421: Chapter 422 No need to worry!

He was usually too lazy to be meticulous about calculations, simply letting Xiao Caiyue handle purchases whenever something was needed. Hearing the total expenditure of over eighty thousand, he was not overly surprised.

He let out a light cough, suppressing the noise in the hall.

Seeing him speak, everyone quieted down and looked at him.

Ye Changge smiled, his tone relaxed:

"Hehe, this year's spending was a bit high, mainly due to one-time expenses like the construction of the Grand Array and the purchase of Spiritual Land. Once the Grand Array is completely finished, the Puppet production line is on the right track, and the spirit wine industry is up and running, income and expenditure will naturally balance out."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the worried or nervous faces below, his tone remaining gentle:

"There is no need to be overly anxious; I can still handle this small loss."

As a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, who was also a Third-Tier Talisman Master and a Second-Tier Peak Alchemist, he could easily earn a large amount of Spirit Stones by refining some high-tier Talismans and Medicinal Pills.

Supporting the hundreds of people on Longmai Mountain was indeed more than enough.

However, Ye Changge had other considerations in his mind.

He knew he could not rely on himself alone forever.

For the Ye Family of Longmai Mountain to truly rise, it had to rely on generational Legacy and self-sufficiency. If he had to cover everything, the Family would never grow up.

Therefore, his gaze shifted slightly downward, landing on those older offspring who had already begun to Cultivate, his voice becoming a bit more serious than before:

"You few, Ye Pingan, Ye Tian, Ye Ruyi... and also Ye Chen, Ye Xiu."

The children who were called out all straightened their backs.

Ye Changge looked at them, his tone carrying a hint of a father's characteristic preaching:

"You are all gradually growing up and have begun to come into contact with Family affairs and participate in Cultivation. Although the Family's foundation is still solid, it is not inexhaustible."

"If we continue to lose money for a few more years, our Ye Family might really be unable to function."

His words were half-true and half-false, carrying a deliberate weight. Hearing this, the older children's expressions tightened, and they all revealed thoughtful looks.

Ye Tian was the first to stand up.

He was twelve years old this year. Although born to Liu Yiyi, he had inherited the talent of the Yimu Physique and was now at the fifth layer of Qi Refining, excelling among his peers.

He had a delicate face and an upright posture, with a composure between his brows that belied his age.

He bowed to Ye Changge and said earnestly:

"Father, this child believes that Family expenditures can be adjusted first."

Ye Changge raised an eyebrow: "Tell me about it."

Ye Tian thought for a moment and spoke clearly:

"The Family's largest current expenses are the construction of the Grand Array, the purchase of Spiritual Land, the tribute to the Lingxiao Sect, and the training of Disciples. The Grand Array and Spiritual Land are both one-time investments and will not require such large expenditures in the future, so these two items can be set aside for now."

"However, Disciple training and the salaries of retainers are fixed annual expenses. As far as this child knows, the treatment the Ye Family of Longmai Mountain provides to Disciples and retainers is already top-tier among the nearby Foundation Establishment Families, and even several times that of ordinary families."

He paused, looked up at Ye Changge, his eyes earnest:

"This child thinks that we can first slightly lower the monthly stipends for Family Disciples and retainers, and restore them as appropriate once the Family's industries are stably profitable. While this cannot completely solve the deficit, it can at least alleviate some of the pressure."

Ye Changge did not speak, just looked at this son, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes.

This child had a clear train of thought, was unhurried, and what he said indeed made sense.

Seeing this, Ye Pingan quickly stood up as well.

He was two years older than Ye Tian and was the younger brother of the eldest son, Ye Bufan. Although his talent was not as outstanding as Ye Tian's, his nature was steady and honest, and he had quite a bit of prestige among his brothers. He bowed to Ye Changge and said:

"Father, this child also believes that younger brother Tian's words are reasonable."

He knew that his younger brother's words might cause dissatisfaction among some of his own aunts, so he took the initiative to step out and share the pressure for everyone.

He paused, glanced at Ye Tian beside him, then at Ye Changge, and added:

"As an elder brother, this child is also willing to take the lead in reducing his monthly stipend to share the burden for the Family."

Hearing this, Ye Tian turned his head to look at his brother, pursed his lips slightly, but did not refute.

Watching these two sons singing in harmony, Ye Changge could not help but feel a bit gratified.

The other older offspring saw this and also stood up one after another.

"Father, this child also thinks it can be adjusted!"

"Eldest brother is right, we are willing to reduce our monthly stipends!"

"The Family is important, it doesn't matter if we spend fewer Spirit Stones!"

For a time, the seven or eight older offspring in the hall expressed their views one after another, their voices rising and falling, appearing quite lively.

The concubines looked at each other, their expressions varied.

Some looked gratified, feeling that their children had become sensible;

Others felt secretly distressed, thinking that if their children's monthly stipends were reduced, would there be enough Cultivation resources in the future...

Ye Changge listened for a while, smiled, and raised his hand to press down:

"Alright, alright, everyone sit down."

The offspring sat down one after another, but everyone looked at him eagerly, waiting for his decision.

Ye Changge looked around at them, satisfied in his heart, but did not agree immediately.

"You all have good intentions." He spoke slowly, his tone gentle but carrying the weight of a head of the Family, "As for adjusting expenses, I will consider it. However, now is not the time—the Grand Array has just been built, and the Puppet production line has only just started; this is the time when people are needed. If we rashly reduce the treatment of retainers and Disciples, it will cause restlessness, which would be counterproductive."

He looked at Ye Tian, then at Ye Pingan:

"Your suggestions are very good, but they are too radical. Family management cannot just look at immediate losses; it must look at long-term planning."

He paused, his tone softening slightly:

"How about this: if the Family is still in a state of loss at this time next year, I will adopt your suggestions and make adjustments then."

Hearing this, a trace of disappointment flashed in Ye Tian's eyes, but he still respectfully bowed: "Yes, Father."

Ye Pingan also nodded: "This child understands."

Ye Changge looked at the slightly regretful expressions of his two sons, but found it somewhat amusing in his heart.

He knew that as a father, he probably looked like a stubborn adult in his children's eyes at this moment—clearly there was a more frugal way, yet he insisted on being extravagant.

But he knew clearly in his heart that reducing expenses now would only save a mere few thousand Spirit Stones.

And once the Family's industries were fully rolled out, and the three major industries of Puppets, Talismans, and spirit wine exerted their strength simultaneously, the annual revenue would be many times what it was today.

The current loss was an investment for the future.

He did not want to slow down the entire Family's pace just to save this little bit of money.

However, the children might not necessarily understand these principles now. He was not in a hurry to explain.

"Alright." Ye Changge clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back,

"That is enough about financial matters. Caiyue, you have done very well. Prepare a summary of the accounts for me later, and I will see if there is anything that needs adjusting."

Xiao Caiyue nodded slightly, her voice gentle: "Yes, Husband. I will send it to you later."