She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 307 - 306: Going Back Together is the Same

Chapter 307: Chapter 306: Going Back Together is the Same

Madam Yin suddenly found it amusing. She had been quietly going over her account books in her own room, not bothering anyone, when Ye Hongyang came to cause trouble, followed by being summoned here to listen to nauseating words, and that’s it?

If there truly was nothing wrong, she wouldn’t mind enduring it once more, having tolerated so much over the years. But what if Ye Hongyang decided to use those several recipes to buy into the business again? Was she expected to endure it a few more times?

Madam Yin stood up, and just as she was about to perform a curtsey and leave, it was as if she suddenly remembered something and asked, "I have something I’m uncertain about and would like to ask my father and mother for guidance, so I can have a clear mind."

The Duchess looked at Duke An. Duke An sighed inwardly; it seemed they couldn’t keep fobbing her off.

"Speak," the Duchess said.

Madam Yin cast a faint glance at Ye Hongyang and said, "Father and mother know that for many years, the Crown Prince has only come to my courtyard to scold me because of Ah Yan, and has never truly sat down with me for a moment. After Ah Yan left, I barely get to see the Crown Prince.

But just now, the Crown Prince actually came to my room, not only did he sit for a moment, he also brought out two pieces of paper with recipes for pastries on them, offering to help me out. He said it was a recipe for a dairy pastry from the imperial palace and wanted to use the recipe to take a forty percent share in the Pastry House I manage. I was shocked and didn’t know what to do. Therefore, I wanted to ask father and mother for advice on what I should do?"

The mention of the dairy pastry recipe immediately reminded Duke An of the two booklets and letters that Lian Gui had brought back, which recorded not just a few dairy pastry recipes, but even included methods for making cheese curds and butter.

Duke An, who had faced many events, could not maintain his composure, his face turned somewhat suspiciously red, then he became enraged, glared at Ye Hongyang, and said to Madam Yin, "Hongyang always acts on whims; it was just a remark. Pay no heed to his nonsense."

Madam Yin, with her eyes downcast, said, "If the Crown Prince had merely acted on a whim, I wouldn’t be afraid; my fear is that the Crown Prince is truly intent on the idea. I had Nanny Huang return the recipes to the Crown Prince, and it made him angry. He immediately called for Uncle Qiao, intending to have the disciplining old woman servant come and give Nanny Huang twenty planks as punishment, with a threat of being sold into servitude if it happened again."

Duke An’s expression worsened as his gaze swept towards Ye Hongyang once more.

Ye Hongyang also felt aggrieved. Madam Yin had mentioned only the parts that favored her, not acknowledging how she disrespected her husband and delivered vicious taunts. He wanted to defend himself but was silenced by his father’s stern look and had to lower his head.

The Duchess then advised, "Mother knows that you have always been good, don’t pay attention to his tantrums. I’ve warned him, and there won’t be a next time. You just focus on your pastry shop and ignore such trivial matters."

Madam Yin hesitated, wondering if she should seize the opportunity to ask to leave the household, stopping her stay in this infuriating mansion. Her Ah Yan, being but a lone girl, could make her own living outside and even lead a free and prosperous life. Why should she remain in a hopeless mansion, enduring the suffocating affection between Ye Hongyang and Maternal Aunt Liu?

Duke An observed Madam Yin’s increasingly decisive gaze and suddenly spoke at the right moment, "I see you are very keen on the Qi family girl’s pastry book and manage to run a business with it, so you should get along well with her. If she can come to the capital in the future and turns out to be a good child, we’ll ask her family’s opinion about letting you acknowledge her as your goddaughter. What do you think?"

Madam Yin looked up sharply, gazing straight at Duke An. Was he suggesting that Ah Yan might return to Duke An’s Mansion, back to her side?

"Is what father says true?" Madam Yin asked with a trembling voice.

Duke An nodded with a smile, saying, "This matter relates to family affection, how could I speak lightly of it? According to the news Lian Gui brought back, Qi Ye is a good child. If both you and she are happy with it, we, the elder generation, naturally wish for our younger generation to be content."

If Madam Yin truly harbored no more attachment to Duke’s Mansion, and had a heart set on leaving, would his and Marquis Zhongyong’s many years of friendship reach their end?

Even more troublesome was the fact that if Madam Yin left, what would happen to the position of his son’s wife? Perhaps his son would make a fuss about promoting Maternal Aunt Liu, and even if he managed to suppress it, given his son’s reputation for doting on his concubine to the extent of harming his wife, what family’s daughter would be willing to marry into this household?

Alas, he should first stabilize Madam Yin. Xinyan, indeed, had been becoming more capable; acknowledging her back into the family would be good, even if just as a granddaughter—she would surely be better than all the other grandchildren in Duke An’s Mansion who couldn’t hold a candle to her.

Madam Yin didn’t bother to pay attention to Ye Hongyang, instead she was overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude, performing a curtsey to take her leave from her in-laws, returning to savor the delightful prospect of Ah Yan’s return.

Ye Hongyang stood up after Madam Yin, hesitating for a moment before deciding to withdraw first. The matter of investing in the Pastry House with the recipes could wait a couple of days. Besides, the matter of acknowledging the granddaughter had been previously mentioned by the old master; stopping it was probably futile. To acknowledge her and then deal with her was pretty good, it was better than her drifting outside, causing them trouble they couldn’t handle.

Just as Ye Hongyang got up, he heard Duke An instruct Nanny Qian, "Have someone call for Maternal Aunt Liu." It seemed Maternal Aunt Liu was not planning to be compliant; it was indeed time that she was reminded of her place.

Ye Hongyang paused and blurted out, "Father, what do you need Maternal Aunt Liu for? This has nothing to do with her."

Duke An said indifferently, "That recipe of yours, bring it here for me to see."

Ye Hongyang stiffened. The recipe had come from Maternal Aunt Liu, and if he handed it over to his father and got questioned about its origin, wouldn’t that implicate Maternal Aunt Liu even more?

Duke An called out sternly to someone outside, "Qiao Laiyun!"

Qiao Laiyun hurriedly entered, replying, "Here!"

"Go and find out who has visited the mansion today and see if anyone specifically sought out Maternal Aunt Liu," Duke An instructed.

Ye Hongyang felt a chill in his heart and quickly said, "Father, there’s no need to investigate. It’s all my fault; I won’t trouble Madam Yin anymore. There’s no need to involve Maternal Aunt Liu; I’ll just leave now."

"Leave? To where? It’s just back to your aunt’s courtyard, and in a while, you can both go back together," Duke An said coldly.