Chapter 186
Li Ping refused. He didn't want to play with a bunch of little kids.
Ye Yunniang negotiated with Li Ping.
"Go to the academy and try it out for seven days. If you don't like it, you can come home. Then I'll have your father hire a private tutor to teach you alone, okay?"
"It would be much more convenient to just hire a tutor to teach me anytime." Li Ping didn't want to go to the academy.
"Don't you want to go to the academy to study with your older brother?"
Li Pan looked at Li Ping expectantly. "Little brother, will you come with me?"
"Alright."
As Li Pan and Li Ping entered the academy, Ye Yunniang breathed a sigh of relief.
"Wife, do you want to make a bet with me?"
"Bet on what?"
"Bet on how many days Li Ping can last at the academy?"
Ye Yunniang frowned. "Jiang Mingzhe, I can't believe you are using our son's education to make a bet."
"You know our son better than I do, wife. He just isn't the type who can sit still in an academy."
"Whether he can sit still or not, I will not use our son for a bet. You shouldn't have such thoughts either." Ye Yunniang made her stance clear. She did not want any matters concerning her children to become gambling fodder for others.
"Alright, I won't do it again." Jiang Mingzhe realized that his previous words were inappropriate.
Ye Yunniang and Jiang Mingzhe took a carriage home.
The carriage stopped at the back door again. At the front door, the continuous banquets were still being held.
Jiang Mingzhe had originally announced a three-day continuous banquet, and today was only the second day.
After escorting Ye Yunniang back to her room to rest, Jiang Mingzhe went to the front courtyard to entertain the guests.
Ye Yunniang returned to her room. Just as she sat down, Qiushuang walked over.
Leaning close to Ye Yunniang, she whispered, "Madam, I used the method you taught me."
"How did it go?"
Qiushuang's face instantly turned red.
"When is the wedding?"
"Madam, Captain Chen didn't say he wants to marry me."
"He doesn't want to take responsibility for you?"
"No, it's not that. Madam, nothing happened between us last night."
"If nothing happened, why are you blushing?"
"Madam~" Qiushuang whined coquettishly. Ye Yunniang couldn't quite handle it and stopped asking.
Ye Yunniang had Qiushuang support her as she took a stroll around the courtyard.
The courtyard where Ye Yunniang and Jiang Mingzhe lived was called Shuiyun Courtyard.
On the east side of the courtyard wall, there was a small stream that flowed out to a nearby pond outside the courtyard. Lotus roots were planted in the pond.
When Jiang Mingzhe was renovating the courtyard, he had asked Ye Yunniang what kind of courtyard she wanted.
Ye Yunniang said she wanted water in the courtyard, as well as a lotus pond.
When Ye Yunniang was young, her stepmother wouldn't give her food. When she was hungry, she would secretly run to the lotus pond at the edge of the village to steal lotus seedpods to eat.
Looking first at the stream and then at the lotus pond, they walked all the way to the large and small courtyards of Cai Damei and Cai Shuyi.
People were arranged to sweep the courtyards every day, waiting for them to return and live there.
Finally, Ye Yunniang arrived at the courtyard of the three brothers.
Originally, Ye Yunniang wanted Li Pan and the other two to live together in Shuiyun Courtyard.
None of the three brothers agreed; they all requested to live independently.
Ye Yunniang was a little sad, but Jiang Mingzhe was right. The children were growing up and all wanted their own independent spaces.
After walking a lap, Ye Yunniang felt a little tired and sat down in a pavilion to rest.
Qiushuang stood guard at the side.
The warm spring sunlight shone on her body, making Ye Yunniang feel a bit drowsy.
"Who is it?"
Qiushuang's question jolted Ye Yunniang awake.
Opening her eyes, she saw Blind Zhang slowly walking over with the help of a cane.
"Master Zhang." Ye Yunniang stood up to welcome Blind Zhang.
Blind Zhang walked into the pavilion and sat down.
Ye Yunniang poured a cup of water and pushed it in front of Blind Zhang. "I don't like drinking tea, so I only have water to offer the Master."
Blind Zhang picked up the teacup. "Water is the source of all things."
"What brings the Master here?"
"I came to attend Madam Ye's wedding banquet. I want to thank Madam Ye and Proprietor Jiang for hosting a three-day continuous banquet, allowing everyone in Jiang City to taste the delicacies of the Little Sheep Restaurant."
