"How did you know?" Ye Zhuo calmly walked into the room and took off his cloak.

  "Autumn Chrysanthemum said so." Autumn Chrysanthemum took over the cloak and explained, "Today, Zhengyuan wants to move and trim flowers and trees, so she called Autumn Chrysanthemum to help, that's what she heard."

  Ye Zhuo nodded and instructed: "Prepare some water for me, I want to take a bath."

  "Miss, aren't you worried?" Qiu Ju looked at Ye Zhuo with concern.

  Ye Zhuo smiled and stroked Qiu Ju's chubby face with his hand: "Our Qiu Ju also knows how to worry."

  "Girl..." Qiu Ju stamped her foot in dissatisfaction.

  "Don't worry, neither Old Master nor Old Madam will agree. Judging from the Jiang family's previous situation, it won't work out even more now."

  Qiu Ju was a kind-hearted person. Upon hearing Ye Zhuo's words, she put her mind at ease and happily went out to prepare hot water.

  Autumn moon sees autumn chrysanthemum going out, hands over the tea poured to Ye Zhuo: "Miss, I'll go take a look at the garden." Something like this, mute sister-in-law should have left a message.

  Ye Zhuo took the teacup and said, "Qiu Yue, wait a minute. I remember that Qiu Ju is like you, both of you signed a contract to enter the mansion, right? How much longer do your contracts have?"

  Qiu Yue was taken aback, looking at Ye Zhuo in confusion, but still replied: "We both entered the estate when we were eleven years old and signed a six-year contract. There's still a year and a half before we can leave. However, Qiu Ju is different from me. Her father passed away two years ago, her brother is weak-willed and cannot support the family, and her mother has to rely on her sister-in-law to get by. I don't think she'll come to redeem Qiu Ju. The other day when I went back, I met her mother, and she was crying, saying that she wanted Qiu Ju to accompany you to your husband's household after marriage, and for you to take care of her in the future. As for me..." She glanced at Ye Zhuo, "I'll accompany you out of the estate, watch over you until you're settled, and then have my father come to redeem me back."

  Ye Zhuo nodded. She was naturally very clear about the situation of these girls. Asking Qiu Yue again, she wanted to re-verify it once more. However, she neither confirmed nor denied what Qiu Yue said and asked instead: "Was Qiu Ju sold with a death contract? Do you know if she has any other relatives besides her uncle's family?"

  "I heard her say that there was an uncle who treated her quite well. However, her eldest aunt wanted to sell her, and the uncle couldn't do anything about it." After finishing speaking, Qiū Yuè couldn't help but ask, "Miss, why are you asking these things?"

  Ye Chou pulled Autumn Moon's hand: "Sit down, I'll tell you."

  Akizuki sat down as she was told.

  "Autumn moon, you also saw and heard what happened today. I think you understand that even if the old master of the Jiang family won't agree, the new mistress will definitely not let me off. She just wants to find a marriage that will move the old master's heart but is unfavorable to me as revenge. Such a marriage, I will not agree to. At that time, either adopt into the main house or temporarily live in a nunnery for some days. So at that time, I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of you. Now...” Ye Zhuo took out the silver tickets he had won from gambling, “Ten taels for you, ten taels for Autumn Jade, seventeen taels to redeem Autumn Ju, should be enough. You arrange this matter well, find some excuses, and leave the mansion gradually. Otherwise, when I leave, you will still have to stay in this mansion and suffer. You are my maids, neither Wang's wife nor Gong's wife will let you off easy."

  "Miss, this is absolutely not okay." Qiu Yue pushed the silver ticket back, "We're leaving and leaving you here alone, is that what people do? We would never abandon you like that."

  "Autumn moon!" Ye Zhuo's face sank, "You're here, and it makes me feel restricted. The old master and mistress have reservations about me, they won't do anything to me, and Gong Shi doesn't dare either. But towards you, they have no such concerns. They can beat or sell you as they please. Beating or selling you would be like cutting off my hands and feet, hurting my heart - that's exactly what they'd love to do. Because of you, I don't dare do anything. So if you care about me, listen to me and leave the manor quickly."

  "This..." Autumn Moon vaguely knew that Ye Zhuo was right, but letting her leave the mansion with Ye Zhuo on her conscience was unbearable.

