Ye Yunniang did not know that Tong Mo was bringing two sets of parents to Jiangcheng.
She pulled up Li Ping, who had lain down again, and led him out of the house.
"Don't lie around all day. Come with your mother to buy groceries. Let's go." Ye Yunniang was quite helpless with Li Ping; the child loved staying home too much.
"Yunniang, where are we going?"
"To buy groceries. What about you, Sister Chunyao?"
"Same, let's go together." Chunyao carried a basket, her eyes appraising Li Ping.
"Alright, together. Pingping, say 'Auntie'." Ye Yunniang instructed Li Ping.
"Hello, Auntie." Li Ping called out.
"Oh, hello Pingping. You look so much like your mother."
"My son, of course he looks like me." Ye Yunniang smiled. "How is brother-in-law's search for a shop going?"
"Don't even mention it." Chunyao sighed. Finding a shop with a suitable price, good location, and a decent building was too difficult.
"A good place isn't easy to find. When my mother started her shop, she spent a whole month looking for a place, running all over Jiangcheng." Ye Yunniang comforted Chunyao.
"Actually, I've seen two shops that I'm quite satisfied with. It's just your brother-in-law, he's too picky. Picking at this and that, it's really annoying." Chunyao had many complaints about Chef Jin.
Ye Yunniang just smiled at this, not saying much more.
After complaining for a few more sentences, Chunyao leaned closer to Ye Yunniang. "Guess who I saw yesterday while house hunting?"
"Who did you see?" Ye Yunniang, holding Li Ping's hand, asked curiously.
"You guess first. Someone we both know."
Someone both she and Chunyao knew could only be from the Jiang family.
"Someone from the Jiang family."
Chunyao nodded. "Yes, I saw Jiang Mingyue. She and Jiang Mingshu were holding hands with a little boy about three years old."
Ye Yunniang recalled what Jiang Mingzhe had said.
"Bai Yurong has to put on a convincing act. After she gives birth to a son, she will come to the old man for the second property. When the son turns 7, she'll get the third one."
She pondered in her heart: Could this child be the one Bai Yurong gave birth to? Is she here now to claim the third property?
She also thought of Concubine Xue. Did she manage to get her hands on the third property?
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing. Sister Chunyao, did you speak with Jiang Mingyue?"
"How could I? She's the Fifth Young Lady of the Jiang family. Why would she recognize a former servant like me?" Chunyao shook her head. She knew Jiang Mingyue, but Jiang Mingyue certainly didn't know her.
The two chatted as they walked to the market to pick out vegetables for their meals.
The weather was cold, and there weren't many vegetables to choose from. After buying a couple of items and preparing to head back, Chunyao grabbed Ye Yunniang's arm and pointed. "Look."
Ye Yunniang followed the direction of Chunyao's finger.
Bai Yurong, Jiang Mingyue, Jiang Mingshu, and a little boy were sitting together, talking and laughing.
Not long after, an old man walked over to the four of them.
That old man was none other than Old Master Jiang.
Ye Yunniang instinctively shielded Li Ping.
Chunyao noticed Ye Yunniang's action and pondered in her heart.
"Let's go back."
"Alright, let's go." There was a trace of urgency in Ye Yunniang's voice that she herself hadn't noticed.
Returning to Wanxia Lane, Chunyao pulled Ye Yunniang and Li Ping into her own home to talk.
Chef Jin was also at home; this was Ye Yunniang's first formal meeting with him.
"Hello, brother-in-law." Ye Yunniang greeted.
"Mm, have a seat. I'll make some tea." Chef Jin got up and went to the kitchen to brew tea.
After chatting for a while, Chunyao saw Ye Yunniang off, then pulled Chef Jin into the bedroom.
"Talk."
"Talk about what?" Chef Jin was puzzled.
"Talk about the matter between Yunniang and the Second Master."
"You know!" Chef Jin was very surprised.
"I know now." Chunyao had just been bluffing Chef Jin.
Chunyao crossed her arms. "Jin Dachuan, you really kept me in the dark."
"I didn't want to hide it from you either. The Second Master gave orders; this matter must not be spoken of." Chef Jin explained that he was just following his master's command.
