Yunling remembered the person who had transferred her in Qingcheng, thanked him repeatedly, and was about to leave when she suddenly stopped and turned back to ask:

"Mr. Yu, do you sell pickled duck?"

"Sour duck? You want to buy some to take back to Pingcheng?"

Yunling nodded quickly, "Last time at the banquet, I ate a piece and found it very delicious. When I got home, I mentioned it to my family, and everyone was thinking about it. Before I left, they repeatedly told me to find a chance to buy some to try."

Shopkeeper Yu scratched the back of his head. “These sour ducks, sour fish, and sour meats are all pickled for banquets or for our own use. Last time we used them for a banquet, we used more than half of them. We don’t have enough time to pickle them again. If you really want to buy some, I can go to your mother-in-law’s house to take a look.”

Before Yunling could thank him, the shopkeeper continued, "No, right now your mother-in-law's family lives at the foot of the mountain. It's the time when lychees are ripe, and they're picking them. Would you be interested in going to take a look, young master?"

When Yunling heard him say that the lychees were ripe, she was wondering how to bring up the topic of wanting to go and see them, but Shopkeeper Yu had already extended the invitation first. She was naturally delighted and immediately agreed.

"How about we come to the shop first thing tomorrow morning?"

"Okay, okay, okay."

**

After saying goodbye to Shopkeeper Yu, Yunling thought she would stroll around the streets and find some local specialties to keep Yun Ruoxia quiet. But after a short while, a servant from the cotton workshop rushed over and said that Master He had prepared a banquet for them tonight and invited them to the He residence.

Gangzi touched his nose, leaned close to Yunling's ear and whispered, "Grandma, did I do something wrong?"

Judging from the servant's respectful manner, it was likely that He Da had already informed the wealthy He family of their "abilities," which was why there was such a banquet.

This situation is neither good nor bad. Take what just happened, for example. Shopkeeper Yu originally wanted to refuse her, but when he heard about the cotton workshop, he gritted his teeth and agreed.

The He family is very influential in the area. Getting on their side will make it incredibly easy to find anything in Qingcheng.

"It's alright. Even if the sky falls, your mouth will hold it up."

Gangzi immediately covered his mouth, "Grandma, you can't let them tear my mouth off!"

Yunling was amused. "Don't worry at all. There are a lot of people in this world who are just bluffing. As long as you dare to brag and you do it convincingly, people will believe you."

Yunling learned this principle from Yun Ruoxia. Gangzi nodded in agreement. When he saw the servant again, he was already standing up straight, as if he were the second-in-command of some gang.

The He residence was much brighter than the Song family mansion at night. Yunling and the others were welcomed into the main hall, where a large basin of ice was placed in the center. Two maids were fanning the ice, making the entire main hall very cool. With a bowl of mung bean shaved ice, it would be pure bliss.

Upon seeing Yunling, He Da hurried forward, then took He Yuanwai's hand and introduced them with a smile: "Father, this is the boy I told you about. Boy, this is my father. People in Qingcheng call him He Yuanwai."

"I have met Master He."

"Oh, okay, okay."

When Yunling met his large eye bags, she felt a little uncomfortable. Looking up further, she saw the seductive and greedy look in his eyes, and she couldn't help but shudder, afraid that this man was targeting her.

"This young man is quite handsome. Is he engaged yet?"

Yunling was already feeling very uncomfortable, and his question made her want to give him a piece of her mind. Luckily, Gangzi stepped in and answered her question.

"Didn't the young master just say he was starving? Why don't you eat something first?"

"Oh, yes, sir, please take a seat."

He Da quickly gestured for Yunling to sit in the middle, then turned and helped Master He to sit down at the head of the table. Other family members arrived one after another, and Yunling listened as He Da introduced them one by one.

The banquet was just beginning.

It would have been better if the dishes hadn't been served yet. The aroma of the dishes was so enticing that Yunling didn't even notice there were two extra people in the room.

The sour rice noodles were very appetizing, and with the lemon duck that tantalized her taste buds, Yunling felt that although her stomach was full, she was starving. She then picked up some stuffed eggplant and stuffed tofu puffs.

The eggplant absorbs the savory flavor of the meat, creating a soft and tender texture in your mouth. The tofu puffs are crisp and chewy, offering a unique kind of resilience. You can pop them into your mouth one by one, and the slight sourness actually cuts through the richness of the meat. Not bad at all.

"Young master, did you find anything at Yu's shop today?"

As Yunling took a sip of tea, trying to rinse the food from between her teeth, she saw Yun Xiaowu and Yun Xiaoliu standing on either side of Master He. Yun Xiaoliu's gaze kept glancing in her direction, startling her. She choked on her tea and coughed incessantly.

"Is the young master alright?"

"What happened to the young master?"

When Yun Ling shook her head, she secretly used her special ability to make her voice hoarse, so as not to be recognized by Yun Xiaoliu.

"It's nothing, I just suddenly thought of something and choked without realizing it."

“Dog, take this royal jelly to the boy. Look at how pitiful he is; he’s choking so much he’s lost his voice.”

Master He patted Yun Xiaoliu's bottom, signaling him to do something, then turned to Yun Ling and asked, "I wonder which family you belong to, young master? It's a bit impolite to keep calling you 'young master' like that."

Yun Xiaoliu had already brought the royal jelly to Yun Ling. This person's complexion was much better than when she was seen at the auction last time, and she had also grown much taller. Apart from her legs being a little uncoordinated when she walked, she was fine.

While Yun Ling was sizing up Yun Xiaoliu, Yun Xiaoliu was also sizing her up.

For some reason, Yun Xiaoliu felt a sense of familiarity with the person in front of her. His features somewhat resembled those of that brat Yun Ling, but Yun Ling certainly didn't have the ability to come to Qingcheng and be treated as an honored guest by the He family.

No way, absolutely impossible. That kind of brat will just grow up and marry any man in the village, serve her mother-in-law, cook, and toil like an old ox for the rest of her life. She'll die and rot in the ground, never leaving Dongtou Village.

She could never be better off than me, absolutely not!!!

“Reporting to Master He, my surname is Er.”

"two?"

Those present immediately knew this wasn't his real name, but capable people often keep their abilities hidden. They were also perceptive, so they simply smiled and nodded without refutation.

"Then I'll call you Second Brother."

"OK."

The banquet lasted until the third watch of the night, and it was only when Yunling made an appointment for the next day that the He family's enthusiasm was finally brought to a halt.

On the way back to the cotton workshop, Gangzi asked in a low voice, "Grandma, do you think their next step is to ask us to do something for them?"