Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
The Pear Garden was located at the foot of the Pear Mountain in the west of the city. It was the Ye’s old residence which more than 30 kilometres away from the city. It was renovated by Ye Sr. more than ten years ago. The Pear Garden was like the ancient palace garden, with the main courtyard and four courtyards in the north and south, east and west, with large occupied area, and situated at the foot of a mountain and beside a stream. The environment was excellent.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Ye family was a prominent merchant family who had been doing business for generations. Since 1542, the Ye family founded the first spinning mill in Ye City. The Ye family had become the most famous merchant family in the city. Later, the alteration of dynasties and chaos of war almost ruined the family several times, but the wisdom of Ye family had passed on generation to generation and thus, for hundreds of years, the Ye family was able to stage several comebacks It been the richest family in Ye City for a long time.
As an old and huge family, the descendants of the Ye family had spread all over the country and even in many cities around the world, but many of the collateral branches had broken off relations. At present, only a few generations of blood relations were often visiting each other.
Now the eldest of Pear Garden was the elderly woman of Ye, who was over ninety years old. She was Ye Hao’s grandmother. The elderly woman gave birth to five children, two son and three daughters. The second son, Ye Jiancheng died of an accident when he was 50 years old, and her third daughter died young. At present, there were the eldest son, Ye Zhiyuan, the eldest daughter, Ye Lanfeng, and the second daughter, Ye Helian.
The elderly woman had three grandsons, a granddaughter, several nephews, grandnephews, and grandnieces. She wished to have a great-grandson, so she could have four generations together.
The elderly woman put on a red padded jacket which was ordered by her daughter for her. It was a Tang suit, she looked decent and festive in this suit. She stood at the door with a cane, and seemed to be looking forward to someone, a pair of eyes that had been adorned with traces of years was exceptionally bright.
“Will he be back?” The elderly woman asked her second daughter next to her, Ye Helian.
Ye Helian took her mother’s hand and smiled brightly.
“He will, though he was not close to us, but he comes every Lunar New Year’s Eve to see you.” Speaking of her eldest nephew, Ye Helian immediately beckoned her adopted daughter, Yang Kexin.
The beautiful girl walked slowly, she was dressed in a light yellow dress with fine leather gloves, and her long curly hair had dyed brown with a beautiful hair pin on the side, looked pure and feminine.
“Grandma.” Seeing the elderly woman, Yang Kexin nodded slightly with a sweet smile, like a well-bred girl.
The elderly woman had not seen her granddaughter for several years, and she was delighted with her beauty.
“Oh, Kexin, as the saying goes ‘a girl changes eighteen times before reaching womanhood’, you look more beautiful.”
“Grandma, I am 24-year-old.” Yang Kexin corrected it with a smile.
Ye Helian hurriedly took her daughter’s hand, both of them were looked face to face, as if to exchange information.
“Here is the thing, mum, Kexin had finished her master’s degree abroad, and is also of marriageable age. I had arranged a few blind dates for her this year. She has great expectations over guys and hasn’t taken a fancy to anyone.” Ye Helian whispered something in her mother’s ears.
The elderly woman widened her eyes.
“No, they are cousins.”
Ye Helian shook her mother’s hand, she acted like a spoiled child. Mother doted on her since childhood.
“Mum, everyone knew that Kexin was my adopted child. She was not related to me, it doesn’t matter.” There were many more in this society, it could be doubly related.
The elderly woman casted her eyes down and thought for a moment, indeed they did not have blood relationship.