By the time Zhou Jingchen finished getting ready and stepped outside, Old Sun was already waiting by the courtyard gate.
Madam Yu was also up. She was helping Ye Jia carry the stove and pots into the cart, her expression clouded. She clearly hadn’t slept well. Now that her son had brought everything out into the open, she found herself with nothing left to say, yet the matter remained a heavy weight in her chest.
She stole several glances at Ye Jia, worried that her words from the day before might have sown seeds of resentment, driving her daughter-in-law to abandon her son for that Second Young Master Cheng in town.
Zhou Jingchen washed up quickly. He walked over to take the heavy equipment from the two women and began expertly loading the cart for their trip to town.
The memory of yesterday’s chive and egg pancakes must have been particularly vivid.
Before they even reached West Street, several fellow vendors, balancing poles over their shoulders, were already shouting out their orders. It was no surprise; few businesses were as generous as the “Xi Shi Stall.” Their pancakes were packed with large chunks of egg and fragrant chives, and at only seven wen apiece, the price was more than fair.
By the time the couple reached their usual spot and lit the stove, a crowd had already gathered around them.
Over three hundred pancakes sold even faster than the day before. Word of mouth from yesterday’s customers had spread, drawing in an even larger crowd of locals eager to see what the fuss was about. Many residents of the town arrived early specifically to buy the snacks, and just like the first day, everything was gone within two hours.
Even as they were packing up, people were still coming by to ask if there were any left. The demand was even higher than on their first day.
“We’re all out,” Ye Jia said with a smile and a shake of her head. “We’ll make more tomorrow, but everything is sold out for today.”
This brisk business continued for the next ten days.
While they had started with three hundred pancakes a day, Ye Jia eventually increased production to four or five hundred after seeing how well they sold. Back at home, she tucked herself away to count the copper coins.
She counted them again and again, finding that she had brought in over thirty-one taels. After deducting costs and daily expenses, she had saved nearly twenty-eight taels. Combined with the thirty-two taels already stashed at home, Ye Jia realized she had saved sixty taels in just a few months of running the stall.
Being a street vendor was surprisingly lucrative.
“Keeping this money sitting around isn’t doing us any good,” Ye Jia remarked. Influenced by modern financial thinking, she felt that idle cash wasn’t truly money; it had to be invested to generate more wealth. “We need to invest in property or land.”
Madam Yu lacked a mind for finance, but she had absolute faith in Ye Jia. Since her daughter-in-law had earned all this money, it was only natural that she should make the decisions.
“But we’re living in a place plagued by war,” Madam Yu fretted. “Even if we buy land or property, as soon as a battle starts or bandits raid the village…”
She had a point. Libei Town wasn’t like the Central Plains; whenever war broke out, any crops in the fields could be wiped out in a single day.
The locals tended to raise livestock rather than cultivate land, partly due to the climate and partly because of the constant threat of conflict. If trouble came, you could drive cattle and sheep away, but you couldn’t dig up a field and take it with you. However, among the three and a half members of the Zhou family, not one had any experience with livestock.
The only person with even a hint of experience was Rui’er, and she was only three and a half years old. She spent her days chasing after the little lamb, and the most fluent sentence she could manage was “Auntie, cook something yummy today!”
As Ye Jia sat frowning, trying to figure out how to invest the money, a voice called out from the courtyard.
Out of the twenty people drafted from Wangjia Village, Zhou Jingchen’s name was indeed among them. The visitor was the village chief’s son, sent to tell Zhou Jingchen to head over to the chief’s house immediately.
Whatever plans Ye Jia and Madam Yu had for their property were instantly forgotten, replaced by a heavy cloud of worry.
“It’s fine, I’ll go,” Zhou Jingchen said. The matter had been settled long ago; knowing there was no use in trying to stop him, Madam Yu simply pulled a long face and remained silent.
Ye Jia thought for a moment and decided to accompany him.
For many in the village, this was their first real look at Zhou Jingchen. Although they lived in the same community, the young man had spent the past few years at the western grounds. When he was finally carried back three months ago, he had been covered in blood and grime; no one could tell what he actually looked like.
As he stepped into the courtyard, his sudden appearance brought a hushed stillness to the village chief’s rowdy home.
It took a long moment before someone asked hesitantly, “Is that the Zhou boy?”
“It is,” Zhou Jingchen replied. He walked up to the soldier recording the names. “Zhou Jingchen, nineteen,” he said calmly.
The soldier seemed intimidated by his presence, his brush hovering over the register as he struggled to find a starting point. Seeing the man’s furrowed brow and obvious confusion over the characters, Ye Jia couldn’t help but chime in.
