Ye Heng nodded, his face showing great concern: "Yes. I remember you are seventeen this year, right? You are also old enough to talk about marriage. In the past, you were stranded outside and suffered a lot. Now that you have finally returned to Beijing, Second Uncle will naturally take good care of you and choose a good marriage for you!"
From what he said, he really regarded himself as an elder with real say.
Ye Chutang, however, had a calm expression, without the shyness that other girls would have when talking about their lifelong affairs.
"Uncle, I haven't thought about this."
Ye Heng was stunned: "What?"
The corners of Ye Chutang's lips curved up, but his eyes were clear.
"I have been taking care of Ah Yan, Ah Feng and Xiao Wu for the past few years, and I have seen the instability of human nature. Now that I have finally returned, I have only one thought in my mind: to raise them well. Other than that, I have no other requests."
Hearing that her tone was not a joke, Ye Heng suddenly became anxious: "But, but you are a woman, how can you not get married? I have started looking for candidates in the past few days, and I just want to help you choose a good one, you——"
Ye Chutang paused and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Second Uncle, but I know my situation. I'm afraid many people will have grudges after my experiences outside for the past three years. Rather than compromise, it's better to be free."
"you--"
Ye Heng never thought that Ye Chutang would actually say such a thing. She actually didn't plan to get married! ?
Wouldn’t that mean I’d have to stay in the Ye family for the rest of my life!
Ye Heng took a deep breath and tried his best to persuade her: "Chu Tang, your parents are gone now, so your uncle has to worry about you. Otherwise, how can I face them in the future? If they knew about this, they would be worried about you being alone!"
Ye Chutang smiled.
"Uncle, you are wrong. My parents loved me the most. All they wanted was for me to be healthy and safe. How could they be unhappy about something like this?"
Ye Heng choked and looked at the girl in front of him, feeling dazed for a moment.
In his impression, his niece had been weak since childhood, with a soft and quiet personality, almost like a clay figure that could be manipulated by anyone.
But after not seeing him for three years, how come he seems like a different person?
When she said these words, she smiled gently and softly, but every word she said was without any compromise.
It's like a sword hidden in a sheath, with the sharp and shining blade ready to hit the throat at any time!
Ye Heng put one hand behind his back and paced back and forth, looking embarrassed: "But, but you..."
He didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Ye Chutang said, "With my parents and brother away, it's natural for me, as the elder sister, to take on the responsibility. Yan and Feng are going to study at the Imperial College soon, and there will be many things that need money in the future. I can't always come to you. What do you think?"
Ye Heng's expression suddenly changed.
"Well... Chu Tang, there is something I haven't had time to tell you. I'm afraid A Yan and A Feng can't go to the Imperial College for the time being."
Ye Chutang paused, and raised his eyelashes slightly: "Why?"
Ye Heng said in embarrassment: "You may not know, the incident happened to my elder brother on the way to be demoted. At that time, he offended the emperor with a careless word, and many people avoided him. Three years have passed, and my elder brother is no longer here. It is not easy for Ah Yan and Ah Feng to enter the Imperial College again."
This statement is actually very clear. With Ye Zheng dead, Ye Chutang and her siblings have become helpless orphans. In addition, Ye Zheng was demoted because he offended the emperor, which made things even more troublesome.
No one would be willing to take the risk to help them.
Who knows if this matter will be used to make a fuss in the future?
Ye Heng sighed: "Although I tried my best, my ability is limited. I am afraid that..."
The Shaoqing of Dali Temple is an official position that is neither big nor small.
He might be able to act arrogantly in other places, but this is the capital, and he is a fourth-rank official, so he still has to obey other people's wishes.
Ye Chutang lowered his eyes and said nothing.
Ye Heng quickly added: "But don't worry! Even if you really can't get into the Imperial College in the end, you can go to other academies!"
No matter how good an academy is, how can it be compared with the Imperial College?
He simply didn't want Ayan and Afeng to enter the Imperial College as a matter of course.
Ye Chutang pondered for a while, and finally said: "If that's the case, then we can't force it."
Ye Heng was delighted, but he didn't expect that the next moment, Ye Chutang continued, "If you can't enter the Imperial College, you have to consider the future of Ah Yan and Ah Feng. I want to see the account books of those shops in the past few years, as well as the harvest of the land leasing, so that I can plan for them early. What do you think, Second Uncle?"
Ye Heng's face froze.
…
By mid-May, the weather in Beijing had gradually become hotter.
It was almost noon, the sun was scorching, and the room was very stuffy.
Ye Yunfeng set up a small bamboo bed in the yard and laid a mat on it. The shade of the tree blocked most of the sunlight, providing cool shade.
Xiaowu lay on the bamboo bed and fell asleep in a daze.
Ye Jingyan was standing aside, reading a book and fanning Xiaowu.
This was the scene Ye Chutang saw when he came back.
Ye Yunfeng was the first to see her: "Sister! You're back - eh? What are those?"
Behind Ye Chutang were two servants, each holding a wooden box in their arms, which looked quite heavy.
Hearing the voice, Ye Jingyan also looked over, his eyes slightly narrowed.
Ye Chutang instructed the servant to deliver the wooden box to the house. After they left, he explained, "The account books of the shops left by my parents, as well as the income and expenditure books for the land rental."
As if he heard them talking, Xiaowu, who was sleeping soundly, groaned, rubbed his eyes with his chubby little hands, and woke up.
She turned over and sat up, her face flushed from sleep. When she looked up and saw Ye Chutang, she stretched out her little arms for a hug before her eyes were fully open.
Ye Chutang leaned over and held her in his arms, a soft little ball.
Xiaowu hugged her neck and rubbed it lovingly.
Ye Jingyan frowned slightly: "Account book? Not the title deed?"
Ye Chutang straightened Xiaowu's messy hair and smiled faintly: "How can it be so easy to spit out something you have already eaten?"
Ye Yunfeng was stunned, and couldn't believe it: "What do you mean? Sister, you went to ask for it in person, but he didn't give it to you!?"
Those were originally their things!
Ye Chutang had actually anticipated this matter, so she went there today not to ask for the land deed.
If Ye Heng had that self-awareness, he would not have occupied their house and refused to return it, not even mentioning it.
It seems that everything can be explained away by just saying "Ayan and Afeng are still young".
"It's okay. I'll go through the account book later and know the situation before I take any action."
As soon as she finished speaking, a little head popped out, and its big eyes like black grapes looked at her brightly.
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