Ye Chen followed the proprietress into the courtyard outside the baozi shop. After stepping out of the shop, she didn't stop, but led him around to the back courtyard.
"I didn't expect this courtyard to be so big. I thought there was only a front courtyard," Ye Chen said with a smile.
"Yes. This property was left to my husband by his ancestors. Thankfully, it wasn't affected by the war. Otherwise, we wouldn't even have had this last place to call home."
The proprietress answered without turning around. Ye Chen nodded and said nothing.
Before long, she led Ye Chen to a small house. "Young man, this is our woodshed. I'm afraid you'll have to make do and sleep here tonight."
"Thank you, proprietress. I'm already very grateful to have somewhere to stay. I wouldn't dare ask for anything more." Ye Chen meant every word. Truly kind people like her were hard to come by.
"If there's nothing else, young man, you can go in and rest. I still have to prepare tomorrow's ingredients, so I can't stay and chat." After speaking, the young woman turned and left without waiting for Ye Chen to reply.
Ye Chen wanted to say a few more words of thanks, but before he could speak, the young woman had already turned the corner of the courtyard and disappeared from sight.
Ye Chen shrugged. The proprietress was probably in a hurry; preparing the next day's ingredients was no small task.
He went into the woodshed, took the bundle off his back, and set it on the ground. Then he cleared a patch of space, spread some straw on the ground, and lay down.
Ye Chen had drunk some wine earlier, so he felt a little dizzy now. He quite enjoyed the sensation, as though he