“It’s Jing as in ‘awakening to loyalty,’ and Chen as in ‘a treasure of the world,'” she explained.
Rather than helping the soldier remember how to write the name, her words only made him flush with embarrassment.
Zhou Jingchen looked at Ye Jia in surprise, clearly not expecting her to be one for reciting poetry. His astonishment lasted only a moment before he turned back to the soldier.
“If it’s inconvenient,” he said with practiced patience, “you can give the brush to me and I will fill it in myself.”
His face flushed with embarrassment, the soldier handed the brush over. He watched as Zhou Jingchen added his name with fluid, graceful strokes, then muttered, “Next.”
Once they were registered on the scrolls and had received their simple uniforms, they headed back home to wait out the month before reporting to the Garrison Camp.
Ye Jia rubbed the fabric of the gear as soon as it was in her hands. Even by the standards of war, equipment didn’t get much worse than this.
If she remembered correctly, an official recruitment in Great Yan not only required the distribution of proper gear but also a relocation allowance for every soldier. In times of dire conflict, that money was essentially the price of a life; when Ye Jia’s eldest brother had enlisted, he had received over five taels of silver.
“This is far too unofficial,” Ye Jia remarked. Even as a newcomer who didn’t fully understand the local systems, she could tell something was amiss.
Zhou Jingchen smiled and lowered his gaze, his thoughts unreadable. Looking at him, Ye Jia knew that if he didn’t want to speak, no one would be able to draw a word out of him.
Holding onto the belief that a major antagonist wouldn’t die so easily, she forced herself to stay calm.
By the time they returned home, Yu-shi had already harvested the chives and was washing them by the well.
Holding onto the belief that a great villain wouldn’t die so easily, Ye Jia finally let her heart settle back into her chest.
By the time they reached home, Madam Yu had already harvested the chives and was washing them by the well. Rui’er sat on a small stool, clutching her little lamb and sucking on a piece of candy. Though children her age were prone to getting messy, the little girl was spotlessly clean thanks to the meticulous care of Ye Jia and Madam Yu.
“You’re back?” Madam Yu said.
She was still harboring some resentment and didn’t particularly want to acknowledge her son, so she directed her words toward Ye Jia.
“Yes. You should take a break, Mother.”
Though Madam Yu was somewhat weak-willed and not particularly skilled at housework, she was neither fragile nor lazy. When there was work to be done, she never shirked her duties. Ye Jia found her temperament quite agreeable; as a mother-in-law, she was exceptionally easy to get along with. Knowing she wouldn’t be hindered in whatever she chose to do, Ye Jia called Madam Yu into the house.
With Zhou Jingchen leaving, only Ye Jia, Madam Yu, and Rui’er would remain. Ye Jia intended to continue her business and even expand once they had saved enough silver. A household without a man would be difficult to manage and, more importantly, unsafe.
Madam Yu wiped her hands, unable to resist shooting another glare at Zhou Jingchen. If not for his insistence on leaving, they wouldn’t be in this predicament.
Zhou Jingchen bore his mother’s look with characteristic good humor.
Seeing the whole family looking at him, Zhou Jingchen finally spoke.
“Mother, rest assured. Although I won’t be able to come home often, I won’t be completely out of touch. For one, the garrison camp isn’t far. If you and Jia-niang are worried, you can come with me on the day I report for duty. Once you see it for yourselves, you’ll know I’m not just making excuses. Secondly, I have already asked someone to look after the family. He is of good character and owes me a favor; if anything happens while I’m away, you can go to him for help.”
Madam Yu pursed her lips, ready to scold him again. “Do you think your mother is worried about having no one to look after the house? You underestimate me. During the three years you were gone, didn’t I raise Rui’er all by myself? Yun’an, you know exactly what I’m talking about, yet you insist on dodging the subject. Why must you be so stubborn!”
Ye Jia pretended not to understand the underlying tension and asked, “Who is this person you’ve entrusted?”
“I’ve invited him to the house for dinner tonight,” Zhou Jingchen replied. “Jia-niang, I’ll have to trouble you with the preparations.”
Whether it was trouble or not didn’t matter to Ye Jia; it was just a meal. Her main concern was whether their business would be affected without a man around. Having a strong, able-bodied man in the house made a world of difference.
After setting his things down, Zhou Jingchen mentioned he had errands to run and likely wouldn’t be back for lunch.
After considering for a moment, Ye Jia reached into her pocket and pulled out a tael of silver. Whatever he was planning to do, he couldn’t very well go out without a single cent on him.
Zhou Jingchen took the money, his gaze shifting to her with a strange, dark intensity that made her heart skip a beat. To hide her unease, Ye Jia quickly feigned a sudden errand and hurried out to help Madam Yu.
