Chapter 45: We’re Back

The maid muttered, “Master is so biased. This is clearly Madam’s property, yet he wants to hand everything over to that illegitimate son from the concubine!”

“It’s fine. After traveling around and inspecting the shops, I already have a good idea of which ones we need to take control of. Just like that man said earlier—relying on yourself means you’ll never lose.”

Liang Tian’er, only seventeen, had eyes that burned with determination. She was set on carving out her own path.

What she didn’t expect was that her journey down the path of the Secret Seasoning would end before it even began.

“Shopkeeper Liang, we found it. I had someone ask Wang Xiaoshu, and we finally got the answer. That child is from the Bai Family in Niantao Village.”

Shopkeeper Liang: “Okay! I’ll tidy up right away and head over.”

Having already tasted the grilled meat before, Liang Tian’er immediately got up.
“I’m coming too.”

……

Niantao Village.

Bai Tian carried his daughter in one arm, held his son’s hand with the other, and had a basket strapped to his back filled with a jin of smoked meat, several Meat-filled Steamed Buns, and a package of pastries from the Capital City that he’d gotten for free.

He bounced proudly into the house, tilted his head back, and shouted brightly,
“We’re home!”

Juanjuan, who was jolted so hard she nearly flew out of his arms: …

She quickly patted her father. “Daddy, I want to get down.”

Bai Yunxing silently picked up a Meat-filled Steamed Bun from the floor, deciding that the dirty one should be given to Dad.

Serves him right for bouncing around like that—so high he knocked a bun right out of the basket.

“Juanjuan! What fun things did you see in town with Daddy?”

Hearing the commotion, Jiang Dai came out and scooped Juanjuan up again just as she had landed on the ground.

Juanjuan, being passed around like a parcel: …

The little girl earnestly recounted everything that had happened in town to her mother.

When she got to the part about someone mistaking them for someone else on the way back, Bai Tian suddenly remembered he had unfinished business—with his third son.

“Where’s the third one?”

Jiang Dai replied, “The third? He went out to dig sweet potatoes. Why?”

“Heh, why?”
Bai Tian let out a cold laugh. “I think that one or two taels of silver he brought back last time weren’t found on the street at all. He must’ve traded some kind of Secret Seasoning to a restaurant for it.”

Jiang Dai: ?

She turned to the son beside her. “Weren’t you with your third brother? Did he really find the silver, or did he trade something for it?”

Bai Yunxing answered truthfully, “I followed him out, but lost track of him. When I ran into him again at the street corner, he already had the silver.”

He wasn’t lying—he was telling the truth. He just left out a few minor details.

Like what exactly he’d been up to during that time.

“Hey! Mom, Dad, you’re both here!”

A child’s excited voice came from the doorway.

Juanjuan immediately looked over and saw the very person their parents had been looking for—their Third Brother.

Bai Yunan stood at the door with a huge basket of sweet potatoes on his back, beaming with surprise and delight at Bai Tian.

“Dad, Dad, Dad! Did you bring back anything yummy from the city?”

Bai Yunan bounced into the room, looking completely unaware that his little secret was about to be exposed.

“Third, where did that one or two taels of silver come from last time? Did you really find it?”

Bai Tian put the buns away and asked his third son seriously.

Under the watchful eyes of his parents, brother, and sister, Bai Yunan answered with great confidence,
“Of course I found it! What, you think I earned it?”

As he spoke, he bent down to check if there were any Meat-filled Steamed Buns left.

But Bai Tian stepped in and blocked him.

With sharp eyes, Bai Yunan spotted a Meat-filled Steamed Bun in his brother’s hand.

Quick as lightning, he bent down and took a bite out of it.

Bai Yunxing: “Wait a—”

Before he could finish, the third brother had already wolfed down the entire bun.

After finishing, he looked at him and said, “It’s just a bun! Look how many sweet potatoes I dug up! I got eight today!”

Bai Yunxing: …

【Forget it. I was actually going to say that bun was the one Dad bounced out of the basket earlier and dropped on the ground. I was saving it for him.】

Juanjuan, who heard her brother’s inner thoughts: …

She looked at her Third Brother with a trace of pity.