She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 490 - 488: Thank You

Chapter 490: Chapter 488: Thank You

Qi Jiaer held Qi Younian’s hand, his face lifted eagerly as he looked up at his own grandfather, following Ye Xinyan’s words, he said, "Grandpa, aunt has been doing well, taking good care of sister, Brother Sanshun, and me."

Qi Younian smiled warmly as he looked at his grandson. "Is that so? Our Brother Jia must be obedient and well-behaved, the lady must like a child like you the best."

Qi Jiaer nodded continuously. In the blink of an eye, he saw a playmate from the same village, Xiao Si, stalking around not far from him, staring at him without blinking. Qi Jiaer’s eyes lit up too, and he beckoned to Xiao Si.

Xiao Si looked around stealthily and then slipped over to Qi Jiaer’s side, followed by two little tails.

Qi Jiaer leaned in and whispered close to Xiao Si’s ear, "Today I’m going to be with grandpa, so we won’t have time to play together. Come find me tomorrow, and we can play together. I’ve brought gifts for you, all kinds of fun things."

Elsewhere, several women stretching their necks in the crowd had been planning to inquire about the lady they caught a glimpse of on the carriage just now, curious to see what the difference was between a noble lady from the capital and the wealthy ladies from the county town. They didn’t expect the family to go straight home, thus missing their chance to see for themselves and immediately let out disappointed sighs, one after another.

A young married woman couldn’t help but take half a step forward and call out to Ye Xinyan, "Ye Zi, is the lady who came with you your mother?"

Ye Xinyan looked over and saw it was a newlywed wife from the village, who had talked to Ye Xinyan several times when bringing grass. At the moment, she was looking at Ye Xinyan with a face full of curiosity, stealing glances at the carriage that Madam Yin was taking, and the dozen or so guards surrounding the carriage as they began to move.

While walking alongside the carriage, Ye Xinyan replied with a smile, "Yes, my mother didn’t want me to travel alone, so she accompanied me to our village."

The young wife’s curiosity wasn’t satisfied, and another wife immediately asked, "Ye Zi, are ladies from the capital different from the ladies in the county town? Are they much more noble and prestigious?"

Ye Xinyan laughed, "They’re all the same people; there isn’t much difference. Don’t think too much about it, they’re all the same."

The few people, seeing that Ye Xinyan was still the same as before and had not become unrecognizable due to her wealth and status in the capital, immediately became excited.

Another person asked, "Ye Zi, since your family is rich and in the bustling capital, why would you come back? Wouldn’t it be nice to live a life of luxury with your mother in the capital?"

Qi Younian, walking ahead, paused in his strides when he heard Ye Xinyan say, "I have things to do here, and there’s also grandpa, of course I have to come back."

Inside the carriage, Madam Yin looked out from the lifted curtain. The village had already repaired the road last year, and the carriage rode smoothly on it. However, the village houses and courtyards on both sides of the small path were still dilapidated. The earth walls and houses constructed from mud bricks were already very mottled.

As Madam Yin watched, she listened to Ye Xinyan chatting with the young maids and married women around her, and couldn’t help but be surprised. In the mansion before, those servant women and wives with a bit of standing would not receive a good face from Ah Yan, with much scorn and disdain. She had not expected that in this place of poverty, in interactions with these poor peasant families in tattered clothes, the atmosphere would be so harmonious.

While they were speaking, they had already arrived at the yard of the second branch of the Qi family, with the gate wide open. Nanny Liu and Song Ping, among others, were waiting at the entrance.

Qi Younian turned back and, with folded hands, said to the villagers, "Thank you all for coming out to meet Ye Zi today. There are other guests with Ye Zi, and I will not host you all for now. Once the guests are settled in, we will all gather and have a lively time together."

Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately burst into lively discussion. Did the meaning of Old Master Qi’s words suggest that they were hosting a banquet to welcome his daughter Ye Zi back home?

For a moment, the atmosphere around the Second Branch family’s courtyard reached a new level of excitement.

Since they were now in a rural area, Madam Yin wasn’t too particular. The carriage stopped in the middle of the courtyard, and she didn’t avoid the people when she stepped down using a stool.

Looking back at the villagers who were still engaging in animated discussions outside the courtyard, Madam Yin said to Zhao Gang, "All these people have accompanied us on our journey, which is quite a warm gesture. I’ll go and meet them to express our thanks. Regardless, Ah Yan has spent two years here, and many have shown her kindness."

Zhao Gang glanced at the villagers, with people like Qi Younian and He Quantai in front of the crowd, supposing that nothing untoward would happen. He then looked at Jiang Yifan, the Local Official, and seeing him nod, he agreed as well.

Madam Yin’s attendant, Nanny Huang, opened her mouth to speak but then looked at Jiang Yifan and Zhao Gang, and ultimately decided not to voice her objections. She simply gestured to Cui Bai, Cui Zhu, and a few other maids and young wives to step forward and help Madam Yin, while Nanny Huang herself walked in front of Madam Yin, turning towards the entrance of the courtyard.

Ye Xinyan also didn’t object. Since Madam Yin was going to stay here for nearly a year, it was good for her to meet with the villagers. She walked arm in arm with Madam Yin to the courtyard gate, looking out at the villagers.

Zhao Gang and Jiang Yifan, meanwhile, led the group, flanking Madam Yin and Ye Xinyan’s party on both sides.

The excited villagers, both young and old, couldn’t hide their surprise when they saw a lady dressed in luxurious silk stepping down from the carriage and turning toward the courtyard entrance. They looked at the noble lady, surrounded by maids and old women servants, with a mixture of astonishment and curiosity.

The Marquis Zhongyong came from a noble and prestigious family that had been prominent since the nation’s founding, with over a dozen generations of wealth. Having been born into such a family, Madam Yin’s demeanor, instilled from a young age, was not something commoners could match with mere attire.

The people watched as the lady was escorted by a host of servants; her head wasn’t heavy with jewels, nor were her clothes especially dazzling or glamorous, yet there was something about her that shone with a captivating radiance.

A little girl’s voice rose from the crowd, "Mommy, is that beautiful aunt the Goddess Guanyin?"

The scene, which had quieted momentarily upon seeing Madam Yin, was disrupted by the child’s voice. Following the innocent comment, exclamations of admiration came from the village women, marveling at her beauty, wealth, and even speculating about the shimmer of her fabrics.

Madam Yin, owner of her own estate, had experienced the curiosity of rural folk on her visits. But for these villagers, this was the first time they had encountered a woman of such affluence and grace in their own village.

Madam Yin glanced at Nanny Huang, who then stepped forward, clapped her hands, and raised her voice to say, "Fellow villagers, my family’s young miss has stayed in your village for two years and may have caused you some trouble."

Nanny Huang’s voice and the clap of her hands interrupted the villagers’ murmuring, silencing the crowd.

Only then did Madam Yin speak up, "My daughter arrived in this esteemed place two years ago, unfamiliar with everything. Thanks to everyone’s care, she has been well. On behalf of my daughter, I would like to express our gratitude to all of you for the kindness shown over these two years. We have traveled a long way from the capital, and though we are weary, we shall not detain you any longer. In the future, when I see you, dear aunts and grandmothers, we will have a proper chat."