Tao Wanniang never mentioned being kidnapped. She opened her restaurant as usual the next day. For several days in a row, she didn't see any movement from the princess, and Tao Wanniang's heart was slightly relieved.
Cheng Feng's arrival reminded Tao Wan Niang of the matter she had entrusted to Prince Rui's son. In case she couldn't stay in the capital, she still had a house in Shan Hai Prefecture!
"Lord Cheng, have you bought the house in Shanhai Prefecture for me?" Tao Wanniang asked directly.
Cheng Feng was taken aback; he remembered this incident.
“Sister Tao, the homeowner was out of town before. Even if you want to buy the house, you have to wait for the homeowner to come back. We have already asked someone to send a letter to the homeowner.”
"Where are my chickens and ducks?" Tao Wanniang asked back. It hadn't even been half a year. Shouldn't Xiao Wu from the brokerage be looking after them for her?
"Ha, Sister Tao is still thinking about it. Don't worry, the young master specifically instructed that those things be kept for you." Cheng Feng laughed. "By the way, Sister Tao, the Huang family had an accident on the road."
"Hmm?" Tao Wanniang asked in surprise, "What happened?"
"Madam Huang was so frightened that she didn't have a moment's peace after leaving the city. Before she even reached Wangjing, she settled in the nearest town, where she miscarried."
"This..." Tao Wanniang frowned slightly. The fetus was already six months old, and a miscarriage would have serious consequences.
"Not only did Huang suffer a miscarriage, but she also suffered severe bleeding. I heard that she can no longer conceive, and Huang Youdao divorced her on the spot!" Cheng Feng continued, "However, Huang still went back to Wangjing with Huang Youdao, saying that she wanted to get back her dowry."
Tao Wanniang was stunned. Could it be that Madam Huang was frightened by Bai Yumei? But then she thought, so what if she was? What goes around comes around, and no one escapes the judgment of Heaven!
"On what grounds did Huang Youdao divorce Huang Shi?" Tao Wanniang then asked. Divorce requires one of the seven grounds for divorce; it's not something that can be done casually.
"That child isn't Huang Youdao's, and Huang himself has admitted it. The two have fallen out, each hitting each other where it hurts, and even the spies who were keeping watch don't want to talk about the details when they come back," Cheng Feng complained. "Sister Tao, I came here to eat, but it's turned into me complaining to you about these sordid things."
"Have a few cups of wine, and we'll consider this matter closed," Tao Wanniang said. "Please wait a moment, Lord Cheng, I'll cook you a few side dishes."
"Okay, thank you for your trouble, Sister Tao," Cheng Feng nodded and said.
At this moment, Ling Yunzhou was invited to the princess's residence by the eldest princess.
"General, I've been searching for that Tao Wan Niang for you these past few days. Coincidentally, there's a restaurant in the capital run by someone named Tao Wan Niang, who is said to have fled from Shanhai Prefecture," Princess Wanwan said, her expression concerned. "General, could they be...?"
Ling Yunzhou nodded, making no attempt to hide the truth.
“That is indeed my wife and child.”
The princess felt a surge of resentment, and upon hearing Ling Yunzhou's admission, she silently clenched her fists.
"She believes I am dead and doesn't recognize me at all. And I still can't remember anything from the past. I don't know what to do about this." Ling Yunzhou looked distressed; this was much harder than going into battle.
"What about the two young masters? Doesn't the General want to acknowledge them back?" the Princess asked tentatively.
“Dahu and Dapeng were raised by her. They are simple and honest by nature. Their current life is rich and fulfilling, which is very suitable for them. Once they are given the identity of the son of a great general, it may not be a good thing for them,” Ling Yunzhou said solemnly.
The eldest princess felt somewhat relieved upon hearing this.
"Life is unpredictable; who could have imagined they would actually come to the capital?" the Princess sighed. "General, what kind of person is that Tao Wanniang?"
“Her? She’s sharp-tongued and cunning, completely unlike a peasant woman!” Ling Yunzhou frowned as he recalled his several confrontations with Tao Wanniang. “But seeing how she raised her two sons to adulthood, I am also grateful to her.”
Unable to discern any romantic feelings between Ling Yunzhou and Tao Wanniang, the Princess smiled gently and said, "General, why don't we tell her the truth at a later time? It's not really appropriate for a woman to be out in the marketplace doing business."
“No, I won’t tell her if she can’t remember what happened before,” Ling Yunzhou said firmly. “Besides, she’s probably already remarried!”
Hmm? The princess was taken aback.
“She also has a daughter, who is only ten years old,” Ling Yunzhou said through gritted teeth.
The princess felt relieved when her subordinate mentioned that Tao Wanniang had another daughter, Liang Linglong. If Tao Wanniang had already remarried, Lingyunzhou naturally could not reunite with her.
The eldest princess did not press Ling Yunzhou about the matter between the two, but instead had a gentle heart-to-heart talk with him.
"General, lunch is ready. Let's eat together," the princess invited.
Ling Yunzhou had something on his mind, so he didn't pay much attention to these things and stayed for the meal. However, as the exquisite food entered his mouth, he couldn't help but miss the food from the farmhouse restaurant.
The warmth of everyday life soothes the soul; it's the simple, home-cooked dishes that truly capture the essence of human connection. Ling Yunzhou picked up his chopsticks, ate a few bites hastily, and then lost his appetite.
"Your Highness, I have summoned the imperial physician for a consultation. It's time for me to return," Ling Yunzhou said after a while.
"Imperial Physician?" the Princess asked with concern, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Ling Yunzhou pointed to his head, "Not being able to remember the past is my heartache!"
The eldest princess hesitated for a moment, but still let Ling Yunzhou leave.
"It's laughable, really. The two met, yet they didn't recognize each other!" the princess said sarcastically, deciding to put the matter aside for the time being and observe for a while before making any further decisions.
The farmhouse restaurant has become the most popular restaurant on the street, and even the grocery store next door has benefited greatly from it.
During lunch that day, three men and one woman were sitting at a table when suddenly one of the men slammed his fist on the table and shouted.
"Get your manager out here! How can you find this disgusting stuff in your food? What kind of business are you running?!"
"Sir, what's wrong?" Ling Dahu, who was standing nearby, immediately stepped forward to ask.
"Who are you trying to disgust by finding this in your food?" The man held up the cockroach and waved it in front of Ling Dahu.
Upon seeing the cockroach, Ling Dahu frowned and said directly, "Sir, this is still alive, it definitely isn't from our shop!"
Upon hearing Ling Dahu's words, the guest immediately crushed the cockroach and continued, "What, you won't admit it? Look at this, this farmhouse restaurant has quite a reputation. We came here specifically to eat, and this is what we found. Who knows what else they might have?"
"Wow, hair! It's so long, it's definitely a woman's hair!" Another customer at the same table exclaimed, holding a strand of hair. "Get your manager out here right now, how are we supposed to eat?"
Even though Ling Dahu was inexperienced, he knew this was an attempt to extort money. He frowned, somewhat angry. To ruin his mother's cooking was too much!
"You...you're trying to extort money from me!" Ling Dahu clenched his fists. He didn't need his mother to intervene; he could handle this himself!
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