She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 377 - 376 Just Joining the Fun

Chapter 377: Chapter 376 Just Joining the Fun

Qi Younian approached Jinrong and Jiang Yifan to speak with them, first glancing at Ye Xinyan. Seeing her chatting and laughing with Zhou Biyao, without any apparent distress, he felt relieved.

Jinrong exchanged a few words with Qi Younian and then sat beside Guan He with a skewer of meat, imitating Guan He’s method of brushing on the seasonings.

Qi Sanshun shuffled around Guan He like an eager sycophant, ceaselessly handing her things.

Qi Jiaer came over and stood beside Qi Younian, looking a bit worried as he asked Jiang Yifan, "Lord Jiang, since your arm is injured, can you no longer grill meat? What would you like to eat? Shall I grill something for you?"

Jiang Yifan smiled at Qi Jiaer’s earnest face. He leaned forward slightly, touched Qi Jiaer’s hair bun, and chuckled, "Sixth Master Rong says the smoke from grilling meat is too potent for someone with injuries, so I won’t be eating grilled meat. Brother Jia, you go ahead and grill some for yourself."

"Oh," responded Qi Jiaer, his face showing disappointment, "The old woman servant in the kitchen cut up so many pieces of meat, and Lord Jiang can’t eat any of it? What a pity."

Jiang Yifan replied with a smile, "Indeed, it is a pity. How about this, when my injury heals, and we have a day off, we’ll go hunting wild rabbits. Or next year at this time, just like this year, I’ll go hunting with Sixth Master and Uncle Guan. There will be plenty of meat to grill and eat."

"Next year?" Qi Jiaer contemplated when next year would be, then said, "Let’s not worry about that. I’ll ask the old woman servant to pick out the best cuts of meat to freeze outside. Once you’re better, we can grill them then."

This time, not only did Jiang Yifan laugh, but Zhou Biyao at the neighboring table did as well. She whispered to Ye Xinyan, "It seems your Brother Jia is planning how to have another reason to enjoy grilled meat, isn’t he?"

From Ye Xinyan’s vantage point, she could see the earnest and cute expression on Qi Jiaer’s face, while Jiang Yifan could only see his back.

Ye Xinyan rolled her eyes at Zhou Biyao and retorted, "My little brother isn’t as cunning as you make him out to be. Our Qi Jiajia isn’t as sheltered as you. He’s eaten grilled meat several times over the past few months; he doesn’t care if it’s one time more or less."

"That is true," Zhou Biyao admitted, even though Ye Xinyan’s words weren’t polite. Her face filled with envy, she added, "People say that rural places are poor and desolate. Yet I find that here, you all have a freedom not found in big towns and prominent families. Just like Sister Qi and Brother Jia, living each day so interestingly. Unlike us, who are confined to the yard all day, either idling away in our rooms or gossiping away time with delicate young ladies and madams. Just thinking about having to live that way all my life makes me panic."

Ye Xinyan chuckled and said, "So that’s why you’ve latched onto my family? If your wild heart can’t be tamed, Lord Zhou might blame us simple country folks for leading you astray."

Zhou Biyao snorted in laughter immediately, "Please, don’t talk nonsense, sister. How am I a simple country folk? In terms of status, it’s me who’s cheekily trying to cling to you."

While speaking, Zhou Biyao’s face took on a proud hue, "It’s just my stubborn nature. If it were someone else, wouldn’t they be put off by your dismissive attitude? It’s only because I am formidable."

Ye Xinyan thought about her interactions with Zhou Biyao and realized the young girl indeed had insisted on those dealings. If it had been someone slightly more concerned about face, they likely would have backed off long ago. Zhou Biyao’s determination was clear to see.

Thinking further, if such persistence were used in pursuing a dream man...

Suddenly, Ye Xinyan felt that if the rival in chasing a dream man was Zhou Biyao, there would be very few who could win.

Lost in her thoughts, Ye Xinyan’s gaze drifted away. Zhou Biyao, not hearing a response, also turned her attention elsewhere, scanning the whole courtyard. Then she gently nudged Ye Xinyan’s arm, her eyes sparkling with suggestion, "Sister, let’s go tend to a fire and grill meat too. We can grill and eat our own, how fun would that be?"

Ye Xinyan collected herself, looked up and down at Zhou Biyao, and scoffed, "With the way you, Second Miss, are dressed, can you even sit by the fire? Don’t end up with the meat uncooked and your fox fur cape burnt."

