The shopkeeper, also the owner of the store, Baise, greeted customers with a bright smile. "We accept them. Have you brought the embroidered handkerchiefs?"
"I have." Ye Yunniang spread the handkerchiefs on the counter, allowing Baise to examine them closely.
The handkerchiefs Ye Yunniang brought featured small animals like cats and dogs, embroidered in vibrant colors, making them utterly charming.
A chubby little hand reached out and grabbed the handkerchief with a kitten batting at a ball.
"Mommy, the kitty is so cute. I love it!"
"If you like it, Mommy will buy it for you." The young woman beside the little girl patted her head and turned to Baise. "How much?"
Baise responded swiftly, "Fifteen coppers."
The young woman frowned slightly, finding it expensive.
"Madam, these handkerchiefs are made of the finest cotton silk, and the threads are mulberry silk. Look at the color combinations and the embroidery—the cat’s eyes are so lifelike..."
Convinced by Baise’s words, the young woman bought the handkerchief for fifteen coppers.
After seeing the customer off, Baise turned to Ye Yunniang. "May I ask your surname, madam?"
"My surname is Ye."
"Madam Ye, let’s discuss the purchase price."
After some negotiation, Baise agreed to provide the fabric and embroidery threads, buying the handkerchiefs for six to eight coppers each.
The six handkerchiefs Ye Yunniang had brought were purchased for thirteen coppers each.
"Madam Ye, would you be interested in taking on custom embroidery work?" Baise asked.
"How does it work?"
Leaving Baise’s embroidery shop, Ye Yunniang carried a bundle containing materials for twenty handkerchiefs and a folding screen.
The labor fee for the screen was three taels of silver, with a deadline of half a month.
Arriving at the Zhou family’s shop, Cai Damei and Cai Xiaomei were chatting.
"Yunniang, did you sell the handkerchiefs?" Cai Xiaomei had already heard from Cai Damei that Ye Yunniang had gone to sell her embroidery.
"I did. Auntie, why are you alone in the shop? Where are Brother and Sister-in-law?" Ye Yunniang glanced around but didn’t see Zhou Dong or Zhang Cai'er, who usually manned the store.
"Your brother and sister-in-law went to her mother’s house."
Mentioning the Zhang family reminded Ye Yunniang of Granny Tian, as well as Li'er, Chunyao, and Nanny Shi.
She wondered how they were doing now.
Before Ye Yunniang could ask about Granny Tian, Cai Xiaomei brought her up.
That day, after learning from Ye Yunniang that the Jiang Mansion’s servants were to be sold off, Granny Zhang returned home and discussed with her family about raising money to redeem them. Granny Zhang and Granny Tian were cousins and very close.
The Zhang family had faced several hardships, and each time, Granny Tian had generously helped them.
Now that Granny Tian’s family was being sold, Granny Zhang felt it was her turn to repay the kindness.
However, the Zhang family disagreed.
The first to object was her daughter-in-law, Wan Guihua, who threatened to jump into the river with her child if Granny Zhang took the family’s money.
Her son, Zhang Dayong, also refused, arguing that their family wasn’t well-off. If they gave away all their money, how would they survive?
With her son and daughter-in-law against her, Granny Zhang looked to her husband.
Old Man Zhang lowered his head and stayed silent, signaling his disapproval.
Despite her family’s opposition, Granny Zhang was determined to save her cousin’s family.
When Zhang Dayong tried to stop her from taking the money, he pushed her too hard in the struggle. Granny Zhang fell and hit her head on a stool, losing consciousness on the spot.
After two days of medical treatment, she woke up to learn that Granny Tian’s family had been bought by a slave trader who frequently did business in the north.
The two cousins would likely never meet again in this lifetime.
Hearing this, Granny Zhang closed her eyes and fainted once more.
"The doctor said the repeated shocks had damaged her brain, leaving half her body paralyzed.
Now, Cai'er’s mother is bedridden. Her brother and sister-in-law not only neglect her but also speak ill of her.
