Chapter 159
Jiang Mingzhe’s face darkened as he lifted the carriage curtain to see who was blocking their path.
The woman looked somewhat familiar.
"Second Madam! Zhuang Meixue!" Ye Yunniang recognized her instantly.
Zhuang Meixue?
Jiang Mingzhe scrutinized the woman standing before the carriage. She did bear a resemblance to the Zhuang Meixue in his memories.
Zhuang Meixue, for her part, had never expected to see Jiang Mingzhe again in this lifetime.
Fortunately, it was him.
"Mingrui is in trouble! Please, save him!"
"Whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with me." The mere mention of the name felt like a curse to Jiang Mingzhe. "Drive on."
"Jiang Mingzhe, you can't just watch him die! He’s your own brother!" Zhuang Meixue grew desperate and lunged forward.
The guards held her back firmly, refusing to let her take another step toward him.
"Jiang Mingzhe, I beg of you! Save Mingrui! It was all my fault. You can do whatever you want to me—kill me if you must—but I beg you to save him!" Zhuang Meixue screamed.
"Neither of you is worth my effort. Move," Jiang Mingzhe ordered again.
Ye Yunniang reached out and took Jiang Mingzhe’s hand. "He is An’an’s father."
Ye Yunniang didn't particularly care if Jiang Mingrui was in danger or if he was saved. However, now that she knew about it, she was afraid An’an might resent her in the future if they did nothing.
"If An’an dares to resent you, he’s an ungrateful brat. A son like that wouldn't be worth having anyway."
"For An’an’s sake, let's save him first. How An’an chooses to treat him later will be up to the boy himself." Ye Yunniang placed her other hand over Jiang Mingzhe’s and gave it a gentle, persuasive tug. "For my sake, will you save his life?"
"Fine," Jiang Mingzhe relented. He turned to his subordinates and ordered them to go and rescue the man.
Zhuang Meixue watched as the once-ruthless Jiang Mingzhe softened after only a few gentle words from Ye Yunniang.
Her heart was a storm of conflicting emotions. She was relieved that Jiang Mingrui would be saved, yet it stung to see Jiang Mingzhe treat her with such cold indifference while showering another woman with such doting affection.
Zhuang Meixue lowered her head, hiding the turbulent thoughts swirling in her eyes.
While Jiang Mingzhe arranged for his men to rescue Jiang Mingrui, Ye Yunniang returned to the carriage to continue practicing her calligraphy.
Her handwriting was mediocre at best.
In the gaps between teaching Ye Yunniang how to keep accounts, Jiang Mingzhe also taught her how to write.
In his words, a person’s handwriting was their facade; if it was too ugly, it would reflect poorly on her business dealings.
Before long, Jiang Mingrui was brought back. Returning with him was Ye Yunniang’s family.
"Mother! Mother! Mother!"
Inside the carriage, Ye Yunniang heard the familiar shouts. The brush in her hand slipped, clattering onto the table.
She flung the curtain aside, and three faces she had missed day and night appeared before her.
Forgetting she was still on the carriage, Ye Yunniang scrambled toward the children and tumbled off the step.
"Mother—!"
Jiang Mingzhe caught her as she fell, acting as a human cushion.
The three children—Li Pan, Li An, and Li Ping—rushed over.
"Mother, are you hurt?"
"Mother, where are you injured?"
"Mother, you’ve gotten thin. It’s all his fault for not taking care of you."
"I'm fine," Ye Yunniang said, pushing herself up from Jiang Mingzhe. She pulled Li Ping off of him as well, then gave Jiang Mingzhe a hand to help him stand.
"What are you all doing here?"
"Mother, I missed you so much."
"Me too."
"Mother, I missed you."
"I missed you all too." Ye Yunniang pulled the three children into her arms, her heart aching with love.
"Mother, why are you with him?" Li Ping felt very little fatherly affection for Jiang Mingzhe.
"Foster Dad, why are you with Mother?" Li Pan asked curiously.
"Se—" Li An noticed a certain someone’s expression and quickly corrected himself. "Dad, how have you been looking after Mother? She’s lost so much weight!"
"Honestly, men are just unreliable," Li Ping grumbled.
