Glory

Ye Ruhui, being of the older generation and having a married daughter herself, understood Yin Shi and Ye Yaming's feelings best.

She stood up and said, "With Ming'er now married, your mother must be worrying endlessly these past few days. You two surely have many private matters to discuss. We won't disturb you further and will wait in the outer courtyard."

As she spoke, she rose and also led the two young girls, Ye Yayin and Ye Yayu, out with her.

Ye Yaming was a newlywed, and some topics were not suitable for young girls to overhear.

Once they had left, Yin Shi grasped Ye Yaming's arm. "Ming'er, have you been treated poorly at the Marquis' residence? Is your husband good to you?"

"I haven't been mistreated. He treats me very well," Ye Yaming replied.

"Truly?"

"Truly," Ye Yaming affirmed with a firm nod.

Seeing her daughter's rosy complexion and excellent spirits, Yin Shi could tell she had been living quite comfortably these past couple of days.

Moreover, while others might not notice, she as the birth mother could detect subtle changes in her daughter compared to before.

The previous Ye Yaming appeared beautiful at first glance, confident and dignified at second glance, but upon closer observation carried an air of cool detachment. Though she often smiled and treated people kindly, she kept others at a distance in her heart, never easily opening up to anyone.

This was the impression Yin Shi had gradually formed of her daughter over the past two years as Ye Yaming became increasingly capable.

Now, however, Yin Shi noticed her daughter had shed some of that aloofness, gaining instead a softness and charm—the state of a woman content in her marriage.

"That's good then," Yin Shi decided not to press further.

She brought up another matter: "On your wedding day, after seeing you off and returning for the banquet, your eldest aunt tested me with hints, saying she took a liking to Yayin." If Yayin became her daughter-in-law, she would surely cherish her like her own daughter."

"Today when she visited, she brought it up again. You know how your eldest cousin is—just like her mother, always comparing and unwilling to be at a disadvantage. Hearing this, she quickly mentioned how handsome her husband's nephew is and how kind-hearted his mother is. She suggested that if we're considering matches for Yayin, we might look into her husband's nephew."

Ye Yaming immediately disliked what she heard.

She had originally held a very good impression of her eldest aunt, Ye Ruhui. But now her opinion of the woman plummeted.

She asked Yin Shi, "What do you think about this?"

Yin Shi waved her hand dismissively. "How could I possibly agree? Thanks to you, Qing'er managed to marry into the Xie family. As your own sister, Yayin should at least find a family better than Qing'er's in-laws."

She glanced at Ye Yaming, strongly tempted to ask her to find a suitable match for Ye Yayin.

But Ye Hongsheng had warned her that Ye Yaming had always doted on her sisters and would naturally help arrange things if suitable candidates appeared. As parents, they shouldn't pressure Ye Yaming about this matter—it was better not to even bring it up.

Seeing that Yin Shi didn't ask her to find a good match for Ye Yayin, Ye Yaming felt somewhat relieved.

She said, "Don't worry, Mother. If suitable matches come along, I'll keep an eye out for Yayin and Yayu. There's no need for you to be anxious. As for those two proposals from eldest aunt and eldest cousin, you can just decline them directly."

Hearing the first part, Yin Shi immediately beamed with joy. "Good, good."

"However, given the Ye family's social standing, marrying into powerful families isn't necessarily a good thing. If not for the Emperor's decree, my own marriage might not have happened. When the engagement was first made, those who knew the details all pitied me. You've heard about Zi Mo's former fiancée, haven't you?"Yin Shi nodded, "I heard about it from your father."

Back when Ye Yaming's marriage couldn't be discussed publicly, Ye Hongsheng had told Yin Shi about the tragic fate of Lu Guanyi's former fiancée, which gave Yin Shi quite a shock.

"Not to mention me, even Aunt and Eldest Cousin—you've seen how they live. Second Cousin married into the Xie family, which seems like a higher status than Ye Jia and an excellent match. But when it comes to daily life, it's like drinking water—only you know if it's warm or cold. Outsiders may see it as good, but who knows what it's really like inside."

"So for Yin'er and Yu'er's marriages, I think we shouldn't just look at status and family reputation, but also at the individuals themselves. We can't rush this; we need to choose carefully."

Ye Yaming worried that Yin Shi had too high expectations, so she gave her a heads-up in advance.

Yin Shi quickly replied, "I'll listen to you and your father on this matter. Your judgment is always better than mine, and you're smarter. Following your advice is sure to be right."

Ye Yaming nodded.

This was one of Yin Shi's good points—she took advice well and didn't insist on her own way.

The duration of a bride's return to her natal home depended on the situation. If the natal home was far from the in-laws', she might stay for a day or two; if it was close, she might just return for a meal before going back.

Ye Jia's residence wasn't large, but many people lived there. Before marriage, Ye Yaming had shared a courtyard with her parents and younger sister. Naturally, it wasn't convenient for her to stay at her natal home with her husband now.

She and Lu Guanyi spent the morning at Ye Jia, had lunch, and then planned to return to the Xuanwu Marquis Household.

"Tomorrow, I need to handle some matters at the Marquis Household. The day after, let's go check out the new Tea House together. It opens in five days, so if there's anything unsuitable, we can still make changes in time," Ye Yaming said to Ye Hongsheng before leaving.

The Ye clan members planned to set off back to Lin'an tomorrow. Ye Hongsheng's family of three, plus Ye Yayu, would stay in the capital and return to Lin'an with Ye Hongchang near the end of the year. During this time, both Ye Hongsheng and Ye Yaming would be busy preparing for the new Tea House's opening.

Ye Hongsheng beckoned Ye Yaming over, pulled her aside, and said softly, "Ming'er, your Third Great-Uncle's grandson Ye Jiaqing wants to stay in the capital. Your Third Great-Uncle asked me yesterday if his grandson could get a job at the Ye Family Tea House."

Ye Yaming frowned slightly.

The Ye Family Tea House paid decent wages; even a clerk could support a family of four or five if they budgeted carefully. Over the years, many clansmen had wanted to work in the tea houses or Tea Houses under Ye Jia.

However, Ye Chongming wasn't keen on employing clansmen. When they joined, their families were full of gratitude, but if they performed poorly and had to be dismissed, they'd instantly become enemies.

But refusing also led to harsh words from the clan, accusing them of preferring outsiders over helping their own, being cold-hearted and ungrateful, and disregarding family ties.

This had given Ye Chongming many headaches.

"Please call Third Great-Uncle and Clan Brother Jiaqing over; I'll talk to them," Ye Yaming said.

Ye Hongsheng immediately went and brought Ye Chongxian and Ye Jiaqing over.

Ye Yaming said, "Clan Brother Jiaqing's matter, my father told me about it. If it were anyone else in the clan, no matter what, I'd have to refuse outright. The truth is, this Tea House is in the capital, serving noble and powerful families. One wrong word or a small mistake could lead to fatal consequences.""Although I appear to have married into the Xuanwu Marquis Household, the capital has princely mansions and ducal residences, along with powerful officials holding real authority in the court—there are countless families more influential than a marquis household. Moreover, the teahouse is a Ye Jia property, not an asset of the Xuanwu Marquis Household. If someone were to kill a staff member, they wouldn’t need to hesitate in the slightest."

7017k