Chapter 96

Chapter 96

Seeing that none of Meng Die's servants had shown their faces, these scheming stewardesses, unable to suppress their curiosity, invited Lu Wei to chat in the garden.

As soon as Lu Wei arrived at the garden, she was surrounded by the crowd.

"Miss Lu Wei, please have some tea."

"Miss Lu Wei, do try these freshly baked pastries."

"..."

Lu Wei sat down with a gentle smile, sipping the tea and remarking, "The aftertaste is exquisite; truly a fine brew." She then took a bite of a pastry. "These pastries are even sweeter and more fragrant when freshly baked."

Seeing Lu Wei's amiable demeanor, the other household managers gained confidence and one of them promptly asked, "Miss Lu Wei, is it true that Lady Second's large estate only cultivates wheat and rice?"

"Why aren't peanuts, sesame, soybeans planted there? These crops can be pressed into oil, fetching a much higher price than grains."

"Yes, and what about cotton, as well as sweet potatoes and yams? Especially those yams, the tubers are delicious, and the tender leaves are edible too. Even the old stems, when dried, can serve as winter vegetables. Wouldn't growing more of these be more profitable than just grains?"

"Second Lady is young, perhaps she is not yet familiar with the intricacies of these lands. There is great knowledge involved here - what to cultivate and what not to can make a difference of thousands of silver taels in revenue for an estate of this size in a single year."

Lu Wei listened to their explanations and offered a subtle smile. "Second Aunt indeed doesn't seem to be well-versed in these matters." Noticing the pleased expressions on the managers' faces, Lu Wei shifted the topic. "That's why Second Aunt sought out Eldest Aunt for consultation and sought her opinion."

The household managers, all ladies, fell into a daze. Apart from a husband and wife, who else would discuss personal property matters with sisters-in-law?

Lu Wei smiled gently and said, "Second Madam often remarks that each has their own specialized field of expertise, and one may come to understand the way before or after another." Noticing the puzzled expressions on many faces, Lu Wei elaborated, "Second Madam says that First Madam oversees the Marquis's residence with impeccable order, and the manor is also managed with utmost clarity. Naturally, she would consult those who are knowledgeable in the matter."

"Grandaunt also cares deeply for Second Aunt, and immediately offered her advice and calculations. She pointed out that indeed, cultivating sesame, peanuts, and sweet potatoes could boost income. However, these are delicate crops that require meticulous care, and thus, it would necessitate hiring additional help."

"Are you suggesting we hire people without providing monthly stipends or provisions? That would indeed be a substantial expense. It would be much more convenient to cultivate solely rice and wheat. Though it might seem like we'd earn less initially, it could potentially result in greater savings."

The faces of the concierge ladies instantly became a vivid tapestry of emotions.

With these words, Lu Wei appeared to be praising Meng Die for her ease in cultivating rice and wheat, but she was actually subtly warning them all. Through the incident with Meng Die, the Wen family made it crystal clear to everyone in the manor and on the estate that they were well aware of any mischief being played, and that they shouldn't think they could easily deceive her.

Following the garden gathering, the manor's atmosphere deflated like a punctured balloon. No one dared to discuss matters concerning the estate. Instead, quite a few who had been struggling within the household and lacked influential patrons were keen on registering with Nurse Fan. However, they didn't dare to approach her, fearing that they would need to offer her some form of tribute or respect.

Upon learning from Meihong's elder brother, Tao'er, Liu'er, and other parental figures that filial piety was not required and that there would be no junior steward overseeing their work at the new location, these individuals instantly scrambled for the opportunity. Even those who originally tended the fields of the Marquis's estate sneaked in to sign up. Those successfully enrolled promptly found excuses to sever ties with the Marquis's estate.

Initially, the village heads were caught off guard. By the time they realized what had happened and many had fled, they couldn't help but curse Meng Die in their hearts. Nonetheless, they were left with no choice but to recruit anew, and they dared not demand tribute again. For a while, the lowest-ranking servants in both the manor and the village wore broad smiles on their faces.

Noticing the recent obedience of her subordinates, Wen Shi's expression softened further. She had just received news from her mother: "Coral, inquire at the neighboring courtyard if Second Aunt has any leisure time. If she's free, I'll pay her a visit."

"Certainly."

Coral quickly returned with the news that Meng Die was indeed idle. With a beaming face, Wen Shi brought along two maidservants to Meng Die's residence.

