Glory

The Wang family, on one hand, wished to maintain the dignity of scholarly families, while on the other, sought to exploit their daughters-in-law. Their only method was to preach lofty morals and principles, brainwashing the daughters-in-law, while setting strict rules in action to restrict their behavior. This forced them to adhere to conventions, compete for favor in front of their in-laws and husbands, and vie to offer their dowries to show filial piety to the in-laws and please their husbands.

The Wang family was exceptionally skilled at brainwashing.

In her previous life, not long after Ye Yaqing married into the family, her aunt Tao Shi regretted marrying her daughter into such a household. Besides using her dowry to support her husband, Ye Yaqing frequently returned to her maiden home to ask for money—today claiming that Wang, the Recommended Man, needed funds for travel and study, tomorrow saying he required money to go to the capital for the imperial examinations. In short, it always came down to one thing: asking for money.

And because of Song Yifeng’s influence, they had no choice but to give the money, and not in small amounts.

At that time, Tao Shi still held onto hope, expecting Wang Shiwei to pass the imperial examinations and take her daughter to the capital, far away from that large, troublesome family.

But until the original host’s death, Wang Shiwei never succeeded in becoming a Presented Scholar.

Ye Yaming decided to prevent this marriage.

She quietly asked Ye Yaqing, "Have you ever met that Wang, the Recommended Man?"

Ye Yaqing was already embarrassed hearing her mother and aunt discuss her marriage. When Ye Yaming asked her, she blushed deeply.

Pursing her lips, she shook her head.

"Are you satisfied with this marriage?" Ye Yaming pressed further.

Seeing Ye Yaqing lower her head without speaking, Ye Yaming grew increasingly suspicious of the match and said, "I plan to break off my engagement."

"Ah?" Ye Yaqing looked up, exclaiming in surprise.

Perhaps her voice was a bit loud, as others turned to look in their direction.

Ye Yaqing quickly smiled apologetically at them, tugged at Ye Yaming’s sleeve, and signaled for her to stop talking.

Only when Tao Shi resumed her conversation with Yin Shi, and Old Mrs. Ye began inquiring about Cai Shi and Ye Yayu, did Ye Yaqing whisper, "What’s going on?"

Ye Yaming first beckoned to the maid behind Old Mrs. Ye and, when she approached, said, "Second Sister and I are going to freshen up."

They were currently sitting in the main hall of the central courtyard chatting, while the cooks and servants set the table and served dishes in the side hall. They wouldn’t be seated until the appointed time, so leaving briefly wouldn’t cause any disruption.

Moreover, the maid knew that Ye Yaming had recently gained the favor of Old Master Ye and Old Madam Ye. Even if there were any issues, the old master and madam wouldn’t say anything.

"Alright, if Old Madam asks, I’ll let her know," the maid replied with a smile.

Ye Yayin, at thirteen, was still very childlike. Seeing her four-year-old cousin Ye Yaxuan, the daughter of Zhang Shi, looking adorable as jade and snow, she couldn’t resist going over to play and talk with her.

When she saw Ye Yaming and her second sister getting up to leave, she wanted to follow, but Ye Yaming stopped her: "Stay here and play with Sixth Sister. Second Sister and I will be back soon."

Once they were outside, Ye Yaqing asked with a worried expression, "What did you mean earlier?"

Ye Yaming briefly explained the situation with Song Yifeng.

"Ah? How could that be? It must be his mother’s idea, not Young Master Song’s, right?" The kind-hearted Ye Yaqing tried to console Ye Yaming.

"No, it’s his idea," Ye Yaming said calmly.

"You... don’t like him anymore?"

Ye Yaqing asked this because she knew how much her cousin had liked Song Yifeng.To be honest, the reason she had agreed to the marriage arrangement with the Wang family was partly because she had witnessed the sweet romantic atmosphere between her cousin and Song Yifeng (a huge misunderstanding). Because of this, she inexplicably held a natural fondness for scholars and had no objections to her mother's constant insistence on finding her a Recommended Man as a husband.

If Ye Yaming were to learn about this misunderstanding between Ye Yaqing and the original host, she would be utterly speechless.

What sweet romantic atmosphere? It was nothing more than the original host's self-indulgent emotional hypnosis and sweet fantasies—commonly known as overthinking!

The original host's love-struck mentality in her previous life had harmed two young women. Of course, the utilitarian motives of their two mothers also played a role. Ye Yaming shook her head: "When I realized how he and his mother viewed our Ye family and how they saw me, all my tender feelings for him vanished."

She looked into Ye Yaqing's eyes: "A person without gratitude is cold and unfeeling. How can we expect someone like that to treat me well in the future? If he doesn't respect my father and elders, if he doesn't see me as someone worthy of respect, he'll only belittle me further, trampling me into the mud. Marrying him would mean sinking into a quagmire for life, unable to free myself. What would I want with such a marriage?"

Ye Yaqing nodded thoughtfully: "That's true."

"I've only spoken about breaking off the engagement to my grandparents and my father. I haven't dared to bring it up with my mother yet." Ye Yaming smiled wryly. "You know how proud she is of this match—it also involves my maternal grandfather's judgment and reputation."

"I'm telling you this now because I hope you'll keep your eyes wide open about your own marriage. It's best to send trusted servants to discreetly investigate him and his family's conduct. When you marry him, you're not just marrying him as a person—you'll be living in his household. What his parents and siblings are like will determine what kind of life you'll have. This concerns your entire future—you must be cautious."

She gazed intently into Ye Yaqing's eyes: "Don't let titles like 'scholar' or 'Recommended Man' blind you. Song Yifeng isn't an exception—it's common for scholars to look down on merchants. We know our own worth, but those scholars don't. The Wang family agreed to this match absolutely not because Recommended Man Wang admires you, but because they want something from our family. And besides money, what else does our family have that others would want?"

Seeing Ye Yaqing's pupils slowly dilate before she sank into deep thought, Ye Yaming fell silent, giving her time to digest her words.

Ye Yaqing wasn't foolish—she was just inexperienced and unable to see through these things.

"Second Young Miss, Third Young Miss, the meal is ready," Bai Rui called from a distance.

"Oh, coming," Ye Yaming replied, then said to Ye Yaqing, "Let's go eat."

She tugged at her sleeve: "Pull yourself together—don't let others notice. You can investigate this matter secretly yourself, or have Da Bo's wife look into it. Just don't let anyone know for now. You know how sharp Fourth Aunt's tongue is."

Ye Yaqing composed herself and nodded: "Alright, I understand." Then she added, "Thank you, Third Sister."

As long as Ye Yaming and Song Yifeng's engagement remained unresolved, there could still be complications. That she would speak to her now could only mean she didn't want her to repeat the same mistakes. Ye Yaqing felt grateful for her cousin's consideration.At the Ye family banquet, although the entire family dined together in the spacious hall, they were separated by a screen, with men and women sitting on opposite sides.

In the past, the women's side was so crowded that one table couldn't accommodate them all, requiring two tables to be set amid lively chatter; meanwhile, the men's side lacked sufficient members, failing to fill even one table, leaving Ye Chongming feeling desolate each time.