She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 121 - 120: The Need to Settle the Rear Area

Chapter 121: Chapter 120: The Need to Settle the Rear Area

Nanny Jin had her eyes on Qi Ercheng and Xinger from the Qi family’s main branch, casually including Qi Ershun as well.

Among these children, Nanny Jin was particularly fond of Qi Ercheng. Seventeen this year, he was at the right age for work, steadfast and with a keen eye, and clever by nature. Qi Ershun, twelve, not quite as old, but had no problem running errands in the store under Qi Ercheng’s guidance.

Xinger was around eleven or twelve years old, an age where ancient girls could already handle most household chores. She could help out in the kitchen with washing and cleaning or assist Yun Niang with some tasks.

If she was smart, she could learn a valuable skill in the kitchen, which would make for a strong personal asset even when getting married in the future.

Usually, it would be inconvenient for a girl to work outside, but Xinger was coming to the county town to work with her brother Ercheng who would look after her. Nanny Jin didn’t have to worry too much about her, which was more reassuring than hiring other girls.

Qi Jia stayed in Clear Water Village, frequently with Ye Xinyan. If Ye Xinyan needed to go out for work or was momentarily too busy, he would be entrusted to the care of Lady Wang from the main branch. With Sanshun there, and he having many playmates, Qi Jia could easily adapt and play with many other children, which was conducive to his personal growth.

Although Ye Xinyan was very reluctant to have any dealings with Lady Han, this arrangement ultimately led to some involvement with Uncle Er and his family.

Fortunately, Uncle Er and his children were decent folks. Qi Sanshun, in particular, would take Qi Jia out to play whenever he had the chance, which earned Nanny Jin’s affection. Thus, she was also willing to have the children help out with work, giving them an opportunity to earn money when convenient for the family.

The sequence of arrangements in the Second Branch family caused the old master Qi Yougui from the main branch considerable distress.

After much hesitation between earning silver and being a quiet farmer, the old master eventually gave in, under Nanny Jin’s seemingly gentle but resolute gaze and Lady Wang’s eager and pressing stare.

However, the old master’s desire to maintain a farmer’s life did not waver. He was set on thinking that firstly, letting the children venture out for a few years was good, earning some silver. Then, once the family’s finances were more relaxed, they could buy more land, acquire more assets, and it wouldn’t be bad for the children to return to farm work.

As for the fact that the Second Branch unexpectedly had a new livelihood and therefore needed to hire help once again, Qi Yourong and Madam Song were, unsurprisingly, jealous and envious.

They were jealous that when the Second Branch had returned home, they seemingly had nothing valuable, except for a donkey and a dilapidated cart. In less than half a year, how could the virtually destitute Second Branch accumulate such wealth? It was outrageous, why did all the good fortune always fall into their lap?

Compared to their jealousy of Qi Younian, Qi Yourong and his spouse were more envious that the main branch’s children could work to earn money. That wasn’t grain harvested from the fields but actual silver; whereas rural people wanting to exchange grain for money had to depend on the market conditions, and risk being cheated with the big scoops in and little scoops out at the grain dealership.

This time, Madam Song had learned to behave. She went to the Second Branch and didn’t dare to ask questions aggressively. After warmly exchanging pleasantries with Ye Xinyan, she chatted amicably with Nanny Jin and Ye Xinyan. Then, while lamenting the difficulties of farm life and the barely sustainable living of her own family, she cautiously inquired about the matter of the Second Branch hiring help.

"Nanny, you’ve seen the world and surely know how hard it is to make a living from the fields, and even harder to find work that pays. I hope you won’t forget to help our young ones if your shop needs extra hands."

Also, Ye Zi, we’re all close kin of the Qi family, sharing the same blood. Your fourth uncle and aunt did wrong before, but they realize their mistake now. Ye Zi, you’re a man of great endeavors; for the sake of this old woman, could you please not hold their mistakes against them?"

Ye Xinyan laughed, "Great Aunt, you’re being too formal. As a younger member of the family, how could I possibly hold a grudge against my elders? No, I wouldn’t."

Madam Song sensed Ye Xinyan’s perfunctory response and turned to Nanny Jin, "Look, Nanny, our Ye Zi is a magnanimous child. She doesn’t mind my unworthy son and daughter-in-law. Nanny, I won’t lie to you, I’m shamelessly asking Ye Zi and you today to find some work for my son and his wife. As for the wages, well, we’re all family here, so that should be easy to discuss."

All she needed was to secure a position at the Second Branch family’s snack shop; she could scheme for the rest later.

Nanny Jin didn’t seem to be put off by Madam Song’s words. She appeared to consider them seriously for a moment before responding with a troubled expression, "Great Aunt, I’m willing to deal honestly with our own kin. But..."

Nanny Jin seemed quite distressed, "You know our family doesn’t have much to begin with. We barely manage to rent a small shop and do some modest business, which really can’t support many people. Right now, the shop employs boys for waiter jobs, and even Qi Ercheng is a bit old for it. We’re only making do with Qi Ercheng because we can’t find anyone more suitable at the moment."

Madam Song, quick-witted, followed Nanny Jin’s words, "Nanny, our shop is located in the county town, so we ought to have a grown man to present a good front, don’t you think? Look, why not let our Dongzi and Liangzi have a try at it, to provide a good front for our shop?"

Speaking of presenting a good front, Nanny Jin shook her head in distress, "Great Aunt might not know, but our little shop relies on the business of Great Crane House. The people in charge there handle all the official matters, and if we were to bring in someone to be the face of our shop, I’m afraid we wouldn’t be able to continue our business. You wouldn’t want to see our family’s enterprise fail, would you?"

Upon hearing Nanny Jin’s excuses, Madam Song felt discontent, but she couldn’t find a reason to argue and thus had to suppress her ambitions, silently resenting that her family didn’t have a child of the right age. If her family did have such a child, she would have definitely fought with the main branch for this opportunity, not considering that if she had, Nanny Jin and Ye Xinyan might have responded differently.

Ye Xinyan didn’t let her leave empty-handed and enthusiastically suggested a job building cattle pens, "Great Aunt, my grandfather is currently overseeing some work. Although the third and fourth uncles may not be skilled craftsmen, building cattle pens and corrals requires a lot of mud bricks and timber—tasks our farmers can handle. At the construction site, they pay based on the number of mud bricks shaped and the amount of timber cut—the rates are fair. If done well, the income can be much more than that of a waiter, and it’s quite a good way to earn some silver. Why not let the third and fourth uncles give it a try?"

Ye Xinyan finished, looking at Madam Song with hopeful eyes, as if she really wanted her two uncles to come and help while also making some silver.

Madam Song always doted on her two sons, especially the younger Qi Liang, and she was reluctant to let them do such arduous work. She intended to excuse herself by saying there were too many things to attend to at home, but she instantly remembered that last time this very woman had used this refusal as an excuse to hand a great opportunity to the main branch.

After hesitating for a while, Madam Song dared not agree to Ye Xinyan’s suggestion and hurriedly took her leave.