Chapter 91 Plum Blossom Key

This was Ye Baoling's second visit to Ye Huaizhang's office.

Knowing he was there, she rushed over.

Seeing that her expression was normal and she showed no extra emotion, Ye Huaizhang couldn't help but ask with a smile, "Is there something you can't say over the phone?"

Ye Baoling said softly, "Ye Baoshun is not dead. He called me."

Ye Huaizhang was also surprised. After a long while, he asked, "Are you happy or unhappy?"

This is really hard to describe.

At first I was happy, but after that I wondered, what is there to be happy about?

Humans are truly complex creatures of emotion.

Ye Baoling slightly opened her hand, "Half and half. Do you have any close connections in Thailand?"

Ye Huaizhang: "You want to kill him?"

He then added, "His crime does not warrant death."

Ye Baoling rolled her eyes at him. "I abide by the law and am a good citizen."

"Do you want to help him?" Ye Huaizhang felt that his wife wasn't that kind of person.

Sure enough, she said, "I am not a bodhisattva. Ye Baoshun is a person who listens to one side and is easily influenced by others. Moreover, he acts impulsively and ruthlessly. You have seen the results of the two consecutive incidents."

She then shared her thoughts with Ye Huaizhang.

She originally planned to carry out her plan in Australia after Ye Baoshun went there, as she had a gold mine and acquaintances there.

Ye Baoshun is currently stranded in Thailand, which was unexpected.

"Estrogen?" Ye Huaizhang thought it was a good idea. "If it works, it'll be the result he wants. If someone doesn't want it, no amount of guidance will help."

"You can give it a try."

Ye Huaizhang has connections, so he'll take care of the rest.

Afterwards, Ye Baoling went to the telephone company again and found out that Ye Baoshun's exact location was in Chinpa, Thailand.

She called Ye Huaizhang and told him her location.

She went to the hospital in the evening.

After recovering from his stroke, Ye Qizu's face was crooked on one side, and he couldn't even speak clearly for the first few days. He's been a little better these past two days and can express himself properly now.

However, unlike others who become confused after a stroke, he was an exception, remaining more lucid than anyone else.

Ye Kaisi went to Thailand to find his son, demanding to see him alive or dead. He hasn't found him yet and hasn't returned.

Currently, only Ye Kaimin, Ye Qizong, and others take turns coming to the hospital during the day.

Ye Kaimin was not there, so Ye Qizong brought his grandson to keep the old man company and comforted his brother, telling him not to overthink it.

Ye Qizong's intentions were quite clear: he had so many grandsons, any one of whom could be adopted by Ye Qizu.

But now is not the right time, so he hasn't said it yet.

Seeing Ye Baoling enter, Ye Qizong, who knew how to read the room, quickly stood up and said, "Second Brother, I'll go back now and come see you again tomorrow. Binzi, say goodbye to Second Uncle."

Ye Qizong left with his grandson.

Ye Baoling stood in front of the hospital bed and saw that the old man was drooling. She took a tissue and wiped it for him with disgust.

“You’re happy now…you’re happy now,” Ye Qizu said to her.

Ye Baoling nodded slightly: "Yes, I'm very happy every day."

Ye Qizu stared blankly at the IV drip in front of him, his cloudy eyes filled with tears streaming down his face. "God is punishing me... punishing me..."

Ye Baoling recalled the bright red lights and talismans at the foot of Silver Serpent Mountain and couldn't help but ask, "What god?"

"You don't understand. You don't understand."

Ye Baoling stared at the withered old man in front of her. "If you don't tell me, of course I won't understand."

The old man closed his eyes slightly. He had lived a life of glory, but who could have imagined that he would suffer like this in his old age?

He was ousted from the stage by his own granddaughter, losing face in front of the entire city of Hong Kong.

The only healthy grandson had a crush on men, which eventually led to murder, and he was punished by heaven...

Ye Baoling: "Baoshun called me."

Ye Qizu's eyes widened instantly, "Ah...ah..."

"He's still alive. In Thailand."

"Really?" Ye Qizu excitedly gestured wildly with his hands. Overjoyed, he burst into tears, sobbing with snot and tears streaming down his face.

Uncle Xing heard the commotion and rushed in, holding a wet towel to wipe the old man's face. "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly crying?"

Ye Baoling: "He was happy."

Ye Qizu pointed to the door and said to Uncle Xing, "Get out...you get out..."

Uncle Xing was a little confused, but he still wisely went out first.

Ye Qizu: "How...how is Baoshun?"

