She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 670 - 668 Going Through the Motions

Chapter 670: Chapter 668 Going Through the Motions

Maternal Aunt Zhao has been living comfortably these past days. Although Ye Yuan was staying at the Duchess’s compound, ensuring the child’s safety, she couldn’t bear not being able to see her son much, it deeply tormented and pained her heart.

She had been looking forward to the return of the Eldest Lady and the Eldest Daughter, but things turned out even better than she had hoped. Now she could not only take care of her son herself, but her son was also allowed to be taken to the Eldest Daughter’s room to play with the two boys from the Qi family whom the Duke favored.

Just like now, Brother Yuan’s wet nurse and a nanny sent by the Duchess were accompanying him, playing in the Eldest Daughter’s room. Both of the Qi family boys liked him, especially Brother Jia, who would affectionately call him ’little brother’ every day, truly treating Brother Yuan as his own younger brother.

She certainly didn’t disdain the fact that Qi Jiaer was from the countryside. After all, he was a child regarded as a blood brother by the Eldest Daughter. If Qi Jiaer could be treated as a real brother, then her Brother Yuan was naturally the Eldest Daughter’s real brother too, definitely not a nominal brother like the sons in the house, the Eldest Son and the Second Son.

Maternal Aunt Zhao wasn’t the type to be annoying. Knowing where to draw the line, she naturally wouldn’t be so tactless as to overstep her bounds. She smiled and asked, "Eldest Lady, what do you think should be done with the New Year’s gifts?"

Madam Yin was simply pleased. She was content just glancing through her son-in-law’s gift list and did not plan to take it to her room or oversee its distribution.

She handed the gift list back to Maternal Aunt Zhao, "This is the Jiang Family’s New Year’s gift to our household. Our household has few people, so there’s no need to split the gifts. Maternal Aunt Zhao, just record it in the account books—it’s fine for everyone to use together." That way, everyone would know that her Ah Yan was doing well, that her marriage wasn’t to a monster but merely encountered some twists and turns for the best.

After Maternal Aunt Zhao left, Madam Yin and Nanny Huang sat there, smiling sweetly at the box without speaking or moving, which made Ye Xinyan feel quite uneasy.

What’s the situation here? How could they gaze at a box with such affection? It looked quite eerie.

"Sister-in-law Song, go and find a couple of people to take this box back to our courtyard," Ye Xinyan instructed Song Ping’s Household.

Although Sister-in-law Song was not as silly with her smiles as Madam Yin and Nanny Huang, she was also overjoyed. The marriage arrangement between the Eldest Daughter and Lord Jiang had been finalized in haste, only taking a few days. As soon as the marriage was settled, Lord Jiang couldn’t wait to send over the New Year’s gifts. What did this mean? It showed that he greatly valued the Eldest Daughter.

However, when Sister-in-law Song heard Ye Xinyan’s instructions, she hesitated and did not immediately leave.

The Eldest Lady was so excited over the box, didn’t she want to see what was inside? To forcibly take away something that made the Eldest Lady happy seemed wrong, didn’t it?

Seeing Sister-in-law Song’s hesitation, Ye Xinyan nudged her, signaling her to hurry up.

Just as Sister-in-law Song was about to move, Madam Yin spoke up, "Wait."

Ye Xinyan rolled her eyes secretively. Was that getting a taste of their own medicine, no longer smiling stupidly at the box? To those in the know, it was just a box, but to those unaware, they might think the two of you were gazing at a beloved younger relative.

Sister-in-law Song looked toward Madam Yin and, bending her knee, asked, "Does the Eldest Lady have any instructions?"

Madam Yin said with a smile, "We all know that Yuanfan is a polite and measured child, but after all, the marriage has only just been agreed to. It’s according to custom that the elders look over the gifts before they can be given to the Eldest Daughter."

With that, she turned to Nanny Huang and added, "We’re just going through the motions, to fulfill the proper etiquette, right?"

