She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 150 - 149 Xiao Jiajia’s Snacks

Chapter 150: Chapter 149 Xiao Jiajia’s Snacks

Ye Xinyan, having heard Nanny Liu’s words, took the lead and went out, indeed seeing a flatbed cart parked not far from the work shed.

It truly was Jinrong’s people who had come. As the saying goes, it’s better to deal with the familiar than the stranger, and Jinrong embraced the essence of this saying by sending a familiar face, Hongzhi.

The coachman was a strapping middle-aged man, and Hongzhi sat beside him on the shaft of the cart. The flatbed was piled high with bundles and luggage rolls, all stacked meticulously and securely tied down with ropes.

Hongzhi hopped down from the shaft of the cart and first went straight to Ye Xinyan to greet her with familiarity, "I hope Lady Qi has been well, our Sixth Master has sent me to bring his regards to you." To send one’s servants to Miss Ye without prior notice seemed... not quite right.

After saying this, Hongzhi did not dare to look at Ye Xinyan’s expression but turned to bow to Qi Younian, "Old Master Qi, I, Hongzhi, offer you my greetings."

Qi Younian did not disappoint Hongzhi and returned the greeting with a chuckle, then warmly pulled him aside and said, "How has young Hongzhi been? Every time you say there’s no time, but this time you have come right to our doorstep, and after such a long journey, you must come in for a sit, have some tea, and try some snacks before you leave. Just yesterday, Ye Zi made Sweet Cheese for Qi Jia, and it’s really tasty, you must try it."

Nanny Jin, completely ignoring that there were problems with Qi Younian’s statements, chimed in, "Yes, Ye Zi shaped this batch of Sweet Cheese into small bite-sized snacks, which not only taste good but are also convenient to eat. Come on, let’s head home."

There was something off about the way this was phrased.

Hongzhi’s face showed embarrassment, "Is it little Jiajia’s snack?" Had he and his Sixth Master spent too much time together, making people think he, like the Sixth Master, liked to snatch things from children?

Qi Younian laughed, "Ye Zi said that to make Jiajia happy, but in reality, we’ve all had some. That’s how we know it tastes good, and why I recommend you try it."

The whole party, along with carts and horses, made their way to the modest courtyard of the second branch of the Qi family. They couldn’t serve food right away, first they had to unload the things Hongzhi had brought.

Only after everything was unloaded and the entire main room was packed full, did Ye Xinyan realize that their living accommodations urgently needed improvement. They should build both wings of rooms along with the main house. Apart from the originally planned East Wing Room, the West Wing also needed to be constructed.

Qi Jia, being a child, was the least bothered by trouble. Seeing so many people arrive all at once, with carts, horses, and luggage, he ran around after the adults, thrilled beyond measure.

Having already understood the situation at Ye Xinyan’s place, Nanny Liu and the others knew that Jiajia was the most cherished child in the second branch of the Qi family, and they made sure to indulge the little one, letting him experience the excitement of moving and being underfoot.

Once everything from the cart was properly settled, Hongzhi, upon the earnest invitation of Qi Younian and Nanny Jin, took a seat on the kang bed in the outer room, feeling a bit uneasy as he watched Ye Xinyan and a bevy of maids and old woman servants bustling about.

Accompanying Hongzhi were Qi Younian and little friend Qi Jia.

Nanny Jin brought over two plates of Cheese and a plate of baked pancakes. Two maids assisted, serving tea for Qi Younian and Hongzhi, and even in front of Jiajia, a cup of boiled water was placed.

Qi Younian cheerfully urged Hongzhi, "Young brother, try our family’s Cheese." As he spoke, he pushed the two plates containing the bite-sized Cheese snacks towards Hongzhi, "One is Sweet Cheese with a sweet and tangy flavor, and the other is plain fresh Cheese; they both taste great. Especially this fresh Cheese, it’s best eaten at this time. If you let it sit longer, it’ll dry out and, though the taste stays the same, it becomes too much of a hassle to eat."

Qi Jia also chimed in to boast about Ye Xinyan, "Brother, eat plenty, my sister made this and it’s very tasty. My sister is the best, she can make lots of delicious things, delicacies that nobody else has."

Ye Xinyan was moving the unused furniture and objects out of the house when she heard what Qi Jia said and couldn’t help but chuckle, "This little guy, being skilled at making delicious food is really impressive, always thinking about eating."

Nanny Liu and the others pursed their lips and smiled, while Nanny Jin scolded, "How old is Jiajia? Which child at this age doesn’t like fancy food?"

Ye Xinyan pouted and went about her business. In Nanny Jin’s eyes, as long as it concerned Qi Jia, he was perfect in every way and couldn’t bear a single flaw. No more talk, just work.

Nanny Liu and Nanny Zhou exchanged glances. It seemed that in this household, even the Ye Family’s Miss had to give in to the Qi family’s young master.

The hospitality was hard to refuse, and since the food prepared by Lady Qi always had a unique flavor, Hongzhi really wanted to try the cheese that Qi Younian had been highly recommending. He pinched off a piece of the sweet and sour Heavenly Cheese, took a small bite, and chewed slowly.

The cheese was initially unremarkable in taste, but as he chewed, the sour and sweet flavors blended into a rich creamy taste, with none of the gamey flavor people associated with the Northern Barbarians’ dairy products.

Jinrong tasted the small piece of sour cheese, swallowed it without waiting for Qi Younian to offer again, and took the initiative to pick up a piece of the plain cheese Qi Younian had mentioned from another dish.

Just like before, he bit off a small piece. Then, as he chewed, Hongzhi’s eyes grew brighter and he nodded non-stop in admiration.

This supposedly flavorless plain cheese had a rich creamy flavor that became more discernible the more he ate. No wonder it was called plain; it indeed retained the most original and authentic flavor of the food.

After Hongzhi tasted both flavors of cheese, Qi Younian asked with a smile, "How does it taste? The old man didn’t deceive you, right?"

Hongzhi nodded, filled with emotion, "Old Master Qi was right, it’s really delicious. Especially this plain cheese, it’s aptly named, truly retaining the primal taste of cow’s milk, which makes it even richer in flavor but not greasy at all."

Qi Jia didn’t want to be left behind and asked, "The things my sister makes are delicious, right?"

Hongzhi nodded repeatedly, but didn’t dare to make a sound.

Previously, Miss Ye had been hiding her identity, being the Lady Qi of Clear Water Village, a village woman.

But soon, everyone would clearly understand that Lady Qi was the Miss of the Duke’s Mansion. He was just a servant; it was fine to sneakily enjoy the food made by the Miss herself, but he wouldn’t dare to openly boast about it.

Now that he had eaten, one was the same as eating, and three or five were also eating. Once Hongzhi got a taste, he consumed most of the cheese in the two dishes, especially the plain cheese. Out of a full plate of cheese, after Hongzhi had his taste, only two or three pieces that could hardly cover the bottom of the plate were left, the rest having gone into Hongzhi’s stomach.

After eating another pancake, Hongzhi took a satisfied sip of tea and then asked Qi Younian, "Old Master Qi, are these two types of cheese also made from cow’s milk? But, isn’t it made from the leftover milk solids after the cream has been taken, as Steward Fan from the cattle farm said?"

Qi Younian laughed, "Yes, after taking the cream, there is still a lot of curdled cow’s milk. Ye Zi either heats it or filters out the water to make these things, so as not to waste perfectly good material." Qi Younian’s words carried a sense of pride on behalf of his granddaughter.