Ye Xinyan met Zhou Biyao’s gaze, seemingly having forgotten that the young girl had just helped her save face. She glared defiantly at Zhou Biyao and lifted her chin slightly. So what? It wasn’t her doing that made Jiang Yifan speak like that, and there was no reason she should pick up the bill for the favors he dispensed in public.
Zhou Biyao pouted, withdrawing her gaze to look toward the center of the crowd. Alright, she had seen it—when Sister Qi didn’t want to be reasonable, she was extremely unreasonable, and now she had developed a new flaw: a bottomless greed. Better focus on Wong Qiao, at least she was a good, honest, and straightforward person.
Having intimidated Zhou Biyao with her gaze, Ye Xinyan raised her eyebrows to look at Jiang Yifan.
Jiang Yifan was not at all surprised and had no objections, merely smiling as he said, "I’ve already instructed Shi Yu to give some silver to the kitchen. Haven’t you already arranged to improve the meals? I had Shi Yu add some more silver, so you can ask someone to buy more vegetables, poultry, and eggs from the farmers, giving everyone a good meal to enjoy."
That was a pleasant sentiment! Ye Xinyan didn’t mind at all that Jiang Yifan had mentioned she had already arranged to improve the meals, and nodded happily, "That’s good." She didn’t even think to ask whether they should invite him to join the dinner he was so generously funding.
Ye Xinyan was calculating, wondering whether this meal would save her about ten taels or twenty taels of silver? But then she heard Jiang Yifan continue, "My silver is yours, Ah Yan. As long as you need it, just tell me. There’s no need to be so considerate."
"Cough, cough, cough." Ye Xinyan almost choked on her saliva.
Were these words really spoken by Jiang Yifan, this shameless fellow? Why on earth should she be using someone else’s silver? Especially when that someone was Jiang Yifan?
Zhou Biyao was also shocked upon hearing Jiang Yifan’s words. Wasn’t Lord Jiang supposed to be a cultivated gentleman who just finished his studies? His words, lacking any sort of etiquette, were too, too, too blunt, weren’t they?
She wanted to sneak a peek at Jiang Yifan and Ye Xinyan, eager to see how these two perfectly matched people ended up separating.
But she also felt the chilling aura emanating from Sister Qi and decided against satisfying her curiosity, daring not to observe the expressions or demeanor of either party. Not only did she refrain from looking, but she also subconsciously moved a couple of steps to the side, distancing herself from Ye Xinyan.
Ye Xinyan tried her best to glare at Lord Jiang for quite a while, but not only did he not seem uncomfortable, he kept smiling back at her. What was that in his eyes?... Could it be the nauseating fondness and indulgence?
Ye Xinyan immediately felt a chill.
"Lord Jiang, had you not mentioned it, I would have truly forgotten that I had instructed the kitchen to improve the meals. Since the kitchen has already started working on it, we won’t be needing Lord Jiang’s silver. The Mechanical Workshop is a business shared by three people, and paying for the celebration meal is a normal expense for the workshop. How could we possibly let Lord Jiang be the only one to pay for the celebration? It’s better for the three of us to share the cost," Ye Xinyan said earnestly.
Jiang Yifan still had that disgustingly sweet smile as he replied, "No problem, see, Shi Yu has already relayed the message to the kitchen for me. You wouldn’t have Shi Yu go back to the kitchen to demand the silver back, would you? Not only would that look bad, but it would also make it seem as if there’s a rift between us."
For fuck’s sake, when have I ever been close to you? Shameless asshole!
Her cultivation wasn’t enough, so she might as well admit defeat.
Ye Xinyan decisively withdrew her gaze and once again looked toward Wong Qiao and his group. This was a group of craftsmen, ecstatic about the creation of a new tool, and she was the official in charge of the workshop that crafted that tool. Even if she was annoyed, she couldn’t just walk away on a whim given the circumstances—she had to stay to keep up appearances.
Indeed, one needed a thick enough skin to take advantage of every situation. When would she ever develop such a skill?
Zhou Biyao’s body shivered as she listened in. She wasn’t far enough away and accidently overheard something she shouldn’t have. What if Sister Qi took her anger out on her, making her work day and night?
She felt like crying without tears—that was her mood right now.
Zhou Biyao moved a bit further aside, trying to put some distance between herself and the danger zone.
Wong Qiao, together with a group of craftsmen, joked and chatted for a while before parting the crowd to approach Ye Xinyan and Jiang Yifan. He greeted Jiang Yifan with a smile, then turned to Ye Xinyan and asked, "Ye Zi, should we start working on the Ironsmith Shop next?"
"Hmm," Ye Xinyan nodded and said, "Don’t you still have a set of wooden components? Record all the parts of the Chain Inversion Device by number, and keep that backup set of components and the blueprints numbered for storage. Biyao can handle that. Wong Qiao, disassemble the Chain Inversion Device we’re currently testing, and unify the numbering with Biyao’s parts. Tomorrow, we’ll start the Ironsmith Shop, forging the metal pieces according to the size of the wooden ones."
Ye Xinyan clapped her hands forcefully, drawing the attention of the craftsmen, and raised her voice, "Gentlemen, you are all experienced hands, and you surely understand that if the Chain Inversion Device is completed, it will be a widely useful, top-quality tool. Right now, the Chain Inversion Device is halfway to success. In the coming days, we will all need to work hard together with Manager Wong to finish the other half.
You should know that the Chain Inversion Device is a powerful tool. On this matter, you are not only earning a wage, but also claiming honor for yourselves. In the future, when the Chain Inversion Device makes its mark in various trades, any one of you can rightfully say that you’ve contributed to its creation."
The craftsmen gathered in the workshop buzzed with excitement. Indeed, if such a tool could truly be made, it would be the first of its kind in the world, something needed in every trade. And this astonishing tool would have come to life through their hands, step by step, tried and tested, made by them.
What an honor that would be!
Jiang Yifan watched Ye Xinyan rallying the spirits here, smiling lightly while nodding silently to himself. This was the woman who came from a kingdom advocating for the unity of all under heaven—straightforward, frank, and grand, irresistibly drawing people to follow her.
Wong Qiao’s talkative assistant, Du Dazhong, shared his pride passionately with his companions before abruptly realizing that they had merely done their duty as craftsmen, working according to the dimensions and designs provided by their employer and supervisor. Had they really done much else?
"Um," Du Dazhong stepped forward, scratching his head as he spoke to Ye Xinyan, "Miss, maybe we’re not quite as capable as you say? Those dimensions were provided by Manager Wong, and the designs were also decided by him. We just followed them, which is our duty as craftsmen."
The craftsmen were taken aback, some of them reflecting more deeply on themselves, fostering doubts. Yet others found Du Dazhong meddlesome for uttering such words that belittled their own worth, and they secretly grew annoyed with him.