Ding Fang's matter-of-fact tone displeased Ye Yunniang greatly.
"Sister Ding Fang, are you in a hurry to wear it?"
"You don’t want to make it?" Ding Fang’s voice turned cold.
"I’ve received many rewards from the mistress, and I’m endlessly grateful. I wanted to pick out some fine fabric to make clothes for the young master. If Sister Ding Fang isn’t in a hurry, I’ll make yours after I finish the young master’s." Ye Yunniang explained softly.
"Ye Yunniang, if you don’t want to do it, just say so. Using the young master as an excuse—I misjudged you." Ding Fang flung her handkerchief aside and stormed back into her room.
Ye Yunniang followed a few steps, wanting to explain, but Ding Fang slammed the door shut, refusing to listen.
Returning to her own room, Ye Yunniang first washed her hands and tidied up before busying herself with laundry and hanging the clothes to dry.
Once done, she sat down to sew.
For the young master’s clothes, she worked especially slowly, taking great care with every stitch.
Ye Yunniang’s embroidery skills had been taught by a seamstress specially hired by Cai Damei.
The top was simpler, adorned with auspicious cloud patterns at the hem and collar, but the qilin (Chinese unicorn) on the trousers required much more time and effort.
"Sister Ye, it’s time for dinner." Li’er entered, carrying a food box.
Only then did Ye Yunniang notice that evening was approaching.
Setting aside the clothes, she shook her head—her neck had stiffened after sitting all afternoon.
After washing her hands, she sat at the table and examined the dishes: pork trotter soup with soybeans, vegetable tofu stew, stir-fried celery with shredded pork, and scrambled eggs with wood ear mushrooms.
"Li’er, eat with me." Ye Yunniang invited Li’er to stay, knowing she couldn’t finish the meal alone.
Genuinely welcomed, Li’er didn’t refuse and sat down to eat.
Having been at Jiang Mansion for a month, Ye Yunniang had grown accustomed to drinking a small bowl of soup before her meal.
Though the dishes were light on oil and salt, the mansion’s cooks made them delicious.
After Li’er cleared the dishes and left, Ye Yunniang took a stroll in the courtyard to aid digestion. There, she ran into Shi Liu, who was also out for a walk.
"Sister Shi Liu," Ye Yunniang greeted.
"You and Li’er seem close?" Shi Liu asked with an unreadable expression.
"Li’er is sweet. It gets lonely staying in the courtyard, so I’m grateful she keeps me company and helps pass the time." Ye Yunniang replied with a smile.
"Trusting others too much isn’t wise." With that, Shi Liu turned and went back inside.
Ye Yunniang watched her leave, puzzled. What did she mean?
Unable to make sense of it, she recalled Cai Damei’s advice: "If you can’t figure something out, don’t dwell on it. In a few days, it might become clear. If it still doesn’t, it’s the Bodhisattva telling you it’s not meant for you to understand."
Shaking off her thoughts, Ye Yunniang continued her walk before returning to her room to wash up and rest.
After a good night’s sleep, Ye Yunniang headed to Fanghua Courtyard.
"Nurse Ye, what brings you here?" Hong Cai asked, surprised to see her.
"I’ve come to fetch Sister Chunyao," Ye Yunniang replied, stepping toward the inner room.
Hong Cai’s eyes flickered with understanding, and she blocked Ye Yunniang’s path. "Today is the fifteenth. The mistress has taken the young master to pay respects to the old madam. Nurse Ding Fang came early to attend to him."
Ye Yunniang was confused—why had Ding Fang rushed to do this?
After over a month of interaction, she knew Ding Fang was the type to avoid work whenever possible.
Then she remembered: the day before, she had seen Ding Xiang, dressed like a mistress, speaking with Ding Fang at the door. And Shi Liu’s words during her evening stroll.
Ding Xiang must have told Ding Fang that the fourth madam would be paying respects today, urging her to bring the young master to Zhongle Courtyard to gain favor in front of the mistress.
Li’er, as a maid in the mansion, must have known about this.
