She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 348 - 347: The Craft of Making Desserts

Chapter 348: Chapter 347: The Craft of Making Desserts

Madam Pang had been silent since she came out, fearing that once she spoke, she would lose control over her jealous emotions. She tried her hardest to restrain herself, yet she couldn’t help but keep glancing over at Qi Jiaer.

This little wretch, who once lived under her thumb like a worm, unexpectedly seemed to have had this sort of good fortune one day, dressed in such costly clothes and accessories. That silver necklace, twinkling brightly, was clearly pure silver and likely quite heavy.

Madam Pang cursed bitterly. How could such an expensive and heavy necklace be hanging around this little wretch’s neck? Why hadn’t it snapped his thin neck!

Including everyone from inside and outside the village, there probably weren’t many who had seen a necklace of such craftsmanship and style.

And those bright red satin garments—how many people’s efforts did it take to embroider such dense patterns? The patterns were even interspersed with twinkling silver threads, the kind affluent families would use, embroidered with silver wire. People wore these because they came from wealth, so what was he? Did he deserve such finery!

This judgment made Madam Pang even more resentful.

Not only did that little wretch and his sister live in this courtyard, but that fierce old woman servant was there too. Madam Pang hugged her son tightly, keeping her eyes lowered, trying hard not to let her anger show. Hearing that they could return to their rooms, she quickly followed behind Lady Zhang, keeping her head down as she went back to the west wing.

Lady Wang relaxed a bit as her sisters-in-law left. Not doing work was better than having them around to upset her.

She said to Ye Xinyan, "It’s cold in the courtyard; don’t stand here and risk catching a chill. Let Sanshun take you inside to sit. We’ll call you when the food is ready."

Qi Sanshun’s clothes for the New Year weren’t bad either, though not satin, they were still made from high-quality, fine cloth. The fabric, a rich shade of Treasure Blue, was thick and soft, with deep blue edges rolled along the collar, hem, and cuffs. Embroidered with verdant green bamboo leaves at the neckline, it was a pleasing sight to the eye.

As the recognized leader of the village children, Qi Sanshun still had a few kids around him. He asked Ye Xinyan, "Big cousin, do you want me to take you inside? You sit in the house, and I can go out and play with Xiao Jiajia."

Ye Xinyan laughed and said, "You only want to rush out to play; just say that. The few steps distance, do I need you to lead me? Don’t worry about me here, go have fun. Just remember not to go far; we’ll need to call you back for the meal soon."

Hearing he wasn’t needed, Qi Sanshun immediately grabbed Qi Jiaer’s hand and said, "Grandmother, big cousin, we’re going out to play. We won’t go far, just to the open space behind the courtyard." No sooner had he finished speaking than he was rushing towards the gate.

Lady Wang called out to Qi Sanshun’s retreating back, "Be careful not to get your clothes dirty. If they get dirty, there are no new clothes to change into."

Qi Sanshun pretended not to hear and even asked Qi Jiaer, "You must have new clothes too, right? I have another set myself, hidden away in Grandmother’s room—she thinks I don’t know about it."

Lady Wang’s expression instantly brightened, and she frowned repeatedly. The boy who ran around all day, when would he see the new clothes they had been secretly keeping for him?

Nanny Jin chuckled beside her, "The children are cunning, the older they get, the harder they are to coax."

"Ah, there’s no managing it," Lady Wang withdrew her gaze and urged Ye Xinyan to go inside.

Watching Ye Xinyan head towards the east wing, Nanny Jin discussed with Lady Wang, "The happiest at New Year’s are still the children. It’s dull for Ye Zi to sit alone in the house, so let the younger ones come out. They should stop bustling about in the kitchen with the greasy twists and go have a laugh in the house instead. If we can’t do anything else, we can still cook."

Lady Wang patted her forehead, laughing, "Look at me being all muddle-headed, I’ve actually forgotten about that. Meizi and Xinger are always talking about their eldest cousin, but they’re both so busy, they hardly have the chance to talk together. We finally have some leisure time over the New Year, and I almost let it slip by."

Then she instructed Lady Xu, "Have Meizi and Xinger come out, as well as Chengzi’s wife. They should all return to their rooms to keep Ye Zi company."

Xinger was working with Ercheng at the snack shop every day, traveling between the village and the county town, and was regarded as quite worldly-wise among the village adults and children.

As for Meizi, who was already fifteen, it was the age to consider marriage, so she couldn’t be employed in a shop for future planning purposes. She could only envy her sister-in-law and younger sister, who could go to the county town to work for wages, while she had to stay at home, taking care of household chores and needlework.

The moment she heard their grandmother instructing them to go to the east wing to accompany their eldest cousin, Meizi was extremely delighted. In her heart, living unrestrained like her eldest cousin was indeed making the best of one’s time in this world.

The main branch of the Qi family was doing quite well this year, with each member of the younger generation having something to do, earning silver. Even Ershun, who lost his job at the snack shop due to Lady Han and Nanny Jin, managed to find work at a cattle farm later on.

Thus, Lady Li and her sisters-in-law also got new clothes for the new year, inside and out, all made of better fabric than in previous years, and they even added silver earring pendants and two silk flowers each.

Lady Li and the other two sat down with Ye Xinyan in the room, first making small talk and commenting on each other’s clothing. They scrutinized the silver jewelry Ye Xinyan was wearing, paying close attention to the fine silver filigree work, before Lady Li went to handle the tea and snacks.

Four types of pastries were placed on the kang table, and Meizi pushed them towards Ye Xinyan somewhat shyly, saying, "Eldest cousin, these are pastries Xinger taught me to make. Xinger said they taste passable, see what you think."

The four pastries were small crispy cakes, peanut cakes, green bean cakes, and little cupcakes, all of which looked rather appetizing.

Ye Xinyan picked up a small crispy cake, took a small bite, and found it fragrant, sweet, and tender.

"Not bad, the flavor is good, and so is the texture. With such craftsmanship, you could open a pastry shop," Ye Xinyan complimented with a smile.

Meizi pouted, "Look at what the eldest cousin is saying, as long as you don’t mind us learning pastry skills on our own, that’s great. How could we use your skills to open a shop and make money?"

Xinger watched and giggled at Meizi’s side.

Ye Xinyan laughed, "What are you talking about? Xinger has the talent and diligence to learn pastry-making skills. Once you master a skill, it becomes your ability, and using that to earn silver is nothing to be embarrassed about."

With a smile, Xinger said, "I’ve been telling my sister for a long time to learn pastry-making properly, so that when she gets married, she can run a business and make money with her husband, just like the eldest sister-in-law. It’s much better than staying home doing chores and farming. And yet, my sister, apart from getting shy and hitting me, also says that it wouldn’t be righteous."

At the mention of marriage, Meizi immediately blushed and tried to cover Xinger’s mouth. While dodging, Xinger managed to finish speaking and then covered her mouth, laughing herself.

Watching their playful banter, Ye Xinyan said, "It doesn’t matter, in business, you can’t worry about others copying. No one can stop them, after all. In the end, it’s about who does it better, who can keep making money over the long term. We’re the same, just focus on doing our own business as well as we can, and don’t worry about the rest. Besides, Nanny Jin doesn’t plan on just running a single storefront. If Meizi has any ideas about doing business, just go ahead and do it. It won’t interfere with Nanny Jin’s business."