Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Ming Tang viewed the account books as the second test Mrs. Pei had set for her.

The first, naturally, was tutoring Pei Ze. Despite his young age, Pei Ze, perhaps due to his upbringing, was not difficult to manage. On the contrary, his innocent chatter brought much joy to her daily life.

As for the current matter... Unsure of the exact situation, Ming Tang decided to be forthright, proceeding as if Mrs. Pei had not detected any issues with the account books.

Once her mind was made up, she felt a wave of relief, even eating a few extra bites at dinner.

Zhe Liu, however, found no such ease. After the evening meal, she remained seated opposite Ming Tang, meticulously marking questionable entries in the account books with a fine charcoal pencil, occasionally pausing to tap the abacus for verification.

Wen He, who typically avoided such tasks, brewed honey water in the evening and served it to both of them, feigning a sigh. "Look at Zhe Liu now, putting on such airs, sitting at the table like the young mistress herself, being waited on by me."

Having been teased often, Zhe Liu was unfazed. Without looking up, she continued her work. "What can I say? The young mistress dotes on me. You can just stew in your jealousy."

Ming Tang took the teacup, sipped the perfectly warmed honey water, then handed it to Hong Ying, instructing her to place it farther away to prevent accidental spills on the account books. Leaning on the table, she watched Hong Ying’s tall, slender figure and fanned the flames. "Right now, my favorite is Hong Ying. When will the two of you learn from her? Look at that tiny waist of hers."

Zhe Liu once again lost track of her calculations. With an internal sigh, she saw Hong Ying’s face flush crimson—clearly unaccustomed to Ming Tang’s occasional playful remarks. Zhe Liu soothed her, "Don’t mind her. The young mistress has always been fond of joking."

This time, Wen He said nothing, merely tutted at Zhe Liu with a meaningful look, successfully making Zhe Liu pause her pen again.

Though they had roughly reviewed the accounts in the afternoon, the evening was merely for reconfirmation, so the workload wasn't heavy. Yet, the feeling of being the only one diligently working while others joked and played was truly irritating. Zhe Liu immediately stood up, gathered the account books and abacus, and curtsied slightly. "This servant lacks the concentration to 'read in a bustling marketplace' as the young mistress described. I'll find somewhere quiet to work instead."

"Go on, go on."

Hong Ying, her cheeks less flushed, watched Zhe Liu’s retreating figure and suddenly remarked, "Sister Zhe Liu’s waist is also very slender."

Zhe Liu: "......"

So, was it inevitable that anyone around the young mistress would eventually pick up her habit of teasing others?

Ignoring the laughter behind her, she slid open the screen door and stepped out of the lounge, only to pause abruptly and curtsy, deliberately raising her voice, "My respects to the Heir."

This scene felt somewhat familiar... Pei Yue gave a faint nod and stepped inside, only to see Ming Tang laughing with Hong Ying about something before turning to greet him. Unlike before, when she would immediately stop what she was doing upon his arrival, as if he had interrupted them.

However, with the Heir’s return and Ming Tang never requiring night attendants, Wen He and the other maid finished their tasks and quietly excused themselves. Having spent time together at the hunting grounds, the two maids perked up once outside the main room, chatting and laughing as they returned to their quarters.

Behind them, the faint glow of a single lamp in the inner room seeped through the paper window, casting a dim yellow circle in the deep night. It flickered a few times before finally extinguishing, dissolving into the darkness, becoming one with the inky blackness.

The next morning, after rising, Ming Tang took the notes Zhe Liu had prepared the previous day and headed to the main courtyard.

As usual, she listened to Mrs. Pei handle the day’s affairs in the small flower hall, but today, there was an additional lesson.

Mrs. Pei had someone bring in the visiting cards and gift lists received over the past few days. As she reviewed them, she explained to Ming Tang the relationships between these families and the Pei family—whether close or distant—and how to navigate them appropriately.

The Pei family had been established for generations, and their connections were vast and intricate. Ming Tang listened in admiration, amazed by Mrs. Pei’s memory, as she recalled every relationship without a moment’s hesitation.

Before she knew it, they had nearly gone through all the visiting cards. Mrs. Pei picked up one last card—from the Yun family. It stated that the two young madams of the Yun family wished to visit the Pei residence and, incidentally, to see their grandson, Pei Ze.