"Thank you for telling me, Miss Hong Cai. I’ll take my leave." Ye Yunniang didn’t press further and departed.
"Not completely foolish," Hong Cai muttered before returning to her duties.
Back at Zhiyu Pavilion, Shi Liu and Chunyao were having breakfast in the courtyard.
"Yunniang, you’re back. Come, have some more." Chunyao beckoned her over.
Seeing their unsurprised expressions, Ye Yunniang realized they had known too.
She sat down. "I’ve already eaten, I’m not hungry."
"The old madam prefers quiet. On the fifteenth of each month, the mistresses bring their sons and daughters to pay respects."
When the old madam saw her grandchildren, she would reward the attending servants.
On these days, maids and nannies from every household competed to accompany their masters to Zhongle Courtyard.
Ding Fang had learned of this from her sister and wanted the reward.
If it had been Chunyao or Shi Liu on duty, she might have hesitated, but Ye Yunniang had no backing—taking the opportunity from her was no issue.
"Thank you for the guidance, Sister Chunyao." Grateful for the explanation, Ye Yunniang decided to share her stance.
"When I came, my mother told me: ‘Do your duty as a nurse. Once the young master no longer needs milk, I’ll come take you home.’"
"You don’t want to stay?" Shi Liu studied Ye Yunniang properly for the first time.
"I miss my son and my mother." Ye Yunniang had no desire to spend her whole life in Jiang Mansion.
Nor did she care for currying favor in front of the mistress.
Shi Liu looked at her. "From now on, the three of us will take turns going to the old madam’s courtyard."
"Thank you for your kindness, sisters. I’ll go tidy my room now." Ye Yunniang stood and headed inside.
By the door was a bucket of water—an arrangement she had with Li’er, who left one there daily for her use.
Ye Yunniang entered, fetched undergarments, a basin, and fragrant soap, and began washing her clothes.
Wetting the soap, she worked up a lather and scrubbed the fabric.
Only after coming to Jiang Mansion had she learned that laundry wasn’t limited to soapberries and wood ash—there was also sweet-smelling fragrant soap.
This soap had been sent by Shanhu, scented with camellia flowers, and smelled lovely.
After hanging the laundry to dry, she resumed embroidering the qilin.
Stitch by careful stitch, she imagined how handsome the young master would look wearing it.
At noon, Li’er arrived with a food box. "Sister Ye, I’ve brought lunch."
"Such hot weather—you’ve worked hard, Li’er. Have some water." Ye Yunniang poured her a cup.
Li’er drained it in one gulp, clearly parched.
Opening the food box, Ye Yunniang laid out four dishes, a soup, and a large bowl of rice.
Again, she invited Li’er to join her, and again, Li’er agreed.
Midway through the meal, Li’er suddenly set down her chopsticks.
"Sister Ye… why aren’t you angry with me?" The question made Ye Yunniang pause before putting her own bowl down.
"I am angry."
"Sister Ye, I didn’t want to! Nurse Ding Fang’s sister serves in the old madam’s courtyard. Once Xiangling marries, she’ll be promoted to head maid. I’m just a lowly errand girl—I…"
Ye Yunniang stopped her. "I’m not angry. I was teasing you earlier."
Li’er blinked in confusion.
Ye Yunniang took out a handkerchief to wipe Li’er’s tears. "Over this past month, we’ve gotten along so well. I’d even started thinking of you as a little sister."
Though disappointed Li’er had helped Ding Fang keep things from her, she didn’t blame her.
"Sister Ye, I’m sorry. I won’t hide anything from you again." Li’er burned with shame. Ye Yunniang was the kindest person she’d met in Jiang Mansion, yet she’d given away her chance to gain the mistress’s favor.
Li’er had seen maids elevated overnight after catching their masters’ eyes.
She’d once dreamed of such luck herself.
"Li’er, if such opportunities come up again, let Nurse Ding Fang have them." Ye Yunniang’s words baffled her.
Ye Yunniang repeated her earlier explanation.
"Sister Ye… you truly don’t want to stay in Jiang Mansion?"
