Glory

"If not for the fact that the young gentleman seemed proper and the young lady didn't speak anything inappropriate with him—only discussing local customs and interesting anecdotes without any impropriety—this servant would certainly have stopped the young lady and reported to the mistress," the maid added.

"Hmph," Tao Shi snorted coldly. "Bring the young lady here."

The maid went off anxiously, and soon Ye Yaqing was summoned.

Old Madam Ye was still waiting for a reply, so Tao Shi didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "Who is that Yang Chuzhi?"

Ye Yaqing had already heard from the maid on the way and was feeling guilty.

But she was an obedient daughter and would never dare to lie to her mother.

She lowered her head, twisting her handkerchief, and said, "He didn't say, and I didn't feel it appropriate to ask. We... we were just chatting casually to give Miss Su and her cousin more time to talk. We didn't do anything improper."

"Would you dare say you have no feelings or thoughts about him?" Tao Shi asked pointedly.

Ye Yaqing remained silent, her head hanging even lower.

At first, she hadn't paid him much attention. But the young man was handsome, witty, and knowledgeable. Speaking with him made Ye Yaqing feel particularly happy.

Lately, she found herself occasionally recalling something he had said; if she didn't see him for a while, she would miss him.

After being involved in marriage discussions for so long, Ye Yaqing was no longer a naive young girl who understood nothing and had no thoughts of her own.

In the quiet of the night, she would wonder if this Young Master Yang might also have feelings for her. If he did, would he send someone to propose marriage? If she were to marry him, she wouldn't dislike the idea—in fact, she looked forward to it.

Seeing her daughter silent, Tao Shi gritted her teeth in frustration.

But she knew her daughter's temperament. If she pushed too hard, her daughter might become rebellious and refuse to speak.

Softening her voice, she coaxed, "I heard from Tao'er that Young Master Yang is quite impressive in appearance, attire, and conversation. You know how worried I've been about your marriage—it's turned my hair white. If you think this Young Master Yang is suitable, I can send someone to inquire about him. If he isn't married or betrothed yet, we could ask someone to propose and see if it works out."

These words stirred Ye Yaqing's heart.

She had heard Young Master Yang mention that he wasn't married. But whether he was betrothed, what his family was like, or which family's young master he was—she was curious to know. If there were a chance to spend her life with Young Master Yang, she would naturally be delighted.

She said, "Then, Mother, please send someone to inquire."

"First, tell me what you know about him. I'll try to guess which family's young master he might be," Tao Shi gently urged.

Ye Yaqing then shared what she knew.

Young Master Yang had mentioned that he was a Licentiate, and he lived in a large garden planted with many exotic flowers and rare herbs...

These were things he had mentioned casually. She hadn't felt comfortable asking further, lest she appear too interested in his circumstances.

After finishing, Ye Yaqing said, "Mother, whenever there's a banquet, Miss Su writes to ask if I'm attending. If I don't go, she won't go either; she only goes if I do. There are two more banquets after the New Year. Perhaps I could ask her then about Young Master Yang's background?"

She felt that her mother making such a conspicuous inquiry into Young Master Yang's identity would be rather inappropriate.They had met in private, and only by revealing his existence to her family would the Ye family investigate his identity. Apart from his surname, they knew nothing about him. To inquire about him, they could only go through Miss Su and her cousin's family. Wouldn't word quickly reach his ears this way?

What if Young Master Yang had no interest in her? Even if he did, if it hadn't reached the point of proposing marriage, her inquiries would appear unbecomingly forward for a young lady.

Tao Shi had initially been determined to find out who the man was and what his intentions were. If his family background was ordinary and he had ulterior motives toward her daughter, she would naturally employ various means to punish him.

Additionally, she planned to impose strict discipline on her daughter, forbidding her from attending any more banquets.

But upon hearing that the man was a Licentiate and his family was relatively wealthy, she hesitated.

Holding an official title meant he was not from a merchant background; having wealth indicated his family was either official or aristocratic. Such a person was exactly the kind of match she had always wanted for her daughter. His surname was Yang—could he possibly be from that Yang Hong family?

Still harboring doubts, she asked, "You said that whenever you attend a banquet, Miss Su goes; if you don't go, she doesn't either. At the Mei family banquet, both your sister Ming'er and your sister Yin'er attended. Did Miss Su go?"

"No," Ye Yaqing replied gloomily. "She said it was that time of the month for her and it wasn't convenient to attend."

If Miss Su had gone, she wouldn't have missed seeing Young Master Yang at the banquet, nor would she have been so distracted that her cousin noticed something amiss, leading to her mother's questioning.

"Then next time you write to Miss Su, tell her your cousin isn't going, and it's just you accompanying me to the banquet," Tao Shi said.

She had resolved to first investigate who the man was. It was best not to alert anyone else for now.

"Alright," Ye Yaqing agreed immediately.

Thinking that the New Year was just two days away, and after the New Year, she would see Young Master Yang again, a look of anticipation unconsciously appeared on Ye Yaqing's face.

After dismissing Ye Yaqing, Tao Shi went to the Main House and recounted the matter to Old Mrs. Ye.

She knew that Old Mrs. Ye now regarded Ye Yaming as her most precious treasure. Although Ye Yaming might not have intended any particular favor, Tao Shi was still grateful to her for discerning Ye Yaqing's feelings and alerting her.

So she praised Ye Yaming, saying, "Fortunately, Ming'er has sharp eyes and immediately noticed something off about Qing'er. Otherwise, who knows what might have happened? I know Qing'er is proper and would never do anything disgraceful. But if the other party is scheming deliberately or if she gets implicated because of Miss Su, Qing'er's reputation could be ruined."

"However, we still don't know who the other party is or whether he was just casually chatting with Qing'er to pass the time for his friend's sake or if he has some scheme in mind. I think it's better not to investigate too openly. Let's wait until the next banquet and observe then."

Old Mrs. Ye felt she had fulfilled her duty by raising her own children. As for her grandchildren, their parents could worry about them—she preferred not to interfere.

Hearing that Tao Shi was already on guard, she waved her hand and said, "Fine, as long as you know what you're doing."

After that, Tao Shi and Ye Yaqing, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, celebrated the New Year with their family.

Finally, after the New Year, the day arrived for the banquet at the merchant surnamed Chen's house.

Ye Yaqing, filled with anticipation and excitement, stepped out and saw Ye Yaming helping Old Mrs. Ye into the carriage.She paused her steps, waiting until Tao Shi had seen Old Madam Ye onto the carriage and returned to their own carriage before urgently asking, "Mother, didn't Third Sister say she wasn't going?"