She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 236 - 235: Probably Going to Hunt Wild Rabbits Now

Chapter 236: Chapter 235: Probably Going to Hunt Wild Rabbits Now

"Alright. If Lord Jiang says someone is trustworthy, then there must be no mistake. I’ll go back right now to discuss it with Ye Zi and give you an answer as soon as possible," Qi Younian readily agreed.

Qi Younian had always had a good impression of Jiang Yifan. According to what Ye Zi and Nanny Jin had said, Lord Jiang detested his ex-wife greatly and was eager to rid himself of her by granting a divorce. However, when they met earlier in the year, not only was he willing to lend his ex-wife some silver to alleviate her distress, but he also did not add insult to injury; his good character was evident. After further interactions, although Lord Jiang was not very approachable, he always treated people with decency and respect, which made it easy for others to trust and feel reassured by him.

Additionally, now that Jinrong was involved, Qi Younian was naturally inclined to trust him.

When Jiang Yifan heard Qi Younian’s agreement, he continued with his next point: "Furthermore, if the elder wishes to expand the family business, he’ll have to manage his household and properties as one manages a grand enterprise. If suitable servants are found, buy a few and bring them in. With the Sixth Master and the nannies from the Duke’s Mansion around, they can also help to train them properly. Having our own staff makes giving orders and getting things done much more convenient."

Qi Younian nodded repeatedly and sincerely thanked him: "You are right, my lord. I am grateful for your advice."

"It’s just a trivial matter; no thanks are necessary. I came here to say just this and apologize for disturbing the old master during the busy time," Jiang Yifan stated and then stood up to take his leave, "There are matters awaiting me at the Yamen, I must be going now."

After bidding farewell to Qi Younian, Jiang Yifan mounted his horse, turned back to salute once more, then released the reins, and the horse trotted away.

After moving a short distance from the construction site, he came upon an open area not far from the second branch of the Qi family, where several children were noisily busy with something, tossing it out and picking it back up, bustling to and fro.

Jiang Yifan slowed down, hesitated slightly, then headed towards the group of children.

Qi Jiaer and Qi Sanshun were tinkering with two small bows, surrounded by children who were offering ideas left and right. However, Qi Sanshun struggled to properly nock an arrow on the little bow. The sound of the hooves drew closer, and the children looked up to see Jiang Yifan sitting on his horse.

Having met Jiang Yifan a few times before, Qi Jiaer knew the proper etiquette and quickly handed the bow and arrow to Xiao Si beside him, then respectfully performed the formalities: "Young Qi Jia meets Lord Jiang."

Ordinarily, with elders around to guide and prompt him, the child’s manners and speech wouldn’t be noteworthy, but now, seeing this little one, all by himself, addressing someone on horseback and following the adult protocol, was quite amusing.

Jiang Yifan dismounted, smiled as he assisted him, crouched down, and said: "Brother Jia is so well-mannered, without an elder’s guidance, yet the courtesy is impeccable."

Qi Jiaer replied earnestly: "Grandfather said that the Imperial Appointed Official represents the court, and we commoners must pay respects and salute when we see court officials; it is the most basic etiquette owed to the court by the people."

Jiang Yifan laughed: "Can Brother Jia, at such a young age, really be considered a commoner?"

"Of course, we all are, we are all subjects of the Great Xia Dynasty," declared Qi Jiaer, his eyes wide open, and with a sweep of his hand, he included all the children behind him in the circle.

Jiang Yifan looked behind Qi Jiaer at the children, all covered in mud, water, and dust, with Qi Jiaer himself having dirt on the tip of his nose, acquired from who knows where.

Wiping the dirt off Qi Jiaer’s nose with his thumb, Jiang Yifan chuckled and asked: "What kind of mischief has everyone been up to? With all this mud, won’t the adults at home scold you when you return?"

