Chapter 174
"Your senior sister is as clever as a monkey; thereâs no need for a child your age to worry. Your brother-in-law is even more remarkable; what hasnât he seen before? Just sleep well or you wonât grow tall. When you grow up, then you can contribute more."
Doctor Li indisputably silenced Xiao Dong.
Xiao Dong closed his eyes.
Outside, the sound of birds chirping resounded intermittently, and next door, Doctor Liuâs window opened and closed frequently, making the sound quite clear.
Gu Jinghui still didnât close his eyes; messages from the guards came one after another, preventing him from sleeping.
Qin Yuan also didnât sleep.
These days, due to the worship of the Measles Goddess within the mansion, the couple had to separate into different rooms.
Gu Jinghui stayed in the study in the outer courtyard, while Hong Ye and Cui Ming simply accompanied Qin Yuan in the main room, sitting together at the table, sorting out the accounts at night.
Hong Ye learned quickly and could already manage the accounts independently; Qin Yuan checked a few times and let her calculate alone.
Cui Ming was much slower, but could still be of assistance.
The accounting books for the inner courtyard had already been sorted out, but previous yearsâ books were still stored in the mansionâs accountantâs office. Hong Ye asked, "Miss, should we go through the accounts of previous years?"
Qin Yuan said nothing.
Cui Ming said, "Itâs just been more than half a year, and already so much; itâs not even the end of the year yet, my goodness. Over the years, I canât imagine how much there must be."
To be honest, Qin Yuan was also astonished.
Perhaps it is because the Qin family is too poor, and the Lin family has no solid foundation, she didnât know that the flow of money in the Marquis Mansion, with so few masters, was like running water.
A chicken egg costs one cent, but in the Marquis Mansionâs accounting book, itâs five cents per egg.
Not to mention chicken, duck, fish, meat, exotic fruits and vegetables, silver frost charcoal in winter, ice in summer, daily incense, curios, rare plants, and splendid embroideries.
Every layer incurs extra spending.
It seems this has become standard practice.
Hong Ye said, "No wonder Mrs. Luâs incident frightened those housekeepers like that; I was initially worried that after the miss hastily took over the inner courtyard, they would cause trouble behind the scenes. Unexpectedly, even the housekeepers under Sixth Lady are as timid as quails, not uttering a word. Apparently, these positions offer too much profit."
People die for wealth, indeed itâs not false.
Who knows what thoughts these arrogant housekeepers harbor, but outwardly, they must be honest.
Cui Ming nodded, "Even in the Qin Mansion, the kitchen steward is the most prosperous."
Hong Ye snorted, "The kitchen steward in the Qin Mansion is the madamâs attendant; with the madam managing the house, naturally sheâd assign the juiciest position to someone most capable and trustworthy by her side."
By implication, previously it was Sixth Lady managing, and these lucrative positions went to Sixth Ladyâs people.
Qin Yuan said, "Thatâs why I let you supervise the tea house and gather more information. The intricate entanglements behind these lucrative positions need to be understood before taking a stand. Weâre new here and havenât yet gained a firm foothold."
Nanny Rong may not be aware of certain things, or may choose not to tell her.
Hong Ye sighed, "Now that itâs the Feng Mansion, everyone is staying indoors, making it hard to gather information."
Qin Yuan said, "I know, donât be anxious, everything comes with time."
A moth flew straight in and fluttered against the lampshade, making a rustling sound.
Qin Yuan gently waved a round fan, shooing it away.
Hong Ye, resting her chin in her hands, blinked, "Sixth Lady must get many benefits through these housekeepers. Even if these housekeepers belong to the Old Madam, now theyâve got profitable positions, they wouldnât neglect her, which covers for her quite well."
Cui Ming smiled, "Clearly, there must be hidden benefits; since sheâs managing the household, these housekeepers have to watch her mood to live well, inevitably showing some respect. But to say sheâs all-powerful in the Marquis Mansion might not be true."
Hong Ye retorted, "Wasnât it during the missâs return that Sixth Lady deliberately caused trouble? Her influence reached outside the courtyard; if the miss hadnât sent me to complain to Nanny Rong, who knows how that day would have ended."
Speaking of that incident, Hong Ye was still quite upset.
Qin Yuan smiled.
Considering Hong Yeâs temperament, she probably remembers that incident until her last breath.
Cui Ming laughed, "If she were omnipotent, why resort to such measures? That incident was done using Seventh Missâs hand, causing her to be disciplined by the Marquis and Old Madam, and currently confined to learn spinning and embroidery."
Qin Yuan nodded in agreement, "Yes, otherwise how could I have conveniently acquired half of the household management from her?"
If she truly were omnipotent, she wouldnât be able to keep even half of the management sheâd acquired.
Merely borrowing prestige at best.
Hong Ye pouted silently.
Qin Yuan knew she couldnât wait to give Sixth Lady a good reprimanding, after some consideration she said, "Letâs not go over previous yearsâ accounts for now; my aim is the household management. Never mind the housekeepers for now, as disrupting their financial paths would be akin to killing their parents. Just take note of the important details; weâll find a use for them."
Hong Ye sighed and nodded.
Cui Ming pondered.
Qin Yuan continued, "Estimate the silver Sixth Lady embezzled, no need to calculate each transaction meticulously. After all, she is still Sixth Masterâs wife, the mother of his legitimate son and daughter. Considering them, the Old Madam wouldnât take severe action against her. I just want the Old Madam to know what Sixth Lady has done and agree to hand over the household management to me."
Itâs merely so, she and Sixth Lady still have to be sisters-in-law.
As long as Sixth Master doesnât divorce his wife and still gives her the respect of a legitimate wife, Qin Yuan cannot completely have a falling out with Sixth Lady.
Otherwise, itâd embarrass Sixth Master.
Hong Ye pouted and remained silent.
Looking at her, Qin Yuan said, "All I need is a reason for Sixth Lady to hand over the household management. A reason so substantial that even if the sky were to fall, it wouldnât change; embezzlement fits the bill perfectly."
Cui Ming said, "Youâre right, Miss. Although Sixth Lady has been trying to hinder the Miss constantly, itâs not to the extent of eliminating entirely. The Old Madam previously relied on Sixth Lady to handle household management; if she punishes Sixth Lady too much due to Missâs actions, there will inevitably be gossip, saying the Old Madam favors the legitimate daughter-in-law over the stepson and his wife."
Ill-treatment towards stepson and his wife would sound bad if spread around.
Besides, the Xu family is quite formidable.
Hong Ye also understood this point, and silently lowered her head, tearing apart the scrap paper beside her.
Qin Yuan didnât say more, picked up a pen, and copied down the details that had been sorted out.
Hong Ye and Cui Ming had already organized and summed them up, so copying wasnât too tedious.
The ink Gu Marquis provided last time hasnât been used up, saving some effort.
After writing, Cui Ming spread them open, waiting for the ink to dry.
After a long silence, Hong Ye suddenly spoke, "Sixth Lady at least said something right, having a child does give one stability. Although she embezzled silver, caused trouble behind the scenes, even fought with Sixth Master and scratched his face, sheâs still lightly placed."
When Hong Ye said this, her head was lowered, not even looking at Qin Yuan.
But this was clearly said for Qin Yuan.
Cui Ming frowned slightly; Hong Ye has stopped urging the miss to consummate the marriage, instead now urging for a child.