Chapter Nineteen: Taking Concubines

  "I said I disagree." Dr. Ye sat in his chair and threw out this sentence with a firm tone.

  Yeshi Xie looked at his younger brother Yeshi Yan and said, "Dad, you say I'm already so old and still don't have a son. When I go out, I can hold my head up high. Besides, this is just taking in a concubine, I'm also hoping she'll give birth to a son and be able to help White Ji's mother."

  Ye Houpu glanced over at Sun Shi. Sun Shi was huddled in his chair, his back bent, and as Ye Shiqing spoke, he seemed to shrink even further into the chair. Silently sighing, without a son, not even himself could stand up straight.

  "Lao Er, in our Ye family, there's no precedent for taking concubines. If you're the first to do so, have you considered how others will view you once you've set this example?"

  Ye Shi Xie didn't say a word, and Ye Pu Hou continued: "If you were still in town, I wouldn't care, but now that you're in the village, I have to bother people. Have you seen anyone in the village take a concubine? That Yu Cai is still a scholar, and this one is just a daughter, why didn't they think of taking a concubine?"

  Ye Lao's sentence by sentence questioning made Ye Shixian unable to respond. He himself only had some recklessness, but in terms of eloquence, he was no match for his third brother, and being asked by Lao Ye, he was left speechless.

  That family that wants to take a concubine is actually quite good, they don't even mind that they're living in the countryside now. He emphasized that as long as he takes her in, he'll be able to help his brother move back into town. This kind of good opportunity Ye Shixian would never give up on.

  Just as he was about to ask his brother Ye Shiyan for help, a man rushed in from the door and shouted: "Who wants to take a concubine?"

  He didn't agree with his father's concubine, Ye Shixie was already a bit annoyed. Now Ye Baiji rushed in and questioned him, making him feel like he had lost face. He scolded her sternly: "Who let you come in? When adults are talking, what right do you have to interrupt? You don't even have any manners, I really don't know how your mother taught you! Go go go, go out and play."

  Ye Baiji sneered twice, looking at her father with ridicule. He never stayed home and only knew how to fool around outside, but as soon as he came back, he would lecture them, what qualifications did he have to say that as a senior?

  "That's it, I have a mother to give birth to me, but no father to teach me." Ye Baiji also understood that her old father wanted to find her a stepmother.

  Yeshi Xie jumped up as soon as he heard this, "What did you say? Say it again! You little rabbit's fart, you've grown bold, dare to challenge me!" He was about to rush over and hit Yebai Zhi.

  Qī Zhēnér was about to return to her room when she heard the quarrel upstairs, so she rushed out to take a look. Just as she reached the door, she saw Yè Shíxié's hand raised high, and her heart skipped a beat as she secretly worried for Yè Báizhī.

  Fortunately, the slap was stopped by Old Master Ye before it landed. "Old Two, what are you doing? When did our Ye family have the custom of randomly hitting daughters? What White Orchid said is right, when did you ever take care of your family and teach your sisters well?"

  "Also glared at Ye Shiyan, 'And you, old three, good days are not well spent, just know how to make trouble.'"

  Ye Shiyuan rubbed her nose and muttered: "How can you say I'm messing around, it's Second Brother who wants to take a concubine, not me."

  "I'm telling you, I don't agree with taking a concubine. Let's make two more prescriptions later, and have the second son's wife brew them to drink, so she can get pregnant as soon as possible." With that, Old Master Ye considered this round of quarreling over.

  After hearing Old Master's words, Sun raised her head and looked at him with gratitude.

  Ye Shixie wanted to persuade him again, but saw his father waving goodbye and walking into the house. He knew that he didn't want to discuss it with him anymore, and felt disheartened. Turning back, he saw Ye Baiji staring at him with wide eyes, and a surge of evil fire rose up in his heart, making him want to hit her.

  Ye Baiji didn't dodge or flinch, her eyes fixed on him as she said, "What? You want to hit me again? Ye La'er, apart from hitting your daughter and daughter-in-law, what other skills do you have?"

  Ye Shi Xie's face turned red with rage, his neck thickening, and he was about to strike when a shrill cry from Sun Shi startled him. This was in the upper house; if he had struck, his father would have been able to prosecute him for domestic violence.

