They knelt down at Song Ruoan's feet with great joy, and several of the quick-witted ones began to utter flattering words:

"The eldest son is ill, and the second son has gained the Prime Minister's favor. From now on, it will be the second son who supports this family!"

“I knew from the beginning that the eldest young mistress couldn’t manage the household at all, and we didn’t respect her at all! Sure enough, she was dismissed after only a few days.”

"Yes! This servant prays to the gods and Buddhas every night, hoping that you, Madam, can take charge of the household!"

"Madam, you are skilled in medicine, good at managing a household, and so beautiful. There is no one else like you in the capital!"

Song Ruoan basked in the praise of the crowd, slightly raising her chin, utterly delighted.

"You guys are really good with your tongues. Don't worry, I will definitely not treat you unfairly."

Standing to the side, Granny Hu nodded approvingly upon hearing this.

Repairing the house was something the Marquis's mansion should do, and it wasn't a huge expense for them.

However, Song Ruoan used this incident to win over the hearts of all the servants in the Marquis's mansion, which not only made it easier for her to manage the household in the future, but also made her position more secure.

This is killing two birds with one stone.

Song Ruoan clearly thought the same thing; she took out the key to the storeroom and handed it to Hu Mama beside her.

"Granny, go to the storeroom and get the silver. First, repair all the places in the mansion that need repair."

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the key in Song Ruoan's hand, their eyes filled with fervor.

"Thank you so much, Second Young Madam! Thank you so much, Second Young Madam!"

"We will always remember your great kindness and will work hard in the future!"

Enjoying the grateful gazes of everyone, Song Ruoan nodded: "You all wait here, Granny Hu will allocate the silver to hire craftsmen right away."

Everyone present was overjoyed, and the remaining servants hurriedly helped carry the account books, escorting Song Ruoan back to Guanyun Pavilion.

The news reached Madam He's Wanxiang Hall. Upon hearing that Song Ruoan was going to take charge of repairing the Marquis's residence, Madam He nodded in satisfaction.

Everyone says that Song Ruoan manages her household very well, completely outshining Song Xizhi.

Song Ruoan was surrounded and escorted back to Guanyunxuan, where all the servants were completely convinced of her worth.

She almost burst out laughing: "Butler? That's easy!"

Song Ruoan sat on the soft couch and drank a cup of hot tea. She immediately felt refreshed and then slowly opened the account book, wanting to clarify the Marquis's account first.

But before she could even read a few pages, she heard hurried footsteps outside.

Song Ruoan frowned slightly, looked up and saw Hu Mama's anxious face.

"What's wrong, Granny? Why are you so flustered?"

Granny Hu's throat was dry from running. She glanced back warily and then hurriedly closed the door.

"Miss! This old servant went to the storeroom and checked! There's absolutely no silver left! Where would we get the money to hire craftsmen to repair the house?"

"What?" Song Ruoan stood up from the soft couch in disbelief. "How could such a large marquis's mansion not have any money?"

Granny Hu nodded, looking worried: "I also find it strange, but it's not in the storeroom. Many maids and servants have been asking me along the way, but I haven't dared to speak up."

"If the silver isn't in the vault, it must be somewhere else."

After all, He Jingyan had spent half his life on the battlefield, winning numerous battles, large and small, and receiving many rewards from the emperor, with silver flowing in like water.

The border region is bitterly cold, and there's nowhere to spend money. Where else can we go? Only in the Marquis's mansion!

The thought of swallowing He Jingyan's money filled Song Ruoan with excitement, and she turned to leave after saying that.

She then remembered that there were many maids and servants waiting outside, so she had no choice but to sit back down on the couch.

"Granny, quickly summon the stewards of the Marquis's residence and ask them where they put the Marquis's silver. Also, have them tell you about the situation at the Marquis's residence."

Granny Hu nodded and hurriedly went out to call for someone.

This time, Song Ruoan waited for a long time before Hu Mama arrived in a hurry with several stewards.

The stewards had naturally heard the news and greeted Song Ruoan with beaming smiles as they entered.

"Second Young Madam, I heard you're planning to renovate the Marquis's residence? And increase the servants' monthly stipends?"

"You are truly the savior of the Marquis's mansion, the savior of the Marquis's mansion!"

The managers all had gray beards, but their eyes shone as they looked at Song Ruoan, as if they were looking at a god of wealth.

Song Ruoan was pleased to hear their compliments, but she also felt something was off.

"The stewards are too kind. It's just a matter of making decisions on repairing the Marquis's residence. What's so difficult about that?"

The head steward nodded repeatedly, almost bursting into tears: "Yes, yes, it's not difficult in theory, but everything is ready except for you!"

Song Ruoan was very happy, but she still tried to appear composed: "I called you here today to resolve this matter. Where are the Marquis's silver stored?"

"The old woman said she didn't see any silver in the storeroom."

Upon hearing this, all the managers were taken aback. They looked at each other, and then Manager Qian, who was in charge, hesitated before saying:

"Madam, there's no money left in the public accounts!"

Song Ruoan's beaming smile froze on her face, and she asked in disbelief, "What?"

Granny Hu's eyelids twitched as well: "I don't understand what you're saying. What do you mean by 'no money left'?"

Steward Qian's face was rather grim, and he simply shook his head: "Don't you know the intricacies of the Marquis's residence?"

Song Ruoan's face turned pale instantly, and she felt a buzzing in her ears: "The key? What key? What happened to the Marquis's mansion?"

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