Chapter 173
In previous years on the first day of the Lunar New Year, Cai Damei never went to the Zhou family's house. Why was Cai Damei taking Shushu alone to the Zhou family this year?
Did something happen?
Ye Yunniang put down her bowl and chopsticks and walked to the door.
"Mother."
Cai Damei, who had walked to Courtyard 3, turned her head. "What's wrong?"
"Are you going to Auntie's house?"
"Yes, are you coming too?"
"No. I just wanted to say, please give my New Year's greetings to Auntie."
"Sister-in-law, I'll kowtow to Auntie for you and collect the New Year's money," Cai Shuyi said, shaking her head.
Cai Damei used hair ties with little bells to tie Cai Shuyi's hair into two little buns. With her movements, a jingling sound rang out.
"Thank you for your hard work, Shushu." Ye Yunniang patted the little buns on Cai Shuyi's head.
"It's not hard work. Shushu loves New Year's money."
Cai Damei held Cai Shuyi's hand and walked toward the entrance of the alley.
Ye Yunniang watched the mother and child, a faint sense of unease rising in her heart.
"Mother, what are you looking at?" The three brothers, returning from the end of the alley, saw Ye Yunniang standing there in a daze.
"Oh, nothing."
Ye Yunniang reached out and touched the backs of the three children; the sweat towels on their backs were soaked through.
She had the three children go inside and took out the wet towels. She tucked in fresh, dry ones before letting them go back out to give New Year's greetings.
Ye Yunniang sat in the main room, waiting for people to come to the Li family to offer their New Year's greetings.
Hongyan arrived with her two children.
"Happy New Year, Auntie." Tuantuan led his younger sister in wishing Ye Yunniang a Happy New Year.
"Happy New Year. Have some melon seeds and candy." Ye Yunniang motioned for the two children to grab some candy and melon seeds themselves.
"Thank you, Auntie." The two children thanked her first, then each grabbed a handful of melon seeds and two pieces of candy before running off to the next house.
Once the children left, Ye Yunniang turned her gaze to Hongyan.
"Did something happen?"
"Nothing. Can't I just come to your house?"
"Normally, it would be nothing, but today is the first day of the New Year."
By all accounts, Hongyan should be at home.
Hongyan took a large gulp of tea. "I had a fight with Niu Dajiao and didn't want to stay at home."
"What did you fight with her about?"
"Niu Dajiao wants to send things to Ma Hui."
Ye Yunniang thought for a moment before remembering who Ma Hui was. He was Niu Dajiao's youngest son, the man of the deceased Wang Qiang.
"It's only natural for a mother to send things to her son."
She didn't object to Niu Dajiao sending things to her younger son.
What annoyed her was that Niu Dajiao kept shouting about how Wang Qiang had once asked Hongyan to bear a child for Ma Hui, and repeatedly talked in front of the children about how Hongyan had once seduced Ma Kouzi and his son.
"Her arm hasn't even fully healed yet, and she's already stirring up trouble in the household again." Ye Yunniang was speechless at Niu Dajiao.
"It's exactly because her arm isn't healed and she can't go out to gossip that she's causing a ruckus at home. Chunxing has lost a whole size from being tormented by her." Hongyan was completely disgusted by Niu Dajiao.
"Have your man control her."
"If he could have controlled her, I wouldn't have been involved in the first place."
"What do you mean?"
Hongyan explained to Ye Yunniang that when Ma Kouzi was young, he truly liked Niu Dajiao.
At the time, Ma Kouzi's parents disagreed, feeling that Niu Dajiao spoke too falsely and was too undisciplined in her actions, making her a poor choice for a wife.
Ma Kouzi was stubborn; having set his sights on Niu Dajiao, he refused to marry anyone else.
Unable to dissuade their son, his parents hired a matchmaker to go to the Niu family and ask for Niu Dajiao's hand in marriage.
With her mother-in-law keeping her in check, Niu Dajiao's temperament was a bit better, and she handled chores both inside and outside the house. Being busy all day, she had few opportunities to go out and gossip.
Once her parents-in-law passed away, there was no one to suppress her. Niu Dajiao became like a runaway horse.
Aside from eating and sleeping, she spent all her time outside chatting with people, gossiping about everyone's business.