  "What happened today, you also saw. I will let Master Ren's hands leave here. You left, and I have no worries. You should know that you still have your parents to care for, you need to think about them. If you are beaten to death by the Gong family in the mansion, what can they do? What can I be at peace with?"

  "That... I'll just call my dad to bail me out, and I absolutely won't take the silver ticket. Miss, you should keep some money on you, it's more convenient for doing things." Autumn Moon thought that if Ye Zhuo could really leave the mansion, she herself would be able to help Ye Zhuo a bit after leaving the mansion, rather than staying in the mansion and dragging her down.

  "But, miss," she asked in puzzlement, "if the old master doesn't want to let you be adopted, can't you go to your uncle's house and reunite with your aunt? Why do you have to temporarily stay at the nunnery?"

  "That's just a last resort, even if I go to the nunnery for a few days, I'll still come back to Mother's side, don't worry," said Ye Zhuo.

  Qiu Yue looked at Ye Zhuo's confident and composed face, her restless heart settled a little. She had seen everything the girl had done today. Such a girl made her feel both unfamiliar and comforted. The girl could not only make the new wife lose face but also make Abbot Ren look at her with admiration; perhaps she could even successfully be adopted into the main house.

  "These silver tickets, you take them first. If you really don't need them, it's not too late to return them to me." Ye Zhuo stuffed the silver tickets back into Qiu Yue's hands.

  "Alright. Don't worry, miss, I'll take care of things." Qiuyue no longer declined and accepted the silver note.

  "Yue Zhuo urged again: 'You and Qiu Ju leave first, otherwise, I'm afraid they won't let you go when the time comes. Qiu Ju is not important, they won't make things difficult for her.'"

  "Yes." Akizuki suppressed her tears and didn't let herself cry out loud.

  "Miss, the water is ready." Qiuju came in and reported.

  Ye Zhuo looked at Qiu Yue deeply: "Alright, you go take a walk in the garden and gather some information."

  At this time, in the main hall of the Ye family, Ye Yuzhang looked at his crying daughter and felt extremely annoyed: "Don't say anything more, just take good care of your son. Later, I will ask your mother to help you find a good match. But as for Zhuo'er's matter, don't mention it again." After finishing speaking, he stood up and left with a flick of his sleeve.

  "Mother." Ye Jia Mei burst into tears and fell into Jiang's arms.

  "Alright, at your age, you're still crying all the time." Jiang gently wiped away Ye Jia Mei's tears with a handkerchief. "You know your father's temper, don't you? He will never agree to this marriage."

  "Mother, you're the only one who can persuade Father. If he doesn't listen to you, I really have no hope left. Xi'er is a good person, and as long as he marries Cu'er, he'll settle down and stop causing trouble. Father said that if he causes any more problems, he'll break his legs. You're the only one who can persuade him, so please consider your daughter's future and arrange for Cu'er to marry Xi'er."

  Jiang sighed: "It's really impossible. You don't know, your father is counting on Zhuo to marry well and bring honor to the family."

  "Mother..." Ye Jia Mei shook Jiang Shi's arm, begging incessantly.

  "Alright, you go back first. I'll try to persuade your father." Jiang was being driven crazy by Ye Mei and had no choice but to agree temporarily.

  "That girl left first, you must help persuade my father." Ye Jiaomei also knew her father's temper, this matter was not that easy, and if she continued to talk, the old lady would get angry and there wouldn't even be anyone to persuade. She had no choice but to stand up and remind him.

  "Alright, alright, I know. You can go back first." Jiang Shi waved her hand.

  Ye Jia Mei had no choice but to curtsy and leave with her maid.

  "Auntie, I'm going to see off my cousin." The aunt, Wang, who was sitting beside her, quickly stood up.

  "Go." Jiang Shi waved her hand.

  Wang Yiniang followed the listless Xie Jiamai all the way to the corridor, where she saw that there was no one around, and only then did she smile and say: "Sister, actually, this matter isn't without a solution."

  "Oh? What's going on? You say you say." Ye Jia Mei's eyes lit up.

  The king's wife smiled and said, "You know, when children grow up, they don't listen to their parents; this daughter has grown up too, and she doesn't listen to the elders at home either. If Zhu'er cries and insists on marrying Xing'er, it would be difficult for Old Master to stop them even if he wanted to. You just need to call Xing'er over to our house, have him meet with Zhu'er, chat a bit... give them some opportunities, and even if Zhu'er doesn't want to marry, she probably won't be able to resist."