Chapter 33.2: Monetary compensation

Old Master Ye reined in his smile, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke: “Tianhui, you are my biological granddaughter, so of course, I trust you. But this upcoming horse racing season is of great importance—it concerns our family’s reputation in Hong Kong’s horse racing scene. You must understand that in Hong Kong, reputation is the business card of social standing, the capital for advancement. No matter what, Wenyin assisted your second uncle in acquiring these four horses from the UK. She is thoroughly familiar with the entire process. I cannot simply replace her just because of you.”

Ye Tianhui let out a cold laugh and directly pressed: “Grandfather, since you investigated, you should know exactly what caused the accident at the racetrack last time. Have you never suspected your ‘good granddaughter’?”

Old Master Ye’s expression instantly stiffened, and his sharp gaze suddenly locked onto Ye Tianhui.

Ye Tianhui smiled calmly: “Grandfather, do you want to win this racing season?”

Old Master Ye took a deep breath, remained silent for a long while, and finally let out a sigh: “If you want to compete with your second uncle for this job, it’s not impossible. But if I were to hand this responsibility to you outright, the rest of the family would likely not be convinced. After all, for now, Wenyin—or rather, your second uncle—has not made any major mistakes.”

Ye Tianhui understood that Old Master Ye intended to put obstacles in her path. She immediately said: “Grandfather, just tell me what you require.”

Old Master Ye: “The racetrack will soon hold several inter-class races. If you can correctly bet on the winning horse three times in a row, then I can give you a chance to become a supervisor at the family’s horse management company. At that time, you and your second uncle will be on equal footing within the company.”

He fixed his gaze on Ye Tianhui: “How about it, do you dare?”

Ye Tianhui listened and naturally hadn’t expected this.

The conditions set by Old Master Ye were both stringent and lucrative.

Stringent because accurately predicting the winning horse three times in a row in inter-class races was no easy feat. The racecourse was always full of uncertainties—this wasn’t a competition where skill alone could guarantee victory. It depended on weather conditions, race lineup, jockey performance, and many other factors—luck, timing, and opportunity all played a role.

Even the best equine experts couldn’t achieve this unless they manipulated the race results behind the scenes.

But the rewards were just as great.

Because even Ye Wenyin, despite being deeply involved in the Ye family’s horse racing business, did not have independent decision-making power. The primary authority in horse racing belonged to Ye Lizhen, while Ye Wenyin was merely a participant, serving in a supporting role.

And as long as she won, she could stand on equal footing with Ye Lizhen.

While Ye Tianhui was pondering this, Old Master Ye chuckled, “You can think it over carefully, I’ll give you two days.”

Ye Tianhui, however, made a decisive choice. “I agree.”

Old Master Ye raised his graying brows and looked at Ye Tianhui. “You agree? You’re that confident?”

Ye Tianhui said, “Give it a try. Even if I fail, Grandpa, you’ll still have to support me as your granddaughter, won’t you?”

Old Master Ye laughed heartily upon hearing this. “Alright, then it’s settled! Next, I’ll arrange everything for you. My secretary will inform you of your schedule. As for you, all you need to do is select three races from the inter-class competitions at the racecourse and place winning bets on the champion of each!”

He looked at Ye Tianhui. “Let me see how you convince the entire family!”

**********

Ye Tianhui certainly understood that this old man was also shrewd and calculating.

He dreamed of having all his children and grandchildren united and living for generations in the Ye family estate he had built. But in reality? Even he was scheming against his descendants. With the upper echelons setting the example, why would he expect his children to be pure-hearted, kind, and value family affection?

Now, this old man was laying out a grand reward in front of her, but in truth, he was merely making her run like a horse for him in order to earn those rewards.

Of course, he was the old master, he had wealth, and he could control everyone’s fate. So people like her and Ye Wenyin could only run on the track he had set in order to compete for whatever resources they could.

It was no big deal.

Lost in thought, Ye Tianhui exited the old master’s study. Outside, she was led by a secretary to another room. The room wasn’t very large, and inside, a sharply dressed man in a suit was waiting for her.

The man smiled and nodded at her. “Hello, my surname is Peng. I am the old master’s lawyer. I have been entrusted by him to explain the gifts you will be receiving.”

Ye Tianhui nodded. “Lawyer Peng, hello. Please go ahead.”

Lawyer Peng politely shook hands with Ye Tianhui and began explaining the gifts the old master was about to bestow upon her.

He went over each one in detail.

From the educational trust fund she should have received at birth, to the annual birthday gifts, to the rewards she was supposed to get at eighteen, and additionally, a property in Causeway Bay.

Lawyer Peng said, “In short, Old Master Ye has said that he will make up for things as much as possible. These are all unconditional gifts to you.”

Ye Tianhui only half-understood these matters. After all, such things didn’t exist in the mainland, nor did they exist in her time. Furthermore, the lawyer’s speech was mixed with a few English terms.

But she listened carefully and tried to absorb the information.

