She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 583 - 581: Hurry Up and Arrange

Chapter 583: Chapter 581: Hurry Up and Arrange

Yesterday, Ye Xinyan had just dismounted from horseback, and with the little one off to pay respects to Guan He, she didn’t get a chance to properly talk with Qi Jiaer. When she saw him coming over now, she felt an extra sense of closeness and struggled to lift him up, saying, "You’re a big kid now, huh? So heavy."

Qi Jiaer hurriedly wriggled out of her arms, saying, "Sister, doing this embarrasses me. If Xiao Si and Brother Sanshun see this, they will laugh at me."

Ye Xinyan patted his head and straightened up, laughing, "Alright, I know you’ve grown up."

"Sister, during your absence, Lord Jiang wrote you two letters. I kept them for you and didn’t let anyone else open them. Aunt didn’t look at them either," Qi Jiaer eagerly reported his achievement to Ye Xinyan.

Ye Xinyan squinted at Qi Jiaer, and before she realized it herself, Jiang Yifan had already won this little guy over. There he was, so young and already running errands for Jiang Yifan.

Qi Jiaer, facing Ye Xinyan’s gaze, asked solicitously, "Sister, do you want to read the letters now? I can fetch them for you."

Madam Yin pulled Qi Jiaer over to sit by the heated brick bed, removing his shoes as she spoke, "Fetch what? Your sister hasn’t even eaten yet. You too, eat first; we can talk about anything else after the meal."

"Ouch, Mom, he’s so old now, and you’re still taking off his shoes for him," exclaimed Ye Xinyan.

Qi Jiaer lifted his little face proudly and declared, "I’m Aunt’s dear son."

That single statement melted Madam Yin’s heart like water, and she hugged him, showering him with endearments, calling him her "heart" and "liver," covering him with kisses.

Ye Xinyan watched with a grimace, finding the little brat not cute at all, "Hurry up, stop with the mushiness, let’s have the meal."

Madam Yin tidied up Qi Jiaer’s hair ribbon and said with a smile, "Your sister is just jealous to see Aunt spoiling you," before happily ordering the meal to be served. This was what real life was about, unlike that fake glamour filled with underhanded scheming—it wasn’t a way for anyone to live.

Qi Jiaer hopped onto the brick bed behind Ye Xinyan and leaned on her back, wrapping his arms around her neck, and said softly, "Sister, I like you too, and Aunt likes you as well. We all missed you so much while you were away."

"Now that’s more like it," Ye Xinyan humphed twice, "I brought you a gift; you haven’t seen it yet, right? It’s really nice."

"I only saw the wrapped bundle Old Madam Ding brought in, waiting for you to open it. Are there gifts for Aunt and Grandpa, too? And for Nanny Jin and Brother Sanshun as well?" Qi Jiaer quickly moved in front of Ye Xinyan, his bright eyes filled with anticipation.

"Yes, everyone has one. Yes, everyone," she thought to herself—she had to ride on horseback and still managed to bring gifts for the entire family. Was it easy for her?

......

The letters from the capital were mainly from Duke An’s Mansion; Jinrong’s letters were just routine updates, and letters from Jiang Yifan were even less interesting, still full of trivial chitchat.

Ye Xinyan had read through the two letters from Duke An’s Mansion, sent by Qi Younian, which urged her to make sure she returned this year. The second letter went further, stating that once the weather cooled down, they would still send Lian Gui to lead a group to bring her back.

As she read, Ye Xinyan rolled her eyes. Were they threatening her? Trying to play hardball and forcibly escort her back to the capital?

"Grandfather, have you replied to the capital yet? Don’t let the old man actually send someone and make them come all the way for nothing," Ye Xinyan asked.

"What kind of way is that to speak?" Qi Younian first frowned, questioning Ye Xinyan’s reference to Duke An, but seeing her insincere yet remarkably quick nod of acknowledgment, he felt helpless and decided to talk about serious matters. "I’ve replied. I had Ah Qiao write back, telling Duke An’s Mansion that you will definitely return this year, so there’s no need to send anyone. We have so many guards here; they will all need to return to the capital when the time comes.

I estimate that the wooden rails leading to Peach Grove will be completed next month, and after a two-month trial, we’ll know if they can operate normally. Once I’ve settled the subsequent matters, I’ll surely be ready to depart by October."

Ye Xinyan nodded. She was working so hard, rushing to inspect the dairy product workshops in the other two locations, also in order to have everything and everyone in Yuyuan Prefecture and its surroundings well arranged, so she could return to the capital before the end of the year.

Duke An, the old man, had long awaited his grandson and was eager for her mother to return and take the child over, hoping the boy would grow up alongside her and Qi Jiaer, and possibly have a character and behavior unlike his despicable original father.

Although her mother was destined never to raise the old man’s grandson, Ye Xinyan was still capable of looking after a younger brother. With Sanshun, the children’s king of the village, and Guan He, the unorthodox expert around, it was impossible for Ye Yuan not to be arrogantly spirited. She would definitely fulfill the old man’s desires.

After all, she had been parading around the capital for nearly twenty years under the guise of someone’s granddaughter and with Duke An’s tacit, bottomless indulgence. She owed the old man some recompense.

......

Meanwhile, Qi Younian worked on one side, while also recruiting craftsmen from the Construction Industry, deciding which ones to take with him and which to leave for Cheung Wusi to continue the operations in Yuyuan Prefecture.

Going to the capital for development, it certainly wasn’t practical to bring the entire Construction Industry. However, it was essential to have his core team. With workshop heads capable of leading the work, the minor workers and ordinary craftsmen could be hired locally in the capital. As long as there’s business, everything can be managed, and with business, well, Jiang Yifan had assured him even before leaving office, in two words: it’s manageable.

Ye Xinyan, on the other hand, sped up the normal operation of the Mechanical Workshop in Peach Grove. Last year, the new cattle barns at the dairy farm were already raising cattle, but in small numbers. Although transporting cow’s milk was time-consuming and labor-intensive, the small number of dairy cows made it barely sustainable.

Now, with the wooden railway nearly complete and fast transport about to become operational, it was time to expand the scale of the dairy farm in Peach Grove. At least before her departure, there should be a normal scale in place.

Luckily, the dairy cows prepared for breeding had already been purchased and squeezed into a section of the barn at Clear Water Village. They had been raised there for some time. Once the wooden railway was laid and the Railway Carriage could transport cow’s milk normally, the cowherds could directly drive the cows to Peach Grove.

What needed to be done now was to staff the dairy farm in Peach Grove fully and arrange for the daily transportation of feed and other consumables.

Fan Zhengyuan had already been called back by Ye Xinyan from Guanyuan Prefecture to manage the businesses in Clear Water Village and Peach Grove. Xie Chun remained in Guanyuan Prefecture, while Cui Chengxi was dispatched to the southern part of Yuyuan Garden to oversee the affairs there.

As a result, the first few people who had worked with Ye Xinyan had now become chief managers in charge of their regions, and their futures were unexpectedly bright.

Xie Chun was Jinrong’s man, and such a position was something he had aspired to. Although the promotion came quickly, he had once harbored the idea and could thus consider his wish granted ahead of time.

Fan Zhengyuan and Cui Chengxi, however, were different; both came from ordinary folk. They had thought about earning more money to one day give their families a few days of peace, not worrying about food and clothing. As for a better life, that was something they didn’t dare to dream of.

Yet they never expected that a decision made on a whim to work with a young woman could lead to such a status and a substantial livelihood in just over three years—an unexpected surprise indeed.

If they didn’t put all their effort and skills into handling such a job well, wouldn’t it be as though their heads had been squashed by a door?