Ye Yunniang looked at Jin Lanxuan as she spoke, "I don't know why your Jin family has changed its mind and now wants to take him back. But, I swore before Huifang's grave that I would raise her son well. I won't let him suffer the pain of being abandoned by his parents again."
"Back then, the family did not abandon Fang'er. It was Jin Lan who spread lies and conspired with Ziyuan to harm Fang'er," Jin Lanxuan explained, claiming the Jin family was also deceived by wicked servants.
"It boils down to your family not valuing her enough. Your own daughter, your own sister, went through such a terrible ordeal. As her maternal family, not a single relative came to see her; you only sent an aunt she had already driven away." Ye Yunniang grew even angrier upon hearing Jin Lanxuan's explanation.
"I don't believe the Jin family, with so many people, couldn't send a single relative to Jiangcheng?"
Ye Yunniang's retort left Jin Lanxuan speechless.
"I agree with that. The Jiang family is at fault for Jin Huifang's death, but your Jin family is also unforgivable." Tong Tiemei strongly agreed with Ye Yunniang's words. She said that while wicked servants harmed their mistress, the root cause was the maternal family's lack of regard for their married daughter.
Just consider that Jin Huifang has been dead for three years. If Jin Huilan hadn't learned the truth from Tong Mo, the Jin family still wouldn't have thought to come to Jiangcheng to check on their married daughter and nephew.
Jin Lanxuan could not refute Ye Yunniang's accusations.
"I will go to the grave and apologize to Fang'er. But, I still want to say that staying with Jiang Tingjun and you means hardship and suffering for him. If he comes with me, I can give him a better life."
"I don't want to. I'm not Jiang Tingjun. I am Li An, the son of Ye Yunniang and Li Jun. I have nothing to do with the Jiang or Jin families." Li An, who had been eavesdropping outside the door, ran into the room.
"If you stay with her, it's a lifetime of toil and hardship. Come with your uncle, you'll not only have servants attending to you, but I can also send you to the Imperial College to study." Jin Lanxuan listed the benefits.
"I only want Mother. With Mother here, there are no hard days." Li An hugged Ye Yunniang, not feeling the slightest bit that his current life was difficult.
Ye Yunniang reached out and held Li An. "I won't let you take An'an away."
"And I won't let you have my brother either." Li Pan ran in.
Finally, Li Ping ran in and grabbed Li An's arm. "Second brother won't leave."
"I'm not leaving. This is my home. I'm not going anywhere."
With her sons' support, Ye Yunniang's attitude became even more resolute; she would not give up her son.
Being repeatedly rejected, Jin Lanxuan's expression darkened.
"Ye Yunniang, the Jin family is not someone you can afford to provoke." Jin Lanxuan no longer held back his imposing manner.
"Trying to bully with power?" Tong Tiemei released her own aura, pressing it entirely onto Jin Lanxuan.
Jin Lanxuan couldn't withstand it; his waist buckled, and he nearly fell from his chair.
"Jin Lanxuan, I, Tong Tiemei, will make this clear. If you or the Jin family behind you dare to lay a hand on the Li family, I'll chop off your claws." Tong Tiemei couldn't stand seeing the strong bully the weak.
"Sister Mei, don't be angry, calm down, calm down." Zhou Bowen took Tong Tiemei's hand, trying to soothe her.
Zhou Bowen was very dissatisfied with Jin Lanxuan's actions.
Here was Jin Lanxuan, facing the benefactor who buried his sister and raised his nephew. Not only did he show no gratitude, his words were full of disdain for Ye Yunniang's poverty, looking down on her.
No matter how poor Ye Yunniang was, she had raised Li An well to the age of five. Furthermore, looking at the three children's clothes, they were all new and made from the same fabric. In terms of clothing, Ye Yunniang made no distinction between her biological and adopted sons.
Jin Lanxuan also realized he had behaved poorly. But apologizing to a widow was beneath his dignity; his face remained stiff.
"Master Jin, I know you want to take An'an away for his own good." Ye Yunniang spoke up, breaking the silence in the room.
"Mother, don't abandon me." Li An panicked.
"Mother, don't let brother leave." Li Pan was also scared.
"Second brother won't leave."
"How could Mother ever abandon you?" Ye Yunniang comforted Li An. "Not long after you were one month old, I entered the Jiang residence to be your wet nurse. One could say you were raised on my milk.
In Mother's heart, you are the same as Pan'er and Pingping. In this life, I have no other pursuit; I only wish for the three of you to be well.
The Jin family is your maternal family. If they are willing to be good to you, and you are happy to accept them,
Mother won't be sad, only happy. It means my son has more people to love him."
Ye Yunniang stated her position clearly: she accepted the Jin family being good to Li An, but she did not agree to them taking him away.
"Hmph, you just want benefits. Speak, how much silver?" Jin Lanxuan believed Ye Yunniang was holding onto Li An for money.
"How much can you give?" Ye Yunniang patted Li An's back, signaling him not to act impulsively.
"One thousand taels of silver." Jin Lanxuan thought this was a considerable amount.
Ye Yunniang laughed. "Master Jin, you truly are not as good as your sister. Back then, I accompanied my young master into a den of human traffickers. The mistress rewarded me with two thousand-tael silver notes and a large bundle of jewelry. An'an really isn't worth much in the eyes of his uncle, is he?"
Hearing this, Jin Lanxuan's face turned unpleasant. "I'll give you five thousand taels."
"Five thousand taels isn't much." Ye Yunniang showed not a flicker of interest in the five thousand taels of silver.
"You have quite the appetite." Jin Lanxuan felt Ye Yunniang was pushing her luck.
"It's not that my appetite is big, it's that you, Master Jin, are too heartless and too calculating." Ye Yunniang stopped smiling. "I suspect you came to Jiangcheng to take An'an away to make a show in front of these two gentlemen. Not out of genuine heartache for your sister or your nephew."
Ye Yunniang had noticed Jin Lanxuan's great respect for Zhou Bowen. She also noticed that when she spoke of Jin Huifang's tragic state, there was indifference, disdain, and resentment in Jin Lanxuan's eyes, but not a trace of heartache for his own sister.
Faced with Jin Lanxuan's attitude, how could Ye Yunniang, who genuinely loved Li An, bear to hand her son over?
Tong Tiemei's impression of Ye Yunniang changed once again. She turned to Zhou Bowen, "This is the friend you keep company with?"
Zhou Bowen did not speak.
It was his silence that made Jin Lanxuan's heart sink.
"You're talking nonsense. Don't project your own money-grubbing mentality onto me."
"Lanxuan, you are being discourteous." Zhou Bowen's tone was even, but Jin Lanxuan heard the warning in it.
"Go and offer some incense to your sister first." Zhou Bowen sent Jin Lanxuan away.
Jin Lanxuan was unwilling, but dared not disobey Zhou Bowen's order. He acknowledged with a "Yes" and left the Li household.
After Jin Lanxuan left, Ye Yunniang also sent the three children back to their room.
"Why won't you consider my son?" Tong Tiemei asked directly.
"Your honorable son is young and promising; he deserves better."
"You are quite good yourself."
"I come from a farming family and have three sons to raise. I won't hold Young Master Tong back."
"Tell me the truth. I'll consider helping you get rid of my son."
"If I tell the truth, you'll help me?"
"Yes. I, Tong Tiemei, keep my word." Tong Tiemei guaranteed.
Ye Yunniang thought for a moment. "Alright, I'll tell you."