Finally, the lawyer pushed a stack of documents in front of her. “Miss Ye, please review these documents. If you have any questions, I will explain them in detail. If everything is in order, please sign them, and I will assist you in processing the subsequent procedures as soon as possible.”

Ye Tianhui looked at the stack of documents, which were of various types.

She picked one up and glanced through it. It contained both traditional Chinese characters and English. Relying on her intuition with traditional Chinese characters, she could just about make out that it was the transfer document for the Causeway Bay property—likely the luxury residence Lawyer Peng had just mentioned, approximately seven hundred square feet.

Ye Tianhui didn’t have much concept of real estate, but based on the conversion between square feet and square meters, she figured the apartment was about the size of a two-bedroom unit in the mainland.

She had a classmate whose family lived in an old Soviet-style apartment with two bedrooms, and it was quite comfortable.

In Hong Kong, where pigeonhole-sized apartments were everywhere, a place this large could indeed be considered a luxury home.

While it might not be a big deal to the Ye family, she was quite satisfied—after all, it meant she had her own property.

She asked, “This house will be transferred to my name, right?”

Lawyer Peng smiled and said, “Of course.”

Ye Tianhui blinked.

She actually wanted to ask—if she ever fell out with the Ye family, could they take the house back?

But such words were inappropriate to voice out loud.

Lawyer Peng looked at her, seemingly seeing through her thoughts, and said, “Once the property is transferred to your name, it will be your personal asset. Personal property is legally protected, and no one can take it away from you.”

Ye Tianhui understood.

Now that she understood, she felt quite good about it. She couldn’t help but take another careful look at the property document—the more she looked, the more she liked it.

A house of her own!

Ye Tianhui felt a surge of excitement in her heart. She thought that acknowledging her lineage had been the right move—gaining a house for free was far better than renting that tiny place for over a hundred Hong Kong dollars a month, and certainly much better than the dormitory at the stables.

After fully savoring the joy of owning her own property, Ye Tianhui continued reading through the documents.

Besides the house, the Ye family also provided her with a sum of money. The funds came under various categories—education expenses, birthday gifts, a reimbursement reward for a luxury car on her eighteenth birthday, and several others. The money was divided into multiple documents, each in a different format.

After looking through them, she asked, “I can’t just spend this money however I want, can I? Each amount has a specific purpose, right?”

Lawyer Peng explained that the education trust fund was meant for her studies. Since she was only eighteen, she couldn’t access it freely. If she wasn’t pursuing further education by the time she turned twenty-four, she could withdraw the funds as a wedding gift.

The birthday gift money was supposed to be freely available, but since she had never received it in the past, it would now be set up as a special trust fund, allowing her to withdraw it only on a monthly basis.

Lawyer Peng said, “Miss Ye, there’s no need to worry. As a child of the Ye family, you will receive a fixed monthly allowance. On the first of every month, this sum will be deposited into your personal account, and you are free to use it however you like.”

Hearing this, Ye Tianhui finally let out a small sigh of relief. At least she wouldn’t be completely penniless—she would have money to spend.

She was very pragmatic about the situation. In entering this wealthy family, she lacked deep roots, and in the world of high society, there were hidden traps everywhere. She might not be able to gain much advantage, so she had to keep her expectations low. The most important thing was to at least secure something tangible for herself—something that could serve as a safety net if things went south.

Stocks, trust funds—those were all tied to the Ye family.

In a capitalist society, there were countless financial maneuvers available. Coming from a feudal agrarian era and later a socialist society, she knew she wasn’t equipped to compete with their capitalist schemes.

So, what was in her hands was what truly mattered. At the moment, the two things she could fully control were the house in her name and the monthly allowance—these were assets that weren’t tied to the Ye family’s influence and were hers to use freely.

Now that she had money, the first thing she considered was buying Teng Yunwu!

Without hesitation, Ye Tianhui prepared to sign the documents.

Lawyer Peng quickly reminded her, “Miss Ye, would you like to read the documents carefully first?”

Ye Tianhui smiled. “No need. Just sign, right?”

After all, she had nothing to lose. When she first arrived in Hong Kong, she had nothing but her life and two red perch. Now that she had entered this wealthy family, there was nothing to fear. Signing was the easiest choice.

Seeing her attitude, Lawyer Peng simply guided her through the signing process.

When she finished, he glanced at her bold and dynamic handwriting—full of an imposing presence—and couldn’t help but smile. “Miss Ye, you have excellent penmanship.”

************

Ye Tianhui had always considered herself unskilled in scholarly matters. As a child, she had accompanied the princes and princesses in their palace studies, listening to the imperial tutors’ lessons. However, she never had much talent for academics, and her calligraphy skills were particularly poor.

She had only put effort into writing her name properly because the imperial heir—before he became emperor—had once frightened her.

He had told her that everything else was fine, but at the very least, she needed to write her own name well.

He had warned her that if she couldn’t even sign her name properly, her signature on war reports and military documents in the future would look embarrassing and invite ridicule.