Meng Die calculated the time: "Has the matter in Zhi Jiang been settled?"

Lady Wen nodded and recounted the details meticulously to Meng Die.

On the fourth day of the month, the Zhejiang provincial governor received a letter. He didn't react on the fifth, the day of the Wealth God celebration, but on the sixth, he gave an order to thoroughly investigate all businesses for various offenses, such as tax evasion, selling substandard goods, or...

Could any business be completely flawless? Even if there were no issues, the time wasted on inspections at every supply point would be significant. Especially since Zhejiang was close to the coast, many seafood products were perishable, and these delays almost caused the Wen family to offend a major client, requiring numerous apologies to defuse the situation.

Initially, the Wens didn't realize they were being targeted and assumed that the officials were merely seeking to improve their performance records by conducting rigorous inspections. Later, when they noticed that other families were merely going through the motions while their own faced constant issues, they could no longer ignore the fact that they were being deliberately targeted.

They tried to smooth things over by inviting officials to meals, sending tribute letters, and attempting to leverage connections. However, overnight, it seemed as if all the Zhejiang officials had become incredibly incorruptible and impartial, rendering their previous networks useless.

It was not until the entire Wen family fretted and fumed, their mouths filled with blisters from anxiety, that an affiliated relative discreetly divulged the truth to them: It was Hui, the Acting Governor of Zhijiang, who had issued the order. In Zhijiang, his word carried more weight than imperial decrees; which official would dare to ease up on the Wens? Unless, of course, they wished to make their own lives difficult.

The Wen family was immediately dumbfounded. The Acting Governor Hui? How had they offended him? Old Master Wen stared blankly at the letter from Zhijiang. They had absolutely no ties with the Huis—how could they have become the target?

Old Lady Wen pondered for a moment. "There is actually some connection between our family and the Huis."

Old Master Wen's eyes narrowed. "What connection? Why didn't I know about this?"

Old Lady Wen replied, "Meng from the Marquis Yongyi's household—her maternal brother's wife's family is none other than the Huis."

Old Master Wen immediately flew into a rage. "Madame Meng must be finding her an eyesore and is deliberately trying to suppress us as a warning. I've told her time and again to pretend to be ill, avoid socializing, and not compete with Madame Meng, but she wouldn't listen. Now, she's brought trouble upon our family... Go fetch your Eldest Master for me."

"Wait a moment," Old Lady Wen stopped the servant, lowering her voice. "Think carefully. Did this incident happen after what happened with Eighth Miss?"

Old Master Wen's face darkened. "Are you suggesting that Madame Meng is standing up for her, putting pressure on our family? That's impossible. It's more likely that Madame Meng finds her troublesome."

These were Old Master Wen's words in the morning, and the contradiction came in the afternoon.

Madame Wen, the mother of the Wen family, directed her maidservants to bring in several small conch shells. One of her maids, Jin Si, couldn't help but ask, "Madame, why did you buy such small conch shells?"

Madam Wen: "It's not for me. Your Ladyship wants them for someone else. She said they're meant to be purchased as a gift."

Silver Thread: "A gift? Then shouldn't she get the bigger ones? Wouldn't that be more appropriate?"

Madam Wen chuckled. "That's exactly what I thought. But your Ladyship insists that the recipient only needs a few small ones for cultivating pearls. It's not a gift; the person knows Yun'er has connections and asked for her help in purchasing them."

The arrival of the conch shells caused quite a stir, and many maidservants and matrons caught sight of it. Naturally, gossip among the servants ensued.

"I wonder which fallen family could it be, buying such small conch shells. They don't even seem embarrassed to display them."

"Just for that dilapidated family, Lady Elder treats it as a grand affair. Looking at her cautious demeanor, one would think she's purchasing something for a royal concubine in the palace."

"Ha ha ha... the Eldest Family Branch..."

Jin Si emerged from around the corner, "Instead of doing proper work, they're busy gossiping like pros."

A maid from the Second Family Branch huffed coldly, "Some people dare to buy such a small haituo, and we're not even allowed to comment."

Jin Si echoed her with a cold snort, leaning nonchalantly against the pillar of the arcade, "Truly a group with shallow perspectives. If someone wants a small haituo, it's likely for cultivating pearls. The dignified Censor doesn't know more than you, do they?"

