Ji Yingying’s heart skipped a beat. Today was the tenth day of the fourth month. In ten days, it would be the hundred-day memorial ceremony for the Elder Master Yang. If Yang Jingyuan had time, he would certainly return to offer incense to the Elder Master. Then she would be able to see him.

“If the Third Young Master refuses to stay, you’ll be married into the family while in mourning and observe the mourning period for the Elder Master. The Yang family would never divorce you then.”

What did those words mean? Ji Yingying was confused by this statement.

Her large, dark eyes reflected innocence and bewilderment. Her clean face had a rosy, delicate glow. At just sixteen years old, she only knew about staying together with the Third Young Master and joining their hearts forever. She was truly too tender and naive.

Madam Yang’s pupils flickered with sharpness. Her needle-like gaze made Ji Yingying uneasy: “You must do everything possible to make him stay. Otherwise, you’ll end up like me, only able to find solace in flowers, birds, insects, and fish to pass the long days.”

Thinking of the well-tended flowers and birds in the courtyard, and the long row of birdcages under the corridor, was she meant to spend her whole life passing time with those? Goosebumps rose on Ji Yingying’s arms: “I’ll help the Yang family weave the champion brocade to repay your kindness, Madam.”

If Yang Jingyuan wouldn’t return to the Yang family, she would leave with him. Surely the Yang family couldn’t force her to stay in this mansion as a living widow?

“I’m not threatening you, nor do I wish to harm you. I’m merely telling you the truth,” Madam Yang calmly looked back at her, saying sincerely, “For the Yang family’s champion brocade, I hope to receive your help. To get the Third Young Master to return to this family, I ask you to do your utmost to help him let go of his grudges. I raised him for eighteen years, and I understand him better than anyone. If he’s willing to stay, he’ll live happily. If he’s unwilling to stay, he definitely won’t accept you as his wife.”

Yang Jingyuan wouldn’t acknowledge her, leaving her abandoned in this boundlessly large mansion. A panic seized Ji Yingying, and she mumbled, “You forced me to marry. I didn’t want to marry.”

“Your mother hopes the Yang family can protect the Ji family. Only the Yang family can deal with the Zhao family. Your mother has supported the Huanhua Dyeing House for many years. She understands better than anyone what kind of person Old Master Zhao is. From the moment she chose to arrange your marriage with the Third Young Master, the Ji and Yang families became bound together in fortune and spirit. Yingying, you must learn to view matters from a higher perspective. If possible, your mother hopes to protect both you and your brother. If not possible, between the two, you would have to be the one sacrificed.”

“You’re talking nonsense!” Ji Yingying couldn’t help but burst out. Mother had only arranged this to repay the Yang family’s kindness in helping to crush Sheng Fengze’s plot. Mother had only been soft-hearted, hoping to see Yang Third Young Master have family ties and not become a rootless drifter. Mother believed Yang Third Young Master’s deep feelings for her would make him understand why she married into the Yang family. Mother wouldn’t sacrifice her to protect the dyeing house and her brother.

“From the moment you helped the Zhao family win the champion brocade, you either help the Zhao family, or they will certainly destroy you. There are no other choices,” Madam Yang leisurely drank her tea, her voice unwavering, “Your mother is a sensible person. Though it pains her, she understood and decisively had you marry into our family. Otherwise, I guarantee that when the spring silkworms emerge this year, the Ji family will once again encounter all sorts of troubles. I’m telling you all this because I hope you’ll cast aside your unwillingness and truly consider yourself a Yang family daughter-in-law, and accept me as your mother.”

“My mother wouldn’t treat me like this!” Ji Yingying sat up straight, firmly telling Madam Yang, “I will help the Yang family weave the champion brocade. But if Third Young Master won’t return to the Yang family, I will leave with him.”

“How long have you been with Third Young Master? When he was young, seeing Fourth Young Master enter the weaving workshop to learn brocade weaving, he threw a tantrum wanting to go too. I forbade it. He rolled on the ground crying and making a scene for two days and nights. The Master personally told him that a son of a concubine cannot learn to weave or appraise brocade. He had no right to it. After that, he never mentioned it again. He knows what my bottom line is. He doesn’t cross it. Not because he doesn’t want to, but because he’s too proud. Third Young Master’s pride can make him deeply love you, but it can also make him hate you completely.”

Ji Yingying’s mouth fell slightly open. She remembered Yang Jingyuan riding his horse over, throwing away the porridge pot without asking for any explanation. She remembered that night when he stood on the roof of the Ji house, looking at her coldly.

Her heart was in turmoil.

“His feelings for you run deep. Only you can bring him home.” Although Madam Yang had never been willing to admit it, after Yang Jingshan was brutally beaten by the Military Commissioner, she realized how much she depended on Yang Jingyuan deep in her heart. She had previously thought she was just indulging him. After Third Young Master left home, her heart felt empty. The Elder Master had favored Concubine Liu for twenty years. Yang Jingyuan’s presence had filled her emptiness for eighteen years.

“Put aside your pride, even if you have to beg him, you must make him stay.”

Was this their common purpose? Is that why the Madam was speaking so frankly to her? Ji Yingying dared not think further.

Madam Yang gave her time to think. She gestured to Chen Mama to help her up: “Come with me to see your eldest brother. Listen to his thoughts on how to weave this year’s champion brocade. As for the Third Young Master’s matter, think it over slowly. I believe you also don’t want to see the Zhao family win the champion brocade again this year. A thousand-mile dyke can be breached by a tiny ant hole. No matter how wealthy the Yang family is, it can collapse in an instant. Just like my eldest son, the head of the Yang family – even he was beaten in the Military Commissioner’s anger. If the Yang family loses, there will be no one to protect the Ji family. The Yang family might still endure, but what does the Ji family have to fight against the Zhao family?”

“I will do my best.” Ji Yingying answered simply, following Madam Yang to the Yangliu Residence.

Finally seeing the owner of the brocade handkerchief, Yang Jingshan was particularly excited.

His cheeks had sunken deeply, his cheekbones protruding. Under his sword-like eyebrows, his eyes burned like two flames as he stared straight at Ji Yingying, mumbling, “Such eyes like black pearls!”

Ji Yingying’s eyes were darker than ordinary people’s, a pure black with a pearl-like luster, extremely spirited.

Young Madam Yang coughed awkwardly twice, saying softly, “Sister-in-law is embarrassed by the Master’s words. Master, how could you compliment your sister-in-law like this?”

Yang Jingshan acted as if he hadn’t heard, excitedly saying, “There’s an old master in the weaving workshop who has been matching silk threads for the Yang family for decades. He says there are people whose eyes can distinguish colors that others cannot identify. Any color they see, they never forget. May I ask if the Ji family ancestors included such a color-distinguishing expert?”

“I don’t know.” When Master Ji passed away, Ji Yingying was still young. The Ji family also didn’t allow her to learn dyeing techniques. They wouldn’t have told her about the Ji family ancestors’ achievements.

“The Ji family ancestors must have had someone with the same color-distinguishing skill as sister-in-law. That’s why when dyeing silk, they could identify subtle color differences, making Ji family’s Shu red silk brighter and more vivid than others. Good brocade needs good silk. Brocade woven with good silk will naturally be more brilliant than others.” At this point, Yang Jingshan had already envisioned a brilliant brocade pattern in his mind. He continued with one breath, “Please dye new silk for the Yang family!”

As soon as he finished speaking, his strength was exhausted. Yang Jingshan’s head tilted to the side, and he fainted.