Chapter 188
Cai Shuyi's voice was full of pleasant surprise as she cheered, "I'm going to have a little sister~"
"She is my little sister, your little niece," Li An corrected Cai Shuyi.
"She's my little sister! Sister, sister, sister..." Being called "sister, sister" by Zhou Yunluo every day had made Cai Shuyi desperately want a little sister of her own.
"No matter how much you shout, she's still your niece."
"Wah... I don't want a niece, I want a sister," Cai Shuyi cried.
"Shushu can dote on her little niece just like a sister." Ye Yunniang wiped her tears and reached out to hug Cai Shuyi.
"Can I?"
"Of course you can." Ye Yunniang's affirmative answer made Cai Shuyi smile through her tears.
"Sister-in-law is the best." Cai Shuyi wrapped her arms around Ye Yunniang's neck, acting coquettishly.
After coaxing Cai Shuyi, Ye Yunniang stepped forward to bow to Tong Tiemei.
"Madam Zhou,"
"Shushu calls me Aunt, you should call me Aunt just like her."
"I am but a commoner, how could I dare call you Aunt?" Ye Yunniang made her stance clear, not wanting to be too involved with the Bao family, the Tong family, or the Zhou family.
"I heard from Xiaomo about Shushu's mother. It was my younger brother who was in the wrong. He trusted his older brother and sister-in-law too much... I was wrong too, for not visiting more often." Tong Tiemei admitted her own shortcomings.
"Madam, my mother's affairs have nothing to do with you. I want to thank you on my mother's behalf for taking care of Shushu, and An'an." Ye Yunniang was not angry with Tong Tiemei.
"My younger brother has been running around constantly for Shushu's mother's sake,"
"When my mother first fell into a coma, Master Bao left the house every day at the hour of Yin (4 AM) and returned at the hour of Xu (8 PM), sometimes not coming home until the hour of Hai (11 PM).
Upon returning home, he would always go to my mother's room. He would massage her hands and feet and keep her company, talking to her.
Sometimes for as short as a quarter of an hour, sometimes for as long as half an hour." Ye Yunniang paused here.
It was precisely because of the attitude Bao Min displayed that Ye Yunniang relented, allowing him to bring Cai Da to the capital.
"Jiang Mingzhe said before that the 'Thousand-Day Sleep' poison is also called 'Perishing Love'. I couldn't understand it then, but now I understand why it's called that."
"That's not true, Uncle has very deep feelings for Aunt. It was my father and stepmother, they were the ones who committed those wicked deeds. Uncle just didn't expect the servants to slack off in a mere two or three days." Tong Mo explained on Bao Min's behalf.
"Mother's bottom and legs have rotted," Ye Yunniang stated calmly, recounting what she saw when wiping Cai Da down.
Tong Mo couldn't utter a single word of the defense he had planned for Bao Min.
"I didn't know. Ye Yunniang, I... I really didn't know Aunt's condition was this severe."
"I believe you didn't know. But Bao Min has no excuse not to know." Ye Yunniang's single sentence condemned Bao Min.
"Yunniang, your words are a bit arbitrary." Tong Tiemei's heart naturally leaned toward Bao Min, feeling that Ye Yunniang was being unreasonable.
"The person lying in that room is the mother who treats me as her own daughter." Ye Yunniang's voice grew a fraction sharper.
"You hate my younger brother?"
Because of a bet with Jiang Mingzhe, Bao Min had pestered Cai Damei into having a child for him.
This caused Ye Yunniang to be abducted by human traffickers and nearly die at the border.
Then, for the sake of his brother and sister-in-law, he schemed against Cai Damei, resulting in her being captured by bandits and nearly dying on the mountain.
Cai Damei was lucky enough to survive and return, only to be poisoned by Xing Jinxiu because of him, now lying in bed waiting to die.
With all of the above, how could Ye Yunniang not hate him?
Tong Tiemei had not known about these things. She looked at Tong Mo, "Is everything she said true?"
"Yes, it has always been Uncle forcing things upon Aunt." Tong Mo concealed it no longer.
Upon hearing this, Tong Tiemei raised her foot and kicked Tong Mo. "Is this how I taught you? Plundering by force? Scheming against innocent lives?"
"Mother, don't hit brother, wah..." Zhou Yunluo hugged Tong Tiemei, crying and stopping her from kicking Tong Mo again.
Tong Tiemei grabbed Zhou Yunluo. "Come home with me."
After what Bao Min had done, Tong Tiemei didn't have the face to say anything more to Ye Yunniang here.
Ye Yunniang did not ask her to stay, letting Tong Tiemei leave.
Ye Yunniang comforted the frightened Li An and Cai Shuyi, coaxing them to sleep.
"Starting tomorrow, I will arrange for someone to invite famous doctors in the capital to come and examine Mother's pulse," Jiang Mingzhe stated his upcoming plans.
"Husband, it's so good to have you." If it weren't for Jiang Mingzhe, Ye Yunniang wouldn't know what to do.
Jiang Mingzhe took Li An to invite a doctor to treat Cai Damei.
Ye Yunniang took Cai Shuyi to care for Cai Damei together, while not forgetting to unpack the luggage they brought.
She saw the letter that Wen Nuan had asked her to deliver.
Ye Yunniang asked Qiushuang to inquire about the address on the letter, and took Qiushuang with her.
The location of the address on the letter was a small pharmacy—Chu's Pharmacy.
Ye Yunniang and Qiushuang walked into the pharmacy.
Behind the counter, Chu Nian greeted them warmly, "Are you two here to see a doctor or get a prescription filled?"
"Excuse me, I'm looking for Chu Nan. Is he here?"
"Why is Madam looking for Chu Nan?"
"I was entrusted by a friend to deliver a letter to him."
"What friend?"
"Is Chu Nan here?"
As they spoke, an old man with completely white hair and beard walked out from the backyard, his steps trembling.
"Who is looking for me?"
"Grandfather, why did you come out?" Chu Nian walked toward Chu Nan and reached out to support him.
"No need to help me." Chu Nan pulled his hand back in disgust. "I'm not so old that I can't walk."
Chu Nan walked to a chair and sat down, looking at Ye Yunniang. "Girl, are you looking for me?"
"I was entrusted by Aunt Chu Yuying to deliver a letter to you on her behalf." Ye Yunniang explained her purpose, took out the letter, and handed it to Chu Nan with both hands.
Chu Nian snatched it and was about to tear it to pieces.
"Niannian."
"Don't."
Qiushuang reacted in time to stop Chu Nian, snatching the letter back.
"Which scammer are you, coming here to cheat us out of money?" Chu Nian's tone was unkind. "Get lost, our family has no money."
"I don't know what scammer you're talking about," Ye Yunniang said to Chu Nian first, then looked at Chu Nan. "Old sir, I was entrusted by Aunt Chu to deliver a letter for her. If you don't want it, I'll take it away."
Chu Nan didn't speak, but reached out his hand.
Ye Yunniang handed the letter into Chu Nan's hand with both hands and prepared to leave.
"Girl, where do you live?" Chu Nan stopped Ye Yunniang.
Ye Yunniang turned her head and told him her address.
Leaving Chu's Pharmacy, Ye Yunniang let the carriage go back first; she wanted to take a walk.
Qiushuang followed behind Ye Yunniang, protecting her.
After walking only a few steps, a maidservant blocked the path of Ye Yunniang and her servant.
"My young lady invites you," the maidservant said, putting on a highly arrogant posture.
"I don't know her, I won't see her," Ye Yunniang refused.
The maidservant's willow-like brows furrowed. "Do you know who my young lady is?"