Hearing this, Ye Chongming smiled, his expression extremely pleased.

All his efforts over the past two days had not been in vain; he had managed to secure the tea orders ahead of the Meng family.

“Alright, rest well. We’ll go down the mountain tomorrow,” he said.

The next day, Ye Chongming came down from the mountain and returned to the mansion.

During these days, Ye Hongchang had been worried at home. As soon as he heard Ye Chongming had returned, he hurriedly had servants carry him to the main courtyard and asked, “Father, did you secure the tea orders?”

“Yes, I did,” Ye Chongming fully understood his son’s anxious mood and explained everything that had happened.

Ye Hongchang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as he was about to speak, they suddenly heard a maid reporting from outside, “Old Master, Master, Second Master has returned.”

“Hongsheng is back?” Old Lady Ye heard the report and walked over quickly from next door with delight.

Ye Chongming said, “Send someone to notify Ming’er to come here.”

Old Lady Ye hurriedly instructed a maid to go.

Shortly after, Ye Hongsheng entered.

Ye Chongming saw that although he appeared somewhat tired around the eyes, his spirit was extremely high, his eyes bright, and his face full of smiles—clearly, he had good news.

A thought stirred in his mind, and he asked, “Is it about that chrysanthemum…?”

“Yes.” Ye Hongsheng nodded vigorously, gave proper greetings to his parents and elder brother, then turned to Ye Chongming and said, “Father, that chrysanthemum is truly excellent, with a sweet taste and a fresh fragrance that fills the mouth. It’s also extremely beneficial for health.”

As he spoke, he turned around, took a small container from a servant’s hand, opened it, and placed it on the table. He took out a chrysanthemum flower and handed it to Ye Chongming: “Father, please take a look.”

Ye Chongming took the chrysanthemum and brought it to the tip of his nose for a sniff. The unique fresh fragrance of chrysanthemum immediately filled his nostrils.

He had great faith in his second son’s sense of taste. If Ye Hongsheng praised it, the flavor of this chrysanthemum must be exceptionally good.

He asked, “Is there much of this chrysanthemum? What’s the price?”

“It’s decent; chrysanthemums grow abundantly there. This variety has the best flavor. I’ve already signed contracts with the locals to grow more, and we’ll purchase all of it next year. It’s not expensive either, only fifty wen per jin.”

“Dried?” Ye Chongming asked.

Ye Hongsheng nodded: “Dried.”

Ye Chongming’s face showed pleasant surprise as he asked further, “How much did you buy?”

“About two hundred jin. I bought some other varieties of chrysanthemum as well, totaling around three hundred jin.”

“Excellent, excellent!” Ye Chongming couldn’t help but praise repeatedly.

Having sold tea for many years, he was well aware of the market demand for beverages.

Although chrysanthemum wasn’t tea, its good taste and health benefits made it comparable to mid-grade tea leaves. A jin could easily sell for two hundred wen, if not three or four hundred. Buying at fifty wens, the profit would be considerable.

Most importantly, since it wasn’t tea, it wasn’t subject to the control of the Tax Bureau. He could sell as much as he wanted. With his existing sales channels, as long as he placed orders for chrysanthemums from the locals, this profit was guaranteed.

He asked further, “How many jin did you pre-order?”

Ye Hongsheng shook his head: “They mostly grow it for their consumption. What I collected was all from individual households. However, because I offered a good price, they said they would use their fields to grow it next year. As for how much an acre can produce, they aren’t certain. I signed contracts with everyone willing to grow chrysanthemums next year. Regarding how many jin we can purchase next year, there’s no fixed number.”

After hearing this, far from being disappointed, Ye Chongming was exceptionally pleased with his second son’s performance.

His second son had rarely been talkative since childhood, only becoming eloquent when tasting good tea or meeting tea connoisseurs. That’s why he had never asked his second son to manage affairs.

But this time, Ye Hongsheng had handled things beautifully. Not only had he purchased all of this year’s chrysanthemums, but he also knew to pre-order for next year.

It seemed he wasn’t a qualified father and grandfather, as he truly didn’t understand the capabilities of the father and daughter of the Second Branch.

“Well done. Your Second Branch has made a great contribution this time.”

He then explained the family situation to Ye Hongsheng, especially emphasizing Ye Yaming’s contribution and highly praising her intelligence.

Despite already knowing his eldest daughter was capable, after hearing his father’s praise, Ye Hongsheng still found it quite surprising. He felt all his fatigue dissipate, and his heart was filled with joy.

“It’s also because you were willing to listen to a child like her. Otherwise, no matter how many ideas she had, they would have been in vain,” he said.

Ye Hongchang sighed with feeling: “I finally understand the saying ‘a half-full bucket makes noise, a full bucket is silent.’ Ming’er is usually quiet, but in critical moments, she’s someone who accomplishes great things.”

While his words were ostensibly praising his niece to her father, there was an underlying message intended for Old Lady Ye.

Ye Hongrong always boasted about being clever, pleased Old Lady Ye with sweet talk, and looked down on his second brother Ye Hongsheng, thinking him dull. Old Lady Ye shared this view, favoring her youngest son and not particularly liking her second son.

But in Ye Hongchang’s view, his second brother was much smarter than his fourth brother; he had inner excellence. He simply didn’t talk much, but his conduct and handling of matters showed his clear understanding.

Ye Yaming was his daughter, and while Ye Hongchang found her extreme intelligence surprising, it wasn’t entirely unacceptable to him.

After Ye Chongming went up the mountain that day, he returned to the back courtyard and called his wife and son over, explaining everything.

He also admonished them both: “Exceptionally intelligent people, regardless of gender, will achieve success. Ming’er, despite her young age, handles matters better than both me and Father. Such a person may have an extraordinary future ahead, so don’t be foolish and offend her. Being on good terms with the Second Branch will only benefit us, not harm us.”

Madam Tao was stubborn on the surface: “Do I need you to tell me that? I’m not that kind of confused person. I’ve always been good to the Second Branch.” But she took her husband’s words to heart.

When she followed her husband and also tasted a cup of osmanthus tea made by Ye Yaming, she felt the impact of her husband’s words even more deeply.

She wasn’t fond of tea, but this osmanthus tea won her over completely. She felt that even if money was tight, as long as she had enough to eat, she would still buy some osmanthus tea to enjoy. If she had such thoughts, one could imagine how the noble ladies and young misses would react.

This osmanthus tea could not only earn substantial money but also become the signature product of the Ye family tea, establishing the reputation of Ye family tea. The benefits it brought to the Ye family weren’t merely financial.

As for Ye Jiaxing, he had already heard about Ye Yaming’s outstanding performance during this period from his grandfather.

He was the only adult male of his generation in the family, with his cousin being only seven years old. His grandparents and parents placed all the pressure of the Ye family’s prosperity on his shoulders. Being of average talent himself, he often felt overwhelming pressure.

If Ye Yaming had been a boy, as the eldest grandson, he might have felt pressure and a sense of crisis about losing his position as the future family head. But since Ye Yaming was a girl and couldn’t become the next family head, he had no dissatisfaction about his cousin’s competence. Instead, he felt only surprise and delight.