Mrs. Pei pondered for a moment, recalling that since the day the Yun family had sent gifts to the Pei estate, they had repeatedly sent more, even on the day of their return to the capital, despite their travel fatigue.

Given their persistence and their status as A Ze’s maternal family, a refusal might lead to undesirable rumors... After weighing the matter, however reluctantly, Mrs. Pei handed the card to Lin Ma with a nod. Lin Ma understood this as approval and quietly noted it before stepping aside.

Ming Tang chose her moment, presenting the account books with a hesitant air.

Mrs. Pei understood, dismissed all unnecessary personnel, and kindly asked, "Well? Is there anything you don’t understand?" Should her daughter-in-law need clarification about the accounts, it was only proper to teach her privately to spare her dignity.

"Not quite," Ming Tang replied. "It’s just that yesterday, my maid and I reviewed these books and found some discrepancies. We’ve marked the suspicious parts with charcoal."

Mrs. Pei started, then looked suspicious. "Someone dared to falsify them?"

Opening the book, Mrs. Pei immediately noticed the fine black lines marking questionable entries. With this initial impression of suspicion, Mrs. Pei—a seasoned handler of accounts—could indeed spot the irregularities upon closer inspection.

Slamming the ledger shut, she was both shocked and furious. "The nerve!"

Mrs. Pei’s reaction confirmed her prior ignorance. Ming Tang couldn’t help but ask, "Had you not reviewed these carefully before, Mother?"

Though the falsification was skillfully done, it wasn’t flawless.

There was no point hiding it. Mrs. Pei placed a hand on the account book, calming herself. "You may not know this, but these are the account books for your late sister-in-law’s dowry shops. After her passing, our family naturally couldn’t manage her dowry, so we let her original staff continue running them. The account books were duplicated—one copy sent to the Yun family, the other to us—with the understanding that all proceeds would go to A Ze when he came of age."

To put it bluntly, the Pei family, as a long-established noble house, had plenty of estates and shops. The dowry the Yun family had given Yun Shi back then wasn’t particularly substantial—just one estate and one shop—so Mrs. Pei had barely glanced at them. When the Yun family proposed the arrangement, she agreed without fuss. Over the years, she had only skimmed the books, trusting the Yuns would catch errors.

Who would have thought... Mrs. Pei lowered her lashes. It was unclear whether this deceitful servant had been cheating both families or just one.

As for Ming Tang, though Mrs. Pei knew she ran her own shop and managed it personally, she hadn’t expected her to review the books so quickly—let alone spot the discrepancies with such sharpness.

Glancing at Ming Tang, Mrs. Pei asked, "In your opinion, how should this be handled?"

Without hesitation, Ming Tang answered, "This is blatant fraud. Since we are a law-abiding family, we should send them straight to the capital magistrate and let the court decide."

Mrs. Pei considered briefly, then smiled at Ming Tang. "Well said."

She summoned Lin Ma and ordered, "Gather some servants. Arrest the fraudulent accountant, the shopkeeper, and Yun Shi’s dowry steward, Yun Shan. Take my name card and deliver them to the capital magistrate’s office. As for the Yun family’s visit, postpone it for now."

The thought of temporarily avoiding unwelcome guests made Mrs. Pei’s lips curl slightly before she composed herself.

Lin Ma immediately complied and left the flower hall.

How decisive... Ming Tang marveled at how swiftly Mrs. Pei had resolved the matter.

With this unexpected incident handled, Mrs. Pei’s estimation of Ming Tang’s capabilities rose another notch, and her gaze grew even more affectionate.

By that afternoon, news of the Pei family sending several dishonest servants to the magistrate had spread throughout the capital, sparking widespread discussion.

In this day and age, most families preferred to handle disloyal servants internally—after all, dirty laundry shouldn’t be aired in public. For a family like the Peis to publicly deliver offenders to the authorities was rare, if not unprecedented.

When it was discovered that among those handed over was the dowry steward of the late heir’s wife, Yun Shi, the gossip grew even wilder, spawning all sorts of far-fetched theories.

Meanwhile, Ming Tang, now burdened with another stack of account books assigned by Mrs. Pei, inwardly lamented: After all these years away from work, how could I forget the most basic rule—the faster you finish, the more you’re given? Now I’m stuck with even more to do.

