Chapter 156
After staying in the Green City for a while, Ye Yunniang missed her children more and more.
"I want to go back. I miss the children." Ye Yunniang didn't want to stay in the Green City any longer.
Jiang Mingzhe mentally calculated the tasks he had left to do. "Give me ten more days. We will go back together."
"Alright." Ye Yunniang returned to her room.
"Since we are going home, do you want to pick out some local specialties from the Yan Kingdom to take back?" Jiang Mingzhe suggested, seeing that Ye Yunniang was bored.
"Mhm." Ye Yunniang thought about it and agreed.
Ye Yunniang went to find Wen Nuan to stroll around the Green City together and buy local specialties. Following behind them were men sent by Jiang Mingzhe to protect them and foot the bill.
"The furs from the Yan Kingdom are the best. Let's buy more furs to take back."
The two of them visited every fur shop in the Green City, picked out their favorite furs, and packed them into boxes.
"The milk tablets here are quite delicious. My mother loves them, so I want to buy a bit more," Ye Yunniang said, referring to the items she was bringing back for Cai Damei.
"The boys would probably prefer swords. The weapons here are quite good; we can buy some," Wen Nuan suggested.
"Alright, let's go buy them."
...
Food, drinks, clothing, practical items, and toys—Ye Yunniang bought a little bit of everything that she thought her mother and children might want to taste or try.
Jiang Mingzhe had someone clear out a room specifically to store the local specialties Ye Yunniang had purchased.
Ye Yunniang was also planning to buy some live sheep to take back.
The mutton in the Yan Kingdom had absolutely no gamey taste. It tasted much better than what they had in Jiang City.
The weather was hot, so if they bought butchered meat to take back, it would spoil.
Ye Yunniang planned to buy live sheep so the whole family could enjoy a whole roasted sheep.
"I learned the art of roasting a whole sheep from Aunt Chu. I'll roast it for you when the time comes."
After the Chu family arrived in the Green City, they used their savings to take over a shop specializing in various mutton delicacies.
Wen Nuan often went to help out and secretly learned quite a bit. Chu Yuying could be considered half a master to Wen Nuan.
Wen Nuan was going back to Jiang City with Ye Yunniang, so she specifically went to bid farewell to Chu Yuying.
"You're going back." Chu Yuying's face was full of reluctance to part.
"Auntie, if there's a chance in the future, I will come back to visit you." Wen Nuan was also very reluctant to leave Chu Yuying.
"Could you help me deliver a letter?"
"Of course. Where to?"
"The capital."
"Alright."
Ye Yunniang and Wen Nuan left the mutton restaurant carrying the letter Chu Yuying had asked them to help deliver, along with a couple jars of mutton paste that Chu Yuying had made as a token of gratitude.
The mutton paste made by Chu Yuying had a mouth-watering aroma. Whether mixed with noodles or eaten with flatbread, it was incredibly appetizing.
Upon returning to their residence, the gatekeeper informed them that Baise was about to give birth.
The two handed the jars of mutton paste to the guard to take inside and hurriedly rushed to the Tie family's home.
Baise was in the delivery room giving birth.
Outside, Tie Yi wanted to rush into the room.
Tie Xiong hugged Tie Yi tightly. "Uncle, don't be impulsive. My mother is inside. Aunt will give birth safely..." As he spoke, he saw Ye Yunniang walk into the courtyard. "Sister-in-law, Aunt said that as soon as you arrive, you should go in."
"Okay." Ye Yunniang nodded at Tie Xiong, washed her hands, and entered the delivery room.
The smell of blood was heavy in the delivery room. Baise lay on the bed, biting down on a piece of cork, enduring waves of pain.
Ye Yunniang stepped forward and held Baise's hand. "Don't be afraid. I'm right here with you."
That single sentence brought tears to Baise's eyes.
She spat out the cork.
"I'm not afraid. What haven't I been through?"
"Yes, you're amazing. Come on, push. My goddaughter is waiting to come out."
"You agreed to be her godmother?"
"I agreed. You must make sure my goddaughter is born safely."
"Promise me one more thing," Baise demanded.
Since Baise was in the crucial moment of giving birth, Ye Yunniang couldn't get angry with her.
"Speak."
"What did Jiang Mingzhe say to you?" Baise still wanted to know.
"That is a little secret between us husband and wife. It's not suitable for an outsider like you to hear."
"I'm not an outsider. I'm the mother of your goddaughter," Baise retorted.
"Even so, I can't say." Ye Yunniang refused; she wasn't going to talk about the private matters between her and Jiang Mingzhe.
"You're just going to watch him bully me."
"What exactly do you want? Just say it. For the sake of my soon-to-be-born goddaughter, I will agree to it."
"Lend me a hundred thousand taels of silver." Baise made this exorbitant demand, shocking the midwife, the maids, and He Xiugu inside the room.
Wasn't Baise giving birth? Why was she suddenly asking to borrow money?
And a hundred thousand taels of silver at that!
"No. I don't have money." Ye Yunniang refused straightforwardly.
"Jiang Mingzhe does."
"What he has is his."
"He is your man. Isn't what's his also yours?" Baise said with absolute self-righteousness.
"You are fully dilated, you can give birth now. Push, Madam!" the midwife urged.
"Hurry up and give birth," Ye Yunniang urged.
"Ah... lend me the silver first... Ah, ouch..."
"Alright, alright, alright, I'll talk to him when I go back," Ye Yunniang agreed. "Stop talking about this and push."
Baise bit down on the cork again, and with one strong push, the baby was born.
Wah, wah, wah, wah...
The baby cried loudly.
Baise looked at the midwife with expectant eyes. "What did I have?"
"Congratulations, Madam, it is a little young master."
The expectation on Baise's face vanished. She fell back weakly, then sat up again and shouted towards the outside.
"Tie Yi, this is all your fault!" Then she fainted from exhaustion.
"Baise."
"Doctor, come quickly, hurry!"
"Wife!" Outside, Tie Yi broke free and rushed in.
The midwife held the baby, somewhat at a loss. It was Ye Yunniang who reached out, took the baby, and walked to the door.
Tie Xiong, Taohong, and Wen Nuan all gathered around.
"Boy or girl?"
"A boy." Ye Yunniang showed the baby to the three of them.
"He's really ugly," Wen Nuan remarked bluntly.
"Newborn babies are all like this. Red and wrinkled, like little old men. In a couple of days, when his features fill out, he'll look good. Look, his nose is just like his mother's." Ye Yunniang explained to them.
"Can I hold him?" Taohong wanted to hold the baby.
"Here." Ye Yunniang handed the baby to Taohong, guiding her on how to hold him.
Standing to the side, Tie Xiong watched Taohong hold the baby, his eyes full of tenderness.
Ye Yunniang pulled Wen Nuan aside, leaving the space for them.
Upon returning to her residence, Jiang Mingzhe was waiting for Ye Yunniang.
"I've finished handling my affairs. We will depart in three days," Jiang Mingzhe announced.
"Then we can attend the third-day washing ceremony for Baise's baby."
"Baise gave birth?"
"Yes, she had a boy. Baise wanted a girl, so she was throwing a tantrum at Tie Yi." Ye Yunniang couldn't help but laugh when she thought of Baise's antics.
"Tie Yi is really suffering by marrying her," Jiang Mingzhe commented about Baise.
"Don't say that. Baise is actually quite nice."
"She holds grudges too much."
"Her wedding night was ruined. If it were me, I would hold a grudge for a lifetime too."