The chive and egg pancakes were selling exceptionally well; for now, the business showed no signs of slowing down.
Once Zhou Jingchen had left, Madam Yu’s eyes grew red as she chopped vegetables. Ye Jia didn’t know how to comfort her, so she worked in silence before heading inside to change her clothes. Since they were expecting guests for dinner, she needed to head to town to buy more groceries.
The town’s market was still bustling when she arrived. She made her rounds, picking up what she needed, and had only just returned home when Ye Qingjiang arrived.
Her eldest brother had sent word.
After Ye Qingshan received the letter from home, he had immediately written a letter of divorce and sent it back. Though he felt some gratitude toward his wife for raising their children all these years, he could not forgive her for nearly killing his mother and ruining his younger sister’s life.
Divorce was his only option. Madam Zhang had already been sent back and was currently throwing a fit at the Ye family home. Ye Qingjiang had come specifically to find Ye Jia and Zhou Jingchen, intending to settle the matter once and for all today.
Ye Jia dropped her things and prepared to leave with him immediately. Madam Yu hurried after them, calling out anxiously, “Should I go find Yun’an and bring him back?”
“No need,” Ye Jia told her, insisting she go back and that she could handle it herself.
The two of them hurried off. Even from a distance, Madam Zhang’s wailing was loud enough to be heard clearly. Neighbors were already gathered around, pointing and whispering as they watched the drama unfold. As soon as they entered the house, they ran into Fourth Sister Ye helping Madam Ye Su to her feet. The older woman looked up at Ye Jia as if seeing her savior. The women in this family were soft-tempered by nature; Ye Jia was the only one with any backbone. Since Ye Jia’s last visit had resulted in Madam Zhang being sent back to her maternal home, they were naturally looking to her to take charge again.
“Jia-niang,” Madam Ye Su said, clinging to her. She had been taking medicine and looked a bit better, but she was still painfully thin. “You’re finally here.”
Inside the room, Madam Zhang was kneeling on the floor, weeping and begging Ye Wangshan for forgiveness. Several of the younger children were crying alongside her, pleading with their grandfather not to send their mother away. The eldest boy stood by in silence, his lips pressed tight and his cheek red and swollen from a fresh slap.
Ye Jia didn’t waste time with pleasantries. She looked directly at Ye Wangshan and asked, “What does Father have to say?”
Ye Wangshan felt emboldened holding his son’s letter, yet his grandson’s weeping and pleading pulled at his heartstrings. Seeing his expression, Ye Jia knew exactly what he was thinking: he didn’t want to play the villain in front of the boy, fearing he would be hated for it later.
Ye Jia picked up the letter from the table and scanned it. They say a man’s handwriting reveals his character; the concise, direct prose suggested that Ye Qingshan was a man of integrity and resolve.
“Since Brother has already written the letter of divorce, what are you still hesitating for, Father?”
She walked over and handed the letter to Ye Qingjiang, telling him to read it aloud in front of everyone. After a moment’s hesitation, Ye Qingjiang gritted his teeth and began to read. This effectively silenced Madam Ye, who had been claiming she was illiterate and refusing to acknowledge the contents.
Madam Ye’s eyes were bloodshot. She looked as though she wanted to kill the two siblings then and there. In her mind, it was this troublemaking sister-in-law who had constantly provoked her, leading to her current predicament. She felt not a shred of remorse for her own actions; instead, she burned with resentment toward those she believed were conspiring against her.
While the younger children were terrified of their aunt and kept their heads down, the eldest granddaughter rushed forward and shoved Ye Jia hard.
“You’re a bad person! You hurt my mother!”
The ferocity of the eldest granddaughter made Ye Jia want to laugh. Steadying herself against the table, she had intended not to pay the child any mind, but as she turned and saw the girl’s vicious expression, she paused.
Just as she was about to speak, Ye Qinghe emerged, leaning heavily on his crutches.
This was the first time he had stepped out of his room since his legs were broken, and the sight nearly frightened Ye Wangshan to death. Ignoring his grandson, who was still clinging to his leg and crying, he rushed over to support his son. Madam Ye Su’s face turned pale as she pushed aside Fourth Sister Ye’s hand to help.
To them, a grandson could not compare to their youngest son. Seeing him so pale and in pain, Ye Wangshan’s heart ached. “Why are you out of bed?”
“Father.” Ye Qinghe had reached his limit.
Once his eldest brother and nephew had left and he had been incapacitated, Madam Zhang had nearly trampled over the elderly couple. The recent trials the Ye family had endured left him with no more patience for self-pity.
