Ye Yunniang averted her gaze and quickened her steps back to Zhiyu Pavilion.
As she reached the entrance, she heard Taohong's voice. Why had she returned at this hour?
"What filling is this?"
"Nanny Taohong, you can only take four zongzi," Li'er protested, stopping Taohong from taking more. The portions were fixed—if Taohong took extra, others would lose out.
"What do you mean ‘extra’? I’m just checking the flavors so I can pick the ones Aunt Lan and Nanny Ye would like. You little maid don’t know how to speak properly. Move aside, don’t get in the way." Taohong waved her hand dismissively, shoving Li'er away as if swatting a fly.
Taohong pulled a zongzi from the food box and sniffed it.
Unable to discern the filling, she began unwrapping it.
"Nanny Taohong, you can’t keep opening them!" Li'er reached out and gripped the zongzi to stop her.
"I already told you, I’m doing this for Nanny Ye. She has a sweet tooth. If she gets a bad one, she’ll blame you. I’m doing you a favor!" Taohong, stronger than Li'er, easily wrenched her hand free.
Li'er staggered back, nearly falling.
"Ah—!" she cried out, bracing for impact.
But instead of hitting the stone floor, she landed against a soft, milky-scented warmth.
"Sister…" Li'er’s voice trembled with a childlike whimper, the kind reserved for family.
"Nanny Taohong, no need to trouble yourself checking the fillings for me. I’m not picky—I’ll eat any kind." Ye Yunniang steadied Li'er.
Her gaze fell on the stone table, where four unwrapped zongzi lay—two half-eaten, the other two torn open to reveal fillings of cured meat and red bean.
Taohong’s behavior made Ye Yunniang frown. She then noticed the dozen untouched zongzi still in the box.
"Li'er, why haven’t Aunt Lan’s zongzi been delivered yet?" Ye Yunniang selected six of the most presentable ones, arranged them on a plate, and handed it to Li'er. "Hurry and take these to her. We mustn’t delay Aunt Lan’s treats."
"Hey, hey—!" Taohong tried to intervene, but Li'er had already taken the plate and rushed toward Aunt Lan’s room.
"Nanny Taohong, you’ve already made your pick. The remaining four in the box are mine." Ye Yunniang closed the lid and carried the box to her room.
Taohong glared as Ye Yunniang took the four intact zongzi, but with the four she’d already opened on the table, she couldn’t protest.
Silently, she cursed Ye Yunniang for returning too soon and ruining her plan. Had she managed to unwrap all of Ye Yunniang’s zongzi, she could’ve claimed eight for herself.
Ye Yunniang didn’t know Taohong’s thoughts—and even if she did, she wouldn’t yield. She’d have taken the opened ones too, denying Taohong any advantage.
Inside her room, Ye Yunniang set out her meal and began eating.
Taohong barged in, scanning the modest furnishings with disdain. Nothing compared to the elegance of her own quarters.
After her mental critique, Taohong plopped onto the seat across from Ye Yunniang.
"Nanny Ye, I covered your shift all day. Tonight, it’s your turn to watch the young master."
"Aunt Lan assigned you to the night shift today. How is that ‘covering’ for me?" Ye Yunniang set down her chopsticks and stood to leave.
"What are you doing?" Taohong grabbed her wrist.
Her hands, greasy from handling zongzi, made Ye Yunniang recoil in disgust. She yanked her arm free.
"I’m going to ask Aunt Lan if she misremembered. I can’t let you work for me without credit."
Taohong: That won’t do! If Ye Yunniang goes, the lie will be exposed.
She slapped her forehead theatrically. "Oh, my! I’ve been so busy tending to the young master that I mixed up the days. Tomorrow is your shift—tonight is mine. I won’t disturb your meal. I’d better go attend to the young master." Taohong hurried out.
Once outside, she turned and spat, muttering, "Bitch."
Before this, Ye Yunniang had never fought back, leading Taohong to assume she was weak.
Now, it was clear—Ye Yunniang wouldn’t tolerate being slighted.
Grudgingly, Taohong returned to Fanghua Courtyard to care for Jiang Tingjun. Before leaving, she ordered Li'er to rewrap her zongzi.
"If you don’t do it properly, I’ll have Aunt Lan dock your pay," Taohong threatened.
Li'er agreed reluctantly.
Back in her room, Ye Yunniang washed the grease off her hands and resumed her meal. After eating, she packed her dishes into a box and stepped outside.
Li'er was struggling to rewrap the zongzi, but Taohong had torn the leaves so badly that none were intact. No matter how carefully Li'er tried, it was impossible.
"Have you eaten your zongzi yet?" Ye Yunniang set down her box and asked.
"No. I was about to when Nanny Taohong came back and ransacked everything." Li'er paused, then added, "Thank you for earlier, sister." She fetched her own zongzi, unwrapped it carefully, and ate it. Then she washed the two leaves.
Using one good leaf and one less-tattered one, she managed to wrap two zongzi.