"Little Sheep Restaurant?" Ye Yunniang looked at Qiushuang in confusion. What was the Little Sheep Restaurant?
"It's the new eatery opened by the young master."
A shop opened by Li Ping.
"If Master Zhang likes the food, you are welcome to visit the Little Sheep Restaurant often. I will have Pingping give it to you for free."
"Thank you for your generosity, Madam Ye," Blind Zhang thanked her.
"I should be the one thanking Master Zhang. It was your guidance that gave my mother hope of waking up." Ye Yunniang was very grateful for Blind Zhang's guidance.
"Madam Ye, I am here this time regarding your mother."
Hearing that it concerned Cai Damei, Ye Yunniang sat up straight. "Please speak, Master."
"Your mother's hope requires Madam Ye to be present."
"Master means that I need to go to the capital."
"You must arrive within three months."
"And if I can't make it?"
"Then your mother will never have the possibility of waking up again."
Ye Yunniang saw Blind Zhang off and asked Qiushuang to invite Jiang Mingzhe over.
Jiang Mingzhe returned quickly.
Ye Yunniang told Jiang Mingzhe what Blind Zhang had said, as well as her own decision.
She would set off for the capital as soon as possible.
"Can your body handle it?" Ye Yunniang had severe morning sickness. Jiang Mingzhe was worried she wouldn't be able to endure it, and he was also worried about the child in her belly.
"Yes, I can handle it." Ye Yunniang answered affirmatively.
Unable to set his mind at ease, Jiang Mingzhe went to Blind Zhang to confirm, and then invited a doctor to take her pulse.
It was confirmed that Ye Yunniang's body could handle it.
However, Jiang City was thousands of miles away from the capital, and it was hard to say if there would be any accidents on the road.
Jiang Mingzhe spent a large sum of money to hire a doctor skilled in preventing miscarriages and a midwife to accompany them to the capital.
Ye Yunniang also hurried to handle the shops she owned.
The Baise Embroidery Shop was handed over to Zhou Lingling, and Little Cai's Eatery was handed over to Qiufang.
Before Little Cai's Eatery newly opened last year, Qiufang took the initiative to come to their house, wanting to work at Little Cai's Eatery.
After an assessment by Cai Damei, Qiufang proved to be steadfast and diligent, and was hired as the manager of Little Cai's Eatery.
During the few months Cai Damei was away, Qiufang managed Little Cai's Eatery very well.
With the shops on hand delegated, Ye Yunniang pondered how to tell the children.
Before Ye Yunniang could figure it out, Li Pan and Li Ping already found out through Jiang Mingzhe.
Li Pan had to take the imperial examination and had heavy coursework.
Li Ping had to study at the academy and also manage the Yunhua Chamber of Commerce.
The only ones going to the capital were Ye Yunniang and Jiang Mingzhe, oh, and Baise's family of three.
Hearing that Ye Yunniang was going to the capital, Baise decided to tag along.
"I want to go to the capital to take a look. Are there any business opportunities?"
"Even if there are no business opportunities, I can buy a batch of goods and transport them back to the border to sell. I will definitely make a big profit."
Since Baise made the decision, Tie Yi and their son Tie Panmei naturally would not object.
The day before they left, Wen Nuan came to the Jiang residence to look for Ye Yunniang.
"How do you have time to visit me today?" Wen Nuan was now the head chef of the Little Sheep Restaurant and was very busy every day.
"You're going to the capital, of course I have to come see you off." Wen Nuan opened the food box she brought. "Can you eat mutton? I made some mutton buns, they taste pretty good."
Ye Yunniang took one and smelled it.
She didn't feel unwell.
She took a small bite and chewed slowly.
It didn't work, she turned her head and threw up.
"How are you going to travel to the capital like this?" Wen Nuan was very worried about Ye Yunniang.
"This is the first time I've thrown up today, I'm much better." Ye Yunniang put the mutton bun down, drank some water, and rinsed her mouth.
Wen Nuan didn't ask further and took a letter out from her embrace.
It was a letter Chu Yuying had entrusted Wen Nuan to send to the capital when they were in Green City.
Worried that the post might lose it, Wen Nuan had originally planned to make a trip to the capital herself. However, she was delayed because she partnered with Li Ping to open the Little Sheep Restaurant.
Knowing that Ye Yunniang was going to the capital, she asked her for a favor to deliver it.
Ye Yunniang took the letter. "I will definitely deliver it."