The landlord who rented the house to Cai Damei is moving his family to Beijing. It's far away, making rent collection inconvenient. He's decided to sell the house.
The homeowner first asked Ms. Cai if she wanted to buy it.
If Cai Damei is willing to buy, she will receive a discount of 15 taels of silver.
The original price was 380 taels of silver, but it was sold to her for 365 taels. After deducting the rent for the second half of the year, it was sold to Cai Damei for 360 taels.
Cai Damei was tempted, but she didn't have enough cash at home. She thought about exchanging the gold bracelet Ye Yunniang had given her for silver.
Ye Yunniang is quite satisfied with the small courtyard she lives in now.
"Okay, I'll go find the homeowner tomorrow and buy the yard. I'll put your name on it."
“Remember Mother’s name.” Ye Yunniang felt that Cai Damei was the head of the family, and the house should be in her name.
“The money for the house was all earned by you. It should be registered in your name.” Cai Damei thought that all of this belonged to Ye Yunniang.
"Mother, you don't want me anymore~" Ye Yunniang panicked, her mind filled with only one thought: Cai Damei didn't want her anymore. Her mother didn't want her anymore.
"Mother, please don't abandon me..."
“I didn’t abandon you. You’re my daughter, how could I abandon you? Okay, okay, the house won’t be in your name, but it can’t be in mine either. Let’s put the house in Pan’er’s name, okay?” Cai Damei suggested.
"Hmm." Ye Yunniang did not object further.
"How old are you to still be crying like this?" Cai Damei picked up a handkerchief and wiped Ye Yunniang's tears. "Yunniang, let me teach you one more thing. Innocence and reputation are all meaningless. What matters most is that you live well and return to your mother's side."
Ye Yunniang nodded vigorously, "I will live well."
Ye Yunniang returned with a worried expression, but after Cai Damei comforted her, she left with a smile on her face.
Before leaving, he remembered that he hadn't told Cai Damei that he could read, so he quickly did.
Cai Damei was also delighted, happy for Ye Yunniang.
"This is your chance, study hard."
"Yes, Mother, I will. When I come back, I will teach you to read." Ye Yunniang's smile widened as she thought about that day.
“Okay, Mother will wait.” Cai Damei agreed with a big smile.
Ye Yunniang carried Cai Damei on her back, preparing to eat before returning to the Jiang residence. Passing a bookstore, she remembered she didn't have enough paper.
Enter the bookstore.
"Madam, what would you like to buy?"
"Hey waiter, how much is the paper for writing?" Ye Yunniang asked, looking at where the paper was displayed in the shop.
"Madam, we have just received a new batch of Lan'an paper, which is very suitable for writing. It costs 300 cash per ream," the shopkeeper quoted.
"How much is one cut?" Ye Yunniang asked.
"100 sheets, 3 coins each." The bookstore clerk not only stated the number of sheets but also thoughtfully mentioned the price per sheet.
Three coins, that's the price of two eggs.
"Is there anything cheaper?" Ye Yunniang asked softly.
"Yes, the cheapest paper in the shop is made from local bamboo, 80 coins a bundle. If you buy 3 bundles, I'll give you an extra 50 sheets," the bookstore clerk enthusiastically quoted.
"Give me three reams of local bamboo paper." Ye Yunniang took out two qian of silver and counted out 40 copper coins, handing them to the waiter.
Ye Yunniang carried paper and a bundle and entered the mansion through the side gate.
Granny Tian was guarding the side gate.
Ye Yunniang took out an oil paper package that Cai Damei had prepared from her bundle and handed it to Granny Tian.
"Aunt Tian, here's some rice candy my mother made, please try it."
"Okay, I'll definitely try it." Granny Tian took it. "Are your mother and son alright?"
“I’m doing great. My mom even said that Aunt Tian is resting and has nothing to do, so she should come over to my house for a visit. She wants to thank you properly for finding me such a good job.”