  Withdrew his hand, glared at the mother and daughter with a scowl, muttered: "Bad luck!" Ye Shi walked out of the upper house in big strides.

  As he walked past Qizhen, he glanced at her and said nothing before leaving the door.

  When Ye Shixian came out, Ye Baihe returned to her own room in the west wing. Ye Baichi had always looked up to her and saw that she had returned to the west wing, so he also followed her back.

  Everyone left, and in an instant, only Ye Baihe and her mother, Ye Shiyan, were left on the upper floor.

  Yeshi Yan touched her nose and explained: "Second sister, second brother's decision to take a concubine is really not my doing, you also know that second brother has wanted a son for so many years. This time when he went to the town, I don't know how he got hooked up with the Liao family and started thinking about taking a concubine. I'm really being wronged, if Father doesn't understand me that's fine, but you shouldn't hold it against me!"

  Sun raised her head and looked at him with a timid expression, repeatedly saying: "It's not your fault, it's not your fault, I know it has nothing to do with you."

  "Second sister understands, I'm good. Then I'll go back first." Ye Shiyan said, and after giving her a slight bow, he left. This little white jasmine's gaze was really fierce, like a knife scraping towards him, he didn't dare to stay here and be questioned by the little girl until he lost face.

  In the western wing, Jiang's family had been keeping a close eye on the upper house. When she heard the quarrel coming from the upper house, her heart skipped a beat; now that there was no sound, her heart was even more anxious.

  Jiang was a clever one, knowing that this was about taking a concubine, and since she was also a woman, she feared being dragged down with her at the time, so she didn't go upstairs. Even Ye Shiyan reminded him to watch from the side and not interrupt casually. Now seeing Ye Shiyan enter the door, she hurried over to ask: "How is it? Did the old master agree?"

  Ye Shiyuan looked at her, sighed and shook his head.

  Having been married for so long, Jiang knew his meaning well. "Why would the old master not agree? Did you tell him about the conditions that Liao's family proposed?"

  Yeshi Yan said: "Nothing was said, second brother said it and was scolded by the old master, even I was reprimanded, saying that I was messing around blindly."

  Jiang listened to him and said angrily, "Old man, are you confused? The second uncle's family has no son, and taking a concubine to have a son is not a big deal. The Liao family has already promised that if this matter succeeds, they will help our family regain power in the town. This is such a good thing, but he is pushing it away, I really don't know what the old man is thinking! Does he want you brothers to stay in this countryside forever?"

  Ye Shiyan felt a bit unfair when she said that. He had been in the village for over a year and didn't have much to do, and whenever he went out, people would point at him. Although there were good opportunities, the old man didn't even try to fight for them.

  Chiang continued to scold: "You said I said so many good things, sent so many gifts, and the Liao family only agreed to this marriage. You say they don't agree now, isn't that making me lose face? Besides, it's just a concubine, what does he have to lose?"

  Yeshi Yan was annoyed by her nagging and said impatiently: "What's the point of telling me these things, if you have the ability, go tell old master."

  "Hey, I'm telling you, Ye Laosan, I've been busy running around, finding connections for you. Who am I doing this for? Your pharmacy has been taken over by someone else and is still thriving. Don't you feel suffocated? Your daughter is all grown up, if she stays in this poor and remote place, what kind of family will you find for her? Do you want to marry off your spoiled daughter to some country bumpkin? I'm thinking of the Ye family's well-being, why doesn't anyone understand my good intentions?" As Jiang spoke, she thought about the hardships she had endured in the countryside over the past year and how she was ridiculed by her sister-in-law when she returned home. She felt a wave of grievance and her voice trembled with emotion.

  "Ah, I'm sorry, it was my fault just now. Don't be angry with me. I know you're doing this for my own good and for the sake of our Ye family. How could I not understand your kind intentions? It's just that I've been scolded by my father and I'm feeling unhappy inside, so my tone came out heavy. Please bear with me."

  Ye Shiyan was both coaxed and appeased with great care, only then did Jiang's heart feel slightly more at ease.

  Yè Bái Qiú and Yè Bái Jī also heard the conversation from upstairs, along with those quarrels. Yè Bái Qiú sighed, looked at Yè Bái Jī for a moment, then asked: "Bái Jī, do you think your father will take a concubine?"