She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 493 - 491: Leftover Meal

Chapter 493: Chapter 491: Leftover Meal

If Ah Yan were truly taken in marriage by a son from one of the Aristocratic Clans...

Jiang Yifan remembered the woman who, in the winter days, wrapped in a silver fox fur cloak, sang freely in the wilderness. Would such a woman, if she married into a great clan, have all her beauty extinguished, reduced to nothing more than a tool for the family’s wealth generation?

Thinking this way, Jiang Yifan’s heart couldn’t help but ache.

"Doesn’t the wife of the heir of Duke An consider what Ah Yan wants? The families in the capital asking about Ah Yan, do they genuinely like her, or do they want her merely to serve the family’s interests? If that’s the case, wouldn’t Ah Yan be worse off than a steward? At least the steward only worries about a single business and can make silver to save up and live their own life. Ah Yan, on the other hand, must devote all her efforts to profiting the family, and the bigger the family, the more she must give. Ask yourself, will the money she earns be at her own disposal? Will the family grant her a corresponding status?"

Jiang Yifan looked up at Madam Yin and continued, "Moreover, those men who marry Ah Yan for the benefit of their families, will they truly be kind to her, truly like her? Like a wife who spends her days out and about? Most families, most men prefer a quiet and gentle woman who can be content in the inner house, serving the in-laws and the husband. Is it not so?"

"..." Madam Yin then remembered why she had left Jiang Yifan behind to talk in the first place.

She was afraid that those seeking to marry her daughter were not sincerely fond of her but were merely covetous of the status of Duke An’s Mansion and Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion. She feared that her daughter, because of her remarried status, would be despised by her husband’s family.

And the incident at Duke An’s birthday feast that had left a stain on her daughter could not be erased, and certainly not by someone who did not truly like her, would inevitably have reservations... This was no trivial matter, but a major one concerning her daughter’s entire life.

Madam Yin looked at Jiang Yifan with a complex expression, and yet, could this man truly be good to Ah Yan?

"You have already abandoned Ah Yan once," Madam Yin said.

Jiang Yifan’s face turned pale. This was a fact, the biggest obstacle in his wish to marry Ah Yan. From the first time she laid eyes on him, she had never shown him a smile, all because of this. But this really wasn’t the truth, could he say that this woman had never truly belonged to anyone, so how could she be abandoned? And would he, could he ever abandon Ah Yan?

"Madam, I can assure you, as long as I can marry Ah Yan, I am willing to accompany her and stand by her for life. I am willing to take a solemn oath," Jiang Yifan said earnestly.

Madam Yin stared at Jiang Yifan for a long time before shifting her gaze away; this was the purpose for which she had kept him here today. She just wanted to hear Jiang Yifan make such a promise. But with the promise secured, why did she still feel uneasy?

"You may rise. In the end, this matter will only be possible if Ah Yan is willing. You have hurt her deeply, so much so that she doesn’t even wish to speak of you," Madam Yin said.

Jiang Yifan breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed he had passed the test posed by the wife of the Duke’s Heir Apparent. As for Ah Yan... Jiang Yifan smiled wryly to himself; her temperament, stubborn just like that person, hadn’t changed at all. ...But that wasn’t exactly true either. Ah Yan’s stubbornness always had a reason, a rationale, and she was not one to make unfounded commotion. Ah Yan was always the predecessor to that woman, so taking issue with his divorce was indeed not wrong.

Madam Yin watched as Jiang Yifan stood up and then asked, "You and Ah Yan have been husband and wife for years, you know her temperament. If in the future, for whatever reason, she becomes cantankerous again, what are your plans? Will your promise still hold?"

"..." Jiang Yifan looked up in astonishment. He hadn’t had the chance to properly ask Ah Yan where she actually came from. Even in the past life, there must have been an origin, right? If one day, she wakes up and has completely forgotten her past life...

Jiang Yifan felt a pang in his heart. If that were the case, would he not know how to find Ah Yan, and only be able to wait for her to return on her own?

"Does Lord Jiang need some time to think it over?" Madam Yin didn’t get a response immediately and showed signs of erupting.

Jiang Yifan came back to his senses and answered, "Even if Ah Yan becomes the person she was before, Xiao Ke will still properly guide her and get along well with her." He could only get along well with her, and when Ah Yan came back again, she probably wouldn’t be able to accept her, right?

However, Madam Yin was quite satisfied with Jiang Yifan’s response. Although promises are not always credible, Jiang Yifan had never made empty ones during the three years he had been her son-in-law, no matter the situation. Back then, her daughter often came home to report problems, and she even applied pressure on Jiang Yifan using the status of the wife of the heir of Duke An and the daughter of Marquis Zhongyong. Although Jiang Yifan appeared respectful, he never showed the slightest bit of softening or compromise, not even verbally agreeing to change.

She was willing to believe in Jiang Yifan’s promise.

"Stay for dinner before you go," Madam Yin said as she stood up, "Eat before returning to the county. If you’re worried about the road not being safe, I can have Zhao Gang send someone to take you back."

This was an invitation for him to stay for dinner.

Jiang Yifan smiled and clasped his hands in salute, saying, "Yes, there’s no need for an escort, Xiao Ke brought people with him." The wife of the princely heir really didn’t understand him. When he traveled, why would he need someone to send him?

As Jiang Yifan was about to leave, Madam Yin suddenly remembered the villagers’ thanks from earlier, "Lord Jiang."

Jiang Yifan promptly stopped and turned back nervously to look at Madam Yin. She hadn’t changed her mind and decided not to offer dinner, had she? This was not just about a single meal, it could cause one to lose appetite for a long time and have sleepless nights.

Madam Yin didn’t understand why Jiang Yifan had such a big reaction and said with surprise, "I just wanted to ask about what the villagers said just now, nothing else."

"Oh." Jiang Yifan’s heart settled, and it seemed he was becoming increasingly impatient, "Please speak, Madam."

This Jiang Yifan, after being assigned outside for two years, how had he become so restless?

Madam Yin took a longer look at Jiang Yifan before speaking, "Lord Jiang also heard just now, the villagers said they received many benefits from the Qi family and Ah Yan. Isn’t Ah Yan managing businesses for His Highness Prince Yu? Where did the villagers get these benefits from?"

"Ah, that." Jiang Yifan felt even more at ease, "The business that Ah Yan manages is different from others. Most of the workers Ah Yan hires come from the village and if they do well, they can stay on long term. Ah Yan’s enterprises have very strict rules: everything must be done correctly, but the wages are also handsome. Usually, if one person in a family works in Ah Yan’s enterprises, it’s almost certain that the family won’t go hungry." For a poor family, being able to feed the entire family was a dream come true.

Jiang Yifan spoke of Ye Xinyan conducting business with more pride than even his own, "Ever since the cattle farm was established, most of the fodder comes from the farmers. After the harvest, things like corn stalks and sweet potato vines are all bought by the cattle farm and turned into money. In Clear Water Village, as long as people are willing to work, even the elderly and children can earn a few large coins every day."

"And then there’s the spring plowing and autumn harvests in the spring and autumn..."

Jiang Yifan explained in detail to Madam Yin the many benefits the establishment of the cattle farm had brought to the local farmers, "Ever since the cattle farm and Dairy Products Store were set up, the lives of the farmers in Clear Water Village have improved a lot, and even the households in the surrounding villages have seen a significant improvement. Around here, anyone who mentions the second branch of the Qi family or Qi Ye, has only words of praise to say."