She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 136 - 135: Going Home to Farm Is Pretty Good

Chapter 136: Chapter 135: Going Home to Farm Is Pretty Good

Nanny Jin’s small food shop was not yet affected by the butter cakes and operated as usual. However, with one less person, it naturally became busier—opening the shop, serving customers, closing up, and locking the doors. After a whole day of busyness, Nanny Jin rushed back home, anxious about her family, accompanied by the two youngsters from the main branch of the Qi family.

Walking down the path toward home, she could see her somewhat dilapidated house from afar, its chimney smoke curling up as always. The foundation of the new construction, not far from the east side of the yard, was also faintly visible. Further away, the cattle farm and the unfinished cattle farm construction site were still bustling with activity.

Everything seemed normal.

Nanny Jin and Qi Ercheng, along with Xing Zi, parted ways and took the fork in the road leading to their home. Qi Ercheng returned home full of conjecture. Since there was nothing amiss at Second Grandpa’s place, the issue must be with his own main branch of the family.

......

Sure enough, Qi Ershun had come home by mid-morning, and it was nearly dinner time now. Yet the main branch’s courtyard was eerily quiet. Aside from the occasional sound coming from the kitchen and some smoke from the chimney, it seemed as if nobody was home.

Qi Ercheng, with Xinger in tow, checked their own two rooms in the East Wing Room first and saw that they were empty.

Hesitating, he saw Lady Xu gesturing at the kitchen door for Qi Ercheng to go to the main house first. She whispered to Xinger, "Come here, Xinger, have some water and take a break first, then come help your mother with the dinner preparations."

Qi Ercheng hesitated but proceeded into the main house. The main branch of the Qi family was all there, except for Lady Xu, Meizi, and Xinger, who were busy in the kitchen. Everyone else was present, including the eight-year-old Qi Sanshun, who was unusually obediently sitting beside Qi Yougui.

The entire family being gathered could have been normal, but the fact that everyone was seated as if for dinner was unusual. Besides, the expressions on their faces were not good, especially those of the grandparents and Second Uncle’s family, who looked as somber as thunderclouds.

Qi Cheng had also just returned not long ago and exchanged glances with Qi Ercheng. Understanding the cue, Qi Ercheng silently pulled up a stool and found a corner to sit down in, trying his best to be unobtrusive.

The atmosphere in the room was tense and awkward. After a good while, Lady Wang finally opened her mouth to ask, "Qi Ercheng, Nanny Jin asked you to find a cart to send Ershun back. Did she say anything after that?"

Qi Ercheng quickly leaned forward to show he heard, then leaned back and looked down at the dirt floor before saying, "After sending Ershun away, we busied ourselves with the shop. Nanny Jin didn’t mention anything about Ershun."

Lady Wang’s face remained stern, and she said not a word.

The faces of Qi Dagen and Lady Han grew even grimmer. Shunzi cast a tiny glance at Lady Han then lowered his head without speaking. Ershun himself looked on the verge of tears, quite pitiable.

The room continued in silence.

The one to break the uncomfortable quiet was Qi Yougui. The old master cleared his throat and said, "Enough, let’s not dwell on this matter anymore. If Ershun has come back, then so be it. It’s good for him to return to farming, it’s honest work."

"How can that be acceptable?"

"I refuse!"

Both Lady Han and Ershun spoke at once.

"How can it not be acceptable?!" Qi Yougui and Qi Dagen asked in unison, their voices stern.

The difference was that Qi Yougui pounded the table hard with his anger, startling everyone there.

Seeing his father losing his temper, Qi Dagen glared fiercely at Lady Han and kept silent.

Qi Yougui suppressed his anger and said, "Second Daughter-in-law, in the past, whatever happened was our family’s business, and with your mother-in-law managing you sisters-in-law, I didn’t say much. But now that it involves your Second Uncle’s family, I have to reprimand you. That man and Ye Zi don’t owe our family anything, let alone owe you. They have no reason to look at your face and give you support."

Lady Han opened her mouth but was glared back into silence by Qi Dagen, though deep down, she was very discontented. Didn’t her Second Branch family also provide help? Just take today’s incident, for instance, wasn’t it because Qi Jia had no one to look after him and had to turn to her family, causing all this trouble?

Ershun’s eyes brimmed with tears as he said, "Grandfather..., I want to work with Nanny Jin and earn money...

Lady Wang replied with irritation, "Go back and discuss it with your mother; it’s only possible if she agrees."

Lady Wang also had a soft spot for her own grandson. A good child who has been tempered in the county town for a few years could surely find a decent job. It would be best to follow Ye Zi’s family and learn more skills, that too would be promising.

Look at Xinger, she’s now different from before. When talking about the shop business and making pastries, she’s really skilled. Even the home’s flatbreads, which are made the same way, turn out differently soft and delicious when she makes them.

When Xinger marries, she will do so with her skills, naturally standing head and shoulders above the ordinary village girls.

As Ershun was also young, spending a few more years learning with the Second Branch family, even if he didn’t acquire skills on par with Ye Zi, picking up a little bit would also mean he had a craft. Getting married and all that aside, having skills and a craft means a better life.

This great opportunity was ruined by a foolish woman.

Upon hearing his grandmother mention his mother, Ershun lowered his head in disappointment.

He didn’t understand why, but his mother always disliked his Grand Uncle’s family and especially detested his eldest cousin sister, often speaking ill of her behind her back and showing her displeasure publicly. Not just his eldest cousin sister, if it were him, he wouldn’t give a chance to earn money to someone like his mother either.

Qi Yougui said, "Alright, from now on, Ershun should learn farming at home. If you cultivate the crops well, you can also have a good life."

Lady Han stubbornly argued, "How can that be the same? Farm work is so laborious, that’s all the prospects there are, what kind of good life can one have?"

Did they take her for a fool? Could the money earned from farming be the same as from doing business?

Lady Wang was almost furious to the point of passing out. This idiot, even at this time, still thought that others owed her something?

"Second Daughter-in-law, you seem to have everything figured out, so go and earn that easily earned silver, no one is stopping you. When the Second Branch just came back, we all saw what state you were in. I wasn’t strict with you, and you have some private silver in your hands. Learn from Ye Zi, go do business and earn money. We don’t hold back anyone with ability," said Lady Wang, glaring at Lady Han as she finished speaking in one breath.

Then she said testily to Qi Dagen, "Take your wife back to your room to eat; don’t stand here and make people lose their appetite. From now on, for anything related to the Second Branch family, you should stay out of it, lest your wife drag down our family’s good days."

Qi Dagen, unable to save face, stood up and went to pull Lady Han, "Stop embarrassing us here, go back to your room quickly."

Qi Sanshun, seeing that the matter seemed to be settling like this, couldn’t help but become anxious and called out, "Granny, what about me? I still want to play with Little Jiajia. Little Jiajia is my little brother and is so obedient and sensible. With things like this, won’t I lose my little brother too?"

Qi Sanshun was the only grandchild from the Qi family’s main branch who could sit next to Qi Yougui at the head of the table. His urgently raised voice echoed right beside Qi Yougui’s ear.

The old man stretched out his hand and patted Qi Sanshun on the head, "What play? How old are you? After the New Year, you’ll start learning farm work together with Ershun."