Li Qing found it difficult to refuse Tian Yue’e’s sincere and hearty invitation.

But so early in the morning, he really had nowhere to go to properly figure out where exactly Tian Yue’e had become more delicate and pink.

After pondering for a while and unable to come up with a safe place, Li Qing had no choice but to give up.

After exchanging a few playful words, Li Qing took a look around inside.

The main structure of Tian Yue’e’s small quadrangle courtyard was already completed.

The workers were currently installing plumbing and electrical wiring, and once the ground was hardened, they could start with the decoration.

The whole pattern was much larger than before after being completely torn down and rebuilt, and it looked much brighter.

Li Qing picked out work that he was capable of and helped Tian Yue’e with it.

Closer to noon, Han Mei suddenly made a phone call.

"Qingzi, have you come back yet?"

"I came back last night. Is there anything you need, sister-in-law?" asked Li Qing.

"Oh, Secretary Qin is looking for you to discuss donating money," Han Mei said. "I see she has already printed out the details. Come over when you have time."

"Okay, I’ll come by in a little while," Li Qing said. "Why didn’t she call me directly instead of troubling you to inform me?"

"She’s probably busy, and it’s no trouble for me to mention it," Han Mei said gently with a smile. "I just bought two chickens from the Wangxi Family. Come back early for lunch, and we can have chicken stewed with mushrooms."

"Great!" Li Qing laughed.

Free-range old hens stewed with wild mushrooms from the village offered a taste impossible to find in restaurants.

Just thinking about it made Li Qing drool.

After giving Tian Yue’e a heads-up, Li Qing took off his gloves and headed for the village office.

It was around noon, smoke curled up from every corner of the village, and the scent of cooked meals filled the air.

Li Qing walked into the village office under the glaring sun.

Qin Wenjun’s timing really left Li Qing speechless.

When everyone else was resting and having lunch, she insisted on discussing matters with him.

It was as if she treated the village office as her own home, expecting others to be ready around the clock.

Walking into Qin Wenjun’s office, a place he knew well, Li Qing deliberately avoided knocking and went straight in.

But this time, Qin Wenjun wasn’t doing anything shameful.

Wearing a white shirt, she sat at her desk with her long legs together, quietly flipping through documents.

"Do you really not have the habit of knocking?" she asked coolly, though her tone was somewhat displeased.

"I was going to knock, but your door was half-open," said Li Qing, as he plopped down on a seat beside her. "What’s the issue today?"

Qin Wenjun gave Li Qing a displeased glance and slid a stack of documents in front of him.

"Here’s the detailed list. Take a look. Actually, I’ve been wanting to discuss something with you."

"You giving every household rice, flour, and oil might not make them appreciate you—in fact, they might think you’ve started putting on airs after making some money, and it could invite a lot of criticism. I don’t think it’s necessary," she said.

"It’s enough to care for the truly needy families. There’s no need to cover everyone. Human selfishness can be quite scary."

"We’re so at odds, yet you’d still consider this for me. I’m truly touched!" Li Qing said earnestly.

What he said was a heartfelt truth.

He was genuinely moved by what Qin Wenjun had just said.

"Although you’re no good thing, you’re at least a decent person," said Qin Wenjun indifferently.

Li Qing’s mouth twitched slightly. "That honest opinion, I do not love hearing as much."

After pondering for a moment, he asked, "What if I make it clear it’s to be a bit fairer, what do you think?"

Qin Wenjun shook her head. "Not so good. No one will believe that reason, people generally only trust themselves!"

"If you ask me," Han Mei said, "it would be better to leave a portion of the funds for them to strive for themselves. Families in difficulty could explain their actual hardships to the village committee, and we could provide relief as appropriate."

"This would greatly increase your workload," Li Qing remarked.

Qin Wenjun’s lips curled into a faint smile. "Thank you for considering us, but this way, everyone will remember your kindness," she said.

"Even those who don’t receive the money wouldn’t badmouth you behind your back. In fact, many might even come to curry favor with you."

"I think your family will never lack people willing to work for you, and you’ll receive plenty of little local specialties," she continued.

Li Qing thought about Qin Wenjun’s proposal carefully from his own perspective.

Suddenly, it struck a chord of deep fear.

This small change that Qin Wenjun had suggested might seem minor.

But she had clearly understood the way people’s hearts work.

Fairness and something for everyone doesn’t necessarily lead to the best outcome.

Just as Qin Wenjun had indicated, people probably wouldn’t appreciate the little bit of kindness from Li Qing; on the contrary, they might criticize him behind his back for showing off his wealth by throwing money at the villagers once he had made a small profit.

But having villagers compete for the funds

Although it sounded a bit more troublesome, and perhaps even a bit crueler, the outcome it produced would actually be the best.

"Let’s do it your way," Li Qing said with a grave voice.

Compared to his original idea, he realized he had indeed oversimplified things.

And had too naïve a view of human nature!

Qin Wenjun, her expression indifferent, nodded, took the documents from beside Li Qing, and placed another set in front of him.

"Since you agree with this approach, stop looking at that and take a look at this instead," she said.

Li Qing paused, somewhat stunned.

He had always thought this woman was utterly incompetent at handling affairs.

But today, he changed his mind.

This woman certainly had her methods.

When she made a suggestion, she had already prepared for every contingency.

Li Qing read through the detailed materials prepared by Qin Wenjun and was genuinely impressed.

That hundred thousand yuan, Qin Wenjun had indeed put it to good use.

She had carefully categorized the impoverished households in the village, with the details of each family laid out clearly. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"I have no objections, go ahead as you see fit," Li Qing said as he put down the documents.

"Alright, since you have no objections, I’ll hold a meeting in the next couple of days and distribute the money according to these standards," Qin Wenjun said with a nod.

Li Qing nodded in agreement and let his gaze drift slightly downward.

Qin Wenjun’s attire seemed to never change year in, year out; today, she was wearing the same style of black pencil skirt that scarcely reached her knees.

The modest slit at the front of the skirt allowed for a glimpse of her fair thighs.

"If you keep staring at me like that, I’m going to run out and scream for help!" Qin Wenjun said indifferently, her head down as she continued to write.

Li Qing let out a dry laugh. "I must say, that skirt looks pretty good on you."

"I didn’t put it on today," Qin Wenjun looked up at Li Qing and said, "is this what you wanted to hear?"

"No, I’m just curious, how does it feel to have slipped that thing in?" Li Qing asked with a grin.

"It feels quite good, better than a man’s touch," Qin Wenjun hesitated for a moment but then actually responded.

"How would you know it’s more comfortable than a man if you’ve never tried it with one?" Li Qing raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Do you want me to try it with you?" Qin Wenjun asked dispassionately.