She was going to die, she was going to die! Ling Yunzhou had regained his memories and wanted to reunite with his family. She didn't want to! The princess could kidnap her in the middle of the night. If she really reunited with Ling Yunzhou, wouldn't she be assassinated by the princess?
Ling Yunzhou watched Tao Wanniang retreat step by step, looking surprised. He believed that Tao Wanniang hadn't recognized him. Perhaps it was because their statuses were worlds apart, and she didn't think anything of it.
"Watch out!" Seeing Tao Wanniang backing away, Ling Yunzhou stepped forward and grabbed her. "If you back down any further, you'll fall."
Tao Wanniang quickly pushed Ling Yunzhou away. Her distant manner made Ling Yunzhou frown again. Was she treating him like a monster?
"Tao Wanniang, don't you have anything to say to me?"
"General, this... allow me a moment!" Tao Wanniang patted her chest, looking still shaken. "This... General, then what brings you here?"
"Don't you want to know how I've lived all these years? And since you've always missed me, why are you looking like this when you see me?"
"Ah, General, you may have misunderstood. It's not me who's mourning you, it's the children. I'm not the one who burns incense and pays respects every day!" Tao Wanniang composed herself slightly and said with a sigh, "Times have changed. Does General perhaps wish to rekindle our past relationship?"
What was with that expression on her face? And thinking about Tao Wanniang's ten-year-old daughter, Ling Yunzhou felt a little uncomfortable.
"Although I know you've remarried and have a daughter, I suppose that person is no longer with us," Ling Yunzhou said slowly. "But you've raised Da Hu and Da Peng, and these past years have been tough on you!"
Wait, remarried, daughter? Tao Wanniang was delighted to see Ling Yunzhou's expression. He was treating Xiao Qiao'er as his own. Well, that's fine then!
"Does the General mean that the children should be allowed to recognize their ancestors?"
"What do you think?" Ling Yunzhou asked Tao Wanniang in return.
"Well... I think we should take it slow, they'll be scared," Tao Wanniang said, forcing herself to speak. If they really acknowledged their ancestry, her two grown sons would have to live under the public eye.
“That’s what I think too, but Tao Wanniang, is there anything you want?” Ling Yunzhou genuinely wanted to make amends to Tao Wanniang, and he would even accept her request to acknowledge her existence.
They're not young anymore; instead of dwelling on the past, they should look to the future.
"Can you give me anything I want?" Tao Wanniang asked tentatively. She was still in debt from running a restaurant, and after raising a child for seventeen years, it shouldn't be too much to ask for some money.
"Yes, as long as it's within my power to give," Ling Yunzhou nodded.
"Can you give me five thousand taels of silver? For the past seventeen years, I've had to be both father and mother to her; it hasn't been easy. You have to understand, it's very hard for a woman, especially a young woman!"
Ling Yunzhou stared blankly at Tao Wanniang, his expression frozen. She wanted money!
“My son is all grown up now, and I still have to find him a wife. You know, Lingjia Village is located in a remote mountain valley, and it's really not easy for them to find wives! They were incredibly lucky to find a girl willing to marry them. Then they had a child, and I've been the one managing this household the whole time, making sure they haven't starved to death…”
"Enough, Tao Wanniang, all you want is money?" Ling Yunzhou shouted.
"Otherwise what?" Tao Wanniang asked Ling Yunzhou in return. If he wasn't after money, why would he be after her?
Although Ling Yunzhou is indeed good-looking, with broad shoulders, a slim waist, and long legs, she is someone who has seen the stars and the sea!
Ling Yunzhou was heartbroken. He, a dignified general, actually saw disdain in Tao Wanniang's eyes.
"You only want money?!" Ling Yunzhou asked again.
"Yes, yes, I just want money, General. Um, please keep your distance from us. After all, you are a high and mighty general, while my family is just an ordinary family running a small restaurant. Getting too close might cause misunderstandings."
"After all, the General holds a high position. What if some rival finds out about your relationship with us..."
Tao Wanniang has made herself very clear. If Ling Yunzhou still doesn't understand, then he must be out of his mind.
"Fine, as you wish!" Ling Yunzhou said through gritted teeth. He was angry, and while he didn't expect the broken relationship to be mended immediately, drawing a clear line between them was not what he wanted either.
"Then... please leave, General." Tao Wanniang waved to Ling Yunzhou, "It's late, I need to wash up and rest!"
Ling Yunzhou didn't even look back, leaped onto the wall, and left!
"Why did you learn to climb walls all of a sudden? And you still have the nerve to do that?" Tao Wan's mother muttered. "Oh no, they didn't pay me!"
In the following days, Tao Wanniang was still somewhat uneasy. She was afraid that Lingyunzhou would want her child to be recognized by his ancestors, and she was also afraid that the princess would be jealous and send people to arrest her.
Fortunately, none of the things she was worried about came to pass, but what frustrated Tao Wanniang was that the money still hadn't arrived.
"Mother, Qian Feng is here. He says he's looking for you." That day, Tao Wan's mother was cooking in the kitchen when Ling Dahu came in and said this.
Qian Feng? Tao Wanniang's eyes lit up. Could it be that he's here to deliver money? She immediately called Wang Hongyu to take over, wiped her hands, and walked out of the kitchen expectantly.
"Sister Tao, it's been a long time. Did you miss me?" Qian Feng said with a grin, holding a box in his hand. "I came here for a meal, and also to bring something for Sister Tao."
"What is it?" Tao Wanniang asked, feigning curiosity.
"I don't know, it was the general's order. Sister Tao, please keep the things safe, and bring me some dishes too. I've been running errands, so I should at least have a good meal." Qian Feng handed the box to Tao Wanniang.
Tao Wanniang took the box and said with a smile, "Okay, Brother Qian, please wait a moment. By the way, our restaurant has just received some wine. Would you like some?"
"That would be great! Some braised dishes and a pot of wine, Sister Tao, your cooking skills are impeccable."
Tao Wanniang took the box into the kitchen, opened it, and lo and behold, there was a thick stack of silver notes. She was extremely pleased.
"Come, come, let me do it. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll make a few of my best dishes," Tao Wanniang said cheerfully.
When Qian Feng finished eating and drinking, Tao Wanniang happened to be in the hall. Seeing this, she stepped forward and said, "Brother Qian, thank you for running this errand. Consider this meal on my behalf!"
"What a wonderful thing!" Qian Feng said happily. "Then thank you very much, Sister Tao. Oh, by the way, my general is going to the southwest to suppress bandits starting tomorrow. If you need anything, you should tell him tonight."
Could these words have been instructed by Ling Yunzhou? Tao Wanniang smiled and said, "I'm fine, I just thank you very much, General!"
Qian Feng, unaware of the complicated relationship between Ling Yunzhou and Tao Wanniang, nodded in agreement.
Ling Yunzhou is going to suppress bandits, that's wonderful! Tao Wanniang was even happier than if she had received five thousand taels of silver.
However, Tao Wanniang did not intend to tell anyone about receiving the five thousand taels of silver notes from Lingyun Prefecture. She also did not trust the money houses in the human world, so she deposited them all into the system, knowing that she could withdraw them later anyway.
Now that she had money, Tao Wanniang checked the system to see what she could buy. She felt that the Princess was a ticking time bomb and she needed to prepare for it in advance.
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