Opening a shop to sell pickles.
Cai Damei wasn’t optimistic about it.
"Let’s not open a shop just yet. We could set up a small stall next to the Xu family’s noodle shop and sell homemade pickles," Ye Yunniang suggested.
"I’ll think about it," Cai Damei said, feeling somewhat tempted.
"Alright, take your time to consider it," Ye Yunniang replied without pressing further.
Cai Damei went out with a basket on her back to buy jars.
Meanwhile, Ye Yunniang stayed home to look after Pan'er. Before long, Liang Maimiao arrived with her two children.
"These two insisted on coming to play with Pan'er after lunch," she explained.
"Pan'er has been asking to play with Da Lei and Er Lei too," Ye Yunniang said, standing up to offer her seat to Liang Maimiao.
She went inside, brought out two more stools, and served tea and pastries.
"Sister Maimiao, have some tea and date cakes," Ye Yunniang said warmly, handing pieces of cake to the three children playing nearby.
"Yunniang, you’re too kind," Liang Maimiao remarked, taking a bite of the date cake. It was delicious.
As they nibbled on the cakes and watched the children, the two women chatted about recent happenings.
Mostly, Liang Maimiao did the talking while Ye Yunniang listened.
Ye Yunniang rarely went out, so she wasn’t familiar with much of the neighborhood gossip. Some things Cai Damei didn’t discuss with her either.
Liang Maimiao, busy with her children, also seldom went out. Finding someone to talk to was a rare pleasure, so she spoke freely.
From her, Ye Yunniang learned that the Zhang family in No. 6 Courtyard wasn’t as harmonious as they appeared.
Qiufang, Zhang San’s wife, had originally been introduced by a matchmaker to Zhang Er. But Qiufang didn’t take a liking to Zhang Er—instead, she fell for Zhang San, who had accompanied his brother to the meeting.
Zhang San and Qiufang ended up together.
Resentful, Zhang Er impulsively married Qiufang’s cousin, Xiumei.
At first, Xiumei was unaware of the backstory. But after joining the Zhang household, she learned the truth and grew bitter, keeping a tight watch on Zhang Er.
If Qiufang and Zhang Er so much as stood too close, Xiumei would make a scene.
The Zhang family’s courtyard was small, and even if the two tried to avoid each other, they’d still cross paths two or three times a day.
The constant quarrels wore Zhang Er down, so he took up a job buying pigs in the countryside, often away from home.
With her husband rarely around, Xiumei blamed Qiufang even more, convinced it was all her fault.
Unable to bear seeing Qiufang mistreated, Zhang San proposed dividing the household. But Granny Zhang refused outright, declaring she’d rather die than let the family split.
Left with no choice, Zhang San found work as a guard and moved out with Qiufang.
After Zhang Yishan and Qiufang left, Xiumei expected her husband to return. But Zhang Er remained absent as ever.
"Xiumei’s room is near mine. Every night, I hear her scolding the children and cursing her husband," Liang Maimiao said. At first, she found it amusing, but the constant noise soon grew tiresome.
"Honestly, Granny Zhang shouldn’t have let Zhang Er marry Xiumei just to save on the bride price."
"Bride price?"
"Yes. My mother told me Granny Zhang’s husband died of illness, leaving the family in debt. When marrying off her three sons, Granny Zhang picked brides with the lowest dowries."
Having heard Cai Damei’s version earlier, Ye Yunniang had a favorable impression of both women. But after Liang Maimiao’s account, her perspective shifted.
Truly, one shouldn’t rely on a single side of the story.
"Murder! Help! Someone’s killing—come quick! They’re beating someone to death!"
"That’s Niu Dajiao’s voice," Liang Maimiao said, rushing outside to see the commotion.
The three children, hearing the excitement, also dashed toward the door.
"You three can’t go!" Ye Yunniang was a step slower but managed to grab Da Lei, who had already run out, and pull him back into the yard.
"Aunt Yunniang, let me go see!" Da Lei pleaded, eager to join the crowd.
"You’re too small to squeeze among adults. Let’s go to the kitchen—I’ll make you something tasty instead."
The three little ones, barely reaching thigh height, could easily get trampled.
"What tasty thing?" Er Lei’s interest was piqued by the mention of food.
Pan'er’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Ye Yunniang. "Mama, I want something yummy!"
"Sweet egg soup—warm, fragrant, and delicious."
"I want some!" Er Lei, unable to resist sweets, was the first to agree.
"Me too!" Pan'er chimed in.
"Then follow me to the kitchen," Ye Yunniang said, taking Pan'er and Er Lei’s hands and leading them inside.
Da Lei hesitated, torn between the excitement outside and the promised sweet egg soup.
A sudden scream made him flinch. "Auntie, I want egg soup too!"
"Alright, but you’ll have to help me tend the fire."
"Deal!" Da Lei hurried into the kitchen.
Ye Yunniang lit the stove and let Da Lei watch the flames.
She cleaned the pot, added water, and brought it to a boil. Once simmering, she cracked in the eggs, letting them set before turning up the heat until they floated to the surface.
She prepared three bowls, dissolving brown sugar in hot broth before adding the eggs.
"One bowl each. Be careful—it’s hot, so eat slowly."
As the children ate, Liang Maimiao returned, still buzzing from the spectacle outside.
Seeing Da Lei and Er Lei enjoying their egg soup, she flushed with embarrassment.
“Yunniang, you didn’t have to make them sweet egg soup! First date cakes, now this—you’re spoiling them.”
Ye Yunniang handed her a bowl of the sweet broth. "Sister, what happened out there?"
Liang Maimiao took a sip. So sweet.
After drinking, she recounted what she’d seen.
No. 2 Courtyard housed three families who shared a kitchen and woodshed. With belongings stored together, it was easy to accidentally use someone else’s things.
That day, one woman noticed a significant portion of her newly bought firewood was missing and accused the other two families of stealing.
Naturally, they denied it. The three women began arguing, their voices rising.
Niu Dajiao, ever the busybody, leaned over the wall to watch—and couldn’t resist adding fuel to the fire with her commentary.
Her meddling finally pushed the quarreling women too far.
"This is our fight—what’s it to you?" they snapped.
Remembering all the gossip Niu Dajiao had spread about them, the three turned on her, giving her a thorough thrashing.
"Serves Niu Dajiao right," Liang Maimiao said with satisfaction.
"Did she say something about you?"
"Who in Sunset Lane hasn’t she gossiped about? Right after you returned, she even claimed you must’ve been involved with that man from the Jiang family." Liang Maimiao clapped a hand over her mouth, regretting her bluntness.
"Ugh, Niu Dajiao’s mouth is vile. Everyone in the alley knows to ignore her." To make up for her slip, Liang Maimiao shared a personal story.
Back when she was pregnant with her third child, Liang Maimiao took on grocery runs to avoid sitting idle at home.
One day, she stepped on a loose stone and nearly fell backward—until a passerby caught her.
Had she hit the ground, it could’ve been fatal for both her and the baby.
Grateful, she held the man’s arm and brought him to the noodle shop, where she told Xu Damai and his parents what happened.
Horrified, the Xu family thanked the man profusely.
Xu Damai, worried, left his parents to mind the stall and escorted his wife home.
But at the alley’s entrance, they overheard Niu Dajiao twisting the story into something scandalous.
"Liang Maimiao has been fooling around with another man out in the open, shamelessly flirting right there on the street in broad daylight. I saw it with my own eyes—disgusting behavior. I suspect the child she’s carrying isn’t even Xu Damai’s."
"Niu Dajiao!"
