"You're cooking?" Ye Yunniang looked at Li Pan in surprise. "When did you learn to cook?"
"We learned from Aunt Mai Miao today," Li Pan replied.
"Mother, you just sit here and rest. Let us handle the cooking." Li An took Ye Yunniang's hand, led her to a small stool, and made her sit down to rest.
Li Pan and Li An washed the vegetables, chopped them, lit the fire, and cooked the al.
Several tis in between, Ye Yunniang tried to get up and help, but was stopped by Li Ping each ti.
Li Pan and Li An worked together to make vegetable noodles and a cold wood ear mushroom salad.
The noodles were a bit undercooked and a bit salty. The vegetables were a bit bitter, but Ye Yunniang felt this was the most delicious bowl of noodles she had ever eaten.
"Mother, we'll help you cook from now on," Li Pan said after finishing his last bite of noodles.
“That's not right. We'll be eating the food too, so we can't call it 'helping,'” Li An rebutted Li Pan's words.
Li Pan thought about it and agreed. "I misspoke. Mother, from now on we'll cook more often, so you can have an easier ti."
Ye Yunniang wanted to say that cooking wasn't tiring for her, but then she thought about how sensible the children were being and didn't want to dampen their spirits.
"Alright."
With just two days left until New Year's Eve, Ye Yunniang decided to take the children to Sanxi Manor to burn paper money and pay respects to their grandfather and father.
They rented an ox-cart to the manor and first went to the gravesite to burn the paper offerings.
Cai Dai was already there.
"Mother."
"Grandmother."
Ye Yunniang and the children gathered around her.
"Yes, yes, are you all cold?" Cai Dai reached out to touch the head of Li Pan, who was closest to her. Her eyes caught sight of a mark on Li Pan's neck.
With swift movents, Cai Dai pulled open Li Pan's collar. "What happened to your neck?"
"I-I'm fine," Li Pan blinked, insisting he was okay.
Cai Dai stared into his eyes. "Pan'er, tell Grandmother the truth. What happened?"
Li Pan looked left and right, unsure how to explain.
"Grandma, a thief got into the..." Li Ping started to speak.
"Pingping!" Ye Yunniang reached out and covered Li Ping's mouth.
"Yunniang, what happened to your hands?" Cai Dai grabbed Ye Yunniang's wrist, examining her hands closely.
Due to a secondary injury, Ye Yunniang's hands were still bandaged.
"It's nothing, I just accidentally cut my hands while chopping vegetables," Ye Yunniang made an excuse, not wanting Cai Dai to worry.
"Chopping vegetables can injure both hands? Tell the truth, don't try to fool with excuses." Cai Dai knew Ye Yunniang inside out and could tell she was lying imdiately.
"Grandma, a thief broke into our house," Li Pan didn't hide it anymore. "Mother got hurt grabbing the thief's dagger to save . It went all the way to the bone, you could see the bone." Li Pan started crying as he spoke.
After hearing this, Cai Dai was filled with self-bla. She shouldn't have left the house.
"Mother, the thief has been caught. We're all fine now." Ye Yunniang supported Cai Dai, worried her body couldn't take the shock.
"Co with ." Cai Dai composed herself and led the mother and her four children to her carriage.
A female physician was waiting by the carriage.
Cai Dai had the physician examine all four of them and only relaxed after confirming there were no problems.
She let the three children go play to the side. Cai Dai pulled Ye Yunniang aside. "Tell in detail everything that has happened since I left ho."
Ye Yunniang recounted everything that had happened at ho after Cai Dai left.
"Did Tong Mo's parents co to bother you, Mother?" Ye Yunniang was worried they might have caused trouble for Cai Dai.
"They ca." Cai Dai recalled the situation that day.
After Bao Min settled Cai Dai in the villa, he had only one thing on his mind: he must secure his status.
He delegated most of the official business at the yan to his deputies.
No matter what Bao Min said, Cai Dai would not agree.
Cai Dai always stuck to the sa line: "In life, I am a mber of the Li family; in death, I am a ghost of the Li family."
