Chapter 87: Mother and Son Discuss

Afterward, Song Yifeng would repeatedly decline, showing a very principled attitude. Finally, he would “reluctantly” accept the money.

Now, Madam Yu planned to use this tactic again.

Xiao Xiang disapproved inwardly but had no choice. She dared not complain to anyone other than Nanny Xia, fearing Madam Yu and Song Yifeng would find out and sell her to a brothel.

Madam Yu drank a cup of tea and was about to check on the cook preparing dinner when she heard the door open and Guizi’s voice outside. She quickly asked Xiao Xiang to open the door.

Soon, Song Yifeng entered with Guizi.

“Everyone, leave,” Song Yifeng ordered Xiao Xiang and Guizi.

Seeing her son’s unusual expression, Madam Yu asked anxiously after the servants left, “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Song Yifeng walked to the door, looked outside, and saw Xiao Xiang heading to the kitchen while Guizi took his book bag to the study.

He whispered to Madam Yu, “Mother, on my way back, I encountered two people who looked like tea customers. They said the Ye family is smuggling private tea.”

Madam Yu was startled. Although she didn’t do business and didn’t understand the laws, she knew that smuggling tea was a serious crime that could affect her son’s future, given the Ye family’s tea business.

“How could this be? Isn’t it said that Old Master Ye always abides by the law and is kind and generous? He’s even the head of the guild. How could he be smuggling private tea?” she asked nervously.

Song Yifeng shook his head, “We don’t have anyone to verify this. But I heard those two speak with certainty, saying that Old Master Ye bought the private tea through Meng Chengwei. They even mentioned names clearly, so it might be true.”

“What should we do?” Madam Yu panicked, “Should we cancel the engagement? Anyway, it’s bound to be canceled sooner or later. We can’t delay any longer.”

Song Yifeng didn’t speak for a moment.

Madam Yu knew her son was hesitating and persuaded him, “We didn’t have an excuse before, but now the Ye family has handed us one. If we don’t use this opportunity to cancel the engagement, when will we?”

Song Yifeng wasn’t reluctant to cancel the engagement but was considering the feasibility of the matter. Hearing his mother’s persuasion, he nodded, “Alright, I’ll find a way to cancel the engagement tomorrow.”

“But after canceling the engagement, we’ll have to endure some tough times,” Madam Yu sighed, “But fortunately, we’ve acquired some land over the years and have rental income. We can manage even if things are tight. I’m just worried that the Ye family won’t let it go and will demand we return the money they’ve given us over the years.”

Song Yifeng wasn’t worried about this. He had thought about this issue long ago. He snorted coldly, “The Ye family is just merchants. Do they dare to confront me? Aren’t they afraid I’ll become a jinshi and make things difficult for them? Even if I can’t return to Lin’an as an official, my peers, colleagues, and Master Wang can easily trouble the Ye family. The Ye family won’t be foolish enough to force us to return the money.”

Hearing this, Madam Yu’s slightly furrowed brows didn’t relax.

For years, they had relied on the Ye family’s money to live comfortably. Not only did they eat chicken, duck, and fish daily, wear silk and satin, and have servants, but they also saved a lot of money and bought ten to twenty acres of land. Although they bought little land each year, it accumulated, and now they owned about a hundred acres.

Madam Yu felt uneasy about not having the Ye family’s money in the future, with only expenses and no income. When she brought her son to Lin’an to make a living, the hardships they faced made her fear a life without money. Having money gave her a sense of security.

Seeing his mother’s anxiety, Song Yifeng comforted her, “Don’t worry, mother. After I become a juren, many people will want to register their land under my name to avoid taxes. They will give us a portion of the harvest as rent. This rent adds up to several hundred taels. Additionally, as a juren, my paintings will sell for higher prices.”

“If Master Wang intends to make me his son-in-law, I won’t need to spend money to attend poetry gatherings, saving a lot of money. I’m eighteen now, and after canceling the engagement, I can quickly get engaged again. Whether I marry Master Wang’s daughter or another official’s daughter, they will have dowries. The difficulties are temporary, for the sake of future prosperity. Please bear with it for now.”

These juren often held poetry and literary gatherings to spread their fame and attract the attention of officials in the capital. They also invited officials like Master Wang to enhance the gatherings’ prestige.

These gatherings required money. Occasionally, wealthy classmates would cover the costs, but frequent gatherings, at least once a month, meant the expenses were shared among the juren. Attending these gatherings required wearing clothes and accessories that matched others in quality, which was a significant expense.

Previously, the Ye family covered these costs.

Now, hearing her son’s words, Madam Yu felt somewhat comforted, regardless of her true feelings. She smiled, “I didn’t say anything. No matter how difficult it is, I support you in canceling the engagement with the Ye family. One must look to the future and not be short-sighted.”

Song Yifeng nodded in satisfaction, “Then I’ll use this matter to cancel the engagement.”

Outside the back window, a small, thin man quietly listened by the wall. Seeing the mother and son stop talking, Madam Yu headed to the kitchen, and Song Yifeng returned to the study; the man sneaked away.

When buying this house, Madam Yu claimed it was to accommodate the servants Ye Yaming would bring after marriage, borrowing money everywhere. She knew the Ye family wouldn’t let them borrow money, but it was a way to get the Ye family to pay.

Although the Ye family paid a small portion, the house was registered under Song Yifeng’s name, not as Ye Yaming’s dowry.

Using the Ye family’s money to buy the house, Madam Yu planned to kick Ye Yaming out if she disobeyed, which was better than living in a house bought by the daughter-in-law and not being able to assert her authority.

Madam Yu’s plan worked as expected. The Ye family didn’t let them borrow money and directly sent the money over. Greedily buying this two-courtyard house, the Song family had only two masters and three servants.

Madam Yu, focused on saving money to buy more land, didn’t hire more servants for security, making it easy for Zhou Xiang to bribe idle men.