She Became A Downfall Noble Lady-Chapter 57 - Attracting the Villagers

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Attracting the Villagers

Chapter 57 -57: Attracting the Villagers

Hongzhi decided to just ask Qi Younian directly. Although Ye Xinyan’s former status was illustrious, even a prince had to show face to Old Master Duke An. However, the Ye Xinyan of today had escaped from Duke An’s Mansion; she was a young woman without status, and even with some considerations, there were significant discounts.

He put down the small wooden wheel in his hand, clasped his hands together, and said, “I won’t hide it from you, sir. Although my main reason for coming here is to ask about the recipe for your rice tofu, I also have other matters.”

Ye Xinyan pursed her lips, thinking that if there was something to be said, it should be said plainly. Wasn’t beating around the bush just keeping people on tenterhooks?

Seeing that Hongzhi was getting ready to speak seriously, Qi Younian quickly straightened up and earnestly promised, “Young Master, please feel free to speak your mind. As long as it is within this old man’s power, I definitely won’t shirk. Please, take a seat.”

Hongzhi sat back down on the chair, smiling and said, “Actually, it’s not such a big deal. Didn’t Sixth Master get that folded paper from your grandson today? Sixth Master opened it up and found that it was drawn with a mysterious pattern, but the drawing was incomplete. So Sixth Master sent me over to inquire about what the sketch depicted and who drew it?”

After finishing speaking, he looked at Qi Younian with a beaming smile, waiting for Qi Younian to give him the answer so he could return with a prize from Sixth Master.

Sixth Master had simply told him to find any pretext to subtly investigate whether the Qi family had any clues about that sketch, thus figuring out what it actually was.

If during his visit, not only did he clear up that the sketch depicted a child’s plaything called a bicycle but also found out who sketched it, wouldn’t that mean he exceeded the task assigned by Sixth Master?

Thinking of the tip money that would come with Sixth Master’s satisfaction, the smile deepened on Hongzhi’s face.

Ye Xinyan, who was working near the door, let out a heavy sigh of relief and immediately turned to head back inside. Good Lord, was all this necessary? For such a trivial matter, they’d caused such a fuss, nearly scaring her to death.

Qi Younian hadn’t expected Hongzhi’s secretive questioning to be about a child’s toy. The old man helplessly said, “That sketch was drawn by my granddaughter; it is of the bicycle that I made.”

Although Hongzhi had speculated earlier, hearing it directly from Qi Younian was still a surprise. Could the Miss of the Ye Family really draw such a diagram? Aren’t such things and designs usually the endeavor of craftsmen?

Nevertheless, the Ye Xinyan who had left Duke An’s Mansion had already surprised him numerous times, so one more or less made no difference. As for the truth of the matter, that wasn’t something a servant like him could discern; Sixth Master could ponder it himself.

Therefore, Hongzhi did not dwell on this issue further and, taking advantage of the situation, shamelessly inquired, “Then, about the complete diagram of this bicycle…?”

That would be problematic, Qi Younian immediately understood Hongzhi’s implication and awkwardly said, “Please forgive me, Young Master, but the bicycle is still in the making, and the diagram will take a few more days.”

Without securing the complete diagram, Hongzhi was not disappointed since he had already taken care of his business and decided not to linger. After sitting briefly, he got up and took his leave.

As soon as Hongzhi left, those in the village who had been keeping an eye on the second branch of the Qi family came one after another to strike up casual conversations, mostly inquiring about the uncommonly dressed young man. Was his identity very prestigious?

It seemed that such a presentable person had never appeared in Clear Water Village before, so it was no wonder that the villagers were curious about what this dignified young man was doing at Qi Younian’s house.

For a moment, men and women surged into the small courtyard of the Qi family, about a dozen of them seeking to get the scoop from Qi Younian and Ye Xinyan.

A middle-aged peasant woman, living closest to the second branch of the Qi family, came over first, tugging at Ye Xinyan’s sleeve and asked, “Ye Zi, who was that young man? He looked very distinguished and handsome, not just any ordinary family’s lad, right? Could he be here to see you for marriage?”

As the peasant woman questioned, her curious eyes circled Ye Xinyan again and again—with a look that was quite uncomfortable no matter how you saw it. The meaning behind her words, no matter how you heard them, was not meant kindly.

This was too much disregard for a person’s dignity, wasn’t it? Ye Xinyan stared at the peasant woman for quite a while, holding back her anger, before forcing a dry laugh and pulling her sleeve back from the woman’s grasp, saying, “Aunt is joking, I am but an ordinary farmer’s abandoned wife, I dare not entertain thoughts of such distinguished people.” So much imagination and passion for gossip, no one could beat that.

The peasant woman suddenly realized, “Oh, that’s true.” Then her interest piqued again, “Your looks are quite outstanding, Ye Zi, maybe some family fancies you as a concubine?”

Th𝗲 most uptodate novels are published on ƒгeewёbnovel.com.

That was crossing the line! Ye Xinyan frowned, “Aunt, watch your words! Our Qi family has a good reputation and entertains no such thoughts. I have a lot of things to do and can’t afford to entertain you, aunt, please go back!”

The peasant woman didn’t care about her own excessive remarks but was annoyed by Ye Xinyan’s words, prompting her guest to leave and became unwilling right away.

Seeing Qi Younian surrounded by several farmers and too busy to attend to this side, she spat out her words with mock, “How can you be so ungrateful, girl? I am speaking for your own good. For someone with unclear status like you, an abandoned wife, it would be good enough for any family to want you, where’s the position to be picky about being a wife or a concubine? You should hurry and find a family to take you in while there’s still interest.”

“Pfft.” Lady Han and Lady Zhang, standing by, heard this and couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Alright, they weren’t just failing to hold it in, they deliberately laughed out loud.

The two had entered with the people who came to gather information about the village and saw the well-known gossip of the village grabbing at Ye Xinyan as soon as she entered; they did nothing to defuse the situation, just stood by and watched the spectacle.

Sure enough, after a few words, the woman started saying unpleasant things.

Lady Han didn’t like the people from the Second Branch family from the start, and after being rebuffed by Ye Xinyan over rice tofu, she was indeed angry. Now, hearing Ye Xinyan being disparaged, she felt indescribably delighted.

On Lady Zhang’s side, she felt even more justified in disliking the second branch of the Qi family. For a motherless fool, these people had collectively shown their disdain to her family. The pancakes that were supposed to be delivered daily had vanished without a trace, leaving her three children salivating with pity.

And then there was this Ye Zi with a dubious background, merely an abandoned wife with an uncertain future, yet lacking any self-awareness. She strutted around as if she were superior to everyone else, as if someone cared! As if they coveted a few unsellable pancakes from her house—pah!

Her own well-cared-for and grown children had to drool daily over a few measly pancakes, while that renamed fool got everything he wanted in the Second Branch family. What’s even more exasperating was that suddenly the fool had all sorts of new toys, which all village kids could play with, except her own two children couldn’t.

The damned abandoned wife had the audacity to scold her son without any discretion, forbidding him from getting close to that fool. Just a fool, who could survive on swill all those years; how precious could he be?

Lady Zhang’s heart seethed with jealousy, and naturally, she would not miss an opportunity to mock Ye Xinyan.

When Ye Xinyan heard someone laughing at her, she swept a cold gaze in that direction. As expected, the ones sneering were these two closest of aunts.