Ye Yunniang was unaware that Chunyao already knew about her affairs with Jiang Mingzhe and Li Ping. At the moment, she was somewhat worried about whether something might happen at the small courtyard.
Thinking of Jiang Mingzhe's intelligence and wit, she reasoned he wouldn't let anyone discover anything.
Ye Yunniang set aside her worries and devoted all her attention to preparing for the New Year festivities and making little clothes.
The little clothes were for the baby in Cai Damei's belly. By the reckoning of time, Cai Damei would give birth next month.
This year was Ye Yunniang's first time independently handling the New Year preparations. Afraid of not doing it well, she prepared a large quantity of everything.
The three children were very happy, following behind Ye Yunniang with their mouths open, waiting to be fed.
Their little faces became round from eating.
Today, Ye Yunniang planned to fry meatballs. It was her first time, and afraid she wouldn't understand, she specially invited Chunyao and Liang Maimiao to come help and give guidance.
Chunyao brought her youngest son, Jindou. Adding in the Xu family's Dalei and Erlei, and the Li family's six children, the room was very noisy.
"How does the seasoning taste?" Ye Yunniang asked Chunyao after mixing the filling.
Chunyao smelled it and nodded, "It's fine, smells very fragrant."
"I'll tend the fire." Liang Maimiao sat in front of the stove to stoke the fire.
Chunyao and Ye Yunniang began frying the meatballs. Chunyao instructed Ye Yunniang on how to fry them well.
The three of them worked while chatting about the latest news. Mainly Liang Maimiao and Chunyao talked, as they knew more.
"Wang Jizu's marriage match is settled," Liang Maimiao shared the latest news.
"Settled? Where did they get so much silver?"
"The Wang family sold their courtyard."
"Sold it? Wasn't their courtyard rented?"
"Before finalizing the contract, Wang Qiang bought the courtyard. Alas, now, to get Wang Jizu a wife, Old Man Wang sold the courtyard. After the New Year, the whole family will move to live in the Sanjiao Alley area south of the city."
"Why move to Sanjiao Alley? That's not a good place."
"What's wrong with Sanjiao Alley?"
"The people living in Sanjiao Alley either work in the Qinglü Quarter, or are local ruffians and hoodlums. Well, the Qinglü Quarter is full of gambling dens and brothels. That whole area is a mixed bag, ordinary people really shouldn't go there."
"I heard Wang Qiang works in the Qinglü Quarter, that's where he earns his silver."
"The Wang family has given up on doing well for themselves."
"It's better they move away. You don't know, Wang Jizu and Wang Yaozu run to the lane entrance every day. They stare at the Ma family with a sinister look, it's frightening."
"Do they blame Hongyan?"
"I'm afraid it's more than just blame."
"They wouldn't try to harm Hongyan and the baby in her belly, would they?" Ye Yunniang couldn't help but interject.
This statement brought a moment of quiet to the kitchen.
"It's really possible. A few days ago, when I went to the Tie Family to exchange a knife, I saw Wang Jizu skinning a rat alive." Thinking of the scene, Liang Maimiao's body tensed, and she couldn't help but move closer to the fire in the stove to drive away the chill on her body.
"I must remind Hongyan when I go back." Chunyao got along well with Hongyan and knew how much Hongyan was looking forward to the baby in her belly.
"Speaking of Hongyan, she's about to give birth soon, right? Her belly looks quite big to me."
"She's due at the end of March next year," Ye Yunniang replied. She paid close attention to Hongyan's pregnancy.
"That's a good time to give birth, the weather won't be too cold or too hot. When I gave birth to Dalei, it was the depths of winter, truly freezing during the confinement month. When I had Erlei, it happened in July, the hottest time. I nearly fainted from the heat."
"Me too. When I had my Jingao, it was right in the middle of summer. I was so hot I broke out in a full-body rash, it itched terribly every day. Ever since then, I get rashes all over as soon as summer comes."
"I get rashes every summer too. Aunt Cai told me about a folk remedy. It worked really well."
"What remedy?"
