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“Haha! I knew it, Huzi and Jiang Wu must have been boasting.” Jiang Jie teased.

Huzi retorted hurriedly, “I didn’t! Yingbao really…”

Before he could finish, his mouth was covered by Jiang Wu. Despite Huzi’s struggle, he and Jiang Jie dragged him into the house.

After eating, Jiang Yunniang returned to her room and cried silently.

Her daughter Hong Xiao comforted her, “Mom, don’t go tomorrow, I can go by myself.”

Jiang Yunniang wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, sobbing, “I’ve let your father down, allowing that despicable family to torment him. He was getting better, but then was fed the ‘Wushi San’ by that wretched man’s brother. They wanted to kill him.”

Hong Xiao also burst into tears, “Mom, what’s the use of saying this now?”

A while back, father had sought peace too, but mother was unwilling.

Seeing father leave dejectedly, Hong Xiao felt her heart aching.

The next morning, Hong Xiao woke up intending to sneak out, but Jiang Yunniang also got up and stubbornly followed her.

Thus, the mother and daughter went to the Zhang Family again.

Jiang Cheng also arrived early, bowing and offering incense before the shrine.

Although the Zhang Family did not like Jiang Yunniang, they were very courteous towards Jiang Cheng.

Even the relatives of the concubine treated Jiang Cheng with exceptional respect when they met him.

For this reason, the eldest of the Zhang Family and the concubine’s family didn’t dare to ridicule Jiang Yunniang.

On the way back at noon, Jiang Yunniang took off her mourning clothes and the white flower from her hair and discarded them in the wild.

She was now staying in her niece Yingbao’s house and couldn’t wear mourning clothes in, and with her own parents still alive, she couldn’t wear the white flower either.

Hong Xiao and her brother Yuying did not return with them, as they were required to mourn for their father at the Zhang’s house for three months.

Only after the mourning period could they remove the mourning clothes.

On the 15th of the seventh month, the Ghost Festival, Yingbao accompanied her master and senior brothers to the Taoist Temple for rituals.

Many taboos were observed on this day.

No haircuts, no tomb sweeping, no celebrations, no going out late, no drying clothes, avoiding mirrors, no teasing others, not picking up money or items on the road.

It was also forbidden to sleep facing the door or window to prevent evil spirits from attaching.

Three days later, Yingbao, her two little brothers, and Huzi took a carriage back home.

Zhou Wuchang and his first and second disciples were with them.

On the way, Yingbao saw many people on the road. Most of them were riding mules, horses, or ox carts, laden with luggage.

Could something really have happened in Beijing?

When they arrived at the village, Chunniang rushed over, crying, and hugging her daughter and son.

Yingbao wiped her mother’s tears, saying, “Mom, let me get a bamboo stick later so you can give Xiaowu a good beating.”

Chunniang chuckled, pinched her daughter, then pinched Jiang Wu, “you two debt-collecting devils are going to kill me someday! Now, wash your hands and faces. I’ll go and make some noodles for you.”

Saying this, she went to the kitchen to knead the dough.

Jiang Jie looked at his sister and brother with a sidelong glance, huffed, “Mom has favorites. If I were to do something wrong, she would definitely chase me for two miles with a bamboo stick.”

“She didn’t just chase you!” Jiang Wu retorted: “She chased both of us!”

Yingbao ignored the two of them, going to fetch water for her master and senior brothers to wash off the dust from the journey.

Then she cleaned out two side rooms, took out the bedding to air out in order to get rid of the musty smell, preparing the rooms for her master and senior brothers.

There was no need to clean her own room, as her mother cleaned it every day.

The bedding was fresh, having just been aired out, and still carried the faint scent of the sun.

Madame Chun cooked a big pot of noodles, putting bok choy and eggs in it.

She also made a big bowl of shrimp sauce with the well-dried soy sauce, a big spoonful of which was added to each bowl of noodles.