"You couldn't say it. Then I'll guess." Chunyao stared into Chef Jin's eyes and voiced her speculation. "Did Yunniang get involved with the Second Master while she was in the Jiang residence?"
Chef Jin's eyes darted left and right.
Knowing her own man well, Chunyao understood from his expression that her guess was correct.
"Li Ping is the son Yunniang bore for the Second Master."
Chef Jin's pupils contracted violently. He glanced toward the door and waved his hands frantically at Chunyao. "The Second Master has many rivals in Jiangcheng. For the young master's safety, this absolutely must not be spoken of."
Chunyao snorted. "You're not even a Jiang family servant anymore, yet you still listen to him."
"Granting the Jin family our freedom was arranged in advance by the Second Master. The money for us to buy a house in our hometown and open a restaurant was all given by the Second Master. I, Jin Dachuan, in this lifetime, am the Second Master's man in life and his ghost in death." Chef Jin declared his loyalty to Jiang Mingzhe.
Chunyao snorted again. "Was your return also arranged by the Second Master?"
"No. When the Second Master gave me my deed of sale back then, he told me to live my own life from then on. But... anyway, I wasn't at ease about the young master. I took the initiative and told the Second Master I wanted to come back to take care of them nearby." Chef Jin explained that selling the house and restaurant were his own ideas, unrelated to Jiang Mingzhe.
Mentioning selling the house and restaurant immediately soured Chunyao's expression.
"I know you, Chunyao, are also utterly loyal to the Second Master. But before the Second Master returns, the fewer people who know about this, the better." Chef Jin wasn't distrusting Chunyao; he just didn't want her to constantly worry about this matter and live uncomfortably.
"Not telling me makes me even more uncomfortable. Don't hide things from me about what needs to be done in the future."
"Now that you know, I certainly won't hide things from you." Chef Jin agreed.
With her speculation confirmed and Chef Jin having apologized, Chunyao was no longer angry and instead became curious. "How did they get together?"
Chunyao was well aware of how reclusive Ye Yunniang had been in the Jiang residence.
"Masters' affairs are not for us to inquire about." Chef Jin didn't know either.
"I really misjudged her. Yunniang is more formidable than I thought." Chunyao viewed Ye Yunniang in a new light.
"You can't give the mistress a hard time." Chef Jin worried that Chunyao might be displeased with Ye Yunniang's secrecy and take it out on her.
"Am I that kind of person?" Chunyao put on a stern face.
"Of course not. My wife is the most reasonable and understanding person, deeply principled."
"Enough nonsense." Chunyao snorted.
"Wife, how did you guess?" Chef Jin asked curiously.
"Ping—" Chunyao paused, "the young master is seventy percent like Yunniang, but his eyes, the moment I saw them, reminded me of the Second Master."
At first, Chunyao thought she was overthinking it. But today, when she saw Old Master Jiang, Ye Yunniang's first move was to shield Li Ping. Chunyao's suspicion grew stronger.
Returning to Wanxia Lane, Chunyao deliberately brought Ye Yunniang and Li Ping to her home to sit. Her main focus was to observe Chef Jin's behavior.
Sure enough, Chef Jin's evasiveness toward Ye Yunniang and that unconscious carefulness toward Li Ping let her know her guess was correct.
"My wife is truly remarkable." Chef Jin praised.
"Enough flattery. Tell me, what are the Second Master's plans?" Chunyao wanted to know Jiang Mingzhe's intentions regarding Ye Yunniang and her son.
"The master's thoughts are not for you and me to guess."
Chunyao was dissatisfied with this answer. Remembering something, she asked, "Do you know who Li An is?"
This he could say. Chef Jin didn't hide it. "Li An is the Sixth Young Master."
"It really is the Sixth Young Master! What happened to the Fourth Master and Fourth Mistress?"
Chef Jin told her what he knew.
"Second, Zhuang Meixue and Jiang Mingrui are utterly ruthless. The Fourth Madam is so pitiful." After hearing the story, Chunyao exclaimed, calling the two by their names directly.
"Those two, the Second Master will never let them off. Our job is just to take good care of the Madam and the young master. Don't ask about the rest," Chef Jin instructed.
"No need for you to tell me, I know that already," Chunyao retorted, shooting a sidelong glance at Chef Jin.
