Ye Weiqing had never understood before why his elder sister cared so much about silver. Now he finally understood everything.
For him, silver was a vulgar thing. For his elder sister, it was life itself.
“Then… big sister, who did you demand repayment from?” Ye Weiqing let out a breath, hoping the shock would be a little less severe.
If it was only the He family and the Li family, he could still accept it.
“The He family, 9,100 taels. The Li family, 7,400 taels. The Lin family—more than the others—73,600 taels. There’s also the Ning household, 13,200 taels; the Qi family, 11,100 taels; the Xiang family, 5,200 taels; the Yao family, 3,700 taels; the Chu family, 2,300 taels…” Ye Yunmian counted on her fingers.
These numbers were not exaggerated at all.
In this household, those two “money wasters” were truly capable of burning through silver.
The eldest brother’s spending mostly went toward Lin Mianmian. In his youth, he never hesitated when giving gifts to her.
At first, Lin Mianmian had accepted everything.
Only in recent years, as her relationship with him worsened, did she accept fewer gifts—so there were still some wasted expenditures that Ye Yunmian hadn’t even included.
As for the other families, most of the money came from her younger brother.
When those people mixed with Ye Weiqing, they would always find excuses to make him give gifts—birthdays, family celebrations, any reason would do. And once Ye Weiqing heard of it, he would inevitably give something valuable.
Giving gifts wasn’t the problem, but none of those people ever returned the favor. Since they didn’t understand reciprocity, why should she be polite?
The names Ye Yunmian mentioned were all well-known families in the capital. There were still smaller amounts—hundreds of taels here and there—that she hadn’t even bothered to mention. Those were minor households, not bold enough to take too much.
After all, her younger brother had only started socializing in recent years. If he continued like this for a few more years, what would the family even have left?
In truth, there was already almost nothing left. The private assets left by their parents had mostly been sold off—like preparations for a finale where everything collapses.
At this moment, in the capital:
The Lin family was no longer what it once was.
Lin Mianmian was the future Princess Consort of the Suwang Manor. Her father had been given an official post by the prince, and her brothers all had promising futures. Their household lacked neither wealth nor power, and their daily interactions were all with high officials and nobles.
That afternoon, when someone suddenly came beating gongs and demanding repayment, the Lin family didn’t even react at first—they instinctively thought someone was causing trouble.
They didn’t even invite the messenger in for discussion. Outside the gates, Steward Liang repeatedly called out the account details in a loud voice.
Old Master Lin was so furious his beard shook, nearly sending people to fight the men from the Duke’s residence.
Fortunately, Lin’s third son and Lin Mianmian returned in time and brought the matter inside to talk.
Of course, the Lin family did not want to acknowledge the debt.
But Lin Mianmian’s name now resounded throughout the capital. The gifts from the Ye family to her were no secret. If they denied everything now, people would think she was petty and small-minded. With her marriage to the royal family so close at hand, how could they risk damaging her reputation at such a critical moment?
But over seventy thousand taels was not a small sum.
After Steward Liang left, the Lin family gathered together.
Lin Mianmian’s expression was awkward and slightly flushed. “These things… were not something I asked for…”
“Don’t worry, sister,” her brothers quickly said. “We all know. Back then, that Ye Weiqing insisted on sending things over. At the time, he seemed like a decent young man, so we accepted them. Who could have thought he would turn out to be such a villain? Now that he can’t get what he wants from you, he’s resorting to these dirty tricks!”
The others silently agreed with this explanation.
Their sister had always been lovable since childhood. Many people wanted to get close to her. They only accepted gifts from those they considered friends!
“Your marriage to the prince is what matters most. Since the Duke’s household is asking for repayment, just give it to them! Our family has earned quite a bit over the years. Even if the amount is large, we can still afford it,” said the second brother.
However, their family was not like the Duke’s residence with its deep ancestral foundations. Seventy thousand taels would still seriously hurt them.
It might even reduce Lin Mianmian’s dowry.
“The fifth brother is still bedridden, and they still have the nerve to ask for money!” the fifth brother said angrily.
“From what the servants said earlier, it was the Duke’s household’s eldest daughter who demanded it,” the father said.
“The eldest daughter?” Lin Mianmian was startled.
After thinking for a moment, a small figure suddenly surfaced in her memory.
She had been only three years old then, but because it was her first time visiting such a wealthy household—and because of a drowning incident—she remembered it very clearly.
Her face turned slightly pale.
“I’ve heard about her. That eldest Miss Ye returned to the capital yesterday, dressed in shabby clothes, and met with Young Masters He and Li…” Lin’s third son said carefully. “She was the one who caused your drowning back then. She’s been malicious since childhood—a vile woman!”
“Third brother, please don’t say anymore,” Lin Mianmian said softly.
She hadn’t meant to pull that Ye family eldest daughter into the water back then…
“She gave you nightmares for a long time. You must still feel uneasy thinking of her. But sister, you must be careful. That woman is not kind. The first thing she does upon returning is demand money—who knows what else she might do in the future…”
“I will be careful,” Lin Mianmian immediately replied.
Then, thinking of her father’s distressed expression over the money, she gritted her teeth.
“The things Ye Weiqing gave me… I still have some of them. They can cover quite a bit of the debt…”
Back then, Ye Weiqing had been extremely generous. Those gifts had once dazzled her.
She had even placed them in her dowry boxes.
It hurt, of course—but thinking of his current coldness and ruthlessness, she steeled herself. She would cut ties completely. If he wanted the items back, she would return them. From now on, there would be no more feelings of the past.
“That set of jade items… let’s forget about it,” Lin’s eldest brother said quickly. “I know it’s your favorite set.”
Years ago, Ye Weiqing had acquired a large piece of flawless white jade at great expense.
It was as smooth as lamb fat, without a single flaw. He had carved it into an eighteen-piece jade set: seals, bracelets, pendants, combs, hairpins, brush washers, even a jade chessboard…
At that time, the Ye and Lin families had been on good terms. Lin’s father had even hoped his daughter would marry into the Duke’s household rather than the imperial family.
After all, the Sixth Prince had not yet been favored, and compared to him, Ye Weiqing seemed far more capable. He had also heard that the Duke’s household had strict rules and did not take concubines—naturally an ideal match.
Later, when Ye Weiqing was kidnapped and injured, no one knew whether he would survive long.
To ask his daughter to care for such a man then—it felt selfish, as if treating her like a servant.
Fortunately, that incident revealed his true nature to Lin’s father, and he gradually distanced his daughter from him.
And later, as Ye Weiqing became increasingly unstable, it only confirmed that decision had been correct.