Chapter 444 - 442: A Smart Person
Ye Xinyan was aware of the protocol Madam Zhao was referring to; Nanny Jin had mentioned it to her before, but she had not made up her mind about her future plans. Before things were settled, she did not want to be too entangled with Duke An’s Mansion.
As the old saying goes, "He who takes a man’s silver becomes his servant." Wouldn’t she be able to speak and act with more confidence if she did not use the wealth of Duke An’s Mansion?
Yet, if she were to be too blunt in her refusal, it seemed somewhat ungrateful for Elder Master Ye’s kind intentions. It wouldn’t be good if he felt she was an ingrate.
"Jiu Yue," Ye Xinyan said to the one beside her, "fetch a stool for Madam Zhao." Then she turned to Madam Zhao," I’m not sure if Madame Zhao is busy, but please take a seat. I only have a few words to say."
Madam Zhao appeared surprised but delightedly responded, "Not busy, not busy at all. This humble one just finished her tasks before coming here. Nowadays, who doesn’t know that our young miss is a very capable person? For this humble one to sit here is a blessing."
Madam Yin watched as Madam Zhao took a seat before her, finding it unpleasant to the eye. But this was her beloved daughter’s wish, so she quietly sipped her tea without obstructing.
Seeing Madam Zhao carefully seated on the stool, Xinyan somewhat regretted it, guessing that sitting like this was probably even more tiring than standing. After more than two years in this era, despite her unfortunate circumstances, she had not been so cautious or fearful in dealing with others.
"It’s like this," considering the difficulty of Madam Zhao’s sitting posture, Ye Xinyan got straight to the point, "I won’t be staying for long this time. After the New Year, I will have to return to Yuyuan Prefecture, where there are still some matters I haven’t settled. Regarding the protocol Madam Zhao mentioned... my thought is, let’s not use it for now. It would be a waste to spend so much silver for just a few days’ use. We could record this protocol in the account books for now. I can use it when I come back for a longer stay in the future, or it could be transferred to the public fund. Madam Zhao, you can decide on this yourself."