RYEY -Chapter 349 Lowering One’s Generation

Ye Ling rummaged through several parcels, picked out the smallest one, and handed it to Ye Jun. Ye Jun glanced at the other large packages she had brought and couldn’t help curling his lips.

Ye Ling shrank her neck slightly, thinking to herself: The package may be small, but what’s inside is worth more than all those big parcels combined. Little Uncle really has no eye for good things.

“Little Uncle, just open it and take a look.”

Ye Jun opened the package. Inside, besides a letter, there was a jade box. When he saw the jade box, he glanced at Cheng Qiao. After she nodded, he lifted the lid.

Inside lay a piece of ginseng, about fifty years old, already processed. Perhaps the person who processed it lacked skill, because much of the ginseng’s essence had been lost.

Still, Ye Ling was extremely excited. This was something her old man had pondered over for months before finally being willing to part with it. After all, such good ginseng was not easy to come by.

“What kind of trash is this? Take it back. I don’t want it.”

Ye Jun directly returned the jade box to Ye Ling. The ginseng Cheng Qiao, his disciple, casually took out was far superior to this dried stuff—by far.

Ye Ling: “……”

Cheng Qiao nearly burst out laughing. She hurried to the kitchen to prepare the meal. She had known since childhood that Ye Ling was greedy for food. The last time she saw her, Ye Ling was still a bit chubby; she really didn’t know how she had slimmed down.

Ye Ling ignored everything and shoved the jade box back at Ye Jun, then followed Cheng Qiao out. She hooked an arm around Cheng Qiao’s shoulder, smiling brightly as she stretched out her hand.

“Good Cheng Qiao, that health-preserving pill works so well. Give me a few, will you?”

“Didn’t Grandpa Ye give you any?”

“Him? He’s stingy to death. One pill a month, and he nags endlessly about it. Since you’re the one who made those pills, I’ll be relying on you from now on.”

Cheng Qiao smiled. She slipped her hand into her pocket and took out a porcelain bottle. Inside were three health-preserving pills—one per month, guaranteed to keep you energetic and refreshed.

Ye Ling hurriedly took it, carefully hid it in her clothing pocket, and even patted it twice, afraid it might get lost.

At last, it was time to eat. Ye Ling finally got to enjoy the fragrant dishes. But when she took her first bite of rice, her eyes flickered, and the look she gave Cheng Qiao became somewhat complicated.

No wonder her father said there was something fishy about Cheng Qiao.

She herself had seen the Ye family’s ancestral ancient prescription manual. Yet no one had ever been able to successfully prepare anything from it. It wasn’t just the lack of medicinal ingredients—there was also a lack of specialized techniques. But after Cheng Qiao was taken in as a disciple, the pills described in that manual appeared one after another. Cheng Qiao must have played the decisive role.

This trip to the capital wasn’t just about buying property; it was also about building a good relationship with Cheng Qiao. Ye Ling wanted to know exactly what secrets Cheng Qiao carried—secrets so coveted that even the Wu family wanted to seize them.

Moreover, that old man of the Wu family even intended to betroth Wu Xiaolin to Cheng Li. What a joke. Her own niece, Ye Gui, had also just turned six. Why let benefits flow to outsiders?

“Cheng Qiao, you might not know this, but my eldest and second brothers are already married. One of their children is eight years old—a boy—and the other is six, a little girl. When I have time, I’ll bring them here to play.”

Cheng Qiao immediately understood Ye Ling’s meaning. But she really didn’t like her child being so openly schemed over. She smiled gently and said,

“Your nephews and nieces are from the same generation as me. My children would have to salute them as elders.”

Ye Ling froze for a moment, clearly not expecting that. After thinking it over, she spoke decisively:

“Back then, when your parents saw my father, they addressed him as ‘Old Leader’ out of courtesy. When they saw me and my eldest and second brothers, they politely called us little brother and little sister. But in reality, I’m only twenty-eight this year, just a few years older than you. You should be calling me ‘sister,’ and I should be calling you ‘younger sister.’

