Ye Yuzhang was stunned by Ye Zhuo and Guan Shi's words, which were like a string of firecrackers, with tears still hanging on his beard, looking up at the sky, he said: "I didn't say I wanted you to sell the house and workshop to make up for the loss, how could I have such a muddled mind? I just want you to help me beg for mercy in front of Yang County Magistrate."

  "Yang County Magistrate?" Ye Yuqi furrowed his brow.

  "Yes, yes, big brother, aren't you acquainted with the newly appointed County Magistrate? Last time we came, I saw him as a guest here. Please help me ask him to send an officer to the Gong family, whether they are selling houses or land, to return the things that the stinky woman from the Gong family stole from my house. If the things can't be returned, compensation is also fine." Ye Yuzhang said pitifully, "Big brother, I'm already 52 years old this year, although I'm your younger brother. I know it's not good to be obsessed with wealth, but this has been a lifelong habit that can't be changed. It's all because I was poor and afraid when I was young, and I couldn't sleep at night if I didn't have some money in my hand! Moreover, I haven't stolen or robbed, I just want the Gong family to return what they stole from me, why is it not possible? Big brother, please help me ask Yang County Magistrate."

  "This..." Ye Yuqi hesitated as he was spoken to by Ye Yuzhang. No matter how many bad habits Ye Yuzhang had, he was still his own younger brother. Moreover, being stingy with money wasn't a big deal. Even if he was heartless and unrighteous, watching him die without lifting a finger when the main house was in trouble, could he really just stand by and watch him die? Looking at his graying hair and withered face, if he couldn't get the money back, it was likely that this year would be his last.

  He could let him go ask Yang Jianxiu for this matter, but Ye Yuxi felt that it was not proper. As for what was improper about it, he couldn't think of it at the moment.

  "A Zhang, you get up first, let's go inside and talk." He stretched out his hand to help Ye Yuzhang.

  "Big brother, if you don't agree, I'll kneel here and won't get up." But Ye Yuzhang refused to get up from the ground.

  Ye Zhuo saw Ye Yuqi sigh and was about to agree, but hastily said: "Uncle grandfather, isn't this making things difficult for my grandfather? You should know that the county magistrate has already spoken on this matter, and now you're letting Yang County take charge of it. Isn't this slapping the county magistrate in the face as soon as he takes office? If my grandfather mentions your request, not only will Yang County not be able to help you, but he'll also offend my grandfather for being reckless and taking advantage of their relationship to make him do something so difficult. From now on, I'm afraid he'll have to keep his distance from our family."

  These words were like a wake-up call, instantly sobering Ye Yuzhang. He stood up straight and looked at Ye Yuzhang on the ground, saying in a low voice: "A Zhang, this matter. I can't mention it to Yang County Magistrate, and even if I did, it would be useless. If you want to kneel, then just keep kneeling." After finishing speaking, he turned around and entered the hall.

  Guan and Ye Zhuo exchanged a glance, and then followed Ye Yuqi back into the house.

  Ye Yuzhang stared blankly as they entered the house one by one, leaving behind only a ground full of fallen leaves swirling in the cold wind, and he suddenly shivered.

  "Old master, let's go back. It's not good for you to stay on the ground for too long in this cold winter. Your body is not strong enough to withstand the chill!" Wang the housekeeper advised, while signaling the servants to help Ye Yuzhang up.

  Ye Yuzhang didn't make a sound, letting the servants help him up. As they were supporting him towards the gate, he suddenly spoke up and said: "Wait."

  "Old Master?" Wang's steward looked at Ye Yuzhang in confusion.

  "Carry me to the hall," Ye Yuzhang ordered.

  "Yes." The servant turned around and supported him as he walked towards the hall.

  As soon as he walked to the entrance of the hall, he saw Ye Yuke sitting there. He was holding a tea bowl in his hand, but didn't bring it to his mouth, just staring blankly, lost in thought.

  "Big brother." Ye Yuzhang called out, gesturing for the servants to help him inside.

  Yue Yuqi raised his head, looked at Yue Yuzhang sitting down, and said to Qiuyue: "Go cook a bowl of ginger soup." Seeing Qiuyue leave after responding, he then calmly looked at Yue Yuzhang, "Figured it out?"

  Ye Yuzhang's nose turned sour, and tears fell again. He sniffled, shook his head, and said despondently: "Even if I don't understand, what can I do? Just grit my teeth and bear it, living until whenever." He took out a handkerchief to wipe his eyes and nose, sighing for a long time before looking up at Ye Yuzhi. "Big brother, if this money doesn't come back, can you let Zhu'er help me design jade carvings in the future? Designing these things doesn't take much time. Besides, only high-quality jade would be used for her designs, and that wouldn't happen often in a year."

  Ye Zhuo had originally agreed to help the second house design three times, but soon Ye Yu Zhang found three pieces of very good jade material and sent them over. After Ye Zhuo's design, each piece of jade carving earned an additional two or three hundred taels of silver.

  Yue Yuqi heard this and raised his head, looking at Yue Zhuo with a glance.

  Ye Zhuo followed him into the hall just now, fearing that Ye Yu Zhang would not finish. Now seeing him bring up this request again, and Ye Yu Qi's glance, obviously softened his heart, wanting to let himself agree.

