Just as Ye Yaming had sent off Fang Xing and his group, someone came to report: “Young Lady, Miss Yang has come to see you.”

Ye Yaming was momentarily surprised, then remembered that Yang Hong’s daughter and Yang Tai’s sister, Yang Shu, was indeed Miss Yang.

In the wealthy circles of Lin’an City, especially among tea merchants, when an elder celebrated a birthday or a child reached one month old, everyone would be invited to a banquet. The women wanted to find suitable husbands for the girls in their family or pick daughters-in-law for their sons. Didn’t they need to observe the appearance and conduct of other families’ daughters and young men at these banquets?

Therefore, whenever there was such a feast, Old Madam Ye would bring the girls of the family along. The original host had been engaged early and didn’t need to find a husband, but staying at home all the time was dull. Going out to see the world and meet people was necessary to avoid embarrassment later when encountering someone on the street or after marriage when becoming the mistress of a household without recognizing anyone.

At these banquets, girls of similar age would play together. While Ye Chongming and Yang Hong were like mortal enemies in the business world, the original host and Yang Shu got along well at these gatherings.

The adults from both families did not prevent their friendship. Over time, the two became good friends. Even without banquets, they would visit each other.

But Yang Shu’s visit now made Ye Yaming suspicious.

After all, Meng Chengwei had been arrested by the officials at the Yang family’s teahouse. The cooperation between the two families and Yang Hong’s defense of Meng Chengwei had been witnessed by dozens of tea customers.

The Yang family’s teahouse business was already not as good as the Ye family’s, and after Meng Chengwei’s arrest, the business became even worse.

Was Yang Shu coming to comfort her after hearing about the broken engagement, or did she have other motives?

While Ye Yaming was pondering this, Yang Shu’s figure appeared in her sight. She quickly went out to the courtyard gate and smiled at Yang Shu: “How did you find time to visit me?”

Yang Shu first carefully examined Ye Yaming for a few moments, then said reproachfully: “What do you mean ‘find time’? I’ve been thinking about you constantly. If you won’t come see me, am I not allowed to come see you?”

“Of course you are,” Ye Yaming said helplessly.

Both of them laughed.

The two walked along the corridor back to the hall and sat down. After Yang Shu drank tea and ate some snacks, she said to the two maids she had brought: “Didn’t you want to learn how to make knotted ornaments from Bai Rui and Lu’E? Now’s your chance, hurry up and learn!”

The four maids understood that their mistresses had private matters to discuss. Bai Rui quickly invited everyone to her quarters to discuss knotting techniques.

After they left, Yang Shu looked outside to make sure no one was there, then lowered her voice: “What happened? I heard you broke off your engagement with Song Yifeng? And that Song Yifeng wrote forbidden poetry and was thrown into prison?”

“Yes,” Ye Yaming glanced at her, seeing genuine concern and worry in her eyes. Her suspicions about Yang Shu diminished somewhat.

“Then what… what will you do next?” Yang Shu looked at her friend with concern.

“My grandmother and mother keep telling me that when the bad leaves, the good will come. Fortunately, I hadn’t married him before he was arrested. Otherwise, not only would I have had a bad fate, but our Ye family would also have been implicated.”

“That’s true.” Yang Shu saw that Ye Yaming didn’t appear particularly heartbroken, which put her mind at ease.

She moved closer to Ye Yaming and lowered her voice mysteriously: “Have you thought about what kind of man you want next? Do you still want a scholar?”

Ye Yaming shook her head: “No, no.”

“Then…” Yang Shu bumped Ye Yaming’s shoulder with her own, smiling suggestively, “What do you think of my brother Yang Tai? He has praised you many times. It’s just that you were engaged before, so even if he was interested, he couldn’t say anything. Now that your engagement is broken, come be my sister-in-law.”

Ye Yaming glanced at Yang Shu, a flash of deeper meaning passing through her eyes.

It was true that Yang Shu cared for her friend, and her desire for Ye Yaming to become her sister-in-law was likely genuine too. But was today’s visit truly just to check on a friend, or was there another purpose? Was what she just said a spontaneous joke, or had it been instructed by the elders in her family?

The quiet business at the Yang family teahouse, as well as the appearance of the osmanthus tea, made one suspicious.

She pretended to be embarrassed and punched Yang Shu. This punch was a bit heavy, causing Yang Shu to cry out “Ouch!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Ye Yaming hurriedly massaged Yang Shu’s shoulder. “I don’t know my strength. Did I hurt you?”

Yang Shu was indeed in pain and almost lost her temper, but she controlled herself and pretended nothing had happened, shrugging her shoulders and laughing: “Ha ha, it’s nothing. My skin is thick, you can’t hurt me.”

“But it’s not my fault, who told you to say such things?” Ye Yaming gave Yang Shu a reproachful look. “If you say such things again, don’t call us good sisters.”

“Is my brother that bad?” Yang Shu’s tone was joking, but her eyes were fixed intently on Ye Yaming, afraid of missing even the slightest expression on her face.

Ye Yaming’s smile faded slightly, and she said seriously: “My grandfather and grandmother plan to find me a husband who will marry into our family.”

“What?” Yang Shu exclaimed.

After shouting, she felt she had overreacted, instinctively covering her mouth. Feeling that was inappropriate, she quickly removed her hand and put on a surprised expression: “How can this be?”

She glanced outside and whispered to Ye Yaming: “Don’t be foolish. Usually, only very inferior men would agree to be a son-in-law who marries into his wife’s family. A girl like you, talented and beautiful, with a good family background, shouldn’t marry such a person under any circumstances.”

Then she muttered quietly: “I wonder what your grandparents are thinking.”

She then asked: “Do your parents agree?”

“Yes,” Ye Yaming nodded. “You know my mother injured herself when giving birth to Yayin and can’t have more children. My father doesn’t want to take a concubine. Our Second Household has no son. My mother is more than happy for me to stay at home and bring in a husband. My father also doesn’t want me to marry into another family and suffer.”

Yang Shu wanted to say a few words of objection, but after opening her mouth, she suddenly felt she had nothing to say.

Being able to stay in one’s own family, loved by parents for a lifetime—who would want to marry into another family as a daughter-in-law, living at the mercy of others? Even if that man was slightly inferior, it was still better than a man without ability who took a house full of concubines, wasn’t it?

Thinking this way, she began to envy Ye Yaming.

Managing the household was Madam Tao’s responsibility. When Yang Shu visited, the servants immediately reported to Madam Tao.

As this involved Ye Yaming, and Madam Tao was aware of the Yang family’s current situation, she quickly went to the main courtyard and reported this to the Old Madam.

The Old Madam thought for a moment and said to the maid: “Lan’er, go to the Third Young Lady’s courtyard and tell Miss Yang, thank her for visiting the Third Young Lady. Tell her I said to stay for dinner.”

“Yes.”

Lan’er went to Ye Yaming’s courtyard and relayed this message to Yang Shu.

“No, no,” Yang Shu quickly said to Lan’er. “Thank the Old Madam for thinking of me. But I didn’t tell my family, so I must decline the Old Madam’s kind invitation.”