TMBIABHL: Chapter 47

 Glossary

·Ye Heng (叶恆): Ye Chutang's second uncle. Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

·Ye Chutang (叶初棠): Female protagonist. Heir to an ancient medical family.

·Ye Mingze (叶明泽): The Second Young Master of Vice Minister Ye's household. Cousin to Ye Chutang.

·Ye Shixian (叶诗娴): Ye Mingze's elder sister, daughter of Ye Heng.

·Lady Gao (高氏): Ye Heng's wife, mother of Ye Shixian and Ye Mingze.

·Shen Yanchuan (沈延川): The Marquis of Dingbei.

---

Chapter 47: I'm Not Going

As the words fell, Ye Heng's eyelid twitched. "Absolutely not!"

He hurried forward, blocking Ye Chutang's path, his expression urgent. "You've only just returned with such difficulty. How could you go stay at an inn!"

Without a second thought, he immediately snapped at Ye Mingze. "You! Go! Clear out your room immediately!"

Ye Mingze rebelled. He had lived in that room for three years and was long accustomed to it! How could a single sentence from Ye Chutang force him to move out?

"Father! The house has plenty of other rooms! Why does it have to be mine?" Ye Mingze was very dissatisfied. "And I have too many things there. Moving everything would be such a hassle!"

Ye Heng's chest ached with anger. He said sharply, "When I tell you to move, you move! No more arguments!"

Ye Mingze shuddered, the arrogant dissatisfaction on his face finally receding considerably.

He was a spoiled young master, and the only person he feared was his father.

Usually, even when he didn't do his schoolwork properly, his father hadn't raised his voice this much.

Ye Shixian stepped in to mediate. "Alright, Mingze. Cousin and the others have suffered who knows how many hardships these past three years. Just let them have the room. We're all family. Why be so particular about this?"

The last half of her sentence seemed to carry a barb.

Ye Chutang's expression remained mild. "Second Uncle, there's really no need for such trouble. The capital is a big place. It won't be difficult for us to find somewhere else to stay."

As she spoke, she took Little Five's hand, preparing to leave.

Ye Heng gave Ye Mingze a hard kick.

"What are you standing there for! Go now! Are you really going to make your cousins suffer outside!?"

Caught off guard, Ye Mingze nearly fell to the floor. Furious but not daring to speak, he gritted his teeth and left, resentment boiling in his heart.

Yu Hong hurried after him, simultaneously calling to the other servants and maids in the courtyard. "Everyone, follow! Second Young Master, don't worry. Leave these matters to us!"

The group quickly disappeared, heading to the east wing to clear out the rooms.

Only then did Ye Heng look back at Ye Chutang, speaking earnestly. "Chutang, please rest assured. Although your father and the others are gone, your Second Uncle will definitely take good care of you all in their place!"

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

He comforted her, "A-Yan and A-Feng can stay in their original rooms. And don't worry, your room hasn't been touched. We'll just have the servants give it a thorough cleaning in a moment!"

Ye Chutang's eyelashes lifted slightly. The usual warmth and calm had already returned to her eyes.

The sharpness and severity from moments ago seemed to have been an illusion.

She gave a faint smile. "Thank you for your understanding, Second Uncle. It's not that I'm being unreasonable. It's just that the east wing was originally the residence Father specifically prepared for my elder brother. Now, even though he is no longer here, keeping a room for him allows us to hold onto a memory."

Ye Heng naturally agreed repeatedly.

Unwilling to dwell on this matter, he changed the subject. "Your journey back to the capital must have been exhausting. Why don't you go to the rear courtyard to rest first? Your room will be ready soon. I'll also have someone bring in new bedding. And if you need anything else, just tell your Second Uncle!"

Ye Chutang finally nodded.

"Alright."

...

Watching Ye Chutang and the others leave, Ye Heng let out a long sigh of relief. Yet the knot of anxiety in his chest stubbornly refused to unwind.

He turned to Ye Shixian. "Keep an eye on Mingze these next few days. Don't let him start any conflicts with them! It's just a room. Letting them have it is fine. It's not worth getting angry over!"

Ye Shixian nodded. "Don't worry, Father. I understand."

Ye Heng clasped his hands behind his back and let out another long sigh.

