Chapter 170 -

Chapter 170: Chapter

Zhengyu entered as Liu Feng wheeled him inside. Upon turning around, Yimei’s expression didn’t look quite pleased, she really hated getting interrupted.

Nine closed the system interface and went on standby mode as Yimei stood up and walked over to greet Zhengyu and Liu Feng.

"You both are back... How was Grandmaster Zhang, Madame Zhang, and Chengbang?" she asked, placing a fake smile on her face.

"They were alright, Young Madame. I’ve brought the Young Master back, so I’ll take my leave now," Liu Feng said. He had been wanting to go lie down all day, and now he finally had his free time.

He quickly left and closed the door behind him, leaving Zhengyu and Yimei alone in the room.

"How was your day today, dear husband? I don’t see any bruises on you, so it seems you didn’t try standing today," Yimei said with a small smirk on her face.

Zhengyu scoffed and said calmly, "Whatever I did shouldn’t be your business. Just know that I’ll take my first five steps soon," he said proudly as he rolled his wheelchair toward the bed.

Yimei just rolled her eyes at him and dusted herself off slightly. "You stay and relax. I’ll go help with dinner." With that, she turned and left the room.

Zhengyu, on the other hand, watched her leave and kept staring at the closed door.

There was indeed something about Yimei that always made him sit still and think deeply. Every single time, he wondered what was running through her head. What was she thinking? Was it a new way to teach someone a lesson, a way to make money, or just a way to tease him?

He wondered, but there was one thing he knew about her very well... she was poisonous... but in a very attractive way.

...

By dinner time, the first branch gathered in the main hall, ready to eat. Madame Bai had already sent Qinqin to take food to the second branch so they could eat in their room. After walking and scrubbing all day long, Second Uncle Chengbang, Madame Liu, Ruizhe, and Xinying were way too tired to care. As for the third branch, Third Uncle Bai Chenghao still hadn’t shown his face since yesterday’s drama out of pure shame, hiding away from everyone, while Madame Zhang and Bai Jun ate quietly in her own space, minding her business.

The table was filled with hot food and steaming rice, but everyone noticed the weird way Master Bai was acting toward Madame Zhao. Every few seconds, he was scooping more soup into her bowl, fussing over her like she was made of glass.

Madame Chen stared at her husband, super confused by how he was treating Madame Zhao. She couldn’t help herself and asked jokingly, "Husband, why are you pampering her like that today? Are you pregnant or something, Zhao?"

An Yulan, Shishi, and Wenxiu burst out laughing, thinking it was just a funny joke. But Madame Zhao didn’t laugh, and neither did Master Bai.

Seeing their dead serious faces, the laughter slowly died down. It hit Madame Chen like a shock, Madame Zhao was actually pregnant.

A sharp burst of jealousy and anger flashed across Madame Chen’s face. She hated this so much. But she caught herself quickly, forcing a fake, sweet smile onto her face before Master Bai could catch her real reaction.

Madame Bai, turned to Madame Chen and said gently, "Now that Zhao is expecting, the two of us need to take really good care of her."

"Of course, Sister," Madame Chen replied, keeping her fake smile locked on her face. She reached out with her chopsticks, picked up some food, and dropped it onto Madame Zhao’s plate. "You have to eat well and rest up."

Sitting nearby, Wenliang looked at his mother, Madame Chen, and just shook his head in complete silence. He was so totally sick and tired of his family’s constant drama and hidden hate.

Yimie took a piece of fish and placed it on zhengyus plate as he looked at her... she wasn’t looking at him or talking yet her hands were moving around the table and placing different things on his plate.

Just then, Madame Chen stopped eating and smiled softly at Master Bai. "Umm... my dear husband... I just wanted to let you know that since the new year is coming, and after the new year they will start registration for the imperial exam... I want Wenliang to register."

Hearing that, everyone shifted their focus onto Madame Chen and Master Bai. But Yimei’s eyes still looked lost in thought, making Zhengyu wonder what on earth she was thinking about.

"Oh... I see," Master Bai said, turning to look at Wenliang, who coughed slightly. This wasn’t his first time taking the imperial exam; he had already failed multiple times, but the Bai family hadn’t completely given up on him yet.

"Madame Chen... why do you still have to bring up Brother Wenliang’s exams? Everyone here knows he’s just going to end up failing this one as well," Bai Meiling said bluntly.

Her words echoed the exact thought in everyone’s minds, making Bai Rulan and Bai Shu almost laugh out loud.

Madame Bai lightly tapped Bai Meiling’s arm, but the girl just looked back at her mother, giving her a look that clearly said, ’You know I’m right.’

"You brat! What nonsense are you saying?!" Madame Chen gasped, her face flushing red with anger. "Master Bai, look at how this girl is talking bad about her brother right in front of—"

"But she isn’t wrong, is she?" Master Bai cut her off directly.

His cold words made the entire atmosphere instantly shift. Wenliang, who had been holding his head down in shame, finally looked up to stare at his father.

"Wenliang has been nothing but a disappointment," Master Bai scolded in front of everyone. "All these years, his own peers have already joined the court! Most of them have already made a name for themselves, yet he keeps failing and failing. I asked him two years ago, if you can’t pass, why don’t you just learn the family business? And he refused! Look at him now! He’s nowhere in life. Always drinking and drunk, doing absolutely nothing useful with his time!"

The entire dining table fell dead silent. Wenliang tightly clenched his fists underneath the table, his knuckles turning white, while Madame Chen’s face went completely sour.

An Yulan, on the other hand, just stared at Wenliang with a hidden glint in her eyes, thinking to herself: [All of this scolding is definitely going to shape him up! My husband will become a scholar, and I will finally get out of this hellhole!]

She smiled happily to herself and went right back to eating.

Master Bai sighed heavily, turning his gaze back to Madame Chen. "How much is the registration fee this year?"

Madame Chen’s smile instantly returned. "Just thirty taels... just like last year."

Thirty taels used to be a small amount for the wealthy Bai family, but now that they were stuck here in the southwest without access to their past fortunes, thirty taels was a huge sum of money.

"I see," Master Bai said, his face stern. "I will try to see what I can do. But while I’m working on getting the money, Wenliang needs to make sure he studies hard and stays far away from alcohol. This will be the absolute last time the Bai family pays for his registration! He better pass this exam whether he likes it or not!"

Madame Chen immediately began celebrating with her daughters at the table. But just as everyone went back to eating, Yimei finally seemed to come out of her trance.

She set her chopsticks down on the wooden table with a sharp clack, then turned her cold eyes directly toward Master Bai.

"If you decide to pay for Wenliang’s registration," Yimei began, her voice was smooth, "Then Let me be the one to tutor him."