"Manager Tao, although you provided the brewing method, I have my own selfish reasons. I want to restore the former glory of the Hua Family Tavern in my hands!"

Hua Manru had ambition in her eyes. Thanks to Tao Wan's mother, the Hua family had escaped poverty. However, it was still just a small workshop. When Tao Wan's mother proposed cooperation, Hua Manru wanted to take a chance!

Tao Wanniang looked at Hua Manru with admiration. Not bad, the young girl has ambition.

"Okay, but let's talk about how much money I'll invest in your Hua Family Distillery, the recipe for this liquor and the grains for brewing, and what percentage of the profits I'll get in the future?"

Upon hearing that Tao Wanniang had agreed to her request, Hua Manru immediately beamed with joy. "Manager Tao, everything is negotiable."

Tao Wanniang finally asked for 20% of the Hua family's future profits, instructing Hua Manru to first find a place to build the winery. As for the money, she would give it to Hua Manru after she had found a good location and made a plan.

After leaving the Hua family, Tao Wanniang wandered aimlessly down the street when her eyes suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure. Wasn't that her second son, Ling Dapeng?

Ling Dapeng was seen carrying a bag of pastries, walking excitedly. Looking in the direction he was heading, wasn't this the direction of their mansion in the capital?

Tao Wanniang was a little curious. Why had Ling Dapeng returned to the capital when he wasn't at the manor? Zhou Xiaoyun hadn't mentioned it when she met him that morning! With these questions in mind, Tao Wanniang followed him. After turning a few corners, she saw Ling Dapeng knocking on his own door.

"Wife, Xiaoyun, I'm back to see you!"

A short while later, Aunt Liu came to answer the door and looked genuinely surprised to see Ling Dapeng.

"Master, why are you back? Madam has taken Cao'er out."

"Where did she go? I finally managed to come back, where could she go with such a big belly!"

"They said they were going to see the young master. Master, please go inside and wait!"

Tao Wanniang listened from afar, and seeing that Ling Dapeng had just returned, she didn't want to pay any attention to him and simply turned and left.

Zhou Xiaoyun took the letter written by Tao Wanniang and entered the General's Mansion, but Ling Zhi seemed not to recognize his plump mother. It was only after Zhou Xiaoyun called out to him a few times that the child recognized his mother.

"Mommy!" Ling Zhi stumbled and ran into Zhou Xiaoyun's arms. His little arms tried to hug her, but Zhou Xiaoyun's round belly blocked them, and he couldn't hold her at all. The little guy frowned, looking very confused.

Zhou Xiaoyun wanted to hug her son, but her big belly and thick waist made it impossible for her to squat down, creating an awkward situation.

“Young Madam, Young Master Sun is being taken care of at the Prince’s Mansion, so you don’t need to worry too much. You should go back and take good care of yourself,” the steward of the General’s Mansion said kindly to Zhou Xiaoyun. “After all, your current appearance is really not suitable for taking care of Young Master Sun.”

Looking at her son, who was dressed neatly and had a fair complexion, Zhou Xiaoyun felt both joy and sorrow. Such a good son, but she wasn't the one raising him. She was heartbroken!

"Zhi'er, have you missed your mother? Tell your mother how you are doing here." Upon hearing this, the people serving Ling Rui in the General's Mansion looked rather displeased. Wasn't this a slap in the face to everyone?

"Mother, I miss Mother." Ling Zhi wanted to hug Zhou Xiaoyun again.

"Young Master Sun, would you like to play shuttlecock? Also, it's time to eat some fruit!" Xiao Cui, the maid who takes care of Ling Zhi, said deliberately in front of Zhou Xiaoyun.

"Guoguo, okay, eat Guoguo." Lingzhi was also greedy. As soon as he heard about food, he didn't care about his mother anymore. But as if he thought of something, he looked at Zhou Xiaoyun and said in a childish voice, "Mother's face, steamed bun."

Zhou Xiaoyun was extremely embarrassed. This was an insult to her face, saying it looked like a steamed bun! She said awkwardly, "Zhi'er, Mother is about to give birth. After Mother gives birth, she will look like she used to be."

"Young Master Sun, let's go!" Xiao Cui grabbed Ling Zhi's hand and said to Madam Zhou, "Young Madam, it's time for Young Master Sun to eat fruit. I'll take him there first."

Zhou Xiaoyun knew that the people in the General's Mansion didn't have a good impression of her, so she didn't dare to argue with the servants when Ling Yunzhou wasn't at the mansion.

"Then...then I'll head back now, Zhi'er, Mother's leaving!" Zhou Xiaoyun said, looking at her son with longing eyes.

Ling Zhi thought for a moment, then waved goodbye to Zhou Xiaoyun, saying, "Goodbye, Mother."

It was heartbreaking. Zhou Xiaoyun felt incredibly heartbroken that her son had stopped being so attached to her so quickly.

"Young Madam, please leave." The butler also gave her the order to leave.

Zhou Xiaoyun could only watch as the maid took Ling Zhi away. Reluctantly, she left the General's Mansion. Once outside, Zhou Xiaoyun couldn't help but ask Cao'er, "Cao'er, do you think I did the right thing? Letting Rui'er live here."

"I can't control men anymore, I can't control my son anymore, how can I, Zhou Xiaoyun, be so useless?"

Cao'er didn't answer. How could a little maid like her know what was going on with the master and mistress?

Zhou Xiaoyun returned home feeling somewhat dejected. When she saw Ling Dapeng, she was first startled, then furious.

"Ling Dapeng, how dare you come back!" Zhou Xiaoyun berated him harshly. "Aren't you living with that little bitch anymore?"

"Xiaoyun, I'm going to town with the caravan from the manor today. I had to beg Li Fu for a long time to do this. I'm going back tomorrow," Ling Dapeng said with a bitter face. "Don't scold me as soon as we meet. I even went out of my way to buy you some pastries!"

Upon seeing the pastries, Zhou Xiaoyun immediately flew into a rage, pointing at Ling Dapeng's face and saying, "Where is that little bitch of yours? I'll tear her apart sooner or later. Ling Dapeng, let me tell you, I'm so fat not because I'm pregnant, but because someone drugged me."

Ling Dapeng was taken aback, then immediately said, "That can't be, isn't it because you're greedy?"

"I'm greedy, yes, I'm greedy. If I hadn't been drugged, would I be as greedy as an animal?" Zhou Xiaoyun said indignantly. "After I came back, I went to see a doctor. The doctor said that I was drugged and my stomach was stretched, which is why I kept eating even when I was hungry. Ling Dapeng, use your pig brain to think about who it was!"

This was the first time Ling Dapeng had ever heard of this medicine, and he was a little confused.

"It's for the livestock, you ate it, is that alright?"

"No problem? Of course there's a problem! I'll get as fat as a pig, and the baby will be too big to give birth to. In that case, it'll be a double tragedy. Who will benefit the most? It'll be you, that little bitch!" Zhou Xiaoyun said irritably. "Ling Dapeng, just you wait. After I give birth, I'm going to tear her apart!"

Ling Dapeng was startled. Was it really that scary?

"Could it be Shishi? Shishi... Shishi wouldn't know anything about these things." But thinking of the gentle and considerate Shishi, Ling Dapeng felt it was impossible.

"Hmph, hmph, you're still protecting that little bitch!" Zhou Xiaoyun glared fiercely at Ling Dapeng. "I may be fat, but I'm not stupid. Ling Dapeng, you just wait!"