She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 255 - 254: The Private Construction Industry

Chapter 255: Chapter 254: The Private Construction Industry

Lian Gui looked at the sky and sighed helplessly, "Ah, there’s nothing else to be done, we’ve really been delayed here for too long. We thought we would send Nanny Qiao and the others to attend to Lady Qi, and after troubling her for a day or two, we could go back. Who knew we would encounter so many problems? Having been delayed for so long, the Duchess must already be worried about Lady Qi."

Qi Younian followed Lian Gui’s words with a laugh, "Indeed, Steward Lian has been mentioning the need to return for some time, and only after much difficulty did he finally make up his mind to pick a date."

Amidst everyone’s urging, Lian Gui bid farewell to them all once more.

Ye Xinyan also stepped forward to say goodbye. Before Lian Gui mounted his horse, Ye Xinyan took two steps forward and once again reminded him, "Steward Lian must remember to deliver the young woman’s letters and articles to the wife of the heir apparent. They represent the young woman’s sincere regards to the wife of the heir apparent and are very important. Steward Lian, please remember not to lose them."

Even though Lian Gui had heard these words several times, he couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth. Even if you, Miss, always act as you please, isn’t it a bit too obvious? The Duke’s Mansion is still under the Duke and Duchess, after all. You should at least mention the two elders, which would show some thoughtfulness on your part, right?

Nanny Jin hurriedly came to his aid, "Steward Lian, I appreciate your efforts. You must convey Lady Qi’s regards to the Duke and Duchess. On behalf of Lady Qi, I thank you, Steward Lian." While speaking, she continuously bowed to Lian Gui.

Nanny Jin had advised the young miss more than once to also send her regards to the Duke and Duchess, but it was like talking to a wall. After all, among the masters of the entire manor, aside from the wife of the heir apparent, it seemed that everyone else couldn’t wait for the young miss to disappear. It was inevitable for the young miss to harbor some grievances.

She had no choice but to prepare some earthy gifts on her own and sneak them to Lian Gui, claiming they were prepared by Lady Qi.

Lian Gui knew very well who had prepared Nanny Jin’s items, but he was also helpless. What could he do when the young miss they encountered had such a disposition? Everyone else had to compensate accordingly.

"Lady Qi can be at ease, I will not let you down," Lian Gui replied respectfully as he released the reins.

"You’ve been considerate, Steward Lian," Ye Xinyan thanked him, "It’s getting late, and I dare not delay you further. Take care on your journey."

Lian Gui and the others responded in unison and mounted their horses. No matter what, the young miss had been through a lot and was always making progress.

Ye Xinyan hadn’t prepared much for Madam Yin since anything she could offer from her place would not be of notable worth in the Duke’s Mansion and would certainly not stand out. Moreover, for Madam Yin, apart from evoking memories and adding to her worries, there would be no other benefit.

After much contemplation, she wrote down almost all the recipes for snacks and soups from the snack shop, including all the ingredients, seasonings, and supplements in detail.

Ever since Lian Gui and the others had arrived, Ye Xinyan had been taking time to copy the recipes, and by the time she finished, she had two thick volumes of handwritten books ready for binding.

Lastly, she included a note about yogurt for Madam Yin, mentioning the purchase of cheesecake residue and butter from the nomadic regions of the North, which after simple processing, could be used to make snacks with a cheesy flavor.

If Madam Yin understood her intentions, with these two thick cookbooks, she could start a shop similar to the snack shop. Given Madam Yin’s wealth, the shop could be made even better, becoming a unique establishment in the capital for sweets and soups.

That is why Ye Xinyan kept emphasizing to Lian Gui not to lose them. These two handwritten books were of great significance; she also wanted to have Nanny Jin expand the snack shop across various regions, to make a name for the snack shop. It was proper to share with Madam Yin, but if someone unrelated benefited from it, wouldn’t she be frustrated to the point of spitting blood?

Zhou Bingyi, dressed in plain clothes and serving close to Duke An, also paid his respects as he escorted Lian Gui out the door.

After seeing off Lian Gui and his entourage, Qi Younian invited Zhou Bingyi into the house, but the location he suggested was rather odd—it was towards the side of the main room.

Zhou Bingyi was puzzled by the layout of the Qi family’s house. Once the host and guest were seated and everyone had gone through introductions again, even Qi Jiaer, who had conducted himself with impeccable manners, was taken to the side by Wong Qiao. Zhou Bingyi took another look around the room.

The furniture and style here were simple and seemingly arranged for receiving guests, yet the room appeared rather cramped. A newly built house should ensure each room is spacious enough. Why then did the newly constructed rooms of the Qi family not seem spacious, and why build a reception room on one side?

Qi Younian was in the construction business himself, so it was unlikely that he’d make such a mistake in the architectural design.

Zhou Bingyi asked, "Is the courtyard newly constructed, sir? I heard from your daughter that it was under construction when she last visited."

Although Qi Younian was the host, the visitor was an official from the court, and he took the seat at the lower end. Hearing Zhou Bingyi’s question, he quickly replied, "Indeed, sir, I haven’t been back in town for long and I didn’t expect to receive so much support in such a short time. The old courtyard could no longer accommodate everyone, so this one was built in haste."

Zhou Bingyi asked with a smile, "I see there are quite a few rooms in the outer courtyard, why did you place the reception area here, sir? Is there a special reason?"

"There’s no special reason," Qi Younian replied with a chuckle, "I just suddenly decided to start a construction business and realized I had no place for discussions or conducting business. I recently took on a contract to renovate a courtyard, thus the reception room was borrowed by Ah Qiao to prepare the technical documentation and drawings."

"Oh?" Zhou Bingyi exclaimed, surprised that a local construction group could handle technical documentation and drawings. "Which courtyard did you take on that requires technical documentation?"

The renovation of Prince Yu’s Other Mansion could not be hidden, nor was there any need to hide it. Qi Younian honestly answered, "It’s the renovation of Sixth Master Rong’s courtyard entrusted to me. I first showed him a simple layout, and after his approval, Sixth Master Rong handed the project to the Qi Family Construction Business to handle."

Zhou Bingyi sat up straight, inwardly shaken by the news. This elderly man from the Qi family had managed to win the renovation project for Prince Yu’s Other Mansion? Renovations of Prince Yu’s courtyard indeed needed to follow the Construction Regulations.

He inquired, "So the technical documentation and drawings for the courtyard are being worked on in the reception hall of this courtyard?"

"Yes," Qi Younian responded plainly.

He understood why the Prefectural Magistrate was so surprised. The construction projects of a prince’s residence were typically not handled by small, local construction companies. Having secured this contract was due to Ye Zi’s influence, as well as Sixth Master’s confidence in the workmanship of the Qi Family Construction Business. Not having seen their work or the finished product firsthand, surprise was inevitable.

Zhou Bingyi promptly asked, "May I have a look at the documentation and drawings, sir?"

Qi Younian hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should show the work done in the reception room to others. He looked towards Ye Xinyan, who was standing at the very end.

With two clerks sent over by Jinrong, even though Ye Xinyan and Wong Qiao had come out to send off Lian Gui and his group, work in the reception area hadn’t stopped.

The documentation for the rail transport was nearly finished, and even the drawings were just supplementary illustrations of the individual parts. Ye Xinyan felt that Zhou Bingyi wouldn’t understand them, but what if he happened to be an official with a technical background?

Ye Xinyan glanced subtly towards Jiang Yifan.