The two sisters quickly rushed forward, their hands shaking as they caught Yulan and pulled her up from the freezing snow.
Yulan stumbled on her feet, clutching her burning, swollen cheek. Tears of pain and humiliation finally spilled over her eyes, smudging her heavy powder. Blood dripped slowly from the corner of her lips onto her red silk dress.
"That... that wild woman!" Bai Wangyu spat, her face pale with anger as she supported Yulan’s weight. "How dare she lay a hand on you right at the front gate?!"
"She has completely lost her mind!" Bai Shishi agreed, cursing under her breath as she looked around at the silent, staring guards and maids. "Look at the servants! They are all watching! Our family’s face has been completely dragged through the mud!"
Meanwhile, watching the entire scene unfold from a covered walkway across the courtyard stood two senior women wrapped in thick fur cloaks.
It was Aunt Chen—Wenliang’s mother and Yulan’s mother-in-law and Second Aunt Madame Liu.
Madame Liu’s face was twisted in pure, poisonous hatred. Yesterday, Yimei had publicly exposed her for stealing three years’ worth of silver, coal, and allowances from Zhengyu’s courtyard, forcing her to pay back eighteen hundred silver taels! Her pride was completely destroyed, her pocket was empty, and she wanted nothing more than to tear Yimei to pieces.
"Look at her, Sister-in-Law Chen," Madame Liu whispered, her dark voice filled with bitter rage as she watched Yimei walk out through the main gate. "She slaps your daughter-in-law in broad daylight, disrespects your daughters, and walks out of this estate whenever she pleases! Ever since she exposed me to Grandmother, she acts like she owns the whole Bai Manor!"
Aunt Chen’s face was as dark as a storm cloud. She had been searching for a reason to put Yimei in her place, and seeing Madame Liu so desperate for revenge made her smile with dark satisfaction. Aunt Chen was more than happy to lead her on and use her as a weapon.
"She thinks Grandmother’s favor is a shield that will protect her forever," Aunt Chen said, her voice dripping with ice. "A concubine’s daughter who stole my daughter in-law’s dowry and ruined your reputation will not live peacefully in this house."
"We cannot let her keep running wild!" Madame Liu urged frantically, eager to take her revenge and reclaim her lost standing. "We have to teach her a proper lesson—one that will break her pride and destroy her for good!"
Aunt Chen turned her head, looking toward the Northern Courtyard with cold, calculating eyes.
"She cares so much about that cold courtyard and her cripple brother-in-law’s dignity, doesn’t she?" Aunt Chen sneered quietly, patting Madame Liu’s hand with a fake, supportive smile. "Do not worry, Sister-in-Law Liu. Let her enjoy her little outing today. When she comes back, you and I will show her who actually rules the Bai Manor."
...
The wooden carriage rolled slowly down the snowy road toward the busy market. The cold wind blew, bringing the smells of hot food and burning wood.
Yimei sat quietly on the wooden seat. Next to her, Qinqin was still crying softly. Her eyes were red. She used the soft white fur of the cloak to cover the big rip on Yimei’s sleeve.
"Please, Miss, stay still," Qinqin sobbed, tying the cloth tightly to keep the cold wind out. "Look at this nice blue silk! It is completely ruined! Second Young Madame is so mean. I really hate Miss Yulan."
Yimei looked at her maid and smiled gently. She reached out and patted Qinqin’s hand.
"Do not cry over her, Qinqin," Yimei said in a calm voice. "A torn dress can be fixed. But the red slap mark on Yulan’s face will hurt for days. She paid a big price for being foolish."
"It is still not fair!" Qinqin wiped her nose with her sleeve. "She yelled at you and said bad things about Young Master Zhengyu in front of all the guards and servants!"
"Let her yell," Yimei replied. Her dark eyes looked straight ahead. "People who yell are usually scared inside. Yulan thought marrying the second son would give her a rich, easy life. But her husband is lazy and drinks too much, and she has no real money. She is just angry and jealous."
The carriage slowed down and stopped right in front of a tall wooden building.
Yimei stood up and stepped smoothly out onto the clean snow.
"We did not come here to fight with fools, Qinqin," Yimei said with a confident smile. "Wipe your tears. Today, we are going to make this shop a huge success."
As soon as Yimei pushed open the heavy wooden doors, the warm air smelled of fresh tea.
A young woman wearing a simple, clean apron immediately hurried over from behind the counter. Her face lit up with respect when she saw Yimei.
It was Liu Fang. The smart former server whom Yimei had appointed as the new manager after firing Zhao De and kicking out his rude wife!
"Young Miss!" Liu Fang greeted her warmly, bowing deeply. "Welcome! I did not expect you to come out in such cold weather!"
"Manager Liu," Yimei said with a calm, friendly smile. "I came to check on you. How are things today after the big change?"
Liu Fang’s eyes shone with excitement. "Everything is so much better, Young Miss! Since Zhao De and his wife left, the workers are happy, and the shop is quiet and clean! No one is screaming at the customers or pushing people around anymore."
Qinqin looked around the shop, her eyes wide with relief. "Miss, look! The tables are so clean now!"
"Good," Yimei said, walking over to a wooden table near the paper window and sitting down. "You did well, Liu Fang. I knew I was right to choose you."
Liu Fang felt a rush of pride in her heart. In the past, when An Yulan owned the shop, Yulan never listened to her warnings about Zhao De’s bad behavior. But Yimei had trusted her completely.
Liu Fang quickly brought over a pot of hot green tea and poured a warm cup for Yimei.
"Young Miss," Liu Fang said in a low, careful voice. "Zhao De and his wife came back early this morning before we opened. They were crying outside, begging to have their jobs back. Madame Zhao even said that our tea house would go broke without them."
Yimei took a slow sip of the hot tea, her face completely unbothered. "Let them cry. They drove away our customers and treated people like trash. A tea house does not need bullies to survive."
Yimei reached into her sleeve and placed a leather notebook onto the table.
"Starting today, we are going to change the menu," Yimei said smoothly, opening the pages. "The other big tea shops sell plain green tea to rich people. We will sell special winter tea blends made with dried fruit, ginger, and sweet honey. It keeps people warm and helps with winter cold."
Liu Fang leaned in, reading the neat recipes Yimei had written:
Honey Ginger Tea:Keeps the body warm.
Sweet Dried Plum Tea:Good for digestion.
Rose & Red Date Tea:Good for health and skin.
Liu Fang’s eyes widened in total surprise. "Fruit and herbs mixed into hot tea? Young Miss, this is amazing! No other shop in the East Market sells drinks like this!"
"Take twenty silver taels from the desk," Yimei instructed calmly. "Buy fresh ingredients from the market today. Make small sample cups and give them free to anyone walking past our shop in the cold snow."
"Yes, Young Miss!" Liu Fang said happily, holding the recipe paper like a precious treasure. "I will handle it right away!"
As Liu Fang ran to the back kitchen to get the workers ready, Yimei looked out the window at the snowy street.
Unbeknownst to her, up on the second-floor balcony across the street, a young man sat in the shadow of a private window, quietly watching her again.