Chapter 132 -

Chapter 132: Chapter

By the time evening arrived, the East Courtyard looked far better than it had just hours before.

The wild, towering weeds had been chopped down, the dry leaves were swept out of the yard, and the thick dust covering the porch had been wiped away with wet rags. Though several broken wooden doors and loose roof tiles still needed to be fixed later, the compound was finally clean and livable.

Having finished sweeping her side of the stone path, Yimei untied the cloth ribbons holding her sleeves up and walked back into her room. Qinqin carried a wooden bucket inside, following right behind her mistress.

Inside, Zhengyu sat near the open window in his wheelchair, quietly watching the sunset cast long, orange shadows across the clean floorboards.

Qinqin set the bucket down and let out a long, exhausted sigh, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Young Madame, the yard is completely clear now. It looks so much better."

Yimei nodded gently, setting her bundle down on the wooden table. "You worked hard today, Qinqin. Let’s arrange our room before dark."

They opened their bundles and started setting up the bedroom. The room was a decent size, with a sturdy wooden bed big enough for two people, a drawer, and a low table with chairs. Qinqin took a clean rag and wiped down every surface until the wood was spotless, while Yimei laid out the clean bedsheets from their bundle over the bed.

Just then, Liu Feng walked in carrying a small brazier and an extra lantern. He placed the lantern on the table and lit the charcoal, instantly making the room bright and warm. It wasn’t luxurious or fancy, but with the soft light and fresh bedding, it felt cozy and safe.

Qinqin smiled as she looked at the neat room. "Young Madame, earlier Mrs. Shen found a small room near the side yard for Liu Feng and me to stay in, so we won’t be crowding your space."

Yimei looked at her, her voice calm and gentle. "That is good. Make sure you rest well tonight, Qinqin. Tomorrow won’t be any easier."

"Yes, Young Madame! Madame it’s already getting later.. what are we going to eat?"

Before Yimei could answer, a polite knock sounded at the open wooden door frame. Old Mr. Shen stood outside with a gentle smile, nodding respectfully to them.

"First Young Master, First Young Madame," Mr. Shen called out in his friendly, slow voice. "Evening has fallen, and dinner is prepared. Please come to the central kitchen to eat."

"Thank you, Mr. Shen. We will be right there," Yimei replied smoothly.

Mr. Shen nodded and shuffled away to inform the other rooms.

Liu Feng stepped into the room to push Zhengyu’s wheelchair, while Yimei and Qinqin followed close behind. They made their way down the clean stone path toward the large, stone-walled central kitchen located between the three courtyards.

When they pushed open the heavy double doors, the rest of the Bai family was already gathering inside. On the large wooden table in the center sat several steaming baskets of warm buns, thick vegetable soup, and roasted roots.

Madame Chen’s eyes lit up at the sight of hot food, and she immediately rushed forward to grab a basket.

Before anyone could touch a single bun, Mr. Shen stepped out from behind the large stone stove, waving his hands to stop them.

"Hold your hands, everyone!" Mr. Shen called out, his voice firm and clear. "Old Madame Bai paid us to prepare this dinner for you tonight since you just arrived after a long journey. But listen carefully: this food is only for tonight!"

The entire family froze, staring at him in shock.

"Starting tomorrow morning," Mr. Shen continued, looking at every face in the room, "your breakfast, lunch, and dinner are entirely your own responsibility. Neither I nor my wife will provide any more meals or help you. You will have to buy your own food, chop your own firewood, and cook for yourselves with no help."

Second Uncle Bai Chengbang’s face fell. "What?! You won’t even cook for us?!"

"No, Master Bai," Mr. Shen replied simply. "Old Madame Bai was very clear about that. Tonight you eat for free. Tomorrow, you rely on yourselves."

A heavy, nervous silence fell over the kitchen.

Madame Liu from the Second Branch immediately lunged forward, trying to grab three large meat buns at once. "Then we need to eat as much as we can tonight!"

"Put that back!" Madame Chen shrieked, snatching at the basket. "You’re taking all the meat for your branch!"

"Enough!" Madame Bai’s sharp voice cut through the room like a whip, making both women freeze.

Madame Bai walked up to the central table, her expression cold and commanding. "No one is hoarding anything tonight. We divide this meal equally among all three branches. Qinqin, count the buns."

"Yes, Madame," Qinqin said quickly, stepping up to separate the food into equal portions.

Second Uncle Bai Chengbang frowned, stepping forward. "Sister-in-law, my branch has growing boy and girl! We need more than a simple equal share!"

"If your children need more food, then your branch can buy extra with your own silver tomorrow," Yimei’s smooth, icy voice chimed in from the doorway.

Everyone turned to look at Yimei. She stood with her arms crossed, her dark eyes scanning Second Uncle and Third Uncle with complete disdain.

"Or have both of your branches already spent all the silver you hid from Grandmother?" Yimei added, a tiny, mocking smile playing on her lips.

Second Uncle and Third Uncle instantly shut their mouths, their faces turning pale as they backed away from the table.

As the family sat down to eat their final free meal, Master Bai slunk into the room, looking pale and defeated. He tried to sit beside Madame Bai, but she didn’t even look at him, keeping her back turned as she handed warm buns to her daughters and Madame Zhao’s twins.

Left with no choice, Master Bai quietly took a plain bowl, sitting in a dim corner all by himself, stripped of his authority, ignored by his wife, and facing the terrifying reality that starting tomorrow, he had no money to feed himself.

Sitting near the window, Yimei slowly ate her bun, watching the silent panic spread across the room.

Yimei walked over to Zhengyu, looking down at his untouched bowl of soup and warm bun. "Why aren’t you eating?"

Zhengyu didn’t even look at the food. "I’m not hungry."

He turned his head toward Liu Feng, who had just finished eating his own bowl in the corner. "Take me back to the room," Zhengyu said, his voice flat and cold.

Liu Feng nodded immediately, stepping forward to grab the handles of the wheelchair. Yimei stood in silence, her quiet gaze following Zhengyu as Liu Feng pushed him out the double doors and down the dark stone path.

The second Zhengyu left, Second Uncle’s son, Bai Ruizhe, eyed the abandoned bowl of soup and the hot meat bun. He quickly reached his hand across the table to grab it.

Before his fingers could even touch the basket, Yimei shot him a look so sharp and icy that Ruizhe’s hand froze right in mid-air.

Ruizhe pulled his hand back, his face twisting into a bitter, annoyed frown. "Why are you looking at me like that?! He didn’t eat it! Do you want good food to just go to waste?!"

Yimei picked up the warm bun and the bowl herself, her voice smooth, calm, and completely unbothered.

"Whether he eats it now or later is none of your business," Yimei said, stepping back from his reach. "It belongs to my husband, which means it belongs to my room. Touch it again, and I will make sure you don’t eat tomorrow either."

Ruizhe bit his lip, his face flushing red with anger, but he didn’t dare say another word. He grumbled under his breath and turned back to his own empty plate.

Yimei set Zhengyu’s food safely aside, picked up her own bun, and quietly finished her meal, watching the rest of the greedy family squabble over the last drops of soup.