"I was so furious I forgot about my pregnancy and lunged at Niu Dajiao to hit her. I missed, and ended up bedridden for half a month to recover." Liang Maimiao slapped her thigh in frustration, blaming herself for not being skilled in fighting.
Liang Maimiao then laughed. "When my mother-in-law found out, she went straight to Niu Dajiao’s house and gave her a solid beating. Da Mai also caught Ma Xiaokou and thrashed him."
She was deeply grateful for her in-laws' support, but the slander—especially the kind involving men and women—still infuriated her.
Today, seeing Niu Dajiao with a bruised face and a patch of hair torn from her scalp brought her immense satisfaction.
Ye Yunniang noticed Liang Maimiao’s lips were dry from talking. "Sister Maimiao, have some water."
"Alright, I’ll drink." Liang Maimiao took a big gulp.
"Niu Dajiao has spread vicious rumors more than once. I was lucky—my in-laws didn’t blame me and even stood up for me. But the young wife from the Gao Family in Morning Glow Alley wasn’t so fortunate. Niu Dajiao’s lies about her made her husband turn on her. He said, ‘Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Why would she target you if you didn’t do anything wrong?’
"He beat her three times a day.
"Between the gossip and the abuse, the poor woman couldn’t take it anymore. She hanged herself."
"She died?" Ye Yunniang couldn’t believe a life could end so easily.
"Yes, she died. And even then, Niu Dajiao claimed the Gao Family’s wife must have been guilty. ‘Why else would she kill herself? She was afraid of being exposed and punished.’
"But the truth? The husband already had another woman. He drove her to death on purpose."
Liang Maimiao’s story reminded Ye Yunniang of what Cai Damei had mentioned earlier—the widow from House No. 8, who had remarried after her husband’s death.
"Was it the widow from No. 8?"
"You’re sharp, Yunniang." Liang Maimiao praised her for connecting the dots.
"I just guessed. Is it true?"
"It is. And it was Wang Qiang who introduced that scoundrel to her." Liang Maimiao glanced at the children playing nearby before lowering her voice.
"Yunniang, you should be careful around Wang Qiang. He’s always slinking around, acting unmanly. The way he talks to women is vile, but with men…" She shuddered in disgust.
"Who is Wang Qiang?" Ye Yunniang tried to recall if Cai Damei had mentioned him among the families in Sunset Lane, but the name didn’t ring a bell.
"He lives in House No. 7."
The door creaked open.
Cai Damei walked in, carrying a jar in her arms and two more in a basket on her back.
Ye Yunniang hurried over to help unload the basket.
Seeing that it was getting late, Liang Maimiao gathered Da Lei and Er Lei to leave.
"What were you talking about?" Cai Damei noticed the flicker of unease in Liang Maimiao’s expression.
Ye Yunniang didn’t hide anything and repeated the stories Liang Maimiao had shared.
"Good. Niu Dajiao deserved that beating. Yunniang, you’re gentle and kind, but listen to me—when someone spreads lies about you, don’t cower. Don’t hide. You fight back.
"But don’t use your bare hands. You’ll just hurt yourself.
"Pick up a brick, a rock, or a stick—aim for her face. One good hit to teach her a lesson, and she’ll never dare slander you again." There was something unsettling in Cai Damei’s tone.
"Mother… did Niu Dajiao say things about you too?"
"Yes."
When Cai Damei first moved here, Niu Dajiao had visited often, pretending to be friendly.
Cai Damei, believing in being neighborly, humored her.
But after a few encounters, she realized Niu Dajiao was trouble and cut ties.
Niu Dajiao retaliated by spreading rumors—claiming Cai Damei was cursed, that she had driven her husband and son to their deaths, and that she had come here to steal another woman’s husband…
Busy raising Pan'er, Cai Damei had no idea until Aunt Xu from next door warned her.
Furious, Cai Damei grabbed a brick and smashed it straight into Niu Dajiao’s mouth.
Two teeth later, Niu Dajiao never dared speak ill of her again. Now, she scurried away like a mouse at the sight of her.
"Niu Dajiao only preys on the weak. Reasoning with her is useless. You have to break her spirit."
"I understand, Mother."
Looking at Ye Yunniang’s obedient expression, Cai Damei sighed inwardly.
With no men in the Li Family and Ye Yunniang’s gentle nature, she had to be the strong one. Otherwise, people would take advantage of them at every turn.
"And it’s not just women you need to watch out for—men too." Cai Damei’s voice turned serious. "If you ever have to fight a man, don’t go head-to-head. We’re weaker. Play helpless first, then strike where it hurts most when he least expects it."
"The eyes?" Ye Yunniang considered her height—she’d need something like chili powder to reach a man’s face.
"No. Lower." Cai Damei gestured subtly.
Ye Yunniang’s face burned with embarrassment.
"Don’t be shy. In a life-or-death situation, you do what you must." Cai Damei made sure she remembered.
Swallowing her bashfulness, Ye Yunniang listened carefully to her mother’s advice.
Two days after taking the pickles home, Granny Zhang returned to House No. 4 with a guest.
She introduced Sun Yulan, the owner of Zhu’s Noodle House.
After negotiations, they signed a contract—30 pounds of pickles per month at 14 coins per pound.
420 coins a month, minus expenses, left about 300 coins in profit—enough to cover the family’s needs.
Pleased, Cai Damei didn’t need Ye Yunniang’s persuasion this time. She arranged with the Xu Family to rent a small corner of their noodle stall for 100 coins a month, where she could sell pickles from a cart.
Business was steady—some days brought dozens of coins, others just a handful, but it was far better than stitching shoe soles.
With Cai Damei busy at the stall, more chores fell to Ye Yunniang.
She cared for the children, embroidered handkerchiefs and screens, and helped pickle vegetables.
Running out of jars, Ye Yunniang bought thirty more from the general store.
After paying, she scheduled a delivery and stopped by the herbal shop for pickling spices before hurrying home.
On the way, a man blocked her path.
"Ye Yunniang." Wan Guiyong eyed her with a leer.
She stepped back. "You’ve mistaken me for someone else."
"I know exactly who you are. You stepped over my sister to become the Jiang Family’s wet nurse. Made a fortune, didn’t you?" The man’s words confirmed it—he was Wan Guiying’s rogue brother, Wan Guiyong.
"I earned that money fairly." Ye Yunniang scanned for an escape, regretting not carrying chili powder as she’d planned.
"Bullshit! Without my sister, you’d have nothing. Listen here—bring 200 taels to the Zhang Family by tomorrow, or else."
