Chapter 626: Chapter 408: A Visitor Calls
Ye Shiqi and her sisters, having listened to their introductions, finally met the mother and sister of the simpleton.
The sisters took their turn introducing themselves; one cannot rely on others to introduce their names and status. It would be inconvenient if the guests didn’t know their names or the order of the sisters.
The mother and daughter heard that all the sisters were named with “Qi,” which made it quite difficult for them to remember the names of the four sisters at once.
They could only differentiate between them as “eldest,” “second,” “third,” and “fifth.”
“This is the Marchioness of Marquis Yongbo’s Mansion and her lady, Ye Kuai Le—the only legitimate daughter and the Madam of the residence.”
Ye Shiqi found Ye Kuai Le to be innocent and naive, cheerful and lively. She saw none of the pride or condescending looks that city people often have toward country folk.
“Your sisterly bond seems really strong, and your skin is so nice! Plus, you all smell so fragrant. What kind of rouge do you use?”
Ye Shiqi smiled without speaking, her other sisters also smilingly said they didn’t use any expensive cosmetics, and in fact, they were all bare-faced. Everything would melt off in the sweltering heat, anyway. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel※fire.net
“We can’t afford such expensive rouge; we only use products made from flowers, which cannot compare to your deluxe rouge from the Capital City,” said Second Sister Ye Mei Qi modestly.
“But your skin is so good, even living in the countryside! I truly can’t believe you don’t have a secret!” Ye Kuai Le kept expressing her disbelief.
Her mother was also eager to know; as a noble lady, she too desired fair and good skin, and didn’t want to be overshadowed by younger and prettier concubines.
Just then, someone reported that other guests had arrived.
Reluctantly, Ye Kuai Le grabbed Ye Shiqi’s hand, wanting to coax the secret out of her, “Please tell me, it won’t be convenient to talk when there are more people. You can just tell me.”
Ye Shiqi said, “I’ll tell you later. On this trip to the Capital City, someone gifted us some perfume and skincare water. If you don’t mind, I’ll give you a bottle.”
“Thank you, thank you! No wonder you all smell so good,” Ye Kuai Le laughed joyfully, and the Marchioness Yongbo smiled with her.
Then there was a constant stream of visitors to the residence, some of whom were figures unfamiliar to the sisters, but luckily among those who ran the shops in the Capital, there were some who knew these wealthy and prestigious figures.
Although Li Zhihao was the Chief Steward, in the absence of the old housekeeper, he had not met these ladies before and didn’t know how to address them.
He could only ask the shopkeepers from the four stores for help, but even the shopkeepers felt it was inconvenient for a man to be continuously entertaining madams and ladies, so they brought their wives to help instead.
Previously, when the old housekeeper found it inconvenient to entertain guests and there was no master at home, there were not many female visitors.
Even at the General’s Mansion, only a few close acquaintances would visit. The wives and ladies of these visitors would come to inquire about the health of the old housekeeper of the General’s Mansion, though it was not the officials themselves who made the visit. Their actions, while they raised suspicion and investigation, did not give anyone a substantial handle, and so they continued their discreet visits.
Meng Zhaojun and her mother were also among the crowd, and in the midst of so many authoritative families’ madams and ladies, they felt somewhat inconsequential.
Perhaps her face had changed a bit, and her and her mother’s arrival did not cause much of a stir among the Ye Family’s sisters.
Meng Zhaojun was a bit perplexed; had she really changed that much?
Did the Ye Family’s sisters not recognize her, or were they pretending not to?
Even if they didn’t recognize her, wouldn’t they recognize their own mother?
Meng Zhaojun had grown taller and had now become a young girl, her body beginning to stretch and develop. Her face had undergone small changes, and after six years, it was normal for a child’s visage to change.
Mrs. Meng kept a poker face on the surface. When the Ye Family’s sisters merely greeted them upon their arrival and were told to find seats, other guests had arrived, leaving no time to chat with them.
Mrs. Meng knew that amidst so many Capital Ladies and young ladies, she was no longer the illustrious wife of a County Magistrate, the highest official of the county. In the Capital, she and her daughter were too insignificant among so many wives and daughters of officials.
This time, like the other Madams, they had come to visit out of necessity, as all the relatives had come to visit, saying that with so many Madams and young ladies around, it was an opportunity to get closer to some of them.
Recently, Mrs. Meng had been thinking of marrying her daughter into a better family; therefore, getting acquainted with these Madams and young ladies would be greatly beneficial for herself, her daughter, or her husband.
After all, her son was also studying in the Capital, where the sons of these rich ladies held formidable statuses.
In certain academies, students were arranged into classes based on their status, some of whom could be recommended to the side of the most powerful figures without needing to take exams.
This prospect was even brighter than some official careers. The subtle undercurrents in the Capital hinted at a different scent in the air.
No one knew whether times would change; they only knew the Emperor had not yet aged, the son was growing up, and factions had already aligned themselves.
They labored not just for their own advancement but also had their families help with the work. That’s why these noble ladies and young misses were now present in the Ye Residence.
This clearly indicated that none of them acknowledged the others’ superiority, which explained why so many of them had visited the Ye Residence even though neither the Old Master nor the housekeeper was home.
This was not just to give face to these farmer folk but also to vie for certain interests.
The recently arrived Madams and young ladies glanced disdainfully at the Fourth Sister, whose features were still beautiful and exquisite, and not at all resembling a farmer girl. As the Maid presented them with ordinary chrysanthemum tea, some wanted to sneer, but the fragrant sweet scent stopped them, and they were held back before any discordant sounds were made.
As they each sipped the delicious tea and enjoyed pastries and fruits offered by others.
They noticed the distinctiveness of the Ye Residence; the chrysanthemum tea was exceptionally delicious with the addition of honey, as were the pastries, and the fruits tasted even better than the ones they previously bought in Jingdong.
The families of these rich ladies and young ladies had their own subsidiary estates, where they cultivated fruits, melons, vegetables, or had breeding farms to supply their household’s consumption.
They had bought honey before but never tasted such delicious honeyed pastries.
Regardless of whether they had breakfast at home, after arriving at the Ye Residence and gathering with familiar faces, they treated the place as a venue for socializing, enjoying tea, pastries, and fruits, and the conversation flowed pleasantly.
The workers they brought along were also fortunate enough to taste some of the fruit and pastries and drink the chrysanthemum tea, experiencing such delightful flavors that they couldn’t help but acknowledge them.
One could envy the special features of the Ye Residence, where those working there enjoyed good food and drink daily—a kind of blessing indeed!
The house servants and drivers who came along were also fortunate to eat some fruit and pastries and to drink a full pot of chrysanthemum tea.
They felt the heat of the weather being alleviated by the cooling effect of the chrysanthemum tea, which offered a sense of relief from the heat and quenched their thirst.