The Friend of Women, Yu Niannian, and Beauty Ji’s Little Butterfly~
The meal at the Yang family ultimately ended in discord.
Master Yang remained unusually fixated on Yu Jinnian, insisting that he was his fourth son, Yang Bao. However, from what Yu Jinnian knew, the Yang family’s fourth son had passed away years ago. But there was no point in arguing with someone suffering from dementia.
The Yang family residence was quite spacious. Several low internal walls divided the estate into smaller courtyards, allocated to the wives, concubines, and sons. Each small courtyard had a main room, side chambers, and a small flower bed. What could have been a tranquil estate was instead adorned in a gaudy manner due to the Yang family’s penchant for showing off their wealth.
Yu Jinnian was dragged along for a walk in the Yang family garden, admiring the moon. Master Yang, still not satisfied, suggested that they go drinking, which greatly alarmed the maids and servants attending to the wealthy old man. The household was chaotic enough when he was lucid; if he drank, things could spiral out of control, possibly even leading to a complete upheaval of the estate.
The servants finally managed to dissuade him from the idea of drinking, and they shifted the conversation to trivial matters. Yu Jinnian made up stories to muddle through, feeling utterly exhausted, as though he was coaxing a child. Just then, Master Yang suddenly asked, “Si Bao, where’s your mother? I haven’t seen her in a long time.”
Yu Jinnian was taken aback. How would he know where “mother” was? He looked up at the maids and servants for help.
The servants were all terrified, as if this was another taboo subject. They stammered, unable to provide a clear answer, and no one dared to speak the truth. Someone even signaled to Yu Jinnian to quickly say something to change the topic. But what could he say? He wasn’t a mind reader. After racking his brain, he reverted to what he knew best and suggested, “It’s so cold today… Master Yang, why not have some warm milk before bed?”
“Yes, Master. Coincidentally, the kitchen just received a fresh bucket of milk this morning. You love it, don’t you?” A man who appeared to be the butler approached, winking at two maids to go warm the milk. He then gently freed Yu Jinnian from Master Yang’s grasp and said, “The milk comes from our own water buffalo, which recently gave birth. The staff knows you love this, so they sent the milk to the kitchen right after it was fresh, still warm.”
Yu Jinnian was tempted as well. Buffalo milk was a delicacy, though buffalo were mainly used as draft animals, and people at the time preferred goat milk or soy milk. Buffalo milk, however, was rich and nutritious, and most importantly, it lacked the slight gaminess of goat milk.
Thinking about the buffalo milk made Yu Jinnian crave various dairy desserts, and he felt so hungry that his legs went weak. Despite the sumptuous dinner earlier, he had been under the Yang family’s scrutiny for half an hour and couldn’t eat much. Now, his stomach was empty, and he felt a deep sense of hunger.
As they spoke, a gust of wind blew through the garden. The butler helped Master Yang back to his courtyard to avoid the wind and brought him a cloak. Once inside, Master Yang sat in the main room, rambling on and refusing to let Yu Jinnian leave. If Yu Jinnian moved out of his sight, he would throw a fit. Just then, a maid brought the warmed milk, walking carefully with her head down as she presented the delicately carved wooden tray to Master Yang.
Yu Jinnian, while humoring the old man, glanced at the maid.
The maid was neat in appearance but looked sallow and downtrodden, her lips tightly pressed together with a faint purplish tint at the edges. Her skin was dry and unhealthy, a far cry from the vibrant look associated with good health. Despite the cold weather, she was inexplicably sweating, with large beads of sweat rolling down her temples and wetting the stray hairs at her temples. She didn’t even have the time to wipe it off, bowing even lower and trembling as she held the tray, clearly terrified of Master Yang.
Master Yang paid her no mind. Perhaps tired of the butler’s advice, he let out a grumbling sound, like a donkey cart rolling through his throat, and the loose, sagging skin on his face began to wrinkle. There’s an old saying that a person’s face reflects their character. Master Yang had the face of a tyrant in his youth, and it hadn’t softened with age. As his face wrinkled, deep, crooked furrows appeared between his brows, making him look even more menacing.
