She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 268 - 267: Old Value Increased

Chapter 268: Chapter 267: Old Value Increased

Jinrong picked up one and looked at it, noting it was well-made: a loose cover shaped after the outline of a shoe, crafted from coarse cloth, which could be tightened and secured with a thin string.

Ye Xinyan said to the young lad, "Demonstrate to the gentlemen, how to use the shoe covers."

The boy briskly agreed. Standing by the door with one foot planted on the ground, he first removed the shoe cover on his foot. Then, glancing at the several men standing outside, he slowed his movements, slipping the shoe cover over his foot and tightening it with the string.

Jiang Yifan received two shoe covers from Nanny Liu, approached the workshop entrance steps, fitted one shoe cover, stood on one leg inside, then put on the other and positioned himself next to Ye Xinyan. He adjusted his feet and smiled at Jinrong, "Sixth Master, you should try this. It’s quite easy to use."

Jinrong, along with two servants—including Nanny Liu who had not yet entered—all donned the shoe covers and stepped into the workshop, only then observing the structure and layout within.

The fermentation workshop’s floor was two to three feet lower than the ground outside, configured as a recessed area, boasting better airtightness, with several ventilation windows at the front and back, all slightly ajar. Upon entering, one could immediately feel the moist air enveloping them.

The entire floor of the workshop was laid out with green bricks, divided longitudinally into two sections. The outer longitudinal section along the walls was fitted with various utensils, while the inner section was partitioned into segments. Zhang Baokui, dressed like the young lad before, was working at the end of one inner segment, leading two other people.

Ahead of him on a row of counters were objects resembling wooden boxes. Further away on the floor, two similar boxes were placed on the ground.

The entire workshop was suitably damp, diffused with an indefinable mellow fragrance.

Ye Xinyan ushered Jinrong and the others inside. "This workshop was built according to the scale for future cheese storage. Currently, we’re only using a small portion of it. Inside, please, Sixth Master, Lord Jiang."

Jinrong, feeling the humidity within the workshop, asked, "Was the floor constructed lower than the outside specifically to maintain this dampness?"

Ye Xinyan responded, "Yes, a slightly more humid environment should be more conducive to cheese fermentation and quality. There’s another workshop next door, smaller than this, a normal one, where we also store some cheese to see the fermentation results. It allows for a comparison between the two. We also have two cellars in our courtyard for experimental purposes."

Jinrong hmm’ed, pointed towards the objects by Zhang Baokui, and inquired, "I heard from Zhang Baokui that the cheese here can be kept for a month without spoiling; are these the ones?"

While walking, Ye Xinyan explained, "The longest fermenting ones in there are nearly two months old. Cheese is most prone to spoiling when fermentation first begins. If it can stay unspoiled for a month, there won’t be much trouble afterward."

Zhang Baokui and the other two men greeted Jinrong and Jiang Yifan. The others went back to their tasks, while Zhang Baokui followed Jinrong and began introducing the cheeses on the counter, one by one.

A dozen cheeses, each a square foot in size, were wrapped in oiled paper, secured tightly within square wooden frames that shaped them into a precise square. The frames were also marked with dates using lacquer.

Jinrong inspected each one, noting indeed some dates from two months prior. Yet, he observed that the cheese and the frames marked with earlier dates were rougher in workmanship and the fragrance of the fermented cheese grew weaker.

Zhang Baokui pointed to the cheese marked with the earliest date and said, "This one was the first we stored. After these cheeses mature, the whey is removed, then they’re compressed in molds, leaving little space in between. Next, they are wrapped in oiled paper, tightly bound in the wooden frames, and left to rest. We’ve tested for several days, and the results have been very good, with very few spoilages."

Jinrong leaned in to smell two batches of cheese fermented at different times, distinguishing the difference in their aromas, and said, "The one with the longer fermentation time has a lighter scent, but it’s very mellow and prolonged."

Jiang Yifan also smelled them in the same manner and nodded, but he didn’t speak, only looking further down.

Zhang Baokui said, "Sixth Master is right; this is our first time fermenting cheese. Even those of us in servitude only noticed the slight difference in aroma after these days of work."

Jinrong asked Ye Xinyan, "What do you think, how long should the cheese be fermented before it can be transported and eaten?"

Ye Xinyan smiled and replied, "I’m not sure; probably any time is fine. It’s also possible that although this cheese looks good, it might not taste that great when eaten. After all, this is just an attempt." She was confident the well-fermented cheese would taste good, but precaution was necessary in case of any mishaps.

Jinrong listened, taken aback, and said, "Then let’s open a piece and try it."

Ye Xinyan shot him a glance and dismissively remarked, "Such a large piece, if it tastes good, then it’s worth a fortune. Open one to try? I can’t bear to."

It turned out Ye Zi could also be this foolish and greedy for wealth. Jiang Yifan lowered his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Hongzhi and Shi Yu’s gazes wandered, taking in every nook and cranny of the entire workshop. Nanny Liu, who had long been accustomed to Miss Ye’s whimsical words, stood by calmly amidst the disorder.

"But if you don’t try it, how will you know the taste, how much to price it?" Jinrong looked helplessly at Ye Xinyan. This logic was very simple, it didn’t need reminding, right?

"Oh," Ye Xinyan said somewhat apologetically, pointing to another shelf in the corner, "I didn’t think about the issue of taste before, and didn’t make some small batches of cheese at the same time. These small pieces were only made incrementally in the past few days. After fermenting for a while, they can be opened for tasting. Small pieces may not have the flavor depth of these large ones, but they should be quite close. Once these small pieces have fermented long enough, if Sixth Master has time, he can come over to see, to try the taste."

She had another task to attend to, pondering various cheese recipes and dishes thoroughly. Only by introducing corresponding dishes could she ensure the sales tier of the cheese.

Jinrong followed the direction of Ye Xinyan’s finger and indeed saw a row on the shelf with several items, none of them very large, about the size of an adult’s fist, and not wrapped in wooden frames, but round balls tightly wrapped with layers of cloth strips.

Ye Xinyan explained, "They are also wrapped in waxed paper and then tightly bound with cloth strips. These too are checked every day; the fermentation is going well."

"Alright," Jinrong said, "I will come and taste them when the time comes. I believe that if Ye Zi proposes to make something, she wouldn’t act without being almost certain of success."

Jiang Yifan slowly followed up, "I’d like to try it as well."

Hongzhi and Shi Yu exchanged glances. With both gentlemen attending, they, as personal attendants, would likely not miss out either. They would also be fortunate to be among the first to witness and taste the cheese, which, according to Miss Ye, could become a delicacy for the homes of the wealthy and noble.

After inspecting the workshop, as they were about to leave, they saw two large blocks of cheese on the ground in wooden frames. Jinrong asked, "Is this also cheese? Why are such large blocks left on the ground?"