Ye Yunniang unwrapped one of hers and gave the leaf to Li'er.
With four zongzi now rewrapped, Li'er delivered them to Taohong’s room.
When she returned, she exhaled in relief.
Her expression made Ye Yunniang laugh.
Li'er joined in, and the two giggled together before sitting down to chat.
When Ye Yunniang mentioned that a maid had been caught stealing on her way back, Li'er immediately rushed out.
The next day, rumors spread through the estate: Hong Xing, a maid, had stolen Jiang Mingyue’s jade orchid hairpin. Though Hong Xing insisted she’d found it while cleaning the rockery, no one believed her.
Why hadn’t she reported it? Why hide it? Why secretly ask about its value? Clearly, she was a thief.
Hong Xing was beaten and sold off.
While she was dealt with easily, the mastermind behind her was harder to pin down.
Hong Xing was a cleaning maid from Zhenxia Courtyard.
Bai Xiuxiu cried injustice—she’d lent her maid to help in the garden, only to be framed.
With multiple incidents tied to Zhenxia Courtyard’s maids, most suspected Bai Xiuxiu was behind it—or at least guilty of poor management.
Her reputation worsened.
Old Madam Jiang, already resentful of Old Master Jiang’s favoritism toward Concubine Xue, disliked her son even more. Seizing the chance, she demanded Old Master Jiang banish the third branch from the estate.
But Concubine Xue, long favored, had her own connections. She soon uncovered that Hong Xing and Hongyin from Fanghua Courtyard were cousins—and that Hong Xing had visited Hongyin twice before the incident.
Concubine Xue accused the fourth branch of scheming against the third. She wept pitifully before Old Master Jiang.
Old Madam Jiang’s plan to exile the third branch failed.
The hot-tempered Bai Xiuxiu stormed into Fanghua Courtyard, shouting as soon as she entered.
"Jin Huifang, come out here! If you dare scheme in the shadows, dare to face me—!"
Her outburst sent the courtyard’s maids and servants scattering in fear.
Jin Huifang, the fourth madam, was inside bonding with Jiang Tingjun when Bai Xiuxiu’s shouts reached them.
Jin Huifang tensed, glancing at Jiang Tingjun.
The boy, however, was engrossed in his new toy—a wooden dragon-prowed ship with movable oarsmen.
Jiang Tingduo was having a great time, completely oblivious to the commotion outside.
"Take Tingjun back to the side courtyard. Lock the door and don’t open it unless I say so," Jin Huifang instructed Ye Yunniang and Hong Cai.
Ye Yunniang obeyed, stepping forward to pick up Jiang Tingjun.
The little boy was reluctant, reaching out for Jin Huifang, wanting her to hold him instead.
"Be good, my son. Go with your nursemaid first. I’ll come see you soon," Jin Huifang said, giving a meaningful glance.
Ye Yunniang quickly carried Jiang Tingjun toward the side courtyard, deliberately ignoring Bai Xiuxiu’s furious shouts from the main yard. Once they arrived, Hong Cai relayed Jin Huifang’s orders.
The gatekeeper promptly locked the door.
Ye Yunniang carried Jiang Tingjun into the inner room, where the distant sounds from Fanghua Courtyard could still faintly be heard.
Meanwhile, Jin Huifang smoothed her clothes and leisurely walked to the entrance. Seeing Bai Xiuxiu’s livid expression, the corner of her lips curled into a barely perceptible smirk.
"Well, well, Third Sister-in-law. What madness has brought you to my Fanghua Courtyard to make a scene?" Jin Huifang said slowly, her tone dripping with mockery.
Bai Xiuxiu’s temper flared at those words. Pointing an accusing finger, she shouted, "Jin Huifang, don’t play dumb! You ordered your maids to scheme behind my back and frame me. You owe me an explanation today!"
Jin Huifang showed no trace of guilt, crossing her arms with disdain. "Bai Xiuxiu, I call you ‘Third Sister-in-law’ out of respect as family. But if you slander me without proof, don’t blame me for being ruthless.
You accuse me of ordering my maids to frame you? Where’s your evidence? Making baseless accusations like this will only make you a laughingstock."
"Evidence? Hong Xing has already confessed! It was someone from your Fanghua Courtyard behind this. How dare you deny it?"
Jin Huifang scoffed at Bai Xiuxiu’s outburst.
"You’d believe the word of a thief? I’ve been part of the Jiang family for years—five, to be exact. Everyone knows my character.
I’ve always been straightforward. If I had a problem with you, Bai Xiuxiu, I’d settle it face-to-face. Sending someone to steal a hairpin and pin it on you?" She sneered. "I’d never stoop to such underhanded tricks."
"If you want me to believe it wasn’t you, then swear on your son’s life. If you had nothing to do with this, then may your son not live past this month!"
Bai Xiuxiu’s words ignited Jin Huifang’s fury.
"Damn it! You think I’m some pushover? Curse my son, and I’ll end you!"
