“Can you stay at home?” Old Lady Ye asked with pleasant surprise.
If Ye Yaming hadn’t been pregnant, she would have opposed it. How could a married daughter stay at her parents’ home for an extended period? People would gossip as if she had been divorced and sent back.
But Ye Yaming was pregnant, and there was no one to take care of her at her husband’s home, so it was reasonable for her to return to her maiden home.
Although Lu Guanyi’s residence wasn’t far from the Ye residence, it still wasn’t as convenient as staying at home.
“Of course I can,” Ye Yaming smiled. “I make the decisions in our family.”
Old Lady Ye gave her a sidelong glance but didn’t contradict her.
“By the way, apart from my parents, don’t tell anyone else about this yet. You know that Lu Guanyi’s divorced stepmother is still alive. She had always wanted her son to be the heir of the Marquis’s household, and even after being divorced, she hasn’t quieted down. If she hears I’m pregnant, she might send people to deal with me.”
Old Lady Ye became anxious upon hearing this: “Hasn’t she returned to her hometown in the countryside? Can her influence reach that far?”
“All her dowry was returned to her. Money can make ghosts turn millstones, so naturally, it can make people work for her. And there’s also her future daughter-in-law.”
Ye Yaming told the elderly couple about Chu Yuehua, saying: “Don’t be afraid. But you should be more vigilant in daily life, and be careful with the people in the inner courtyard and around you, to prevent others from taking advantage.”
Ye Chongming and Old Lady Ye exchanged a worried glance and nodded.
Ye Yaming was also helpless.
She didn’t want to worry the elderly couple. But if she only reported good news and not the bad, and since the Ye family had always lived comfortably with weak vigilance, they could easily be taken advantage of.
Just as she was about to comfort the elderly couple, a maid came in and reported: “Fourth Master and Fourth Mistress have arrived.”
Ye Chongming then remembered his fourth son’s matter.
He signaled the maid to wait and asked Ye Yaming: “Your Fourth Aunt wants to go to Huizhou with your Fourth Uncle. What do you think?”
“That’s great,” Ye Yaming was very happy to hear this. “Just look at my mother, you’ll know that women need to go out more, see more, and do some business of their own. This way, their horizons and minds broaden significantly, not only can they assist their husbands, but it’s also extremely beneficial for raising children.”
She didn’t speak about women’s independence and self-reliance.
Ye Chongming was a man who would not agree with that; Old Lady Ye was a woman who had spent her entire life in the inner courtyard, and she had already formed fixed notions.
Therefore, she could only say that women venturing out was good for their husbands and children, which they would more easily accept and strongly approve of.
As she said this, Ye Chongming and Old Lady Ye indeed nodded in agreement.
The second daughter-in-law used to be the most inconspicuous one in the household. But in the past year or two, she had changed the most. They hadn’t noticed much when she opened a shop in Lin’an. But after going to the Capital for a few months, she had completely transformed, becoming confident and gracious, with a vastly different manner of speaking and behavior.
Indeed, experience and self-assurance were very important.
“Alright then, let them go,” Ye Chongming said, nodding to the maid.
Soon, Ye Hongrong and Madam Zhang came in.
After they paid their respects, Ye Chongming said: “I’ve discussed it with Ming’er, and she fully supports your wife going to Huizhou with you.”
Hearing this, Madam Zhang gave Ye Yaming a grateful look.
She had the same concerns as Madam Tao, worrying that Ye Hongrong might take concubines in Huizhou, or even carry on a double life.
Madam Tao, as the eldest daughter-in-law, needed to manage the household in Lin’an, so it was understandable that she didn’t go to the Capital. But as the youngest daughter-in-law, staying at home had no significance for Madam Zhang. Moreover, the Capital was close to Lin’an, and Ye Hongchang would return for festivals and holidays. Huizhou, however, was so far away that Ye Hongrong would probably only return once a year.
With the husband and wife separated for long periods, and their relationship not particularly strong, she truly worried that Ye Hongrong might stray.
Ye Hongrong smiled: “Thank you, Grandfather and Ming’er. Three days from now is an auspicious day for travel, so we’ll set out then.”
Old Lady Ye sat there pursing her lips: “The journey is so long, I don’t know if Young Master Ning can withstand it; Young Master Rui is studying well in school, and if he goes to Huizhou, what kind of education can he get there? It’s the same for Miss Xuan. Why not let them all stay at home, and I’ll look after them.”
She was reluctant to part with her grandchildren. And if the Second Branch went to the Capital, and the Fourth Branch all went to Huizhou, the family home would become quite empty.
But she couldn’t say she didn’t want her daughter-in-law to go to Huizhou, so she thought of keeping the grandchildren.
“I’ve been taking care of them, and they’ve never been away from me. They’ll surely cry if they can’t find me,” Madam Zhang said, looking up pleadingly at Ye Yaming.
She knew that if Ye Yaming said a word, Old Lady Ye wouldn’t say anything more.
But Ye Yaming lowered her head to drink tea, pretending not to see.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to speak for Madam Zhang, but there was a hierarchy to respect. This family wasn’t under her management yet, so Ye Chongming should speak first; she also needed to respect Old Lady Ye and couldn’t directly challenge her face.
Moreover, Madam Zhang had only spoken so tactfully without insisting, and Ye Hongrong hadn’t opened his mouth.
It was well-known that in this era, both transportation and medical conditions were poor. The youngest, Ye Jianing, was only three or four years old, and the oldest, Ye Jiarui, was only ten. If she rashly suggested letting the children go with the couple without them requesting it, and if anything happened to the children on the road, the couple might resent her.
Besides, she had other things to say.
Ye Hongrong spoke up: “We’ll travel slowly, and we’ll also bring a physician along. With proper arrangements, there won’t be any problems. Besides, there are schools in Huizhou too. It’s not like Rui needs to take the imperial examinations; he just needs to recognize some characters and learn some arithmetic. A scholar in Huizhou would be more than sufficient to teach him.”
“Since everything has been arranged, then go together,” Ye Chongming said.
Ye Yaming put down her teacup and smiled: “Long-term separation between husband and wife, parents and children, is indeed not good. Fourth Aunt’s willingness to take the children and go to Huizhou with Fourth Uncle, despite the hardships, is admirable. However…”
She looked at Ye Hongrong: “Minzhou is managed by a steward. Huizhou can similarly be managed by a steward. If Fourth Uncle is willing to stay here to assist me, helping me handle some matters, we can promote someone you trust in Huizhou to take over your responsibilities. Of course, if Fourth Uncle feels that Huizhou is more suitable for you, then just pretend I didn’t say anything.”
Ye Hongrong’s performance over the past two years had been reported to her by the steward in Huizhou; he was becoming increasingly capable.
Ye Hongchang was previously the most capable descendant of the Ye family, but in Ye Yaming’s view, he was still too conservative and lazy, content with managing a single tea house, living day by day, step by step. This kind of old hand was what Ye Yaming least liked to use.
Ye Hongrong was different; unlike Ye Hongchang, who had been under Ye Chongming’s wing doing business for over a decade before being sent out, whose thinking had been restricted by the influence of the older generation. Ye Hongrong was young, with a nimble mind, drive, and willingness to work hard. In comparison, Ye Yaming was more willing to cultivate Ye Hongrong.