"Collect a jar of the first snow of winter and store it in the cellar. In summer when the rash appears, use the snow water to dab on it. It's very effective."
"Really?" Chunyao looked at Ye Yunniang.
"Yes. I often got rashes as a child. My mother used to apply it for me like that. Now I don't get rashes in summer anymore."
"That's truly wonderful. Everyone in our family is prone to rashes." Chunyao started planning to buy two large jars to collect snow.
"By the way, Yunniang, when is Aunt Cai coming back?" Liang Maimiao remembered that Cai Damei had been gone for almost two months.
"I received a letter a few days ago saying they were delayed by rain and couldn't travel. The estimate is they won't be back until after the New Year." Ye Yunniang told the prepared explanation to the two of them.
"Oh dear, encountering rain or snow really leaves you with no choice."
"Yes. I remember one year Da Mai and his father went to the countryside to collect wheat. On the road, there was a heavy snowstorm. They were stuck in a broken-down temple for three days and three nights. After they finished the food they brought, the two of them used melted snow to boil wheat to eat. Da Mai gets irritated now if anyone mentions boiled wheat."
"Mom, are the meatballs ready?" Jindou ran into the kitchen, drawn by the aroma.
"Shoo, shoo, go play." Chunyao waved him away.
"They're ready." Ye Yunniang took a clean large bowl, scooped a big serving from the bamboo basket, and handed it to Jindou. "Take this and share it with your brothers."
"Aunt Yun is the best." Jindou smiled as he took it, stuck his tongue out at his mother, and left carrying the bowl.
"That brat, asking for a spanking. Wait till we get home, his father will deal with him." Chunyao laughed.
"Boys are just mischievous." Liang Maimiao sighed in agreement.
"Do you want a girl?"
"Yes, I'd like to have another child, hoping for a girl. But I'm afraid it might be another boy." Liang Maimiao hesitated.
"I'm afraid of that too." Chunyao nodded in agreement.
"Let me tell you something, Xiumei is pregnant." Speaking of pregnancy reminded Liang Maimiao of a piece of news.
"Xiumei is pregnant? How do you know?" Xiumei was in prison, after all.
"Xiumei's natal family and mine are neighbors. Xiumei's mother and my mother are on good terms, she told me." Liang Maimiao explained her source of information, absolutely accurate and reliable.
"Whose child is it?"
"Anyone she slept with could be."
This statement was impossible to refute.
"Then Xiumei might not have to serve her prison sentence."
This statement caused the three women in the kitchen to pause, looking at each other.
"I didn't say that." Liang Maimiao shook her head.
"I didn't say it either." Chunyao also shook her head.
"Don't look at me. I definitely don't know." Ye Yunniang also denied it.
"I said it." Li An raised his little hand from the corner, attracting the attention of the three.
"An'an, have you been in the kitchen the whole time?" Ye Yunniang recalled their conversation had been entirely overheard by a child, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
"Yes, I was here." Li An put his hand down. "In the early years of our dynasty's establishment, nine out of ten homes were empty. To increase the population, the court enacted a law. If a pregnant woman commits a crime, as long as her family pays a ransom, she can return home to give birth. She will serve her sentence after the child turns one."
"What if the woman gets pregnant again?" Chunyao thought of a loophole in the law.
"Continue to pay the ransom."
"So, a criminal woman could avoid serving her sentence by continuously giving birth?"
"Limited to three children." Li An held up three fingers.
"An'an, the freshly fried meatballs taste even better. Take this to share with your brothers." Ye Yunniang filled a bowl with newly fried ones and placed it in Li An's hands.
Li An didn't want to leave; he found listening to these things more interesting.
Ye Yunniang didn't agree and pushed him out.
"Do you want to tell Xiumei's family?" Chunyao could see Liang Maimiao was tempted by the idea.
"Xiumei wasn't like this before." Liang Maimiao described the Xiumei she knew from her time in her natal home.
A girl who loved to laugh, loved to talk, and was straightforward and generous in her actions.
Liang Maimiao sighed. "She just had poor judgment and took a fancy to Zhang Er."
