Chapter 86

Chapter 86

It was noon at the Imperial Academy when Shen Linfeng lifted his head from a pile of books, hearing that a servant from his home had brought lunch. This was the first day since Lord and Lady Shen had departed.

After bidding farewell to his parents in the morning, he had come to work, not expecting his family to send lunch so soon.

Xiao Qing said, "Young Master, it happens that Lady Liu and Miss Liu came over today, and our Grand Lady had some roasted suckling pig prepared. She picked out some dishes and sent them over, saying you like this."

"My wife thinks of everything for me," Shen Linfeng said happily.

The food box contained four dishes: a plate of roasted suckling pig, a plate of three-threaded bean curd, a plate of cold-spicy pickled cabbage, and a plate of five-flavored apricot goose. There were also two pastries—lotus leaf pastries and jade bean cakes—and the main dishes were a bowl of yellow rice and a bowl of tung skin noodles, all served in very small bowls.

Most touching was that his wife knew he did not drink alcohol while working, so she specifically sent him lactose snow.

Seeing what his family had sent, Shen Linfeng's colleagues at the Imperial Academy found it quite ordinary, not the grand feast they imagined from a noble family. What was most interesting was that Shen Linfeng started with the lactose snow.

One of them, Lu Bianxiu, laughed and said, "Brother Gongding, why are you eating this? Isn't this something women and children love?"

Shen Linfeng waved his hand, "My throat hurts; I need something cold."

Actually, when he was young, his family always said eating this would upset his stomach, so they didn't let him eat much. Recently, when Yao Niang ate it, he would deliberately say that if she couldn't finish it, he would eat it to avoid waste. Yao Niang wasn't the type to let others eat her leftovers, so she would have someone send an extra portion for him.

It was really delicious. After finishing the lactose snow, he ate the rest of the meal, which was about the size of a palm, without wasting anything.

Yao Niang and Lady Liu enjoyed their meal together. She said, "In ten days, it will be my birthday. I hope to invite you to our residence then."

"Aren't you going to hold a coming-of-age ceremony?" Lady Liu asked.

Yao Niang smiled, "The coming-of-age ceremony involves putting on a hairpin, but I've already styled my hair up, so I don't want to make it too complicated. I just want everyone to come over for a meal and some fun, and I don't plan to invite outsiders."

Lady Liu replied, "I will definitely come for your birthday. Now that your in-laws have left, you are in charge. If you need any help, just let me know."

"I won't hesitate to ask. Now that our three families have separated, we have rebuilt walls and installed doors between us and the Second House, making it easier to host guests. Sister Shan can also visit me more often," Yao Niang smiled.

By inviting Lady Liu, Yao Niang also wanted to learn about managing a household. Lady Liu, who was young but managed a large estate, could offer valuable advice.

Lady Liu was open and honest: "The first principle of managing a household is strict control of the gates. Only with strict gatekeeping can the house be safe. Otherwise, no matter how well you manage, if someone steals or starts a fire, there's nothing you can do."

"That makes sense, but most of the servants here were left by my mother-in-law. I'll use this opportunity to see if they are truly loyal to me," Yao Niang thought.

Lady Liu also loved the Shen family's roasted suckling pig. After taking a bite, she said, "Secondly, each person should have a clear role, and finally, rewards should be given for good work and punishments for mistakes."

These principles sound simple but are hard to implement.

But managing a household is like managing affairs; orders must be strictly enforced.

After sending Lady Liu off at noon, Yao Niang called all the servants of the First House. Some were part of her dowry, while others were originally from the Shen family.

"I have called you here because from now on, I will be managing the First House. I don't know you yet, nor do I know your strengths. Every five of you come forward and report your names, ages, skills, and previous places of employment," Yao Niang didn't like to pretend to be emotional. Playing the sentiment card with people she didn't know well would only make her look weak.

Hongxue, her chief maid and also her personal attendant who could read and write, assisted with the inquiries.

Yao Niang was most concerned about spies from the Second and Third Houses, especially Lady Shen Er, who often helped Lady Shen manage the household and had likely placed many people inside.

As Hongxue recorded, Yao Niang listened attentively.

The servants, initially nervous, breathed a sigh of relief when Hongxue only took notes and dismissed them. Yao Niang then did her second task: cleaning and locking up unused courtyards, such as the one where Shen Bangyan and his wife once lived, and the one where Han Ruohua and Shen Mo resided, now empty. All items were inventoried and stored in the warehouse.

Exhausted after completing these tasks, she lay down on the bed for a nap. In the evening, she drank a bowl of soup and went to sleep.

The Second Madam's household was also like an old tree sprouting new buds; with the departure of the First Madam, she had become the rightful mistress of the house. Therefore, she specially summoned carpenters and craftsmen to repair her residence and make furniture, keeping herself quite busy.

It wasn't until evening that Mama Qian reported, "The First House has already started registering names and locking up the vacant courtyards."

"Is that so? She is a clever one, even if her methods are still somewhat naive, she can at least set up a framework." The Second Madam, now having successfully separated from the family, was not particularly happy about it.