"I don't take credit. You earned this all through your own abilities." Granny Tian had guarded the side gate for many years, and she saw things clearly. She had given Ye Yunniang an opportunity, but it was also Ye Yunniang's own ability to seize it.
After chatting for a few minutes, Ye Yunniang bid farewell to Granny Tian and headed towards Zhiyuxuan.
Halfway there, they encountered a patrol team.
"Stop!" The woman leading the patrol called out to Ye Yunniang.
"Which department are you from? Where are you going with that bag?"
Ye Yunniang obediently stopped. "I am the wet nurse of the sixth young master of Fanghua Courtyard. By the grace of the madam, I was allowed to leave the manor and return home today. I just came back from outside," Ye Yunniang explained.
"What's your name?" the woman asked, opening a roster.
"Ye Yunniang".
The woman found the name and confirmed that such a person existed.
"Open the bundle."
Ye Yunniang obediently opened it.
The patrol team inspected the items and confirmed that there were no abnormalities.
"Go back. It's alright, don't wander around."
"Okay. Thank you for reminding me." Ye Yunniang retied her bundle.
Back at Zhiyuxuan, Li'er and Granny Shi sat at the door and talked quietly.
"Sister is back." Pear stepped forward to take the bundle.
"It's heavy, you can't carry it." Ye Yunniang didn't let go and carried it back into the house. Soon she came to the door with two oil paper packages.
"Try some rice candy made by my mother." He stuffed a bag into the hands of Pear and Granny Shi.
Pear immediately opened the box, picked up a piece of rice candy, and took a bite. The sweetness of the candy mixed with the aroma of rice exploded in her mouth.
"It's so delicious! Aunt Cai's cooking is really good." Pear said, picking up another piece and stuffing it into her mouth.
"What has happened in the manor recently?" Ye Yunniang recounted the patrol inspection she encountered upon returning home.
Pear has a lot to say about this.
“I heard, just heard, that Fifth Miss lost her precious hairpin,” Li’er said, recounting what she had found out.
When did you lose that precious hairpin?
"On the day of the Sixth Young Master's first birthday celebration."
On the night of the baby's first birthday celebration, Jia Jiang Mingyue made a big fuss by searching everywhere in the garden. She said that the jade orchid hairpin she wore in her hair was missing.
The jade orchid hairpin was inherited by Madam Jiang from her maternal grandmother and passed down to her daughter. Madam Jiang herself had no biological daughter, so she gave the hairpin to Jiang Mingyue.
If Old Madam Jiang found out, she would order a full search of the mansion. Zhuang Meixue persuaded her to stop.
The guests had just left the manor when a search was launched across the entire residence claiming things were missing. Doesn't this imply suspicion that the guests stole from the Jiang residence?
After some discussion, they arranged for the patrol team to patrol during the day as well, to deter thieves who steal hairpins.
During their patrols, the guards would question them at any time. If any problems were found, they would be arrested and sent to Zhuyunxuan for investigation by Granny Kong.
The thief hasn't been caught yet, but quite a few lazy and troublesome maids, servants, and young men have been caught, and many have had their monthly wages fined. Now, everyone in the mansion is complaining and grumbling.
"I went to the main kitchen to get my food today. I was questioned twice, both times. Then I went to the laundry room to get my clothes, and I was questioned twice more. Now I don't even want to go out," Pear said, full of resentment. She took a big bite of rice candy to vent her emotions.
I really hope the thief who stole the hairpin comes soon.
"Wasn't it stolen? How come it's another thief?" Ye Yunniang asked, puzzled, while recalling whether Jiang Mingyue was wearing a hairpin in the bamboo house that day.
It is confirmed that Jiang Mingyue did not wear a magnolia flower hairpin.
Why tell everyone that she lost a jade orchid hairpin? Ye Yunniang suspected that Jiang Mingyue might be using the lost hairpin as an excuse to find the person who overheard their affair, namely herself.
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