Ye Zhiwei was startled by his wife’s words. His eldest son was the heir to the family business and needed to marry a woman who was literate, reasonable, gentle, and understanding.
In his mind, the choice for his eldest son’s marriage had not yet been finalized, but the boy was already sixteen or seventeen years old; it was time to arrange a betrothal.
If his eldest son went to propose to Hongji’s eldest daughter, they would have to wait several more years, and his requirements would be even higher.
So, the idea of the second son, who was just fifteen, seemed plausible – waiting another four or five years was acceptable. The second son didn’t need to inherit the family business so the criteria could be lowered a bit.
But they all shared the Ye surname and came from the same village. Although marriage between them was possible, they had always disliked the recently risen Hongji family.
At that moment, his mind recalled a scene from two years ago: a little girl working in the fields with her sisters, her hair dry and yellow, her body thin and dark.
Just earlier at the main entrance, he saw the five sisters in matching festive attire, clothed in brocade fabric not even everyone in his own family could afford to wear.
It wasn’t about being stingy with money; as the family grew large, the need for clothing changes throughout the seasons became excessive. For example, his two daughters were so large that one set of their clothes could occupy the space of two sets for other people.
The cost of old clothes and living expenses also troubled him, especially since the yield from their fields had not been as good as others’ in recent years. He envied and even resented Hongji’s prosperous farm.
He had heard that Hongji had bought another farm nearby his own, making him wonder just how much money the man had earned. Within two years, Hongji had invested in three farms and even received dividends from the timber factory.
With such high income, even his family, who had been rich for generations, felt envious.
His wife’s idea struck a chord in his heart; indeed, why let the water flow into someone else’s rice paddy? If his second son married one of Hongji’s daughters, and with Hongji having only one son, he could surely secure a portion of Hongji’s estate for himself. The dowry wouldn’t be small either!
Ye Zhiwei nodded in agreement with his wife’s words after considering them, and then instructed them not to spread the news and to cease causing any disturbances.
"Husband, rest assured. After a few days, I will send someone to propose."
The woman’s resolute gaze promised that once the bride was brought into their family, she could be molded to their will.
"Mother, who are you and father considering for marriage proposal? Is it Ye Luoqi? Humph, when my second brother marries her, let her then see who’s in charge and make that poor boy cry!"
"Big sister is right! Haha, we’ll see how we discipline our little sister-in-law and let that poor boy keep dreaming!"
With these words, the two daughters finally stopped crying and laughed, their Big Pancake Faces smeared with tears and snot, ruining the rouge they had applied earlier that day, making them look like painted clowns.
The mother also began to laugh, feeling that this plan was very satisfying!
The three women laughed as they left, discussing how they would go about the proposal.
And when they returned home, they made up again. As a mother, seeing her daughters’ makeup ruined, she was anxious not to displease her husband and did not linger there.
Ye Zhiwei had hardly noticed the ugly faces of his two daughters.
He too laughed, not because the second son would bully the other family after marriage, but because he felt that bringing this woman into the family might actually be fortunate for his son.
As a rich man, he desired his family business to thrive eternally, improving with each generation.
Feeling good, Ye Zhiwei didn’t go to drink with his brothers but instead went to the concubine’s room, feeling he deserved some comfort.
Ye Jiaxing was dragged back home by his parents and beaten soundly, crying out in pain.
"Father, mother, stop hitting me! I did nothing wrong; it’s the fault of those ugly freaks!"
Mr. Ye grew even angrier, his hand wielding a stick, not caring that it was the New Year or that hitting his son’s new clothes might ruin them.
The son had gotten into trouble this time, and the father, unable to help, had even drawn the ire of some villagers.
If their family had no rented land, they could still farm dry land, albeit with less yield. They would have to tighten their belts in the future, but with more time, they could possibly find work elsewhere.
But can one always rely on labor?
For a farmer, having no land to till is the harshest reality; what can one do when born into poverty?
Usually the poor lack ambitions, yet the son managed to stir up trouble.
Ye Jiaxing, beaten by his father until his bottom bled and jumping from the pain, with stripes of blood on his legs, still stubbornly refused to admit he was wrong, believing he had done nothing wrong in protecting the girl he loved.
It was the ugly monsters who were at fault!
Despite the wounds and blood, Ye Jiaxing did not admit defeat, his stubbornness a testament to his refusal to accept that he had erred.