Silver Thread approached from the other side: "Sister Golden Silk, don't waste your breath with them; they won't understand anyway. Let's hurry and arrange for someone to send this to Miss Eldest. She needs to present it to the Hui Estate."

With just a few concise words, everything was explained clearly. Upon receiving this news, Old Master Wen stood there in a daze, his eyes filled with confusion. The only thought in his mind was: Has Lady Meng gone mad?

"Old Master, Old Master, something terrible has happened, something terrible..." The servant boy stumbled in, crawling on all fours. "Miss Eighth is threatening to hang herself."

In matters of marriage, parents hold the final say. Miss Eighth had no idea that her grandfather intended to send her as a concubine. It wasn't until after the New Year celebrations and the fifteenth day of the lunar month that Old Master Wen had almost finalized negotiations with the Hong family. He then slightly hinted at the arrangement to the rest. Thus, Miss Eighth learned of the plan and, enraged, began shouting and threatening to hang herself.

Having just been publicly humiliated, Old Master Wen was seething with anger. Hearing that another granddaughter was disobedient, he stomped over, fuming. Not only he, but also Old Lady Wen and other family members at home arrived promptly. The others pretended to console her with empty words while their actions showed otherwise, their eyes gleaming with excitement – clearly, they had come to watch the spectacle. Many servants discreetly hid in inconspicuous spots, secretly observing the commotion.

Eighth Miss Wen Zhenyu tugged on the belt tied to a tree and cried out, "What's the difference between being a concubine and courting death?"

Old Master Wen arrived just in time to hear these words, "If you want to die, then die quickly. No one is stopping you. All of you, don't try to stop her."

Wen Zhenyu snorted coldly, "Fine, let's die then. Who's afraid of whom? Dying now might even spare me more suffering. People always endure hardships while alive, but I've never seen the dead suffer. Besides, if I die with resentment today, I'll haunt this household as a vengeful spirit and torment each and every one of you. None will escape." With that, she placed her neck into the noose and kicked away the stool beneath her feet.

Old Master Wen turned pale with fright, "Quick, help her down! Help her down!"

At once, a strong matron rushed to support Wen Zhenyu, who coughed twice and asked, "Are you scared because you have guilty consciences?"

"You..." Old Master Wen's head spun with anger. "What's wrong with the Hong family? You won't be a concubine; you'll be a secondary wife, a legitimate one!"

Wen Zhenyu shot back unyieldingly, "Bah! Is a secondary wife any different from a concubine? One still has to curry favor with the primary wife. Besides, why should I submit myself to an old man when even Chang'e in the moon prefers young men?"

Old Master Wen pointed at Wen Zhenyu. "How can you, as a young lady, not feel ashamed to say such things?"

Wen Zhenyu replied, "If you can sell your granddaughter for glory, then what can't I say?"

Old Master Wen huffed, gasping for air. "What old man? What selling a granddaughter for glory? At barely thirty, he's already a fourth-rank official, ambitious and accomplished. Clearly, it would be you who is climbing up the social ladder by marrying into his family."

Wen Zhenyu remarked, "A man in his thirties could even be my father with years to spare. If Grandfather doesn't value age, why don't you bring home a woman a dozen or twenty years your senior? Why are all the women you invite into your chambers young girls of seventeen or eighteen?"

The onlookers nearly dropped their jaws in astonishment. Was this something that could be said? Something they were allowed to hear? Suddenly, the gossip lost its appeal.

Old Master Wen's vision blurred, and his mind went blank.

"Grandfather, Grandfather..."

"Hurry and fetch a doctor..."

...

The farce concluded with Elder Master Wen collapsing in a fit of rage. With the family head now seriously ill, the plan to send Eighth Miss Wen Zhenyu as a concubine naturally fell through.

Wen Shi heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing the news from her mother. She couldn't help but contort her face, eventually bursting into laughter when she was alone. Back when she got married, her eighth sister was still a ten-year-old girl with yellow curls; she never imagined that she would grow up to have such a strong personality.

After speaking with Meng Die, a similar expression appeared on her face, and she too burst into silent laughter, covering her mouth with a handkerchief. After laughing enough, Meng Die rubbed her stomach. "No wonder people say even blood-related sisters can be so different. Eldest Sister rarely raises her voice, but Little Sister turns out to be so resolute."

