Chapter 326 Skillful Husband Management

Meng Dongyuan was attracted to Dong's appearance, and the charm of her mature woman also captivated him. In addition, Dong had read quite a few books. Even if she couldn't be called a great talent, she was still capable of handling someone of Meng Dongyuan's level and could discuss poetry and literature with him.

In this way, Dong Shi won Meng Dongyuan's heart even more. This was a kind of happiness that Sun Shi could not give him. After all, Sun Shi was not a woman with a wealth of knowledge. His first wife, Zhou Shi, was quite talented, but all she could do was urge him to study hard. She was a dull and boring lady from a prominent family, who did not understand romance. How could she have such an elegant interest as brewing tea and discussing poetry with him?

Since Madam Dong entered the household, all of Meng Dongyuan's concubines have lost favor, and he no longer sets foot in their rooms.

As soon as Dong married into the Meng family, she took over the household management. Looking at the account books, she felt a sense of powerlessness. It was a complete mess!

Rumors circulated that the Meng family had declined but still possessed considerable wealth. Dong Shi never imagined that it was merely a rumor, and that the real Meng family was nothing more than an empty shell, with only a title and a small amount of family fortune remaining.

Despite this, the Meng family is still putting on a brave face, trying to maintain their former dignity and avoid being looked down upon by others, completely ignoring the unbalanced income and expenditure situation at home. If this continues, the Meng family will be depleted of their wealth.

But having already married, Lady Dong had no choice but to accept her fate. At least she had the respectable title of Lady of Yongchang to make up for it. A family with a title was much better than her ex-husband's family. Her ex-husband's father-in-law did not hold a high official position, but her ex-husband was well-educated. However, he died young and did not pass the imperial examination to become an official.

Fortunately, Madam Dong was also good at managing the household. After learning about the problems in the family, she was disappointed, but she quickly composed herself and discussed with her husband the need to increase income and reduce expenditure, to be frugal and thrifty, and not to be extravagant in terms of food, clothing and other necessities. She suggested that adjustments should be made to first reduce the standard of expenditure, depending on the actual situation, and that the allowances of the masters in the mansion be halved.

Meng Dongyuan and Dong Shi were newlyweds, and the novelty of their marriage was still fresh. He doted on Dong Shi and often felt that she was his soulmate. After a few words of encouragement from her, the couple had another passionate lovemaking session, and he reluctantly agreed to Dong Shi's decision.

Madam Meng felt that such stinginess was detrimental to the dignity of the Meng family as a century-old family, and immediately objected. However, Meng Dongyuan's current favorite was Madam Dong, so he sided with Madam Dong. After all, the family was indeed not as prosperous as before. Being frugal at home and generous when going out would help restore their dignity. The frugality at home was all Madam Meng's idea, as she advocated diligence and thrift.

Madam Meng was furious and said directly to Meng Dongyuan, "You've really made something of yourself! You've forgotten your mother now that you have a wife! I never thought that in my old age I would not only not enjoy a peaceful life, but also be mistreated by my son and daughter-in-law! My allowance has been halved, what kind of miserable life is this? I've lived most of my life and never suffered like this!"

Meng Dongyuan had no choice but to say, "Mother, even the Empress in the palace advocates frugality. We should not be too extravagant, lest we be impeached by the censors. It's always right to follow the Empress's lead."

"Making a big deal out of small things" was a statement that Old Madam Meng couldn't refute. She also resented her deceased husband. If it weren't for her husband protecting that damned girl, and Zhou's family not having any brothers, that generous dowry would have been theirs. Why would they be so stingy and frugal now?

Not only was Old Madam Meng dissatisfied with Dong's actions, but Meng Chengxing and Meng Jinyu were also unhappy. Their monthly allowances were halved, and they had never experienced such hardship before. Their stepmother had only been in the family for a few days, and she was already causing them trouble.

