Glory

He currently manages all affairs in Huizhou, where every decision rests on his shoulders—a stark contrast to his days in Lin'an when he merely followed the orders of his father and eldest brother. These two years have accelerated his growth considerably. Now, when faced with matters, he ponders them deeply, considering whether practices from Huizhou could be adopted here.

Observing Ye Yaming’s meticulous efforts in establishing this teahouse, he couldn’t quite grasp its purpose.

“In the future, all new teas produced by our Ye family will debut here first. For instance, the Tieguanyin we recently gifted is unavailable elsewhere, but it can be enjoyed here,” Ye Yaming explained.

She had brought back Tieguanyin from Minzhou, gifting half to major clients, and the response had been overwhelmingly positive. The tea’s elegant orchid fragrance and mellow sweetness instantly captivated connoisseurs.

However, the limited supply meant it was quickly consumed, leaving those clients frequently approaching Ye Chongming in Lin’an or Ye Hongchang at the Gathering Fragrance Pavilion in the capital, offering high prices to purchase more.

The remaining stock was scarce, and deciding whom to sell to—or not—posed a dilemma. Moreover, the tea gardens in Minzhou couldn’t yet yield large quantities, making a sustained supply impossible and complicating matters further.

Thus, she opted to reserve it entirely, intending to use the tea to draw patrons to the newly opened teahouse.

“We’ve already signed a contract with the court for Dark Tea, and its reputation will gradually spread. Eventually, Dark Tea will also be served here. For now, it’s not available for purchase elsewhere and can only be enjoyed on-site.”

“Moreover, the focus of this teahouse isn’t solely on tea drinking but on conducting discussions,” Ye Yaming added. “Think about it—in Lin’an, when you want to meet friends for tea and conversation, don’t you seek a quiet place? Do you think the Gathering Fragrance Pavilion is suitable for serious talks?”

Ye Hongrong shook his head.

The Gathering Fragrance Pavilion was bustling, ideal for storytelling and casual banter—a place for idlers to pass the time, immersed in the lively hum of daily life.

But for genuine gatherings with friends and heartfelt conversations, a tranquil setting was essential, not the noisy environment of the Gathering Fragrance Pavilion.

“Not only is it not quiet, but conversations there are easily overheard by those in adjacent rooms,” Ye Yaming noted.

So-called private rooms were merely spaces separated by screens or wooden partitions, offering no soundproofing. Any discussion risked being eavesdro upon.

In fact, Ye Yaming gathered much of her intelligence in such teahouses.

“Ultimately, our clientele here will be upscale, and the fees will reflect that. We won’t operate at a loss. If it proves unprofitable, we can always sell the property.”

In essence, this distinguished the teahouse from ordinary restaurants, much like the difference between a common eatery and an exclusive private kitchen.

Turning to Yin Shi, Ye Yaming smiled and said, “Mother, please ensure the pastries are excellently prepared. The teahouse’s refreshments will rely on you.”

To create a premium teahouse, the pastries had to match its standard. She had provided Yin Shi with over ten new pastry recipes, exclusive to the teahouse and not for sale elsewhere.

“Don’t worry, I’ll personally oversee their preparation,” Yin Shi assured her.

Her pastry shop was thriving, earning three to four hundred taels of silver monthly, and she recently planned to open a branch.This income was insignificant compared to the Ye family's business, and it still had to be shared with Ye Yayin and Ye Yayu. However, for Yin Shi, having a monthly income was excellent in itself. Since she lacked nothing in terms of food and clothing, she simply did it for enjoyment.

……

Ye Yaming now had many capable people under her command. Those she had selected a year ago and sent to the Gathering Fragrance Pavilion in the capital to learn from the manager had all been recalled by her to manage this new tea house.

During her time in Minzhou, she had also instructed Laonu and Shuǐ'è to train a group of tea masters for her.

Thus, on an auspicious day, the tea house named by Ye Yaming as the Gathered Fragrance House officially opened.

News of the tea house's opening had previously been sent to a group of major clients who had tasted Tieguanyin tea, so on opening day, many people came, all drawn by the Tieguanyin.

As the tea house was newly opened, the owner could not avoid making an appearance to greet the guests. Since Ye Yaming was not in a position to appear publicly, Ye Hongsheng, who had little tea-making left to do, had no choice but to return to his old trade and receive the guests.

Ye Hongsheng did not find this burdensome and even enjoyed it immensely.

He loved tea and enjoyed discussing it with others, but since returning from the capital, he had either been making tea himself or teaching apprentices how to make tea, leaving him little time to chat about tea. After reading Ye Yaming's works The Art of Tea and The Way of Tea, he had gained new insights into tea. Now, with the opportunity to discuss it with others, he was quite pleased.

Moreover, Ye Hongsheng was an expert at brewing tea, as were his two pages, Shuǐ'è and Laonu. The tea masters were all their apprentices. With them guiding the newly appointed tea masters in managing the tea house, Ye Yaming had no worries at all.

As for the tea house in the capital, Ye Yaming planned to open it only after she got married and moved to the capital. At that time, Ye Hongsheng would take Yin Shi, Ye Yayin, and Ye Yayu to live in the capital, returning to Lin'an only for the New Year.

With his experience of opening the new tea house in Lin'an, Ye Hongsheng would have two months in the capital—enough time to get the capital's tea house on track.

……

The businesses of the tea house and tea shop operated daily and would not halt just because all the accountants had been dismissed. In this era, not everyone knew how to use counting rods, and even if the managers and clerks could do calculations, they would be stumped by slightly complex numbers.

Ye Yaming was unwilling to intervene in accounting matters, and Ye Chongming did not trust accountants hired from outside. Moreover, hiring new staff would take time. Left with no choice, he directly promoted two apprentices who had been learning accounting under Shen Zhongyi and Xu Shen, forcing them into the role of accountants. He also pleaded with Ye Yaming to have Jiang Huan oversee them to prevent mistakes.

Ye Yaming told the two, "You must learn to handle this eventually. Mr. Jiang cannot guide you forever. Let’s set a one-month deadline. If you cannot manage the responsibilities independently after a month, you will be replaced."

In their presence, she said to Ye Chongming, "One month should be enough time for you to find suitable people."

Ye Chongming agreed with this idea and nodded, "Agreed."

He was not running a charity; he would not let incompetent people occupy the position. Having studied under Xu Shen and Shen Zhongyi for so long and with Jiang Huan’s careful guidance for a month, those with ability should be able to handle the role.

Both of them were household serfs bound by lifelong contracts. If they could work independently, he would feel at ease having them as accountants.Ye Yaming had Lve E bring out a stack of new account books. "From now on, all accounts will be recorded in these new books using the format I've established," she instructed.

She gestured toward Jiang Huan, who was seated to the side. "If there's anything you don't understand, ask Mr. Jiang."

Jiang Huan nodded in acknowledgment.

His decision to become an accountant for Ye Jia wasn't solely due to Ye Yaming's sincerity and the generous salary offered. The accounting system itself played a significant role. By following this format, every detail—from incoming and outgoing goods to unit prices and total costs—would be clearly visible at a glance.