Lady Wen chuckled again, "I also didn't expect her to do such a thing and say those words. She must have been pushed to the limit."

Meng Die let out a cold snort. "What she said is true. An eighteen-year-old bride with an eighty-year-old groom, a marriage of white hair against red attire. Which bride would willingly marry an old man? Who doesn't prefer a dashing young man? For Hong, the Censor, to desire a young maiden at his age, his character can't be good. Indulging in pleasure without limits and being lustful, how could he be capable at a young age?"

Lady Wen snorted coldly. "I think so too." Then, she sighed. "But after this incident, my cousin will face gossip. My family has many rules but not strict ones. There are too many gossipy tongues. My Fifth Uncle isn't very capable either. The marriage might be difficult."

Meng Die had long considered that the father lacked capability. People always picked on the soft ones, just like parents did, especially when there were many children. "From what I've heard, the girl seems decent. In my opinion, there's no need to seek a high-ranking or wealthy family. A well-off family with a clean background would be perfect. Most importantly, the young man must have good morals."

Lady Wen replied, "Your thoughts align with mine. Since it's only us here, let me speak honestly. Our household is good, with fewer members. There are plenty of so-called noble families outside, but they're all corrupt inside."

Meng Die: "Indeed, it's all about substance over appearance. Without the foundation, there can be nothing else."

After bidding farewell to Wen Shi, Meng Die wrote a letter to Meng Yuan, who, of course, took care of matters promptly.

When February passed, Xue Qing, Xing Huang, Mei'er, and Li'er went together to the manor once more. On this particular day, they emerged from the Jingcu Pavilion. Both Jin Shi and Wen Shi enjoyed a rare moment of leisure. Jin Shi even invited Meng Die along to spend some time in Wen Shi's courtyard.

Inside the house, they engaged in casual conversation, with topics ranging far and wide. Eventually, Jin Shi asked, "Eldest Sister, you're well aware that those at the manor are embezzling. Why do you merely reprimand them instead of dismissing them altogether?"

Wen Shi smiled. "They are seasoned workers. If we were to expel them all, how would the fields be tended? That's one thing. More importantly, even if you replace them with a new group, how can you guarantee that the newcomers won't also be corrupt?"

Madam Jin frowned. "Be stricter with them. Expel anyone found guilty. As long as they're afraid, they'll eventually stop being greedy."

Meng Die also chuckled. "Your method won't work. It's like the corrupt officials in the imperial court. Embezzlement is written into our kingdom's laws. Every official knows this, but tell me, which of them dares to claim they've never taken a single copper coin for themselves?"

Madam Jin was left speechless.

Madam Wen spoke up. "Clear waters have no fish. There are times when those in power must turn a blind eye to certain matters. Being too perceptive only leads to more troubles. As long as they don't overstep their bounds, let them be."

Madam Jin asked, "But what constitutes overstepping their bounds?"

Wen said, "In our estate, for example, the farms are roughly divided into three classes. The highest rank is the Head Steward, followed by the Junior Stewards, and at the bottom are the farmers. Among them are tenant farmers and servants of the estate. All of them have to pay tributes to the Junior Stewards, who in turn offer their own tributes to the Head Steward."

"Farmers should still be able to eat well and stay warm after giving their tributes to the Junior Stewards, and perhaps even have a little extra. That would be considered reasonable. But if they can't even feed themselves or keep warm, then it's excessive."

Jin widened her eyes. "How can you ensure they don't overstep?"

Wen smiled. "Frequent reminders are necessary. When a Junior Steward excessively exploits the farmers, swift and severe punishment must be dealt. Most importantly, the master themselves must be upright. If the Head Steward has to part with a portion of his earnings to please the master just to keep his position, where do you think that money will ultimately come from?"

Jin's eyes lit up. "Oh, I see. But there's something I don't understand. The produce from the farms already belongs to the master. Why would the master need to seek tribute from the Head Steward..."

Here, Lady Jin paused, for she had grasped the essence. There wasn't just one master, and what each master received was not identical. What if everyone was dissatisfied with their lot and sought to interfere?

Madame Wen remarked, "As the saying goes, 'A family with a thousand mouths is ruled by one head.' If everyone were to meddle, it would inevitably end in chaos and disunity."

After carefully considering the situation, Jinshi fully understood. Meng Die took a step back and refrained from competing with the Wen family for power. This was partly because she looked down upon the trivial matters within the household, but also to protect the Marquis's residence. When there is discord within, outsiders find an opportunity to take advantage.

