Glory

Song Yifeng had repeatedly declined with an air of unwavering integrity, finally accepting the silver only when he could "no longer refuse such generosity."

Now Yu Shi intended to employ the same tactic again.

Though Xiao Xiang inwardly scorned this, there was little she could do. Her silent criticisms were reserved for Xia Momo alone, fearing that if Yu Shi or Song Yifeng learned of her discontent, she might be sold into a brothel.

After finishing a cup of tea, Yu Shi was about to check on the kitchen maid preparing dinner when she heard the door and Guizi's voice outside. She quickly instructed Xiao Xiang to answer the door.

Soon, Song Yifeng entered with Guizi.

"Both of you, leave," Song Yifeng commanded Xiao Xiang and Guizi.

Noticing her son's troubled expression, Yu Shi waited until the servants had left before anxiously asking, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Song Yifeng stepped to the doorway, glanced outside, and saw Xiao Xiang heading toward the kitchen while Guizi carried his book bag to the study.

Lowering his voice, he said to Yu Shi, "Mother, on my way back, I encountered two men who appeared to be tea merchants. They claimed that the Ye family is involved in selling illicit tea."

Yu Shi was startled.

Though she was not involved in trade and knew little about Jin law, she understood that tea smuggling was a serious crime—one that could jeopardize her son's future.

"How could that be? Isn't Old Master Ye known for being law-abiding, benevolent, and tolerant? As the guild leader, how could he engage in smuggling illicit tea?" she asked nervously.

Song Yifeng shook his head. "We have no one to investigate this for us, so we can't verify it. But the two men spoke with such conviction, insisting that Fourth Master Ye obtained the illicit tea through that Meng Chengwei. They even named names—it might be true."

"What should we do then?" Yu Shi panicked. "Should we call off the engagement? We were going to end it sooner or later anyway. We can't delay any longer."

Song Yifeng remained silent for a moment.

Seeing his hesitation, Yu Shi urged him, "Before, we had no excuse. Now the Ye family has handed us a reason. If we don't use this opportunity to break off the engagement, when will we?"

It wasn't that Song Yifeng was reluctant to end the engagement; he was merely considering the feasibility.

Hearing his mother's persuasion, he nodded. "Alright, I'll find a way to break it off tomorrow."

"However, once we end the engagement, we'll have to endure some hardship for a while," Yu Shi sighed. "Fortunately, over the years, we've acquired some farmland and have contractual income. We can manage, though things will be tighter. What worries me is if the Ye family insists on demanding repayment of all the money they've given us over the years."

Song Yifeng, however, was not concerned about this.

He had already considered the matter.

He sneered, "The Ye family are mere merchants. Would they dare confront me openly? Aren't they afraid that if I pass the imperial exams and become a presented scholar, I could make things difficult for them? Even if I don't return to Lin'an as an official, my colleagues in the bureaucracy, including Lord Wang, could easily trouble the Ye family. The Ye family isn't foolish enough to force us to repay the money."

Despite his words, Yu Shi's furrowed brow did not relax.

For years, their comfortable lifestyle had depended on the Ye family's financial support. They enjoyed daily feasts of chicken, duck, fish, and meat, dressed in fine silks, employed servants, lived in a large house, and even managed to save enough each year to purchase ten to twenty mu of farmland.

Though the annual land acquisitions were modest, they had accumulated over a hundred mu under their names.

The thought of no longer receiving money from the Ye family—only expenses without income—weighed heavily on Yu Shi's heart.The hardship she endured when she first came to Lin'an with her son to make a living had left her deeply fearful of poverty. Only with money did she feel secure.

Song Yifeng noticed his mother's anxiety and comforted her, "Mother, don't worry. After I passed the Recommended Man examination, many people wanted to register their farmland under my name to avoid taxes. They give us twenty percent of their annual harvest as contract fees. Altogether, these fees amount to several hundred taels. Moreover, since becoming a Recommended Man, the value of my paintings has increased."

"If Official Wang intends to take me as his son-in-law, I won't even need to spend money to attend poetry gatherings, which will save a significant amount. I'm eighteen now, and once this engagement is broken off, I can immediately arrange another marriage. Whether I marry Official Wang's daughter or the daughter of some other official, they will always bring a dowry. In any case, these difficulties are only temporary, paving the way for future wealth and honor."

"Mother, please bear with it a little longer." These Recommended Men often held poetry and literary gatherings to spread their fame and ensure that officials in the capital appreciated their works. They would even invite dignitaries like Wang Wenzhi to elevate the prestige of these events.

However, such gatherings required money. It was acceptable once or twice for wealthier classmates to cover the expenses, but with gatherings held at least monthly, it became inappropriate to rely on others, so the costs were shared equally among the participants.

Attending these events also required wearing clothing no less elegant than others' and carrying a jade pendant of decent value—all significant expenses.

Previously, the Ye family had covered these costs.

Now, regardless of Yu Shi's true feelings, she appeared comforted by her son's words on the surface.

She smiled and said, "I didn't say much. No matter how difficult it gets, I support your decision to break off the engagement with the Ye family. One must have a long-term vision and not be fixated on trivial immediate gains."

Song Yifeng nodded with satisfaction. "Then I will use this matter to end the engagement."

Outside the rear window, a lean loafer crouched silently by the wall, listening. When the mother and son inside fell silent, and Yu Shi left for the kitchen while Song Yifeng returned to his study, the loafer quietly slipped away.

When they bought this residence, Yu Shi had used the excuse of accommodating Ye Yaming's dowry attendants after marriage to justify purchasing this spacious two-courtyard house, even pretending to borrow money from various sources.

She knew the Ye family would never allow them to borrow money—it was just a ploy to make the Ye family pay.

Although the Song family contributed a small portion, the Ye family could not register the property under Ye Yaming's name as part of her dowry; instead, it was registered under Song Yifeng's name.

Using the Ye family's silver to buy the house meant that if Ye Yaming ever disobeyed, Yu Shi could order her to leave, and she would have to go. Wasn't that better than living in a daughter-in-law's dowry property and lacking the authority of a mother-in-law?

Yu Shi had made clever calculations.

And things unfolded exactly as Yu Shi had anticipated. The Ye family indeed did not let them borrow money and directly sent silver instead.

Greed led them to buy this two-courtyard house, but the Song family had only two masters and three servants. Eager to save money for more farmland, Yu Shi could not bring herself to hire additional Manor Guards. This now made it convenient for the loafers and petty troublemakers bribed by Zhou Xiang.