She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 332 - 331: Liver Pain

Chapter 332: Chapter 331: Liver Pain

Ye Xinyan looked around subconsciously, thankful that Jiang Yifan wasn’t there this time, otherwise, wouldn’t this have given him another reason to grow suspicious?

With Jinrong’s words, Ye Xinyan felt somewhat relieved. After chatting idly for a while, Jinrong asked, "How long will Zhao Gang stay here?"

Ye Xinyan replied, "A few more days, I guess. He said he needs to hurry back before the end of the year to respond to grandfather and mother."

Jinrong nodded and said, "That’ll be soon, then. Uncle Wan also has to hurry back before the year ends. It’s just that Uncle Wan is traveling by coach, so it’ll take longer on the road, about seven to eight days more than Zhao Gang."

"Oh," Ye Xinyan, not knowing how to continue the conversation, vaguely acknowledged.

When Jinrong didn’t hear Ye Xinyan inquire about the capital, he had no choice but to continue, "Things in the capital are going smoothly. Even the cheese you thought would take a while to become popular is now gaining some reputation."

"That quick? That’s great; I thought the people who weren’t used to it at the beginning would temporarily give up and try again after a long while. Like Guan He, there aren’t many who would take a liking to it on the first try," Ye Xinyan exclaimed in surprise.

It wasn’t easy, after all. The taste of fermented cheese really couldn’t be liked in a moment or two. She had always assumed that the people from Clear Water Village accepting it after trying it three or five times was because, before they tried the fermented cheese, they were used to consuming cow’s milk and dairy products. People in the capital, on the other hand, never had such convenience.

It seems that it’s not just for this reason. Could it be that the era she had traversed to had the same broad inclusiveness as the ancient Tang Dynasty? It seemed that for quite a long period in the Tang Dynasty, cheese curds were widely eaten by people of status, but the custom just didn’t continue.

Jinrong nodded and said, "Yes, quite unexpected. The letters travel fast. I received the news yesterday, saying that people in the capital have started to say cheese tastes good, and the wife of the heir of Duke An’s Pastry House has bought some and plans to give it to the patrons along with cheese dishes."

"Give away? Cheese dishes?" Ye Xinyan repeated twice, then immediately felt a pang in her liver, "Could they be mistaken? Such an expensive item—what’s with giving it away? It’s not something people would take a liking to in one or two tries. This, this is a bit too much of a loss."

Jinrong found Ye Xinyan’s stingy yet adorable demeanor extremely charming, looked at her with a smiling face, and said, "Probably the wife of the Princely Heir thought that the cheese was produced by an industry you’re in charge of, figuring if the flavored cheese sells well, it would make your job here a little easier. It’s also a way of helping you."

I don’t need it!

Ye Xinyan, nearly driven to distraught, said, "Did the letter state how many portions of the dishes are given away every day?" If it’s a small amount, then it’s fine, but if it’s a lot, she won’t be able to sleep because of the liver pain. Fermented cheese isn’t like other things; what they’re giving away is pure silver!

Jinrong teased her with a smile, "A letter from such a long distance won’t detail these matters. It just mentioned the wife of Duke’s Heir Apparent’s Pastry House giving away cheese dishes, nothing more. If you want to know the details, I can write back and ask."

Ye Xinyan shot him a sidelong glance, wondering what’s the point? She needed someone to explain it to her properly.

Perhaps she should let Zhao Gang set off for the capital earlier, go back and put a stop to Madam Yin, and tell her not to do something so foolish? Anyway, everything was fine here, and it was good for Zhao Gang to stay a few more days. But if something needed to be dealt with, of course, it should come first.

The earlier the better, Zhao Gang hurrying back would save not just time, but silver.

Just as Ye Xinyan was about to take her leave, she heard Jinrong say unhurriedly, "However, there shouldn’t be many. From the beginning, the cheese in the capital was sold in limited quantities. When more people wanted to buy, the South and North Goods Store would only sell the pre-ordered cheese, and the same buyer couldn’t purchase it two days in a row. Even if the wife of the Duke’s Heir Apparent wanted to give more, she wouldn’t have the chance."