Not only that, but upon further reflection, Lady Jin recalled that since Lady Ning had handed over a portion of the affairs to Lady Wen, she had never inquired or interfered with the powers she had relinquished. The transfer was done in a clean and clear manner. Previously, Lady Jin had only thought it was because Lady Ning trusted Lady Wen, but it turned out there was another layer of meaning. If she did not fully surrender her authority, there would inevitably be factional disputes among the subordinates.

Meng Die spoke leisurely, "Throughout history, not to mention ordinary families like ours, even countless dynasties have been torn apart by factional strife. In truth, all matters escalate from the small to the grand, and one can discern the significant from the subtle."

Madam Jin pondered for a moment and nodded firmly. She was now thoroughly convinced.

Meng Die also felt a hint of curiosity. Jin Anyang was the legitimate daughter of the Duke's residence and the eldest in her branch, so how could she seem so clueless about these matters? It just didn't make sense!

"Second Aunt," Hua'er entered, lifting the curtain. "Sister Lu Wei sent me to inform you that Manager Rong has returned."

Meng Die's eyes lit up. "It's only just passed the second day of the second month. Didn't we say it might be mid-February before he came back?"

Hua'er smiled. "This year, it's been warm in the Jianghuai region. The canal hasn't frozen over, so they were able to travel a long stretch by water, arriving earlier than expected."

Meng Die turned to Wen Shi and Jin Shi. "Eldest Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, I'll be taking my leave now."

Both women rose to see her off.

Exiting Wen Shi's courtyard, Meng Die promptly instructed Hulu, "Go to the main residence and inform Madam that Manager Rong has returned." Back then, Lady Hou had expressed a wish to meet him, but whether or not she would actually do so still depended on her current mood.

Upon returning to her own courtyard, someone promptly led Manager Rong in. He first bowed to Meng Die before standing up again.

She appraised him briefly. "You haven't returned to the shop yet?"

Clerk Rong replied, "I haven't, but to alleviate Second Madam's concerns, I thought I'd come and give you an update first."

Hulu rushed in from outside, "Second Madam, Lady Elder has summoned Clerk Rong for a meeting."

Meng Die immediately stood up, "Let's go then."

As they made their way to the main residence, Lu Wei briefly recounted past events, allowing Clerk Rong to have a general understanding of the situation.

Meng Die entered the room first, "Grandmother, I've brought him as you requested."

Lady Hou nodded. "Let him speak in the outer room."

Manager Rong entered from outside and bowed in the antechamber. "This humble one pays respects to Elder Lady."

Lady Hou said, "Rise. I heard you went to Yangzhou. How did things go?"

Manager Rong replied, "In response to Elder Lady, my benefactor's surname is Yang. His eldest son is Yang Fei, while the drowned son was the second. The youngest, Yang Yi, was the one who gambled. Due to Yang Yi selling off his late second brother's daughter, even though it wasn't his place to decide, the gambling den and brothel were constantly hounding them. They even harassed Yang Fei's daughter. Yang Fei had his leg broken in several altercations. Both his daughter and niece, being strong-willed girls, slashed their faces with blades, disfiguring themselves to avoid the brothel's harassment. However, their family's wealth was plundered by the gambling den, and their remaining possessions were smashed into pieces. They were also forbidden from leaving Yangzhou City. Yang Fei's family had no choice but to seek refuge in a dilapidated temple. His wife and sister-in-law washed clothes daily for others just to earn some food."

"When I arrived, I intended to follow Second Madam's instructions and pay to settle the matter. Unexpectedly, they demanded a huge sum of fifty thousand taels. Helpless, I could only present Master Meng's personal letter to visit the Prefect of Yangzhou. The official dispatched officers, allowing me to escort the entire Yang family out of Yangzhou City."

Madam Hou fell silent for a long while before she asked, "What about Yang Yi?"

Shopkeeper Rong replied, "He had no means to repay his gambling debts, so the casino wouldn't let him off easily. They sold him to a quarry, and he didn't last long before he died there."

Madam Hou: "He deserved his death. And those two poor girls?"

Shopkeeper Rong: "I'll directly send word back to Second Madam. Their entire family is waiting outside the estate."

Madam Hou: "Let those two young girls in. I want to see them."