The elderly Old Master Jiang, Old Madam, and Concubine Xue, who lived in the dilapidated temple, immediately noticed the marks on Jin Huifang’s body, barely concealed by her tattered clothes.
"Oh dear, Huifang. Let me give you some advice as your elder. If you’ve found another man, then live properly with him. Don’t be fickle and unfaithful," Concubine Xue sneered from the sidelines.
"You shameless woman! How dare you betray my son and still show your face here? Get out! The farther, the better!" Old Madam Jiang slapped Jin Huifang hard across the face.
Old Master Jiang remained silent, but his stance was clear—he refused to let Jin Huifang back into the temple.
With nowhere else to go, Jin Huifang had no choice but to return to Sheep Dung Alley.
Upon her return, Zi Yuan and Niu Liqiang mocked and beat her mercilessly.
Overwhelmed by hatred, Jin Huifang vowed to make every one of her tormentors pay with their lives.
Outwardly, she played the obedient servant, doing whatever Zi Yuan and Niu Liqiang demanded.
Convinced they had broken her spirit, the pair stopped locking her up.
Now free to move about, Jin Huifang used the money she had secretly saved to buy rat poison.
Originally, she had planned to take Jiang Tingjun with her in death—but fate intervened when she encountered Ye Yunniang.
Unable to bear the thought of her ten-month-old child dying with her, she decided to let Jiang Tingjun live.
Carrying a bundle of steamed buns, Jin Huifang first returned to the temple.
Kneeling before Old Master Jiang and the others, she begged them tearfully to keep her infidelity a secret. Her words were laced with desperate hope that Jiang Mingrui would one day return, and their family could be reunited.
Moved by her plea, the three accepted the buns she offered.
Back in Sheep Dung Alley, Jin Huifang served the poisoned buns to Zi Yuan and Niu Liqiang.
When the poison took effect, leaving them too weak to resist, she picked up a cleaver and hacked them to pieces.
Finally, she carried Jiang Tingjun from the firewood pile in the kitchen to Sunset Lane, leaving the child at the doorstep of the Li Family.
Returning home, Jin Huifang washed herself clean and tore two strips of cloth.
On one, she confessed to the murders.
On the other, she wrote to Ye Yunniang, pleading with her to take in Jiang Tingjun.
"Are Old Master Jiang and the others alright?" Ye Yunniang asked worriedly.
"They were saved in time by induced vomiting," Bao Min replied vaguely, omitting further details.
For Ye Yunniang, knowing they survived was enough—she didn’t press for more.
"Will you adopt Jiang Tingjun?"
Without hesitation, Ye Yunniang answered, "I will."
Bao Min began to understand why Jiang Mingzhe had been drawn to Ye Yunniang.
Out of respect for Jiang Mingzhe, Bao Min arranged all the necessary paperwork for Jiang Tingjun’s adoption.
To the outside world, the child was simply Li An, the adopted son of the Li Family—unaware that he was the offspring of the infamous "Four Corpse Case" that had shocked the city.
Soon, the residents of Sunset Lane learned that the two widows of House No. 4 had taken in a child left at their doorstep.
Cai Damei and Ye Yunniang maintained the same story—that the child’s arrival was simply fate.
A physician confirmed the boy was healthy, with no illnesses.
At about a year and a half old, he could feed himself. Raising him, they reasoned, would bring blessings to Pan'er.
When Pan'er grew up, she would have a brother to rely on.
While many neighbors praised Cai Damei and Ye Yunniang for their kindness, others doubted their motives, whispering that the two women were merely seeking praise while mistreating the child in secret.
Unbothered by the gossip, Cai Damei and Ye Yunniang carried on with their lives, knowing time would reveal their true intentions.
Then there were the unscrupulous ones—like Niu Dajiao, who, seeing that Li An was a handsome boy, suggested selling him to a childless family for profit.
Before Cai Damei could react, Ye Yunniang snatched up a sickle and swung it at Niu Dajiao.
"I’ll kill this wretch!"
"Ah—help!" Niu Dajiao shrieked, scrambling for the door. Though Ye Yunniang brandished the sickle menacingly, she had no real intention of killing her.
The woman wasn’t worth the trouble.
With controlled strikes, Ye Yunniang sliced off both of Niu Dajiao’s sleeves.
"Niu Dajiao, if I ever hear you spout nonsense again, it won’t be your sleeves next time!" She punctuated her threat by slamming the sickle into the Ma Family’s gate, leaving a deep gash.
"I was just trying to help!" Niu Dajiao whined from inside her house.
"Save your ‘help’ for your own family," Ye Yunniang shot back, eyeing the Ma Family’s filthy, chicken-dung-covered yard.
"Yunniang’s right, Niu Dajiao. Focus on your own mess before meddling in others’ lives," a neighbor chimed in.
"Exactly! Your son’s been married five years with no children—maybe you should worry about that first!"
"Maybe she wants the kid for herself!"
"Wouldn’t surprise me. Her lazy son and daughter-in-law probably can’t even manage to have one!"
From their perches on walls and doorways, the neighbors took turns mocking Niu Dajiao.
"Shut your filthy mouths! My Daliang is perfectly fine!" Niu Dajiao screeched, rushing out to defend Ma Xiaokou—only to retreat hastily when she saw Ye Yunniang still gripping the sickle.
She wasn’t afraid of a fight, but she feared getting hurt.
The sight of Niu Dajiao cowering sent the onlookers into fits of laughter. Many who had suffered her rumors now considered following Ye Yunniang’s example.
From then on, any woman who heard Niu Dajiao spreading gossip would grab the nearest object and chase her off.
After just one such encounter, they realized how much better it felt than swallowing their anger.
Sunset Lane soon gained a reputation in the area—its residents were known for settling disputes with their fists.
The lane was full of fierce people.
But that’s a story for later.
For now, the neighbors regarded Ye Yunniang with newfound respect. They had assumed she was meek and timid, but her actions proved she was sharp-minded and ruthless when needed.
Meanwhile, the so-called "formidable" Ye Yunniang was busy trying on new clothes.
With October’s arrival, the weather had turned colder, and winter coats were needed.
After days of work, Cai Damei had finished sewing new padded jackets for the children and Ye Yunniang.
Twirling in her new coat, Ye Yunniang beamed.
"Mother, your craftsmanship is amazing. It’s so beautiful!"
Cai Damei’s smile faltered when her gaze landed on Ye Yunniang’s stomach. She reached out and touched it.
"Mother? What’s wrong?" Ye Yunniang asked, puzzled, as she felt her own stomach—just a little rounder from recent weight gain.
"Nothing. I just have a headache."
"Then lie down and rest. I’ll fetch the physician."
Cai Damei obeyed, settling onto the bed while Ye Yunniang hurried off.
When the physician arrived, he diagnosed Cai Damei with excessive worry and prescribed medicine.
"Doctor, could you examine my daughter-in-law too? She’s been caring for two children and me—it’s been exhausting for her."
"Mother, I’m fine," Ye Yunniang protested.
Ignoring her, Cai Damei took her hand and guided it to the physician.
As the doctor checked her pulse, Cai Damei studied his expression intently.
Finally, he withdrew his hand. "She—"
