Ye Yunniang turned and saw Hongyan entering Courtyard No. 1. Beside her followed a human-shaped shadow.
Ye Yunniang looked up at the sky; it was overcast without a trace of sun.
"Little brother—"
Ye Yunniang immediately covered Li An's mouth. "Don't speak, don't look."
Li An's eyes held confusion.
"Let's talk at home," Ye Yunniang soothed Li An.
Li An nodded, and Ye Yunniang held him close. But her heart was no longer in the mood for watching the spectacle.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Ye Yunniang couldn't explain this matter to outsiders.
"Why don't you come to my place for a while?" Chunyao didn't press further.
Ye Yunniang wanted to go home even more, but the shadow was staring at her. She shook her head. "I want to see how things unfold."
"Alright." Chunyao also wanted to see the follow-up.
The three of them turned their attention back to the courtyard.
Ma Kouzi pushed aside the obstructive Niu Dajiao and stepped forward to carefully support Hongyan. "Why have you come?" His tone held a gentleness Niu Dajiao had never heard before.
Thinking of all her sacrifices over the years, Niu Dajiao impulsively wanted to rush at Hongyan but was held back by Ma Xiaokou and Chunxing.
Seeing her own father like that, if Niu Dajiao charged forward, she would be the one getting beaten.
"Does your promise to me still stand?" Hongyan didn't answer but instead asked Ma Kouzi.
"It does. I, Ma Kouzi, keep my word," Ma Kouzi declared as if giving a guarantee.
"Good." Hongyan seemed satisfied. Leaning on Ma Kouzi's hand, she sat down and looked at Wang Qiang. "Bring me the letter of divorce."
"Hongyan, what do you mean?" Wang Qiang frowned. Hongyan's attitude was beyond what he had anticipated.
"I won't speak of your affairs. Give me the divorce paper." Hongyan held out her hand.
"Are you threatening me?"
"I just want to live a normal life for the rest of my days." Hongyan smiled.
"Shameless slut, wanting a stable life. There are plenty of men on the street, go find them! Why must you cling to my man, you brazen hussy!" Niu Dajiao's hands and feet were restrained, but not her mouth, and she cursed at Hongyan.
Ma Kouzi grew angry and wanted to say something but was stopped by Hongyan.
Now was not the time to argue with Niu Dajiao.
"Let's talk inside." Ma Hui, looking at the crowd gathered all around, didn't want family matters overheard.
"Fine, let's talk inside." Wang Qiang was the first to stride toward the house.
The Ma family and Wang Qiang's couple went inside to talk.
Some who wanted to eavesdrop went to press their ears against the door crack.
Ye Yunniang couldn't bring herself to do such things, and seeing that the shadow was no longer staring at her, she got down from the stool and went with Chunyao to a room to talk.
"Sister Chunyao, how did you come to be here?" Ye Yunniang asked curiously.
Chunyao smiled. "What you really want to ask is how we left the Jiang Mansion, right?"
Ye Yunniang gave an embarrassed smile.
Chunyao began from the start.
The day before the confiscation of property, Chef Jin brought back the deed of indenture for their whole family. He said they were free and had to leave the Jiang Mansion.
At the time, Chunyao was unhappy and had a big argument with Chef Jin. Why give up a good life for such foolishness?
The next day, when soldiers arrived at the door, Chunyao felt only relief.
On the third day, because they were free persons, they were unaffected, not taken away by slave traders. The whole family was able to leave the Jiang Mansion together.
Chef Jin took his whole family, young and old, back to their hometown and opened a small restaurant to make a living.
"The restaurant isn't big, but Old Jin's skills are excellent. Our family has been getting along quite well." Speaking of life back home, satisfaction filled Chunyao's words.
"Then why did you return?"
"Who knows what he was thinking? Last month, he suddenly sold the restaurant. Said he wanted to open one in Jiangcheng." Speaking of this, Chunyao was still angry.
"Jiangcheng is prosperous. Brother-in-law's skills are superb; opening a restaurant there is sure to be a great success," Ye Yunniang offered a word of comfort.
