Chapter 169
No one in the room believed Jiang Mingzhe's words.
"Jiang Mingzhe, do you think threatening me will work? That I will agree to let her marry into the Jiang family? Impossible." Old Madam Jiang would absolutely never allow Jiang Mingzhe to marry a widow with three burdens in tow.
Jiang Mingzhe chuckled. "Old Madam, you're getting senile. You didn't hear me clearly. I'm not marrying her into our family; I'm marrying into hers."
"Jiang Mingzhe, you want to marry into the Li family as a live-in son-in-law?" Cai Damei walked over.
"Mother," Ye Yunniang tried to say something, but Cai Damei raised a hand to stop her.
Cai Damei stared straight at Jiang Mingzhe. "You want to marry into the Li family?"
"Mother, I am willing to marry into the Li family." Jiang Mingzhe didn't hesitate for a second.
"Good, I agree." Cai Damei was satisfied with Jiang Mingzhe's answer.
"I do not agree. Jiang Mingzhe, if you dare to do this, I will go to the magistrate and sue you for unfilial and rebellious behavior. I'll have you thrown in prison, and you can forget about marrying Ye Yunniang for the rest of your life." Old Madam Jiang's attitude was resolute.
"Then Jiang Mingde can forget about ever returning from the frontier." Jiang Mingzhe struck right at Old Madam Jiang's weak point.
"Are you threatening me?"
"It's not a threat, it's a negotiation."
"The Emperor has already pardoned De'er. Whether he comes back or not is not up to you." Old Madam Jiang didn't believe Jiang Mingzhe's words.
"You can try and see if I can do it." Jiang Mingzhe's words left Old Madam Jiang momentarily speechless.
Old Madam Jiang didn't like Jiang Mingzhe, but she had to admit that among her three sons, he was the most capable.
Jiang Mingzhe was always a man of his word.
"He is your eldest brother. Do you have absolutely no regard for brotherly affection?" Old Madam Jiang softened her tone.
"Not since he forced me to marry Zhuang Meixue just so he could get a promotion."
When he was young, Jiang Mingzhe had greatly admired his academically gifted older brother.
Because of this, Jiang Mingzhe studied hard, hoping to earn Jiang Mingde's praise.
Jiang Mingzhe stayed up all night to memorize the Thousand Character Classic, but instead of praise, he received Jiang Mingde's slander and framing.
Jiang Mingzhe's explanations were useless, and he was beaten until his skin tore and his flesh split.
Unwilling to accept being wronged, Jiang Mingzhe went to Jiang Mingde for an explanation.
Jiang Mingzhe still remembered Jiang Mingde's answer to this day: "The Jiang family only needs one person who knows how to study, and that's me."
From then on, whenever Jiang Mingzhe showed even a little academic promise,
Jiang Mingde would frame him time and time again.
The biased Old Master Jiang and his wife never gave Jiang Mingzhe a chance to explain, resorting only to beating and scolding him.
Until Jiang Mingzhe completely gave up
the path of the imperial examinations and went into business.
Old Madam Jiang had arrived brimming with confidence but left dejected. What she thought was leverage was completely unworthy of mention in Jiang Mingzhe's eyes.
Chunyao, who wanted to leave with Old Madam Jiang, was grabbed by Chef Jin.
"Second Master, we are returning to our hometown tomorrow."
Chef Jin had originally planned to wait until after Jiang Mingzhe's wedding to leave, but now he decided it was better to leave early.
"Write to me if you need anything in the future." Jiang Mingzhe was satisfied with Chef Jin.
"Second Master, take care of yourself." Chef Jin pulled a reluctant Chunyao away from the Li family.
"My hand hurts, let go."
Chunyao forcefully shook off Chef Jin's hand, using her other hand to rub her wrist. It really hurt.
"Let's go home," Chef Jin urged, his brows tightly furrowed.
"I'm not leaving. I want to stay in Jiangcheng." Chunyao didn't want to go back to their hometown to live a hard life.
"I will take the children and leave." Chef Jin made his decision without a hint of hesitation.
