Glory

The Ye family's shops in both the capital and Lin'an had a combined turnover of over twenty thousand taels, yet Ye Chongming only had a rough idea of how much had been spent on Song Yifeng. If not for Ye Yaming's scheme prompting Song Yifeng to rashly demand the dissolution of the engagement, Ye Chongming would never have known the exact amount. It was only two days prior, when the accountant calculated the expenses, that he became aware.

"Let's set that aside. My granddaughter, Ming'er, fearing she might not be worthy of a talented scholar like you from Jiangnan, studied diligently under her tutor since childhood and read extensively. Pitying your family's poverty, she spent her entire monthly allowance on buying meat and fish for your household, sewing summer and winter clothes, and caring for your mother with constant inquiries about her well-being. Which neighbor didn't praise her filial piety?"

"And yet, in your eyes, all this counts for nothing? Based on mere hearsay, you casually come to me with a single 'dissolution of the engagement' and think you can end this match?"

At this point, Ye Chongming let out a scornful laugh, dripping with sarcasm: "It's simply because you, Young Master Song, are now a Recommended Man, poised to climb even higher, and you look down on my merchant status. You want to latch onto some official and become his esteemed son-in-law, don't you?"

Seeing Song Yifeng open his mouth to retort, Ye Chongming waved his hand and cut him off swiftly: "Since you look down on us, the Ye family won't cling to you. My granddaughter Ming'er, with her talent and beauty, will surely find someone who appreciates her. Someone as ungrateful as you, Young Master Song, is certainly not a good match for her. We agree to dissolve the engagement. But..."

He took a deep breath: "After all these years of spending the Ye family's money, shouldn't you return it? In other cases of broken engagements, the betrothal gifts are returned. Your family was poor back then and couldn't offer anything. The Ye family never asked for a single coin from the Song family in betrothal gifts. Instead, we supported you and your mother for years, spending countless sums on you both. Shouldn't you repay that money to the Ye family?"

"Given that you're now a Recommended Man and no longer lack means to earn, with plenty of land and properties, returning a few thousand taels shouldn't be difficult. So tomorrow, bring a matchmaker and the expenses from over the years, and we'll sign the divorce papers together."

Of course, they could simply have Song Yifeng dissolve the engagement outright or make him write an IOU. But once an IOU was written, collecting the money would be challenging. Ye Chongming couldn't allow that. They had arranged this scene, inviting Lu Guanyi and Master Wu to dine, precisely to seek justice from all angles.

So, if Song Yifeng didn't cough up all the money, obtaining the divorce papers to pursue his social climbing wouldn't be so easy.

Initially, as Ye Chongming detailed the kindness and expenses, Song Yifeng grew uneasy, thinking the Ye family would refuse to end the engagement. When Ye Chongming later agreed, he breathed a sigh of relief.

But upon hearing the demand to repay the years of expenses, with every item listed clearly, leaving him no room to evade, he felt overwhelmed.

In his imagination, even if he couldn't end it in one go and leave immediately, the worst he'd face would be Ye Chongming's desperate pleas.

The Ye family could only flaunt their measly coins; they'd use that as leverage, appealing to his sense of obligation to dissuade him from breaking the engagement.

If the Ye family pressed him with this, he'd agree to repay the money. A few thousand taels meant nothing to the Ye family—their real intention wasn't about the money, so things would reach a stalemate.

Then, he'd send a matchmaker to mediate, urging the Ye family not to strain the relationship. With the favor of supporting his education, once he became a Presented Scholar and the Ye family encountered trouble, he'd surely lend a hand.He was determined to leave, and the Ye family had no choice but to let go. With the promise of "future assistance" dangling before them, the Ye family naturally wouldn't demand the return of all the expenses incurred over the years.

Thus, the matter was perfectly resolved.

As for the issue of illicit tea, he would have to adapt to the Ye family's reactions. If the matter were true, he might even extort a sum from the Ye family or collaborate with others to seize a large portion of their assets upon successfully terminating the engagement.

Unexpectedly, Ye Chongming's reaction took him completely by surprise. The old man readily agreed to terminate the engagement and even pressured him to repay the money. This was utterly unreasonable.

Just as he was puzzling over this, he heard Ye Chongming sneer mockingly, "Does Young Master Song intend to terminate the engagement without returning the expenses incurred over all these years?"

Song Yifeng was still a seventeen-year-old youth at the time, having spent his days studying in the academy with little real-world experience. He was impulsive and quick-tempered.

How could he endure such a direct insult? Blurting out in a fit of anger, he said, "Fine! Tomorrow, I will bring the silver and a matchmaker to sign the divorce papers with you. I hope you will restrain your family members, so they don’t weep and cling to me when the time comes." By then, he had realized that without repaying the money, he wouldn’t be able to smoothly terminate the engagement. If this matter were to escalate, it would only harm him.

What did it matter if he returned the Ye family’s money? At worst, he could sell the fields and properties his family had acquired. As a Recommended Man, he had numerous fields registered under his name, generating a substantial annual income. Additionally, he could act as a guarantor for imperial examination candidates and review essays for others, ensuring his current standard of living would remain unaffected.

Once he became the esteemed son-in-law of Lord Wang and passed the imperial examinations to become a Presented Scholar, wealth and honor would be within easy reach. Why should he care about a mere few thousand taels of silver now?

Fuming with rage, he finished speaking and stormed off.

In the adjacent room, upon hearing Song Yifeng’s intention to terminate the engagement, Lu Guanyi and Master Wu maintained their decorum and refrained from looking toward Ye Yaming. Qi Ji, however, was bursting with curiosity, while Madam Wu, being a woman, was deeply concerned about such matters. Both couldn’t resist stealing glances at Ye Yaming.

Ye Hongchang and Ye Jiaxing were unaware of Ye Yaming’s plan to terminate the engagement.

Ye Chongming had not informed his eldest son beforehand for two reasons: first, he feared Ye Hongchang might have ulterior motives that could complicate matters, as he did not want to see conflict between the eldest and second branches of the family; second, he worried that Ye Hongchang’s expression might betray something, allowing Master Wu and Lu Guanyi to catch wind of the situation.

As for Ye Jiaxing, there was even less need to tell him.

Thus, upon hearing the conversation between Song Yifeng and Ye Chongming, both father and son were shocked and visibly furious, itching to rush over and give Song Yifeng a beating. At the same time, they were concerned that Ye Yaming might take it too hard, and their gazes toward her were filled with worry and reassurance.

Ye Yaming, however, kept her head bowed and her eyes downcast, shielding herself from the others’ scrutiny. Her face showed no expression, and her heart remained utterly calm.

But she worried that people inside and outside the room might grow suspicious if they saw her composure, as it contradicted the original host’s character. To counter this, she tightly gripped the jade pendant weighing down her skirt, her knuckles turning white with the strain, feigning inner turmoil.

She felt that ever since her transmigration, Oscar owed her a little golden statue.

Humans are prone to overthinking, especially since Ye Yaming’s earlier stunning remarks had already established her as a remarkably talented and brilliant figure. Seeing her in this state, everyone in the room concocted elaborate narratives in their minds.

They believed Ye Yaming must be deeply heartbroken and humiliated. Yet, with outsiders present, she had to maintain her composure, and it must be taking every ounce of her strength to keep her emotions hidden.

In their hearts, they felt immense pity for her.