"You both, out." Jin Huilan had the Bao brothers leave, then sat down on the chair opposite Cai Damei. "Damei, may I call you that?"
Cai Damei gave a soft "Mm."
"May I ask why you are unwilling to marry Min?" Jin Huilan wanted to understand Cai Damei's thoughts.
"Because I have already had the man who was the best to me." Before marrying into the Li family, Cai Damei had a hard life at her natal home, doing all the dirty and tiring work, her days filled with hardship.
After marrying Li Min, she didn't have to do the usual field work.
Even during the busy autumn harvest when Cai Damei had to go to the fields, Li Min only let her hold a lantern on the ridge to provide light.
Li Min would get up early every day to make breakfast. At night, he would fetch her foot-washing water. When he went out, he would bring back her favorite treats.
When Cai Damei had her monthly courses and her stomach ached, Li Min would warm her belly with his hands and take her to see the doctor.
The doctor said Cai Damei had severe uterine coldness and should not touch cold water in winter.
From then on, Li Min wouldn't let Cai Damei wash the family's clothes. He got up early every day to do the laundry himself. He even washed the small clothes Cai Damei soiled during her courses.
The doctor said Cai Damei's uterine coldness made having children difficult. Li Min told others that he had a problem and they might not have children.
"After marrying Min, I never suffered a single day of hardship. He gave me all the goodness he possibly could.
Before he died, what worried him most was me. He blamed himself for not being able to take care of me anymore.
He said to me, 'Damei, when you get to Jiangcheng, don't work yourself to the bone for your daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Take good care of yourself.'"
Cai Damei's voice grew choked up as she reached this point.
Outside the door, Bao Min, who had heard everything, wore a look of utter despair. At this moment, he understood that no matter what he did, he could never compare to the deceased Li Min.
Bao Shao patted Bao Min's shoulder. "Find someone else."
Bao Min shook his head. No. In this lifetime, he would never let go of Cai Damei.
Li Min was good, but he was dead. The one to accompany Cai Damei for the rest of her life would be him, Bao Min. They also had their soon-to-be-born daughter.
So what if they didn't get formally married? It didn't matter. Being together was what was important; the ceremony wasn't.
Bao Min managed to console himself with this thought.
Beside him, Bao Shao gave a helpless laugh. "You try saying that to Tong Tiemei."
Hearing the name "Tong Tiemei," Bao Min shuddered. He grabbed Bao Shao, who was about to leave. "Brother, you have to help me."
"Can't help." Bao Shao had experienced that woman's terror firsthand.
"If you don't help me, I'll tell sister-in-law that you spent money on an outside woman."
"Nonsense! I did no such thing!" Bao Shao retorted loudly, then lowered his voice, afraid those inside might hear. "Don't slander me."
Bao Min snorted softly. "Bamboo Branch Lane."
Bamboo Branch Lane? Bao Shao remembered. "It's not what you think."
"Just tell me, is she an outside woman? Did you give her money?"
"She's the widow of my comrade-in-arms. She and her son are struggling. I just give them a little money each month," Bao Shao explained.
"Struggling? You expect me to believe that? A two-courtyard house on Bamboo Branch Lane, close to the Imperial College. Renting out rooms could fetch five taels of silver a month." Bao Min held up five fingers.
"They're a widow and an orphan. What if they rent to a scoundrel?" Bao Shao disagreed.
"Suit yourself. Don't come crying to me and Xiao Mo to help you win sister-in-law back if you make her angry and she leaves." Bao Min, tired of dealing with his oblivious brother, turned and walked away.
"Why would your sister-in-law be angry? About what? Wait." Puzzled, Bao Shao chased after him.
"What are you going to do?"
"Cook." Bao Min didn't stop walking.
"You can cook?" Bao Shao exclaimed incredulously.
"Can't I learn?" If Li Min could wash clothes and cook for Cai Damei, then he, Bao Min, could too.
"Later, Tiemei and her husband also came. They didn't say much, but gave many things for the baby in my belly. They said it was a meeting gift, then hurried back to the capital.
