Chapter 123 Waiting for the Young General's Return

Madam Ning was feeling sentimental when she heard this. She looked at her without saying anything, and Lu Yun Chu also looked over.

Yu Qingci slowly said, "After all, no one has seen the young general's body until now. I heard my father say that as soon as the war stopped, the army stationed on the frontier sent out several groups of people to search for him, but none of them found him."

Since no body was found, is there another possibility that the person is not dead?

It's possible he was injured, and quite seriously, and was rescued and hidden away in a hard-to-find place to recover. He'll likely return in two or three years.

Yu Qingci tried hard to recall the legends she had heard about the young general Lu Yunqi in her previous life, but unfortunately she only remembered that he would return with a woman three years later. She knew nothing about what had happened in between, so this was all she could tell her mother-in-law.

The mother and daughter watched her quietly. A glimmer of hope gradually appeared in Madam Ning's eyes, and she slowly nodded, saying:

“You’re right, that’s possible. Nobody saw my son’s body, so why do they all say he’s dead? I’ve never believed it.”

"Mother."

Lu Yun Chu called out worriedly. She didn't blame her sister-in-law for saying those things and upsetting her mother. After all, she also hoped that what her sister-in-law said was true and that her brother would really come back in two or three years.

But how could that be?

Madam Ning didn't really believe it either, feeling that the hope was very slim. The general who transported the general's body back told her in front of her that the battle was extremely dangerous and many soldiers had died. The young general led a vanguard deep into enemy territory and then lost contact.

After the battle, their men found the bodies of the advance soldiers on a cliff, and several other bodies were found at the bottom of the cliff.

However, because a long time had passed, the corpses had been pecked away by vultures, leaving only bloody bones, and even their clothes were torn to shreds, making it impossible to tell who was who.

Hearing these words, Madam Ning fainted several times from grief, feeling that her son was among those bloody bones.

However, her daughter-in-law said this to comfort her and stop her from being sad. She was also a good girl with a tragic fate. It was because she herself wanted to make up for the pain of losing her son that she insisted on going to the Nanping Earl's Mansion to fulfill the marriage contract. That's why such a good girl had to marry into the family and live as a widow at such a young age.

Ultimately, it was their general's mansion that had wronged the child.

Madam Ning forced a smile and said, "You're right. Since we haven't found my son's remains for so long, perhaps it's true, as you said, that my son will come back safe and sound in a few years. Then, the hard times we three have endured will be over."

Yu Qingci's eyes sparkled as she gently took Lu Yun Chu's hand and nodded emphatically to Old Madam Ning, saying, "Yes, so we all need to take good care of ourselves and wait for the young general's return."

Seeing that the three masters spoke with such conviction that it seemed the young general was truly still alive, Granny Wang felt a lump in her throat and couldn't bear to listen any longer. She stepped forward and interjected:

“Madam, our lives have finally come to an end. Didn’t you say that you were going to hand over all the keys and accounts of the mansion to the young mistress today? You can kowtow and offer incense after you’ve finished these.”

After being reminded by Wang Mama, Madam Ning turned around and looked at the pile of playing cards and keychains on the table behind her, as well as the several large boxes on the ground, and then she suddenly realized what was going on.

"Look at my memory. Come here, daughter-in-law. I said I would hand over the management of the household to you, but because the house has been in such a mess, I haven't been able to muster the energy. I haven't been able to hand over the property certificate and keys to you for so long. Now it's time to make the handover clear."

And these things in the box, besides the accounts from all these years, also include the indentures of all the servants in the mansion. Keep them all carefully. If the steward has any difficulties, just come to me. Do whatever you want. I can trust this household to be in your hands.

"Your steward should be well aware of the situation by now. I'm ashamed to say, but I don't need to tell you the current state of the household. Leaving you with such a mess is something I, as your mother-in-law, have failed you in."

Old Madam Ning held Yu Qingci's hand, filled with emotion.

Yu Qingci said gently, "Mother, please don't say that. It's not easy for you to support such a big family all these years. Let's do as you say and live a quiet life behind closed doors. There are many good days ahead for us."

Madam Ning said with relief, "In short, I'm sorry to trouble you from now on. I won't say any more. I'm going to chant sutras and burn incense now, praying to the Bodhisattva to bless my son so that he can return safely one day."

After giving her instructions, Madam Ning, supported by her maid, went to the small Buddhist shrine in the backyard.

Yu Qingci ordered her men to move all the nameplates and keys to her residence, Guanlan Pavilion.

As early as when she was learning to manage the household from the old lady, Yu Qingci already knew the General's Mansion's assets very well.

This time, the division of the family property resulted in four shops being allocated to the second and fourth branches. Although the number seems small, the location and size of these shops are among the best of all the shops in the General's Mansion. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to snatch them up and run them like a piece of fat meat in the first place.

Although those shops are now heavily in debt, the storefronts are still in good condition. Even if they are not used for business and are rented out, they can still earn enough money each year to support their families.

As for their eldest branch, the remaining shops on their books are rather disappointing. Both their locations and sizes are less than ideal.

Only two of them are located in bustling downtown areas, while the rest are in relatively remote locations. Overall, the differences in location and foot traffic are quite significant.

However, since they are all located in the capital city, as long as they manage the business diligently in the future, they should not have to worry about making a profit.

However, the staff in the shop needs to be completely replaced, and a new manager needs to be selected who is both capable and loyal.

There are also servants in the mansion. In the past, the general's mansion lived up to its name and naturally needed a large number of servants to maintain its dignity. Now things are different. The master has taken over most of the mansion and really doesn't need so many people.

After looking at the thick stack of indentures in the box, Yu Qingci looked up at Granny Wang and said:

“Granny, I have only been in this household for a few months and I am still young. I may not have thought things through enough. I will have to rely on you to give me some pointers in the future.”

Granny Wang quickly replied respectfully, "Young Madam is too kind. Since the Old Madam has given the order, I will obey any command you give me, Young Madam, whenever there is anything I need."

Yu Qingci nodded slightly and continued:

“Of course I trust you, Granny. You’ve helped my mother manage the household for many years, and you know everyone in the mansion, from the affairs to the servants, better than anyone. To be honest, I already have plans for the shops outside.”

However, we don't need so many servants in the manor anymore, so dismissing them is inevitable. Firstly, to reduce expenses, and secondly, for some peace and quiet. What do you think, Granny?