Chapter 122 Why pretend to be my mother's best friend?
"Yes!" the old woman nodded. "I always bring it with me when I go out on house calls. It's sparkly and very pretty."
“You’re mistaken.” Ye Wanning stood up. “Who exactly are you? Why are you impersonating my mother’s best friend? My mother’s clinic is in the east of the city, not the west—who exactly are you? Why are you impersonating my mother’s best friend?”
The old woman's face suddenly turned pale, and the teacup in her hand fell to the ground: "I...I just wanted to find a place to stay, I didn't impersonate anyone..."
"No impersonation?" Ye Wanning produced the evidence her secret guards had gathered. "Li Yanran gave you fifty taels of silver to stay in the General's Mansion and keep an eye on me for her, didn't she? If you're willing to tell the truth, I can give you some silver so you can go back to your hometown; if you don't admit it, I'll send you to the authorities and accuse you of fraud!"
The old woman was startled and knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down her face: "Madam, spare me! Miss Li forced me! She said if I didn't help her, she would sell my grandson to another place! I had no choice!"
"Li Yanran is really going too far!" Chuntao stomped her foot angrily. "Miss, let's go find her and settle the score right now!"
"No need." Ye Wanning helped the old lady up. "I'll give you one hundred taels of silver. Take the money and go back to your hometown. Don't do anything for Li Yanran anymore, and don't ever appear in the capital again."
The old lady took the silver and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Thank you, Madam! Thank you, Madam! I will never dare to do it again!"
After the old lady left, Pei Zhi returned from outside and, upon hearing Ye Wanning's account of the incident, frowned and said, "Don't let strangers into the mansion in the future. I'm afraid someone might hurt you. Li Yanran failed this time, but she might try something else next time."
"I know what I'm doing." Ye Wanning leaned against him. "But it's so good to know you're worried about me."
"If I don't worry about you, who should I worry about? If something like this happens again, don't try to handle it all by yourself. Tell me right away, and I'll help you solve it." Pei Zhi pinched her cheek.
The day before the Dragon Boat Festival, the kitchen of the General's Mansion was already bustling with activity. Ye Wanning sat to the side, watching Chun Tao wrap zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), a medical book in her hand: "Chun Tao, put less sugar in the red bean paste. Father has mild diabetes, too much sweetness is not good."
Chun Tao nodded: "I know, Miss. I've already reduced the sugar by half and added the lotus seeds you mentioned, which can clear heat and relieve summer heat."
Just then, the Crown Prince's maid came in carrying a food box and said with a smile, "Madam Pei, my master asked me to bring you some zongzi (sticky rice dumplings). He said they are newly made jujube zongzi from the Imperial Kitchen, which the old general loves to eat."
Ye Wanning took the food box, and upon opening it, she found plump jujube-filled rice dumplings inside, emitting a sweet aroma. Ye Wanning knew in her heart that the Crown Princess had done this on purpose.
Last year during the Dragon Boat Festival, General Pei ate jujube-filled rice dumplings from the imperial kitchen, and his blood sugar spiked for several days. This year, she specially made low-sugar red bean paste dumplings, but the Crown Prince's wife insisted on sending jujube-filled dumplings, hoping to embarrass her in front of General Pei.
"Please thank the Crown Princess for me," Ye Wanning said with a smile, telling Chun Tao to put the food box away. "I also just wrapped some zongzi, which I'll send to the old general later."
The next morning, Ye Wanning carried a food box to General Pei's courtyard. As soon as she entered, she saw the Crown Princess sitting in the courtyard, holding a jujube rice dumpling in her hand: "Father, please try it. This is a new jujube rice dumpling made by the Imperial Kitchen. It's even sweeter than last year's."
General Pei took the zongzi and was about to take a bite when Ye Wanning stepped forward and said, "Father, don't eat yet. I also made some zongzi for you. Try mine."
The Crown Princess's expression changed slightly, and she forced a smile, saying to Ye Wanning, "Father has always liked the jujube rice dumplings from the Imperial Kitchen. Ye Wanning, perhaps your rice dumplings don't suit his taste?"
"Whether it suits your taste or not, Father will only know after he tries it." Ye Wanning opened the food box, and the red bean paste rice dumpling exuded a faint fragrance. "My rice dumpling contains lotus seeds, which can clear heat and relieve summer heat. Moreover, I put less sugar in it, which is suitable for Father's health. Last year, Father ate too sweet rice dumplings, and his blood sugar was high for several days. The imperial physician even specially instructed Father to eat less sweet food in the future."
General Pei took the red bean paste rice dumpling, took a bite, and his eyes shone: "Delicious! This rice dumpling is not too sweet or greasy, and it has the fragrance of lotus seeds. It suits my taste better than the jujube rice dumplings from the imperial kitchen."
The Crown Princess's face paled. Before she could say anything, Pei Zhi walked in and sat down next to Ye Wanning. "Sister-in-law, you should take better care of your health. Wanning knows my father's tastes better than anyone. Last year, he had high blood sugar after eating sweet rice dumplings, and Wanning was worried for days. This year, I specially consulted medical books and made these low-sugar red bean paste rice dumplings. Sister-in-law, please don't cause any more trouble."
The Crown Prince's wife was speechless, her hand crumpling the jujube-filled rice dumpling: "I just wanted Father to try the rice dumplings from the Imperial Kitchen. Since Father likes Madam Pei's, then I won't bother you any longer."
After the Crown Princess left, General Pei patted Ye Wanning's hand and said, "Good child, you are so thoughtful and know how to care about my health. Azhi, you should learn from Wanning in the future. Don't always think about fighting, and take care of me more."
"Father, I care about you too." Pei Zhi felt wronged and put a piece of mung bean cake on Ye Wanning's plate as well: "Last time I even had the quartermaster send you the best ginseng, have you forgotten?"
"That's different." General Pei snorted, taking another bite of the red bean paste rice dumpling. "Wan Ning remembers my stomach, but you only know how to send things; you don't even remember I don't eat sweets."
Ye Wanning chuckled and smoothed things over for Pei Zhi: "Father, Pei Zhi cares about you a lot, he's just not good with words. Last time your leg pain flared up, he was the one who made you a bowl of hot ginger soup in the middle of the night."
General Pei's expression softened slightly, and he nodded: "At least he still has some conscience."
After breakfast, Pei Zhi led Ye Wanning back to her room, and on the way, he couldn't help but say, "The Crown Princess's face just now was like she'd swallowed a fly; it was so satisfying."
"Don't always hold a grudge against her," Ye Wanning said with a smile. "She's just looking for an opportunity to expose your weaknesses; we should just ignore her."
“I wasn’t angry with her.” Pei Zhi stopped and took her hand. “I just can’t stand seeing her bully you. No matter who it is, if they dare to bully you, I won’t be polite.”
Ye Wanning felt a warmth in her heart and leaned against him, saying, "I know you're protecting me, but we shouldn't clash with her in the future, lest we put the Emperor in a difficult position."
“I know what I'm doing.” Pei Zhi pinched her cheek. “Come on, I'll take you to the West Market to buy sugar paintings. Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, I'll buy you the biggest tiger sugar painting.”
The West Market was bustling with activity, filled with vendors selling zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and sachets. Pei Zhi, holding Ye Wanning's hand, squeezed through the crowd to a sugar painting stall: "Boss, make me the biggest tiger sugar painting ever."
The shopkeeper smiled and nodded, quickly drawing a large, fierce tiger before handing it over, saying, "Young lady, you're lucky. Your husband treats you very well."
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