Nanny Huang responded with a laugh, "That’s right. We trust Lord Jiang, and of course, Lord Jiang would not send something inappropriate for the Eldest Daughter. This is simply so the Eldest Lady can have a look, and when people speak of it, you have an idea in your heart."

Madam Yin’s smile deepened the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, "Come, let’s open it and see. Yuanfan always sends such thoughtful festival gifts to the mansion, those sent especially to Ah Yan must be even more so."

Looking at the box, Madam Yin seemed almost happier than seeing her own kin. In the past, when Ye Xinyan and Jiang Yifan were in talks for marriage, she seldom received anything from Jiang Yifan. Even during the holidays, the exchanges were all by the book, following the usual customs, clearly lacking heart.

But now, having seen that list of gifts, such thoughtfulness! Apart from the silk fabrics, the other items, though not expensive, were thoughtful choices—rare and practical, clearly showing intent.

Therefore, Madam Yin was very eager to see what Jiang Yifan had sent her daughter. A whole box of items, regardless of their value, as long as they were chosen with care, would delight her.

Ye Xinyan, seeing the eager Madam Yin and Nanny Huang, knew she couldn’t avoid it and just hoped Jiang Yifan knew what fate his box would face, and that there was nothing embarrassing inside it.

Madam Yin and others always thought Jiang Yifan was upright, knew etiquette, and had measure, but sometimes that guy was quite thick-skinned.

Probably because the lighter and more fragile items were on top, upon opening the box, the first thing they found was a pair of exquisite six-sided gauze lanterns, no more than a foot high, each side embroidered with landscapes, extremely refined.

Madam Yin held the lanterns in her hands, turning them over and over and couldn’t stop admiring them, "Such exquisite lanterns, look at these embroideries, and look at the smooth rounded transition of the edges, how can they be made so delicately?"

Luckily for Madam Yin, instead of conversing with Ye Xinyan, she said to Nanny Huang, "This child must have bought these items long ago, carefully preserving them, just waiting for an opportunity to send them to Ah Yan."

Nanny Huang, her eyes smiling with joy, readily agreed, "Indeed, the time between our families discussing marriage was short, where would the son-in-law find time to buy such rare items? He must have seen them earlier and bought them to keep for the Miss."

Madam Yin placed the lanterns gently on a small table nearby and continued looking into the box.

"What do you think of these two round fans?" Nanny Huang took out a fan from each of the satin bags, the fan surfaces embroidered with images of court ladies, each fan displaying four differently posed graceful women, their clothes and hair meticulously done.

Madam Yin took them and turned them over and over in her hands, unable to put them down, "Double-sided embroidery, and it’s done so lifelike, it must be from Mrs. Qin in Cloud Central Province."

Nanny Huang chimed in, "The In-law Madam likes our Miss so much, so she gave such exquisite things for the Miss to enjoy."

Next, they found a box of plain handkerchiefs, made of soft silk, with the corners sewn in matching colors and subtle patterns. Such a kerchief would only be entrusted to embroiderers with excellent skills; anyone of average needlework would think twice before daring to embroider on them.

Madam Yin and Nanny Huang kept taking items out and admiring them, so engrossed in their enthusiasm that they completely forgot they had only intended to take a casual look, just to go through the motions.

It was like when they picked up a long wooden box, slid the lid off, and exclaimed in amazement, unable to help but pull out the contents for a closer look after their cry of surprise.

Madam Yin: "Nanny, look how adorable. Look at that chubby little face smiling, it’s so festive. And these little arms and legs, the clothes and shoes, how were they made? Who wouldn’t like this in their home?"

Nanny Huang: "Yes, yes, look at what I’m holding, it even has a hat. And I don’t know where the son-in-law found these, twelve of them, all complete."

The two discussed twelve porcelain dolls with endearingly foolish expressions, each unique and just over two inches tall. All smiled joyfully, each with different expressions and attire. Though merely porcelain, they were indeed finely crafted.