Zhou Wuchang and his disciples each had a huge bowl of noodles and were still unsatisfied, ending up adding half a bowl more.

Huzi, Jiang Jie, Jiang Wu, and Yingbao finished a big bowl each and, patting their tummies, declared they were too full.

The shrimp sauce was incredibly delicious, especially with the addition of Chinese cornels and green peas, which made the noodles both savory and spicy.

After the meal, Yingbao went out to aid digestion and also pay a visit to her grandparents and Aunties.

Yanru was heavily pregnant and due to give birth in just over two months.

She had a rosy complexion and seemed to have gained quite a bit of weight.

After checking Yanru’s fetal position, Yingbao advised, “From now on, eat less rice and noodles and focus more on fish, shrimp and vegetables, and avoid eating as much as possible before bedtime. You’ve already gained weight, you can’t gain any more.”

If the baby is too big, and considering Yanru is having her first baby, there is a high risk of a difficult delivery.

Yanru nodded, embarrassed, “Lately, I have suddenly got a huge appetite and indeed have been eating too much.”

Before, she would be full after one bowl of rice, but now she had five meals a day, each consisting of a bowl and a half of rice, not including the meat and vegetables.

Erni stuck her head in, “Mom, later I’ll go to the pond to catch some shrimps for you.”

Yanru nodded, “Ok.”

Leaving Uncle Er’s house, Yingbao went straight to the schoolhouse.

Five more rooms had been built behind the schoolhouse, where Li Xu’s mother lived, also Wen Shu and her family.

Li Xu and Old Master Wu lived in the original house.]

“Master! Sister Wen!” Yingbao greeted Wen’s mother and Wen Shu, and then bowed to An Shi who was sitting next to them, “Aunt An Shi.”

An Shi laughed, “Yingbao, you’re finally back. Your mother has been worried sick.”

“It was my recklessness that made mother worry,” replied Yingbao.

Wen Shu came over and hugged her, “I haven’t asked you about your trip to Jingzhou yet.”

Yingbao sat down with Wen Shu, recounting the events, concluding with, “Fortunately, Chuyan and Xiao Mo brought soldiers to reinforce them, otherwise Jingzhou would have been lost.”

Mrs. Wen frowned slightly, “I heard that Tokyo is under siege. I wonder if there’s anyone to help.”

Her father-in-law and eldest uncle’s family were all in Beijing, if the city fell, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Yingbao: “Xiao Mo has already taken the troops there, but it will take twenty days to get there from Jingzhou?”

Xiao Mo’s troops weren’t all cavalry; they had to march there on foot, and even if they traveled fifty to sixty miles a day, it would take twenty to thirty days.

Mrs. Wen shook her head, “It’s too late.”

All they could do now was to pray for Tokyo’s safety.

After chatting for a while, Wen Shu pulled Yingbao into the room for a private conversation.

“I’ve broken off the marriage engagement with the Xiao family.” Wen Shu whispered to Yingbao, “You were right, there is indeed something wrong with Xiao Chengjun.”

Her mother had someone quietly investigate Xiao Chengjun’s situation and found out that he snuck back to Beijing and took Chen Tiantian and her mother out of the temple.

“You don’t know this yet, but that Chen Tiantian is now living in Xiao Chengjun’s villa in Luzhou.”

Wen Shu frowned, “It’s a good thing you warned me, otherwise…”

The thought that her grandmother wanted to marry her off to such a man made her uncomfortable.

Though the Xiao family was prestigious, what he did was disgraceful.

“If he really liked Chen Tiantian, he should have taken her in. No one would have said anything. Instead, he secretly hid her away without proper intention. What does this make her? A mistress? Or is he preparing to indeed marry her?”

“Marry for real!” Yingbao said, “Xiao Chengjun will absolutely marry her in the future!”

If the two of them weren’t meant to be together forever, that would just mean the heavens were blind.

So, the two star-crossed lovers must be joined in holy matrimony.