She gossiped until no one was willing to talk to her anymore. Then Niu Dajiao would just sit at the entrance of the alley, watching people come and go, and making up wild stories about them.
It wasn't until the families she slandered came to beat down their door that Ma Kouzi realized what had happened and had to apologize and make amends.
It was also from that time on that he became stingy.
At first, Ma Kouzi just scolded Niu Dajiao, then he cursed at her, and finally, he resorted to beating her.
Niu Dajiao didn't listen and continued to gossip outside.
Completely disappointed in Niu Dajiao, Ma Kouzi moved into the wing room to live alone.
Living apart, Niu Dajiao didn't care at all and continued spreading rumors every day.
Over time, Ma Kouzi felt lonely and wanted someone to talk to.
Hongyan appeared, and the two got together.
"I admit I'm not a good person. But after getting together with him, I have never done anything to betray him."
"Does Ma Kouzi suspect you?"
"He knows what I do every day. But Niu Dajiao is always bringing up the past. Any man would find that somewhat hard to accept." Hongyan was very annoyed with Niu Dajiao.
"Haven't you considered moving somewhere else?" Everyone in Sunset Alley knew about Hongyan's past.
With the children growing older, there would definitely be people stirring up gossip.
"I have considered it. We even found a house. But the money is gone."
"The money is gone?"
"Niu Dajiao took it and sent it to Ma Hui."
"Is Niu Dajiao really that good to her son?" Ye Yunniang didn't believe it.
In her understanding, Niu Dajiao was selfish and greedy.
"Let alone you, we didn't believe it either."
Hongyan and Ma Kouzi had gone to check, and Niu Dajiao had indeed sent it to Ma Hui.
To ensure Ma Hui would receive it, she even used the official courier station.
It was written in black and white, so they had no choice but to believe it.
"Maybe she sent it on purpose just to keep you from moving away," Ye Yunniang thought of a possibility.
Hongyan's expression froze as she recalled that the time Niu Dajiao started talking nonsense in front of the children was exactly when she and Ma Kouzi were looking at houses.
"Damn you, Niu Dajiao. How dare you scheme against me."
After hearing this, Hongyan rolled up her sleeves and headed home to settle the score with Niu Dajiao.
Ye Yunniang wanted to follow and see what would happen, but someone had to stay and watch the house, so she could only ask Hongyan about it next time.
Just as she was thinking this, two people walked in through the front gate.
"Happy New Year, Aunt Yunniang." Xu Dalei walked in with Xu Erlei to give their New Year's greetings.
"Happy New Year. Have some candy and melon seeds."
"Thank you, Aunt Yunniang." Xu Dalei carefully grabbed a small handful of melon seeds and took one piece of candy.
Xu Erlei followed his older brother and took the exact same.
"Good things come in pairs; you should have two pieces of candy." Ye Yunniang took two larger pieces of candy and gave them to the Xu brothers.
"Thank you, Aunt Yunniang." Xu Dalei thanked her again, took the candy, put it away, and led his younger brother away.
Xu Erlei walked to the door, then ran back.
"Aunt Yunniang, I'm sorry."
Without waiting for Ye Yunniang to reply, he ran off.
Looking at the two children, Ye Yunniang sighed.
When adults don't get along, the children suffer as well.
Later, a few more children came to give their New Year's greetings.
Ye Yunniang let them grab melon seeds and candy.
Seeing that it was noon, Ye Yunniang went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
Lunch was ready, and the three children returned.
Cai Damei and Cai Shuyi had not returned.
Ye Yunniang wondered if the Zhou family had kept them for a meal.
She ate lunch with the children first.
After eating, she rested for a while. When she woke up, Cai Damei and her daughter still hadn't returned.
Feeling worried, Ye Yunniang told the three children to stay at home while she went to Zhou's shop to check.
"Eldest Sister didn't come." Cai Xiaomei's reply worsened the bad premonition in Ye Yunniang's heart.
"Auntie, are you sure my mother didn't come?"
"Would I joke about this? Yunniang, did Eldest Sister really say she was bringing Shushu to my place?"
Ye Yunniang didn't answer and turned to run outside.
"Where are you going?"
"The Prefectural Magistrate's Estate."