After the mind-reading and gossip-eating incident, officials in the imperial city were demoted one a

After Ye Yaoyao finished eating the gossip from the Wei family, she realized that only she and her brother were left in the private room.

“They’ve all left, we should go back too.” Ye Li’an stood up and straightened his sleeves.

"Big brother, where is Fu Ling?" Ye Yaoyao looked around but couldn't find Fu Ling.

“Fu Ling said you encountered a suspicious scholar in the alley. Seeing your curiosity, I asked her to investigate.”

Since my older brother has brought it up, I can just say it directly.

"Brother, isn't Uncle investigating Zhao Qingrou? I vaguely remember that scholar meeting Zhao Qingrou before; I saw them together once."

"Then let's start the investigation with the scholar."

Ye Li'an smiled faintly and walked towards the door.

Thankfully, my older brother didn't ask me why I hadn't mentioned it before.

Ye Li'an's lips twitched slightly. I know even if you don't say it.

Stepping out of the room, Ye Yaoyao looked in the direction Lian Jin had passed.

I wonder if that handsome man is still around?

Ye Li'an's brows furrowed tightly as he followed Ye Yaoyao's gaze, his eyes filled with curiosity. There was another room at the very back.

Is there a man who has caught the younger sister's eye? She's mentioned handsome men twice already.

Who is this person?

Ye Li'an secretly made a note of it.

When she got home, it was just time for lunch. Ye Yaoyao smelled the aroma of the food, and her stomach started rumbling.

"Everyone's back. Come and have your meal."

"Mom, what kind of soup is that in front of you? It smells so good."

Ye Yaoyao walked to the table, her eyes fixed on the bowl of soup, her nostrils twitching slightly.

"This is eight-treasure tofu soup, made by Huang Ying."

Huang Ying's cooking skills were quite good, and Liu Yunshu assumed she liked it, so she brought the soup to Ye Yaoyao.

"If you like it, you can have it."

Why did she make soup for you?

Ye Yaoyao frowned slightly, a hint of doubt rising in her heart.

Huang Ying hasn't done this job in a long time.

"She begged me to let her go back to see her parents."

Ye Yaoyao picked up a spoon and gently stirred the soup. The thick soup swirled and released an even richer aroma.

She took a small sip, her brows furrowed instantly, and then she put down the spoon.

[Oh! I forgot, Huang Ying's parents worked for her maternal grandfather's family. When the Liu family was found to have committed crimes, they must have played a part in it.]

Liu Yunshu then explained:

"Huang Ying's parents were assigned to work on the estate."

Knowing that Huang Ying had betrayed her master, Liu Yunshu instructed Mu Yunmeng to send Huang Ying's parents to a manor outside the city, and then find another excuse to get rid of them later.

"Oh! No wonder she wanted to make soup for her mother!"

[It's a shame to add slow-acting poison to this light, delicious, and non-greasy nourishing soup.]

Ye Yaoyao's thoughts made the people at the table pause in their eating.

Poisoning? It must have been ordered by that scumbag father!

Ye Li'an's face instantly darkened, Ye Jingyang put down his chopsticks that were about to pick up some food, and Ye Xiyao gritted her teeth.

The once delicious food now tasted like chewing wax, and could no longer whet their appetite.

They all looked at Liu Yunshu. At this moment, they felt absolutely no affection for their scumbag father.

Nothing is impossible, Liu Yunshu said calmly, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"Mother, Huang Ying is definitely more obedient to that bastard... Father now, so we shouldn't eat anything she brings in the future."

"Okay, Mom, I will listen to you."

After lunch, Liu Yunshu carried two exquisite silk bags in her hands. The embroidered patterns on the bags were lifelike, one depicting peach blossoms and the other plum blossoms, with fine stitches showcasing superb craftsmanship.

"It's so pretty, Mother, I love it." Ye Yaoyao took the backpack embroidered with peach blossoms.

The noble ladies all carried exquisite book boxes when they went to the girls' school, while Ye Yaoyao felt like a 'bad student'.

Touching the soft fabric, I thought that this practical little backpack was more to my liking. It would be convenient and inconspicuous to take with me when I go out.

"Mother, I'm going next door this afternoon to learn martial arts from Aunt Xin."

"Okay." Liu Yunshu nodded gently.

Under the shade of the trees in the Xin family's courtyard, Ye Yaoyao and Ye Xiyao stood upright with their backs straight and their legs slightly apart, trying their best to maintain a horse stance.

Time passed slowly, and their foreheads were covered in sweat, which slid down their cheeks.

Ye Yaoyao felt as if countless fine needles were piercing her legs, causing excruciating pain. Her body swayed involuntarily, as if she might collapse at any moment.

"Host, keep going, hang in there!" the system would occasionally encourage.

[System, why don't you have those cheat-level pills?]

[Host, the power you gain yourself is the strongest. Don't indulge in unrealistic fantasies.]

【I can't think of a solution!】

Ye Xiyao, standing beside her, gritted her teeth and tried her best to persevere, but her body was also trembling.

She was a seventeen-year-old girl who knew she had passed the best age to learn martial arts, but the thought of the tragic situation she might face in the future made her even more anxious.

He secretly vowed to persevere no matter what, even if it only made his body stronger and gave him a little more strength to resist fate.

"Xiyao, Yaoyao, you must persevere. An hour will pass quickly. You'll get used to it after squatting for a while. I've been doing this since I was a child."

Xin Chuli remained as steady as a rock, her legs, which were half-squatting, did not move at all, and her gaze towards the two was full of encouragement.

Xin Chuli almost fell off a cliff last time, so Madam Xin intensified her training.

Under the pavilion not far away, Madam Xin and Liu Yunshu sat facing each other, with exquisite tea sets and pastries laid out on the stone table in front of them.

"Don't worry, your two daughters are both very determined."

Madam Xin took a sip of tea and said with a smile.

"Yes! My daughters are like warm cotton-padded jackets, they rarely give me any trouble."

Although Liu Yunshu felt sorry for them, he was unwilling to let them stop and rest, considering the future fate of the family.

"Sister Xin, are you going to a girls' school?"

Ye Yaoyao felt that time was passing too slowly, so she decided to chat to distract herself.

"I'm not very good at music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, so I might as well learn something more practical."

Xin Chuli frowned slightly, her tone carrying a hint of nonchalance.

"My younger sister said the same thing. What I've learned can only cultivate my character and pass the time by playing the piano occasionally."

Ye Xiyao's eyes showed a hint of confusion, and she suddenly felt that she had wasted seventeen years of her life.

"Sister, you're really good at doing accounts." Ye Yaoyao noticed her confusion.

Most noble ladies were confined to their homes to learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and then they would compete with each other everywhere. When they reached a certain age, they were supposed to find a husband from a family of equal social standing to solidify their family's position. It was indeed a bit boring.

"Keeping accounts? Couldn't you open a shop with that?"

"Open a shop? No noble lady would open a shop in public."

Ye Xiyao was confused.

"There's no rule that says daughters of officials or noble families can't open shops."

Ye Yaoyao raised her voice a few decibels, trying to dispel Ye Xiyao's concerns. Her sister was a well-behaved girl, living a life of conformity just like her daughters.

Officials are not allowed to open stalls, but there are no restrictions on their families. After all, the Holy Capital cannot be just a place where ordinary people set up small stalls!