Sir Song, do you want to pledge yourself to me?

When the group returned with their full load, the once bustling scene in the yard had become quiet, as the people who had been invited to help had already gone home. In the kitchen, the aroma of stewed chicken filled the entire courtyard, tempting everyone to eat.

The two brothers Ji Shan and Ji He had a tacit understanding. They carefully cleaned the two largest fish and sent them into the kitchen, and then immediately started to process the small fish and shrimps.

The two brothers were still thinking about the jar of fine wine their younger sister had given their father. Fried fish was the perfect accompaniment to wine.

A large round table was set up in the yard, and the dishes were served one by one, steaming hot and fragrant.

The eldest and second sisters-in-law also arranged meals for the workers and returned home with their two "beans".

Since most of the people were family members, there were no separate tables. The men sat on one side and the women sat on the other. The twelve people just filled up the big round table, making it particularly lively.

Father Ji smiled and took out the good wine that he had been reluctant to drink from the cabinet, and signaled Ji Shan to fill a glass for all the men present.

"I'm so happy that Mr. Song can visit our home today." Father Ji raised his glass, his eyes full of sincerity and enthusiasm, "Come, let me toast Mr. Song."

Song Jinbai, sitting next to him, was so nervous that sweat broke out on his back. After all, he knew what he was thinking best. If he got what he wanted in the future, wouldn't it be too rude today?

He immediately stood up, holding the wine glass steadily with both hands, and looked at Ji's father with a firm and sincere gaze: "Uncle, you are too kind. It should be the younger generation who toasts you first. Thank you and aunt for your hospitality. This glass of wine, I toast you!" After that, he drank it all without hesitation, showing his sincerity and respect.

Seeing this, Ji's father showed an even more satisfied smile on his face: "Oh, Mr. Song is so polite. It is a blessing for our family that you can come to our house. Come, let's eat and drink together!"

Ji Nuan sat opposite, watching Song Jinbai and Ji's father chatting and drinking harmoniously, then she put her attention aside and ate her meal in peace.

After dinner, Song Jinbai took Song Huai to express his gratitude to the Ji family before preparing to leave.

Ji's mother brought a few large fish that she had specially selected in a bucket, and a large bag of small biscuits of various flavors, as a return gift to Song Jinbai.

Song Jinbai expressed his gratitude again before getting on the carriage and leaving with the return gift.

In the afternoon, while there were still peach blossoms in Taohua Creek, Ji Nuan arranged the workers' work and went to collect petals alone.

The eldest sister-in-law was busy preparing cakes, planning to go to the provincial capital tomorrow to see if they could be sold well. The second sister-in-law was concentrating on sewing samples. The yard was peaceful.

However, on the other side of Kaiyun City, Song Huai had just driven his carriage into the city when he keenly noticed that someone was spying on them in the dark.

He immediately became alert and whispered to Song Jinbai in the carriage, "Sir, someone is watching us secretly."

Song Jinbai, who was originally sitting with his eyes closed, immediately sat up straight after hearing this, lifted a corner of the curtain, and glanced outside with a sharp gaze.

Sure enough, at a street corner not far away, a vendor was pretending to organize his goods, but his eyes kept stealing glances at their carriage from time to time.

Song Jinbai whispered, "Tell Yingzhong to check as soon as possible."

Ying Zhong is Song Jinbai's trusted subordinate, and he often secretly protects him when he goes out. He is good at hiding and tracking, and is very experienced in handling such matters.

Upon hearing this, Song Huai immediately agreed, and then conveyed the instructions to Yingzhong in an imperceptible way.

Song Jinbai stepped into the Song residence's study, his steady steps revealing an aura of authority without anger. Inside the study, the afterglow of the setting sun illuminated his furrowed brow.

At this time, Yingzhong pushed the door open and walked in with brisk and steady steps, obviously having already obtained the results of his investigation.

He bowed respectfully and then reported, "Sir, after my subordinates' investigation, the people spying on us do exist. They arrived from the capital a day ago. We have already identified two of them, and they are currently staying at the Laifu Inn."

Song Jinbai narrowed his eyes when he heard this. After thinking for a moment, he slowly said, "Don't alert the enemy yet. Send someone to keep an eye on them in secret."

"Yes, sir." Ying Zhong replied.

"Go and get busy." Song Jinbai waved his hand, indicating that Yingzhong could leave.

Yingzhong bowed again and then quietly left the study.

Peace returned to the study again.

Song Jinbai sat at the desk, tapping the table lightly with his fingers.

"The Liu family really refuses to give up." He murmured to himself.

The Liu family seemed to have regarded him as a thorn in their side and were determined to get rid of him at all costs.

It seems that if he doesn't fight back, the Liu family will only become more arrogant and domineering, thinking that he, Song Jinbai, is a soft persimmon that can be manipulated at will.

