She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 340 - 339: Must Not Arbitrarily Slaughter Draft Cattle

Chapter 340: Chapter 339: Must Not Arbitrarily Slaughter Draft Cattle

Jinrong looked at their bewildered expressions and couldn’t help but chuckle. He asked Wong Qiao, "When Father-in-law Qi didn’t give that speech just now, you seemed very hesitant and appeared reluctant to work in the government office. What were you thinking then?"

Wong Qiao was somewhat embarrassed. Having the opportunity to work in the government office was a favor from Sixth Master, a top-notch matter. Yet he hadn’t responded with eager agreement, which was quite disrespectful. But he was truly only interested in the Craftsmanship Sector, where he could witness many more new things at his granduncle’s Construction Business.

Wong Qiao said, "I used to work on construction projects assigned by the government office when I followed the Construction Industry. Those projects all proceeded the old way, and even if the scale was large, it was nothing more than following the same old path. There were plenty of tasks but no novelty. In our own Construction Business, we took on fresh tasks, and with Ye Zi guiding us, I could see and learn about many things and skills I’d never encountered before. I want to work with my granduncles, Fourth Uncle, and Ye Zi to improve my skills."

Jinrong nodded, "No wonder, despite your young age, many veteran craftsmen look at you differently. You take the artisan’s skills as a pleasure to delve into, which sets you above those who just use their craft for profit."

He then turned back, smiling as he asked Cheung Wusi, "Master Cheung, you must be quite willing for Wong Qiao to become an official, right?"

Cheung Wusi glanced at Qi Younian, silent for a moment before sighing and saying, "I think, what Sixth Master said is indeed a path of advancement for a craftsman. Among the seven brothers, Lao Qi was the youngest. He didn’t even get to see his son’s face before he lost his life early on the Northern border. If Ah Qiao could work in the government office, and even secure an official rank with distinction...,"

Cheung Wusi’s face looked rather pale, "I think if Lao Qi knew this from the afterlife, he would surely be comforted. But... if we’re talking about learning the craft, I also feel that working with Ye Zi indeed allows seeing and learning more, hence perfecting the skill."

Jinrong was silent.

Sensing the somber mood in the room, Jiang Yifan interjected, "What the elder and Wong Qiao are considering isn’t wrong. If Wong Qiao spends a couple of years tackling major projects at the Qi Family Construction Business, he’ll surely gain more experience and have more flexibility when dealing with new things. Perhaps by the time Sixth Master needs assistance, Wong Qiao will be even more useful."

Jinrong could only nod in agreement. Their opposing views stemmed because each aspect had its pros and cons. If Wong Qiao were to start working at the government office earlier, he might climb the ranks sooner. However, in terms of craftsmanship, staying at the Qi Family Construction Business was indeed a great opportunity to hone his skills.

Let it be, the Railway Carriage transport project had not yet commenced, and even if there were official discussions, it was probably necessary to wait until the Railway Carriage was complete and functioning normally in the capital. It would be good for Wong Qiao to spend some time at the Qi Family Construction Business first. As long as his craftsmanship was good enough, promotions wouldn’t be scarce.

The key to their discussions lay with Ye Xinyan, who had been absent the whole time.

Jinrong asked Qi Younian, "What is Ye Zi busy with that she hasn’t been seen all this time?"

Qi Younian replied, "Isn’t it the New Year? Some workers at the cattle farm and the workshop went home for the holidays, so there are fewer people working. Ye Zi’s worried, so even though it got late, she went to check on things again."

As Qi Younian spoke these words, his expression was very animated, seemingly amused yet also somewhat distressed, an interesting mix of indiscernible emotions accumulating on his face.

Jinrong pressed further, "Seeing your expression, Father-in-law, could it be that something happened? Shall we send a few people like Hongzhi to help?"

Qi Younian waved his hands repeatedly, laughing, "There’s nothing wrong, just a child’s temperament. She’ll be fine once she has made her rounds."

"How so? Did someone upset her?" Jiang Yifan asked curiously.

Indeed, Ye Xinyan had been out of the capital for over a year. Although there were times when she might get upset, it was rare for her to be angry with anyone. Could there really be someone within the scope of Clear Water Village and Qingyuan County daring enough to provoke her?

Jinrong must have thought of this too, as there was a concerned look in his eyes while he waited for Qi Younian to speak.

Looking at Jinrong and then at Jiang Yifan, Qi Younian didn’t know what to say. What was all this about? A trifle had been inflated by their probing gazes into something seemingly serious.

Moreover, their expressions were too apparent. Ye Zi was a young woman after all, and such concern toward a young woman seemed contrary to the way of a gentleman.

Cheung Wusi took over the conversation, smiling as he explained, "Is there truly nothing wrong? It’s just a child’s temperament. Ye Zi was quite unwilling to go to the workshop just now, grumbling that everyone huddles inside during the New Year, while poor her still had business to supervise. We told her not to go, but she insisted on checking in at least once since it’s her first New Year here. There she went, grumbling along the way."

Jinrong and Jiang Yifan exchanged a look of surprise, thinking that it was indeed a child’s temperament.

Jinrong said, "Shall I call a couple more Stewards then?"

Jiang Yifan rolled his eyes at him, "Didn’t you hear the old man? She won’t be at ease without checking herself. You could bring a few more people, but that wouldn’t ease her mind."

......

Ye Xinyan didn’t return too late, and she didn’t appear to be in a bad mood. She greeted Jinrong and Jiang Yifan with a usual demeanor and they could have dinner from the kitchen.

The dinner arranged by the Qi family wasn’t too lavish, ten hot and cold dishes, plus a soup, sufficed for a table of six people. There were Jinrong’s two, along with Guan He, and the three from the Qi family, making the dishes more than enough.

Four cold dishes and the warm wine were served first.

The cold dishes were soy sauce-marinated soybeans, vinegar-flavored bean sprouts, garlic-scented sheep liver, and soy sauce beef slices.

Jinrong, eyeing the neatly patterned soy sauce beef, asked Nanny Liu, who was instructing the maids on serving dishes, "What is this?"

A little uneasy, Nanny Liu sneakily glanced at Jinrong and answered, "This is marinated meat... The court has decreed we can’t slaughter draught cattle at will, but aren’t we raising dairy cattle?"

Guan He, impatient, bluntly said, "This is beef. Your Head Steward Qi said we’re raising cattle and you only get one New Year a year. So they picked out a cow to slaughter." As she spoke, she pointed with chopsticks at the neatly arranged beef slices, "Let Sixth Master start, I’ve been craving beef since yesterday and only get to eat it today."