When they were on the road for more than three months, she personally took care of the donkey, and over time she had developed some feelings for it.
Even if it was just an ordinary beast of burden, anything she had brought into this household—whether to kill or butcher it—should first be asked of her, its master.
Today, Ye Yunmian was dressed in a dark purple cloud-patterned dress. A crystal hairpin adorned her hair, and although she wore few accessories, her bearing was exceptionally noble. Her sharp gaze swept across the room, instantly silencing everyone.
The kitchen manager hurried forward, speaking politely on the surface.
“Miss, this donkey is a lowly beast. Our household has never raised such animals before. Second Master said it looks quite sturdy, and its meat should be good, so he ordered a few dishes to be prepared to honor the Old Madam.”
Ye Yunmian looked at him, her gaze turning cold.
This man appeared respectful, but his eyes were still darting around. His relaxed attitude clearly showed he did not take her seriously at all.
“Take the donkey back to my courtyard,” she ordered directly.
“Miss, Second Master has already ordered several dishes. They are to be delivered in a few hours. There’s plenty of meat on it, and Second Master also plans to host guests tomorrow. It’s not anything rare anyway—since Second Master has taken a liking to it, we should do our job properly…”
“Bang!”
Before he could finish speaking, Ye Yunmian kicked him straight in the chest.
The man was completely unprepared and flew backward heavily, crashing into a wooden barrel with a loud bang.
“Big sister, it’s just a donkey. Let Second Uncle eat it if he wants…” Ye Weiqing said, frightened, stepping back several paces.
Ye Yunmian glanced at him coldly. “If you don’t want to be hit, then shut your mouth.”
“…”
Ye Weiqing immediately pressed his lips shut.
Did he say something wrong…? Why was his sister so angry?
But… did she really like this donkey that much?
He carefully looked at the animal. It was indeed strong and well-fed—clearly it had been properly taken care of. No wonder Second Uncle wanted it for meat…
His sister really did raise it well. Its eyes were bright, and its braying was loud and forceful, almost as if it were cursing people.
It would be a pity to butcher it like this.
Ye Yunmian’s sudden action shocked everyone in the kitchen. The manager, having been kicked hard, felt as if a boulder had slammed into his chest and struggled to breathe.
Her attitude forced them to back down, and they reluctantly released the donkey.
The donkey, clearly recognizing its owner, immediately ran behind her.
Ye Yunmian did not bother further with them and turned to leave.
On the way back, she suddenly seemed to remember something and asked, “I recall Second Uncle has a vicious dog?”
“How do you know?” Ye Weiqing asked in surprise.
Ye Yunmian said nothing.
Seeing this, Ye Weiqing quickly added, “Second Uncle’s black dog is terrifyingly fierce. You must not go near it! When I was eight, before Eldest Brother was as fierce as he is now, he gave me a small white dog for my birthday. It was gentle and loyal, and I loved it dearly. But not long after, Second Uncle also raised a black dog. One day, it chased me and tore my clothes apart. Luckily my dog protected me, but… my dog was killed on the spot…”
After that, whenever he saw the black dog, he would take a detour.
Outsiders all thought Second Uncle was the most easygoing elder in the family, but only he knew—there was no need for him to show his fangs, because even his dog could bite people for him.
“Is there a sword?” Ye Yunmian asked.
When she was at the border, she had a very useful spear with a red tassel—but she hadn’t brought it with her.
“A sword?” Ye Weiqing replied blankly.
His sword was just hanging in his room as decoration; he had never used it.
When he was young, his grandmother had once invited a martial arts teacher to train him. Back then, he had even dreamed of becoming impressive with a sword. But later…
He had almost injured someone during practice…
They all said he was not suited for martial arts. His grandmother reprimanded him many times. Even though he was still allowed to learn, she assigned multiple instructors to supervise him closely, afraid he would cause trouble again.
After that, he never touched weapons like blades, spears, swords, or halberds again.
Ye Yunmian tied the donkey safely, then took a sword from Ye Weiqing’s room and left with it.
He had thought she was just acting out of anger and asking casually—but she actually marched straight toward Second Uncle’s courtyard with killing intent. He was terrified.
Halfway there, Ye Weiqing stopped and refused to go further.
He wasn’t going to get involved in this trouble.
When Ye Yunmian entered Second Uncle’s courtyard, she indeed saw the black dog tied there.
Its glossy black fur gleamed, and it stood imposing and fierce. Even the servants kept their distance. When she appeared, they became wary.
But she drew her sword directly and walked toward the dog.
“Woof! Woof woof woof—”
The dog barked wildly, baring its teeth and claws, as if it could break free and pounce at any moment.
However, the barking did not last long.
The moment she approached, her sword rose and fell.
The next instant, blood spurted out. The black dog collapsed to the ground, twitching as blood spread between the stone cracks.
Screams pierced the air from the maidservants.
Second Uncle rushed out upon hearing the noise. The moment he saw his barely-breathing dog, he was enraged.
“What are you doing?! How dare you break into an elder’s courtyard and kill my pet with a sword?!” he shouted, furious and in disbelief.
“My donkey can be killed by you—why can’t your dog be killed by me?” Ye Yunmian said calmly. “And Second Uncle, I also heard this dog doesn’t even recognize family members and once chased my younger brother. Such a vicious beast should have been executed long ago. Since you couldn’t bear to do it, I’ve done it for you.”
As she spoke, she took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from her sword.
“Don’t forget, Second Uncle still wants to honor the Old Madam. Make sure the meat is properly stewed until tender—otherwise she won’t be able to chew it.”
This sword really was quite good—flashy, but extremely sharp.
Ye Yunmian came and went quickly.
Behind her, Second Uncle held the dead dog’s body, devastated.
“You’re insane! A madwoman! First you angered the Old Madam, now you kill family pets—you’re lawless! Ye Yunmian, you’ll get your retribution sooner or later!” he roared in collapse.
But Ye Yunmian acted as if she heard nothing.
She didn’t know where her “retribution” would come from—but she did know that the people who had bullied her younger brother had already received theirs.
Ye Weiqing hid in the corner, too afraid to move. He had no idea how things had escalated to this point.
Had his sister really killed that black dog? Surely not… she was just a delicate young lady—how could she possibly have such courage?
The dog had been so fierce… what if her sword slipped and she got bitten instead?
His mind was in chaos. He wanted to go look, but instinct kept him rooted in place.
“You’re so good at hiding. It’s a pity you didn’t go eavesdrop outside Second Uncle’s courtyard.”
Ye Yunmian found him, and seeing him curled up miserably, she couldn’t bring herself to dislike him at all. Instead, she smiled gently.
“Little brother, the real fun has only just begun. I hope you won’t miss it next time.”