Without even looking at the fresh milk, he kicked the maid hard.
Yu Jinnian had suffered under Master Yang before, his backside still faintly aching. The kick looked brutal, landing right on the maid’s frail abdomen. She cried out in pain and was sent sprawling to the ground, the hot milk spilling all over her. The milk wasn’t scalding, but it quickly soaked through her clothes, chilling her to the bone in the cold night air.
The maid couldn’t get up, curling up in pain and breaking out in a cold sweat.
Yu Jinnian couldn’t bear to watch any longer. He stepped forward to help her up and asked softly, “Are you alright?”
“Thank you, young master…” The maid shook her head, too afraid to say more.
The butler waved her off casually, saying, “You may leave.”
“Yes,” she replied, clutching her abdomen as she staggered out, her face drained of color, each step seeming more painful than the last. Her thin shoulders trembled as she slowly made her way out of sight.
Although this was a family matter, and as the head of the household, Master Yang had every right to discipline his servants, Yu Jinnian couldn’t stand seeing such things. The maid’s pained expression far exceeded the physical impact of the kick, and he worried that the blow might have caused internal damage.
Having kicked over the milk himself, Master Yang threw a tantrum, demanding snowflake pudding.
The snowflake pudding he referred to was a dessert made by shaving ice into a small mountain in a flower bowl, then drizzling it with sweet milk syrup. It was a refreshing treat on a hot summer day, perfect for quenching thirst and cooling down. But in this cold winter, with not a single block of ice left in the ice cellar, where could they find ice to shave? The butler, unable to endure Master Yang’s relentless berating, reluctantly called back the maid who had just left, instructing her to find a way to make the ice pudding.
The maid turned even paler, almost fainting on the spot.
Yu Jinnian quickly intervened, saying, “Eating ice now will cause stomach pain. How about making some mint panna cotta instead? It’s also very refreshing.”
The maid didn’t seem relieved by the suggestion. She looked timidly at Yu Jinnian and murmured, “But I don’t know how to make… mint, um…”
“Mint panna cotta,” Yu Jinnian repeated with a smile. “It’s fine, I can make it.”
Master Yang was initially reluctant to let Yu Jinnian leave, but after hearing that he was going to make a cold dessert, he reluctantly agreed.
Finally free from the old man’s grasp, Yu Jinnian wanted to run away immediately, but he had promised to make the mint panna cotta and couldn’t just leave. So he followed the maid to the small kitchen behind Master Yang’s courtyard.
Though called a small kitchen, it was fully equipped with all sorts of ingredients, incredibly well-stocked. Yu Jinnian figured that Master Yang probably had a habit of eating late-night snacks, so even though dinner time had long passed, the stove in the small kitchen was still burning brightly, keeping the place warm.
The maid led him inside, hesitating as she asked, “Young master, how do you make that… um, mint…”
“Mint panna cotta,” Yu Jinnian repeated with a smile.
The maid, embarrassed that she couldn’t even remember the name of the dish, was even more curious about how to make it, so she cautiously asked Yu Jinnian, “How do you make it?”
Yu Jinnian looked around and asked, “The method is similar to making steamed milk custard, but with the addition of refreshing mint… Do you have any mint leaves here?”
The maid pulled out a small jar and said apologetically, “We only have a bit of crushed mint left from making sweets last time.”
“That will do,” Yu Jinnian nodded. “First, you need to grind the mint into a fine powder, the finer the better, so it blends smoothly into the panna cotta.”
He took the ceramic jar containing the crushed mint leaves and poured them into a clean mortar, patiently grinding them into a fine powder with a pestle. Seeing that he didn’t need any immediate help, the kitchen maid turned to finish her unfinished tasks. Yu Jinnian noticed a few thick bones with flesh attached soaking in a basin, seemingly freshly cut, still with traces of fresh blood.
