Chapter 26: I Want to Break Off the Engagement

He earnestly warned, “Just a position as the head of a tea shop brought disaster. If Meng Chengwei learns about this osmanthus tea and the tea-brewing technique, who knows what methods he might use? And there are many like Meng Chengwei who covet it. So, Ming’er, you must remember, you cannot let anyone know about these two things.”

He turned to the old madam and said, “Issue a gag order to the maids and servants who were in the room earlier. They must not spread the word about Ming’er’s osmanthus tea and tea-brewing technique. Anyone who disobeys will be sold to work in the mines.”

As he said this, he deeply regretted not taking Ye Yaming’s tea-making and brewing techniques seriously enough, resulting in so many maids and servants knowing about it.

The old madam also understood the importance of the matter and repeatedly assured, “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”

Besides Nanny Yu and Bai Xin, the housekeeper, Li Fu, and one of her main maids were also outside the door. These people were loyal and reliable.

She would call them in later and give them a stern warning.

Ye Yaming frowned, “Grandfather, do you mean we won’t sell the osmanthus tea?”

She made osmanthus tea to solve the Ye family’s business crisis. If they didn’t sell it for fear of attracting more intense methods and more wolves like Meng Chengwei, it would lose its purpose. Moreover, after understanding Ye Chongming’s business methods, she disagreed with some of his business philosophies.

Ye Chongming sighed, “You’ve seen the situation at home. We have no support. Meng Chengwei’s slight tactics almost destroyed our family. If we bring out this osmanthus tea, how will we survive?”

Ye Yaming shook her head, “We can’t be so passive. Since you think this osmanthus tea is a good thing that can attract many covetous eyes, we can use it to cooperate with others. Find someone with a strong backing who can handle the Meng family and others. This way, we can gather some tea silver for next year’s harvest, get more tea through the partner’s connections, and block those covetous eyes. Isn’t that a win-win situation?”

Old Madam Ye’s eyes lit up when she heard this and said to Ye Chongming, “Master, Ming’er’s idea is good.”

Ye Chongming shook his head and smiled bitterly, “Your method is good, and everyone knows it can be done. The problem is, once we cooperate with others, the tea garden, tea factory, tea shop, and our tea-making skills will no longer belong to the Ye family. We will become someone else’s slaves. To protect our family’s industry and prevent others from taking it, your great-grandfather, your uncle, and I have put in so much effort.”

Ye Yaming had a different opinion, “If you don’t want to cooperate with others, someone else will target us. Now, we are being forced by the Meng family because we have no background. I say, instead of being forced to become slaves, we should choose a kind and benevolent partner ourselves.”

Ye Chongming was shocked and then showed an indescribable sadness, “Does it really have to be this way?”

Ye Yaming frowned, seemingly unable to understand Ye Chongming’s sadness, “Why are you sad? Cooperation with others is not necessarily a bad thing.”

Seeing Ye Chongming and the old madam looking at her with confusion, she said, “I don’t know how much silver our family earns each year, but let’s say we can only earn five thousand taels of silver a year on our own. If we cooperate with others, we can earn twenty thousand taels; even if we split it, we can get ten thousand taels. Plus, we have backing and connections, so we don’t have to worry about being targeted. Isn’t that better than earning five thousand taels and living in constant fear?”

“Doing it ourselves is like a small boat struggling to survive among the powerful, always at risk of being overturned by the waves. Cooperating with others is like a big ship that can withstand the waves and even merge with others when they are about to capsize. When your ship is big enough, others will have to make way for you. You decide where the ship goes. Which one would you choose?”

In modern enterprises, to grow and strengthen, you need to keep raising funds and strive to make the cake bigger. When the cake is big enough and you hold a significant market share, you have a voice and become a rule-maker. Isn’t that better than small-scale operations, always being squeezed out and facing bankruptcy?

Ye Chongming’s thinking was still confined to the framework of a small-scale economy—no wonder the Ye family had only this much property after several generations of operation. He was a figure in Lin’an City’s tea industry, but outside this place and industry, the powerful didn’t take him seriously.

Ye Yaming’s words greatly shocked Ye Chongming. He stared blankly at Ye Yaming, his heart in turmoil.

He and his ancestors had painstakingly guarded the Ye family’s property. When someone coveted it, they could retreat to preserve it or cut off a part to survive. Each time, they were exhausted from protecting the family’s property. But now someone was telling him that their approach was wrong, that they were conservative and sticking to old ways. Cooperation with others would not only save them from hardship but also earn more money and grow the family business. They always thought cooperation would risk being swallowed up. But was there no risk without cooperation? Now, a single imperial merchant from the Meng family could force them into this situation, let alone the real powerful ones.

He tried to calm down, suppressing his chaotic thoughts, not letting Ye Yaming lead him astray. He felt that Ye Yaming’s reasoning was a bit off.

He argued, “We haven’t thought about cooperating with others. Isn’t that why we engaged you to Song Yifeng and supported him in taking the imperial exams? When Yifeng becomes an official, he will be our family’s backing. And as our son-in-law, his status is equal, at least better than bowing and scraping to those powerful people.”

“First, distant water can’t quench present thirst. He couldn’t help in this crisis, could he? The imperial exam path is not easy. Many people achieve early success but fail at the final exam. Even if he passes in a few years, it will take many years to climb from a seventh-rank official to a towering tree that can support us.”

Ye Yaming sneered and continued, “Second, why do you think he will help the Ye family just because he is our son-in-law and used our money to study and take the exams? When he becomes an official or climbs to a high position, he might be ashamed of marrying into our family. What do you think he will do then?”

Ye Chongming and the old madam’s faces changed dramatically.

“How… how can you think that?” Old Madam Ye asked in disbelief.

“Because I know him. I know him better than anyone. You and my maternal grandfather only see his surface. He is extremely insecure and arrogant. He is ashamed of marrying into our family and using our money. So he works harder than anyone, determined to make our family and those who look down on him regret it.”