Ye Chongming became anxious with her words: “Then… should we contribute all of it?”

Ye Yaming shook her head: “Contributing everything would be inappropriate. If our family doesn’t want to become Lu and Qi’s dependents or even puppets, we must keep some chips in hand. Besides half of the Jiangnan tea leaves, we must continuously innovate in tea making and continuously produce new tea-making methods to progress alongside them, so we won’t be pressed into an insignificant position.”

Ye Chongming pondered Ye Yaming’s words and slowly nodded: “Ming’er, your thoughts are indeed deep.”

Ye Jiaxing sat to the side, looking at Ye Yaming, his expression somewhat dazed.

His father had always said his third-cousin sister was formidable and told him not to harbor any jealousy. Though his nature was decent enough not to develop feelings of discontent, and he knew from his father’s accounts that his third-cousin sister was impressive, without witnessing it firsthand, he still harbored some stubbornness in his heart.

But now, he truly admired her.

For the same matter, if he saw the first layer beneath the surface, his father saw the second layer, and his grandfather saw the third layer, then his third cousin sister was operating on the fourth layer.

This level of capability was something he couldn’t match even if he tried his hardest.

“But even sixty thousand taels of silver is something our family can’t produce right now,” Ye Chongming said with a bitter smile.

“The women in each branch of the family should have some silver, right? If we gather it together, it shouldn’t be difficult,” Ye Yaming said with a smile.

Ye Hongchang hadn’t thought much about it initially. Although the family wouldn’t touch the women’s private money unless necessary, if there was truly no alternative, they could only borrow it.

Given the family’s situation, it would only be borrowing. Once they earned money the next year, they could repay them. At that time, if the interest was generous, the women would not only have no objections but might even be quite happy.

But seeing Ye Yaming’s smile, Ye Hongchang had a sudden thought, inexplicably feeling that her words carried deeper meaning.

His throat moved as if he wanted to ask what she meant. But just as the words reached his lips, he swallowed them back.

He turned to look at his father.

Ye Chongming was also staring at Ye Yaming, his thoughts turning over and over.

This business originally belonged to the Ye family. After investment, the profits would also go to the public fund. As for the future, everything would only be settled when the family was divided.

But if the women were involved, it wouldn’t be the Ye family’s business anymore, but the women’s business. Once profits were made and dividends distributed, whether the women kept it as private money or sent it to their natal families, it would be their affair, unrelated to the Ye family.

What exactly did Ye Yaming mean by this? Did she hope for her mother, Madam Yin, to earn this money rather than the Ye family?

Moreover, she repeatedly mentioned the continuous creation of new teas.

Currently, Osmanthus tea and chrysanthemum tea were both created or discovered by the father and daughter of the second branch during this period; according to Ye Yaming, there would also be jasmine tea in the future.

Since tea-making methods carried a certain weight in determining shares in the cooperation with Lu and Qi, did Ye Hongsheng and Ye Yaming have their ideas about this? If the cooperation with Lu and Qi involved the public fund investing in shares, then the majority of the final benefits would still go to the main branch. Was Ye Yaming dissatisfied with this?

Ye Yaming’s gaze didn’t waver as she quietly met Ye Chongming’s eyes.

She had received the original owner’s body and promised to help change the fate of the Ye family, but she wouldn’t be selflessly devoted to earning money only for the Ye family.

According to the customs of the Great Jin Dynasty, after the elders passed away, the Ye family would inevitably divide. The main branch, being the eldest branch, would by custom receive seventy percent of the Ye family’s property; the second, third, and fourth branches would divide the remaining thirty percent.

In other words, she and Ye Hongsheng toiled for the Ye family, contributed greatly, but in the end, the second branch would only get ten percent of the family property—why should they accept this?

Ye Hongsheng was skilled in tea making. If this were in modern times, he would definitely be a technical talent, a core figure in a company, and should be treated with respect by everyone. He should even receive a certain number of technical shares in the company.

But in the Ye family? Because the tea-making skills were passed down from the Ye family’s ancestors, the Ye family didn’t consider Ye Hongsheng’s abilities as true abilities. They thought that being good with words and excellent in business management was true capability. Even the incompetent and wasteful fourth brother, Ye Hongrong, didn’t think much of his second brother Ye Hongsheng.

Yet ironically, it was precisely because of Ye Hongsheng’s tea-making skills, and the osmanthus tea created by her, the eldest daughter of the second branch, that the Ye family found a backer and gained an opportunity to cooperate with others.

Should the second branch still work selflessly to earn money for the main branch, only to have to watch their faces in the future?

Since family strength was emphasized now, wouldn’t it be reasonable for the second branch to take not the lion’s share, but just one-fifth?

Her unwavering gaze made her appear frank and open, but it was Ye Chongming who first shifted his gaze away.

He said, “This is also an option. But since it involves all four branches of the Ye family, this matter still needs to be discussed by the heads of each branch.”

Ye Yaming knew that in this patriarchal era, her suggestion was a huge shock to Ye Chongming and Ye Hongchang. She didn’t expect them to agree immediately.

She smiled and nodded, saying, “If Grandfather has nothing else, I’ll take my leave now,” thus providing an opportunity for the three generations of Ye family heirs to discuss this matter.

“Alright, go back and rest. If anything comes up, I’ll send someone to call you,” Ye Chongming said.

As soon as Ye Yaming left, Ye Hongchang frowned and asked Ye Chongming, “Father, what does Ming’er mean by this?”

Although Ye Chongming suspected Ye Yaming had personal motives, in light of her excellent performance these past few days, he was unwilling for his eldest son and eldest grandson to view her with suspicious eyes, and even more unwilling for rifts to form between the branches.

He mediated, “What does she mean? Isn’t Ming’er just helping us find a solution? The family has no silver; we even need to borrow from the Mei family to pre-order next year’s spring tea. Where would we find another sixty thousand taels of silver?”

Ye Hongchang opened his mouth, wanting to say that Ye Yaming’s move was to guard against the main branch, but this thought was too selfish and calculating, and he really couldn’t speak of his niece this way.

He simply closed his mouth and said nothing.

He didn’t believe his shrewd father could see through Ye Yaming’s thoughts.

“Father, if there’s nothing else, Jiaxing and I will also take our leave,” he said.

Ye Chongming didn’t detain him, saying, “Very well, go back and rest properly. If your wound feels uncomfortable, promptly send someone to call the doctor.”

Ye Hongchang acknowledged this, had servants help him into his sedan chair, and returned home with his son.

Once his son and grandson had left, Ye Chongming returned to the back courtyard and told his wife about Ye Yaming’s suggestion.

Finally, he asked, “What do you think Ming’er means by this?”

The elder Mrs. Ye was eating osmanthus lotus seed soup.

After hearing her husband’s words, she lingered over a spoonful of lotus seed soup for a long time, and only after a good while did she say, “It’s exactly what you think it is.”

Ye Chongming glared at her, “That’s like saying nothing at all.”

The elder Mrs. Ye snorted coldly, putting down her bowl and wiping her mouth with a handkerchief: “Business matters—didn’t you always say you never let us women interfere?”