That evening, Ye Yunniang put Li Pan and the other two children to bed.
She instructed them not to tell anyone about Li An having money or about Jiang Mingzhe, to avoid attracting more unwanted attention.
Li Pan and the other two nodded, promising they wouldn't say a word.
"Mother, we accept the new father."
Ye Yunniang reached out and pulled her three sons into her arms.
"Mother, when will Grandma bring our little sister back?"
"It's your aunt," Ye Yunniang corrected Li Pan.
"I want a little sister." Li Pan already had two younger brothers; he particularly wanted a little sister.
"Want sister," Li Ping chimed in.
Li An didn't speak, but his expression showed he wanted a sister too.
Ye Yunniang, who had just been touched by having three thoughtful sons: ...
"Grandma gave birth to your aunt," Ye Yunniang emphasized once more.
After lulling the three children to sleep, Ye Yunniang securely closed the door to the main room.
Jiang Mingzhe was waiting for her in the side room.
"Is the matter about 'utterly vanished' finished?"
"Half done." Jiang Mingzhe had returned this time to report on his progress. He hadn't originally planned to come to Jiangcheng, but upon receiving news that Ye Yunniang had been injured by robbers, he detoured here overnight.
Jiang Mingzhe reached out and embraced Ye Yunniang. "I came back too late. I let you suffer."
Ye Yunniang shook her head. "I'm not afraid of robbers. I was just worried about An'an."
"I will handle the Jin family properly," Jiang Mingzhe reassured Ye Yunniang. He would make arrangements to prevent the Jin family from bothering Ye Yunniang again.
Ye Yunniang trusted Jiang Mingzhe and didn't press about the Jin family.
"What did you tell the children?" Ye Yunniang asked curiously.
"I'll tell you next time I'm back," Jiang Mingzhe said mysteriously.
In the darkness, Ye Yunniang saw Jiang Mingzhe off. After closing the courtyard gate, she returned to the side room.
Tong Mo sat at the table with a dark expression. The small box Jiang Mingzhe had brought was already open on the table.
Inside were various styles of jade bracelets Jiang Mingzhe had collected. Through observation, he had discovered Ye Yunniang had a particular fondness for bracelets, especially jade ones.
Over the past few years, besides his work, he had spent time collecting jade bracelets.
Besides the bracelets, the box also contained rolls of banknotes.
"Is this why you're with him?" Tong Mo's tone was accusatory.
"That's none of your business," Ye Yunniang stepped forward and closed the lid of the box. "Don't rummage through other people's things."
"In your eyes, am I an outsider, and he's family?" Tong Mo retorted.
"Tong Mo, find a good girl and live a proper life," Ye Yunniang advised.
"Marry me, and I'll live a proper life," Tong Mo's words left
Ye Yunniang speechless. She said nothing more and reached to pick up the small box.
"Ye Yunniang, where am I inferior to Jiang Mingzhe?" Tong Mo pressed his hand over Ye Yunniang's, unable to understand.
"You are fine. You don't need to compare yourself to anyone."
"Then why did you choose him and not me? I apologize for what happened in Lincheng. I was too frivolous back then. I didn't consider you. I will change, I won't let you face danger again."
"Tong Mo, don't be like this. If I must say something, I can only say... the timing of our meeting was too late."
"Too late?"
"Yes. My heart already has him living in it," Ye Yunniang stated plainly.
"Can't you leave a space for me?"
"No," Ye Yunniang's attitude was firm.
"Ye Yunniang, you are truly heartless." Having said this, Tong Mo pushed the door open and left.
Sleepless the whole night, Ye Yunniang got up early to prepare breakfast for her three children.
After sending the children off to study, Ye Yunniang went to the Prefectural Magistrate's office to find Tie Xiong and inquire about the outcome of Wang Daxing's case.
"Wang Daxing is involved in other cases as well; it cannot be closed for now," Tie Xiong explained. "As for the Wang family, I've sent someone to warn them."
"Brother Tie Xiong, thank you," Ye Yunniang expressed her gratitude.