Chunyao understood the logic, but what made her angry was that Chef Jin hadn't discussed it with her at all. He made the decision to sell the restaurant and house on his own.
"Never mind, let's not talk about me." Chunyao took a sip of tea. "I truly never thought I'd see you again. Your son has grown up too. I remember, your son is named 'Pan'er'?"
"My eldest is named 'Pan'er'. This is my second son, Li An. I also have a younger son named Li Ping."
"You remarried? Which family did you marry into? How does he treat you?" Chunyao asked with concern.
Ye Yunniang shook her head. "I didn't remarry. An'an and Pingping are adopted." Ye Yunniang told Chunyao the same story she told others.
"Adopted?" Chunyao was very surprised. "Where did you adopt them? Why does An'an look a bit like the Fourth Madam?"
"When I adopted An'an back then, it was partly because he looked like the young master." Ye Yunniang explained with a smile.
Mentioning Jiang Tingjun, Chunyao sighed. "Who knows how the young master is doing now?"
"He's probably... doing well." Ye Yunniang said, feeling somewhat guilty.
Chunyao nodded. "The Jiang Family has fallen. But the Jin family is still powerful. They will certainly take good care of the Madam and the young master."
Ye Yunniang nodded in agreement.
Chunyao then asked about Ye Yunniang's life over the past few years.
Ye Yunniang picked and chose what she could say, sharing some with Chunyao, then took Li An home.
Arriving home, they entered the side room.
Ye Yunniang closed the door securely.
"An'an, do you remember things from the Jiang Mansion?"
Li An nodded. "I remember. The little brother came to play with me."
Ye Yunniang's face turned pale. "Has the little brother come to play with you again?"
Li An nodded, then shook his head.
"He came, wanting to play with me. I didn't agree." Li An had refused to play with him. He also didn't pester Li An.
"An'an, if you want to play, play with your brothers. Don't play with strangers." Ye Yunniang carefully instructed.
Li An nodded and reached out to touch Ye Yunniang's face. "Mother, don't be afraid."
Ye Yunniang held Li An's small hand. "Mother isn't afraid. Do you remember Chunyao?"
"I remember. Wet nurse Chunyao." Jiang Tingjun remembered Chunyao being his wet nurse.
"Don't mention this to anyone. If she or anyone else asks, say you don't know her." Ye Yunniang instructed Li An.
Li An nodded. He understood matters of the Jiang Family must not be spoken of.
Looking at the obedient Li An, Ye Yunniang sighed. "Once your Second Uncle returns, we won't have to worry about these things anymore."
"Mother, don't you want me anymore?" Li An's little face was full of anxiety.
Ye Yunniang pulled Li An into her embrace. "How could Mother ever not want you?" It was just that Li An was, after all, a son of the Jiang Family. One day, he would have to return.
"Mother, I don't want to go anywhere. I only want to be with you, Grandma, Big Brother, and Little Brother." Li An remembered Jin Huifang and also remembered Jiang Mingrui. He didn't want to go back.
Ye Yunniang held Li An tighter, her heart full of reluctance.
Perhaps the mother-son conversation had frightened Li An, as for the next few days, he stuck especially close to Ye Yunniang.
Ye Yunniang was also uneasy about Li An and let him stay by her side.
During these days, Ye Yunniang also inquired about the aftermath of Hongyan's situation.
No one knew exactly what was discussed that day, but Wang Qiang and Hongyan separated. The two children Hongyan had borne for the Wang family, she didn't take either. Carrying just a bundle, she moved into the Ma household, becoming Ma Kouzi's second wife.
Ma Kouzi had originally intended to divorce Niu Dajiao.
Niu Dajiao refused adamantly. If pushed too hard, she would take out a rope, hang it on the main gate, and threaten to hang herself.
"I'll die as a Ma family wife!"
With Niu Dajiao's resolute stance, Ma Kouzi failed to get the divorce. He took charge and divided the household. He would live with Hongyan, while Niu Dajiao would live with Ma Xiaokou, Chunxing, and the one boy and one girl they had adopted.
To everyone's surprise, Ma Hui moved to the Wang household to be with Wang Qiang.
