She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 161 - 160 They Really Came

Chapter 161: Chapter 160 They Really Came

Jinrong, however, was not worried, "Lady Qi is very clever, I’m afraid that when she proposed the cattle farm, she already had the Dairy Products Store in mind. And precisely because she is smart enough, she will certainly agree to my conditions."

While speaking, Jinrong was quite smug, "You must understand, with my eighty percent share, she can still earn the remaining twenty percent. If she didn’t have my eighty percent share to divide her profits and instead caught the attention of someone with ulterior motives, not only would she not earn any silver, but she might even have to risk her entire fortune and life."

Jiang Yifan’s mouth twitched, "Sixth Master, aren’t you being a little too calculating towards a woman who has fallen on hard times?"

Jinrong’s face immediately thickened, "I, Sixth Master, am considering it for Lady Qi’s benefit, to prevent her from feeling uneasy about gaining such a great advantage."

Jinrong was indeed unmatched when it came to thick-skinnedness. Jiang Yifan turned his head and looked toward the high, azure sky of the autumn day, and the faint, wispy strands of clouds.

...

The next day, at Chen Hour, Ye Xinyan indeed appeared in the spacious hall of the Great Crane House.

Shopkeeper He, who was already waiting, hurriedly greeted Ye Xinyan as she entered, bowing and saying, "Lady Qi has arrived. Sixth Master Rong has already ordered breakfast and is waiting on the second floor, saying that as soon as Lady Qi arrives, the meal will be served. Will Lady Qi go up now, or is there another message?"

Nowadays, Shopkeeper He was very respectful when facing Ye Xinyan.

As an outsider, the longer Sixth Master Rong stayed in Qingyuan County, the more he revealed his extraordinary identity. Not just any rich young master could command such respect and make way, but Sixth Master Rong could.

According to Shopkeeper He’s years of experience dealing with the wealthy, in the whole of Qingyuan County, he had never seen anyone for whom Sixth Master Rong would wait.

While speaking, Shopkeeper He looked towards Ye Xinyan’s entourage with surprise.

Lady Qi was actually followed by two servants. Although they, like Lady Qi, were dressed in coarse cloth, their demeanor and movements were precise and orderly, clearly showing that they were servants of someone with status—more disciplined and dignified than many of the servants in the big households of the county town.

Shopkeeper He thought to himself that Lady Qi indeed was no ordinary person, and it seemed she was already on her way to building her enterprise.

Ye Xinyan promptly returned the greeting and said, "Shopkeeper He, you’re too polite. We’re all acquaintances; there’s no need for such formalities. You should just attend to your own business; I’ll go up myself."

"Of course, of course. In our line of business, attending to our guests is our primary concern, and right now, Lady Qi, you are our guest," Shopkeeper He led the way in front, heading toward the private room where Jinrong was waiting.

Jinrong’s entourage was never large, and this time was no exception. Only two attendants stood guard at the entrance of the private room. Seeing Ye Xinyan and her group approach, they quickly bowed, opened the door to the room, and announced, "Sixth Master, Lady Qi has arrived."

Jinrong’s carefree voice came from inside, "Come in."

This guy, already putting on airs, Ye Xinyan rolled her eyes. Against his high status, she naturally had no other recourse.

Ye Xinyan nodded in thanks to Shopkeeper He and led Bi Ning and Nanny Liu into the private room. Jinrong was sitting in the main seat of the private room, with Hongzhi and Hong Wu, two attendants, standing behind him.

Jinrong did not get up but politely said to Ye Xinyan, "It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other, how have you been, Lady Qi?" Then he gestured to a seat, "Please have a seat, Lady Qi."

It had indeed been some time since he had last seen the woman from the Ye Family. Jinrong looked at the strict and calm demeanor of the maids and old woman servant from Prince Yu’s Mansion, and then took a few more glances at Ye Xinyan.

The bearing of someone from the Duke’s Mansion was indeed differently from that of ordinary people. Despite Ye Xinyan having previously looked like a straightforward country girl, dealing with various chores without any sense of discomfort, the presence of two servants behind her, even though they were still dressed like common women, managed to exude a different kind of aura, immediately revealing the status of their mistress.

