Chapter 313: Drunk (1)

The Shen family’s family dinner is scheduled for two days later.

The family dinner was Mrs. Shen's own idea, but Ren Wanyun always managed it every year. This year, however, Chen Ruoqiu had to take over. With all the financial management of the Shen family now in Chen Ruoqiu's hands, Mrs. Shen felt she was giving Chen Ruoqiu a great honor, but she didn't realize that this seemingly glamorous job was actually causing her unbearable pain.

In Qiushui Garden, Chen Ruoqiu sat at the table, holding the account book in one hand and clumsily calculating with the other. The two maids standing behind her said, "Madam, you've been calculating all morning. You should take a break."

"The money doesn't add up." Chen Ruoqiu shook his head in distress: "I'll have to pay for this money tomorrow out of my own pocket." A hint of anger appeared on his face as he spoke.

Chen Ruoqiu prided herself on being a noblewoman from a family of scholars, aloof and aloof, and even more so, on being scorned by those who smelt of money. When Old Madam Shen handed over the reins of household affairs to Ren Wanyun, she was jealous, but she couldn't resist, leaving a knot in her heart. After years of hard work, she finally made it as the head of the Shen family, only to discover that even this power wasn't so easy to grasp.

Ren Wanyun came from a wealthy merchant family. Even if Old Madam Shen needed extra money, Ren Wanyun could usually deduct some from her dowry; after all, she had no shortage of money. However, the Chen family consisted of only civil servants, incorruptible at best and impoverished at worst, unable to afford much. Chen Ruoqiu thought that taking over the household finances would allow him to contribute to the family's expenses. Now, it turned out that Ren Wanyun had made a considerable fortune over the years, and many of the sums in the accounts didn't add up. With another family banquet coming up soon, the money wasn't enough.

In the past, it was fine. The annual rewards from the palace on Shen Xin's side were quite generous, and they could supplement the surplus. But now, Shen Xin's relationship with the Shen family was strained, and he had no intention of subsidizing the public office. Chen Ruoqiu felt a headache.

"The old lady is holding a family banquet at this time even though she knows that there is not enough money in the public treasury. Isn't this bullying the lady?" Chen Ruoqiu's maid Shiqing was indignant for her.

"The master is also planning to watch someone die without helping. Madam doesn't have enough money. Why don't you ask the master for some?" Huayi also said.

"What nonsense!" Chen Ruoqiu said, "The master's salary isn't enough to manage the officialdom, how can we expect him to contribute more?" She said, "I'll think about it." Shen Wan was determined to climb the official career ladder, but Shen Gui was different. Shen Gui was too ambitious, had no real skills, and only knew how to curry favor with Feng Ying. Shen Wan, on the other hand, was climbing up step by step on his own, and although his steps were slower, they were more steady than Shen Gui's.

Chen Ruoqiu had always known that, without giving birth to a son, the only thing she could rely on in the Second House was Shen Wan's love for her. So, in order to control Shen Wan, she acted with tenderness and care. If she couldn't even handle the small amount of money at home, wouldn't that make Shen Wan worried? With Shen Wan's conditions, there were many women outside who wanted to enter the Second House. How could she let herself be at a disadvantage?

"Besides, this little bit of money is not spent in vain." Chen Ruoqiu's eyes flashed: "If we can gain something, it will be worth it."

"Madam, what you mean is..."

Chen Ruoqiu smiled: "The old lady never holds family banquets early or late, so it's a bit strange to hold a family banquet at this time. Besides, I heard that the cousin from Suzhou liked to go to the West Courtyard a while ago..." Chen Ruoqiu's eyes showed a hint of disgust as he spoke: "The old lady's tricks are really inferior, but... it just so happens that I don't like Shenqiu either."

Chen Ruoqiu didn't like Chen Yuan, nor did she like Chen Qiu. If she was a little afraid of Chen Yuan, she truly looked down on Chen Qiu. She couldn't give birth to a son herself, so she couldn't stand seeing other people's outstanding sons. As for Chen Qiu, Chen Ruoqiu thought he was just a rough man who only knew how to wield swords and guns, so why did he still receive so much praise. People want to destroy something because they can't get it. She didn't dare to take action against Chen Yuan because he was scheming. However, Shen Qiu was straightforward and sincere, and he had never survived the struggles in the harem, so it was much easier to deal with him. The most important thing was that she didn't need to take action at all. This time it was Old Madam Shen who took action, and she just had to sit back and watch the show.