"Granny Tao, you're too kind. We've come to pay our respects to the young mistress."

"We just arrived, we haven't waited yet."

"That's right, that's right. We were too busy before. We should have come over the day before the young mistress entered the house."

"We have already been impolite to arrive so late today. We hope that you, young mistress, will not hold our mistakes against us."

The stewardesses were very polite to Granny Tao, and they became friendly with her after a few words. They even took Granny Tao's hand and stuffed purses into her hand.

"This is just a small token of our appreciation."

"Please, Granny Tao, put in a good word for us with the young mistress."

Granny Tao smiled and declined, then led everyone into the courtyard.

They were astonished when they entered and saw the cobblestone courtyard.

It snowed heavily all night last night, and it's snowing again today. Many tree branches have been broken by the weight of the snow.

The housekeepers couldn't keep up with the cleaning duties, so the house became somewhat dirty and messy.

Jiang Shuwan's courtyard was clean and tidy. The melted snow water flowed down the pebbles to the ground, and the unmelted snow was piled up in the corners of the walls, unlike other places which were quite muddy.

In the middle of the yard, there were two round snowmen with black eyes and red noses, and a red ribbon around their necks.

Goodness, they're so cute!

Everyone stared in disbelief. Upon entering the main courtyard, they saw the large white cat using its tail to fish for goldfish, which they found quite amusing.

Upon entering the main room, my eyes were first drawn to the tatami mats in the outer room, which were several times wider than those of a regular chaise longue.

I felt like I'd never seen anything like it before. It was leaning against the wall, with a small mahogany table decorated with gold begonia patterns on it.

On the small table was a large light blue vase, in which a bunch of brightly blooming green plum blossoms were placed.

Everyone says that red and green are an ugly combination, but they look incredibly rich and dazzling.

In the dead of winter, when the sky is gray and people are listless, seeing this decoration immediately perks everyone up.

Look inside the room, there are pear wood display shelves, cloud-patterned palace lanterns, white marble lions, and other decorations, each piece is a masterpiece.

It's exquisite and elegant, and most importantly, not tacky.

"Young mistress's taste is truly impeccable, in no way inferior to the young ladies raised by those centuries-old noble families in the capital."

"That's right, he even looks a head taller."

The stewards whispered among themselves, their eyes fixed on Jiang Shuwan in the middle of the room.

The room was warm, and Jiang Shuwan was only wearing a green silk dress.

At this moment, she is standing in front of the screen with her back to everyone, sketching butterflies.

The green silk dress had wide sleeves, making it inconvenient to work, so she tied a loop around her arm to cover the sleeves.

The shoulder straps and skirt are in the same color scheme and are exquisitely made, making them a truly elegant and beautiful combination.

Jiang Shuwan looked even more elegant as she was drawing butterflies on white silk.

She used to be curious when watching TV dramas, wondering why the main characters would wear a scarf around their necks while doing things, and thought it was part of the decoration.

I only learned later, when I used it myself, that the towel was called a "panbo," and it was invented by the ancients to make working easier.

The wisdom of our ancestors is truly undeniable.

"Miss, the three matrons and the stewards have come to pay their respects to you."

Granny Tao stood beside Jiang Shuwan and whispered a reminder.

"Are they here?"

"I haven't finished drawing it yet."

As Jiang Shuwan spoke, she picked up her pen and added the last eye to the butterfly.

She examined the painting closely, finding it flawless, before turning to face the stewards.

"My goodness, the young mistress looks like an angel..."

"Did we just see a celestial being descend to earth...?"

Some of the stewardesses were seeing Jiang Shuwan for the first time and were immediately stunned by her unparalleled beauty.

"The young mistress is so beautiful."

"With this kind of looks, when she goes out in the future, she'll probably make other young ladies and wives green with envy."

"No wonder the young master was so desperate to become the top scholar in the imperial examination for the sake of his young mistress."

"And the old lady, she just handed over two boxes of pearls."

The stewardesses were deeply shocked.

Recently, rumors have been circulating in the manor that the young master loves it and the old lady loves it. They listen to the rumors with great interest, but they don't really believe them.

But seeing Jiang Shuwan's appearance today, my trust in the rumors skyrockets.

After all, the young mistress is such a heavenly beauty that even women like them can't take their eyes off her. How could a man like the young master remain unmoved?

It's definitely true that the Crown Prince loves it.

The old lady gave all her dowry, so it's true that she loved it very much.

So, does that mean the young mistress has two powerful backers?

One is the matriarch, the highest-ranking woman in the household, and the other is the future heir to the title...

Goodness, the young mistress has some serious connections. No wonder she dared to leave them waiting outside...

Thinking about it, the managers felt both regret and fear.

On the first day Jiang Shuwan married into the family, they should all come over to pay their respects.

But none of them came.

I hope the young mistress won't come after them...

"Greetings, Young Madam."

"This servant greets the young mistress."

"May you be well, young mistress."

The stewards immediately knelt down to pay their respects. The thirty or forty stewards in the room knelt respectfully, showing no arrogance whatsoever that of servants.

Du Tu Zi was trembling, fearing that Jiang Shu Wan would settle scores with them later.

Of course, there were also those who weren't afraid, such as Li Gui's wife and the needlework woman, who were among the first managers to align themselves with Jiang Shuwan.

The storage room and furniture room were the second batch, along with some junior and middle-level managers who had started sending food and drinks to Jiang Shuwan's courtyard after hearing the rumors.

Although the gifts they gave were not expensive, they were all expressions of their goodwill.

The young mistress should have felt their good intentions, right?

They shouldn't be on the list of those who will be held accountable later, right?

“Miss, those are the stewards who delivered fruit and snacks to our courtyard the last few times.”

Qingxing stood next to Jiang Shuwan and quietly pointed out several managers to her.

Jiang Shuwan gave a soft "hmm" and indeed didn't make things difficult for these people; everyone else was fined a month's salary.

She's currently adopting a "I have powerful backers, I'm awesome" approach, but she still relies on a combination of kindness and severity.

In particular, some of these managers were even members of the Wen family.

She punished Wen's people but not her own, which was to tell everyone present that there was a distinction between close and distant relatives. Those who worked for her, such as Granny Fang, even if they were just lowly servants, she would not mistreat them and would ensure that their whole family lived a good life.

And those who brought melon seeds and snacks, although they were worthless, made their stance clear, so she treated them leniently.

As for the Wen family, well, sorry, they'll be punished if they make a mistake.

"Thank you, young mistress."

"The young mistress is kind and benevolent; we servants will always remember her kindness."

The managers who were punished all kowtowed and knelt in gratitude, and none of them dared to complain.

They all knew that Madam Wen had been scolded by the old lady today, and that the etiquette nanny and her goddaughter's group had all been expelled from the mansion.

All of this was Jiang Shuwan's doing.

Now, their superiors, the head maid and the storeroom maid, are all kneeling obediently in front of them. How could they dare to challenge Jiang Shuwan?

The young mistress is domineering, and they all have to keep their heads down.