She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 710 - 708: A Complete and Pleasant Surprise

Chapter 710: Chapter 708: A Complete and Pleasant Surprise

Worries about Ye Xinyan stirring up trouble with Young Master Qi weren’t limited to just Lady Qin. While Lady Qin and her son discussed the Lantern Festival lantern viewing, Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion had already sent word to the Qi family and Madam Yin, stating that tomorrow evening, the young master, Yin Lanxu, invited Young Master Qi to join him in viewing the lanterns and enjoying the festivities. When the time came, they would send Zhao Gang over to collect Young Master Qi.

Upon hearing this, Madam Yin was overjoyed. It was still mother and elder brother who had the solution, by separating Young Master Qi and Ah Yan, the chances of causing trouble would be much smaller. She had seen that Ah Yan didn’t care about being criticized by others; as long as Righteous Guan and the two little ones weren’t present, there wouldn’t be any trouble.

As for Jiang Yifan, there was no need to mention how pleased he was—being able to wander undistracted with Ah Yan was a pleasant surprise indeed.

Though it was referred to as wandering together, in fact, they were accompanied by their respective manservants and maidservants.

Since the Lantern Festival attracted many onlookers, having too many attendants became a burden. Therefore, Ye Xinyan only brought along two maidservants, Jiu Yue and Jiu Yu. Jiang Yifan, on the other hand, was accompanied by his two manservants, Shi Yu and Shi Shu.

The Lantern Festival could be considered the most lively festival of the year in the Great Xia Dynasty, and the capital was the center of opulence and prosperity. Although the capital’s lanterns were not as delicate as those in the south, they had a different kind of stately elegance. The city lights illuminated the late winter night sky and the streets in a spectacular and brilliant display.

After taking care of the carriage, Jiang Yifan took Ye Xinyan by the hand and plunged into the bustling, noisy, and dazzling night scene.

Concerned that Ye Xinyan might be jostled by the noisy crowd, Jiang Yifan didn’t venture into overly dense areas, but simply followed the flow of people, admiring the lantern-decorated streets as they walked. When they encountered crowded places, they would watch from a distance and take a detour.

Although Ye Xinyan was quite interested in the richly traditional Lantern Festival and the exquisitely made lanterns, to her—a modern person accustomed to the dazzling lights of electricity—this interest was not enough to make her squeeze into the crowd.

The two of them walked and watched like this. Whenever there were many people around, Jiang Yifan would naturally take Ye Xinyan’s hand to prevent them from getting separated. Once the crowds thinned, he would just as naturally let go. Thus, Ye Xinyan felt no embarrassment or discomfort throughout their journey.

While the two of them were relaxed, the maidservants and manservants following them had different thoughts. Seeing those hands that would join from time to time, all four were individually pleased and happy.

Especially Shi Yu and Shi Shu, who had seen how much effort their young master had put over the years to close the gap between him and Miss Ye, until their engagement was smoothly settled. Now, as the Eldest Son and Miss Ye were so intimate and harmonious, it could be considered a blessing from the heavens, fulfilling the Eldest Son’s wishes.

However, considering the three years of marriage between the Eldest Son and Miss Ye—when their interaction was even colder than that of strangers—their joy was tinged with worries. If one day Miss Ye were to revert to her old ways, they wondered how heartbroken their Eldest Son would be.

The party of six roamed with high spirits until the time of Hai (9 pm to 11 pm).

By then, the streets were still bustling with people viewing the lanterns. Jiu Yue and Jiu Yu held two delicate lanterns won by Jiang Yifan from solving lantern riddles, with Jiu Yu’s mouth corner bearing some remnants from eating fried Sugar Horns.

Jiang Yifan pointed at an intersection on the street, saying, "Are you hungry? There is a stall selling lamb offal soup not far from there. The broth is clear but richly flavorful and free from any off taste. Shall we go have some?"

Ye Xinyan wasn’t a real child, and although they had passed many snack stalls along the way, where Jiu Yue and Jiu Yu indeed bought some food, Ye Xinyan had not eaten anything.

Feeling a bit hungry now, and hearing Jiang Yifan’s recommendation of lamb offal soup, she immediately felt an appetite, "Sure, I am a little hungry. Since you recommend it, it should taste good. Let’s go try it."

Ye Xinyan’s casual remark warmed Jiang Yifan’s heart. Since when had Ah Yan had such confidence in him? To spontaneously say that since he recommended it, the taste must be good. It was exactly this kind of offhand, unintentional comment that truly came from the heart.

Jiang Yifan had indeed made quite a few preparations for this outing. There were many street stalls along the way, but he recommended only this mutton offal soup stall because he felt that Ye Xinyan would definitely like their taste.

As Jiang Yifan led Ye Xinyan over, he said to her, "This stall’s mutton soup is richly seasoned and requires much effort, making it a bit more expensive. As a result, their business operates in a peculiar middle ground. People of modest means can’t afford it, whereas the wealthy look down on the stall’s humble appearance and avoid it, so it has never been very popular and barely sustains a livelihood. There probably won’t be many customers."

Indeed, in the bustling night filled with passersby, despite the tantalizing aroma of meat drifting from this stall down the street, the four tables at this establishment were not filled.

Shi Yu and Shi Shu went ahead to secure two seats.

The stall owner was a couple busy working with a young boy about thirteen or fourteen years old. They seemed to recognize Jiang Yifan; upon seeing him approaching with female relatives, they enthusiastically came forward to greet him, helping to consolidate the diners to other empty tables to free up one for them. They then signalled to the lady of the house to serve the soup and bring out the pancakes.

Jiu Yue led Jiu Yu forward to wipe down a table, making it ready for Ye Xinyan to sit.

The mutton offal soup was served quickly, and just as Jiang Yifan had described, the soup was clear but not bland, and very fragrant. The pancakes provided on the stall also looked crispy, exuding an enticing burnt aroma.

Ye Xinyan turned to look at Jiu Yue and the others. Jiu Yue hurriedly waved her hand, saying that she and Jiu Yu, having eaten while walking along the way, were not hungry. Shi Yu and Shi Shu were even less likely to sit down.

So, only Jiang Yifan and Ye Xinyan were seated at the table.

Each of them ordered a bowl of mutton offal soup and a pancake. After Ye Xinyan had a bowl of soup and pancake, she still longed for more.

Looking around, she asked Jiang Yifan, "How did you know their mutton soup is delicious? Have you eaten it somewhere else before?" This street corner wasn’t a place where stalls were typically set up.

Jiang Yifan had already finished eating and, upon hearing her question, smiled and responded, "This was originally a fixed stall elsewhere, and I sometimes go there to eat. Thinking that you might like this flavor, I specifically asked the stall owner if they would come out for the Lantern Festival night market, and I also asked for the location. Isn’t that why I brought you here?"

Ye Xinyan exclaimed, "It’s really delicious, I haven’t had such delicious mutton offal soup for a long time, no, I mean never, never before. Paired with pancakes, it has a unique taste."

Jiang Yifan felt a twinge of sadness listening to her. Ah Yan didn’t seem to care much about culinary pleasures and seldom praised food like this. From her words, it appeared she might have eaten such soup somewhere in a distant place she longed for, perhaps?

"It doesn’t matter, as long as you like it. Whenever you want to eat it again, send me a message, and I’ll take you out for it."

After finishing the mutton offal soup, Jiang Yifan suggested that they continue walking, which would help digest their food. The group strolled leisurely along another street towards where they had stored their horses and carriage.

Although this street wasn’t as splendid and bustling as the main street, the scattered lights still twinkled warmly, presenting a cozy scene.