As for Bao Min's suggestion of him marrying into her family, that was even more impossible.
How could the esteed Prefect of a region marry into a family?
Faced with Cai Dai's resistance to both soft and hard tactics, Bao Min was truly getting a headache.
What gave him an even bigger headache was the arrival of his elder brother and sister-in-law.
"What are you two doing here?"
"To see you, making a scene," Bao Shao's words were harsh.
Jin Huilan nudged Bao Shao with her elbow. "Min, we've co to spend the New Year with you," Jin Huilan offered the pre-agreed excuse.
"No need. You should head back early. I'm busy with matters here," Bao Min tried to decline, worried they would discover Cai Dai.
"Busy with what? Busy planning to marry into her family?" Bao Shao snorted coldly. They had just arrived, and without even a cup of tea, he was trying to shoo them away.
"Did Xiao Mo tell you?"
"Xiao Mo hoped we could all talk so sense into you together," Jin Huilan explained on Tong Mo's behalf.
"He hoped you could persuade Ye Yunniang to marry him, more like," Bao Min knew his nephew well.
ntioning Ye Yunniang made Bao Shao even angrier. "Bao Min, I entrusted Tong Mo to you. Is this how you educate your nephew? Getting involved with a widow who lacks virtue, what kind of behavior is that?"
Bao Min was not pleased to hear this.
"He learned it from you." After saying this, Bao Min bowed to Jin Huilan. "Sister-in-law, my words are not directed at you."
Jin Huilan wouldn't be angry with her brother-in-law, but she was very dissatisfied with Bao Shao.
What did he an by a widow lacking virtue? What did he an by 'getting involved'? Had Bao Shao forgotten that she herself had once been a widow?
Jin Huilan turned and left.
Bao Shao realized he had said the wrong thing.
He glared at Bao Min and went to chase after his wife.
Ignoring his brother's glare, Bao Min confiscated all the items suitable for pregnant won, new mothers, and infants that Bao Shao and his wife had brought, and returned to the villa.
Bao Min didn't hide it from Cai Dai, telling her his brother and sister-in-law had co.
"Madam, my brother and sister-in-law are both here. How about we get engaged first?"
Cai Dai concentrated on her needlework, ignoring Bao Min's words. He talked about this every day; her ears were getting calluses from hearing it.
"Since Madam doesn't speak, she agrees. I'll go make the arrangents right now." Bao Min got up to leave, talking to himself.
"If you dare make arrangents, I'll return to Sanxi Manor tomorrow." Cai Dai's words made Bao Min stop in his tracks.
"Madam, I was wrong. I shouldn't have acted on my own." Bao Min apologized quickly, though he would likely do it again next ti.
"You're still young. Why waste your ti on ?" Cai Dai tried to persuade Bao Min. Wouldn't it be better to find a young girl and live a harmonious life?
Bao Min took Cai Dai's hand.
"Madam, I won't try to persuade you, but please stop always trying to push away, alright?"
Cai Dai looked at Bao Min and said very seriously, "In this lifeti, I, Cai Dai, have only one husband, and that is Li Min."
"If you only want your husband, why did you lead my brother on? What do you take my brother for, a male entertainer from a brothel?" Bao Shao burst in.
Bao Min stood up and shouted at Bao Shao rudely, "Get out!"
A male entertainer? Was this sothing an elder brother should say?
“Bao Min, is your brain full of water? I'm standing up for you!” Bao Shao is dissatisfied with Bao Min's attitude.
"I don't need you to. Don't cause more trouble here." After speaking to Bao Shao, Bao Min turned to comfort Cai Dai. "My relationship with him isn't good. His words don't represent mine."
"Bao Min!" Bao Shao clenched his fists. This younger brother really needed a good lesson.
"What are you yelling for? You're not welco here. Get out!" As Bao Min spoke, he gave Bao Shao a push.
How could a frail scholar push a military officer like Bao Shao?
Bao Min stumbled, but fortunately, Cai Dai behind him caught him.
Bao Min turned around to support Cai Dai. "Madam, it was my fault for bumping into you."
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