She rolled her eyes and glanced at Madam Tao and Ye Yaqing.

Everyone in the room agreed in unison and took their leave.

After exiting the main courtyard, Madam Zhang smiled at Madam Yin and said: “Second Sister-in-law, Yaming has truly become capable, able to handle important matters just like the men. It’s a pity she’s already engaged. Otherwise, with her reputation for competence spreading, who knows how many families would come seeking her hand?”

Then she raised her chin toward Ye Yaming: “If you need anything, just say so. Fourth Aunt supports you.”

With that, she turned and left with her maids.

Hearing these words, Madam Tao felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Ye Yaqing was half a year older than Ye Yaming. When the old master had taken a liking to Song Yifeng, he hadn’t considered Ye Yaqing but had directly betrothed Ye Yaming to him. This was mainly because Madam Yin’s father, a scholar, had once been Song Yifeng’s enlightening teacher. With this connection, the marriage arrangement sounded better.

Of course, at that time, Song Yifeng was nothing, his future uncertain, and his family so poor they could barely afford food. Madam Tao had looked down on this match.

But unexpectedly, in just a few short years, Song Yifeng, at such a young age, had passed the provincial examinations and now had boundless prospects.

Meanwhile, despite careful selection, Ye Yaqing’s engagement had still not been settled.

Now that the family faced difficulties and the men of the First Branch couldn’t manage affairs, Ye Yaming from the Second Branch had suddenly stepped forward, making her, the First Branch’s senior daughter-in-law, seem useless, and further highlighting Ye Yaqing’s ordinariness. Madam Tao felt somewhat dissatisfied.

However, she was not a fool like Madam Zhang. Ye Yaming’s ability to help solve family problems and contribute to preserving the Ye family was something she was grateful for, so naturally, she wouldn’t say or do anything against Ye Yaming.

Madam Zhang still wanted to provoke conflict between the First and Second Branches—she was overthinking.

She smiled at Ye Yaming, then turned to the matron beside her and said: “From now on, all servants of the First Branch will follow the Third Young Lady’s orders. Her commands are my commands.”

“Yes, madam.”

Hearing the matron’s respectful response, Madam Tao then smiled at Ye Yaming and said: “If you need anything, Yaming, don’t hesitate. Feel free to command the First Branch’s servants. If any of them misbehave, send someone to tell me, and I’ll deal with them.”

“Thank you, First Aunt,” Ye Yaming smiled.

Madam Tao nodded and left with the matron.

Watching this scene, Madam Yin felt extremely pleased.

Regardless of what small thoughts Madam Tao and Madam Zhang might harbor, at least at this moment, they could only speak kindly to the Second Branch.

A well-raised daughter could also bring her face.

She volunteered to Ye Yaming: “How do you want to make this osmanthus honey? Mother will help you.”

“There’s no need.”

Ye Yaming, seeing that only the three of them—mother and two daughters—and their trusted maids remained, leaned close to Madam Yin’s ear and whispered: “I’m helping the family make a type of tea that requires osmanthus. Fearing it might be leaked, Grandmother just said it that way.”

As she spoke, she winked playfully at Madam Yin.

Madam Yin was surprised, and while pleased, she also worried: “Can you manage it?”

“Why not? I am my father’s daughter. My father is so exceptional, and I’m not bad either, you know? Father has important matters to attend to, so this time I’ll be making the tea.”

Ye Yaming put on a proud little expression that made Madam Yin laugh.

“Sister, do you need us to help with anything?” Ye Yayin asked eagerly.

“Not yet,” Ye Yaming said. “I’ll try first today. I don’t need much osmanthus, and there’s some in my courtyard. If it succeeds, I’ll need your help tomorrow or the day after.”

“Alright,” Ye Yayin said happily.

Ye Yayin had wanted to go watch. Madam Yin knew that Ye Yaming was making tea, and for confidentiality, Elder Lady Ye hadn’t even let the women of the household know what Ye Yaming was doing.

So she pulled Ye Yayin: “Aren’t you supposed to be studying? Why are you trying to join in? Hurry up, the female teacher will be here soon.”

The reason Ye Yaming had such a good impression of Ye Chongming was that the old gentleman not only had the boys educated but also hired female teachers for the girls, teaching them poetry, books, etiquette, as well as skills like embroidery.

If the Ye family truly declined, the women could support themselves through literacy, accounting, or skills like embroidery, avoiding utter destitution.

She returned to her courtyard and directed the maids to pick all the osmanthus flowers from the two trees, removing flower stems, leaves, and other debris.

By the time she had prepared the osmanthus flowers, fire stove, bamboo mats, and other materials, Ye Chongming had already sent people with several catties of loose tea.

The loose tea of this era was steamed green tea. Ye Yaming had tasted various teas on her second day here. Due to the production process, this steamed green tea naturally couldn’t compare with modern pan-fired tea, having a stronger bitter and astringent taste, and a somewhat “stuffy” feeling, lacking freshness and crispness.

But there was no pollution in ancient times, and the water quality, soil, and air quality were good. The Ye family’s tea gardens were located on mountains several hundred meters above sea level, so the tea leaves contained more polyphenols and were of better quality.

If tea were made using modern pan-fired methods, who knows what flavor it would have? Ye Yaming was looking forward to finding out.

“Young Lady, everything has been prepared, and I’ve sent away all other people in the courtyard. How shall we proceed?” Bai Rui asked.

She and Lu’E were Ye Yaming’s senior maids, extremely loyal and trustworthy.

In the original owner’s memories, the two had followed her to the Song family after marriage, protecting her throughout.

When the original owner was mistreated, other dowry servants had sided with the Song family. Only these two maids remained loyal: Lu’E tried to escape to send word to the Ye family but was beaten to death by Song Yifeng’s men; Bai Rui, who stayed by the original owner’s side, was sold to a brothel on some pretext by Song’s mother. She tried to struggle and escape along the way, but was smothered to death on the road.

To escape the engagement with the Ye family, the Song mother and son not only forced the original owner to commit suicide but also killed these two maids who were close to her. Other attendants were sold off one by one.

Ye Yaming felt that whatever miserable fate befell the Song mother and son in this life would be deserved.

Among the original owner’s wishes, besides changing her fate and that of the Ye family, she also hoped Ye Yaming would treat the two senior maids well and find suitable futures for them.

“Watch me do it. If I succeed, you’ll need to join in later,” Ye Yaming said while working.

She couldn’t teach them embroidery and other ancient female arts, but she could share her tea-making skills and some business methods. With these, when she had the means, she could give the two women some tea fields and restore their freedom. This way, regardless of whether they wanted to marry, they could support themselves and never have to live at the mercy of others again.

By then, she would have repaid the loyalty of these two maids on behalf of the original owner.

She first roasted the tea leaves until warm, then spread them on bamboo mats, evenly adding a layer of osmanthus flowers on top. She repeated these layers of tea and flowers into a pile, covering the top with a layer of tea.

As the temperature was slightly cool, Ye Yaming covered the tea pile with white cloth to maintain a stable temperature and encourage the fresh flowers to release their fragrance.