She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 645 - 643: Cognition

Chapter 645: Chapter 643: Cognition

Lady Qin, upon entering, first caught sight of a bright and serene young woman standing not far from the entrance; only then did she recognize that faintly familiar face.

She gazed at the lady dressed in light purple, with her soft facial features creating a momentarily dazed feeling in her.

Indeed, she had changed, even her appearance was vastly different from the past. The sharp intensity that once graced her brows and eyes had turned into a bright and lively spirit, and the eyes that met hers no longer held that innate condescension but now carried a cautious probe and composure.

That probe turned into a gentle smile upon meeting her gaze, "The younger generation pays respect to Mrs. Qin, you must have had a tiresome journey."

Ye Xinyan curtsied, then guided Lady Qin to the chief seat in the small private room, "Please have a seat, Mrs. Qin."

Lady Qin hurried to support her arm, saying, "Miss Ye, you’re too polite. Making you wait for so long was impolite of me."

Jiang Yifan, following behind Lady Qin, secretly gave Ye Xinyan a thumbs up while saying to Lady Qin, "Mother, you should sit down first. If you don’t take a seat, we’ll all have to stand."

Lady Qin hesitated for a moment. Ye Xinyan used to be a daughter-in-law of the Jiang Family, but now they were unrelated, yet she still was the Miss of Duke An’s Mansion, with a status proudly in place.

Seeing her son insistently offering the chief seat, Lady Qin’s heart softened. Let it be, it was all for her son, the children, they were debts from a past life.

Lady Qin took her place as instructed in the upper seat of the modestly-sized private room. This private room was specifically chosen by Madam Yin for Ye Xinyan’s sake, to ensure that it was neither too large nor too small, to avoid making Lady Qin feel distant and yet not too cramped to cause discomfort and oppression.

Sitting in this cozy private room that felt like a homey living room, Lady Qin looked at Miss Ye, who had transformed beyond recognition in her son’s words, and felt a sense of reassurance.

Before her arrival, she had various speculations about what Ye Xinyan had become and had mentally prepared for what to say and what to ask upon meeting.

Yet, upon meeting, the woman had completely defied her expectations, straying from all her conjectures, resembling only slightly in appearance, without any other similarity.

She glanced again at the maids and old woman servants in the room. With so many servants present, she felt at a loss for words for a moment, and the room fell momentarily silent.

Nanny Jin, as a strong supporter of Jiang Yifan, naturally wanted to break the ice quickly, to let Miss Ye’s future mother-in-law feel comfortable and get along well with Miss Ye.

She stepped half a pace forward with a smile, bowed slightly, and said, "Mrs. Qin, this Pastry House is owned by our lady and is quite renowned in the capital. Mrs. Qin, would you like to have a cup of tea and chat with the Eldest Son and Miss Ye, or would you prefer to order some soups and pastries to taste the flavors of our Pastry House first?"

Lady Qin collected her thoughts and looked at Nanny Jin. Although it had been several years since they’d met, she recognized at a glance that this was Ye Xinyan’s personal nanny.

In her son’s account, it was this nanny who had risked everything to accompany Miss Ye in her escape from home. Indeed, Nanny Jin could be considered a house servant of loyal and valiant character.

Jiang Yifan chimed in, "Mother, the pastries and soups of Shengyu Snack House are very famous in the capital. Since we’re here, we might as well try some pastries and soups. For tea, we can find another time to go to a tea house, what do you think?"

Mrs. Qin laughed and said, "I’ve just arrived in the capital and am completely clueless about the various goods here, let alone that there are specialized shops for pastries and soup dishes."

Then she turned to Nanny Jin and said, "Since it’s a store owned by the Duke’s Mansion’s lady, I imagine Nanny Jin knows which snacks are better, you take care of it. We’re just here to chat, anything will do."

"Yes, since the lady has ordered so, this servant will call them in right away to serve," responded Nanny Jin promptly, summoning the women waiting outside to enter.

The Servant Women serving at Shengyu Snack House were all house servants from the Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion, selected for their quick wits to attend to the female guests at the Pastry House.

At that moment, a woman with a plain but elegant appearance came in with a smile on her face, holding a menu, and she greeted Mrs. Qin with a bow, then said with a smile, "This is our Shengyu Snack House’s menu. All the pastries, soups, and dishes we offer are listed inside. Madam, would you like to browse it yourself and order whatever you fancy, or shall I introduce a few items, and you can choose what you like from them?"

Mrs. Qin had already found it fresh and interesting to encounter the waiting maids and servant girls along the way into the pastry house, and now she was intrigued by this woman’s poised demeanor, who seemed literate and could introduce the dishes according to the written menu.

Mrs. Qin glanced at the menu, which was over a dozen pages long, suggesting a substantial variety. She paused, then asked, "This sister must be in charge of greeting the guests here, can you read?"

The woman promptly bent her knee and said, "This servant is a house servant from the Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion, working here as a waiter. I dare not accept the title of ’sister’ from the madam. Claiming literacy would be too bold, but in order to do this job, I can recognize all the characters found in the shop."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Qin nodded in approval and said, "That’s not easy, there are very few shop assistants who can read."

Jiang Yifan quickly added, "Indeed, when Ah Yan’s mother decided to open this Pastry House, she put a great deal of thought into it. Not to mention other things, just teaching the waiters, young maids, and servant women to read required a lot of effort. If it hadn’t been done well, where would this establishment have gotten such a reputation in just a few short years?"

Ye Xinyan cast a swift glance at Jiang Yifan, and her esteem for him reached a new level.

Mrs. Qin turned her gaze back to the booklet, and Jiang Yifan took the menu from Mrs. Qin with a smile and said, "Ah Yan has put a lot of effort into this Pastry House as well, as many of the soups and pastries here were tested and tried out by Ah Yan. How about we let Ah Yan order some fresh delicacies for mother?"

Mrs. Qin was startled again and cast a doubtful glance at Ye Xinyan, saying, "Miss Ye isn’t she in charge of managing the cattle farm and the cheese workshop for Sixth Master? These pastries...?"

She had just heard from her son this morning that the cheese, which had become popular across the land in recent years and was unobtainable even with money, was actually created by her former daughter-in-law, who was now overseeing all cheese production.

And this woman was also skilled in culinary matters?

Jiang Yifan, somewhat proud, laughed and said, "After Ah Yan left home, she first started making a living by opening a snack shop. What followed was built upon the foundation of the snack shop, she knows a lot of things, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg." While speaking, he quickly glanced at Ye Xinyan.

Ye Xinyan felt a stiffness in her expression, her ears warming slightly, and quickly took the menu from Jiang Yifan’s hands, smilingly addressing Mrs. Qin, "When the younger generation ran that small shop, there were not many snacks, and it’s no comparison to this one. If the madam doesn’t mind, may the younger generation recommend a few delicacies for you? Would that be alright?"

Mrs. Qin, digesting in her mind the difference between the Ye Xinyan before her and the former daughter-in-law, replied, "Miss Ye is too polite, this is a famous Pastry House in the capital, and all their pastries must be excellent. Just order a few at random; no need to go to too much trouble."

"It’s just selecting some pleasing snacks, where’s the trouble in that," said Ye Xinyan while speaking, placing the menu on the table near Mrs. Qin, flipping through the menu, and recommending popular-taste pastries and soups with novel styles.

Jiang Yifan watched from the side, his eyes smiling in rare amusement.