Zhe Liu, who had been calculating on the abacus nearby, paused to rest and noticed Ming Tang hadn’t turned a page in a while. She promptly reminded her, "Young mistress, focus."

Ming Tang sighed, "The capable bear more burdens. Dear Zhe Liu, help me with some of these, won’t you?"

Zhe Liu hesitated briefly, then—this time prepared—took a few differently colored account books from Wen He and placed them on the table. "I’ll handle more of the ones assigned by Mrs. Pei. You can review these—our own shop’s accounts."

With the Empress’s birthday celebration grander than usual this year, the craftsmen at Ming Tang’s shop had been working day and night on peony-themed jewelry under her orders. The pieces sold at higher prices and in greater quantities than previous years. Zhe Liu was certain her mistress would find these accounts interesting.

Sure enough, upon hearing these were their own shop’s books, Ming Tang perked up immediately and began flipping through them. Accustomed to mental arithmetic, she didn’t use the abacus, only occasionally jotting down numbers on a separate sheet. When she tallied up the recent earnings, it was as if she could see her wealth pool expanding, shimmering gold.

Seizing the moment, Zhe Liu added, "This morning, I went to the shop. That set of jewelry you specially commissioned from Master Ji was completed. Two families took a liking to it and even bid against each other."

Seeing Wen He’s curious glance, Zhe Liu mysteriously gestured a number, making Ming Tang’s smile widen. Though she had put thought into the design, under normal circumstances, that set would have sold for half the price at best.

"However," Zhe Liu added before Ming Tang could ask, "the buyer insisted we don’t sell any similar pieces. They paid extra for exclusivity."

"Good," Ming Tang instantly relaxed.

"Scarcity drives up value—she understood. Another set would just devalue it."

After dropping two good news in a row, Zhe Liu seized the moment to claim credit: "Miss, considering I’ve been stationed in the capital all this time—if not for merit, at least for hard work—how about helping me out a bit more?"

Ming Tang was resolute: "No." Seeing Zhe Liu freeze, Ming Tang sighed gloomily, "You just told me I’m a little richer now. Wealth breeds laziness, and I’m lazier than I was a moment ago."

Zhe Liu: "...Miscalculated that one."

Wen He, who had been watching the bickering between master and servant, couldn’t help but laugh before stifling it just in time, returning to her usual calm. She consoled Zhe Liu, "At least Miss helped you with a few of the shop’s account books. Be content."

Otherwise, they’d have fallen to Zhe Liu sooner or later anyway.

Zhe Liu looked up: "I remember you learned the abacus with me before." Though, because she wasn’t as fast, she’d been assigned other tasks.

A faint sense of foreboding flickered in Wen He’s heart.

Zhe Liu had already decisively stood up and pushed a portion of the ledgers toward Wen He: "We share the benefits." Whenever there was extra work, the mistress would give out more monthly pay—so Zhe Liu’s declaration of "sharing the fortune" was especially enthusiastic.

Ming Tang was quite pleased: "Well said!" See? They didn't even need her here.

With that, she stood up and vacated her seat.

Wen He wanted to cry: She’d just gotten her hands on the new storybook the mistress had finished reading and was only halfway through!

In the evening, when Pei Yue returned, he was met with even more account books on the table than the day before, along with two maids intently working the abacus. He paused: "Where’s the young mistress?"

Snapped out of their calculations, the two maids curtsied in unison. Wen He replied, "The young mistress is in the study."

Pei Yue nodded and turned toward the western study.

Ming Tang was lounging on the daybed by the study window, engrossed in a book.

Recalling what he’d accidentally seen last time, Pei Yue couldn’t be sure whether Ming Tang was reading another storybook or one of those difficult scholarly texts.

Hearing the noise, Ming Tang naturally tucked the book away—leaving Pei Yue none the wiser about it.

But that wasn’t why he’d come anyway.

Pei Yue walked past Ming Tang without a word, choosing a seat neither too close nor too far from her. Seeing her utterly unmoved, a flicker of doubt crossed his mind: Nan Wang had sworn this style of belt best accentuated a slender waist.

...Could it be that Ming Tang only preferred women with slender waists?