Chapter 137 Year-End Accounting

Upon returning to the General's Mansion, Yu Qingci went to Songbai Hall immediately.

When Madam Ning saw her return, she asked with concern, "How is your brother now?"

Yu Qingci briefly explained her brother's situation to her mother-in-law. Hearing that Yu Qingbai was alright, Madam Ning was relieved and murmured a few Amitabha Buddha's names. She wanted to ask her daughter-in-law why she hadn't returned home all night, but she didn't say it.

Forget it, my daughter-in-law always knows when to advance and when to retreat. If I ask her directly, she might misunderstand and think that I, as her mother-in-law, am criticizing her.

Granny Wang is right. This family will eventually have to rely on the daughter-in-law. As long as it's not too outrageous, we should just turn a blind eye to some things.

Upon returning to Guanlan Pavilion, Yu Qingci first inquired about the affairs of the manor. She was relieved to learn that everything was fine while she was away.

In her spare time, Yu Qingci packed a large purse for Granny Pei in front of several maids. Tong'er and the other maids also benefited, each receiving a small purse filled with gold beads.

Since marrying into the General's Mansion, Yu Qingci has always been generous to those around her, but such a lavish gesture as today is rare. For a moment, Guanlan Pavilion was filled with laughter and joy.

After a while of lively conversation, Yu Qingci dismissed everyone except for Granny Pei, and the two sat down to discuss serious matters.

Yu Qingci: "Send our people to secretly investigate a worker named Yue Wu at Qiao Family Winery. Tell them to keep an eye on his family situation and let me know immediately if anything happens to them."

"Is the Qiao Family Winery that the young mistress mentioned owned by the Qiao family, the maternal family of the Earl's wife, Lady Qiao, or the residence of Minister Qiao?" asked Pei, puzzled.

Yu Qingci: "Yes, it's the one on the same street as our family's cloth shop, the sign says 'Ten Mile Fragrance'."

Granny Pei: "I knew about Ten Mile Fragrance when the young mistress mentioned it, but why is the young mistress suddenly concerned about the people from Qiao Family Winery? Did that shopkeeper named Yue Wu offend us?"

Granny Pei naturally couldn't understand why the young mistress wanted to investigate this person.

Yu Qingci smiled faintly: "No, I've heard my mother mention this person before. It seems he has some connection with the Su family. If he encounters any difficulties now, we'll help him if we can."

"I see," Pei Mama readily agreed upon hearing this.

The matter of being reborn was truly unbelievable. She didn't plan to tell a third person except her mother, so she pinned the blame for Yue Wu's situation on her mother. She knew her mother would definitely help her if she found out.

Previously, I was worried about how to make money after the sales of Xiaguangjin dropped. Now, I have found a good way to make money.

Currently, none of her shops sell alcohol. Since she has decided to do this, she needs to plan carefully.

Remembering the tasks she had arranged before leaving, he gave the order: "Inform Steward Lu that tomorrow we should call the managers and stewards from outside the manor to come in and settle the year-end accounts so that everyone can have a good New Year."

This was Yu Qingci's first meeting with the shopkeeper outside, and the meeting place was in the main hall of the outer courtyard.

A charcoal brazier was placed in the main hall beforehand, and then an incense burner was lit. Soon the entire main hall was warm and cozy.

Yu Qingci sat upright in the main seat, surrounded by servants and maids. In front of her was a six-panel marble-framed embroidered screen depicting distant green mountains. Steward Lu personally led several guards to stand guard in the courtyard, ready to receive orders at any time.

After the shopkeepers entered together, they could only see a figure sitting in the center behind the screen. The voice coming from the figure was soft and gentle, making one feel close to the person.

The shopkeepers felt a sense of awe and lowered their heads, waiting patiently for a reply.

Yu Qingci first inquired about the recent situation of each shopkeeper's business, and finally said:

"You all signed new contracts and stayed. Since you are willing to stay, it means you are serious about doing a good job. I now have a good understanding of the situation of each shop. Fluctuations in profits are normal."

From now on, the account books will be submitted monthly, and the accounts will be reviewed every six months. If the shop's profits do not meet my expectations, then it means the person is not competent, and it is reasonable for me to choose another capable person.

Of course, if you do well, in addition to your regular wages, you will receive an extra 10% of the profits as a bonus, as previously agreed.

Although I am young and cannot leave the mansion to go to the shop to see for myself, I know the principle of trusting those I employ and not employing those I distrust. I also carefully review the account books you submit every month.

If there's anything you can't resolve in the future, you can go to the gatekeeper's house and have him relay a message to my personal maid, Pei."

After saying that, he told Tong'er to take out the purses that had been prepared and distribute them to the shopkeepers one by one.

The shopkeepers held the bulging purse in their hands and weighed it in their hands. They admired the young mistress even more. On their first meeting, her ability to win people over was no less than that of the most experienced mistresses.

As for his business acumen, if they hadn't held out much hope before, he has now surprised them even more.

Who would have thought that the brocade that the young mistress had ordered to be stockpiled in advance would fetch an astronomical price among the elites of the capital, instantly reviving the shop and earning a large sum of money for the first time in many years?

The shopkeepers decided that from now on they would only listen to the young mistress's orders.

Standing at the back are the heads of three villages in the suburbs.

The three village heads were all old men who had lived on the village for a long time. They were all soldiers under the general. They used to be suppressed by the second and fourth branches of the family, but now that the family had separated, they finally felt like they could finally hold their heads high.

This was their first time entering the General's Mansion, and the person they were meeting was a delicate young lady. The three of them had heard Steward Lu mention this young mistress before, and they were all filled with curiosity.

Seeing that they wouldn't have a chance to reply anytime soon, the three of them even cautiously looked up and quickly glanced behind the screen, as if trying to see clearly the person sitting behind it. Unfortunately, they couldn't see clearly, and they couldn't help but feel curious and regretful.

People outside say that this newly widowed young lady is in the prime of her life and has an unparalleled beauty. However, she married the deceased young general and has spent her entire life as a widow in this deep mansion. She is a beautiful woman with a tragic fate. Although she is rich and has many servants around her, she is still pitiful.

The three village chiefs were secretly feeling sorry for the young mistress when they suddenly heard a voice coming from inside:

"Gentlemen, tell me about the situation on your estates this year."

The three village heads, Li, Tian, ​​and Bai, were suddenly called out. They quickly put aside their wild thoughts and began to step forward to answer.

The manor where Bai Zhuangtou lived was the largest, so Bai Zhuangtou stepped forward first to reply:

“Young Madam, of the three estates that the General’s Mansion has left behind, the two estates that I and the head of the Li estate are located near the foot of Jiyun Mountain are both over a thousand acres. The estate that head of the Tian estate is managed is a little further away from the capital, but it is still four hundred acres, and most of them are top-quality farmland.”

"It's rather shameful to say, but in previous years, due to various reasons, everyone on the estate worked hard all year but the final harvest wasn't great. We failed the General's trust. However, this year is better; Steward Lu personally sent people to manage the harvest."