"Xiuer, the child has been found." Xiuer had fallen asleep amidst her worries, but was woken up by Zhao Ergou.

She quickly asked, "Where is the little grass?"

"Xiuer, listen to us. Xiaocao was sold by human traffickers and legally bought by the Zhou family. Now she is a servant of the Zhou family."

Zhao Ergou said sadly. Xiu'er's head was buzzing when she heard this. She never expected that her child would become a slave.

"How can we do that? We need to go to the Zhou family and explain the situation to them," Xiu'er said anxiously.

“I told them, I went and explained it to them, but they also legally bought the grass. They don’t accept our explanation. If they want to bring the grass back, we have to agree to their conditions,” Zhao Ergou said, shaking his head.

"What are the conditions?" Xiu'er asked quickly.

Zhao Ergou stammered, and Xiu'er, anxious, quickly said, "Just tell me already!"

"They want the formula."

"What? What recipe?" Xiu'er was confused.

"It's the recipe for making pastries that you learned from Rou Niang," Zhao Er Gou said bluntly.

Xiuer's head was buzzing: "How did this get involved with Rou Niang? Why does the Zhou family want the formula? Are they trying to harm Rou Niang?"

"It seems the Zhou family also owns a pastry shop elsewhere, but business is terrible. Seeing how well Rou Niang makes them, they wanted to learn a thing or two," Zhao Er Gou said directly, without hiding anything.

"No, I can't betray Rou Niang. She wasn't on guard when she made the pastries. It's really inappropriate for me to betray her recipe now!" Xiu'er shook her head.

"Do you think it's right to watch Xiaocao be treated like a slave by the Zhou family? If we don't give her the recipe, how can Xiaocao possibly have a good life in the Zhou family?" Zhao Ergou immediately hit Xiuer's sore spot.

Xiuer lowered her head sadly.

“Xiuer, don’t overthink it. Xiaocao is our only child. It’s our responsibility as parents to protect him. As for how we’ve wronged Rou Niang, we’ll repay him by serving him like cattle and horses, isn’t that enough?” Zhao Ergou persuaded.

Xiuer finally wavered and said, "Then I want to see Xiaocao first."

Zhao Ergou nodded and asked, "How are you feeling?"

Xiuer gritted her teeth and nodded. The couple rushed to the Zhou family's house. At this time, Xiaocao was dressed in servant's clothes. Upon seeing Xiuer, she rushed over and cried, "Mother, are you going to take me home? I don't want to stay here anymore. You have to take me away!"

Xiuer's heart was broken. Her initial hesitation turned into determination: I'm sorry, Rou Niang.

And so she gave all the recipes she knew to the Zhou family, and redeemed her little grass.

Strolling aimlessly through the town, Xiu'er's spirits were at their lowest point. She didn't know why she had ended up like this. Before she knew it, she had arrived at Rou Niang's shop.

When Li Rou Niang saw the family of three, she quickly came out and greeted them with a smile: "Xiu'er, Xiao Cao, what brings you three here today? Come in and have a seat."

"No, Rou Niang, we'll just take a look and leave now." Zhao Er Gou quickly stopped her, afraid that Xiu'er might say something.

Xiuer nodded guiltily, and the family of three left.

Li Rouniang was puzzled. Seeing that Xiuer seemed a little unhappy, she thought she would go and check on her when she had some free time.

"Is it Xiuer?" asked Zhang San Niangzi inside.

She would often come to Rou Niang's pastry shop to hang out, occasionally lending a hand when there were many customers, and chatting with Li Rou Niang when there was no one around. As they spent more time together, their friendship deepened.

"Yes, she doesn't seem very happy. I'll go and have a good talk with her when I have some free time," Rou Niang replied.

"To be honest, Xiu'er is very lucky to have met you," Zhang San Niangzi said with a smile.

Rou Niang smiled but didn't answer. Why was she so good to Xiu'er? It seemed to be a kind of redemption. She saw her former self in Xiu'er, when Zhao Da was abusive and she had nowhere else to turn.

So she wanted to lend Xiuer a hand. She wanted Xiuer's life to go more smoothly, as if that would be a way of redeeming herself from a past life.

"Mom, we're back!" At this moment, Da Ni and her two sisters ran back.

"Look at you, all sweaty from running. Didn't I tell you not to run?" Rou Niang quickly stepped forward and wiped the sweat off the three of them.

"Aunt Zhang is here." Erni ran over happily. She liked Aunt Zhang the most because Aunt Zhang had some martial arts skills, and Erni wanted to learn them.

So she often pestered Zhang Niangzi. Of course, among Li Rou Niang's three children, Zhang Niangzi did like Er Ni the most and felt that she got along very well with her.

Madam Zhang also loved children, but unfortunately, she and her husband had been childless for many years. Madam Zhang knew the problem lay with herself, and she had even advised Zhang San to find a mistress, have a child with her, and that she would raise it herself; she was willing to accept that.

However, Zhang San always disagreed and insisted on spoiling Zhang Niangzi like a child. This affection made Zhang Niangzi both touched and ashamed.

"Don't bother your Aunt Zhang all the time," Rou Niang advised, worried that Zhang Niangzi might be annoyed.

"It's alright, I like Erni very much," Zhang Niangzi said with a smile.

Da Ni took Xiao San Ni to the backyard. Da Ni didn't really like Zhang Niangzi; she preferred Liu Niangzi.

Perhaps it was because she was Liu Wenyuan's mother, or perhaps it was because although Madam Liu made pastries, her husband, Liu Wenyuan, was also a scholar, and thus she possessed a refined and scholarly air. This elegance and refinement were perhaps what Da Ni admired and admired.

Zhang Niangzi had a somewhat bandit-like air about her, and Da Ni was actually a little afraid of her.

Since Xiaocao left, Sanni has had no playmates. She occasionally pesters her older sister, but most of the time she feels very bored. Fortunately, Xiaoshan will be back soon.

Erni enthusiastically circled around Zhang San Niangzi, and when Zhang San Niangzi left, Erni also ran out, saying she was seeing her off.

The two women understood each other without saying a word, and Zhang San Niangzi then taught Er Ni two more moves.

"Aunt Zhang, how about I become your apprentice?" Erni was quite talented and learned it in no time.

Madam Zhang patted Erni's head and said with a smile, "Silly girl, if you want to find a master, find someone more capable. Why would you want to learn from me?"

"Aunt Zhang, you're really amazing!" Erni said with admiration.

Zhang Niangzi was infected by his admiration and said with a smile, "I think your mother doesn't want you to be wielding knives and sticks every day. If you can persuade her, then I will agree to accept you."

"Really? Then it's a deal." Erni said, hurrying home, making her wife shake her head with a smile.

She did show some affection for the little girl.

If she could, she would like to find someone to pass on her skills.