better life."