The kitchen maid squatted by the basin, frowning as she looked at the bones, seemingly sighing, then rolled up her sleeves and began washing the bones.
After grinding the mint leaves into a fine powder, Yu Jinnian set them aside for later use.
Next, he gently heated a pot, added water and sugar, and stirred it slowly until the sugar dissolved into a clear, glossy syrup. If ้ ฅ้ ช (sลซ lร o) could be considered the yogurt of its time, then ไนณๅป (rว dรฒng) would be akin to pudding. Once the syrup was ready, Yu Jinnian took the fresh buffalo milk produced that day and poured it into the pot to cook. The rich aroma of buffalo milk filled the air. Yu Jinnian recalled only having tasted it a few times in his childhood. As he grew older, buffalo milk became part of an organized industry, but the flavor seemed less intense than he remembered from his youth.
But perhaps this was just a nostalgic illusion, a memory of a delicious treat that was hard to come by in his childhood.
The primary purpose of boiling the buffalo milk was to sterilize it, as Yu Jinnian’s education made him reluctant to drink raw milk. After boiling, the milk needed to cool down gradually. During this time, Yu Jinnian cracked open a fresh egg, using the two halves of the shell as a sieve to separate the yolk, moving it back and forth skillfully to extract only the egg white. He repeated this process a few times with practiced ease.
Once the egg white was separated, he slowly poured it into the cooled milk and stirred it evenly.
It was important to maintain the right proportion of egg white to milkโtoo much egg white would make the pudding too firm, while too little would prevent the milk from setting properly. Yu Jinnian estimated that one portion of egg white was needed for each bowl of milk to create a pudding with the perfect balance of firmness and softness.
After thoroughly mixing the egg white and milk, he added the syrup and the ground mint powder, stirring everything together before pouring the mixture into small, elegant celadon cups.
Next, it was time to steam the mixture.
Yu Jinnian covered the cups and suddenly heard a groan behind him. Turning around, he saw the maid who had been washing the bones sitting on the ground, clutching her stomach in pain, her body curled up like a ball. Startled, he quickly walked over and asked, “Are you feeling unwell? Is it a stomachache?”
The kitchen maid blushed and shook her head repeatedly, insisting, “No, nothing’s wrong.”
But how could “nothing” be wrong? Her condition clearly indicated that something was.
Yu Jinnian thought she might be too timid to trouble an outsider with her illness, so he gently reassured her, “Don’t worry, miss. Though I’m just an amateur, I do know a bit about medicine. If you don’t mind, could you tell me where it hurts?”
The maid looked up at the kind and gentle young man before her, lowering her head even more. She was a slave bought by a broker, signed into servitude, and had spent most of her time working in the small kitchen, rarely venturing out into the main estate. As a result, her status was very low. She was used to being scolded and beaten, so being treated with such kindness, especially by a handsome young man, made her uncomfortable. She mumbled that it was an old ailment and not serious.
Yu Jinnian observed her complexion but didn’t press further. Since the mint pudding still needed time to steam, he decided to make small talk. “What are the bones for?”
The maid replied, “Our master has a habit of drinking a bowl of bone broth every morning. We ran out of bones yesterday, so we have to cook some tonight, or else the master will scold us again tomorrow.”
Yu Jinnian asked, “How long has Master Yang been like this?”
The maid seemed puzzled by his question. “What do you mean, young master?”
“This.” Yu Jinnian pointed to his head, “How long has his mind been unclear?”
“Oh.” The maid understood and answered, “It’s been several years now. Ever since Lady Lan and the fourth master left, he’s been getting more and more forgetful. At first, he just had trouble remembering things and spoke slowly, but it got worse over time. His temper got worse too, and he started beating and scolding people, even the second and third masters. Eventually, he started wandering off on his own, getting lost easily… Lately, I’ve heard that sometimes he can’t even recognize people…”
As she spoke, she glanced at Yu Jinnian, then quickly fell silent.
Yu Jinnian pretended not to notice her hesitation and casually asked, “Do I look a lot like your fourth master?”
