Early the next morning, after Ye Chutang and the others paid their respects to their ancestors, they headed to the Ye Family’s ancestral tomb.

Originally, a master was supposed to preside over the sacrificial ceremony, but Ye Chutang felt that asking Master Shiyuan to make another trip would be too ostentatious. As for others, there was no one she particularly esteemed, so she simply decided against it.

Ye Chutang took out a bag containing the five grains that Master Shiyuan had specially given them.

She raised a slender hand and silently recited a prayer.

Yan and A Feng handled the digging and opening of the tomb themselves, not allowing anyone else to help.

Ye Chutang then opened the dusty, black sandalwood box, took a handful of the blood-red earth, and scattered it over the bottom of the coffin pit.

The sky was overcast, and the atmosphere was solemn and dignified.

Once the coffins were in place, Ye Jingyan handed her a shovel from the side.

Ye Chutang turned her head to meet his gaze.

"Yan, you should be the one to cast the first shovelful."

But Ye Jingyan shook his head. "This should be the eldest son’s duty, but since our older brother is gone, it falls to you, sister."

If not for their sister, they would have long ago become vengeful spirits, lost to the snow.

In his heart, no one could surpass his sister, not even himself.

Seeing his stubborn expression, Ye Chutang didn’t insist and offered a faint smile.

"Alright."

She took it and shoveled a pile of fresh earth onto the head of the coffin.

Only then did Yan and A Feng follow suit. Xiao Wu, in a daze, also stepped forward to toss a handful of soil. Together, they filled the grave, completing the burial ceremony.

Father and Mother were buried together, with their older brother resting beside them.

Their names were inscribed on the newly erected headstone.

There were no longer any unrelated people.

’Their names are finally on a single headstone together. In a way, it’s a reunion.’

A light rain suddenly began to fall, its pitter-patter mixing with the scent of freshly turned earth, inexplicably calming the heart.

Ye Chutang’s hand gently caressed the headstone before she stepped back and stood still.

Raindrops landed on her forehead, cool against her skin.

However, she did not wipe them away.

Xiao Wu stood beside her, holding her hand and staring blankly ahead, an inexplicable tightness gripping her heart.

She looked up at Ye Chutang, but could only see her sister’s serene profile.

Xiao Wu opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

For some reason, large tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.

"Xiao Wu?"

Ye Jingyan was the first to notice her condition.

Ye Chutang also looked down.

Xiao Wu looked up, her clear eyes now bloodshot.

She unconsciously tightened her grip on Ye Chutang’s hand.

Ye Chutang bent down and gently wiped away her scalding tears.

Xiao Wu didn’t know why she was crying, but she couldn’t stop the tears. Her small body shook with sobs.

Ye Chutang simply pulled her into her arms.

"It’s raining."

She gently patted Xiao Wu’s back and cast one last glance at the new grave mound.

"Let’s go."

...

Xiao Wu had cried so hard that she fell into a deep sleep after they returned.

That night, she developed a high fever.

Ye Chutang stayed up all night, constantly wiping her down and changing the cool water.

After a restless night, Xiao Wu’s fever finally broke as dawn was breaking.

She snuggled in Ye Chutang’s arms, tear tracks still visible at the corners of her eyes, as if she hadn’t found peace even in her dreams.

Ye Chutang glanced outside.

The rain had been falling since yesterday afternoon. Though it wasn’t heavy, the damp chill was still uncomfortable.

Ye Chutang got up and shut the window tightly. Suddenly, footsteps sounded from the corridor outside.

"Sister!"

Ye Chutang turned, pressing a finger to her lips to signal him to be quiet.

"Xiao Wu is still sleeping."

Ye Yunfeng quickly quieted down and slowed his steps.

Ye Chutang noticed he was holding something.

"Why the sudden visit?"

Ye Yunfeng came up to her and handed over the object. "Sister, a letter came for you!"

Ye Chutang reached out and took it.

The envelope bore elegant handwriting—"For Ye Chutang to open personally."

Ye Yunfeng looked curious. "Whose letter is this? We’ve only been back for two days, how did we already get mail?"

’Doesn’t that mean the sender already knew we weren’t in the Capital City anymore, but in Qingzhou?’

Ye Chutang raised an eyebrow. "What’s so strange about that? We weren’t exactly hiding when we left the Capital City."

"True." Ye Yunfeng recalled the two days before they left the Capital City and clicked his tongue. "The news had already spread before we even left. Several of my classmates even came to ask me about it."

In the past, nobody would have cared much about what they did or didn’t do.

But—

"Ever since Yunlai Tavern opened, the number of people coming to see me and my older brother has multiplied. Even a few of the Assistant Teachers have gotten curious, asking how you came up with the recipes for those liquors, sis."

Ye Yunfeng found it utterly unbearable.

’How was he supposed to tell them that he didn’t know either?’

’His sister had done so many things quietly over the years. It would be stranger if he knew every single detail.’

While opening the letter, Ye Chutang smiled. "Just answer them truthfully."

’The brewing techniques here are no match for those of later generations. In terms of both purity and flavor, she only needed to make a few slight improvements to easily start a successful business.’

’It’s just that A Feng was never interested in these things, so she rarely brought them up.’

’She herself wasn’t interested in liquor; it was all just a means for her to make money.’

Just as she thought, Ye Yunfeng huffed. "Just because they ask, does that mean I have to tell them?"

’Even he couldn’t fathom the full extent of his sister’s abilities, let alone anyone else.’

Inside the envelope was a single, thin sheet of paper with only a few lines of writing.

Ye Yunfeng caught sight of the signature and froze. "Su Pei’er?"

’It’s a letter from her?’

Ye Chutang quickly finished reading the letter. The content was simple: Su Pei’er had taken the Silver Taels she’d been given and gone to Shiluan City.

It was a brand-new place for her, where she could leave her past behind and start over.

After a busy period, she had now settled down there and had written this letter specifically to thank Ye Chutang.

Ye Chutang nodded. "She’s very thoughtful."

Ye Yunfeng felt like something wasn’t quite right, but seeing his sister’s calm and composed expression, he figured he was just overthinking it.

Ye Chutang put the letter away, then looked at him and asked, "Have you finished your schoolwork for today?"

Ye Yunfeng’s expression instantly froze, a hint of guilt in his eyes.

"Ah? Oh, almost, almost done!"

’When he first learned that his sister was having them take a month’s leave from school, he thought he was finally free and was happy for a long time.’

’But as soon as they arrived here, his sister had started assigning him schoolwork personally!’

’He hadn’t even looked at his three assigned parallel prose essays for the day!’

Ye Chutang, easily guessing his thoughts, added a light reminder, "Your workload is only half of your third brother’s."

Ye Yunfeng: "..."

He scratched his head. "Sis, I find that stuff so incredibly boring! Why don’t you just find me a couple of military books to read? I like those!"

Ye Chutang gave him a half-smile.

"Military books?"

"And can you even read all the words in them?"