Glory

She had no patience to teach others how to read, as she herself had been slowly familiarizing herself with traditional Chinese characters by reading books during this period, while secretly practicing calligraphy in private to make her handwriting resemble that of the original owner.

The original owner’s delicate "Zanhua Xiaokai" script was exceptionally well-written, whereas her own previous penmanship had been wild, unrestrained, and flamboyant.

The two personalities were completely opposite, and this contrast was reflected in their writing styles. Although she possessed the original owner’s memories and muscle memory, the characters she wrote still differed significantly in style.

Bai Rui took the paper with a puzzled expression and lowered her head to examine it carefully.

After reading two lines, she abruptly looked up at Ye Yaming.

Written on the paper was a list of the gold, silver, jade, and jewelry that the original owner had given to Yu Shi over the years.

To maintain the Ye family’s financial support, Yu Shi always pretended to be poor. She wore only wooden accessories on her head and hands, and during conversations with the original owner, she would subtly mention how certain ladies in the neighborhood looked down on her for lacking jewelry, even crying in front of the original owner.

The original owner was not oblivious to Yu Shi’s hints about wanting jewelry. However, to curry favor with her future mother-in-law and for Song Yifeng’s sake, she had no choice but to gift Yu Shi gold and jade accessories.

Yet, she herself was not well-off. The jewelry given to the young ladies of the family was limited, and she could not go without accessories and risk damaging the dignity of a Ye family young lady. Moreover, she knew she must not indulge Yu Shi’s greed by giving gifts on every festival or occasion.

Thus, despite Yu Shi’s disdainful glances, she only presented one piece of gold, silver, or jade jewelry as a New Year’s gift to Yu Shi.

Once it started, it became a habit. After one or two times, it became a tradition for the original owner to give Yu Shi a piece of jewelry every New Year.

However, under Yu Shi’s pressure, the jewelry she gifted was never cheap. Over the years, the total value of these pieces amounted to two or three hundred taels of silver.

Ye Yaming knew exactly what Bai Rui was surprised about.

She said calmly, "Since the Song family looks down on me, the jewelry I gave them in the past must naturally be returned. We can’t let them take advantage of us for nothing. Check if anything is missing and add it if necessary. If there’s nothing else, take this list to Meng Ji."

Upon hearing this, Bai Rui carefully reviewed the jewelry names on the list, thought for a moment, and asked Ye Yaming to add one more item before taking it to the main courtyard.

...

Although Song Yifeng had passed the provincial examination and become a Recommended Man, he was still a young scholar with neither connections nor wealth. In his anger, it did not occur to him to inquire about the recent happenings around the Ye residence.

Thus, he was unaware that two carriages had visited the Ye family that day, one of which was frequently used by Master Wu.

When he returned home, he recounted his conversation with Ye Chongming to Yu Shi. Since Song Yifeng had prepared her in advance, Yu Shi took it relatively well.

She knew that Ye Chongming was a businessman who had been trading all his life and would never agree to a losing deal. Since the Song family wanted to break off the engagement, and Ye Chongming only demanded the return of the money the Ye family had provided over the years without taking a pound of flesh, it was still acceptable.

Perhaps he was also wary of her son’s capabilities and did not dare to go too far.

Her eyes shifted slyly as she said, "Let’s just return fifteen hundred taels of silver to them."

Song Yifeng opened his mouth as if to say something but ultimately closed it.

The Ye family had given them two hundred taels annually since he was ten years old, which alone amounted to fourteen hundred taels by now. This did not even include the extra money they requested under the pretext of his and his mother’s illnesses, as well as expenses for poetry gatherings, literary meetings, and imperial examinations, which likely added another two hundred taels each year.Over the past seven or eight years, the Ye family had given them no less than three thousand taels of silver, not including Ye Yaming's monthly subsidies and the expenses incurred when purchasing this residence.

After a long silence, he said, "First, prepare three thousand taels of silver for me. If we only repay fifteen hundred taels, I'm afraid the Ye family will not let it go and might use it as an excuse to refuse breaking off the engagement. That would be disastrous. Although the sum is large, the benefits of ending this engagement are even greater. We must not lose the greater good for a small gain."

Three thousand taels was roughly the amount the Ye family had given him over the years. If calculated precisely, it would likely be even more. However, he believed the Ye family would not risk straining relations over an extra two or three hundred taels. Repaying three thousand taels should suffice.

As for the one thousand taels the Ye family had spent on purchasing the residence, he chose to act as if it never existed.

Although Yu Shi managed the household finances, Song Yifeng was well aware of how much money they had. By selling some farmland, they could scrape together three thousand taels. To gather four thousand, they would have to sell this residence.

A residence represented a person's dignity. If they sold this house and moved to a smaller, inferior courtyard, his reputation as a Recommended Man would be tarnished. No official's daughter would marry him and live in such a place.

As for the possibility of an official's daughter bringing a residence as a dowry and them living there afterward, Song Yifeng neither desired nor dared to entertain such a notion. Unless a wealthy merchant sought his favor, no family would provide such a substantial dowry.

Thus, selling this residence was absolutely out of the question.

Yu Shi and Song Yifeng were mother and son, and their thought processes aligned perfectly.

The idea of selling the residence to raise funds had never crossed her mind.

She said, "I wish I could give it to you, but we simply don't have that much. Even the fifteen hundred taels were borrowed today from minor landowners."

These minor landowners sought to place their farmland under Song Yifeng's name not only to reduce certain taxes but also to secure his patronage.

In these times, having wealth without power or influence meant dealing not only with local ruffians but also with extortion by yamen clerks and village heads. By aligning themselves with a Recommended Man, minor landowners could live in peace. After all, even when beating a dog, one must consider its master.

Who would dare underestimate the prospects of a Recommended Man? Even if they failed to become Presented Scholars, the more capable ones, like Master Wu, could serve officials or teach at county or prefectural schools. At the very least, they could participate in poetry and literary gatherings, gaining access to officials and influential figures.

Yu Shi was a shrewd and calculating woman, which was why she had managed to bring her son to Lin'an City and steadily improve their lives. In the past, whenever they were short of funds, she could turn to the Ye family, so she rarely kept much cash on hand. Whenever she saved two or three hundred taels, she would invest in farmland.

Lately, with Ye Yaming no longer playing the fool at the Song family's expense, Yu Shi's expenses had increased while her reserves dwindled. Previously, she had only a few dozen taels on hand.

As soon as Song Yifeng mentioned breaking off the engagement, she knew they would have to repay the Ye family some money. She had spent the entire day running around and finally managed to borrow sixteen hundred taels.

Without the Ye family's financial support, she needed to keep at least one hundred taels for emergencies. The days ahead for mother and son were bound to be difficult, and she was unwilling to spend more than necessary.

"No, you must borrow more. We need at least twenty-five hundred taels," Song Yifeng insisted.