They told their father, but were scolded. So they went to Rongfu Hall in private to tell Madam Meng about it. Although Madam Meng was also dissatisfied with Dong's stinginess and pettiness, which was unbecoming of the Meng family, she did not speak ill of Dong in front of the younger generation. She dismissed the siblings with a few words and told them to behave themselves.

After leaving Rongfu Hall, Meng Jinyu said to her younger brother, "See, I told you so! Father is completely captivated by her, and even Grandmother praises her for her skill in managing the household. Who knows if she'll secretly use the money she saves to subsidize her family? Her father is just an old Hanlin scholar, and the Hanlin Academy is a low-paying and unprofitable department. Her brothers aren't very successful either."

Meng Chengxing frowned, thinking that his monthly allowance would be halved and his daily expenses would also be halved. The money saved might be secretly used by his stepmother to subsidize the Dong family. He felt angry. It's true that if there is a stepmother, there will be a stepfather. His father actually supported Dong's decision and even scolded them. The Meng family is a century-old family. How can they be so poor?

Meng Jinyu said earnestly, "Third brother, the provincial examinations held twice every three years will begin next month. Second brother will also participate. You must work hard and strive to become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examinations). You can't let second brother outdo you."

Upon hearing this, Meng Chengxing couldn't help but have second thoughts: "Second sister, I'm only thirteen years old."

Meng Jinyu frowned, glared at him with displeasure, and said with a look of disappointment, "My second brother is only fourteen years old, just one year older than you. You started your studies together. If he can pass the imperial examination, why can't you? If he passes the county-level examination, Father and Grandmother might value him even more. Don't forget that he is already registered under the Zhou family name, the eldest son of the first wife, and has an elder sister who is the wife of a marquis as his backer. His status is not what it used to be, but we are stuck with such a birth mother, and our reputation is damaged."

Upon hearing this, Meng Chengxing felt a sense of crisis arise.

-

The Changxing Marquis's Residence.

Meng Jinyao also kept track of the Meng family's affairs. Gu Jingxi gave her maid Chan'er, who was skilled in martial arts, making it easy for her to quietly find out what was going on.

Meng Jinyao was somewhat surprised after hearing Chan'er's report: "Dong Shi is really good at managing her husband. She has done what even Sun Shi could not do."

Previously, Sun was actually good at managing the household. After the Meng family lost her mother's generous dowry, she understood that if the Meng family continued to maintain the original expenditure, it would eventually be depleted. However, her grandmother and father were concerned about their reputation and could not accept living worse than before, so they would not allow Sun to do so.

It was Dong who succeeded. Her father even supported her decision, which shows that Dong was quite resourceful. She managed to ensure that her father never took a concubine after Dong married into the family. Even if there were concubines who were younger than Dong, such as sixteen or seventeen-year-old girls, her father never even glanced at them.

Chan'er asked, "Madam, should I continue to keep an eye on things?"

Meng Jinyao shook her head: "There's no need to keep an eye on them for now." After saying that, she asked a moment later, "By the way, how is the Dong family treating Meng Jinyu and the others?"

Chan'er replied, "Madam Dong was polite to them but not very affectionate. However, she did not deliberately mistreat them, nor did she whisper in Lord Meng's ear. It's just that the Second Miss Meng and the Young Master Meng were also indifferent to her."

Meng Jinyao nodded slightly. In fact, if she were Dong Shi, she wouldn't easily harm her husband's ex-wife's child if there were no conflicts of interest or grudges. Wouldn't she suffer in her old age if she had a bad relationship with her husband's ex-wife's child? After all, she and her ex-husband hadn't had children for several years, and she might never have children in her life unless one of her concubines got pregnant and gave birth to a son who was registered in her name.

Chan'er asked, "Madam, do you have any other instructions?"

Meng Jinyao said gently, "That's all, you may leave now."

Chan'er responded, curtsied, and then respectfully withdrew.

Qingqiu said, "Madam, it seems that this Dong is a clever person."

Meng Jinyao smiled and said, "It's good to be a smart person. Smart people don't cause trouble and mess. It's also good for my second brother. At least he doesn't have to worry about his stepmother."