The maid examined his features closely again and shook her head, “Not really. Maybe you’re about the same age… The fourth master was about your age when he was driven out, maybe even a bit younger…”
As soon as she said this, she realized she had let something slip and quickly covered her mouth. The kitchen fell silent as she nervously glanced around to make sure no one was nearby. Once she confirmed they were alone, she let out a sigh of relief and patted her chest, “That scared me.”
“So your fourth master wasn’t deceased but was actually driven out of the house?”
“Please, don’t mention it! If the master or the steward hears this, they’ll beat me to death.” The maid lowered her head dejectedly and continued washing the bones, carefully scrubbing the blood from the bone crevices with a soft-bristled brush. The basin was now filled with a faintly red-tinted pool of water. She shook her head again and said, “The steward doesn’t allow us to talk about it. It’s considered bad luck!”
Yu Jinnian didn’t want to make things difficult for her, so he dropped the subject. Noticing her lips turning purple from washing the bones in cold water, he got up and poured a bowl of hot water, handing it to her. “Warm your hands. No one’s watching, so it’s fine to take a short break. If you catch a cold, your family will worry.”
The maid suddenly felt a lump in her throat as she held the bowl of hot water, her vision becoming blurry with tears. She didn’t really have any family at this estateโin fact, she had no family left in the world. She used to work for a wealthy family back in her hometown, where every penny she earned was taken by her father and brothers. The family she served was known for their kindness, so even though life was tough, she never went hungry. But after a few years, the benevolent master suddenly died, and the widow couldn’t manage the household on her own, so she gave them all severance pay and let them go.
But her father and brothers quickly squandered that money, and her father ended up selling her to a broker, saying he needed six taels of silver to find a wife for her brother. She didn’t want to go, so her father and brothers beat her, tied her up, and sent her off in a broker’s cage cart. After much hardship, she finally ended up in Xinan County, sold to the Yang family.
Life was still difficult, but she had no desire to return to her cruel family, so she pretended she had no family and lived her life alone.
When Yu Jinnian mentioned her family, it brought back memories of all the hardships she had endured. Unfortunately, her life had been filled with more sorrows than joys, with no one to confide in, so she felt overwhelmed with the desire to talk about it all.
She was still sitting on the floor, but when she tried to stand, her legs were numb, so she shifted to a squatting position. As she stood up, she suddenly cried out in pain, startling Yu Jinnian, who asked what was wrong.
“Nothing, nothing!” The maid hastily dropped the bones and clumsily tried to adjust her skirt, her face turning as red as a ripe watermelon.
Yu Jinnian glanced down and noticed a bright red stain on her skirt. Recalling her earlier symptoms of abdominal pain, cold sweat, pale complexion, and chills, he suddenly understood.
โThe maid was having her menstrual period.
That must have been why she was so embarrassed earlier when he asked what was wrong. It’s a topic that’s hard to discuss with others, especially with a man, so she naturally tried to brush it off as an old ailment.
The kitchen maid was so embarrassed that she couldn’t speak, stammering “I, I…” before I could even come out. Ignoring the stomachache, she quickly turned around and ran out to change her clothes.
Yu Jinnian, however, remained calm. After all, as a doctor, he didn’t think there was anything particularly shameful about the situation. While she went to change, he carefully recalled the symptoms she had mentioned and concluded with confidence that she suffered from dysmenorrhea, specifically the type caused by cold coagulation and blood stasis.
Dysmenorrhea is not a severe illness, but it’s not minor either. However, when it flares up, it can make a person irritable to the point of wanting to smash windows and doors or throw dishes and pots. In more extreme cases, one might wish to cut out and discard the troublesome lump in their abdomen. In his previous life, he often saw a few pitiful young women fainting from the pain every month and being carried to the hospital, which made him feel very sympathetic.
So, this condition is indeed comparable to a toothacheโit’s not life-threatening, but the pain can be unbearable!
