After finishing the breakfast brought by Li'er, Ye Yunniang stopped her as she was about to leave with the dishes.
"What does Nurse Ye need?"
The term "Nurse Ye" made Ye Yunniang slightly uncomfortable. "I'm a bit older than you. You can call me 'sister.'"
Li'er obediently corrected herself, "Sister Ye, is there something you'd like to say?"
Ye Yunniang wanted to find the gatekeeper, Granny Tian, to ask her to deliver 10 taels of silver back home and pass along a message to her mother.
"Madam has instructed that nurses are not to leave Zhiyu Pavilion without permission. If you trust me, Sister Ye, I can make the trip for you." Li'er, who appreciated Ye Yunniang's kindness, was willing to help.
"Dear Li'er, thank you so much," Ye Yunniang said gratefully.
She took out the 10 taels of silver she had been rewarded the day before. For convenience, Coral had given her five silver ingots, each weighing 2 taels.
As she looked at the copper coins in her purse, Ye Yunniang recalled Cai Damei's advice:
"Yunniang, remember, whether you're asking for a favor or seeking help in the Jiang household, always offer something in return. Never let others work for you for free."
Ye Yunniang put one silver ingot back into her purse, grabbed a handful of copper coins, and took a hairpin strung with tiny pearls from her dressing table. She handed the purse, coins, and hairpin to Li'er.
"Li'er, please give this purse and hairpin to Auntie Tian. Ask her to deliver the purse to my family."
The purse and hairpin were for Granny Tian, while the handful of coins was Li'er's reward.
Li'er's smile brightened as she pocketed the coins. "Don’t worry, Sister Ye. I’ll make sure it’s delivered." With that, she picked up the tray and left.
Confined to her quarters for the day, Ye Yunniang busied herself tidying the room, arranging everything to her liking, and thoroughly cleaning every corner.
The rest of her time was spent examining the fine cotton silk gifted by the madam—soft and comfortable, perfect for Pan'er.
She cut the fabric and began sewing.
By evening, she had finished a new outfit, though she regretted not having Li'er seek out Granny Tian later. If she had, Pan'er could have worn the new clothes sooner.
Now, she would have to wait until next month, when her allowance was paid, to find another way to send them home.
Ye Yunniang followed Chunyao through a side gate into Fanghua Courtyard. They passed the side rooms, crossed a small courtyard, and arrived at a modest annex—the three-room residence of the Jiang family’s Sixth Young Master.
Chunyao explained that this annex had once served as the study of the Fourth Master Jiang.
Inside the main room, Shi Liu and Yan Zhi were attending to their duties.
"The young master has just been fed and changed," Shi Liu informed them before leaving with Yan Zhi to rest.
Chunyao and Ye Yunniang sat nearby, keeping watch.
"Don’t be nervous. Sit," Chunyao said, settling on the footstool by the bed and gesturing for Ye Yunniang to join her.
Ye Yunniang approached quietly and sat beside her.
She accepted a cup handed to her by a maid—only warm water, as nursing mothers were forbidden tea.
"Usually, I sit here alone, waiting for the young master to wake. Having you here means I finally have someone to talk to," Chunyao said before taking a sip and setting the cup aside.
Before Ye Yunniang could respond, Chunyao launched into a lively stream of chatter.
While listening, Ye Yunniang kept an eye on the child in the bed.
The baby’s eyelids fluttered—he was waking.
Ye Yunniang stood immediately, meeting a pair of bright, curious eyes.
Unconsciously, she smiled. "Greetings, young master. My name is Ye Yunniang. I am your nurse."
"The young master is still too little to understand what you're saying." Chunyao stood up shortly after, lifting the blanket to check if the little master had wet himself or needed changing, then dressed him carefully before picking him up.
Jiang Tingjun's eyes shifted to Chunyao and he let out a soft sound.
"The young master is hungry. This nursemaid will feed you now," Chunyao said, about to loosen her clothes when her gaze landed on Ye Yunniang. She paused.
"You feed him."