"Jin Dachuan, your brain is broken. You're giving up a wealthy life in Jiangcheng to take your sons back to our hometown to suffer and be poor."
"Jin Dachuan, Jingao and Jindou are your own flesh and blood. Even if you don't care about my feelings, you should think about your two sons. Do you have the heart to let them spend their whole lives achieving nothing in a small town?"
Jin Dachuan didn't have the heart for it, but he couldn't let Chunyao destroy the last bit of goodwill he had with Jiang Mingzhe and ruin his sons' futures.
"Are you leaving or not?"
"I'm not leaving. Even if I die, I'll die in Jiangcheng."
"Fine, let's get a divorce. From now on, whatever you do in Jiangcheng, I won't ask." Jin Dachuan's attitude was clear: if Chunyao didn't leave, they would divorce.
"Are you really going to be this ruthless?"
"You forced me to do this." Chef Jin didn't want this either, but Chunyao's temper had become too stubborn.
"Divorce it is, then. Who's afraid of who?" Chunyao was disappointed in Jin Dachuan, but she also felt this was for the best.
With the ability of her golden tongue, she would definitely be able to live a good life.
At the Li family home, Ye Yunniang listened to Cai Damei and Jiang Mingzhe discussing finding a matchmaker to arrange the live-in son-in-law marriage.
Was Jiang Mingzhe really going to marry into her family?
"No."
Ye Yunniang interrupted their discussion.
"Jiang Mingzhe, marrying in is not a joking matter. Don't mess around."
After scolding Jiang Mingzhe, Ye Yunniang turned to Cai Damei. "Mother, how can you play along with his nonsense?"
"You two talk it out." Cai Damei dropped this sentence and left, giving them space.
"Jiang Mingzhe, you can't just casually talk about marrying in."
Jiang Mingzhe didn't say anything; he just looked at Ye Yunniang.
"What's wrong?" Ye Yunniang looked down at herself. Nothing seemed amiss.
"What did you call me?"
"Jiang Mingzhe?" Was there something wrong with that? Ye Yunniang blinked in confusion.
There was something very wrong. They were a couple about to be married.
Calling him by his full name was too distant.
If outsiders heard, they would think the couple had a bad relationship.
"Calling you Husband isn't appropriate." They weren't married yet. Besides, Ye Yunniang couldn't bring herself to say it.
Ye Yunniang thought for a moment. "How about I call you Mingzhe?"
"Too ordinary." Jiang Mingzhe didn't like it. He wanted a term of address that reflected their intimacy.
"Hmm, Pan'er's father, An'an's father, Pingping's father, children's father, Jiang Lang, Zhezhe, Little Zhe..." Ye Yunniang rattled off a dozen names in one breath. "Which one is good?"
Jiang Mingzhe wasn't satisfied with any of them.
Ye Yunniang remembered what Cai Damei sometimes called her late father-in-law: "Brother."
"You can't possibly want me to call you Brother, right?"
Hearing the word Brother, Jiang Mingzhe's eyes changed.
"Say it again."
"Say what?"
"Say Brother."
"Brother."
"Call me that again."
"Jiang... no, Mother is at home..."
...
After some negotiation, Ye Yunniang decided to stick to his full name.
"Jiang Mingzhe, do you really have no properties or businesses?"
"None."
"Impossible." Ye Yunniang didn't believe him.
"I have no money left. You don't want to marry me anymore."
"I'm marrying you because I want to marry you. Not because you have money." Ye Yunniang was unhappy that Jiang Mingzhe doubted her.
"I know, what my wife fancies is the man himself." Jiang Mingzhe kissed Ye Yunniang.
"Be serious." Ye Yunniang blocked Jiang Mingzhe.
"This is the most serious thing." Jiang Mingzhe embraced Ye Yunniang, enjoying their time alone.
He also explained the reason why he had no properties left.
Jiang Mingzhe had asked Li Ping to audit the accounts at the end of the year.
On one hand, it was to test his abilities.
On the other hand, it was to hand over all his businesses to Li Ping.
After hearing this, Ye Yunniang sat up from Jiang Mingzhe's embrace. "Are you serious?"