The first category is the shop expense ledger.

These accounts are done quite well; expenses are balanced and profits are clear, and there are basically no problems.

The original owner was a young lady from a prestigious family and didn't know much about purchasing. But Jin Shu was different. She had lived for so many years and seen so many things. She had been an empress, a boss, a small stall owner, and a company owner. When it came to doing business and managing accounts, she was second to none.

Looking at the ledger, which appeared to be in good condition, Jin Shu compared it with the monthly purchase lists. It was as if countless termites had crawled out of the ledger, almost overflowing.

Jin Shu picked up her brush and circled each character one by one, moving on to the next book as soon as she finished one. She studied the characters carefully and attentively, knowing she had plenty of time.

Another full twenty-four hours passed. When the time was up, Ayu, who had spent the whole day with her parents, returned with a bowl of freshly cooked medicine in her hand.

"Madam, why are you looking at these things again?"

Jin Shu took the medicine and drank it all in one gulp. A Yu then handed her a piece of white jade cake.

"This cake is good, it's delicious."

Jin Shu looked at the pastry box that A Yu handed her; it had some pretty patterns on it.

“Miss, you’ve forgotten. This is your favorite white jade cake. I saw it on my way back and used the money I had left to buy you some.”

This pastry is a favorite treat among noble ladies in the capital, and the original owner was no exception. In her family home, a plate of it would be placed on the table almost every day. However, since the original owner took over the household, this pastry has rarely appeared.

Jin Shu ate three pieces in a row. The soft, sweet, and fragrant square cake melted in her mouth, showing no trace of modern industrial technology. It had a very rich floral aroma and was not greasy at all when eaten on its own.

No wonder it can sell for one or two taels of silver a box.

After finishing the cake, Jin Shu took out two golden peanuts from her little savings account.

"Here you go, let's go shopping tomorrow and buy some new clothes for the New Year."

"Madam...you..."

When has Jin Shu ever been so generous to me? Usually, she cuts back on her own expenses to subsidize Lu Mingqian's brothers and sisters. Even if there is any extra, the old lady will take it away for various reasons.

In public, she was the matriarch of a prominent family, but at home, her life was worse than that of her distant cousins.

Jin Shu didn't say much to her.

"Take this and exchange it for some loose silver to carry with you. Arrange for a carriage to accompany me first thing tomorrow morning. It's almost the end of the year, so let's go check out the shops."

Ayu didn't say anything more, and left with her head down, holding the golden peanut in both hands.

Jin Shu quickly felt sleepy after taking the medicine. Because the original owner of this body had difficulty falling asleep due to her heavy thoughts, Jin Shu had specially added some sleeping ingredients to the prescription.

It worked very well. As long as she drank it, and a brazier was placed in the outer room, Jin Shu could sleep soundly and peacefully all night.

The next day, when it was fully light, Jin Shu lazily got up. A Yu helped her wash up and get dressed. Just before leaving, she saw the old lady who was also preparing to mount her horse and go out.

The old lady was accompanied by two girls, who were her maternal relatives and Lu Mingqian's cousins. They had come to seek refuge in the Duke's mansion after their family fell on hard times, and had been living there for years, with their food and lodging provided at a rate of ten taels of silver per month.

This amount of money wasn't much in the vast elite circles of Beijing, but it wasn't little either. However, the two of them would still complain to the old lady from time to time about their financial difficulties. This was because the old lady had specifically talked to Jin Shu several times, just to get Jin Shu to increase their monthly allowance.

Of course, the original owner would never agree to that.

The family is already struggling financially. If we give these two young ladies more money, everyone in the household will start complaining about being poor, and once that starts, it will be hard to stop.

That's why these two girls are always polite to Jin Shu, the mistress, on the surface but sarcastic and sarcastic behind her back.

Basically the same as Lu Gu, a treacherous ingrate who never gets to know his family. He takes food and drink from the original owner, but owes all the favors to the old lady of the Lu family.

Thinking of this, Jin Shu didn't even bother to glance at them.

The old lady saw that she was about to leave and said directly.

"Where are you going in this cold weather? Why don't you take a car? There's enough room anyway."

Jin Shu refused without even thinking.

"It's too crowded, let's skip it."

"Why squeeze in? Adding another carriage will just increase expenses. There are plenty of places to spend money at the end of the year. You're the mistress of the house, do I need to tell you these things?"

Jin Shu raised an eyebrow at her two younger sisters, who were sitting motionless inside the carriage, and said calmly.

"That's not how you save money. If you just go out less often, you'll save money, right?"

Sitting to the left of the old lady, the girl named Qin couldn't help but speak up.

"Becoming the mistress of the house is quite an achievement! You even dare to scold the old lady at will. How dare we use a carriage when we go out in the future? I'm afraid if we use it today, you'll kick us out tomorrow."

These sarcastic remarks made Ayu, who was standing to the side, unable to sit still any longer.

Jin Shu held her down, her emotions remaining stable.

“You know I am the mistress, so you should know from whom you receive your monthly allowance.”

They took the money and acted like it was their right. You'd think I was their mother!

"You! Jin Shu, you've gone too far! Don't you live off the Lu family? What are you if not for them? If the old lady hadn't let you off the hook, how could you have become the mistress of the house!"

At this point, the old lady usually wouldn't interfere.

She would remain silent at the slightest sign that she was about to get herself into trouble.

Jin Shu knew her skills all too well, so she didn't intend to let her stay out of trouble every time.

"Mother, it seems that no one is satisfied with me being the head of the household. Why don't I return the power to you? That way, I can finally catch my breath and not be so tired."

Upon hearing this, the old lady could no longer maintain her facade.

"Xiaoqin! How dare you speak to your sister-in-law like that! She's the mistress of the house now, you should apologize to her right now!"

Miss Qin looked aggrieved and unwilling, but the old lady's stern tone clearly indicated that she was angry, so she could only suppress her emotions and reluctantly apologize to Jin Shu.

Jin Shu raised an eyebrow.

"I won't hold this against you for being disrespectful, but I'll deduct it from your next month's pay."

"The Chinese New Year is almost here! How could you deduct money from my monthly pay!"

"Because I am the mistress, because I am in charge of the household, because you are an outsider, because you are eating and drinking for free, am I clear enough? Do I need to continue?"

This completely silenced the opposing side.

Jin Shu lowered the curtain, and A Yu, feeling refreshed and satisfied, instructed the coachman to set off.

"Miss has been acting a little differently lately."

"Really? How is it different?"

“Everything is different now. Miss looks happier than before, and it makes me happy too.”