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the kitchen maid finally returned, dragging her feet. She had changed into a yellow-green dress, which only made her flushed face look even more colorful. She peeked into the small kitchen, saw Yu Jinnian with his back to her checking the food in the steamer, and, seeing that he wasn’t paying attention to her, mustered up the courage to walk in.
She covered her stomach while thinking about how utterly embarrassing the situation was.
Yu Jinnian brought out the mint pudding, which had already set, and sprinkled a thin layer of tea powder on the smooth, white milk surface. He added a few almond flakes for decoration, but it wasn’t the final product. Pudding needs to be cooled to be considered complete, so he placed the small bowl into cold water to cool it down.
The kitchen maid glanced at the mint pudding. The color was light green and fresh, with a fragrant but not greasy smell. It looked quite similar to the suona she usually ate, but the flavor was new to her, and she couldn’t help but exclaim, “It looks so good.”
Yu Jinnian turned around, and she suddenly remembered that this man had just seen her menstrual situationโa deeply private matter for a womanโand she felt like she wouldn’t be able to face anyone tomorrow.
“Are you feeling any better?”
Who would have thought that Yu Jinnian would bring up the matter again?
The kitchen maid held her stomach with both hands and, remembering that this young man had said he was a doctor, asked half-doubtfully, “Are you really a doctor?”
Yu Jinnian didn’t downplay it and nodded, “Yes, I am. Sit down, and I’ll teach you how to make a simple warm palace patch and a warm palace soup.”
Hearing the names, the kitchen maid assumed they were some expensive medicine and said, “But I don’t have much money and probably can’t afford the ingredients…”
“These are all common items, mostly spices from the cupboard, nothing expensive,” Yu Jinnian said with a smile as he prepared a garlic mortar.
He placed a small piece of ginger, a section of green onion, a pinch of fennel seeds, and two spoonfuls of coarse salt into the mortar and pounded them into a paste. Then, he poured the mixture into a hot pan, stir-frying it briefly until it released a subtle spicy aroma, and then he transferred it to a small dish, adding a few drops of vinegar to make a paste.
The kitchen maid, completely puzzled, asked, “Are we supposed to eat this?”
It would be awfully hard to eat something that is both sour and spicy.
“Of course not,” Yu Jinnian explained. “Later, when you go back, take a clean handkerchief, apply this paste to your navel, cover it with another handkerchief, and tie it around your waist to keep it in place. The pain is caused by cold stagnation in the uterus, likely due to years of exposure to cold, which has gradually accumulated, causing this issue.”
Yu Jinnian, worried that she might not understand the term “cold stagnation in the uterus,” rephrased it, “It’s like the water in a river. In spring and summer, it flows freely, but as the weather turns from autumn to winter, frost forms, and ice builds up, so the water stops flowing.”
Cold stagnation in the uterus, impaired flow of energy in the Chong and Ren meridians, and poor blood circulation result in abdominal pain. It’s often accompanied by dark, clotted menstrual blood and delayed menstruation. Prolonged cold accumulation inside the body also blocks the yang energy, leading to symptoms like feeling cold and having cold limbs.
In traditional Chinese medicine, this is described asโpain occurs where there is no free flow, and when there is pain, there is no free flow.
The kitchen maid, still confused, asked, “Are you saying there’s ice in my belly?”
Yu Jinnian replied, “More or less, that’s the idea… Anyway, this navel patch will help unblock and relieve the pain, so your icy belly can soak up some sun.”
The kitchen maid couldn’t help but laugh at the description, gradually relaxing.
Yu Jinnian continued, “Each time you expect your period to start, apply this for a few days. Put it on in the morning and wash it off before going to bed. If possible, it’s best to make it fresh each time. If you’re too busy, you can prepare some in advance and store it in a small jar, reheating it before use. After using it four or five times, your pain should improve.”
The kitchen maid was amazed that he could make medicine from simple kitchen spices, and that it could treat the pain she had endured for many years.
