Glory

The Ye family, having decided to invest in Song Yifeng and marry their granddaughter to him, would never allow family members or servants to treat Song and his mother with contempt. Yet to the deeply proud yet insecure mother and son, the monthly silver deliveries felt like profound condescension.

Yet they had no choice but to accept the money—a humiliation that gnawed at them.

"Really? The Education Commissioner said that? How wonderful!" Yu Shi's displeasure over Ye Yaming instantly vanished, her face breaking into an unreserved smile.

But her joy soon turned to regret. "Ah, how I regret arranging this marriage for you. You became a Recommended man so young, with such exceptional looks. Had you remained unattached, the Education Commissioner would surely have offered his daughter. If you'd waited until becoming a Presented scholar to marry, capital officials might have competed to wed their daughters to you—perhaps even the imperial family would have sought you as an Imperial Consort."

Her voice grew bitter. "To think you'll marry a merchant's daughter while your colleagues' wives are all officials' daughters. The shame I'll feel mentioning it in society—it twists my heart."

Song Yifeng frowned, his expression darkening.

"My son," Yu Shi whispered, "can we break this engagement?"

He shook his head. "If it were possible, I'd have done so already. Why do you think the Ye family sends us so much silver annually? They recognize my intellect and bet on my becoming a Presented scholar and high official—someone they can rely on in court."

He snorted coldly. "Now that I've achieved Recommended man status, they'd never relinquish their claim. Though mere merchants, their wealth grants them access to the Prefect's advisors. If this reached the Education Commissioner or other officials, branding me faithless, it would be disastrous."

Yu Shi's anger mounted, and she cursed under her breath. Spotting the maid Xiao Xiang standing nearby, she snapped, "The young master is home—why haven't you told the cook to serve the meal? Are you dead? Must I command your every move?"

Xiao Xiang hurried to the kitchen.

Originally from a village thirty li outside Lin'an City, Yu Shi and her son had lived with Song's grandmother, Da Bo, and Er Bo after Song's father died. The impoverished Song family subsisted on meager farmland and tenant farming, their existence perpetually arduous.

As widowed mother and fatherless son, their life grew desperate—often foodless, frequently bullied by the Song relatives.

Yu Shi's natal family urged remarriage, but she refused to abandon her son.

She proved shrewd, resilient, and pragmatic.

Recognizing her son's exceptional intelligence and scholarly promise, she understood their alternatives: remaining in Song Village meant lifelong peasant drudgery with no future, while education—even attaining Licentiate status—could elevate them beyond the Song family's wildest aspirations.After much deliberation, she gritted her teeth and took her son to Lin'an City with money borrowed from her maiden family. She made a living by doing laundry and mending clothes for others while searching for a suitable private school for her son. Once she found one she liked, she moved to live near that private school, continuing to earn money through laundry work while her son went to eavesdrop on the classes.

She believed that once the private school teacher recognized her son's intelligence, he would appreciate his talent and take him on as a student. By then, even if the tuition fee couldn't be waived entirely, it could at least be reduced. If they encountered someone both appreciative of talent and generous, they might not only study for free but even receive some financial support for the mother and son.

At that time, they rented a house near the Yin residence, and Song Yifeng often went to eavesdrop outside Yin De'an's private school.

And things unfolded exactly as Yu Shi had anticipated: Yin De'an accidentally discovered Song Yifeng's exceptional intelligence, developed an appreciation for his talent, immediately took him on as a student, and only symbolically charged a minimal tuition fee.

Studying was truly an expensive endeavor.

Yin De'an had to support his two sons through their education and imperial examinations, and his own circumstances weren't prosperous. Even if he wanted to assist Song Yifeng financially, he lacked the means. Meanwhile, the money Yu Shi earned from laundry was meager—the mother and son could barely afford food, let alone cover educational expenses beyond tuition. They still needed to purchase writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

Seeing that Song Yifeng might have to discontinue his studies due to poverty, Yin De'an felt deep regret. Knowing that his in-law Ye Chongming wanted to find a scholar for his granddaughter's marriage arrangement, and recognizing that Song Yifeng's appearance matched well with his own granddaughter, he recommended Song Yifeng to Ye Chongming.

After all, Yin De'an was Ye Yaming's maternal grandfather—he would never harm her. Moreover, Ye Chongming naturally trusted the judgment of someone Yin De'an endorsed, so he agreed to the marriage proposal.

With the Ye family's support, Song Yifeng could not only continue his studies without worrying about books, writing materials, or inkstones, but he and his mother also began living a life free from concerns about food and clothing. They even purchased this residence and hired three servants.

Xia Momo, who served the original host, was a shrewd woman. She believed that although the residence and servants were purchased by the Song family, the money actually came from the Ye family. These servants should clearly understand who their true masters were.

So when she accompanied the original host to the Song family, she took advantage of a moment when the original host went shopping with Yu Shi and Bai Rui to reveal the origins of the Song and Ye families' connection to Xiao Xiang and the cook.

As for the other servant in the Song household—Song Yifeng's page—he was clearly brainwashed by Song Yifeng. Having navigated household politics her entire life, Xia Momo understood human relationships thoroughly. She naturally wouldn't share this information with the page.

This was why Xiao Xiang knew the Song family's background, and why she felt immense contempt upon overhearing the conversation between the Song mother and son.

Meanwhile, Ye Hongsheng's expression improved somewhat upon seeing that Ye Yaming hadn't gone to the Song residence.

Noticing this, Ye Yaming asked, "Father, don't you like the Song family?"

Ye Hongsheng shook his head. "No."

Ye Yaming could tell he wasn't being truthful.

She guessed the original host disliked hearing criticism of her beloved, and Ye Hongsheng knew this, hence his denial.

She didn't challenge Ye Hongsheng's statement, instead continuing, "So if I wanted to break off the engagement, you'd support me?"

"Break off the engagement? You want to break off the engagement?" Ye Hongsheng was astonished, staring at Ye Yaming's face to determine whether she meant it.

Ye Yaming nodded."You know I often visit the Song family. Xia Momo frequently accompanies me and chats with the Song family's cook and maids, unintentionally learning that the Song mother and son are very dissatisfied with me and this marriage arrangement. Now that Song Yifeng has passed the imperial examination and become a Recommended Man, he looks down on our merchant family background. It's said that the Education Commissioner even wants to marry his granddaughter to him, but they both regret that he's already engaged."

There are few fathers-in-law in this world who would look favorably upon the pig that has rooted up their fresh, tender cabbage. Ye Hongsheng was exactly that kind of doting father. Although others said that he and Yin Shi had found a good son-in-law, seeing Song Yifeng's cold attitude when interacting with his daughter made him deeply dissatisfied with this marriage match from the bottom of his heart.