"I will marry into your family."
Bao Min's statement not only shocked Cai Damei inside the room. Outside the window, Tong Mo and Ye Yunniang were also so astonished by his words that their jaws dropped.
Cai Damei looked at Bao Min with a complex expression. "You really care deeply about Jiang Mingzhe." To make Jiang Mingzhe call him 'father', he had even thought of marrying into her family.
"It's not because of Jiang Mingzhe. I am," Bao Min fell silent here, somewhat unsure how to continue. His gaze fell on Cai Damei's stomach, and he hesitated no longer.
"Madam, if I say I have genuinely fallen for you, would you believe me?"
"No." Cai Damei didn't hesitate for a moment.
Cai Damei knew her own limitations. Her looks were ordinary, she came from no notable family, and she had a daughter-in-law and three grandchildren to support.
Bao Min gave a bitter smile. He knew Cai Damei would say that.
"Madam, three years ago, my initial intention in approaching you was indeed to make Jiang Mingzhe call me 'father'.
But, after spending more time with you...
Your indomitable spirit, your heart that never gives up and always strives upward. Your loving heart that always keeps your grandchildren in mind, considering their well-being... All these made me unwittingly develop feelings."
Bao Min reached out and took Cai Damei's hand.
"The beginning of our relationship was born from my scheming, from my coercion. I was afraid you would laugh at me if you knew. I was also afraid you would completely distance yourself from me."
But these were only a small part of the reason. The true reason was that Bao Min could see Cai Damei held no affection for him.
When Bao Min realized he had developed feelings for Cai Damei, he found it very hard to accept internally.
At one point, using busyness as an excuse, Bao Min didn't visit Cai Damei for several months. He wanted to force himself to forget her.
But the more he tried to forget, the more he couldn't. His mind was filled with thoughts of Cai Damei.
Tong Mo came and told him that during these months he hadn't been to Sunset Lane, Cai Damei had been living quite contentedly. She had even developed new flavors of pickled vegetables.
Feeling resentful, Bao Min decided he must make Cai Damei like him too.
For the next two years, Bao Min treated Cai Damei very, very well.
The sad part was, Cai Damei showed not a hint of joy, instead growing increasingly troubled. She even proposed ending their relationship.
Bao Min, who had been in a pleasant mood, grew angry and... tormented Cai Damei for three days.
Looking at Cai Damei's exhausted face, Bao Min felt regretful but didn't know what to say and fled in embarrassment.
Coincidentally, it was the summer harvest season around that time. Bao Min used busyness as an excuse not to go to Sunset Lane, only having his trusted subordinate secretly protect Cai Damei.
Listening to his subordinate's reports that Cai Damei was looking for a shop to open a store, busy every day, and not thinking of him at all...
Bao Min's heart ached with bitterness, and he felt some hatred towards Cai Damei. But Bao Min couldn't bring himself to go and make amends.
Until today, when Tong Mo hurried back to tell him that Cai Damei was pregnant.
Bao Min was overjoyed—he had an excuse to see Cai Damei. The next moment, what Tong Mo said turned Bao Min's joy into fear.
Cai Damei wanted to abort his child.
No, he wouldn't allow it.
"Madam, I've asked the doctor. You are not young anymore, and having an abortion is very harmful to your body. A proper postpartum confinement with good care would be better for your health.
Don't worry about the child. After it's born, I will take care of it. I raised Tong Mo myself; I have plenty of experience caring for children." Bao Min used Tong Mo as an example.
"Uncle is lying. He just threw me to the wet nurse to take care of," Tong Mo retorted from outside the window.
Ye Yunniang paid no attention to Tong Mo's words, listening intently to what Cai Damei would say. She wanted to know what Cai Damei was thinking. In her heart, she would support whatever decision Cai Damei made.
Cai Damei's thought remained to have the abortion; the child could not be kept.
Unable to persuade her, Bao Min could only take action. He arranged for people to watch Cai Damei 24 hours a day, not giving her any chance to take medicine.
"Grandma, are you very sick?" Li Pan's little face was full of concern, while Li An and Li Ping beside him also stared at her nervously.
"No." Cai Damei reached out and patted each of their heads.
“Then why is Master Bao so worried?” Li Pan didn't believe her. Bao Min's identity was special; calling him 'uncle' wasn't appropriate, so they compromised and called him "Master Bao."
"Grandma is really fine." Cai Damei assured them.
To stop her grandchildren from worrying, Cai Damei communicated with Bao Min privately.
No one knew how they talked it out, but Bao Min stopped following Cai Damei 24 hours a day. Cai Damei would not have the abortion.
"What's happening outside?" Cai Damei heard the commotion outside.
Ye Yunniang briefly explained the situation.
“Be extra careful these next few days, don’t let the children go near house number 8. Also, go get a few more safety talismans for the children to carry. And for the calming medicine, have Pingping drink it tonight.” Cai Damei instructed Ye Yunniang after listening.
"Alright." Ye Yunniang listened carefully.
Ye Yunniang asked Cai Damei to look after Li Ping while she went to the Du Family School to pick up the two children.
Li Pan and Li An walked out of the Du Family School, saw Ye Yunniang waiting for them, and ran towards her.
"Mother / Mother." they called.
Ye Yunniang took out a handkerchief to wipe their sweat. Holding each by the hand, she walked home with them, stopping by a pharmacy on the way.
"Mother, is Grandma feeling unwell again?" Li Pan knew that Cai Damei had been vomiting a lot lately.
"It's not Grandma. It's for Pingping." Ye Yunniang briefly mentioned what had happened in the alley that afternoon.
"You two will also have to drink some before bed." Ye Yunniang's words made both Li Pan and Li An pull faces simultaneously; neither liked drinking medicine.
"Mother, if I tell you some news, can I not drink the medicine?" Li Pan tried to bargain with Ye Yunniang.
"What news?"
"Hongyan and Ma Kouzi are together." Li Pan whispered very quietly into Ye Yunniang's ear.
"You saw them?" Ye Yunniang looked at Li Pan and Li An.
“Yes, a few days ago while playing hide-and-seek. An and I hid at the end of the alley first. They went there later. They didn't even check if anyone was around, just hugged and started taking their clothes off,” Li Pan wanted to continue, but Li An kicked him, reminding him to stop.
"We didn't watch what happened next. Brother Er Lei came looking for us, and they ran away." Li An quickly added.
Ye Yunniang breathed a sigh of relief and instructed them, "Don't look next time, you'll get styes in your eyes."
“Okay, we won't look.” Li Pan agreed. “Mother, can I skip the calming medicine now?”
"No." Ye Yunniang refused.
“Mother~” Li Pan was unhappy; she had promised him.
"Did I say I agreed?"
Li Pan thought about it—she hadn't—and pouted. "Mother, you tricked me again."
"The medicine must be taken. However, we can buy sugar-coated haws on the way back." Ye Yunniang mentioned the tanghulu.
Li Pan's unhappiness vanished instantly.
Worried that too many sweets were bad for their teeth, Ye Yunniang usually controlled how much sweet food the three children ate.
Li Pan loved sweets the most.
After getting the calming medicine, she bought five sticks of sugar-coated haws to take home.
The pool of blood not far from their doorstep had already been cleaned up.
Back home, Ye Yunniang distributed the sugar-coated haws among her own three children and the Xu family's Da Lei and Er Lei.
While the five children enjoyed their treats, Ye Yunniang went to prepare dinner.
