Seeing Ye Shiheng showing concern for Yan'er for the first time, the old general said, "Yan'er is not a child anymore. She needs a yard. Just do as you say."
"My son asked Lan Xi to report the money from the Duke of Zhong. Apart from daily expenses, the monthly wages for the servants and housekeepers, I'm afraid it's not enough for renovations and furniture." Ye Shiheng stood up and squatted beside the old general, holding out his hand. "How about you give me some more?"
The old general didn't believe it: "How can Zhonggong's money not be enough? How much money will it cost to renovate two courtyards?"
Ye Shiheng stood up and sat on the other side of the coffee table. "It's really not enough. My son even asked Lan Xi to take a thousand taels to supplement the household expenses."
The old general said angrily, "Lan Xi only has such a small dowry. She can only take in a few hundred taels of silver every year. She has many brothers and sisters in her family, and they have to support her family every year. You took her silver. What do you expect her to use to honor her parents? Give her the silver back. How dare you use your daughter-in-law's dowry silver?"
Ye Shiheng looked like he had given up. "Okay, okay, I'll return it to her later. How much silver do you want to pay?"
The old general said, "Five thousand taels is enough."
Ye Shiheng widened his eyes: "Enough, enough, Dad, you are so generous."
The old general said, "I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing this for Yan'er."
He pointed at the door and said, "I don't have any cash, but I do have some notes. I'll have someone deliver them to you later. As for the additional household items, ask Lan Xi to come over when she's free. I'll tell her that if there's nothing else, you can leave."
"Then my son will get out of here." Ye Shiheng thanked him profusely and left gracefully.
Outside the courtyard, Ye Songyan was strolling around with Fatty Orange in his arms. Seeing his father coming out, he tactfully went over and said, "Father, these oranges are for you."
Ye Shiheng picked up Fatty Orange and held its little paw. "It was right to take you over to raise it. There are fewer mice now."
Ye Songyan wanted to say something to Ye Shiheng, but his father walked past him and headed straight out of the yard. Looking at his father walking away, he murmured, "I'm your son too. Why don't you ever notice me?"
In the evening, Gudu Lanxi went to Feiyuan because her father-in-law said that her grandfather wanted to see her for something, so she was not free during the day and could only come to Feiyuan at night.
The old general thought Ye Shiheng had explained everything to Gu Du Lanxi, so he only told her some requests: "Your father-in-law should have told you that the renovation of Shanyue Residence doesn't need to be too luxurious, just simple and beautiful. You are not well-off, and Shiheng is asking you to contribute to the family expenses. This is wrong of him. I have two hundred taels of silver. You can use it to honor your parents. It is also a small token of our family's love."
Yuzhi placed a scarlet purse in Gudu Lanxi's hand. Gudu Lanxi looked at the heavy purse with a bewildered expression, "Grandfather, what is this?"
Seeing this, the old general thought that Gu Du Lan Xi was going to refuse, so he said, "You can keep it. It's unreasonable to take back what you have given away."
Dugu Lanxi was puzzled and had to accept the purse. The old general said a few more words and let Dugu Lanxi go back.
Back at Fengquexuan, Dugu Lanxi explained the matter to her husband, Ye Yunlu. "My father told me that Shanyueju and Wutongju would be renovated together, but when did I ever use my own money to supplement the family income? Grandfather even gave me two hundred silver coins. What do you think Grandfather meant by this? What did my father-in-law say to Grandfather?"
Ye Yunlu, dressed in ivory white pajamas, came over with a soaked handkerchief and handed it to Dugu Lanxi. He said, "Grandfather has a bad temper and is stubborn, but he has a good heart. Knowing the situation of the Dugu family, don't worry about what father said to Grandfather. Just accept what Grandfather gives you. If you give it back to Grandfather, he will probably be unhappy and you will end up getting scolded for nothing."
Dugu Lanxi wiped his hands and said, "That being said, I'm a little uneasy. Ever since the day I entered the Ye family, my grandfather has never been so generous to me. This is the first time this has happened, how can I feel at ease?"
"Compared to mother and my sister-in-law, grandpa is quite generous to you." Ye Yunlu thought of his mother and sister-in-law, and comforted Dugu Lanxi, "Don't overthink it. Grandpa is just being considerate of you. There's no other intention. Maybe he thinks you manage the household so well, so he's looking for an excuse to reward you."
Dugu Lanxi smiled and said, "That makes sense. All the ladies of noble families have praised me for my ability and my ability to manage the household. My father also praised me today."
Ye Yunlu teased her, "My wife, can you accept your grandfather's money with peace of mind? If you really don't want it, just give it to me. I'll use it to treat the brothers to a drink."
Dugu Lanxi glared at Ye Yunlu, "You wish, I won't give it to you."
Ye Yunlu smiled faintly. He understood his grandfather's temperament. It would be better for Lan Xi to accept the silver than to return it.
The candlelight was blown out, and the two figures disappeared into the night. The third watch was gone, the fifth watch was approaching, and the east was already bright.
At Rongliyuan, Cuizhi and her two sisters prepared a sumptuous breakfast for Ye Shiheng and Madam Ouyang, which included stir-fried bean sprouts, tofu pudding, roasted lamb, bamboo shoot and meat buns, mushroom and meat buns, sesame cakes, crab roe soup, snow cake, perilla cake and two pickles.
Ye Shiheng was in a good mood today, not for any other reason, but because the old man gave him an extra five thousand taels of silver last night. You know, the old man was very stingy, and all the silver in his hand was left for Ye Songyan. It was only when Yun Lu got married that he gave two thousand taels.
Mrs. Ouyang saw that his smile had been going on from last night until now, which was really too much, like a fool. However, she couldn't bear to laugh at him, so she just let him have fun.
When Cuizhi and other maids saw the general smiling like a flower, they knew that he was in a very good mood. Although they didn't know why the general was happy, they were also happy. After all, no one wanted to serve a master with a bad temper.
Ye Shiheng took a sesame bun and ate it with big mouthfuls.
Mrs. Ouyang saw that he ate in a very rude manner, as if she had gone back to the old days, especially when he was eating meat and drinking wine with the soldiers in the army.
The way he ate like a starving ghost made Cuizhi and others laugh.
Madam Ouyang chuckled and said, "Brother Shiheng, are you possessed by a starving ghost?"
Ye Shiheng only then noticed that his eating manners were not elegant. He was not embarrassed, knowing that Madam Ouyang was teasing him. He smiled and said, "The breakfast prepared by my wife is very appetizing. Can I not eat as much as I can?"
"Eat yours." Madam Ouyang glared at him. "Stop laughing! You'll look like a fool if you keep laughing."
Cuizhi and others couldn't help laughing.
Ye Shiheng ate the pancake and said, "A fool is also your fool."
Madam Ouyang blushed slightly, and then she gently reprimanded Ye Shiheng: "Be more serious."
After the meal, Ye Shiheng was about to go to his friends for a drink and tea. Wujing happened to arrive at Rongliyuan and brought him a note: "General, Lord Sheng Guangzhi has obtained some high-quality tea, including Silver Needle, a type of white tea. He invites you to come and taste tea tomorrow. Here is the note."
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