"If she had just obediently let herself be schemed against, He Miao wouldn't have—"
Under Xu Dalei's disappointed gaze, Liang Maimiao didn't continue.
"Listen to yourself. Is that any way for a person to talk? You plot against others, but won't allow them to fight back.
Besides, going to the Xing family was something Aunt and Grandma insisted on doing, despite Grandpa and Uncle's attempts to stop them.
Liang Hemiao being bullied and tormented is exactly what she deserves." Xu Dalei made his stance clear.
Xu Dalei deeply regretted having listened to Liang Maimiao before, pretending to make up with the Li brothers alongside his younger brother.
He regretted even more not stopping Er Lei in time when he sensed something was wrong, letting his jealousy lead him to do those shameful, petty deeds.
"What you're doing will ruin your younger son."
Slap! Liang Maimiao stood up and struck her eldest son hard across the face.
Immediately, she regretted it. "Dalei, I didn't mean to. I, I, I, I..."
Liang Maimiao's lips trembled, unsure how to explain.
Xu Dalei didn't look at her, turning instead to leave the room.
Liang Maimiao slumped back into her chair, unable to comprehend how things had come to this.
"It's all Ye Yunniang's fault."
Standing at the doorway, Xu Dalei heard Liang Maimiao's words and felt his heart turn completely cold.
Next door, the mother and son's argument went unheard by Ye Yunniang, her mother-in-law, and the four other women. They were currently enjoying a hearty meal.
The three children ate with relish, their hearts full of contentment. They truly wished time could stand still at that moment.
After the meal, the family sat down to listen to Li Ping recount his experiences investigating the accounts in Changxiang County.
Li Ping had a keen sensitivity for numbers and a strong memory. He could spot problems in the account books almost at a glance.
"A petty chief clerk embezzled three thousand taels of silver in just half a year. How many common families were ruined because of him?" Li Pan's sense of compassion was stronger than that of Li An and Li Ping.
"What happened then?"
"Papa Mo took some men, arrested the corrupt clerk, and confiscated all his property. The silver from the confiscation was used to buy grain and distribute it to the starving people."
"Pingping, why do you call Tong Mo 'Papa Mo'?" Ye Yunniang was puzzled.
Li Ping realized he had let slip something he shouldn't have.
"Well...?" Li Ping thought frantically while shooting glances at his two brothers, silently pleading for help to come up with an excuse.
Li Pan and Li An returned looks that said they were powerless to assist.
"Don't try to make excuses. Tell the truth." Seeing the silent communication between the three children, Ye Yunniang put on a stern face.
Li Ping confessed the agreement between him and Tong Mo.
Tong Mo paid Li Ping to call him 'father'. Li Ping figured not taking money that was offered would be idiotic.
So, Li Ping started calling him "Papa Mo" and received fifty taels of silver from Tong Mo every month.
"Do we get silver too if we call him that?" was Li An's first reaction upon hearing this.
"Can we?" Li Pan's eyes also lit up.
"Yes / No."
'Yes' came from Li Ping, 'No' from Ye Yunniang.
"Father and mother are not titles to be thrown around lightly. You have a father." Ye Yunniang didn't want her sons to become people who would do anything for money.
"Your mother is right. You can't just call anyone father or mother." Cai Damei also disapproved.
"We're not throwing it around lightly; it's an equivalent exchange."
"Right, we're just trying to make an old man happy."
"We're earning money. With money at home, Grandma, you could afford to keep as many outside companions as you want."
Cough, cough, cough... Ye Yunniang sprayed the tea straight out of her mouth.
Li An, sitting opposite her, got a face full. He wiped his face with his hand.
"Mom, how old are you? Can't even drink tea without choking?"
Li Ping pulled a money pouch from his robe and handed it to Cai Damei. "Grandma, here's some money. Use it to keep your outside companions."
Cai Damei was first stunned by her eldest grandson's words, then left utterly bewildered by her youngest grandson's actions.