Qi Sanshun scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and said, "My mother would say that, but my grandmother says that Qi Jiaer has maids following him, and they don’t care about his mischievousness, covered in mud and water. I’m just a naughty kid, so they care even less about me."

Jiang Yifan looked over at Zi Ning not far away and asked Qi Jiaer with a smile, "Your sister doesn’t mind you rolling around in the mud either?"

Holding his chin up with pride, Qi Jiaer said, "My sister is the best, she would never do that. My sister says, only little kids find joy in rolling around in the mud, and it’s a rare pleasure. When we grow up, we won’t have these pleasures anymore. Their mother and sister are not as good as mine, they lack understanding."

Jiang Yifan burst into laughter, "Who says others lack understanding? It wasn’t your sister who said that, was it?"

"It wasn’t my sister," Qi Jiaer shook his head, "it was Third Aunt at the Third Great Uncle’s Ancestral Home who said my sister doesn’t teach children properly. Our nanny said that they’re the ones who lack understanding, not knowing how to teach children, making them as dull as dodos."

Jiang Yifan shook his head with an amused smile. Nanny Jin had been worried and exhausted following Ye Xinyan back in the day, and she had to endure punishment from the wife of the heir apparent from time to time. At that time, she was anxious about when her young mistress would become a bit more stable and sensible—even being dull would have been an improvement. And not much time had passed before Nanny Jin could disdain others for not raising their children as sensibly or smartly as her own mistress.

After going back and forth in conversation with Jiang Yifan, the children also grew bolder. Xiao Si rushed to join in, saying, "It’s true, it’s true, my dad also says they’re not as knowledgeable as Sister Jiajia. He says I’ve learned a lot of new things by following Sister Jiajia, and that I don’t even talk like a country bumpkin anymore."

Looking at the small bow and arrows in Xiao Si’s hand, Jiang Yifan said, "Is your little bow and arrow part of the new knowledge too?"

"Yeah, we had never seen this kind of bow and arrow before; my two older brothers didn’t play with it when they were young," Xiao Si replied, holding up the bow and arrows, "This one was made by Third Uncle Wong for Jiajia. Third Uncle Wong is so skilled, he even made a climbing monkey for Jiajia the other day. It’s made of wood, and when you pull on a string, the monkey really climbs up."

"Third Uncle Wong, huh," Jiang Yifan mused aloud. He then asked, "What were you doing just now with this bow and arrow, going back and forth?"

Qi Jiaer pointed to a large open space in the distance and said, "Wild rabbits often pop out there; they run so fast that we can’t catch them. We wanted to shoot rabbits with the bow and arrows. If we hit one, we would roast it to eat. Grandfather roasted one for us once; it was so delicious."

Jiang Yifan took the small bow and arrows from Xiao Si’s hands and examined them. This thing was probably just for teasing wild rabbits, right?

He returned the bow and arrows to Xiao Si and patted Qi Jiaer on the head before standing up and saying, "Wait until after the harvest is over in a few days when we’re not so busy. I will hunt rabbits for Brother Jia, and then we can roast them to eat as well, alright?"

Looking up at Jiang Yifan, Qi Jiaer hesitated before saying, "Lord Jiang, you are an Imperial Appointed Official. Aren’t you busy with official duties?"

Jiang Yifan smiled and said, "An Imperial Appointed Official also has time off. When I have time off, I will take Brother Jia rabbit hunting. I am quite good at hunting rabbits; as long as a rabbit shows up, we will definitely catch it."

"Alright, then, Lord Jiang, you must take your time off soon," Qi Jiaer agreed cheerfully, immediately looking forward to Lord Jiang’s time off.

...

During dinner, Qi Younian conveyed Jiang Yifan’s intentions to Ye Xinyan, saying that the old master was willing to hire a few trustworthy people with good skills to work for their family. If they were people recommended by Lord Jiang, it would be even better, like Cheung Wusi and Wong Qiao. They would be considered as part of the family, each performing their duties, helping each other, and working together.