Cai'er, heartbroken for her mother, visits often to bathe and care for her." Cai Xiaomei sighed as she finished.
Ye Yunniang glanced at Cai Damei, who understood her unspoken question. "Why didn’t you mention this earlier? I should have visited."
Ye Yunniang had entered the Jiang Mansion thanks to Granny Zhang’s referral.
"You mustn’t go!" Cai Xiaomei waved her hands urgently.
"Why not?" Both Ye Yunniang and Cai Damei were puzzled.
It all came down to money.
Originally, Granny Tian had recommended Wan Guiying to the Jiang Mansion as a wet nurse. When Wan Guiying’s milk wasn’t suitable, she suggested Ye Yunniang instead.
Ye Yunniang was chosen and entered the Jiang Mansion.
At the end of each month, she sent her wages home through Granny Tian, along with any rewards from her masters, which she saved meticulously.
Granny Tian and Granny Zhang were close, so they often discussed these matters.
Wan Guiying overheard and grew resentful, feeling that the money should have been hers.
While the Jiang family was still powerful, the Zhangs had to stay on Granny Tian’s good side, and Wan Guiying dared not make trouble.
But now that the Jiang family had fallen, Wan Guiying began to scheme. She believed Ye Yunniang should hand over at least half of her past earnings since she had "given up" the opportunity.
With Wan Guiying whispering in his ear daily, Zhang Dayong also grew discontent.
At first, Zhang Cai'er scolded her brother and sister-in-law, but the exhaustion of caring for Granny Zhang wore her down, and she began to entertain similar thoughts.
Cai Xiaomei noticed this shift and nipped it in the bud with stern words.
As in-laws, Cai Xiaomei knew the Zhang family well. Granny Zhang was a reasonable and kind woman who kept Wan Guiying in check.
But with Granny Zhang paralyzed, Wan Guiying grew bold.
Her elder brother was a petty troublemaker with connections to unsavory characters.
Cai Xiaomei warned Cai Damei to be cautious when going out.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law returned to Sunset Lane with heavy hearts.
Granny Zhang stood at the gate, holding a fine piece of pork belly.
"Damei, I must thank you properly." She grasped Cai Damei’s hand warmly.
Granny Zhang had taken the pickled vegetables to the Fang family.
Zhang Qiaoya ate half a bowl of the pickles plain and then downed half a bowl of plain rice porridge with them.
Afterward, she felt fine—no nausea.
After a few days of eating pickles with porridge, Zhang Qiaoya began craving other foods yesterday at noon.
Since then, she had kept everything down.
Grateful for Cai Damei’s pickled vegetables, Granny Zhang brought meat as thanks.
"Sister Zhang, you’re too kind. The pickles were just made from extra vegetables from our backyard. How can I accept such a generous gift?" Cai Damei declined politely—pork cost thirteen coppers per pound now.
"Damei, the vegetables may be cheap, but your skill is unmatched. In all my years, I’ve never tasted pickles as good as yours."
"Sister Zhang, I’ll be honest. Back home, the whole village would come to trade for my pickles." Cai Damei couldn’t hide her pride.
"Mom, Auntie Zhang, let’s talk inside." Ye Yunniang opened the courtyard gate.
"Look at me, chatting away. Sister Zhang, come in for some tea." Cai Damei led Granny Zhang into the main room.
Ye Yunniang went to the kitchen to prepare tea.
After a sip, Granny Zhang revealed another reason for her visit.
"I came not just to deliver the meat but also to buy another jar of pickles." She pulled out her purse.
Cai Damei stopped her hand. "Since moving to Sunset Lane, you’ve always looked out for me. You give me discounts whenever I buy meat from you. If you like my pickles, just come and eat them. Offering money insults me."
Granny Zhang smiled, touched by her words.
"Oh dear, let me finish what I was saying, sister. We're close friends—if I were buying this for myself, I wouldn't give you money even if you asked. But this is for my in-law's family to purchase."