“Besides, your master is my younger paternal uncle. Wouldn’t it be even more reasonable for you to call me ‘sister’?”

Ye Ling went on and on, talking nonstop, until Cheng Qiao was completely bewildered.

Ye Jun stood at the doorway, listening to the chirping inside—of course, all from his little niece—and couldn’t help smiling.

If little Cheng Li were to find a wife, choosing little Gui would definitely be a good deal.

It felt as if a hundred ducks were flying past Cheng Qiao’s ears. When Ye Ling finally stopped talking, Cheng Qiao at last understood her meaning. To forge this marriage tie, Ye Ling was even willing to lower her own generation.

Thinking it through, Cheng Qiao realized that back then her father had only, out of politeness, asked her to call Ye Ling “aunt.” In fact, judging by her status as Ye Jun’s disciple, it was also correct for her to call Ye Ling “sister.”

“Sister Ye Ling, I understand everything you’ve said. But matters concerning the children should be decided by the children themselves. Besides, they’re still young.”

Ye Ling nodded. In any case, her old man was already making arrangements. Once Cheng Qiao finished her second year, she would be transferred to Hexi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. When that happened, little Cheng Li would definitely go too. She would then arrange for little Gui to go there as well.

She refused to believe that two children who grew up as childhood sweethearts could end up benefiting that Wu family girl. If it really happened, it would only prove that her little Gui was inferior to the Wu family’s girl.

Early the next morning, Ye Ling saw Ye Jing. The moment she laid eyes on the child, she liked him. Quiet and gentle, like a little girl—even more reserved than little Nuan beside him.

“Ye Jing, I’m your grandaunt—no, I’m your aunt.”

Ye Jun looked up at the sky speechlessly, wishing a bolt of lightning would strike this sharp-tongued girl who never thought before speaking.

“Hello, Aunt. I’m Ye Jing, and this is my younger sister, Xiao Nuan. We’re fraternal twins born of the same mother.”

“Aunt knows. Here—these are Aunt’s greeting gifts for you.”

Ye Ling took out four red envelopes—one each for the twins, one for Li Ming. But when she saw little Cheng Li, she finally understood why the Wu family had set their sights on him.

Little Cheng Li was practically a replica of Cheng Qiao. His slightly bewitching features also carried a manly firmness, making him exceptionally pleasing to the eye. Those pitch-black eyes even seemed to sparkle with starlight; one careless glance, and you could easily drown in them.

“Little Cheng Li, you’re really… unexpectedly good-looking.”

Little Cheng Li took the red envelope from Ye Ling, his face turning red as he stepped back. He looked at Cheng Qiao for help.

“Mom, I’m going to be late for school.”

“Come on, Aunt will take you to school.”

So Ye Jun, Cheng Qiao, and Ye Ling led the four children out of the courtyard house—first dropping off the twins at the nursery, then little Cheng Li at elementary school, and finally Li Ming at kindergarten.

“Li Ming looks almost as tall as little Cheng Li. What did he eat growing up?”

Ye Ling knew Li Ming was two years younger than Cheng Li, yet the two children were almost the same height. That was rather strange. She knew Cheng Qiao would never mistreat Cheng Li.

“This child has excessively abundant energy and a huge appetite. That’s why he’s enrolled in the kindergarten inside the military compound and receives special training. By the way, his martial arts instructor is Liang Qingya.”

“Uncle Liang—has he gotten married?”

Cheng Qiao shook her head. Ye Ling fell silent.

Zhao Min had been gone for so many years, and he still hadn’t walked out of that past. Such a devoted man was practically an endangered species. In any case, she herself would never encounter one like that.

Finally, Cheng Qiao took Ye Ling to Qijun Clothing Store. The shop was just about to open. When Qin Yue saw Ye Ling, her eyes flickered slightly.

Was something about to happen again?