"Who told you I wanted to keep outside companions?" Cai Damei said, looking at Ye Yunniang.
"It wasn't me. I never said anything like that." Ye Yunniang shook her head and waved her hands, indicating she hadn't taught them this.
"Nobody had to tell us. I figured it out myself." Li Pan repeated to his grandmother the theory he had previously told Ye Yunniang, adding his latest thoughts.
Li Pan had inquired and learned that women kept separately in outside residences were called 'outside companions', a rather low-status arrangement.
"Grandma, I'm still young and can't earn much money now. But wait until I grow up and make lots of money. I'll buy you a big mansion. Then you can bring all those outside companions back to live together."
After Li Pan finished, Li An and Li Ping also nodded.
"Grandma, we'll work hard to earn money too."
"Grandma, I think Uncle Luo Xin is pretty good. He has high martial arts skills and can protect people. Plus, he's not married yet."
Cough, cough, cough... Ye Yunniang went into another coughing fit. What on earth were her sons learning at school?
"Alright, Grandma will wait." Cai Damei looked at her three grandsons with affectionate eyes.
Outside the house, Bao Min, who had been listening, shot a sharp, scrutinizing look at Luo Xin.
Luo Xin instinctively stiffened. "Sir, I am utterly loyal to you. I have no other intentions."
"Luo Xin, you're not getting any younger. It's time you got married."
"Yes, sir. I'll get married the day after tomorrow—no, tomorrow!" Luo Xin thought that even if he had to kidnap one, he'd find a woman to marry him tomorrow.
"From now on, those assigned here must already be married."
"Yes, sir."
Knock, knock, knock. A knocking sound came from the door.
Ye Yunniang opened the courtyard gate to find Chunyao standing there.
"Let's talk inside."
Chunyao said this and walked towards the main hall.
Ye Yunniang closed the gate and went to the kitchen to fetch tea before entering the hall.
After drinking a cup of water, Chunyao began to speak.
The day before yesterday, Ye Yunniang had come to her home, stating with absolute certainty the matter between Liang Maimiao and Wang Jinsheng.
Chunyao had agreed verbally, but in her heart, she didn't believe it. How could those two possibly be involved?
Because she had promised Ye Yunniang, while busy at the shop yesterday, Chunyao took a moment to glance over at Xiangji Teahouse.
The first few times, Chunyao saw nothing. She became increasingly convinced Ye Yunniang had been mistaken.
Just before noon, seizing a break to use the outhouse, Chunyao went to check Xiangji Teahouse again.
And then, she saw Liang Maimiao and Wang Jinsheng standing very close, talking.
Wang Jinsheng even took out some silver and gave it to Liang Maimiao.
The key point: Liang Maimiao accepted it.
The issues between the Wang and Liang families, though not spoken of openly by either side, were known to those in the know.
For two people with a feud between their families to be talking together, and for money to change hands...
The more Chunyao thought about it, the more wrong it seemed.
Yesterday, Chunyao found time to visit the teahouse and spent a little silver.
"Guess what I found out?"
"What?" Ye Yunniang asked curiously.
"Liang Maimiao and Wang Jinsheng don't have the kind of relationship you and I imagined."
"What kind of relationship is it then?"
"That leads to Liang Hemiao."
"Didn't she marry into the Xing family to become a young mistress of an official's household?" That's what Yang Guihua had been telling everyone.
"Nonsense! She's just a chamber maid." Chunyao held Yang Guihua in utter contempt.
"Liang Hemiao couldn't keep her own child. She wants to borrow a seed."
Having been in the Jiang household for many years, Chunyao had heard of and seen this situation many times. It didn't take much to connect the dots.
"They are far too bold!" Even though she had heard it from Luo Xin, Ye Yunniang was still shocked.
"Yunniang, I came to tell you, this is not something we can get involved in." Chunyao warned Ye Yunniang.
"Sister Chunyao, thank you for telling me. I won't speak of it to anyone else." Ye Yunniang promised.
"I didn't! You're slandering me."