However, simply treating the symptoms of dysmenorrhea isn’t enough; to cure it, one must also change their lifestyle. For instance, girls with cold stagnation should avoid consuming cold foods and try to avoid cold water or wind. But for a kitchen maid, these are luxuries, so Yu Jinnian only mentioned it briefly.
While the kitchen maid curiously observed the navel patch paste, Yu Jinnian also made some ginger jujube brown sugar water and demonstrated acupoint massage on himselfโspecifically on points like Diji, Xuehai, and Sanyinjiaoโpatiently teaching her how to massage them to relieve pain.
Holding the warm ginger jujube brown sugar water in her hands, the kitchen maid was deeply touched by his kindness. Her own mother had passed away early, and no one had ever taught her about menstruation. When her period first came, she was confused and learned from the women in her village. Later, when she experienced pain, there was no one to talk to or seek help from, so she silently endured it.
Who would have thought that this young man would know more about menstruation than she did? The kitchen maid, surprised, began to feel a sense of closeness to Yu Jinnianโnot romantic feelings, but rather a familial affection… like the care of a mother.
After listening carefully to “Mother” Yu Jinnian’s teachings and chatting with him about other topics, the kitchen maid couldn’t help but sigh, “It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a pleasant conversation with someone. When Lady Lan was still around, she often talked with us servants, and during festivals, she would always remember us. Sigh, Lady Lan was such a good person, how could she be a fox spirit…”
“A f-fox spirit?” Yu Jinnian blinked in surprise, thinking he had heard something incredible.
“Shh!” The kitchen maid quickly waved her hand, signaling him to lower his voice.
Yu Jinnian suddenly recalled that on the Cold Clothes Festival, on the way to Fengbo Temple, he had overheard two servants talking about the second and third wives, saying something about “being possessed by evil,” and “none escaped,” as well as “a monster causing trouble.” Reflecting on it now, it seemed they were talking about the Yang family’s affairs.
“I’ll tell you quietly, but you mustn’t tell anyone!”
Yu Jinnian obediently nodded, pulled up a small stool to sit by the basin, and listened attentively to the kitchen maid’s story. He was already becoming a trusted friend to the womenfolk. As he listened, he occasionally exclaimed with comments like, “Oh, really? Oh my, there’s such a thing?” Gradually, he pieced together most of the story.
The story is about a woman named Lady Lan. She was originally the daughter of a moderately wealthy local family. However, due to some business disputes between her family and Master Yang, the matter escalated significantly. Master Yang, who had taken a liking to Lady Lan’s beauty, proposed to take her as a concubine. Lady Lan’s father, who had a sense of morality, refused to sell his daughter to settle the debt. But ultimately, her family couldn’t withstand the underhanded tactics of Master Yang. Not only was their family business swallowed up by the Yang family, but Lady Lan was also forcibly taken into the Yang household, becoming Master Yang’s seventh concubine.
Lady Lan was gentle and submissive by nature. After being captured and made the seventh concubine, she resigned herself to her fate and even bore Master Yang a son, known as Yang Bao, the fourth son of the Yang family. She settled into a life of caring for her husband and raising her child.
Master Yangโs eldest son died early, the second son was diligent but not clever, and the third son was useless and lazy. In such a large Yang family, it was only the fourth son, Yang Bao, who was raised by Lady Lan, who was courteous and well-educated, exhibiting the demeanor of someone from a distinguished family. Even at a young age, he could compose poetry and had a sharp mind that didnโt seem to belong to someone from the Yang family. Moreover, being a child born to an elderly father, Yang Bao inherited Lady Lanโs delicate looks and soon became the apple of Master Yang’s eye. Delighted, Master Yang repeatedly expressed his intention to pass the Yang family’s business on to Yang Bao.
At that time, both the second and third sons were already married and nearing thirty, while Yang Bao was only about thirteen or fourteen years old. Yang Cai and Yang Jin had been fiercely competing for the family fortune for years, and suddenly, Yang Bao, who they hadnโt even considered a threat, emerged as a contender. This stirred up the already turbulent Yang household even more.
