She had originally planned to stay in the house rented by Cui Zi Jin, seeking help from various people and looking for ways to ask the officials if there was any chance for a resolution. However, the small landowners who had registered their fields under Song Yifeng’s name caught wind of the situation and came to settle accounts with her.

Fortunately, she heard the people banging on the door and shouting outside. She realized this matter couldn’t end well. After all, when breaking off the engagement, she had to compensate the Ye family, and she had borrowed a considerable amount of money from these small landowners. Now, even if she were sold by the pound, she couldn’t repay the debt.

She immediately moved chairs and stools, packed a small bundle, and escaped by climbing over the back wall.

After fleeing, her heart ached with unbearable pain.

It should be noted that when the Ye family sold the Song family’s original two-courtyard residence, the buyer hadn’t specified whether the furniture was included. However, since the Song family still owed the Ye family several hundred taels of silver, once a purchase was made, the other party would certainly say the furniture was included.

How could Madam Yu agree to that? All the furniture and household items had been carefully selected and added by her. Because she had ample funds when buying the residence and wanted the furniture to match her son’s status as a tribute scholar and the two-courtyard house, she had purchased only the finest wood and paid extra for meticulous craftsmanship.

The vases, curtains, pots, bowls, and ladles all cost money.

Altogether, these items were worth about one hundred taels of silver.

But these small landowners had lost so much silver, and the fields registered under Song Yifeng’s name would be troublesome to handle. They would need to go to the government office to arrange the transfer, which would cost another sum of silver. She dared not return to the residence to deal with the furniture.

In her current situation, having lost her son, savings, and income, every coin became extremely precious. Losing such a large amount of property nearly cost Madam Yu her life.

Now Madam Yu had moved to another place, renting a very dilapidated and small cabin to live in.

“Young Lady, should we reveal Madam Yu’s whereabouts to those small landowners?” Zhou Xiang asked.

Ye Yaming shook her head. “No need.”

Zhou Xiang looked up at Ye Yaming, sighing inwardly: The young lady is still soft-hearted.

But just as this thought crossed his mind, he heard Ye Yaming continue, “She has to go to the government office every day to deliver food to Song Yifeng. Do you think she can escape? Even if she spends money to hire someone to deliver food to Song Yifeng these two days, she will eventually go to see her precious son. She can’t possibly avoid showing her face. And she absolutely cannot escape the debt collectors.”

Zhou Xiang: “…” Very good, still the clear-minded Third Young Lady.

Ye Yaming curved her lips into a smile, but her eyes remained cold.

Soft-hearted? How could that be possible?

In her previous life, the original host had been mistreated and ultimately forced to commit suicide. White Rui and Lu’E had died tragically as well. The misfortunes of the Song mother and son in this life were merely repayment for the sins they had committed in their previous life. The more miserable they were in this life, the better chance they had of reincarnating as humans in their next life, rather than as animals.

She was doing this for their good.

See how kind she was!

“Alright, dismiss everyone else, and leave just one person to keep an eye on Madam Yu. If there’s nothing special, report her situation to me every ten days,” she said.

“Yes.”

Seeing that Zhou Xiang had agreed but was still reluctant to leave, Ye Yaming gave him a curious look. “Do you have something else?”

“Young Lady, I…” Zhou Xiang hesitated, not knowing how to begin.

Having spent some time with Ye Yaming, he knew the young lady hated it when people spoke hesitantly and indirectly. So he gritted his teeth and spoke his mind: “I wish to follow the Young Lady from now on.”

Ye Yaming raised an eyebrow.

Zhou Xiang had always been capable. After serving at Ye Chongming’s side for several years, he had become even more competent. He was observant, knew when to advance and retreat, kept secrets well, and was thorough in his actions. Whatever task was assigned to him, he could handle it impeccably without making mistakes.

In modern times, from the moment Ye Yaming became CEO, she has always had such an executive assistant by her side. She was accustomed to having an assistant nearby.

Although Bai Rui and Lu’E were loyal, they barely knew a few characters. They stayed in the residence all day and lacked education, experience, and courage. When Ye Yaming needed to handle business matters, they couldn’t help at all.

So when she found Zhou Xiang useful, she had asked him if he was willing to follow her.

But he had refused.

She had originally planned to request Lai Yun after Song Yifeng’s matter was settled and Zhou Xiang returned to Ye Chongming’s side, and then train him.

Lai Yun was a few years younger than Zhou Xiang and hadn’t been trained at Ye Chongming’s side, so he naturally couldn’t compare to Zhou Xiang. But he was quick-witted and capable, and with gradual training, he would eventually grow into the role.

Of course, using Lai Yun meant she would have to invest considerable effort in the early stages and occasionally clean up messes for him.

Unexpectedly, now that Song Yifeng’s matter was concluded, she heard such words from Zhou Xiang.

But thinking about it, she could understand Zhou Xiang’s choice.

His previous refusal was also inevitable.

He had worried that she was testing his loyalty.

If he had said he wanted to follow her, it would have indicated that he could easily betray his original master. Who would dare employ such a servant?

In the end, he wouldn’t have been able to follow Ye Yaming, nor return to Ye Chongming’s side. He might even have been beaten to death or sent to the mines.

After all, as a confidential servant like him, who knew too many secrets, the Ye family wouldn’t simply sell him off. Even if they poisoned him to become mute, he could still write.

So his choice at that time was also for self-preservation.

Now that he expressed his wish, he must have seen the situation in the Ye family.

In this ancient time, when “reaching seventy is rare since ancient times,, how many more years could the sixty-year-old Ye Chongming live? Her performance these days was much better than Ye Hongchang’s. She had planned to stay in the Ye family and marry a husband who would take her surname, so it was very likely that while Ye Hongchang would be the next head of the Ye family, the person in power would be her, Ye Yaming. At the very least, her words would carry weight in this family.

Zhou Xiang was still young and needed to find a path for himself, didn’t he?

Taking a step back, even if Ye Hongchang remained in power after Ye Chongming’s death, Ye Hongchang already had his capable people. What good position would be left for Zhou Xiang?

Given that she had previously inquired and shown interest in recruiting him, Zhou Xiang’s current choice was not surprising.

After some thought, Ye Yaming said, “You should still stay with the Old Master.”

Hearing this, Zhou Xiang’s heart sank. He quickly lowered his head, not wanting Ye Yaming to see the disappointment on his face.

He had known it would be like this.

The young lady was so formidable that she could have her pick of anyone in the mansion once she gave the word. And he had rejected her before…

Zhou Xiang felt extremely regretful, but he didn’t truly regret his decision. He knew that even if given another chance, when the young lady had asked previously, he would still have chosen to refuse.

Ye Yaming glanced at him and continued, “The Old Master is getting old and lacks energy. If you leave, he would be at a loss. Stay with the Old Master for now, and if needed, I will borrow you from him.”