Ye Xinyan, with an expression of deference, quickly scanned Jinrong, who was sizing her up, and after bowing in thanks, she sat down on the chair that Nanny Liu had pulled out for her, quietly waiting for Jinrong to speak.

Jinrong said, "I have already ordered breakfast. We can talk about the Dairy Products Store after the meal."

Ye Xinyan had originally thought Jinrong was just looking for a convenient place to talk business, and she did not expect him to arrange breakfast.

At that moment, it was naturally inappropriate for her to mention that she had already had breakfast, so she nodded and said, "Then I must thank Sixth Master Rong for his hospitality."

Great Crane House generally did not serve breakfast, but just the day before, thanks to Sixth Master Rong’s reservation, they specially prepared a table of light porridge and food. With the addition of various pastries from the shop next door, this breakfast was also considered refined.

Ye Xinyan slowly ate half a bowl of sticky millet porridge and two savory pastries before putting down her chopsticks. "The little woman has finished eating. Sixth Master, please take your time."

Having been served by many servants since childhood, Jinrong naturally did not mind being watched while eating, all the more so as Ye Xinyan was not impolite enough to stare at him while he ate. He simply waved his hand to let Ye Xinyan do as she pleased.

Jinrong was not slow in eating; a bowl of porridge with several buns, a silver thread roll, and a few side dishes, and he soon finished his meal.

After rinsing his mouth and washing his hands, the table was also cleared.

Jinrong made a gesture of invitation and allowed Ye Xinyan to a seat next to a small table, "Lady Qi, please sit over here."

The two sat down, and after a moment of silence, Jinrong smiled and said, "It seems, Lady Qi, that you are not in a hurry to deal with the cow’s milk. If that’s the case, you can think it over a bit more, and we can talk another day."

Ye Xinyan’s expression darkened slightly, but she still spoke up, "Sixth Master Rong begs to be informed, the little woman is just unsure of your intentions. According to past practice, those who join in the partnership later usually do not surpass the existing businesses. As Hongzhi has conveyed, you, Sixth Master, want an eighty percent stake, and there must be a reason for this. The little woman is listening attentively for your explanation."

Jinrong laughed, "Lady Qi, let’s not beat around the bush here. Even if I, Sixth Master, do not help you find skilled workers to make dairy products, nor invest silver, just based on my title as Sixth Master and the fact that your risky identity could be protected, the value far exceeds eighty percent of your little workshop."

Ye Xinyan’s expression grew even more solemn as she bluntly said, "As Sixth Master said, let’s speak plainly. We are both making our way in the capital, and right now, your status seems to carry some weight," Ye Xinyan said, her face showing a hint of sarcasm, "but who knows what the future holds? Getting involved in the affairs between you brothers is very dangerous. Even more dangerous than the little woman’s identity."

Damn it, did he think she was just some common wage earner who had traversed time and didn’t understand the gravity of fortune and disaster?

The struggle between princes often resulted in catastrophic consequences like the extermination of entire families. If you, Prince Yu, become the subject of suspicion by the brother seated on the throne, then I, who appear to be loyally working for you, will also suffer, which could implicate my family members, and Grandfather and Qi Jiaer would not be spared either.

Alright, Jinrong did not know she was from the wage-earning class, nor did he know what time traveling meant.

When Ye Xinyan mentioned "making one’s way in the capital," Jinrong clearly paused for a moment. Even Hongzhi and Nanny Liu and a few others in the room were surprised and their eyes widened.

Were those the words a proper lady could utter?

Ye Xinyan did not care about what a proper lady should say, she continued:

"Moreover, if Sixth Master intends to carry on the business of raising and tilling cattle, the Dairy Products Store will not be a small workshop, but rather a large enterprise with the potential to spread its business throughout the world. While the benefits therein are certainly substantial, if Sixth Master’s name is associated with it, that too is a risky venture."

Jinrong recovered from his moment of surprise and carefully considered Ye Xinyan’s words that followed.

Ye Xinyan, having left the capital, indeed underwent significant changes, but concerning matters of the royal family’s struggle and imperial court politics, those were far beyond what a young woman secluded in the rear of the house could comprehend. How could she possess such sharp and keen insight?

Jinrong turned his gaze toward Nanny Liu.