Master Yang, unable to bear the discord any longer, made a foolish declaration: whoever had a son first would inherit the family business.
This led to a shift from scheming household fights to a race to have a son.
But as one year passed, then two, none of the family members could even conceive, let alone have a son.
However, the kitchen maid recounted that when she was first sold into the household, it seemed that the third concubine, Madam Zhao, had been pregnant. It was said that a fortune teller had been consulted, and the prediction was that she would definitely have a son. Madam Zhao, who was already physically weak, became even more reclusive, focusing solely on her pregnancy. But for some reason, she eventually had a miscarriage.
After that, Madam Zhao was devastated, as if she had fallen into an icy pit, and treated everyone with a cold demeanor.
There were also rumors, from who knows where, suggesting that the miscarriage had something to do with the fourth son, though the truth was unclear. Since then, the second and fourth branches of the family became like mortal enemies, with icy glares whenever they met.
Then, there was an event that the kitchen maid witnessed herself.
It happened during the Ghost Festival. Lady Lan went to a temple to burn incense and worship, but halfway through the journey, a ragged, crazy old Taoist priest blocked her carriage, singing and dancing while pointing at Lady Lan, claiming there was a wildcat clinging to her back. Everyone could see clearly that there was no wildcat on Lady Lan, so some servants went to chase the old man away.
However, the old Taoist was incredibly strong and suddenly broke through the servantsโ defenses, rushing to the carriage and spitting something out.
To everyoneโs shock, it was an eyeball dug out of who knows what, which was utterly disgusting. But that wasnโt the end of it. The old Taoist pulled out a pigโs bladder filled with chicken blood from his sack and splashed it all over Lady Lan, laughing wildly. Lady Lan was so frightened that she froze on the spot, taking a long time to recover.
This incident could have been dismissed as the act of a madman, but soon after the Ghost Festival, strange things began to happen in the Yang household. First, Second Masterโs pet parrot was found dead, seemingly killed by something, its body grotesquely mutilated, with its head twisted off and its skin peeled, left at the gate of the courtyard. Then, one of the concubines in the third branch claimed that while she was getting up at midnight to drink water, she saw someone running past outside the window. When she rushed out to check, there was no one there, only a wildcat with green eyes and sharp fangs leaping over the wall.
After that, the main kitchen reported that fresh meat mysteriously disappeared several times, and a half bucket of duck blood meant for making blood tofu was also missing, with wildcat paw prints stained with blood found on the floor.
People began to recall the encounter with the crazy Taoist, and rumors started spreading in the household that Lady Lan was a wildcat demon. Although the situation was strange, Master Yang, who had done many bad deeds without fearing retribution, wasnโt easily scared by such nonsense. He immediately arranged for several groups of servants to stand guard at night and ordered the killing of every cat in the vicinity.
Originally, it was believed that killing the cats would put an end to the strange occurrences, but contrary to expectations, the disturbances not only persisted but escalated. The situation grew so severe that even the fearless Master Yang began to have doubts. Gradually, he distanced himself from Lady Lan and secretly sought out the crazy Taoist, addressing him as “Immortal Master” and secretly bringing him back to exorcise the demon, without Lady Lanโs knowledge.
The exorcism brought about a terrifying discovery.
The old Taoist pulled Lady Lan from her bed while she was still sleeping and found a babyโs skin under her mattress!
Madam Zhao, who was there to witness the ritual, fainted on the spot, crying hysterically that the skin was that of her unborn child. She immediately rushed to attack Lady Lan, screaming for her to return her childโs life. It took three or four servants to pull her away, and the scene was chaotic. Misfortune rarely comes aloneโbefore the matter of the babyโs skin could be resolved, the third masterโs concubine discovered a naked, muscular servant hiding under her bed.
It was truly a spectacle.
Lady Lan, who was weak-willed, could only cry and say nothing in her defense. Yang Bao tried to speak up for his mother, but it only added fuel to the fireโthe servant, now exposed, tearfully confessed that he had been involved with Lady Lan for over ten years. A quick calculation showed that the timeline coincided with Yang Baoโs age, casting doubt on whether Yang Bao was even a legitimate Yang family member.