"Someone is coming."

Song Jinbai's voice rang out in the study, carrying unquestionable majesty.

Song Huai walked in upon hearing the voice and could tell at a glance that the master was in a bad mood. He bowed more cautiously and whispered, "Sir."

Song Jinbai didn't respond immediately, but instead gazed deeply into the night outside the window, as if weighing how to fight back.

Finally, he turned around and gave Song Huai an order: "Send a message to the capital, ordering Song Yang to take one of Liu Chengxun's legs."

According to the laws of the Eastern Chu Kingdom, people with physical disabilities cannot inherit titles or serve as officials in the court. This is a sharp weapon used by the adults to counter the Liu family's conspiracy.

When Song Huai heard this, his eyes flashed with excitement. He quickly accepted the order and wished he could carry out the mission himself.

Madam Liu had always wanted to get rid of Song Jinbai and have her nephew take his place as the Crown Prince. Song Jinbai had known this ambition since he was old enough to understand. Now, he was going to use this method to tell Madam Liu that she would never be able to achieve her wish.

With Song Huai's departure, the study returned to peace again.

The next day, Ji Nuan and her sister-in-law sat on the ox cart with a basket of cakes.

The Ji family was building houses and doing business, and their lives were getting better and better. The aunts who were traveling to the provincial capital on the same bus were envious and jealous of the Ji family's aunt and sister-in-law.

Aunt Niu saw her sister-in-law holding onto the backpack all the way, looking worried that something might go wrong, so she asked curiously, "What treasure is in that backpack? It's covered so tightly."

The eldest sister-in-law smiled slightly and replied shyly, "They are just some homemade snacks. I plan to take them to the city to test the waters and see if they can be sold."

At this time, Aunt Tian, who always loved to take advantage of others, interrupted and said, "I heard that Xiaoshan's wife has been tinkering with making cakes recently. The yard smells so good all day long that even us neighbors are confused by the fragrance. What kind of cakes are they making? We are all from the same village, so let us take a look."

A strange young woman sitting at the front of the oxcart echoed Auntie Tian's words: "That's right, Xiaoshan's wife, since you are planning to sell it, you should let everyone know. It's not a big deal."

"That's right, the richer people are, the more stingy they are. We are just fellow villagers, so what's wrong with sharing some?" Someone in the crowd murmured softly. As soon as these words were spoken, the aunts in the car all turned their eyes to the backpack, their eyes revealing an attitude that they would not give up until they saw the cakes.

When the sister-in-law heard this, she pursed her lips and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Ji Nuan gently lifted a corner of the bamboo curtain, reached in, and took out a few delicate little cookies. She handed them to the aunts on the ox cart one by one, and said in a gentle voice, "This is our first attempt to sell them in the city. We haven't made many, so please try them first and give us your opinions."

It’s not that Ji Nuan is stingy. She can give things to others on her own initiative, but she doesn’t like being forced to give.

Seeing this, the aunts took the biscuits and smiled with satisfaction on their faces.

Aunt Niu took the first bite, and the crispy and delicious taste spread in her mouth. She smiled and praised, "Oh, Xiaoshan's wife, your cooking skills are really amazing. This pastry is even better than the ones sold in the shops in the city!"

Another aunt chimed in, "It's delicious, but it must have cost a lot of good stuff, right?"

After tasting it, the unfamiliar woman said, "They really used a lot of good ingredients. I can taste eggs, sesame seeds, and sugar. This must be sold at a high price, right? If it's too expensive, will anyone buy it?"

The sister-in-law listened to them talking one after another, and a look of worry appeared on her face.

"Everyone in my family thinks that the taste is in no way inferior to the Baiweilou in the city. Sister-in-law has such a good skill, it would be a waste if we didn't sell it out for some money." Ji Nuan said lightly while praising her sister-in-law's skills, "Even if we can't sell it all, it will go into our own stomachs. It will definitely not be wasted."

When the sister-in-law heard this, her worries and anxieties instantly disappeared, and she looked at Ji Nuan with gratitude.

Aunt Niu also smiled and nodded in agreement: "What Nuan said makes sense. Xiaoshan's wife's cooking skills can not only make the family enjoy delicious food, but also turn it into real money. It really kills two birds with one stone!"

The quick-witted aunt, upon hearing this, became interested and asked tentatively, "Mrs. Xiaoshan, do you have any secret to making this cake?"

"This is my sister-in-law's exclusive secret recipe that she has worked out after many years of exploration. How can I tell others so easily?" Ji Nuan said this to directly refuse to tell them the secret recipe of the pastry.

It's clearly stated that it's someone else's secret recipe. Anyone who knows a little bit should know not to ask.

Upon hearing this, the aunt tactfully changed the subject and chatted with the other aunts around her about trivial family matters. The atmosphere on the ox cart became harmonious again.