Chapter 16: I Want to Break Off the Engagement

The Ye family wanted to invest in Song Yifeng and marry their granddaughter to him, so they would never treat the Song family coldly. However, to the proud yet deeply insecure Song family, receiving money from the Ye family every month was a great humiliation.

Yet, they had no choice but to accept the money, which felt like extreme humiliation.

“Really? Did the education commissioner really say that? That’s wonderful,” Madam Yu said, her displeasure from Ye Yaming’s visit forgotten, her face beaming with joy.

After her joy, she sighed, “I regret arranging this engagement for you. You’re so young and already a scholar, and you’re so handsome. If you weren’t engaged, the education commissioner would surely marry his daughter to you. If you passed the imperial examination and then got engaged, high-ranking officials in the capital would compete to marry their daughters to you, and even the royal family might want you as a son-in-law.”

She continued with increasing resentment, “Thinking about you marrying a merchant’s daughter while your colleagues’ wives are all daughters of officials, it would be embarrassing to mention in social interactions. It makes me feel terrible.”

Song Yifeng frowned, his face darkening.

“Son,” Madam Yu whispered, “can we break off this engagement?”

Song Yifeng shook his head, “If we could, I would have done it already. Do you know why the Ye family sends us so much money every year? It’s because they see my potential to become a high-ranking official and want to rely on me in the future.”

He snorted, “Now that I’ve finally become a scholar, they won’t let go. Although they are merchants, they have money and can speak to the prefect’s advisor. If this matter reaches the education commissioner and other officials, it would be considered a betrayal and inappropriate.”

Madam Yu became even angrier, cursing a few times before turning to the maid Xiao Xiang, “The young master is back. Why haven’t you called the cook to serve the food? Are you dead? Do I have to tell you everything?”

Xiao Xiang quickly responded and went to the kitchen.

Madam Yu and Song Yifeng were originally from a small village thirty miles outside Lin’an City. After Father Song died, Madam Yu and Song Yifeng lived with Song’s grandmother, uncle, and second uncle’s families.

The Song family was poor, with a few acres of thin land and rented fields from the village landlord, and they were living a tough life. In such circumstances, as a widow and orphan, Madam Yu and her son had an extremely difficult time, often going hungry and being bullied by the Song family.

Madam Yu’s family advised her to remarry, but she couldn’t bear to leave her son, so she stayed.

Madam Yu was smart, resilient, and resourceful. She saw that her son was very intelligent and had the potential to study. If they stayed in Songjia Village, he would only become a farmer, living a hard life with no future. In contrast, if he could study, even becoming a scholar would allow them to live a life the Song family could only dream of.

After much thought, she gritted her teeth, took her son, borrowed money from her family, and moved to Lin’an City. She made a living by washing and mending clothes while looking for a private school for her son. Once she found a suitable one, she moved near the school, continued washing clothes to earn money, and let her son eavesdrop on the lessons. She believed that once the private school teacher saw her son’s intelligence, he would take him in as a student. Even if they couldn’t waive the tuition, they might reduce it. If they met a generous teacher, they might even get some financial support.

At that time, they rented a house near the Yin family, and Song Yifeng often eavesdropped outside Yin De’an’s private school.

As expected, Yin De’an discovered Song Yifeng’s intelligence and took him in as a student, charging only a symbolic fee.

Studying was very expensive. Yin De’an had to support his two sons’ education and exams, and his family wasn’t wealthy. Even if he wanted to help Song Yifeng, he couldn’t afford it. But Madam Yu’s earnings from washing clothes were too little, and they couldn’t even afford food, let alone study materials.

Seeing that Song Yifeng might have to stop studying due to poverty, Yin De’an was deeply regretful. Knowing that his in-law Ye Chongming was looking for a scholar to marry his granddaughter, and seeing that Song Yifeng was a good match for his granddaughter, he recommended Song Yifeng to Ye Chongming.

Yin De’an was Ye Yaming’s maternal grandfather and would never harm her. Since he approved of Song Yifeng, Ye Chongming agreed to the engagement.

With the Ye family’s support, Song Yifeng could continue his studies without worrying about books and materials. The mother and son also lived comfortably, even buying a house and hiring three servants.

Nanny Xia, who was with the original owner, was very shrewd. She believed that although the Song family bought the house and servants, it was from the Ye family’s money. The servants should recognize who the real master was. So, when she accompanied the original owner to the Song family, she took the opportunity to reveal the connection between the Song and Ye families to Xiao Xiang and the cook.

As for the other servant, Song Yifeng’s personal attendant, who was clearly brainwashed by Song Yifeng, Nanny Xia, who had spent her life in the household, knew better than to tell him.

That’s why Xiao Xiang felt endless disdain when she overheard the Song family’s conversation.

Meanwhile, seeing that Ye Yaming didn’t go to the Song family, Ye Hongsheng’s face looked better.

Ye Yaming noticed and asked, “Father, you don’t like the Song family?”

Ye Hongsheng shook his head, “No.”

Ye Yaming could tell he was lying.

The original owner probably didn’t like others speaking ill of her beloved, and Ye Hongsheng knew this, so he denied it.

She didn’t correct him and continued, “If I break off the engagement, would you support me?”

“Break off the engagement? You want to break off the engagement?” Ye Hongsheng was shocked, staring at Ye Yaming to see if she was serious.

Ye Yaming nodded.

“You know I often visit the Song family. Nanny Xia often accompanies me and chats with the Song family’s cook and maid. She accidentally learned that the Song family is very dissatisfied with me and the engagement. Now that Song Yifeng has become a scholar, he looks down on our merchant family. It’s said that the education commissioner wants to marry his granddaughter to him, but they regret that he’s already engaged.”

There aren’t many fathers who think highly of the man who takes their precious daughter. Although others said he and Madam Yin found a good son-in-law, seeing Song Yifeng’s cold attitude towards his daughter, Ye Hongsheng was deeply dissatisfied with the engagement.