Yunling turned around and met Zhang's worried gaze. Her heart softened, and she reached out to hug Zhang, whispering sweetly:

"Mother~"

Zhang wanted to complain that this person had no concern for the family at all, and hadn't even taken the time to come home these past few days. She thought he was really heartless. But now that she was being hugged like this and heard her sweet "Mother," what resentment could she possibly have?

"Your face has gotten noticeably thinner."

"That's perfect, other people can't even lose weight in their face if they want to."

"So, you feel honored, which makes you even less willing to go home, right?"

Yunling immediately lowered her eyes and looked away, realizing that Zhang was harboring some resentment. Not wanting to provoke her, she could only tuck her tail between her legs and obediently shake her head in response:

"No, I miss my mother so much."

"You may think about it, but you're really looking forward to the beautiful scenery outside. I won't argue with you. Just eat this chicken soup quickly, and I'll be happy."

"Chicken soup? Mother, it's so hot today, wouldn't chicken soup be too nourishing?"

"It's almost autumn now, and autumn and winter are the seasons for nourishing the body. It's good to replenish the vital energy lost during the summer so that the body doesn't become too weak."

Yunling burped, releasing the aroma of fried dumplings, wontons, thin noodles, and bone broth. She had eaten quite a lot just now, but when Zhang Shi took out a small bowl and opened the lid, she still couldn't help but swallow.

This chicken soup isn't the clear, pale yellow color you might imagine; it's covered in chicken oil, the kind you can see right to the bottom.

Zhang's family uses black-boned chicken for stewing, resulting in a very pure broth with goji berries and red dates floating on the surface. As you gently stir it with a spoon, you can also see astragalus, codonopsis, and longan pulp.

This soup is so appealing, you'll love it at first sight!

"Quick, eat it while it's hot. If it gets cold, the taste and aroma will be halved."

"Mother, I just had breakfast. I'll take this and eat it later."

"No, we'll eat here."

Zhang's chicken soup was originally made for Yunling, and there was only one serving. If it were taken inside and seen by the young ladies who had previously lived in their house, it would not be appropriate.

Although Yunling is the master and they are the servants, they have lived and eaten together in the past. If they see that only Yunling has chicken soup, they will inevitably feel resentful. Now that the show is about to start, they want to avoid any mishaps.

Seeing that Zhang's attitude was so firm, Yunling decided not to argue with her, lest she hurt Zhang's feelings.

“Mother, I’ll just eat a little bit. Anyway, I’m going home tonight. You can reheat the soup later and I’ll eat it as my dinner.”

When Zhang heard Yunling say that she would be returning home tonight, she was overjoyed and no longer cared how much Yunling ate, so she nodded and agreed.

This chicken soup is really delicious. One sip and the rich broth slides down your throat and into your stomach, warm and comforting. The black-boned chicken, in particular, is tender and juicy, and even the bones are sweet and fragrant. If Yunling hadn't just eaten breakfast, she would have finished the whole bowl.

After letting out another burp, Yunling wiped her mouth and went behind the stage. Tang Ling and the others had already had their hair styled. Bingniang had even styled their hair into corresponding buns based on the style of their gauze dresses, including double buns, triple buns, upturned buns, small coiled buns, and double coiled buns. Furthermore, she had matched various styles of hairpins to match the colors of their bras and panties.

This arrangement, with its harmonious color scheme, is pleasing to the eye and avoids being too jarring—it's quite good.

After the hair is styled, the most important thing is makeup. Makeup is pleasing to both oneself and others. Good makeup makes people look energetic and makes them more efficient. Conversely, if the makeup is too dirty or messy, it will greatly detract from the overall look.

Bingniang and Sister-in-law Fan were also aware of this problem, so they dared not act rashly.

"Ling-jie, you save me the trouble of staying at home all day doing needlework and rarely going out. So naturally, we don't do much makeup on ourselves, and we really can't help you with makeup."

Yunling could understand it. Like Zhang, they were extremely simple and honest. If they had any money, they would gladly give it to their children. Their own needs came second. They were truly remarkable.

"I understand. Thank you both for your help. Tang Ling, who did your makeup last time?"

"Young lady, it's me."

Yunling looked at the raised hand and couldn't help but smile. Back then, she had spotted two destined people at the brokerage shop. One was Tang Ling, and the other was this person. She never thought that her eyesight was so sharp that she could pick out two such capable people.

"By the way, what's your name?"

“In reply to you, young lady, my surname is Li and my given name is Yuedi. I am from Yuecheng. Because my family was poor and my brothers had nothing to eat, my parents sold me to human traffickers.”

“The traffickers saw that I was young and had a youthful appearance, so they sold me to a brothel. The madam locked me in the backyard, but she did not mistreat me because of this. I learned the art of seducing men with the sisters in the brothel, which included makeup techniques, so I learned a thing or two about it.”

Yunling sighed inwardly, thinking that Li Yuedi was yet another pitiful person, and her voice softened involuntarily.

"Since you were locked up in the courtyard by the madam, how did you end up in the brokerage business? What kind of trouble is behind this? Oh, if those past events are too painful to recall, we can just let it go."

When this matter was mentioned, Li Yuedi's face was full of worry and distress. She was unwilling to reopen old wounds and cause more pain, but firstly, Yunling asked about it, and secondly, she felt that keeping it in her heart might not be a good thing. Perhaps talking about it would make her feel better.

“Young lady, I can tell you. The madam didn’t keep me locked up in the courtyard all the time. According to her, there’s no such thing as a free meal forever. Once I’m grown up, she’ll send me to greet male customers.”

"Although I had learned those techniques for controlling men before, when I actually faced those customers who came to spend money, I couldn't help but be afraid. I was so scared that I trembled all over, felt depressed and frustrated, and finally vomited. I scared the male customer who came to buy his virginity away three miles away."

"I was naturally beaten and scolded by the madam, and I was almost dead. In the end, it was the courtesan who saved me. She pleaded for me and arranged for me to serve in her room. She treated me like a sister, but unfortunately, the good times didn't last long."

“One day, a high-ranking official came to our building. Seeing the madam’s submissive demeanor, I knew that this person was no ordinary person. He stayed in the courtesan’s room for a day and a night. When I went in again, I saw the courtesan’s corpse and her body covered in wounds.”

Yunling's heart suddenly trembled, and a sense of desolation instantly spread through her. Just by listening to this person's words, she could imagine how tragic and bloody the scene must be, which was truly distressing.