What is the hardest thing for a man to accept? Itโs not that his beloved concubine might be a demon, but that his son might not be his own. This realization could drive any man mad.
And to think that such a ridiculous situation befell a tyrant like Master Yang! He couldnโt tolerate it and immediately ordered Lady Lan to be tied up and drowned. Yang Bao threw himself at Master Yang, begging him to believe Lady Lan and spare her life, but Master Yang pushed him away, causing him to fall and hit his head on the edge of a flowerbed, knocking him unconscious.
At this point, the kitchen maid sighed repeatedly, โLater, the Immortal Master said that Lady Lan was a demon and couldnโt be easily drowned. She had to be suppressed in a Taoist temple to prevent her from harming the world. So, despite his anger, Master Yang handed over Lady Lan and the fourth son to the Immortal Masterโฆ I donโt know what happened to them after thatโฆโ
The story was so bizarre that Yu Jinnian was left speechless, unsure of how to respond. If this were a stage play, he would have applauded and called it a wonderfully dramatic, blood-soaked tale. But the fact that it was a true story left him dumbfounded.
After a moment of silent reflection, he could only say, โI canโt believe something like this actually happenedโฆโ
The kitchen maid nodded in agreement, โExactly, who wouldโve thought?โ
The two of them sighed in unison, โSigh.โ
After chatting for a while, both were left feeling somewhat depressed. Yu Jinnian suddenly remembered his mint pudding. He went to deliver it, only to be informed by the servant that Master Yang had already gone to bed. The butler, who seemed quite amiable, thanked Yu Jinnian for his hard work throughout the evening and gave him a small jewelry box inlaid with pearls, containing a pair of walnut ornaments for him to play with. He also offered to arrange for a sedan chair to take him home.
Yu Jinnian, who had no interest in playing with walnuts, declined several times, but the butler seemed somewhat displeased, as if Yu Jinnian was not showing him enough respect. Yu Jinnian didnโt care much for the Yang familyโs ostentatious displays of wealth, but in the end, he accepted the small jewelry box.
No sooner had he accepted the box than a message came from the gatekeeper that a refined young gentleman had arrived at the gate, saying that his younger brother was a guest in the household and he was there to take him home. The gatekeeper was puzzled, asking, โCould it be that heโs come to the wrong house?โ
Upon hearing this, Yu Jinnian immediately raised his hand and shouted, โMe, me, me! Thatโs my older brother! Take me to him!โ
He took a few steps before running back, almost forgetting to take the jar of turmeric powder and shrimp paste he had brought with him!
The gatekeeper looked Yu Jinnian up and down, inside and out, with a hint of disdain, thinking that such a noble young gentleman couldnโt possibly have such an ordinary-looking younger brother.
But as they approached the gate, it turned out to be true. The ordinary-looking youth bounced out of the Yang familyโs gate, spreading his arms like a butterfly and flinging himself into the gentlemanโs arms, softly calling out, โBrother.โ
The sight made the gatekeeperโs teeth ache.
Ji Hong, who had been worried that Yu Jinnian might have been mistreated by the Yang family, was relieved to see him emerge unscathed and carrying a jewelry box he clearly couldnโt have afforded. Just as Ji Hong felt at ease, Yu Jinnian suddenly leaped into his arms, causing him to stumble. Barely managing to keep his balance, Ji Hong was taken aback when Yu Jinnian called out to him so sweetly, as if honey had been smeared on his lips. Ji Hongโs heart skipped a beat, and he asked, โDid you do something wrong again? You didnโt beat someone up, did you?โ
Yu Jinnian, grinning mischievously, said, โLittle Butterfly missed you!โ
Littleโฆ Butterflyโฆ
Ji Hong turned to examine Yu Jinnian closely, wondering if the Yang family had somehow knocked the boy silly.