He pointed at the little girl who had just pushed Ye Jia. “Send the little one away too!”
Ye Qinghe had a fiery temper and little patience. “There is no point in keeping a ruined seed. Our family might lack many things, but we have plenty of children and grandchildren!”
Those words struck right at the heart of Ye Wangshan’s hesitation, clearing his mind like a sudden splash of cold water. He realized Ye Qinghe was right. If the Ye family had anything, it was an abundance of descendants. The first branch had five sons, and the second had four. If Ye Qinghe married in the future, there would be even more grandsons.
He had been looking at the matter all wrong. No one understood Ye Wangshan’s priorities better than Ye Qinghe, nor knew better how to manipulate them.
Once Ye Qinghe spoke, no amount of grandstanding from Madam Ye would matter.
The eldest granddaughter of the house finally understood the gravity of the situation. Her eyes wide with terror, she collapsed to her knees to beg for forgiveness. But she was only a granddaughter; while Ye Wangshan could never bear to part with his grandsons, he had no such qualms about the girls.
With a dismissive wave of his hand, he ordered Ye Qingjiang and the grandsons of the second branch to drag Madam Ye and her daughter out. The younger grandsons of the first branch began to wail, but the sound died in their throats the moment they looked up and saw the murderous expression on their young uncle’s face.
“If you can’t bear to be parted from your mother, you’re more than welcome to follow her,” Ye Qinghe said, his gaze cold as he swept it over his sobbing nephews. “The Ye family has plenty of heirs to carry on the name. We don’t need you. By all means, go and protect her.”
As soon as he spoke, the children stopped crying altogether. They hung their heads, not daring to utter a single word.
Ye Qinghe looked at them with profound disappointment. None of these children shared their father’s spirit.
Regarding Madam Ye’s divorce, Ye Wangshan had sent Ye Qingjiang to fetch the third daughter’s husband. However, his son-in-law had been busy and hadn’t come. As the patriarch, Ye Wangshan had no patience for idle chatter with his daughter alone; with a dark expression, he simply turned and retreated into his room.
Ye Jia had no intention of staying for a meal. Now that the matter was settled, she prepared to leave. Before she walked away, however, her gaze drifted to Ye Qinghe’s legs. She couldn’t help herself.
“If those legs were broken again and reset, you might be able to stand,” she said.
Ye Qinghe snapped his head up to look at her. Ye Jia offered a thin, wry smile. “The bones healed crookedly. Naturally, you can’t stand.”
Their eyes met, and a spark of hope flickered across Ye Qinghe’s face.
Innerly, Ye Jia scolded herself for her “Saint Mother” tendencies. She set down her teacup and announced her departure. Ye Qinghe tried to ask her to stay for dinner, but before he could finish the sentence, she was already out the gate. He remained on his bench, looking down at his legs. He squeezed them, his mind racing with possibilities.
Yejia Village wasn’t far from Wangjia Village. It was only a few miles away, just across the river.
As Ye Jia made her way out of the village, she heard a group of women gossiping at the entrance. In the countryside, life revolved around such trivial family dramas and petty scandals. Since the trouble at the Ye household had only just unfolded, the women were discussing it with great enthusiasm.
As Ye Jia left the village, she overheard several women gossiping at the entrance. In the countryside, conversation rarely strayed far from petty domestic drama, and since the Ye family’s recent scandal was still fresh, they were discussing it with particular relish.
One elderly woman nodded emphatically, sighing about how the wicked always met their match. She claimed that Madam Ye’s black-hearted younger sister had finally run out of luck; she had recently been found stripped naked and dumped in the small woods up ahead. Her arm had been broken, and every piece of clothing and jewelry she owned had been stolen. After such a disgrace, it was unlikely she would ever find a husband.
The women weren’t exactly whispering, and Ye Jia caught every word as she walked past. She couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
When she returned home, she found Madam Yu busy in the courtyard. Little Rui’er was huddled on the doorstep, dozing off while clutching the lamb. Just as Ye Jia stepped inside, Zhou Jingchen returned carrying a small, scruffy gray pup. The creature was tiny, squirming restlessly in his grip; when Ye Jia reached out to pet it, it even tried to nip at her.
Their eyes met, and Zhou Jingchen’s lips curled into a faint smile. He flicked the pup’s ear with his finger, his gaze dropping to hide a dark flicker in his eyes. “I caught it outside. We’ll keep it in the yard from now on.”
“What is it? A dog?” Ye Jia leaned in for a closer look.
Without answering, Zhou Jingchen placed the small animal in her arms. “This little thing,” he instructed, “you should feed it yourself, Jia-niang.”