Is this how business is done now? A buyer can’t purchase things on consecutive days. This could only happen at a store owned by the emperor’s son; were it any other merchant, the shop would surely have been flipped over by now.

Ye Xinyan also slowly sat back down in her chair, then gave Jinrong a sideways glance. He had been causing such a commotion today, gasping for breath after every sentence. Was he doing it on purpose?

"How’s the garden scenery you sent to the capital, Sixth Master? Does it meet your expectations, and does His Majesty approve?" Ye Xinyan thought it best to talk about something serious, perhaps that would get Jinrong back to normal sooner.

Jinrong became even more pleased when this came up, "Imperial Father said that since he doesn’t plan to reside there permanently, it would be a waste to let the silver earned from business just drift away. However, that garden scenery has been hung in a side hall of the Imperial Study Room. Everyone is praising His Highness Prince Yu for his detached disposition like an idle cloud and a wild crane, possessing the recluse’s aesthetic of clear skies after a storm."

"Hmm, not bad," Ye Xinyan nodded. That fully demonstrates how those praising you and your Imperial Father are so lacking in judgment, so unreliable.

Jinrong, exceedingly sensitive, immediately noticed Ye Xinyan’s nonchalant look and raising an eyebrow, asked, "What’s wrong? Do you think there’s something unsuitable about my disposition, or the words of the ministers?"

Ye Xinyan solemnly nodded and sternly uttered three words, "Both are unsuitable."

What a way to deny face. Jinrong choked, and Hongzhi quickly turned his head to the side.

Ye Xinyan, expressionless, swept a glance at the two men and said, "The little lady here thinks that the Sixth Master should start redefining your behavior as soon as you plan to return to the capital. If you go back to the capital like this, it will surprise many people into dropping their jaws."

Jinrong’s momentary pause was but the blink of an eye. Hearing Ye Xinyan’s words, he laughed and replied, "That won’t be necessary. The two of us haven’t interacted much in the capital, so you don’t know what I was truly like. I used to be even more frivolous than I am now. If I return in the same manner, people will say that Yuyuan Prefecture is a wonderful place, where a stay can make a person more grounded and reliable."

This time it was Ye Xinyan’s turn to be astonished. Alright then, under normal circumstances, she hardly ever got the better of Jinrong in conversation, and of course, this time was no exception.

Jinrong glanced at a speechless Ye Xinyan with satisfaction and continued with business matters, "The issue of the Railway Carriage is still in the works. The junior officials who earlier arrived in the capital have described the rail carts used by your Construction Industry in great detail to their colleagues, and there are already people eyeing the railway business. Uncle Wan has just entered the capital, so after a few more days, if someone could check with him to confirm details, that would be even better."

"Will there be any progress before the end of the year?" Ye Xinyan asked. Although the proliferation of railway transportation did not directly concern her, if it succeeded and spread, transportation in this era could be vastly improved, and it might even change the course and direction of the world’s development.

Jinrong nodded, "Based on the discussions on related topics in the capital, if the proposals are submitted according to plan, we should be able to finalize the general direction before the end of the year."

Ye Xinyan expressed surprise, asking, "How can it be so fast? This is a big deal, wouldn’t there be discussions for half a year before deciding whether to implement it after submitting the proposals?"

Jinrong smiled, "If we want the entire railway transportation plan to pass, that’s not a matter of half a year; it might not even be settled in three to five years."

"What does Sixth Master mean by the general direction you mentioned?" asked Ye Xinyan. Isn’t that the same as saying there’s been no progress?

Jinrong had not expected Ye Xinyan to take an interest in this matter, as he thought she was averse to all court affairs. He was surprised that she was proactively asking this time.

Since Ye Xinyan was interested, Jinrong shared his overall plan with her, "The person I’ve arranged to submit the petition will naturally bring up every aspect of the railway, so we don’t miss out this time and let others take the lead later on. But submitting such a massive project will undoubtedly encounter delays and excuses, and it might even end up being shelved completely."