Oh, Tiemei said she was taking Jin Lanxuan with her. The Jin family won't bother An anymore." Cai Damei told everything she knew.
Hearing this, Ye Yunniang let out a deep sigh of relief.
Although Jiang Mingzhe had said he would handle the Jin family matter, Ye Yunniang had still worried that the son she raised might be taken away.
After talking with Cai Damei for a while, Ye Yunniang took her three children back to the city.
As soon as they arrived home, Liang Maimiao arrived carrying a basket.
"Yunniang, are you home?"
"I am." Ye Yunniang came out.
"Yunniang, I've come to ask for your help." Liang Maimiao seemed a bit embarrassed.
"What is it? Tell me." Liang Maimiao had helped her many times; Ye Yunniang would agree to any request that wasn't unreasonable.
After the incident when the Wang family came to make trouble, the news that Ye Yunniang took embroidery work from the Baise Embroidery Shop spread, and many people learned of her fine needlework.
Liang Maimiao's natal home wasn't far from Sunset Lane, and she had heard about it.
Liang Maimiao's younger sister, Liang Hemiao, was getting married. The groom's family was well-off and had offered a generous betrothal gift.
The Liang family's means were modest, so they couldn't provide much of a dowry. They hoped to make a good impression with an outstanding wedding dress, to save some face.
Liang Hemiao's own needlework was average, as was that of the other women in the family.
Buying one from a shop was expensive.
Hiring an embroiderer: they looked down on the ordinary ones, but couldn't afford the good ones.
Hearing about Ye Yunniang and going to the Baise Embroidery Shop to see the handkerchiefs, screens, etc., she had embroidered, they were very satisfied.
They approached Liang Maimiao to help make the connection.
Liang Maimiao initially disagreed.
The time was short, the offered fee was low, it was during the New Year period, and Ye Yunniang had three children to care for at home.
Unable to withstand repeated pleas from her mother and sister, Liang Maimiao swallowed her pride and came. She decided in her heart to add some money to the fee herself.
"I can do it." Ye Yunniang agreed readily.
"Yunniang, thank you so much."
Ye Yunniang asked about Liang Hemiao's requirements for the red wedding dress and quickly sketched a design.
"Yunniang, this drawing is wonderful!" Liang Maimiao exclaimed in amazed praise.
"Go back and ask your sister. If there are no problems, I'll start embroidering it for her after the New Year."
"I'll go bring her here right now." Liang Maimiao ran straight to her natal home and dragged Liang Hemiao over.
After some discussion, they finalized the design and measurements of the wedding dress.
On New Year's Eve, Ye Yunniang got up early to kill a chicken, a duck, and a fish. She and her three children bustled in the kitchen until evening, preparing a whole table of New Year's Eve dinner.
Li Pan led her two younger brothers in making offerings to their deceased grandfather and father. Li An made an extra offering for Jin Huifang.
After paying respects to the departed elders, the mother and four children began their meal.
After the reunion dinner, Ye Yunniang refused the children's offer to help with washing up in the kitchen, telling them to set off firecrackers in the courtyard instead.
After tidying up, Ye Yunniang chopped filling to make dumplings for that night and the next morning.
When midnight arrived, firecrackers sounded.
Ye Yunniang boiled the dumplings, ate some with the children, and then they all retired to rest.
In the morning when she woke, a box lay on the table.
Inside the box was a letter on top, and below it, a pair of crystal-clear jade bracelets.
The letter contained just one sentence: "Happy New Year. The children are growing up; you can entrust more tasks to them. Don't tire yourself out."
Ye Yunniang put the letter away and slipped the bracelets onto her wrist.
She pushed open the door and entered the main room.
"Mother, Happy New Year." Li Pan, with her two younger brothers, knelt on the bed with a thump.
"Pan, An, Ping, Happy New Year." Ye Yunniang walked over and began dressing four-year-old Li Ping, who still couldn't dress himself.