Ye Baoling truthfully replied, "I don't know the specifics. He just called to let me know I was safe. He told me not to tell my family, but I didn't, because I'm afraid that if something really happens later, you'll blame me."

Ye Qizu coughed a few times, "I don't blame you, I don't blame you. It's his own fault for being useless, useless... good-for-nothing... cough cough cough cough..."

It would be a lie to say I'm not disappointed in this grandson.

He was utterly disappointed when he learned that Lu Tianyou had been involved with him all along.

Ye Qizu looked at Ye Baoling and asked her, "You could have kept it from me... why didn't you choose to... keep it from me?"

Ye Baoling: "You're keeping this from me so you can leave all your inheritance to me?"

That's what he meant.

Ye Baoling laughed, "Even if Ye Baoshun is standing right here, I still have ways to force you to give me all of Ye Qingtang's shares in the end. I've said it before, if you don't give them to me, Ye Qingtang will become history and cease to exist. You will realize this sooner or later."

In other words, even if Ye Baoshun were standing right here, he couldn't win against her.

Ye Qizu certainly knew this; he was well aware of it, but he was unwilling to admit that his granddaughter possessed such abilities.

I was just thinking that I could delay it for as long as possible.

Who could have imagined that this would be the result of such procrastination?

Ye Qizu coughed a few more times. "I've thought it through. I'll give you the shares of Ye Qingtang... no problem... but... but I have conditions."

"What are the conditions?"

“You must have a son… have a son… to inherit our eldest son’s lineage.”

He truly never forgot about having male heirs, even on his deathbed.

Ye Baoling shook her head slightly: "I'm sorry, I can't agree to that. I'm not sure if I want children. I'm even less certain that I'll have a boy."

"You...you're confused!"

Ye Qizu's eyes widened in anger. How could his descendants all be like this?

Are you suggesting he hand over the eldest son's branch of the family to his younger brother's children and grandchildren? He would rather die than do that.

Ye Qizu was so angry that he wanted to grab something and hit someone, but unfortunately he couldn't even control his hands properly, and his face turned red with anger.

"Unfilial...unfilial descendants..."

After getting angry, the old man suddenly remembered that he still had Ye Baoshun.

He also has Ye Baoshun.

Seeing that he had calmed down, Ye Baoling continued, "If I have a child, whether it's a boy or a girl, I will let my child inherit my family business. I can't guarantee anything else."

Ye Qizu was still not giving up: "If you don't give birth... you can adopt... adopt Baoshun's son."

"He's gay. You're better off relying on your second uncle than him. You could ask your second uncle and aunt to have another child. Of course, there's no guarantee they'll have a son, and there's no guarantee he won't grow up to be gay!"

Ye Baoling didn't really want her second uncle and aunt to have a child; she was just being sarcastic and had no other intentions.

Ye Qizu: "..."

"If I don't have children, I'll give my fortune to whoever loves me. I can even donate it to the country," she said playfully and nonchalantly.

Ye Qizu: "..."

The grandfather and grandson couldn't agree on this topic.

Ye Baoling didn't stay long before heading back.

As soon as he got home and entered his room, Liang Meiyun followed him in.

She had been living like a ghost these past few days, she had lost a lot of weight and her hair had turned white. She had specially dressed up before coming to see Ye Baoling.

After coming in and closing the door, she asked hurriedly, "Baoling, did Baoshun call you?"

It must have been Ye Qizu who had Uncle Xing tell Ye Kaisi and his wife that Ye Baoshun was still alive.

Ye Baoling nodded: "Yes, Second Aunt."

Where is he?

"Thailand."

"Is he alright?"

He said he was fine.

Liang Meiyun then covered her face and burst into tears, crying, "My Baoshun!"

The immense joy of finding something she had lost made her tremble all over.

Ye Baoling gently patted her back. "He told me not to tell you. He said he wants to try his luck out there on his own."

"This silly child," Liang Meiyun said, holding Ye Baoling's hand, "Do you know his address?"

"He wouldn't tell me. I just checked the location of the landline he called from at the phone company, and it seems to be from Maiqing, Thailand, but I don't know if it's accurate." Ye Baoling gave a fake address.

"Mai Qing?" With this position, Liang Meiyun felt more at ease.

Ye Kais is still in Thailand; she needs to get him to go find someone as soon as possible.

Whether or not she can find him, as long as her son is alive, Liang Meiyun has no other desires.

"Thank you, Baoling." Liang Meiyun wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. "I've come to terms with it. I won't have any objections no matter who the old man gives the family business to in the future. If your second uncle and Baoshun don't understand, I'll make them understand. Don't worry."

She's content as long as she receives the family fund every month.

