She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 390 - 389 February

Chapter 390: Chapter 389 February

Ye Xinyan gave her a sidelong glance and said coolly, "As a wife who was cast out by her husband, I naturally don’t have that many rules to follow. You, as a proper young lady, of course, need to conduct yourself with proper decorum to spend harmonious days with your perfect gentleman. If you were like me, wouldn’t you also be despised by your husband?"

"Is that so?" Zhou Biyao’s eyes aimlessly looked ahead, and after a long while, she said disconsolately, "If I could live as unrestrainedly as Sister, even if despised by my husband, wouldn’t it be worth it? It’s just too bad I’m not as capable as Sister; even if I really left home, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to live such an unrestrained life."

Ye Xinyan raised an eyebrow. What did that mean? Following the logic from her previous life, if one had to choose between a career and a husband, then choose the career?

"If you could be like me, would you be willing to give up your husband or fiancé?" Ye Xinyan asked.

"Ah?" Zhou Biyao turned her gaze back to Ye Xinyan. Perhaps recalling Wong Qiao, she then blushed and murmured softly, "I was just saying... I want to find a husband who would allow me to work, not marry some young master or something."

"Oh," Ye Xinyan nodded. So it was Wong Qiao then.

While Jiu Yue was organizing the clothes Ye Xinyan had changed out of, Zhou Biyao quietly asked her, "Sister, are you going to reconcile with Lord Jiang?"

Ye Xinyan looked up from her cup—reconcile? So... everyone knows now. In the past, only those from Prince Yu’s Mansion and Duke An’s Mansion knew of her identity, and it remained an unspoken understanding. Now, anyone who entered this courtyard would know exactly who she was.

"No."

Zhou Biyao was astonished, "If you don’t intend to, then why go out with Lord Jiang? Sister, you didn’t conceal this matter even slightly. If your future husband’s family learns of it, you’ll be criticized. Sister is certainly aware of the affairs in the inner quarters; even the slightest insinuations can cause a huge uproar."

Ye Xinyan looked at Zhou Biyao with a smile, "I too will find a husband who doesn’t mind me doing things unrestrainedly." To stay together for a long time, it is probably impossible to find such a person.

Yet Zhou Biyao saw it differently and said, "Lord Jiang doesn’t mind, and Sixth Master doesn’t either."

Ye Xinyan, holding the cup in her hand, was once again at a loss for words. Damn it, what criticism was she afraid of? She didn’t have a reputation to begin with.

...

Yamen opened its doors for official business on the fifteenth of the first month of the lunar year. Who knows what system Jiang Yifan, who supervised Qingyuan County, followed. He didn’t even manage the lantern decorations for the Lantern Festival in the county city. After having the Lantern Festival dinner at the Qi family with Jinrong on the sixteenth of the first month, they set off back to Qingyuan County early the next morning.

Before departure, Jinrong made a special point of telling Ye Xinyan that he would ask Liu Qing to send two scribes who were familiar with construction to assist her in preparing to set up cattle ranches and dairy product workshops elsewhere. He requested copies of the charters and preparation details for both of her enterprises.

With the absence of the two formidable figures, the Qi family courtyard suddenly became more relaxed and leisurely. Although Zhou Biyao was seen as a formidable figure in the eyes of ordinary people, the Qi family’s servants were so capable that no one dared to neglect them, except for the main masters of the Qi family. Any of their identities, taken out individually, not even Zhou Bingyi would dare to slight.

Furthermore, Zhou Biyao was driven by her ideals and the prospect of her future husband, so she was naturally diligent and proactive in her work. With her cleverness and intelligence, she quickly became a part of the Qi family.

As for Ye Xinyan, having received a definitive negative response from Wong Qiao, she naturally wouldn’t hang on without dignity. She simply extricated herself and focused on supervising the two scribes sent by Liu Qing, who were transcribing the regulations for the dairy farm and milk product workshop.

Moreover, the construction improvements of the dairy farm and milk product workshop built in Clear Water Village still employed people from the Jinrong Residence. Ye Xinyan had also found two young literate men from Qi Younian’s construction industry, and together they worked on the construction diagrams and documents for the new cowsheds and milk product workshop.

As the weather gradually became milder, and the first month of the lunar year had passed, Qi Younian, in accordance with the time agreed with the new and veteran craftsmen of the construction industry before the New Year, led Wong Qiao and several essential foremen to Yuyuan City to officially commence the construction of the courtyards for Prince Yu’s Other Mansion.

Accompanying them on the journey were Nanny Jin and Zhou Biyao, who had stayed with the Qi family for more than twenty days. Although Zhou Biyao was excited about her new job and looking forward to it, she was somewhat emotional when parting with Ye Xinyan.

Several horse-drawn carriages and more than a dozen horses were already waiting outside the Qi Family Courtyard, and Zhou Biyao’s face was still wet with tears that she couldn’t seem to wipe away.

"Sister, why don’t you hand over your duties here to the steward and come with us? When we get there, you’ll stay with me, and we’ll bring all the maids and nannies from home. I’ll have Mother set aside a courtyard especially for you; it will be just as comfortable and informal as it is here," she said.

Zhou Biyao was still up to her old tricks, clutching Ye Xinyan’s sleeve with one hand while wiping her tear-streaked face with a handkerchief in the other.

Zhou Biyao’s generous invitation took Ye Xinyan by surprise. Although Zhou Biyao had been constantly persuading her to go to Yuyuan City, she hadn’t shown such reluctance before—most of her emotions were excitement.

Just last night, quite late, she had lingered in Ye Xinyan’s room, telling her how she had learned to assemble several pulleys together and was fully familiar with all the components of the gantry frame. Once they arrived at the Other Mansion, she would only need to watch Wong Qiao assemble it a couple of times before she could lead the team and do it herself.

Ye Xinyan, seeing how animated she was, did not have the heart to dampen her spirits. Whatever Zhou Bingyi’s reason for sending Zhou Biyao to the Qi family, it certainly wasn’t to let his daughter stand out and work alongside a group of construction craftsmen. No one here controlled what she did, but back at the Prefectural Magistrate’s mansion, she probably wouldn’t have that freedom.

Ye Xinyan looked at everyone waiting outside—people, horses, carriages—and couldn’t help but laugh, "Turn around and look; everyone is waiting for you and watching you. If you cry like this, you’ll be laughed at."

Zhou Biyao pressed her handkerchief to her face again and said in a muffled voice, "I’m a woman, and I’ll be separated from my sister for a long time; what’s wrong with crying about it?"

Feeling helpless, Ye Xinyan could only seek assistance from Nanny Jin and Nanny Zhong, who was beside Zhou Biyao.

It was Nanny Zhong who understood her young lady well. In a low voice, she said to Zhou Biyao, "Second Miss, our journey has been carefully planned, and it’s different from travelling alone. The carriages are carrying a great deal of equipment and can’t move quickly. If we’re delayed because of you, Second Miss, and the Old Master Qi’s project is compromised, wouldn’t that be terrible?"

Zhou Biyao suddenly opened her tear-filled eyes wide and looked outside the courtyard and then at Ye Xinyan, pouted slightly, clumsily wiped her face with the handkerchief, and then said in a wilted voice, "Then I should leave. If I cause a delay and the Old Master Qi dislikes that, he won’t want me working in the construction industry."

"Exactly, exactly," Ye Xinyan quickly said, "When working away from home, the most important thing is to not cause any delays. If someone is always holding others up, no matter how skilled he is, no one would dare to employ him."