Glory

But after waiting for a while and realizing no one had come, he grew restless as if sitting on pins and needles. He wanted to get up to check, yet couldn't resist the snacks and fruits on the table, debating whether to have a couple more pieces. His body squirmed uncomfortably.

Ye Hongsheng's face had darkened like the bottom of a pot.

He cast a reproachful look at his mother.

Old Mrs. Ye flushed crimson, her lips trembling as she wanted to say that he had seemed fine earlier when she met him, not like this. But she knew it wasn't the right time to speak.

She awkwardly turned her gaze to Ye Yaming.

Ye Yaming beckoned to Zan'er. When he approached, she whispered, "Send him back, but give him fifteen taels of silver. Let him rent a place and start a small business."

With these fifteen taels, Wang Fusheng could move out from his elder brother and sister-in-law's home, either using it as capital to start a small business or as a betrothal gift to marry a wife. As she spoke, she signaled to Bai Rui, who took out fifteen taels in silver notes from her bosom and handed them to Zan'er. Zan'er took the notes and left.

Soon after, Zan'er appeared outside the window.

He said, "Young Master Wang, my lady is occupied with matters and truly cannot spare the time to come. We apologize for troubling you to make this trip."

He handed over the silver notes: "This is fifteen taels. My lady says you can use this to rent a place and start a small business."

Wang Fusheng was stunned for a moment, standing up somewhat at a loss.

"This... this..." He looked at the silver notes, then at Zan'er. "Did your lady not take a liking to me?"

Zan'er had been in the room earlier and had observed the expressions of all the masters. Though they hadn't explicitly stated it, he understood their meaning—especially since the lady's gift of fifteen taels was not only to prevent Wang Fusheng from spreading rumors but also to express apology.

But he hadn't expected Wang Fusheng to ask so bluntly.

He hesitated briefly before saying, "This matter... will be discussed later, hehe, discussed later."

Wang Fusheng stared at the silver notes in Zan'er's hand, seeming to struggle internally before finally making up his mind. He reached out, took the notes, and said, "Please convey my thanks to your lady. Tell her not to worry—I will absolutely not speak of this to anyone outside."

Zan'er breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Shall I see you out?"

Wang Fusheng nodded, carefully folded the silver notes, tucked them into his chest, and followed Zan'er as they departed.

After they had gone some distance, before Old Mrs. Ye and Ye Hongsheng could offer any explanations, Ye Yaming spoke up first: "Grandmother, thank you. Wang Fusheng is indeed quite suitable."

"Ah?" Old Mrs. Ye was taken aback.

Ye Chongming and Ye Hongsheng also looked at Ye Yaming in surprise.

Had giving those fifteen taels not been a rejection, but rather an indication that she had taken a liking to him and wanted him to establish himself before marriage?

"Wang Fusheng comes from that kind of family background and hasn't received much education. It's natural for him to be somewhat narrow-minded in his demeanor, lacking confidence in his speech and actions, which makes him appear timid and hesitant."

"If he were to live as a master in the Ye household for a while and be given dozens or even a hundred taels to spend each month, he would be completely transformed in less than a year."

Ye Chongming and Ye Hongsheng both looked at Ye Yaming with complex expressions.

Dozens to a hundred taels? Even they didn't have that much.

Was their granddaughter (daughter) planning to spend a fortune to raise a pretty boy?

The others also wore varied expressions.Ye Yaming continued, "And what will he become a year from now? Will he still retain his current simplicity? Will he start bossing the servants around? Will he grow fat and greasy? Will he no longer be satisfied with just food and clothing but develop higher demands? Will he learn to flirt with maids out of idleness? Will he demand to participate in the family business? These are all uncertain."

She smiled faintly. "Not only are we uncertain—even Wang Fusheng himself probably can't say for sure."

Ye Yaming wasn't just saying this for the three elders' benefit; she was also organizing her own thoughts.

She had been mistaken before.

She had only considered what type of marriage would be most advantageous for her,

without thinking about specific candidates and practical details. She thought that with careful selection over three years, she could eventually find a suitable person. But today, Wang Fusheng had made her face reality.

Old Mrs. Ye had spent so much time and effort to finally pick Wang Fusheng, who was already one in a hundred. Even with more time, any future candidate would just be the second or third Wang Fusheng.

Those willing to become a groom who lives with the bride's family in a merchant household generally shared these traits: poverty, living at the bottom of society, illiteracy, lack of education, narrow perspectives, and pettiness. As for living habits, needless to say, not brushing teeth or bathing regularly was the norm.

This wasn't their fault. Anyone living in such conditions would be the same.

Even if there were one or two exceptional individuals, they would likely achieve success on their own—why would they ever agree to become a groom who lives with the bride's family in the Ye household?

In her previous life, she hadn't fancied countless elites and remained alone until death. How could she resign herself to someone like this in this lifetime?

Moreover, people change. Why do so many wealthy families look down on the nouveau riche? It's because when the poor suddenly become rich, their mindset and behavior don't keep up, and they become arrogant.

Once food and clothing are no longer concerns, if Wang Fusheng sees that other men can have multiple wives and concubines and achieve great things, wouldn't he also entertain such thoughts? If his desires go unfulfilled, might he become twisted?

It wasn't that Ye Yaming was overly pessimistic, always expecting the worst. Rather, in her past life, she had seen too many cases where girls from wealthy families were deceived by husbands from poor families, ultimately inviting wolves into their homes.

Men often believe they're inherently superior to women—such overconfident men are everywhere.

The three elders fell silent.

They were people with life experience and knew Ye Yaming had hit the mark.

For instance, when the Song mother and son were first taken in by them, they were overflowing with gratitude. But as Song Yifeng kept passing imperial examinations, their attitudes changed dramatically.

They could all foresee similar changes in Wang Fusheng.

"What should we do then?" Ye Hongsheng posed the soul-searching question.

Given how much the old couple valued Ye Yaming, he believed Wang Fusheng was their meticulously chosen candidate.

If even their best pick was someone like this, to put it bluntly, Wang Fusheng's qualifications and qualities weren't even comparable to those of the Ye family's household serfs.

Ye Yaming sighed deeply. "I'm only fifteen—there's no hurry. Let's wait and see."

After a moment of silence, Ye Hongsheng said, "Ming'er, actually, a matrilocal marriage isn't necessary."

Everyone turned to look at him.Ye Hongsheng continued, "It pains me to see you married to such a person. In truth, not all scholars are like Song Yifeng. If you're willing to marry, it wouldn't be difficult to choose a scholar. We don't necessarily have to pick a Recommended man—a Licentiate would do just fine. After all, we don't expect him to achieve great success or bring any benefits to Ye Jia. As long as he's a decent man and treats you well, that's enough."

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