“Money is just an external thing. You don’t have children yet, so you probably can’t understand how I feel right now. I’m so happy, Bao Ling. I’m so happy to know that Bao Shun is still alive.” Liang Meiyun cried again as she spoke.

"I understand." Ye Baoling took out a tissue to wipe her tears.

Parents' hearts are always full of love and concern; she could understand her aunt's feelings at that moment.

*

In the conference room on the 10th floor of Ye Qingtang, everyone was discussing the work related to establishing a mineral water brand.

Ye Baoling selected He Jiayi, Gao Lizhen, Li Donghao, and others to form a mineral water brand team.

At the same time, relevant personnel from other departments were invited to listen in and offer suggestions.

Let's analyze the feasibility issue first.

Li Donghao said, "If an affordable mass-market brand wants to follow the same path as iced tea, then we should also target consumers mainly from young families. Production in the mainland is cheaper in terms of water and labor costs; the only expensive part is shipping. But now that ports are becoming more mature, fuel costs are controllable, and shipping prices have dropped significantly, the profit margin for doing mineral water business overseas is very considerable."

"Yes, with the mainland as our backing, we should make good use of the resources available at the current exchange rate. It's more cost-effective and less risky than building factories directly overseas."

Therefore, Ye Baoling's chosen route was correct.

We built our factory in mainland China, where costs are lowest, and sold our products all over the world.

Next, we will discuss issues related to brand positioning and brand name.

Ye Baoling stated her requirements: "The shape of the mineral water bottle is very important. A well-designed, stylish bottle with a suitable thickness and a good feel in the hand will definitely be more popular."

In her original world, she was a loyal fan of a certain mineral water brand. She liked that mineral water simply because the bottle design was very beautiful.

She admits that she's a sucker for good looks.

Mineral water can be visually appealing too.

The designer quickly jotted down the key points and said that a few bottle designs could be released next week.

When it comes to brand names, He Jiayi is quick-witted and adept at flattery. "I think Miss's name is very nice. Ye Qingtang's herbal tea is named after your ancestor. So, could we name our mineral water that we're developing after Miss? How about Bao Ling?"

Everyone looked at Ye Baoling.

Bao Ling?

Ye Baoling shook her head and complained, "No, it sounds like the name of a bowling ball."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh.

Someone suggested, "Could we call her Lingbao instead?"

Ye Baoling directly rejected the idea, saying, "The character 'Ling' is not commonly used and is not suitable as a product name for the general public."

Someone else suggested, "How about calling him Yu Bao? His feathers are so white..."

Some objected: "Isn't the 'feather' in 'feather' also inappropriate?"

"Where's the rain, my little rainy baby?"

"The rain feels unclean."

"Then, snow, Snowball. Or something like iced tea, something like Ice Something."

"How is the Snow King?"

Everyone chimed in, each expressing their own opinion.

Before making a decision, Ye Baoling asked the brand department to write a complete proposal and provide her with at least five brand names to choose from.

*

As a sponsor of the Hong Kong Film Awards, Suman Jewelry's advertisements have been everywhere lately.

On the day of the Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony, Yip Po-ling and her sister Yip Lok-king attended the event in formal attire.

Since Ye Baoshun's incident, the Ye family has become the focus of media reporters wherever they go.

After walking the red carpet, Ye Baoling did not give any interviews and went straight into the venue.

As soon as she entered, as the big boss and financial backer, all the producers, directors, and stars, big and small, vied to chat with her.

Actress Liang Ailing was seen flying around the venue, bringing people to greet Ye Baoling.

Ye Baoling noticed that her third aunt, Ye Jinliu, had also arrived, and whenever she had a chance, she would quickly go up to greet her.

"Auntie, did you come alone?"

Ye Jinliu was also happy to see Ye Baoling. "I came with Brother Fa. Have you been very busy lately? I've tried to find you several times, but you're never here."

"Just call me directly," Ye Baoling said with a smile. "Auntie, what do you need me for?"

Ye Jinliu whispered to her, "There's an investment I'd like to ask for your opinion on."

In terms of investment, Ye Baoling is now much more reliable than Ye Jinfeng in Ye Jinliu's eyes.

"What kind of investment?"

"Hasn't Hainan Island separated from Guangdong and become an independent province? My friend said this is a good investment opportunity. He's raising funds to develop a large real estate project in Hainan and asked if I wanted a share. He said the return period is at least 10 years, so I'm a bit hesitant and wanted to ask for your opinion." Ye Jinliu didn't mention that this was Gong Jinghui's investment project.