Zhou Biyao loosened the cloak she had instinctively tightened, then compared her attire to Ye Xinyan’s—her own was indeed too thick and complicated, including outerwear, a cotton skirt, a jacket, not to mention a cape lined with silver fox fur. It looked like she really wouldn’t be able to sit by the fire.

She looked at Ye Xinyan’s narrow cotton dress and her thick but neat half-length jacket and asked, "We’re going to be sitting outside for a long time. Sister, you might get cold dressed like that."

Ye Xinyan laughed and said, "I’m not like you, I’m dressed neatly, and I’ll be over there in a bit, barbecuing with Wong Qiao. Sitting by the fire, the heat from it will naturally keep me from feeling cold."

As soon as Ye Xinyan said this, even before Zhou Biyao could respond, Jiang Yifan’s back tensed up. Qi Younian also immediately became anxious, knowing his granddaughter was different from others—what other woman would casually mention a young man in front of others, let alone harbor special feelings for Wong Qiao.

Zhou Biyao was both anxious and envious, "Or, I won’t take my cloak, and we can sit together by the fire."

"No, no, I was just playing with you," Ye Xinyan laughed heartily, hurriedly explaining. See how impatient this young girl is? I said just a couple of sentences, and she’s already worried. "We’re just here to join in the fun for a bit. Did you really expect us to drink and eat meat and make merry for a whole shichen? I surely don’t have that much time; after soaking in some of the lively atmosphere, I’ll go get some work done."

"Is that so?" Zhou Biyao was a bit disappointed.

The barbecued meat at Jinrong’s table was mostly prepared by the young servants and guards. Over at Ye Xinyan’s side, two old woman servants from the kitchen helped with the barbecue. A bunch of kids either grilled their own food or had Wong Qiao and the guards grill extra to give to them.

This barbecue, like the previous ones, was noisy and lively.

Jinrong and Guan He grilled several skewers by the fire and, due to the inconvenience caused by drinking, soon returned to the table to focus on eating meat and drinking wine.

As the group chatted while eating, when the topic of the shortage of cheese came up, Jinrong said to Qi Younian, "Since we’re barbecuing outdoors, let Ye Zi sit over here. Speaking of cheese, naturally, there are a few matters to discuss. Seeing as we’re about to start working at the government office, we won’t have much time to stay here in the future. Talking about it now will save us from having to find a specific time to discuss it later."

When Jiang Yifan softened his attitude towards Ye Xinyan, Qi Younian was very keen on them reconciling—a woman remarrying could never match the harmony of a marriage bound by a lifelong commitment. Hearing Jinrong’s suggestion, he first looked around at those present without showing any sign of opposition, then smiled and said, "We aren’t that particular here, and I, as a grandfather, am present. Besides, you’re discussing important matters."

After speaking, he turned to Ye Xinyan and said, "Ye Zi, have Nanny Jin clean up your table and move it over here, so we can eat and talk business at the same time."

Putting two tables together made for one large banquet table. Ye Xinyan sat down on the right side of the table, still looking bewildered and curious, and immediately asked, "What’s the matter that we need to discuss it while eating?"

Jinrong laughed and said, "It’s not that we have to talk about it now, it just came up in conversation, taking the opportunity as it presents itself. If we miss this chance, we’d have to make a special time later and discuss it formally."

Ye Xinyan nodded indifferently, "Please speak, Sixth Master."

Jinrong paused, then laughed and gestured with his hand, "I better have a couple of drinks first. You’ve made it so formal that I’ve forgotten what we were talking about."

Ye Xinyan eyed him up and down, thinking to herself, this guy couldn’t possibly have come up with such a weak excuse just to have men and women dine together for a bit more liveliness, right?

Then she looked towards the restrained Zhou Biyao. She herself, without propriety for nearly thirty years, didn’t mind—but she felt sorry for Second Miss Zhou, who grew up immersed in feudal etiquette. Now sitting here, mustn’t it feel like sitting on a bed of needles?

Zhou Biyao was indeed very uncomfortable. Not only was she sharing a table with men who were strangers to her, but they were also young men of royal status, making it difficult for her to sit at ease.

After drinking a sip of wine, Jinrong took the grilled meat handed to him by Hongzhi, looked at the cheese wrapped around the meat, and immediately remembered the previous topic. He asked Ye Xinyan, "It’s like this, it seems that the cheese business is extremely profitable. I was thinking, why not set up a cattle farm near the capital, so the cheese produced can be supplied locally, saving a lot of transportation costs and time?"