Ye Yunniang was surprised when Hong Cai immediately mentioned where she was from.
"How could you tell? My hometown is Lin'an County."
"I'm from Lin'an too. I recognized your accent as soon as you spoke," Hong Cai explained with a smile.
"I didn’t hear any accent in your speech at all."
"I’ve been in Jiangcheng for over ten years now. I can still recognize the hometown dialect, but I can’t speak it anymore." Hong Cai sighed at this.
"How did you end up in Jiang Mansion?" Ye Yunniang asked curiously.
"There were eight siblings in my family. I was the fifth—neither here nor there. My family thought I ate too much, so they sold me. Luckily, I ended up in the Jiang household. Now I have no worries about food or clothing, and I even earn 400 coins a month." Hong Cai seemed quite content with her current life.
"Do you miss home?"
"I did at first, but now I can barely remember what my parents even look like." Hong Cai chuckled, then pulled out some melon seeds from a hidden pocket in her sleeve. "Wet Nurse Ye, have some melon seeds."
"Alright." Ye Yunniang didn’t refuse and took one, holding it in her hand.
"Wet Nurse Ye, how long have you been in Jiangcheng? How did you come to Jiang Mansion?"
"I couldn’t stay in my hometown, so I came to Jiangcheng with my mother to seek refuge with my aunt. Jobs were hard to find outside, so when I heard Jiang Mansion was hiring wet nurses, I decided to try my luck. I thought if I didn’t get the job, at least I’d get 500 coins to take home." Ye Yunniang smiled sheepishly.
"This must be your first child, right? Among all the wet nurses, you’ve recovered the best. Your waistline looks almost like you’ve never given birth." Hong Cai reached out and playfully touched Ye Yunniang’s waist.
Ye Yunniang flinched slightly and laughed. "I’m ticklish there."
"My mistake. I shouldn’t have touched you so casually, sister." Hong Cai apologized and stuffed another handful of melon seeds into Ye Yunniang’s hand.
"Sister, have some more."
"Melon seeds can cause heatiness," Ye Yunniang shook her head.
"Oh! I completely forgot!" Hong Cai glanced outside and let out a long breath.
"What’s wrong?" Ye Yunniang followed her gaze.
"The physician warned us that wet nurses shouldn’t eat things like melon seeds that can cause heatiness. Sister Zi Yuan specifically told us maids not to snack on them in front of you. I just forgot for a moment." Hong Cai smacked her own head lightly.
"Quick, put the seeds away and sweep up the shells on the floor." Ye Yunniang stood up to fetch a broom.
"Don’t move, sister! You shouldn’t be doing this. Let me handle it." Hong Cai took the broom and swept up the scattered shells.
Hong Cai then went to the tea room, walked around the screen, and approached the daybed where Zi Yuan was reclining to rest.
She recounted everything she had discussed with Ye Yunniang to Zi Yuan.
"She seems honest enough," Zi Yuan remarked, tilting her chin slightly. "Take her some yam and red bean cakes."
Hong Cai acknowledged the order and returned to the main room with the cakes.
"Sister, try these yam and red bean cakes."
Ye Yunniang was standing by the bed, bending over to check on Jiang Tingjun’s sleep.
The little one seemed to catch the scent of the cakes, his tiny nose twitching.
The adorable sight made Ye Yunniang smile involuntarily.
After tucking Jiang Tingjun in, she walked over to Hong Cai, took a small bite of the cake, and savored it.
It was a sweetness she had never tasted before. "Delicious."
"Have more, sister. The mistress specifically ordered these made for you all." Hong Cai encouraged her to eat more.
Ye Yunniang handed a piece to Hong Cai. "Let’s eat together."
Hong Cai accepted it and took a bite.
After finishing a small piece, Ye Yunniang noticed Jiang Tingjun stirring and quickly wiped her hands before rushing over.
"The young master is awake." She first checked if he had wet himself, then turned to fetch a clean diaper from the bedside.
She removed the soiled one and tossed it into a basin nearby before wrapping him in the fresh one and dressing him.