  She could only say, "Three times, I'll help you design three more times." Seeing Ye Yu Zhang open his mouth to speak, she preempted him by saying, "It's not that I don't want to help, but the Jade Carving Competition is coming up soon. During this time, I need to focus on practicing and can't do too much of this. Moreover, jade carving design isn't as simple as you think, Uncle Ye. You have to hold the jade material and carefully ponder it, making sure every detail and every nuance are clear in your mind. Then, you have to rack your brains thinking about how to design it. For one design, you spend a period of time without knowing the taste of food or sleep, not knowing how much energy and spirit you'll expend. It's not something that can be done by simply drawing a picture on paper."

  Ye Yiqi nodded and said, "Yes, Ah Zhang, Zhuo'er still has to participate in the jade carving competition. For this period of time, every night she practices until late at night. She can't keep helping you design jade carvings endlessly. Just as Zhuo'er said, help you design three times."

  "Alright, just three times." Ye Yuzhang didn't bother much and agreed straightforwardly.

  Ye Yuke and Ye Zhuo were stunned, exchanging a glance. In the past, whenever they had a disagreement, Ye Yuke would always insist on getting his way, saying it three times, but now he seemed to have become so easy-going?

  Ye Yiqi still thought that his younger brother would finally change after this incident, knowing that he couldn't be too greedy or else he would suffer heavenly punishment, and felt greatly relieved in his heart.

  Ye Zhuo was not so optimistic. Ye Yu Zhang agreed so readily, probably because he wanted to get more benefits.

  As expected, Ye Yuzhang looked at Ye Zhuo with a seemingly delighted expression: "If Zhuo can win a place in the Jade Carving Competition and even be taken as an apprentice by the Nie family, then our Ye family will be rich."

  Ye Yiqi was speechless. Seeing Autumn Moon bring in a bowl of ginger soup, she waved her hand and said, "Drink the ginger soup and go back."

  Ye Yuzhang was seriously ill, his body was originally weak, and he had been kneeling in the cold courtyard for half a day, and he could hardly hold on. When he heard the words, he didn't insist, took the ginger soup and drank it down, then let the servants support him back.

  Probably thinking that if Ye Zhuo could get a good name in the Jade Carving Competition, it would be better than earning those few hundred taels of silver. Ye Yu Zhang didn't rush to let someone bring jade material for Ye Zhuo to design like last time. Ye Zhuo was happy to have some free time, except for helping Guan Shi prepare things for the new year and occasionally going to the Jade Carving Workshop to take a look, all other times were spent practicing carving - since hearing that Ye Zhuo said it was so hard, Ye Yu Zhang didn't let her do design work at the Jade Carving Workshop anymore. Ye Zhuo also didn't insist.

  Although having a big house gives some reliance, having one's own skills is stronger than anything else.

  "Tap, tap"... Every night when the world was quiet, the sound would come from Ye's house. It was naturally the sound of Ye Zhuo carving jade. She could now easily enter a state of complete focus and maintain it for longer periods, allowing her to carve intricate jade pieces. Her eyesight, wrist strength, precision, mental power, and coordination between her hands and mind had all been greatly honed, enabling her to carve freely. As she became more skilled, the jade carvings she produced were said by Ye Yuqi to be approaching master level, surpassing those of ordinary jade carvers who were bound by traditional techniques.

  Yang Jianxiu was busy with his new appointment and hadn't had time to visit the Ye family, so he sent his son Yang Zhihui with 1,000 taels of silver to propose a business partnership. Since the auction event, Yu Zhuo Fang's reputation had soared and business was booming, but due to limited space, they couldn't expand further. The working capital was also tied up in purchasing jade materials, leaving Ye Yuxi worried about not being able to grow the business. Just then, Yang Jianxiu sent over 1,000 taels of silver, and Tao Changsheng's scandal had just come out, affecting his workshop's business. With no customers and people pointing fingers at him whenever he went out, Tao Changsheng decided to sell the workshop next to Yu Zhuo Fang. Leaf Yuxi immediately seized the opportunity and bought the workshop for 800 taels of silver, knocked down the wall in between, hired two more jade carvers, and expanded the workshop's scale.

  Although Ye Yuqi is busy all day, his career has been successful, and as the days go by, he becomes more and more spirited.

  The Gong and Tao families' matters have been settled. One day, after breakfast, before Ye Yuqi had gone out, Ye Zhuo consulted with him: "Grandfather, let's buy a few more servants. Grandmother is old and should enjoy some leisure; she can't be asked to do rough work anymore. You also need someone to follow you around and run errands. And Aunt shouldn't be asked to do embroidery from dawn till dusk either, this kind of work is bad for the eyes."

  Ye Yiqi sat by the brazier, sipping a cup of tea: "It's also true. Your grandmother has been following me and hasn't had a good day in her life. Now that our family is well-off, she should enjoy some peace and quiet too. However, our house is small and narrow, with no front or back courtyard; besides me, it's all women at home, so if we hire a male servant, it won't be easy to get along. Your aunt is a widow, and you're also an unmarried girl, if people gossip about us, it won't be good."

  Thank you ivyulv for your pink vote! (Your support is welcome, it's my greatest motivation.)

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