She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 495 - 493: Even the Prefecture Magistrate’s Wife Has to Look at Others’ Faces

Chapter 495: Chapter 493: Even the Prefecture Magistrate’s Wife Has to Look at Others’ Faces

Zhou Biyao’s reply hadn’t arrived yet, but Madam Yin had already visited Lady Wang and Lady Xu of the Qi family’s main branch several times. They exchanged insights on making and tasting pastries and shared their appreciation as well as constructive criticism about their own and each other’s children.

Then, they gave affirmative evaluations of each family’s children. Naturally, the focus of the praise was still on Ye Xinyan. Although the children of the Qi family’s main branch were outstanding in Clear Water Village and even in the surrounding villages, that was all thanks to their eldest cousin’s support. Moreover, the sum of what the children had done couldn’t compare with that of their eldest cousin, Qi Ye.

Though this was a rustic area, Madam Yin was accompanied by her daughter and enjoyed the lively comings and goings of Qi Jiaer and his friends every day. Meeting people with whom she shared common interests, she surprisingly found her stay quite enjoyable.

Subsequently, the well-regarded He Quantai’s wife from the village and Landlord Liu’s wife from the neighboring village came to visit, one after the other.

Landlord Liu’s wife, after seeing the Qi family’s courtyard and houses, felt it wasn’t fitting for the wife of a noble and prestigious family from the capital to live in such cramped quarters. She even warmly invited Madam Yin to live in their residence, saying she had specially cleared out a courtyard for Madam Yin and her daughter’s use. Madam Yin politely declined.

Ye Xinyan brought Madam Yin to Clear Water Village; naturally, it wasn’t for her to develop a new social circle. After interacting a few times with the local families’ ladies, Ye Xinyan and Madam Yin started inspecting their two business ventures together. Ye Xinyan taught Madam Yin what to check for and pay attention to on a daily basis and asked her to help verify and review some accounts.

A woman not yet forty, Madam Yin had plenty of energy that didn’t need to be entirely spent on fighting with concubines, illegitimate sons, and daughters, nor did she need to exhaust herself to the brink of death. Such conflicts were extremely unfulfilling; aside from bringing out the darkest sides of human nature, they offered no benefits at all and were far less rewarding than meaningful work.

Ye Xinyan herself then freed up time to try to recall which tools from her memory could be applied to engineering work. This year, she didn’t intend to let Wong Qiao go out and work with Qi Younian because the business in Yuyuan Prefecture wasn’t that big. Compared to the garden of Prince Yu’s Other Mansion, it wasn’t even on the same scale, and there was no need for Wong Qiao to waste time on it.

The reason she asked Zhou Biyao to come to Clear Water Village was to have the two of them help her recreate several types of apparatus from her memory.

The news of a noble lady’s arrival in Clear Water Village hadn’t yet spread to the county town. Outside the courtyard of the once-prosperous but now declined Liang family, two exquisite carriages pulled up, each accompanied by a dozen guards.

The guards stepped forward to knock on the door. An old servant opened it and, upon recognizing the visitors, asked irritably, "Which family are you looking for? Have you got the wrong house?" Although the Liang family had only recently fallen from grace, ever since they started selling off their assets, visitors had become rare. After the Miss Cousin who visited twice last year was driven away by her own grandmother’s indirect criticisms, no respectable person had come by, let alone carriages so grand. They must have come to the wrong place.

The carriage curtain was lifted to reveal a lady’s face, "Is that you, Old Xu? It’s me. Open the gate, please."

Old Man Xu rubbed his eyes and recognized it was indeed Madam Gu. He hurriedly apologized and fumbled with the gate, removing the doorstop to let the carriages in. Meanwhile, he called out to a boy, "Go tell The Old Master that Madam Gu is back."

Liang Qiyuan and Madam Liang came out to greet them, with Madam Liang’s eyelids drooping and her face expressionless, while Liang Qiyuan didn’t look pleased either.

