“This is quite a coincidence. The Xie family has a daughter-in-law related to my maiden family, who brought the matter to me. I was puzzled why the Xie family would suddenly inquire about this. It turns out they might be considering a marriage alliance.”

She explained the situation of the Xie family and Xie Guizhou to Madam Tao, lowering her voice: “What exactly is the story with your Second Branch’s young lady’s engagement? What kind of marriage has been arranged? No one can find out. The Xie family has doubts, so they asked me to inquire.”

She patted her chest and said: “I’m your sister-in-law. Some things can’t be said to others, but don’t you trust me? If there’s nothing wrong with that engagement, I’ll help you arrange a match with the Xie family.”

To tempt Madam Tao, she detailed how much land and property the Xie family owned, and how many of their family members held official positions.

Madam Tao was indeed tempted after hearing this.

The Ye family was certainly wealthy, but their social status was low. Finding a family with high status that wasn’t too poor was truly difficult. She feared encountering someone like Song Yifeng among those impoverished scholars.

A family with conditions like the Xie family was exactly what she had always hoped to connect with but couldn’t reach.

Now, because of Ye Yaming’s engagement, the Xie family had approached them.

The dilemma she had worried about earlier had indeed materialized, causing her both joy and anxiety.

“This marriage was arranged by her second uncle in the capital, and I truly don’t know the details. But I can guarantee it’s not with some disreputable family. Everyone knows the temperament of my second brother-in-law. He’s an honest man who adores his daughter. If anyone were to mistreat his daughter, this honest man would fly into a rage that even the Old Master and Old Madam couldn’t suppress. Could there be anything wrong with a marriage he arranged?”

These words convinced Madam Feng.

How could anyone who had been related by marriage for so many years not know Ye Hongsheng’s temperament? His love for his daughter was also well-known.

She smiled bitterly: “I believe what you say, but others won’t. If there’s nothing wrong with the engagement, just tell me the name and address of the person, so I can give a proper account when I return. If they go to the capital to inquire and find no problems, wouldn’t Qing’er secure a good marriage?”

“I truly don’t know. You don’t know how difficult my life in the Ye family has become.” She told Madam Feng about the matter of the family headship succession.

It was a matter of losing face, so she had never mentioned it to her maiden family.

Madam Feng was immediately shocked: “This is unheard of. The eldest son and eldest grandson are not inheriting the family business, but instead letting a granddaughter who will marry out inherit? What kind of reasoning is this? How could you and your husband agree to it?”

“Well, it’s because the Second Branch is capable. They produced Dragon Well tea, which even the Emperor praised. It might become a tribute tea in the future.”

As she spoke, she lowered her voice: “I’m only telling you this; don’t spread it around. After Dragon Well becomes a tribute tea, our family might even become imperial merchants.”

She winked at Madam Feng: “So now you understand why the Second Branch is inheriting the family business, and why my husband and I remain silent, don’t you? If we truly become imperial merchants, even if our First Branch only receives twenty percent of the family assets in the future, it will still be more than our previous seventy percent, and our status will be entirely different. When my grandson grows up, he could marry even an official’s daughter.”

“Really? Are you certain?”

Madam Tao said: “We have a fair chance. You must understand, not everyone who makes tea can have it presented to the Emperor for a taste. This step is the most difficult; the rest is just a matter of time. After all, tribute tea and imperial merchant status both require the capital’s officials to examine qualifications and investigate family background.”

Madam Feng nodded blankly.

Madam Tao moved closer to her and whispered again: “Yaming’s engagement is related to this matter. It’s of great importance, so everyone doesn’t want to create additional complications by discussing it openly.”

Having said this, she patted Madam Feng’s arm and returned her voice to normal: “Anyway, the Xie family’s proposal is indeed a good match, but if they must dwell on these details and can’t make a decision without investigating Yaming’s future in-laws, then let it be.”

She pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed the corner of her mouth: “At worst, we can wait a year or so. When our family’s status changes, I’ll arrange a marriage for Qing’er again. Although at seventeen or eighteen she’ll be considered somewhat old, I think once we become imperial merchants, even if the man is a year or two older, his family would still be willing to ally.”

Few eighteen or nineteen-year-old men weren’t engaged, but many fifteen or sixteen-year-olds weren’t.

After all, many families worried that if they arranged engagements too early, their children might become “second-hand goods” if something happened to their betrothed, and they might even gain a reputation for bringing misfortune to spouses.

Moreover, people change—many who were obedient and sensible as children changed drastically when they grew up, so many people preferred to arrange marriages when their children reached marriageable age.

Seeing Madam Tao’s composure, Madam Feng finally believed her sister-in-law’s words.

If nothing else, she knew this sister-in-law’s temperament. If the Second Branch couldn’t bring such great benefits to the Ye family, how could the First Branch willingly let go? Madam Tao would surely have gone back to her maiden family to make a scene.

This sister-in-law was certainly not a generous, uncalculating person.

“Alright then, I’ll speak to the Xie family properly.”

She continued: “Don’t worry, I won’t carelessly reveal what shouldn’t be said.”

“Thank you, sister-in-law,” Madam Tao said with a smile.

While Madam Tao was busy capitalizing on the benefits brought by Ye Yaming’s engagement, Ye Yaming hadn’t had time to check on the jasmine flowers at the estate.

She and Ye Hongsheng accompanied Lu Qingsheng and his wife, Madam Peng, touring Lin’an City for two days. It wasn’t until early on the third day, after Lu Qingsheng and his wife boarded the carriage back to the capital, that she finally had time to visit the estate and begin producing jasmine tea with the servants they had purchased.

After jasmine buds are picked, they bloom in the evening, releasing their fragrance. Tea makers must layer the tea leaves on the buds beforehand. When the flowers bloom, the tea leaves absorb the fragrance, then the spent flowers must be sifted out, and the tea leaves roasted over fire.

Good jasmine tea requires scenting nine times. And the tea makers must stay up late every night during the production period.

Fortunately, the Lu family’s second uncle not only came to propose, but also sent two guards: one named Yi Wu, whose martial arts were said to rival the imperial palace guards, and a maid named Chen Xiu.

With these two protecting her, her safety greatly increased, making it no problem to stay at the estate for a while.

Guan Ting had previously traveled all over with escort agencies, becoming restless after staying in one place; after following Ye Yaming, she had been confined to the residence for a long time without going out, making her restless for movement again.

Seeing that Ye Yaming now had two skilled martial artists by her side—though Chen Xiu looked thin and small, Guan Ting couldn’t last ten moves against her—Guan Ting decided to temporarily take leave from Ye Yaming.

“When you need me again, just call for me. I’ll go home to rest for a couple of days, then join an escort mission for fun,” she repeatedly instructed Ye Yaming.