Ye Baoling had a rough idea of ​​what was going on, and she asked with a smile, "Auntie, do you want to hear the truth?"

Ye Jinliu: "Of course. Otherwise, why would I ask you?"

Ye Baoling knew that most of the upcoming Hainan real estate projects had already been launched. She analyzed, "Hainan has only just become a province, and its future development is completely unknown. Hainan doesn't have a large population, and it's not wealthy. It's also far from the mainland. I'm not optimistic about developing real estate there. I think your friend himself doesn't have much confidence, which is why he told you that you'll have to wait at least 10 years to see any returns. In other words, if you lose money in the first few years, there's nothing you can do about it. But if you wait 10 years and still find that you're losing money, you won't have the energy to argue with him anymore."

Ye Jinliu was a smart woman, and she certainly understood the reasoning behind it; she just wanted to trust Gong Jinghui too much.

Seeing Ye Baoling say that, she immediately replied, "You're right, I'll go back and think about it some more."

Ye Baoling asked her, "What has Auntie been busy with lately?"

Ye Jinliu: "I almost forgot to tell you, I'm planning an exhibition and would like to invite everyone to participate."

What exhibition?

"Plum Blossom Exhibition".

Ye Baoling was stunned for a moment. The system was indeed working hard, and she hadn't completed the extra system task for nothing.

What kind of plum blossom exhibition?

"It's an exhibition of various items themed around plum blossoms. If you have any plum blossom-related items, you can bring them over to participate in the exhibition."

Ye Baoling immediately expressed her interest, asking, "Why did Auntie suddenly have the idea to hold such an exhibition?"

Ye Jinliu smiled and said, "It wasn't a sudden idea. I've loved plum blossoms since I was a child. I love the plum blossoms in ancient poems and think they are elegant and proud, blooming in the cold. But I had never seen real plum blossoms back then, so I collected all kinds of plum blossom-related items. As I collected them, I accumulated more and more. A while ago, a friend suggested that I hold an exhibition related to plum blossoms. I thought it was a good idea, so I started preparing for it."

Ye Baoling asked curiously, "Auntie, what kinds of collections do you have? Can I have a sneak peek?"

"No problem, come find me anytime you're free. I've sorted out all my treasures. You and Huaizhang can give me some advice on which items would be most suitable for the center of the special exhibition."

“Sure.” Ye Baoling didn’t want to be too enthusiastic. “I’ll see when Huaizhang is free. We can go and admire Aunt’s collection of treasures beforehand.”

Ye Jinliu laughed heartily, "You are all very busy people. I wanted to chat with you, but I couldn't find you at home. I ended up running into you outside."

The two chatted for a while, and just then someone came over to greet Ye Baoling. Ye Baoling then made an appointment with her aunt to talk more when she got home.

*

In order to avoid letting Ye Jinliu sense their attention and concern, Ye Baoling and Ye Huaizhang suppressed their curiosity and waited until Sunday to go find Ye Jinliu.

Ye Jinliu lives alone on the second floor of Cuizhu Residence.

One of the large rooms on the second floor is filled with plum blossom collections that are ready for exhibition.

There are hundreds of plum blossom paintings and calligraphy hanging on the wall.

There are also all kinds of plum blossom porcelain vases, plum blossom boxes, plum blossom jade ring cups, plum blossom patterned porcelain plates, silver plates, and gold plates, as well as plum blossom jewelry, plum blossom brocade, plum blossom cheongsams, plum blossom shoes and socks, etc.

The wide variety of collectibles dazzled Ye Baoling.

After carefully reading through the document, Ye Baoling, who was on the phone at the time, whispered to Ye Huaizhang, "Did you find anything?"

Ye Huaizhang shook his head: "I didn't find anything."

The collection is extensive, but there is no trace or clue to the plum blossom key.

That was to be expected.

When Ye Jinliu returned after making the call, he asked them, "How are my collections? Not bad, right?"

Ye Huaizhang first praised, "It's more abundant than I imagined."

Ye Baoling also said, "I didn't expect there to be so many items related to plum blossoms."

"Oh dear, I've been collecting these for decades." Ye Jinliu closed the door. The humidity had been too high lately, and she needed to ensure that the humidity in the room was within a reasonable range.

After praising the collection, Ye Huaizhang began to point out the shortcomings: "Although the collection is richer than I imagined, it is not rich enough as an exhibition."

Ye Jinliu immediately asked, "Huaizhang, what suggestions do you have? Tell your aunt."

“Aunt, you can collect plum blossom-related items from people you know. That would make the exhibit much richer. I have a ruby ​​plum blossom buckle that I can lend to you for the exhibition.”