Ye Yunniang hesitated for a moment before reaching out for Jiang Tingjun.
"Sit down to nurse him."
"Oh, alright." Ye Yunniang obeyed Chunyao’s instruction, sitting down and taking Jiang Tingjun into her arms. She pulled aside her clothing and guided her breast to the baby’s mouth.
Jiang Tingjun stared at Ye Yunniang with wide eyes for a while, as if confirming something.
After a long pause, he finally latched on and began suckling.
Having gone two days without nursing, Ye Yunniang’s breasts had grown painfully engorged.
As Jiang Tingjun fed, the discomfort eased somewhat. Watching him drink hungrily, her thoughts drifted to Pan'er—what was he eating now?
Meanwhile, Pan'er was crying for Ye Yunniang, refusing the gruel he was given and demanding milk instead.
"Pan'er, come eat the rice paste. It’s tasty too. Here, open wide—ah—"
"Don’t cry, Pan'er. Look how happily your brother is eating. Come, copy him—open wide, ah…" Cai Xiaomei coaxed from the side, holding her own grandchild as an example.
Once Jiang Tingjun was full, Chunyao took him back, cradling him while she tended to his needs.
Ye Yunniang adjusted her clothing and sat quietly, observing Chunyao playing with the child. At one point, a maid arrived—introduced by Chunyao as Zi Yuan, the senior maid assigned by the Fourth Madam Jiang to oversee matters in the young master’s quarters.
Everyone was to follow Zi Yuan’s instructions.
That day, Chunyao merely entertained the child while Ye Yunniang handled all the care—feeding, changing, soothing his cries.
These were tasks she was accustomed to at home, so they didn’t feel particularly taxing.
On their way back, Ye Yunniang couldn’t help but whisper to Chunyao, "You throw away the diaper after just a little wetting?"
"Feeling sorry for it?" Chunyao laughed, then explained, "You’ll understand in time. The Jiang family is immensely wealthy. The cloth used for the young master’s diapers doesn’t even amount to a fraction of what the mistress spends on clothes in a month. The masters don’t mind such trifles."
Ye Yunniang was stunned, thinking of Pan'er still using his father’s old diapers. She nearly asked if she could take the discarded ones but then recalled Cai Damei’s warning:
"Yunniang, remember this once you enter the Jiang household—only take what the masters willingly give. Never ask for anything, no matter how much you want it."
She pressed her lips together and stayed silent.
Chunyao noted Ye Yunniang’s restraint and silently approved—she knew her place.
After a few days of shadowing Chunyao, the five nursemaids began rotating shifts.
Ye Yunniang was assigned the first half of the night.
She finished dinner early and made her way to the side courtyard of Fanghua Courtyard.
Yan Zhi was entertaining Jiang Tingjun when she arrived.
Once their handover was complete, Yan Zhi left to rest.
Ye Yunniang tried to soothe Jiang Tingjun, but the baby seemed unaccustomed to her and began fussing. She picked him up and rocked him gently.
The tactic worked—Jiang Tingjun soon stopped crying and even smiled at her.
After playing with him for a while, she nursed him and lulled him to sleep.
Ye Yunniang laid Jiang Tingjun down tenderly on the bed. "Such a well-behaved and sweet child," she murmured with a sigh, wondering how Pan'er was faring.
She tucked the blankets around him, then moved to the table, pouring herself a cup of water and taking a small sip to moisten her throat.
"Nurse Ye, you may rest on the daybed for a while," Hong Cai, the maid on duty, reminded her softly.
"Thank you for the reminder, Miss Hong Cai. I'm not sleepy yet. I'll keep watch over Young Master here—you can go rest for a while," Ye Yunniang said gratefully, offering the suggestion.
"I'm not tired either. Let’s chat for a bit, Nanny Ye." Hong Cai settled down beside Ye Yunniang.
The two sat at a distance from the bed—close enough to keep an eye on the sleeping Jiang Tingjun but far enough not to disturb him.
"Nanny Ye, you’re from Lincheng, aren’t you?"