Speaking of which, the mansion in the capital had been evenly divided, but according to the Second Madam's observations, the First House had clearly received more than the Second and Third Houses. Having frequently assisted the First Madam in managing affairs, she knew that the external income was substantial, leading her to suspect that the Old Master Shen had favored the First House back then.

At the time of the division, the Old Master Shen had said that apart from the First House receiving some additional fields, the rest of the property was equally divided. However, the income of the First House far exceeded that of the Second House, indicating that there must have been some private hoarding during the division. When she first married into the family, her in-laws had looked down on her because her family had fallen from grace. Despite her capabilities surpassing those of the eldest sister-in-law, they only favored the eldest sister-in-law.

Seeing Shen Linfeng go out, he could easily treat the entire Spring Moon Tower to drinks, and even ship peonies in large quantities. The eldest sister-in-law would casually spend hundreds of taels on her niece's wedding, while the Second House of the Shen family was completely different.

"How is the Second Lady's health? It's been half a year since she entered the door, yet there's no sign of anything," the Second Madam asked.

Mama Qian shook her head, "I don't know what goes on in the young master's chambers."

Sometimes, the Second Madam had a bold thought: if Shen Linfeng were gone, wouldn't everything in the First House belong to them?

Before she could react, someone came in to report, "Second Madam, the First Lady of the Bi family is pregnant and has sent someone to announce the good news."

What joy is this? It's not our daughter-in-law, the Second Madam thought to herself. But she waved her hand and said to Mama Qian, "Send some tonics over on my behalf."

The Bi family was her natal family, relying on her support. In the past, the Second Madam feared that the Bi family coming over would be laughed at, but now sending tonics and such would not invite any comments.

However, she thought of another matter. Previously, the main kitchen was managed by the First Madam, who had hired chefs from Fujian, Zhejiang, and Guangdong. Everyone praised the food in the Shen family kitchen.

But now, when the Master and Mistress Shen returned home, they brought two chefs with them. Lady Yan mentioned that her dowry included four departments and six bureaus, so the First House had its own dedicated kitchen and chefs. Today, they were still eating food sent from the First House, but tomorrow, once the gate between the two houses was closed, the First House would no longer send meals.

"Mother Qian, tomorrow have someone order a banquet from the Spring Moon Tower and bring a chef here," the Second Madam said.

Compared to the Second Madam as the head of the household, the Third House was a disorganized mess. Before Lu Shaner arrived, the First Madam had always managed the household, and the Third House didn't contribute money, so the First House covered the expenses. The First Madam, having served as the matriarch for many years, did not mind these details. The Clear Lady and the Second Lady Jiang respected the First Madam greatly and always sent the best things to her.

But now that the Third House had separated, both Lu Shaner and the Clear Lady thought the other would manage the household. The Governor Shen had entrusted the First Madam to take care of the Third House, which had six sons, three of whom were married, and the other three studying in the capital. This was a large family, and they all found it burdensome and troublesome, with no one willing to step forward, fearing that the accounts would show a shortage, requiring them to make up the difference themselves.

Yao Niang, as usual, had the kitchen send meals to the two houses. Since today she was inviting the Liu family mother and daughter, she wanted the servants of the First House to enjoy a good meal, so she didn't hold back. Tomorrow, each house would eat separately.

The next morning, breakfast was prepared by the original Shen family chef, who specialized in Cantonese cuisine, making excellent soups and dim sum. Yao Niang had him specifically handle breakfast. Normally, Yao Niang enjoyed Cantonese dim sum, but today's rule was to prepare only for the First House.

She didn't need to pay respects, and after dining with Shen Linfeng, she could even take a nap.

On the Second Madam's side, things were still manageable, though the food ordered from outside was not as timely.

The Second Master was displeased, "Why is it lamb pie? I never eat strong-smelling foods like leeks and lamb in the morning. I usually have shrimp cakes. And this porridge is bean porridge, I don't eat mixed bean porridge, it causes bloating."

Living with her husband for so many years, the Second Madam felt a sense of unfamiliarity for the first time.

She had to restrain herself and said, "Tomorrow, we'll hire a chef."

Having gotten used to the communal kitchen, the Second Madam realized how difficult it was to cater to everyone's tastes. Fortunately, her household consisted of only a few people. After the Second Master and Shen Bangyan left, it was just her and her daughter-in-law, and they could enjoy the banquet from the Spring Moon Tower without much complaint.

The Third House, however, was in a dire situation. With six brothers, some from different mothers, the Clear Lady, as the eldest sister-in-law, would have to buy seven portions, including one for Lu Shaner, which she was not eager to do.

The Clear Lady opened her box and took out some pastries to eat, telling Shen Linqing to go out and eat on his own. The Second Lady Jiang, being pregnant, was specially taken care of by the First Madam, who had arranged for a small kitchen. Now, nothing was being sent over, and she hadn't fully grasped the implications of the separation. Holding her belly, she said, "What's going on? Why is the kitchen so late today? Nan, go with me to ask the First House what's happening. I can go hungry, but we can't let the baby in my belly go hungry."