Ye Jinliu quickly praised, "That's a good idea. Your grandmother should have plum blossom-related items, and your mother might have some too."

Ye Baoling: "We can help my aunt promote this and see if we can find more exhibits."

Ye Jinliu laughed and said, "If I had known it would be like this, I should have asked you for advice sooner."

They then made a list of people they could ask questions for, and the young couple came downstairs from Cuizhu Pavilion and walked from the back garden to the Gong family's house.

We've arranged to play cards at Gong's house today.

It was still a five-player game.

Gong Jiahua asked them curiously, "Has Baoshun been found?"

Ye Baoling said, "We couldn't find it; it's hiding. My second uncle went twice but returned empty-handed."

Ye Baoxin understands Ye Baoshun's personality and temperament: "If he can't make it outside, he will take the initiative to contact his family, believe me."

Gong Jiahua nodded: "Yes, he has never suffered. He can't last long without money."

Ye Baoling was eliminated early in this round, leaving only Fang Shanxing and Ye Huaizhang to fight to the end.

In the end, Ye Huaizhang won with a straight flush.

Ye Huaizhang continued the topic, saying, "My aunt is organizing a plum blossom exhibition and is currently collecting items. If an item is selected as a special exhibit, the recipient will receive a round-the-world cruise ticket."

"What plum blossom exhibit?"

Ye Baoling explained, "Anything related to plum blossoms is fine, but of course, antiques with a bit of history are preferred. Anything like plum blossom buckles, plum blossom needles, or plum blossom locks are acceptable."

In order to maintain a good relationship with Ye Baoling, Ye Baoxin took the initiative and said, "I'll go back and look for her."

Fang Shanxing remembered, "My grandfather had a plum blossom key."

Ye Baoling and Ye Huaizhang exchanged a glance subconsciously. She smiled and said, "A plum blossom key will do. Is it an antique?"

Fang Shanxing: "It has at least several decades of history. When I was little, my grandfather held me and opened the safe during the Chinese New Year. I saw it inside the safe. Moreover, this key was mentioned in my grandfather's will, so it must be very important. It shouldn't be possible to borrow it."

"Who would lend out a key? This is probably the key to an important safe," Gong Jiahua said.

Ye Baoling casually asked, "Don't you have Gong Jiahua in your family?"

Gong Jiahua shook his head: "I don't recall any plum blossom-shaped items. I'll ask my grandfather and my parents for you."

After returning home from playing cards, the young couple began to analyze the situation.

It's almost certain that the Fang family's plum blossom key is kept in their safe.

Where is the other one?

Ye Baoling: "Could the other one not be from the Gong family? Fang Shanxing has a good temperament and personality, but my grandfather never thought of arranging a blind date for me with Fang Shanxing. On the surface, he and Sir Fang seem to have a good relationship, but at the same time, he keeps a certain distance. It can be seen that he was originally wary of the Fang family. But he tried every means to make me marry Gong Jiahua, so he was not wary of the Gong family."

Ye Huaizhang frowned slightly: "Didn't Ye Baoxin marry Fang Shanxing?"

“My dad and my stepmother were more enthusiastic. Although my grandfather didn’t publicly object, he was never very warm towards her. Moreover, he didn’t consider Ye Baoxin to be a member of the Ye family, so he was rather indifferent.”

If the other plum blossom key isn't in the Gong family's house, then where could it be?

Ye Baoling suddenly had a bright idea, "Let's go check my grandfather's safe and see if we find anything new."

Her grandfather happened to be hospitalized, so she was the one in charge at home.

That evening, Ye Baoling made an excuse to have the housekeeper, Sister Yin, send the servants on the third floor away, and she and Ye Huaizhang sneaked into the old man's study.

After entering the secret room in the study, Ye Baoling used a lock-picking hook to open the mechanical lock of the safe, and then entered the password she had previously stolen from her grandfather.

Several safes contained gold bars, jewelry, various certificates, documents, and land and property deeds...

Inside one of the safes, a small sandalwood box was found.

Use a crochet hook to open the brass lock on the wooden box; inside is a tattered diary.

Upon closer inspection of the diary, the first page clearly states: Ye and Fang mutually uphold their covenant.

The text inside seemed like a cryptic script; they recognized the individual characters, but when strung together, they couldn't understand it.

Turn to the last page, and you'll find four signatures.

They are Ye Qizu, Ye Qidong, Ye Qiliang, and Fang Dingkun.

They guessed correctly; there was no signature from the Gong family, only from the Ye family's three branches and Sir Fang.