At the same time, Third Young Miss Ye also used a method called double-entry bookkeeping, where each transaction was recorded in at least two different accounts, following the principle that “for every debit there must be a credit, and debits must equal credits.” This method could prevent accounting errors, earning Jiang Huan’s enthusiastic praise. He was very willing to try this method on the Ye family’s accounts.

…

The Ye family, being wealthy, regularly employed two carpenters to repair furniture and handle occasional weddings. When Ye Yaqing got married, they hired several additional skilled carpenters to make furniture. Now for Ye Yaming’s marriage, the craftsmen were already available.

Ye Yaming didn’t like overly intricate carvings and chose simple and elegant patterns. With multiple craftsmen working, the furniture she had ordered was completed in less than a month and a half.

After inspecting the furniture and finding it satisfactory, Ye Yaming immediately had it moved into Lu Guanyi’s residence.

This residence was built with gray bricks and tiles, with the main building of the inner courtyard facing south. Ancient architecture typically followed the principle of “one bright, two dark, three rooms through,” meaning the door to the main house wasn’t in the middle of the building directly facing the corridor, but rather a small door in the hall led to the bedroom.

In the outer chamber of the bedroom, to the right of the entrance, was a set of Chinese-style sofas—two short and one long—with thick cushions. In the corner on the other side was a long table, with a dressing table occupying one-third of the space on one side, and the remaining two-thirds decorated with vases and other ornaments on both sides, with writing materials in the center.

In the inner chamber of the bedroom, centered against the eastern wall was a large bed, two and a half meters wide and two and a half meters long, laid with a soft mattress Ye Yaming had specially commissioned. There were footstools and bedside tables on both sides, and the bed curtains could be opened from both sides. During the day, the curtains could be tied to the surrounding frame, making the space appear more spacious.

Since this was for a new marriage, the bed curtains were made of bright red gauze. After the honeymoon period, Ye Yaming planned to change the curtains to blue.

This modern arrangement of the bed was completely different from the customs of the era. In this period, beds were typically placed with the headboard and one side against the walls, essentially in a corner of the room. The person sleeping on the inside would have to climb over the person sleeping on the outside to get out, which was very inconvenient. Moreover, bed curtains were typically tucked under the mat on three sides, with only the outer side able to be opened and closed. The side against the wall would always be in the shadow of the curtains.

Since the wall at the head of the bed was about five to six meters long, after placing the two-and-a-half-meter-wide bed with footsteps in the center, Ye Yaming also installed a row of wardrobes on each side, one for each person, not interfering with each other.

This design would probably seem outrageous to people of this era. After all, in this society, men were superior to women, and wives could not be equal to their husbands. Yet Ye Yaming’s design gave men and women each half the space, fully embodying the concept of equality between husband and wife.

Finally, about a meter away from the foot of the bed stood a screen as tall as the wardrobes, dividing the room in half.

Ye Yaming didn’t like fully carved screens, feeling that the color of rosewood was too heavy and oppressive. She only used carved borders, with the center containing five silk paintings. She had spent a considerable sum to commission a famous painter in Lin’an to create five paintings of lilies.

The overall arrangement of the room was actually similar to Lu Guanyi’s original setup, but because the furniture was larger and more exquisitely crafted, along with the soft furnishings, the whole room appeared quite grand. The fine designs and color combinations of the soft furnishings throughout the room showcased the careful thought and ingenuity of the arranger.

Besides this main bedroom, Ye Yaming also furnished two rooms in the west wing: one as her alternative bedroom with a bed and table similar to the main bedroom, though the bed was only one and a half meters wide; the other she set up as her study.

The remaining room became her small storeroom, where she could place some of her frequently used items.

After some thought, worried that neglecting the east wing might make Lu Guanyi feel disrespected, she eventually moved his original belongings to the westernmost room, and furnished the middle and easternmost rooms identically to her study and bedroom.

If Lu Guanyi didn’t like it and wanted to redecorate, that would be up to him.

For the remaining areas, she simply added some furniture to the halls and main rooms of each courtyard and considered it done.

As for other areas, she left them untouched. Being busy with her affairs, she had no time to stroll through the garden to plant flowers and grasses. She called in the Ye family’s gardener to look around and tidy up the flowers and trees once, and that was the extent of her preparation for the residence.

Seeing this, Madam Li breathed a sigh of relief and privately said to Old Song and her son Song Gang, “It seems the future heir’s wife is practical. Whenever she comes, she’s always cordial to us, and there’s always a reward when we help her with something. I’m relieved.”

She had heard from a servant who came delivering messages that the future heir’s wife might spend most of the year living here. She had been very worried about someone difficult to get along with, which would have made their lives hard.

“Indeed, but the main bedroom has been arranged strangely. I’ve been to many noble households with my late mistress, and I’ve never seen things arranged this way.”

She then described the appearance of the main bedroom to Old Song.

“The master’s affairs are none of your business. If the young master doesn’t mind, who are you to gossip?” Old Song, formerly a minor steward in the Lu mansion, maintained the dignity of the head of household at home. “As long as the lady has a good temperament and is kind to us, that’s all that matters.”

Madam Li shrank her neck and muttered, “I wasn’t saying anything, just discussing with you privately.”

“This manor will soon have a mistress, and some things shouldn’t be discussed even in private. Whether it’s the young master’s regard for Miss Ye, or the fact that their marriage was bestowed by the Emperor, or the importance of Miss Ye’s black tea to the court, the future heir’s wife is not someone we can neglect. Remember that.”

“Understood.”

…

Time flew by, and soon it was September, with the wedding day fast approaching.

The Ye family members successively came to add to the dowry.

Ye Chongming had saved private funds over the years and secretly gave Ye Yaming ten thousand taels of silver as a nest egg. Old Lady Ye gave her a manor.

As biological parents, if Ye Hongsheng and Madam Yin didn’t contribute to the visible dowry, it would inevitably invite gossip. Seeing that Ye Chongming had already provided silver for the bottom of the chest, the couple discussed and bought a shop and a manor as part of the dowry, worth six to seven thousand taels of silver.

Ye Hongchang and Madam Tao, as uncle and aunt, would normally just give two sets of jewelry and some silk fabrics.

But since Ye Yaming had previously given Ye Yaqing a shop worth ten thousand taels, they couldn’t appear too stingy. They gave Ye Yaming a large manor in Tongxiang, worth about four to five thousand taels. Ye Yaqing gave jewelry worth over three thousand taels.