She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 272 - 271 Exploiting Loopholes

Chapter 272: Chapter 271 Exploiting Loopholes

Jiang Yifan patted Qi Jiaer on the head and smiled, "This is not something that can be learned overnight, and what I have is hardly a skill. In a few days, a very, very formidable person will come to your house. If you can endure hardship, then you can follow that person to learn, and you’ll pick up many skills."

"Wow, there’s someone even more formidable than Lord Jiang?" Qi Jiaer exclaimed in amazement. How many wild rabbits could that person catch? "When will that very formidable person come back?"

Qi Jiaer and Xiao Si were filled with anticipation for this person with great skills.

By the time Jiang Yifan and Shi Yu returned with a group of children, it was almost noon. Seven cleaned wild rabbits hung from the hands of Qi Sanshun and a few of the older children as they chatted and laughed along the way back.

Jinrong, Qi Younian, and others had already come back from the workshop early and were sitting in the outer courtyard’s parlor, resting and drinking tea. Ye Xinyan sat in a lower seat, looking utterly bored and out of place.

Hearing the children’s laughter and chatter filling the courtyard, Jinrong said to Ye Xinyan with a smile, "See, I was right, wasn’t I? Yuanfan’s skills are substantial. The children he leads out, no matter the occasion, are always brought back safe and sound."

Ye Xinyan, the original character, had been married to Jiang Yifan for three years but did not understand the details of his past. It was only after she started cooperating with Jinrong and others in business, and after overhearing a few things, that she realized Jiang Yifan’s past seemed quite rich. Plus, there had been mention before that Jiang Yifan even had a ’senior brother’, making him more than just a scholar buried in his books.

You know, the ’senior brother’ creature, should be a species that appears in the Jianghu. And since Jiang Yifan had a senior brother, he surely was not that simple.

Fortunately, they were now tied to the same rope, a community of shared interest. Jiang Yifan being no simple character was not a bad thing for her or the Qi family.

Qi Younian laughed as well, "It turns out Lord Jiang is skilled in both letters and martial arts. Just listen to the children’s clamor; they must have had quite the haul this trip."

The lunch was a bustling affair, with Qi Sanshun and Qi Jiaer, enviously craving roasted rabbit, repeatedly begging Qi Younian and Qi Ye to skip the meal at home and eat the roasted rabbits instead.

With the freshly caught rabbits, roasting them while they were still fresh was indeed delicious. Qi Younian, with a wave of his hand, decided they would have roasted rabbits, instructing everyone to notify their families to have lunch here.

Jiang Yifan, along with Shi Yu and Hongzhi, set up a firewood rack in the courtyard and started roasting rabbits with the children. Jinrong watched from the side, offering occasional tips on seasonings, salt, and when to flip the meat.

Ye Xinyan looked on with a cold eye and, seeing something amiss, nudged Wong Qiao, "Take a brush and some oil over there and brush the rabbit skins with oil. The skin will come out crispy, and the meat tender, which is better than just dry roasting them."

Seeing the oil and brush brought by Wong Qiao, Jinrong immediately thought of the original way his family roasted meat and summoned Nanny Liu, "Go and have the kitchen whip up some sauce, make a couple of different kinds."

Nanny Zhou looked over and said to Ye Xinyan, "These are all little kids. If they fill up on too much meat, they might not feel good. I’ll get some steamed buns and bread to coax them into eating some."

Ye Xinyan stopped her, "Get some of the metal skewers we use at the stove, and skewer the bread on them to roast. It’s better than coaxing them to eat. And the steamed buns, slice them, brush them with sauce, and roast them. It’s just as delicious. And for vegetables and tofu..., Nanny, just take whatever you see; as long as there’s sauce to go with it, it’s all edible."

Thus, the kitchen’s lunch preparation almost came to a halt, replaced by the courtyard’s lively modern-style barbecue. With this, there was no worry of running out of rabbit meat. Roasted, golden-brown meat buns were also a favorite with the kids, and from time to time tasting a slice of roasted tofu, grilled mushrooms, or a few sticks of grilled leeks, "Try this, I’ll try that," made the deep autumn courtyard a bustling scene.

Even Jinrong abandoned etiquette, sitting beside the fire, holding a metal skewer with a roasted bun, and occasionally pinching off a piece of crispy rabbit meat from Jiang Yifan to eat.

As Jiang Yifan looked at him, he chewed on the rabbit meat, sucking in air as he spoke, "Next time I come, I’ll join you in rabbit hunting. This way of eating really adds a wild charm. It’s just too bad there are no mountains and forests here. If there were lush woods, we could hunt other game to go along with the home-grown vegetables and grains for an even more satisfying meal." In an instant, he turned into a complete foodie.

On the return trip, Jinrong and his party of six loosened the reins, letting the horses slowly trot towards the county town.

Jinrong said languidly to Jiang Yifan, "When did you agree to hunt rabbits for Qi Jiajia? I wasn’t aware. You sure know how to exploit opportunities, knowing that Qi Ye is difficult to approach, so you find chances with his child instead. Look at the little guy; he’s been hovering around you all day."

Jiang Yifan rolled his eyes at him, "Does Sixth Master think everyone is like you, always looking to exploit opportunities? I simply saw a few kids messing around with a couple of little bows and arrows when I was discussing with Old Master Qi about having our senior brother come as a Protector after Lian Gui had a run-in with the Liang family’s servants. They talked about shooting rabbits once they became proficient with a bow, that’s when I promised to take them hunting."

Jinrong perked up, "Hey, is your senior brother really coming? It’s been quite a while since you sent the letter, hasn’t it?"

Jiang Yifan replied, "He gets bored of one place and always changes his location; he’ll surely come. He should have arrived by now; maybe something on the road delayed him, and he’s just a few days late."

"Your brother has an independent streak; if only he would join us in our ventures, what a waste of such good talent," Jinrong expressed with a touch of regret.

"Everybody has their own aspirations. What’s a waste in Sixth Master’s eyes, for our senior brother, his skills ensuring he acts without worries, that’s the greatest thing of all. Besides, anyone who excels in an industry is always intelligent and perceptive. If senior brother were to come and assist Sixth Master, at most he’d be a personal bodyguard, tied down firmly. Why would he do such a loss-making thing?"