She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 238 - 237: The Way of Being Human

Chapter 238: Chapter 237: The Way of Being Human

The people of Anshun’s Household listened with glimmering eyes as a string of question marks bubbled up in their minds.

What was Jiang Yifan doing? Showing favor to the Qi family or perhaps the eldest daughter? But why? If not for his sudden involvement last year, the eldest daughter and the Duke’s Mansion wouldn’t have been so passively embarrassed. Wouldn’t have faced such a difficult situation. Less than a year had passed, and was he, Jiang Yifan, really about to eat his words?

Seeing that Nanny Jin was also deep in thought and silent, someone from Anshun’s Household thought about finding a convenient time to ask her if she knew what was going on with Jiang Yifan.

Qi Younian said to Qi Jiaer with a smile, "Our little Jiajia is a good child whom everyone likes. When you see Lord Jiang, you must remember to keep to etiquette. If Lord Jiang does not mention rabbit hunting, Jiajia must not prompt him to do so, understand?"

Qi Jiaer’s bright eyes flickered, revealing a hint of disappointment, but he agreed readily, "Okay, Brother Jia will remember."

Qi Younian nodded in approval, "Indeed, our little Jiajia is a good child. In the next few days, Grandfather will find some time to take you rabbit hunting, how does that sound?"

Qi Jiaer’s face lit up immediately, and he nodded again and again, "Yes, yes, Grandfather is the best." In the little one’s view, Lord Jiang might be handsome and approachable, but it was still better when his own grandfather took him rabbit hunting and roasted rabbits for him.

Afterward, Ye Xinyan had no time to think about who should take Qi Jiaer rabbit hunting. She did not even have time to properly look at the newly completed courtyard of her house or to instruct others to tidy it up according to her liking.

She simply had two desks moved into the new courtyard’s parlor, and then she buried herself with Wong Qiao in the paperwork for rail transport.

Ye Xinyan, after leaving the county government office that day, seriously pondered over Jinrong’s matter and the business she and Qi Younian wanted to start.

The larger the business, the greater the dangers it faces. She remembered the tragic fate of the wealthy Ming Dynasty merchant Shen Wansan during Zhu Yuanzhang’s reign. Shen Wansan was actually quite respectable in conducting business; his only mistake was having too much money and a business too large, arousing even the emperor’s jealousy. It was such a simple reason that brought disaster upon him and his family.

And now, the Qi family’s Construction Industry, if it grew according to her and Qi Younian’s plans and combined her memory of various tourist attractions and residential gardens from modern times, it would certainly be successful. An industry of such scale in this era would definitely need strong backing; otherwise, who knew when disaster might strike?

There’s a saying that the wealth of a ruined family is known to the prefect, and the destruction of a house to the magistrate—to describe the dilemma they were now facing. Which meant, even the wealthiest commoners, with vast fortunes and influence, could not withstand the covetous gaze of a minor county official.

Then there’s the Dairy Products Store. At the time, Ye Xinyan thought of leveraging Jinrong’s influence, considering him an idle prince, so she could plan calmly.

But now, she somewhat despised herself. It turned out that all she thought of were benefits, everything had to be to her advantage, ready to cut ties at any sign of risk—this morality... seemed somewhat poor.

In this world, is there anything where one could precisely weigh all outcomes and keep everything in one’s hands? Those too calculated in their approach often don’t fare well; nowhere is there such a brilliant heart that can grasp all worldly benefits.

Having thought this, Ye Xinyan was no longer troubled. She dragged Qi Younian to a secluded place and shared with him about Jinrong and Jiang Yifan’s plans to use railways for essential court supplies transportation, then vaguely mentioned her own guess about Jinrong’s involvement in political affairs.

Then, she said, "I’ve been thinking that as a prince, Sixth Master can’t possibly remain detached from the imperial power struggle. It’s always better to be more cautious. I’m in charge of Sixth Master’s cattle farm and have also entered into a partnership with a Dairy Products Store, which has already involved me with his royal household. Your situation is different. You are just a craftsman with the Qi family behind you; there’s no need for you to wade into these murky waters. Think it over carefully. It’s not too late to back out now. As for the Construction Industry, don’t worry about it. As long as I’m here, I can ensure the safety and stability of your and Qi Jia’s family business."

Qi Younian laughed upon hearing this, "Grandfather saw how you returned from the county government office, avoiding people and weighed down with worries, just for this? The old saying goes, life is unpredictable; who can guarantee a life of peace and safety? There are even people who choke to death on water. If we could foresee everything, we would be Immortals, not mere mortals like us.

"Go on, do your work. We’re not plotting a rebellion; we’re just helping our employer and the court earn Silver. If disaster befalls us for that, then it’s simply our fate. Accept what comes."

Ye Xinyan blinked repeatedly; had the old man understood everything with just a few simple words, better than she had after pondering for half a day?

She hesitated and said, "We still have Qi Jia. He’s still young and understands nothing." Since she learned about Jinrong’s ambition, her greatest dilemma had been about Qi Jia, the child with a tragic background.

Qi Younian waved his hand, "Even if your speculation is true, we are just peripheral figures. If things go south, we can still take a child to a safe place. We can’t just enjoy the benefits from associating with Sixth Master, build up a significant family business relying on him, and then run far away when things look bad. That’s not the right way to live."

Ye Xinyan felt ashamed; it seemed that ancient people were indeed this simple and pure, just like the famous story ’The Orphan of Zhao’, where people acted purely out of justice, without any personal gain in mind.

She blinked again, reflecting on whether this meant that as a modern person, her thoughts had always been petty, and what she had thought and done wasn’t the proper way to live?

Qi Younian’s words filled Ye Xinyan with admiration for the elder’s open-mindedness and clarity once again.

For the sake of prudence, she discussed with Qi Younian that they should not mention these concerns to Cheung Wusi and Wong Qiao for the time being, treating them only as managers hired by the Construction Industry, without involving them in the Qi family’s affairs, so it would be easier to explain things clearly if anything happened in the future.

Once they had made a decision, things were much easier to handle. After all, it was just a transportation planning report; she had done such things before. Since she was going to do it, she had to do it well; wavering was not her style.

Thus, Ye Xinyan devoted her energy to improving the transportation system of ancient times.

The documentation that Jinrong requested, Ye Xinyan prepared according to the feasibility study reports she remembered, which are made before preparing a project.

That is, before starting a project, a comprehensive forecast of the technical, economic, and social impacts is performed. This includes the necessity of the project’s construction, financial profitability, and an analysis of the reasonableness and feasibility of implementing it under the current productive forces.

Such work is usually a massive project. When they used to do it, it was broken down into sections with a group of people each responsible for a part, and the results were consolidated at the end.

But at this time, it was different; she had to plan it all by herself first. Once the outline and framework were fully prepared, she would work on the specific clauses with Wong Qiao.