Chapter 52: Don’t Ever Spare Her for My Sake

The servant boy bristled with indignation upon hearing Madam Zou’s words.

“Who are you calling an uncouth village woman?” he snapped.

“This lady is a distinguished guest of my master! Not only are you making a scene at the master’s doorstep, but you’re also showing disrespect to a guest of honor! With your behavior, how dare you even dream of seeking an audience with him? Forget it!”

“What… what?” Madam Zou was dumbstruck.

“She’s your esteemed guest? How could she be? Isn’t she here to deliver goods?”

“Who said she’s just here to deliver goods?” The servant boy glanced at Ye Xin Ran for confirmation. Seeing her nod, he continued, “Yes, she’s here to deliver goods. So what? Even a delivery guest is a guest of honor in our household!”

Truth be told, his mistress’s health depended entirely on Lady Ye’s treatment. The boy, though typically proud and aloof, understood this very well: offending Lady Ye was absolutely out of the question. Not only did she need to be treated with care, but she also had to be held in high esteem.

When Madam Zou heard that Ye Xin Ran was Wei Jing Zhi’s esteemed guest, she immediately tried to change her tone. Slapping her thigh, she exclaimed, “Oh dear! This is all just a big misunderstanding! Isn’t this like a flood crashing into the Dragon King’s temple, family members failing to recognize each other? I’m Ran Er’s mother. Since Ran Er is a guest of honor, can’t my son Sheng also benefit from her favor?”

“She’s your mother?” The servant boy was taken aback.

Didn’t this woman just call Lady Ye a crude village woman? How could she be her mother?

Ye Xin Ran nodded calmly. “She was my mother, but as of earlier, we’ve severed ties.”

“No, no, no! We haven’t severed ties!” Madam Zou waved her hands frantically. “How could we sever ties? Ran Er, I raised you with such care, enduring so much hardship to bring you up. Now that you’ve climbed the social ladder, you’re refusing to acknowledge me?”

“You were the one who loudly declared the severance of our ties just now. Everyone heard it,” someone in the crowd interjected.

“Exactly!” echoed another.

“You said it yourself!” Several people joined in, unable to stand by silently any longer.

“What business is it of yours?” Madam Zou could no longer maintain her carefully constructed image as a dignified lady. She turned on the crowd, scolding, “This is a family matter. What does it have to do with you? Mind your own business!”

“What a shrew!” someone muttered.

“Indeed, having a mother like that is just bad luck!” others whispered.

Amid the murmurs, the servant boy personally set down the mounting block and courteously helped Ye Xin Ran into the carriage. His respectful demeanor left the onlookers envious.

After all, this servant boy, despite his young age, was notorious for his pride. He usually treated people with an air of indifference. For him to show such deference to this woman, it was evident that she was truly an honored guest of Director Wei.

Realizing this, everyone turned their eyes back to Madam Zou. She had visited several times before, and seeing her throw away such a good connection and cause a rift with her daughter now only made her appear even more foolish, a classic case of squandering an excellent hand.

As the servant boy departed with Ye Xin Ran, the crowd began to disperse, leaving Madam Zou standing alone, stewing in her humiliation.

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On the way, Ye Xin Ran couldn’t help but smile as she thought back to the look of frustration and defeat on Madam Zou’s face. It was incredibly satisfying.

Sitting across from her, the servant boy noticed her expression and couldn’t resist asking, “Lady Ye, was that woman really your mother?”

“She is,” Ye Xin Ran replied matter of factly.

“Then earlier… did I overstep by speaking to her like that?” The boy still felt a bit uneasy.

“No need to worry,” Ye Xin Ran reassured him. “I have nothing to do with her anymore. Just remember: no matter what, don’t agree to any of her requests for my sake. In fact, if you want to honor me, make sure she doesn’t get what she wants.”

“Of course!” Tong Jian, the servant boy, puffed out his chest confidently.

“Hey,” Ye Xin Ran suddenly remembered something and asked curiously, “Why did they call you Steward Tong earlier? Is it because you’re a servant boy?”

“Of course not!” Tong Jian looked at her with a strange expression. “They call me Steward Tong because my last name is Tong. You can just call me Tong Jian.”

“Oh, I see!” Ye Xin Ran responded with a look of sudden understanding.

“You’re so young and already a steward, impressive!”

Tong Jian’s expression turned awkward for a moment. “It’s not because I’m impressive. It’s just that the master doesn’t want to hire too many people, so I have to fill in.”

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The carriage soon arrived at Yun Bian Village. After escorting Ye Xin Ran back to her home, Tong Jian returned to report to his master.

When the children saw Ye Xin Ran return, they all gathered around her excitedly.

“Auntie, how did it go? Did that man named Wei make things difficult for you?” Chang Ping asked.

“Auntie, were you scared?” Chang An added.

“Auntie, is Madam Wei’s illness very serious?” Chang Sheng inquired with concern.

Ye Xin Ran smiled and gently tapped each of the children on the head. “Don’t worry. Your auntie’s medical skills are top-notch!”

“Auntie is amazing!” Chang An said with a face full of admiration.

Ye Xin Ran pulled a few pieces of candy from her sleeve and handed them to the children. “Auntie’s a bit tired. Take the candy and go play. Auntie needs to rest.”

Hearing this, Chang Sheng immediately ushered his younger brothers away. “Don’t bother her. I’ll take you outside to play so Auntie can rest properly.”

“Let’s go watch them repair the dam. I heard they caught some fish in the water yesterday,” Chang An suggested.

“Okay, but you should change your shoes first,” Chang Sheng replied.

The three children quickly left the courtyard, leaving Ye Xin Ran alone. She went back to her room, not to rest, but to check the status of her mystical space.

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Within the space, Ye Xin Ran climbed the staircase to the third floor. The thick mist that shrouded the area remained unchanged.

For now, treating Madam Leng’s uterine prolapse and Xiao Huai’an’s injured leg would require surgery, but the surgical room in her space had yet to unlock. She still hadn’t figured out what triggered the fog to dissipate and reveal new features of the space.

Ye Xin Ran sighed and descended to the second floor, where production of the cardiac pills had just begun. The reactor for the “Xue Yan Cream” was nearing the final stage of production. In three days, she could use the latest batch of cream to heal the scars on her face.

She instinctively touched the scars on her face and thought about the challenges ahead. To produce more “Xue Yan Cream”, she needed more “Ice Spirit Flowers”. Unfortunately, they were rare, and she hadn’t found any elsewhere yet.

This was a significant problem. While she had purchased Dong Shan to cultivate medicinal herbs, her current supply of herbs was far from sufficient.

It seemed she would need to venture deeper into the mountains with Xiao Huai’an to search for more resources. This trip would not only be crucial for her own needs but also for the larger goal of ensuring a steady supply of essential herbs.