Qin Lian's eyes widened in surprise when she realised it was 300 yuan.
Three Hundred Yuan!!
Back when she left the Qin family, Qin Zhong had given her 100 yuan, making it seem like a huge favor, a generous parting gift.
In this era, it was indeed a considerable amount, at least for normal people.
And here Xu Yinchen was, handing her three times that amount without hesitation, just for household management.
And sixty yuan as the house help's monthly salary? That was equivalent to what a senior-level factory worker earned in the city.
Yet here he was, paying someone that much to manage the house… and judging by the dust-covered house, the empty kitchen, and the children's malnourished condition, it was clear that person hadn't been doing their job at all.
She couldn't help but wonder, 'Was he so focused on working and earning money that he hadn't even noticed how poorly the house was being managed?'
She sighed softly, a pang of pity rising in her chest for the children and for the waste of his hard-earned money.
Finally, she nodded. "Alright. Once she comes, I'll let her go."
Xu Yinchen nodded and was about to leave when Qin Lian's voice stopped him.
"Erm… there's one more thing."
He turned around, his expression calm. "What is it?"
"I just went to the kitchen, and there's barely any water left in the basin. Can you tell me where I can fetch more? I'll do it myself," she added quickly, not wanting to delay his work.
More than that, she felt more comfortable handling it on her own.
Xu Yinchen raised his brows slightly and began rolling up his sleeves."No. If there's something like that, just tell me. I'll take care of it."
"There's a well behind the house from where everyone in the village draws water." He walked toward the kitchen, adding as he went, "I'll fill the kitchen basin and the bathroom containers now."
"It was my mistake for overlooking it."
He glanced at Wen Zian, who had been silently watching the entire exchange with a gleam of interest in his eyes. "You go ahead to the farm. I'll be there in a while."
"Ah… well, I can wait. Don't mind me. Just do your thing," Wen Zian said, clearly enjoying watching this new side of Xu Yinchen.
But Xu Yinchen didn't give him a choice. "Leave now or handle all the early morning deliveries for the next month."
Wen Zian paled. This cruel man.
"Alright, alright, I'm going!" He pouted, then turned to Qin Lian with a bright grin.
"Then….I'll take my leave, sister-in-law. If you ever have issues with him or need to vent, just come find me. I'll help you out."
He straightened up, looking righteous, only to receive a sharp glare from Xu Yinchen. With a nervous laugh, Wen Zian quickly scurried away.
Qin Lian couldn't help but smile at their interaction. Then she turned to see Xu Yinchen already at work, filling the drums and basins in the kitchen and bathroom without a word.
He hadn't asked her to wait or said he'd do it later when he had time. Instead, he got to it immediately, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and even told her to leave chores like this to him.
Watching him move around, sleeves rolled up, quietly doing the task she had casually mentioned… it made her heart feel inexplicably warm.
So this is what it means to have a husband?
….
After Xu Yinchen left, Qin Lian took a deep breath and made her way to the kitchen. Since he had brought so many ingredients, she needed to clean up before storing them.
But the moment she stepped inside, her steps slowed.
The condition of the kitchen was far worse than she had expected.
Dust coated the shelves, spiderwebs clung to the corners, and insects scurried away the moment she moved a container. It was obvious that nothing had been touched in a long time.
The storage jars were either empty or stained, and the corners of the kitchen had layers of dirt built up over time. It didn't look like a space that had been regularly cleaned, let alone maintained by someone being paid to do so.
Last night, she had cooked in this very kitchen, but it had been rushed.
She had wiped down a few surfaces quickly and washed just what she needed to prepare the meal. It was late, and there hadn't been time for more.
But now, in the daylight, the mess was impossible to ignore.
Her brows furrowed together. 'What exactly had that woman been doing for 60 yuan a month?'
With a soft sigh, Qin Lian got to work.
She took down all the containers, set them on the floor, then climbed onto the slab to sweep the dust and cobwebs off the shelves.
After wiping them clean, she climbed down and swept the floor, then started washing the containers one by one.
As she busied herself, a figure stood at the edge of the kitchen, silently watching her.
Xu Shen's brows furrowed deeply as he observed Qin Lian, who still had a white bandage wrapped around her forehead, working hard to clean.
Shouldn't she be different now that Xu Yinchen was gone?
She was their stepmother, after all. Shouldn't she have dropped the act by now and started ordering them around?
That was why he had stayed in his room all this time, waiting for her to come barging in, demanding that they cook and clean.
But when nothing happened, his curiosity got the better of him.
He had come downstairs, expecting to catch her lounging around, but instead, he found grocery bags piled on the dining table.
Yet, she was nowhere in sight. Then he heard the sounds from the kitchen.
When he carefully peeked inside, he saw her cleaning and working alone.
Is this some trick? Was she pretending to be nice to lower their guard before showing her true colors?
He was lost in thought when he suddenly heard a soft voice. "Xu Shen? Do you need something?"
Xu Shen flinched, his back immediately straightening. He looked at Qin Lian with an embarrassed expression, as if he had been caught stealing.
"No… I was just…" Seeing him panic, Qin Lian chuckled.
"Are you hungry?" she asked, rinsing her hands with water from the large container Xu Yinchen had filled for the kitchen.
"Just wait a little longer. I'm almost done cleaning. I'll start making breakfast soon."
She quickly finished the final bit of cleaning, wiping down the containers with a clean cotton rag. "If you're too hungry, your father brought some meat buns. They're in the bags on the table."
"You can have one or two, but not too many, or you'll be too full for breakfast."
Xu Shen was surprised when he heard her words. Grocery bags? Were they really allowed to touch those?
He stood there, staring at her back in a daze, not sure if she was trying to trick them… or if she was actually being genuine.