That reasoning had convinced Ye Tianhui, and so she had practiced writing her name diligently—until she mastered it.

In this new life, her original name had, of course, been different. But by sheer coincidence, she was still surnamed Ye. The moment she became aware of her situation, she had immediately changed her name back to what it had been in her past life. That way, she felt more at ease.

And now, she had a chance to showcase the calligraphy she had once painstakingly practiced—just by signing her name.

Holding the copy of the signed documents, Ye Tianhui looked at the house she was about to acquire, feeling a surge of excitement. If she had the time, she definitely wanted to visit it. After all, it was her own home!

The bustling, magnificent Hong Kong—where people spoke unfamiliar Cantonese—was filled with the warmth of everyday life, but it was also a place of cold indifference and distance.

But here, she would finally have a foothold of her own—a house that, to the average person, was nothing short of a mansion.

The more Ye Tianhui thought about it, the more she liked it. Even that shrewd old man’s face seemed a little more endearing.

Next, she moved from the guesthouse to the Ye family’s main residence. The main residence was a complex centered around Master Ye’s primary house, which covered more than 6,000 square feet and had three floors. It was where he lived his daily life.

Extending in all four cardinal directions from the main house were several independent smaller buildings, each two stories high and fully equipped with kitchens and bathrooms—essentially private villas.

Ye Tianhui found it fascinating. This setup suited the old man’s way of thinking.

Each household could close their doors and live separately, but since they were all connected by blood, a single call from the old man meant they could be at his guestroom in just two or three minutes. It was far more convenient than cramming everyone into a single high-rise.

Naturally, Ye Tianhui moved into the same residence as Ye Lixuan and Ye Wenyin. She didn’t have much luggage, so the butler simply led her there.

The house had two floors. The lower floor housed the living room, a maid’s quarters, a kitchen, and common areas. The upper floor had four bedrooms—Ye Lixuan’s study and bedroom took up two, Ye Wenyin had the south-facing room, and the east-facing room was now being hurriedly furnished for Ye Tianhui.

When she arrived, Ye Wenyin was in the downstairs dining room, sipping tea. Seeing her enter, she glanced up and said, “From now on, I’ll call you Tianhui.”

Ye Tianhui acted as if she hadn’t heard, instead calling for the servants to bring her tea and food.

She was here to eat.

The maid, Li Jie, hurried to serve her, bringing tea and an assortment of pastries. Ye Tianhui had high standards and kept requesting more and more. Soon, plates and trays covered the entire dining table.

Sitting there, completely at ease, she glanced at Ye Wenyin. “So many delicious things—don’t be shy, have some too.”

Ye Wenyin: “…”

Her lips twitched.

This Ye Tianhui had just arrived, yet she was already acting like she owned the place!

Ye Tianhui observed Ye Wenyin’s reaction. “Wenyin, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Your mouth keeps twitching—should we call the family doctor to check on you?”

For a moment, Ye Wenyin was at a loss for words.

She even knows about the family doctor?

Li Jie, standing nearby, was equally surprised. This new young lady was quite something. If you didn’t know better, you’d think she’d lived here for ten years.

Ye Wenyin stiffly replied, “No need.”

Ye Tianhui sighed, picked up a fork, and stabbed a piece of cake. With a casual flick of her wrist, the cake landed squarely on Ye Wenyin’s plate with a plop!—perfectly covering her original, delicate pastry.

Ye Wenyin flinched violently, recoiling in shock.

She eyed Ye Tianhui warily, a hint of fear in her expression.

Even Li Jie looked unsettled.

This new young lady… did she have some serious skills?

But Ye Tianhui remained perfectly calm, smiling. “Wenyin, we may not be related by blood, but don’t worry. Since you were raised in our family, I’ll speak to Daddy and make sure you stay here. Whatever I have, you’ll have too—I won’t let you go without.”

She kindly reassured her, “And there’s no need to be so reserved about food either. Come, eat more. Otherwise, people might start saying that the Ye family mistreats their adopted daughters.”

Ye Wenyin’s expression flickered.

What kind of shamelessness was this? She had only just arrived, yet she was already acting like the lady of the house.

Cautiously, Ye Wenyin stood up. She didn’t care about anything else—she just wanted to escape upstairs as quickly as possible.

Ye Tianhui watched her retreating figure and idly twirled her fork, a cold sneer forming in her heart.

If this were her old life, she’d have already kicked Ye Wenyin into the dirt and tossed her out in pieces.

But she understood—this was a prestigious family, and she couldn’t be so crude.

Looking on the bright side, she had now secured a place in this wealthy household, living in luxury. The only nuisance was Ye Wenyin.

But that was fine. She had plenty of time to deal with her.

That Feng Suqin had sent her daughter to Hong Kong to enjoy wealth and privilege while letting her suffer?

Well, now that she was in Hong Kong, why should she let things go smoothly for them?

She wouldn’t just reclaim what she had lost—she would make sure Feng Suqin’s dreams turned to dust.

Of course, all in good time.

For now, she would simply enjoy her new life in high society.