Remembering the incident from two years ago, Liang Qiyuan had pondered over it repeatedly and concluded it wasn’t a serious matter at all. Yet, his brother-in-law, the Prefectural Magistrate, got involved and he ended up stripped of all his property. His sister and brother-in-law hadn’t really exerted themselves to help him in currying favor with Sixth Master Rong—it had all been just a show for him.

Lady Liang and Zhou Biyao alighted from the carriage, and Madam Liang didn’t even glance at Liang Qiyuan and his wife’s expressions as she went straight inside, asking as she walked, "Is this all that remains of the family fortune grandfather and father accumulated? You must have had a hard time keeping things going these last two years, haven’t you?"

Liang Qiyuan coldly snorted but didn’t engage. Was there even a need to ask? Wasn’t it because he had sold off the family assets and paid up the full amount of silver to the Yamen that he was qualified to be sent home after being caned just the year before last?

Fortunately, Madam Liang was familiar with the reluctantly preserved courtyard, and with Zhou Biyao leading them, although Liang Qiyuan and Lady Liu didn’t offer any guidance, their group still found their way to the hall for receiving guests.

To her own surprise, Madam Liang took the seat of honor and, glancing at the woodenly standing Liang Qiyuan and Lady Liu, felt a flash of irritation. A year and more had passed since the incident, were these two still unaware of what they had done to her, still putting on the airs of the wronged for all to see?

"The family has declined, but do even the most basic manners of servants no longer exist? Why is there no tea yet?" Madam Liang suppressed her anger as she spoke.

Lady Liu, still with drooping eyelids, said indifferently, "Sister has seen for herself, after our family was framed last time, we’ve fallen to such a state that simply maintaining a living has been difficult. Where would we find extra silver to purchase tea?" She then scolded a servant girl beside her, "Why are you still standing there like a fool, waiting for a reward? Aren’t you going to fetch some water for the Prefecture Magistrate’s Wife?"

Framed? Ha!

Madam Liang watched Lady Liu for a while, then saw indeed that the maid brought over two cups of tepid water.

Lady Liu, being observed by her husband’s elder sister, didn’t feel uncomfortable in the slightest. Her family was already in such a state; as the elder sister of her husband, what could she do to her brother-in-law and sister-in-law anymore?

"Aunt, you..." Zhou Biyao, standing beside Madam Liang, was about to launch into a tirade but was cut off by Madam Liang. Madam Liang picked up the cup of water, looked at it, and then put it down, saying to Liang Qiyuan, "I will be staying here for a few days."

Lady Liu immediately interrupted, "As sister has seen, our house is now in such a sorry state we really can’t spare any extra space. In sister-in-law’s opinion," Lady Liu said, casting a sidelong glance at Zhou Biyao, "Miss Cousin is close with Lady Qi of the Qi family, isn’t she? Miss Cousin always stays with the Qi family when she visits, so perhaps sister could stay there too."

Madam Liang stretched her beautifully embroidered wide sleeves leisurely and said, "I see. Magistrate Hao’s residence is spacious. I’ll stay there for a few days then."

Liang Qiyuan’s expression changed. Even though the Liang family had been humiliated and ruined under Jiang Yifan, he still had a brother-in-law who was a Prefectural Magistrate. In ordinary circumstances, people still gave the Liang family some face and leeway.

If it became known that the wife of the Prefectural Magistrate’s sister had returned but wasn’t staying at his place and was instead borrowing lodging elsewhere, people would think that the Prefectural Magistrate had completely cut ties with the Liang family. From then on, his family would really become no different from ordinary citizens in Qingyuan County.

Before Liang Qiyuan could say anything, Lady Liu sneered, "It seems that it’s not just our Liang family’s residence that is cramped, even the Qi family can’t spare a place for sister. Someone might think that our sister, the dignified Prefecture Magistrate’s Wife, has to depend on the favor of others for a place to stay in any village under the Prefectural government’s jurisdiction."