"If only Mingze had half your intelligence, I wouldn't have to worry like this every day!"

Ye Shixian smiled. "He's just a bit too fond of fun. If you're stricter with him in the future, Father, I'm sure he'll mature."

Ye Heng shook his head. A father knows his son best. He knew exactly what his son was made of!

His son might not be promising, but fortunately, his daughter was sensible.

"Later, try to find out more about what their situation has really been these past three years."

"Alright."

...

Ye Shixian returned to her room, her mind replaying the scenes from earlier, lost in thought.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

She never imagined Ye Chutang and the others would actually return. The current situation was...

"Miss, it's a good thing you had the foresight not to choose the west wing back then! Otherwise, I think that Ye Chutang would have kicked you out too!" Shaoyao pouted. "She's just an orphan girl with no parents left! What a terrible temper! Doesn't she see who's in charge of the Ye Residence now!?"

Ye Shixian picked up her wooden comb and slowly began to smooth her hair. Lowering her eyes, she said indifferently, "You don't know. My cousin was frail and sickly since childhood. She looked like a strong breeze could blow her over, and she was never without her medicine. Who knows if the places she's lived might carry her... contagious energy."

Shaoyao suddenly understood. "So that's it! Then doesn't that mean her whole family is rather... unlucky?"

Ye Shixian glanced at her. "You must never say such things outside."

Shaoyao gave her a fawning smile. "Don't worry, Miss! Your servant's lips are sealed!"

Ye Shixian thought for a moment. "Pick out some gifts and send them over later."

...

Meanwhile, Ye Heng had just returned to his study, pondering how to properly settle Ye Chutang and the others, when a woman bedecked in jewels and finery stormed in angrily.

"Husband! What is the meaning of this!?"

It was Ye Heng's official wife, the birth mother of Ye Shixian and Ye Mingze, Lady Gao.

She had gone to the fabric shop today to order a few more dresses for Ye Shixian's upcoming Flower Viewing Banquet. She never expected to return to such shocking news.

—The four Ye Chutang siblings had returned from the dead to the capital! And that wasn't all. The moment they arrived, they drove Mingze out of his own room!

Lady Gao was both shocked and furious, finding the whole matter utterly unreasonable.

"Even if they are your nephew and nieces, Husband, you can't treat Mingze like this! What kind of bandits are they, to kick someone out of their own room the moment they arrive!"

Ye Heng said irritably, "What do you know! At this critical juncture, if outsiders learned they left the Ye Residence on their very first day back and stayed outside, where would I put my face!?"

Lady Gao trembled, finally remembering that Ye Heng's promotion to Vice Minister was settled and invitations had already been sent out for a gathering at the residence in a few days.

If word got out now that he had seized his deceased elder brother's private residence, causing his brother's children to have nowhere to go upon returning to the capital, his reputation would be ruined!

Understanding the stakes involved, Lady Gao finally managed to suppress the fire in her heart.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

She clenched her handkerchief, still angry. "Fine! Shixian is about to attend the Flower Viewing Banquet. Let's not waste energy on them! Finding a good marriage alliance for Shixian is the most important thing right now!"

Saying this, a look of pride appeared on her face.

"Shixian's looks and bearing are unmatched in the entire capital! Once she attends the Flower Viewing Banquet, she's sure to catch the eye of many noble sons from great families!"

Ye Heng, however, was somewhat distracted. For some reason, a face of gentle, refined beauty surfaced in his mind.

Shixian was indeed considered extremely beautiful, but standing next to Ye Chutang, she somehow seemed rather plain by comparison...

Unaware of his thoughts, Lady Gao remembered something else, her eyes lighting up as she asked quietly, "Oh, right. I heard an invitation was also sent to the Marquis of Dingbei's household this time?"

Mentioning this finally improved Ye Heng's expression somewhat.

He stroked his beard.

"The heir to the Marquis of Dingbei has returned to the capital after many years. Now that I have been promoted to the fourth rank, sending an invitation is only appropriate."

...

At the Marquis of Dingbei's Residence.

Shen Yanchuan reclined lazily on a rattan chair, idly flipping through a book in his hand. Without looking up, he said in a flat tone:

"I'm not going."

(End of Chapter)

← prev next →