CHAPTER 842: CHAPTER 840: FAMILY AND OUTSIDERS

Jiang Yifan added a piece of side dish to the small saucer in front of Ye Xinyan and said, "Your makeup skills are incomparable to magic tricks; I believe you can enhance a person’s appearance without changing their features, creating a beauty of different tastes."

Ye Xinyan’s eyes immediately sharpened, and Jiang Yifan quickly said, "It’s just that my Ah Yan is already a stunning beauty; no matter the style, she can carry it beautifully, always breathtaking."

Only then did Ye Xinyan relax, her eyes softening. Indeed, after getting to know each other over the years, Jiang Yifan had never been a confused person; how could he say such misleading things?

Jiang Yifan secretly wiped some sweat. Pleasing a wife is indeed not easy, especially wanting to make her happy all the time; it really is a high-skill job.

These days mark a joyous occasion for him, so better not bring up such heavy topics. To know that there exists such outstanding makeup artistry in the world, if he wanted to learn and master it, he could always consult Ah Yan; after all, Ah Yan is his wife.

At this moment, Jiang Yifan hadn’t thought that his idea was to benefit Jinrong. To Ye Xinyan, Jinrong represented the court, an outsider. If an outsider wants to learn, tuition would be required.

Jiang Yifan eagerly placed a steamed dumpling for Ye Xinyan, seizing the moment to change the subject, smiling as he said, "If Ah Yan has time in the future, you could perhaps dress up a little. Otherwise, people see those heavily made-up girls from other families and begin to think they are unparalleled beauties, mistakenly believing my Ah Yan is not as beautiful as they are."

Ye Xinyan agreed with this suggestion, saying quite naturally, "Of course, now is different from before. Back then, one’s appearance, whether well or poorly kept, was a personal matter. Now I’m married; if I still go in and out looking disheveled, people might think I didn’t marry well, reflecting poorly on both families."

She wanted to be a beautiful wife, making appearances that would bring pride to Jiang Yifan and the Jiang family. Let people know that the Duke’s Mansion found a good match for their granddaughter, living splendidly.

Of course, the premise is that she is truly living well; otherwise, the beauty becomes secondary, and not being wronged is most important.

"Ah?" Jiang Yifan was still in a daze, never expecting that a random comment to steer the conversation could elicit such a response from his wife, making him feel like he was dreaming.

Jiang Yifan, once again, confirmed that he was truly blessed; his wife couldn’t be more perfect.

When he was first moved by Ye Xinyan, it was her unyielding yet straightforward nature that he liked. He admired her self-respect and self-love, living brilliantly without relying on others. What he loved more was her unparalleled charm displayed in the wilderness.

Yet he hadn’t anticipated receiving such thoughtfulness and maturity from her. A woman like this would make him unable to control his love for her.

......

The two hurriedly finished their meal and washed their hands, and by then, it was broad daylight.

Lady Qin knew that her son’s new bride required a lot of attention. Jiang Yifan had previously pleaded with her to postpone the tea ceremony. The reason being, he wanted time to have breakfast alone with Ye Xinyan.

Lady Qin wouldn’t embarrass her son, just as he said, at twenty-eight, it wasn’t easy for him to find a beloved wife, pleading for her consideration like in her younger days.

If she, as the mother, didn’t be considerate, whom could he rely on for consideration?

Lady Qin and her husband, Jiang Chen, had been seated in the main house of the adjoining courtyard for a while, conversing with their second son, Jiang Yiyuan. In her heart, Lady Qin was wondering about how the newlyweds’ bridal night went.

She sincerely hoped it wouldn’t repeat the previous time, where the two had an unpleasant first night and appeared distant the following morning while serving tea to the in-laws.

Last night, Lady Qin had wanted Nanny Hong to inquire about it, but that wretched Guan He, recognizing no relatives, claimed that anyone trying to eavesdrop or peek would disturb his junior brother’s wedding night and adamantly refused anyone to go near.

While making small talk, Lady Qin was worried, wanting to discuss it with Jiang Chen, but with Jiang Yiyuan present, there were some things she couldn’t say in front of her unmarried son, leaving her feeling rather disheartened.

Jiang Yifan’s father, Jiang Chen, ranked third among his peers in the clan and was known as Third Master Jiang, a kind old soul, which was apparent from his kind face.

After receiving the auspicious wedding date from the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, Jiang Yifan dispatched someone on horseback to Cloud Central Province to deliver the message, and Jiang Chen came to oversee his son’s wedding.

Due to the tight wedding schedule and his duty as the father-in-law, Jiang Chen hadn’t yet seen any difference with the current daughter-in-law from before.

But Jiang Chen had much trust in his eldest son, believing that any marriage his son insisted upon would never be bad.

Thus, Third Master Jiang sat calmly, frequently refilling Lady Qin’s cup, comforting her, "No need to worry, Yuanfan has always been decisive from a young age, never doing anything unprepared."

The setback in their son’s previous marriage was an exception. They, as a couple, couldn’t withstand the clan’s pressure, leading to estrangement between the son and daughter-in-law right at the beginning, which later worsened, resulting in a divorce.

This time is different. The couple mutually supported each other for years, and with deep affection, set their hearts on this marriage, assuredly destined to be blissful.

"You seem to take it quite easy," Lady Qin lamented. Though she said this, she secretly agreed with her husband’s assessment.

Her son’s previous marriage was indeed out of necessity, while this one was different. It was because her son was fond of the Ye family’s woman, he insisted on marrying into the family, a situation vastly different from before.

Things did not proceed as Lady Qin feared; instead, they were going far better than she hoped.

Senior Maid Hua Jin, waiting outside the house, rushed to report upon seeing Jiang Yifan and Ye Xinyan approaching from a distance, "Madam, the young master, and young mistress have arrived, they’re just at the courtyard gate."

Lady Qin adjusted herself, her tone steady, "Hmm, it’s cold outside, quickly go lift the curtain and let Yuanfan and his wife in."

Hua Jin obeyed. Meanwhile, Nanny Hong’s face blossomed into a smile like a flower as she had already opened the door, ushering the young couple inside, "Third Madam, the young master and mistress are here."

Jiang Yifan pulled the door curtain himself while Ye Xinyan slightly lowered her head, gracefully entering the room without initially checking who was inside but immediately turned to wait upon Jiang Yifan’s entry.

The two didn’t display any syrupy affection, yet their interactions exuded harmony, akin to a couple married for years, already well-acquainted and supportive.

Upon seeing this scene, Lady Qin felt her heart settle warmly within her, infused with sweet joy as if she had sipped honey, delighting her immensely.

Her eldest son had finally found his footing. As long as he could joyfully live his life, her heart would be at peace.

The Jiang family was small, with the in-laws having simple expectations. As long as their son was happy and content, naturally, they would be too.

As Jiang Yifan’s only brother, Jiang Yiyuan often claimed his fate didn’t compare to his elder brother, but internally, he deeply admired him. Moreover, as the younger uncle, he had no reason to trouble his sister-in-law.