Ye Yaming displayed a bashful smile and asked, “Then our funding shortage…”

“Hmph, that old fellow initially only said he’d prepare a grand gift for you, without mentioning a word about lending us money. It was only after I analyzed the pros and cons with him that he agreed to lend to us interest-free.”

Ye Chongming said this, but his face bore a smile, clearly indicating that his discussion with Mei Chonglin had gone very smoothly.

“Early tomorrow morning, I’ll send people to bring back loose tea from the tea shop and purchase osmanthus flowers. You start making tea with the available materials. I’ll find ways to buy more tea and collect more osmanthus flowers. However much raw material we have, you’ll make that much.”

Speaking of which, he added with regret: “It’s a pity we can’t bring back the loose tea from the capital in time, otherwise we would have several hundred jin more loose tea to use.”

The Ye family’s tea always emphasized quality. Even though these loose tea materials weren’t the best, using more summer and autumn tea, they were still better than loose tea from elsewhere. Moreover, at the cost price, they were much cheaper.

The quality of loose tea from other tea merchants varied, making it difficult to determine pricing after processing it into osmanthus tea.

But now they needed to make tea during peak osmanthus bloom, and there wasn’t enough time to bring loose tea back from the capital.

Ye Yaming also understood his meaning and said: “I’ll use our best quality loose tea to make premium osmanthus tea, which you can give to Master Zhineng or Secretary Wu and others. This batch of tea is only for gifts, not for sale. For the other teas, I suggest dividing them into three grades—high, medium, and low—based on quality. When selling, you can set the prices as you see fit, without needing to make too fine distinctions.”

This was exactly what Ye Chongming had in mind. He nodded in approval: “You’re always so thorough. Alright, let’s do it this way.”

Ye Yaming knew that Ye Chongming was an old hand, and some things didn’t need her reminder, but she still couldn’t help adding: “When buying loose tea and collecting osmanthus flowers, don’t use our family name. Take a roundabout approach and have others buy and collect them.”

Ye Chongming marveled again at his third granddaughter’s foresight.

He nodded: “Don’t worry, I won’t draw others’ attention.”

“Grandfather has been in business all his life and naturally would think of these things. I’m just offering unnecessary reminders,” Ye Yaming said with a smile.

Ye Chongming sighed: “Grandfather is old, and these years have been so smooth that my thinking isn’t as comprehensive as yours. Yaming, just speak directly about anything, don’t worry that Grandfather won’t listen, and especially don’t worry that Grandfather will be unhappy. Without you, our family would truly have been in trouble this time. The consequences would have been hard to predict.”

Thinking about what might have happened if they hadn’t seen through Meng Chengwei, had allowed him to befriend Ye Jiaxing, and then had him extend a helping hand when the Ye family encountered difficulties, the entire Ye family would undoubtedly have considered him a good person. The Ye family would not only have deepened their relationship with him but might also have thought about how to repay him, ultimately being guided by him into an abyss. Ye Chongming shuddered at the thought.

“It’s good that Grandfather doesn’t blame me. Sometimes I get anxious and just say whatever comes to mind. I regret it afterward. There’s no need for me to say those things; Grandfather would certainly figure them out,” Ye Yaming said.

In modern times, she was accustomed to giving orders and didn’t need to consider how tactfully she spoke, since she was always addressing subordinates. Suddenly, in ancient times, becoming someone’s granddaughter, and in an era that highly valued hierarchy and etiquette, her speech sometimes seemed presumptuous.

Ye Chongming waved his hand: “I truly don’t think you speak improperly; you needn’t overthink it.”

With problem after problem, his heart was burning with anxiety. Ye Yaming’s good suggestions were like sweet rain; how could he care about such minor details? He was more anxious about Ye Yaming’s half-revealed, half-concealed manner of speaking.

Seeing that Ye Chongming truly didn’t mind, Ye Yaming went ahead with her advice: “We need to move quickly with buying tea and collecting osmanthus flowers. Making osmanthus tea requires fresh osmanthus; once the flowering season passes, it can’t be made.”

Ye Chongming nodded: “Good.”

He then asked: “How many people do you need? Do you need to go to the tea shop?”

“No need, we can do it in my courtyard. I have six maids and servants in my courtyard, plus six maids and servants from my mother’s courtyard, twelve people should be enough.”

Madam Yin had eight maids and servants in her courtyard. Leaving two personal maids to serve her, Ye Yaming could take six. Surely Madam Yin would strongly support her daughter in making osmanthus tea.

“If that’s not enough, there are still maids and servants in Yayin’s courtyard. I’ll have my mother and Yayin supervise them in selecting osmanthus flowers and baking tea. For the key process of scenting, I’ll handle it with Madam Cai, Bai Rui, and four maids.”

Seeing that Ye Yaming had arranged everything orderly and knew how to use people from her courtyard for the key processes to prevent leaks from too many people talking, Ye Chongming increasingly felt that this child, at such a young age, had meticulous thinking and thorough planning. She was a rare talent, and his regret grew even stronger.

The next day, Old Lady Ye had all the maids and servants pick osmanthus flowers, clean them, and send them to Ye Yaming’s courtyard. Ye Chongming also had people deliver loose tea from the tea shop, along with some tea-making tools.

At the same time, he took a roundabout approach, asking trusted acquaintances to help collect osmanthus flowers, and had unfamiliar servants disguise themselves to buy loose tea from other tea merchants.

Ye Yaming led the maids and servants in making tea in her courtyard.

Old Lady Ye sent Madam Yu to guard the door and handle some logistics, occasionally sending snacks and tea to Ye Yaming and others.

“Have you found out what Yaming and her maids are up to in the courtyard? Don’t tell me they’re making osmanthus honey,” Madam Tao asked her maid Ling’er.

Yesterday was one thing, but they were still at it today, and they were even collecting osmanthus flowers from outside, working behind closed doors in the courtyard. Would making osmanthus honey require so many flowers, and need to be done so secretively? Moreover, there was also tea.

These things might be concealed from others, but not from Madam Tao, who managed half the household. However, Madam Tao didn’t know what exactly was being transported to Ye Yaming’s courtyard. It was covered so thoroughly, which made her curious.

“I couldn’t find out. Madam Yu is guarding near the Third Miss’s courtyard gate. Anyone passing by who doesn’t belong to the second branch gets questioned,” Ling’er said.

Madam Tao’s brows furrowed.

If she had previously suspected the second branch of plotting something, now she had dismissed that idea.

Madam Yu was Old Lady Ye’s confidante, only taking orders from the Old Lady herself, and her status wasn’t comparable to other servants. Not only could Madam Yin and Ye Yaming not command her, even Madam Tao couldn’t unless Old Lady Ye gave the order.

Now that Ye Yaming had Madam Yu guarding her door, what she was doing wasn’t just the second branch’s business, but the entire Ye family’s affair.

Thinking again about the osmanthus flowers that Old Lady Ye had instructed servants from each courtyard to help Ye Yaming prepare, and the constant stream of people delivering things to Ye Yaming’s courtyard, Madam Tao had a vague guess.

She suspected that the Second Master had created a new kind of tea, and worried about it being leaked by people in the tea shop. Since it wasn’t too difficult to make, he simply had it done in the second branch, with Ye Yaming leading the maids and servants.