"That’s not true. This time, I was only saved because of your father. I wouldn't be alive without him," Ye Yunniang explained.
"It’s still his fault. He didn't arrange for people to protect you properly. Mother, I really think you should trade him in for a different man," Li Ping suggested.
"Yeah, anyone with the surname Jiang is no good," Li An chimed in.
"Papa Mo is actually quite decent," Li Pan added. This last comment caused Jiang Mingzhe’s face to darken completely.
"Yunniang, your mother is injured. The doctor is treating her up ahead."
Upon hearing this, Ye Yunniang immediately abandoned her sons and ran to see Cai Damei.
The three children tried to follow, but Jiang Mingzhe reached out and grabbed all three of them.
"What do you think you're doing?" Li Pan struggled.
"Let go of us!" Li An shouted, trying to reach Ye Yunniang.
"If you dare lay a finger on us, I’ll tell Mother! I’ll tell her not to marry you!" Li Ping threatened him directly.
"As a father who hasn't seen his sons in a long time, it’s only natural that we have a nice, long chat." Jiang Mingzhe ignored their thrashing and hauled the three little ones toward a nearby grove of trees.
Ye Yunniang reached Cai Damei’s side. The doctor was currently wrapping a splint around her leg.
"Mother, who did this to you?" Ye Yunniang’s fists clenched.
"I just wasn't careful while walking and fell. No one hit me," Cai Damei said, looking Ye Yunniang over.
She didn't seem to have any external injuries and her complexion looked healthy, though she had indeed grown thinner.
Ye Yunniang reached out and took Bao Shuyi from Cai Damei’s arms. The little girl was fast asleep.
"Mother, how did you all end up here?"
"We came looking for you."
"Didn't I send a letter back? Did you not receive it?" As soon as Ye Yunniang had arrived in the Green Capital, she had written a letter to Jiang City.
Cai Damei did the math. By the time Ye Yunniang’s letter of safety was on its way, she had already set out with the children.
"Mother, you were too reckless," Ye Yunniang started to scold, but in the end, that was all she could manage to say.
"You were out there, and I didn't know if you were dead or alive. How could I sit peacefully in the Prefect's manor?" Cai Damei then told her about Master Bao’s deception.
If Ye Yunniang had been snatched by human traffickers by chance and Master Bao hadn't put much effort into finding her, Cai Damei could have understood.
But that wasn't the case. Ye Yunniang had been kidnapped because she had shielded Cai Damei from a disaster that had been caused by Master Bao in the first place.
Regardless of Master Bao’s reasons for letting the mastermind go, Cai Damei felt he was beyond forgiveness.
"Mother, do you really not want Master Bao anymore?"
"It’s not a matter of wanting him or not. We were never married to begin with."
"Mother..."
"Don't try to persuade me," Cai Damei interrupted her.
"Shushu is still so small."
"A child’s age is no excuse. I never said I wouldn't let Master Bao see Shushu." It was just that, between the two of them, things were over.
"As long as you’ve made up your mind, Mother." As always, Ye Yunniang supported Cai Damei’s decisions.
"What’s going on over there?" Cai Damei glanced toward the distance, where Jiang Mingrui and Zhuang Meixue were arguing incessantly.
Ye Yunniang explained their identities. She also mentioned that she had only suggested saving them for An’an’s sake.
Now, Ye Yunniang felt nothing but relief.
"Mother, did you not bring any guards with you? Master Bao just let the five of you leave like that?" Ye Yunniang’s opinion of Master Bao plummeted even further.
"We hired some escort guards, but they were a useless bunch. One puff of knockout powder and they were all out cold," Cai Damei said dismissively.
The guards standing nearby lowered their heads, not daring to talk back even as they were being insulted. It was their fault; they had been careless, drank drugged tea, and allowed themselves to be tied up and taken into the mountains by bandits.
The doctor finished bandaging Cai Damei’s leg and gave instructions: the wound must not get wet, she shouldn't move around unnecessarily, and it was best for her to stay in bed to recover.
Ye Yunniang noted every word and asked the doctor about dietary restrictions and what foods would provide the best nutrition for a speedy recovery.
The doctor told her everything he knew.
As they were speaking, Bao Shuyi woke up in her arms.