Glory

Given the social standing of the Ye family, it was somewhat difficult for Ye Yaming to marry a Recommended Man. After all, those who passed the provincial examination at a young age had promising futures and were often proud and ambitious. They could rely on their status as Recommended Men to lead prosperous lives without needing the support of the Ye family.

This was precisely why Tao Shi was so determined to marry Ye Yaqing to a Recommended Man, yet had still not secured a match.

Licentiates, however, were different. The Jiangnan region was rich in talent, and there were many young, unmarried Licentiates willing to marry wealthy young ladies and rely on their wives' families to continue their studies and pursue official careers. At the same time, some believed that daughters from merchant families were superior to impoverished, illiterate girls from humble backgrounds in terms of social graces and knowledge, and thus preferred to marry the former.

There were plenty of decent people in this world—not everyone was like Song Yifeng!

Moreover, Ye Hongsheng had confidence in his daughter. No matter whom she married, she would be able to manage the household and lead a good life. With Song Yifeng’s fate serving as a warning, no one would dare to harbor disloyal thoughts.

When Ye Chongming heard his son’s words, his expression momentarily cracked.

If Ye Yaming had never mentioned a matrilocal marriage, it would have been fine. But she had brought it up, and he had witnessed her capabilities, nurturing hopes that she would lead the Ye family to glory. Now, to be told that she would not be entering a matrilocal marriage felt like having his heart torn out, leaving him in agony.

Yet he could not voice his opposition, as it would be too selfish and risk alienating his granddaughter. Once her heart grew cold, the Ye family would be finished.

He could only gaze at Ye Yaming with pleading eyes.

Noticing this, Ye Yaming looked back and asked, "Grandfather, what do you think?"

"I... well..." Ye Chongming stammered, hesitating before finally saying, "I have no objections."

"It’s just... Ming'er," he said, looking at her pitifully, "the prosperity of the Ye family depends on you. Even if you marry, you cannot abandon the Ye family."

Seeing his father like this, Ye Hongsheng felt a mix of exasperation, amusement, and heartache.

He said, "Father, there’s no need for this. Even if Ming'er stays in the family, after you and Mother pass away, our branch will have to separate. Otherwise, Elder Brother and Jiaxing’s positions in the family will become awkward. At that point, even if Ming'er remains at home for a matrilocal marriage, our two branches would only be partners in business, don’t you agree?"

As the second son and less capable than his elder brother, he had never entertained such thoughts before. When the family divided after his parents’ passing, he would have been content with the customary one-tenth share.

But his daughter was so capable—she was now supporting most of the Ye family’s businesses. While other young, unmarried girls like Ye Yaqing and Ye Yayin stayed home enjoying comfort and leisure, Ye Yaming had to brave wind and snow, traveling through mountains and rivers to Huizhou.

The thought of this caused him a sharp, lingering pain.

Because of this, he had to consider things more carefully. He had to plan for his daughter’s future.

According to his father’s wishes, even after his passing, the Ye family would not divide, and Ye Yaming would take charge, supporting the entire family.

But what about the future? When Ye Yaming was no longer capable or had passed away, the family would inevitably divide. At that time, would the eldest branch still take seventy percent, while the second branch received only ten percent?

Why should that be?

Should his daughter toil her entire life just to enrich the eldest branch?

Therefore, the family must divide upon his father’s death. If the eldest branch wanted his daughter to manage the business, they should negotiate terms with sincerity, just as they had with Lu Qi, and sign a contract to distribute profits based on contributions.No one should think of leeching off my daughter!

"Anyway, I won't have any sons in the future, so I'll treat Ming'er as my son. Even after she marries, she can still inherit my family business. If Eldest Brother wants to partner with me, Ming'er will naturally contribute. She's not an ungrateful child. When Meng Chengwei tried to harm us before, she stepped forward to strategize for the family. She'll definitely give her all to the partnership venture as well."

His words left Ye Chongming and Old Mrs. Ye utterly stunned.

Who said their second son was dull and inarticulate? Wasn't he quite eloquent?

While Ye Yaming was moved,

she was also delighted by her nominal father's transformation. It seemed the capital was truly a place that tempered people. Spending days receiving literati and scholars in teahouses had honed Ye Hongsheng's eloquence. Their recognition had also given him great confidence, helping him overcome his social anxiety and fluently express his thoughts.

Deep down, Ye Chongming disagreed with Ye Hongsheng's words. As the family patriarch, he hoped the Ye family would always remain united, with the brothers living in harmony and supporting each other.

Old Mrs. Ye also opposed dividing the family.

She wasn't worried about her other sons, but she feared that scoundrel Ye Hongrong would squander his share of the family assets quickly. When that happened, the fourth branch would be left destitute.

But both elders knew that since Ye Hongsheng had spoken these words, they couldn't ignore them. Considering Ye Yaming's feelings, they couldn't oppose but had to agree.

Ye Chongming didn't state his position but turned to ask Ye Yaming, "Ming'er, what do you think?"

Ye Yaming saw the expectation in the old man's eyes.

She naturally knew what Ye Chongming wanted.

But in her previous life, she had never known ease from birth until her death—she was always working. Her delicate shoulders had borne too much.

Back then, an old shareholder of the company had motivated her like this: "We're responsible for the company's employees. If the enterprise collapses, tens of thousands of families will lose their source of income. Can you bear that? Moreover, we bear the important task of earning foreign currency for the country. If the Ming dynasty could exchange tea for so much silver, so can we."

Didn't she get tired? Of course, she did.

While others were on vacation, she was working; while others were savoring delicious food, she was wolfing down her meals to get back to work quickly.

Having been reborn, after protecting the Ye family and fulfilling the original host's wishes, she no longer wanted to carry everything on her shoulders.

So from the very beginning, she had planned, just as Ye Hongsheng said, to divide the family after the elders passed away. If Ye Hongchang and Ye Hongrong still wanted her to manage the business and pool resources to make money, they would have to reallocate shares based on capital contribution and effort.

Originally, this issue didn't need to be stated outright to avoid hurting the elders' feelings.

But her nominal father's sincere love for his daughter was evident. Since he had played the villain for her sake, she couldn't let him down.

She said apologetically to Ye Chongming, "I'll listen to my father. After all, he truly cares for me. His love for me is genuine."

When Ye Chongming heard her first sentence, his eyes immediately dimmed. But upon hearing her second sentence, he was taken aback and suddenly felt a pang of shame.

He couldn't help but reflect: Could it be that his love for Ye Yaming wasn't as profound as he had imagined? Was it possible that, deep down, he still favored the eldest branch more?Since both father and daughter had spoken thus, any further objection from the elderly couple would only chill the hearts of the second branch. Old Mrs. Ye possessed both the clarity to recognize the circumstances and genuine affection for Ye Yaming.