Throughout the process, Jiang Tingjun simply watched Ye Yunniang with wide eyes, not crying at all.
Ye Yunniang picked him up. "Are you hungry, young master?"
Jiang Tingjun seemed to understand, letting out a soft "ah."
Ye Yunniang loosened her clothes and began nursing him.
Once full, Jiang Tingjun turned his head away, refusing more.
Ye Yunniang adjusted her clothes and held him upright against her shoulder, one hand supporting him while the other gently patted or stroked his back.
"Sister, why do you do this?" Hong Cai asked curiously.
"The midwife in my village taught me. She said it helps prevent the baby from spitting up." Though Ye Yunniang didn’t fully understand why it worked.
"So there’s a trick to it!" Hong Cai marveled at how much effort went into caring for a child.
After holding him upright for about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Ye Yunniang tried changing positions.
But Jiang Tingjun protested—he didn’t want to be held horizontally. Ye Yunniang had no choice but to hold him upright again.
Hong Cai entertained him with a rattle drum, helping to soothe him.
By the time Shi Liu arrived to relieve her at Hai hour (9–11 PM), Ye Yunniang briefed her on Jiang Tingjun’s condition before returning to Zhiyu Pavilion.
Nanny Shi was guarding the gate. Ye Yunniang quickened her steps and thanked her.
"Thank you for your hard work, Nanny."
"No trouble at all, this old woman is just doing her duty. Wet Nurse Ye, go rest now." Nanny Shi yawned as she spoke.
"Alright, you should rest too, Nanny." Ye Yunniang agreed and headed to her room.
The water in the kettle was still warm. After a quick wash, she lay down to sleep.
In her dreams, Li'er knocked on the door, reminding her it was time for breakfast.
Ye Yunniang got up, washed, and ate—two boiled eggs, a bowl of millet porridge, and a few side dishes whose origins she couldn’t discern, though they tasted pleasant.
After breakfast, Li'er went to collect the clothes Ye Yunniang had changed out of the night before.
"I’ll wash my own clothes," Ye Yunniang insisted, unused to others handling her laundry.
"Sister Ye, have you forgotten? You’re not allowed to leave the courtyard, and there’s no well here." Li'er’s words made Ye Yunniang flush with embarrassment for a moment.
"Don’t feel awkward, Sister Ye. You’ll get used to it after living here longer. All our clothes are washed by the laundry service." Li'er gathered the clothes and left.
"Even undergarments?"
"The wet nurses’ undergarments are washed by me."
"Li'er, could you fetch me a bucket of water? I’ll wash them myself." She couldn’t bear the thought of someone else handling her intimate garments.
Since Ye Yunniang was willing to do it herself, Li'er didn’t argue. She left the undergarments behind, took the outer and inner clothes, and soon returned with a bucket of water.
Ye Yunniang waited by the door, accepted the bucket, carried it to the corridor, and began washing in a basin.
"Yunniang, why are you washing your own clothes?" Ding Fang emerged upon hearing the noise.
"I’m not comfortable letting others wash my undergarments," Ye Yunniang explained.
Ding Fang muttered under her breath, "A peasant’s fate—can’t even enjoy a bit of luxury."
"Sister Ding, what did you say?" Ye Yunniang didn’t catch her words.
"Where’s Li'er? After breakfast, she’s nowhere to be seen. Probably slacking off somewhere." Ding Fang’s tone dripped with dissatisfaction.
Ye Yunniang quickly interjected, "I asked Li'er to help me find a clothesline."
Just then, Li'er returned with a clothesline in hand.
"Has Wet Nurse Ding finished breakfast?"
"I’m thirsty. Fetch me some water," Ding Fang ordered haughtily.
"Of course." Li'er handed the clothesline to Ye Yunniang, then went inside to clear the dishes before leaving.
Ye Yunniang took the rope and walked around the courtyard before tying it between the side room and the main house, hanging her undergarments and cloth towels to dry.
Since no one lived in the main quarters of Zhiyu Pavilion, tying the rope here ensured no one would see.
Just as she finished hanging the clothes, the sound of crying drifted in from the gate.
