She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 383 - 382 - The Wilderness

Chapter 383: 382 Chapter The Wilderness

Riding a horse indeed much faster than sitting in a carriage. Without feeling any jolts, they had traveled a great distance. Looking back, Clear Water Village and the two neighboring villages were now but faint silhouettes in the distance.

The horse was not running fast, and Ye Xinyan turned her head to ask, "Where do you plan to go? Is it still far?"

Jiang Yifan’s response came close to her ear, "Not far, roughly two quarters of an hour away. There’s a vast wilderness there, isolated from everything. I’ve passed it several times and have yet to see any traces of people."

Two quarters of an hour, which is half an hour away, might not seem too far but isn’t exactly near either. Although Jiang Yifan’s steed was not galloping, its pace was not slow; running like this for over half an hour, it would likely be close to noon by then.

Ye Xinyan could still feel the water in the waterskin by her leg swaying. Perhaps Jiang Yifan planned to have lunch in the wilderness too. After all, he was capable of hunting rabbits, wasn’t he?

Being in such close contact with someone of the opposite sex, it was an experience she had never had before, even as a modern person. Searching through the memories of the Ye Family’s eldest daughter, aside from marital activities, she and Jiang Yifan did not seem to have been this close either.

Feeling the strength in the arm that was pulling on the reins by her side, she wondered, if in Wang Qiao’s shoes, would he be able to do something like this? But when it comes to Wang Qiao, with his gentle and considerate personality, he probably wouldn’t have proposed a separation when his wife was facing such dire circumstances, right?

If Wang Qiao planned to marry Zhou Biyao, Jinrong’s arrangement last time to work directly in the Ministry of Works didn’t seem like such a good idea. Maybe when Wang Qiao refused, he was already thinking about how to marry Second Miss Zhou smoothly.

Without passing the imperial examination or having any patronage, relying solely on a craftsman’s skill, even with a prince’s recommendation, he would likely only secure a minor insignificant official post. Such a status was far inferior to cultivating a craft in the construction industry, where one could truly achieve something substantial that would outshine a minor post in the Ministry of Works.

From these things, it was clear that Wang Qiao was smart and far-sighted, and his status did not limit him to the point of losing his head over small advantages.

Moreover, Biyao’s affection for Wang Qiao was likely attracted by Wang Qiao’s talent in construction. Wang Qiao was someone who, once he engaged in a field he was familiar with and enjoyed, shone brilliantly. That must be why everyone who interacted with him appreciated him.

Ye Xinyan thought about these disjointed and tangential matters when she heard Jiang Yifan speaking from behind her: "In the past, when you were troubled, did you just stand alone in the wilderness, staring blankly? Did that alleviate your feelings?"

There was no one in front of Ye Xinyan, and she rolled her eyes ostentatiously, expressing her disdain. With such wording, even though he was a Top Scholar, her, a STEM major, would not use such words to describe a sophisticated woman.

Was that staring blankly? That was contemplating, thank you very much!

Jiang Yifan did not hear Ye Xinyan’s reply and chuckled to himself before saying, "Is it a bit impolite to say staring blankly? But you did indeed stand there alone for a long time doing nothing. When women are troubled, don’t they seek someone to talk to? Voicing what weighs on the mind can lift the spirits. Thinking alone, doesn’t that just lead one to become more troubled?"

Ye Xinyan snorted coldly, unwilling to engage him further. ’Sister’ has never been one to seek others out to pour her heart out, always solving problems by herself.

Jiang Yifan continued talking to himself: "However, I suppose I was talking about what ordinary women would do, but you are surely different. Just considering how you’ve kept the fact that you’ve lived an extra life to yourself, maintaining composure day after day, shows your resolve is much stronger than those sheltered young ladies."

Ye Xinyan looked at the vast space that kept moving before her eyes, and her mood seemed to brighten considerably. She felt an interest in speaking up, and with sarcasm in her voice, she said, "Lord Jiang seems to have a good grasp of women’s habits. I just don’t know where you learned all this from. Since you understand women so well, how come you can’t even keep a wife?"

Ye Xinyan could clearly feel Jiang Yifan’s body stiffen for a moment, but the words that came out of this kid’s mouth were entirely different from his bodily reaction, shamelessly thick-skinned, "Back then I was young and didn’t understand many things. Now that I’m a few years older, haven’t I come to my senses and started to gather my wits?"

Now it was Ye Xinyan’s turn to stiffen. Can’t he speak properly? Who the hell is your wife! No wonder Cheung Wusi said this kid had a boundless future ahead of him. With such a thick skin and no shame, on top of being literate, it would be inconceivable if he had no prospects.

She held back the words that were on the verge of spilling out. She decided to stay silent, not because she lacked eloquence, but because her skin was not thick enough to say such shameless things.

Jiang Yifan probably felt very satisfied that he could render Ye Xinyan speechless. Then he only asked her if she was cold and if she wanted to get down and walk around; he did not say much else.

In less than two quarters of an hour, the two of them rode to a place where no trace of human habitation could be seen. Looking around, all they saw was rugged, barren land with resilient, scattered dry grass clinging tightly to the earth below, giving the wintry land a sense of unyielding fortitude. Several trees, both far and near, testified to the astonishing vitality of plants despite the harsh cold.

Jiang Yifan raised his right arm and pointed ahead, saying, "Ahead there’s a spot of higher ground with softer soil. Although the grass is dry at this time of year, it is lush and thick, making for a more comfortable seat."

Indeed, that area was quite nice— a large expanse of high ground. Since the rainfall had been better last year, the wild grass was thick and dry, lying in waves on the ground. It must have been extraordinarily lush during the summer and autumn seasons.

Ye Xinyan steadied herself with Jiang Yifan’s hand as she jumped down from the horse.

She looked further afield and was disappointed not to see such grassland in the distance. Only this patch was thick and lush, totaling about seven or eight acres when pieced together. If it had been larger, it would have been possible to cut large amounts of grass here, stockpiling feed for the cattle farm for the winter.

Jiang Yifan unloaded the items from the horse’s back and came to her side, saying, "How about it? This place isn’t bad, right? When I lead people to inspect the agricultural affairs, I take this shortcut across the wasteland, saving half an hour of travel time compared to the official road."

Ye Xinyan turned to look at the two waterskins and a fur on the ground and asked, "Did Lord Jiang see me spacing out on my way home and then decide to come to this place? You seem rather well-prepared."

Jiang Yifan bent down and shook out the fur, while saying, "I’ve been wanting to find an opportunity to talk with you. Your way of doing things and your perspective on matters is very different from ours. If this has something to do with your experiences from another life, I really want to know what kind of place that was, what kind of world it was, and what was there? Then, I waited for this opportunity."

Jiang Yifan straightened up and looked at Ye Xinyan with a smile, "If you weren’t in a state of emotional instability, even with the old master advocating and urging, you wouldn’t have taken this trip, would you?"

Ye Xinyan said coldly, "I’m not in the mood as a little woman, and I don’t plan to talk about those things. I just want to be alone and quiet."

"I know, suit yourself. Say whatever you want to say, and if you don’t want to speak, don’t. It’s up to you." Jiang Yifan nodded, "Riding a horse can be quite uncomfortable. Would you like to sit for a while first?"