"No need, this is all what I should do," Tie Xiong felt what he had done was insignificant.
If Li Jun were still alive, Ye Yunniang wouldn't have had to go through any of this.
"Regarding Auntie Cai... do you need me to make some inquiries?" Thinking that the New Year was approaching and Cai Damei hadn't returned home, Tie Xiong asked with concern.
"Mother wrote a letter two days ago; she'll be back soon," Ye Yunniang declined.
"Alright, I'll get busy now. If you need anything, come find me at the government office," Tie Xiong instructed before leaving to attend to his duties.
Ye Yunniang agreed and headed towards the market.
On the way, someone blocked her path.
"Move aside," Ye Yunniang was very blunt with the person.
"I know why Wang Daxing went to your house!" Huandi hurriedly spoke up.
"The government office is right ahead. You should tell them," Ye Yunniang said, stepping forward to continue towards the market.
"Really, I'm not lying to you. Please believe me," Huandi blocked Ye Yunniang's path again.
"What do you want?" Ye Yunniang stopped.
"I want five taels of silver," Huandi stretched out her hand.
"No," Ye Yunniang refused outright.
"If you just give me five taels of silver, I'll tell you why Wang Daxing went to your house and who is behind the plot against you," Huandi said urgently.
"I'll investigate it myself," Ye Yunniang didn't trust
Huandi.
"I... I swear on my life and my daughter's life. What I'm saying is absolutely true. I'm not lying to you." Huandi grabbed Ye Yunniang, not letting her leave.
"Let go," Ye Yunniang tried to shake her off.
"I beg you, I really have no other way. Please, help me." As she spoke, Huandi knelt down with a thud, grabbing Ye Yunniang's feet and kowtowing repeatedly.
Ye Yunniang tried several times to break free but couldn't shake Huandi off.
"What do you need the five taels for?"
"My mother-in-law. She wants to sell Damei to raise money to bail Wang Daxing out," Huandi explained.
"Wang Daxing cannot possibly be released."
"My mother-in-law found someone. That person said for a hundred taels of silver, he could get Wang Daxing released," Huandi explained.
Old Mrs. Wang, seeing her schemes against Ye Yunniang fail, went to find her old lover, a prison guard.
The guard said that with a hundred taels of silver, he could pull some strings and have Wang Daxing released.
The Wang family had fifty taels, which wasn't enough.
Old Mrs. Wang set her sights on Wang Damei, finding someone who needed a ghost marriage and selling Wang Damei for sixty taels of silver.
When Huandi found out, she objected. But her natal family wouldn't help her, and she couldn't find anyone else to turn to.
Thinking of Ye Yunniang, she wanted to trade the information she had for five taels of silver.
Five taels would allow Huandi to take Wang Damei and leave Jiangcheng by boat.
"Now you know to feel heartache for your daughter," Ye Yunniang thought of yesterday's incident where Huandi forced her to take out her handkerchief.
"I was wrong, I apologize to you," Huandi said, slapping her own face heavily.
"Please, save my Damei. She's only five, she doesn't understand anything," Huandi wept.
"Enough," Ye Yunniang stopped her. "Speak, who is it?"
Huandi stopped. "It's Wang Jizu. It was him and Wang Daxing who plotted to harm you."
"Wang Jizu? Why would he want to harm me? Why would Wang Daxing listen to him?" Ye Yunniang pretended not to understand.
Huandi fell silent.
"If you won't say, forget it," Ye Yunniang said, making to leave.
"I'll say, I'll say!" Huandi grabbed the hem of Ye Yunniang's pants. After a long pause, she finally spoke. "Wang Jizu and Wang Qiang were... that kind of relationship. Their feelings for each other were very deep.
After Wang Qiang died, Wang Jizu was devastated, drowning his sorrows in drink every day.
One day, Wang Jizu came to Wang Daxing and said it was all your fault that Wang Qiang died. Wang Daxing wanted to go fight you to the death right then. Wang Jizu stopped him and gave him the idea." Huandi lowered her head at this point.
"You knew all about their scheme?
