Time flies.
When He Yunze first mentioned this matter to Marquis Anding, Marquis Anding was unwilling to believe it. However, the next day, people from the Ministry of Personnel came to investigate, and their words were full of praise, leaving Marquis Anding stunned.
After passing the final assessment, he was appointed as a ninth-rank registrar in the Secretariat, and the people of the Marquis of Anding's mansion finally woke up from their dream.
Upon hearing the news, Huang and Song Ruoan were so proud of themselves they were practically strutting around.
At that moment, they were all in Madam He's Wanxiang Hall, and Madam Huang couldn't wait to bring up the matter.
"I heard that Ruo'an cured the Prime Minister's daughter with her medical skills, which is why she gained the Prime Minister's appreciation and got this position. When I told you this before, you didn't believe me."
Upon hearing this, Madam He was not angry at all; instead, she smiled and nodded.
"I believe it now. It's better to have a superior's appreciation and promotion than for Jianbai to use connections to force his way in. Ruo'an is a good kid!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Huang's eyes lit up: "I knew Ruo'an was quite capable and suitable for managing the household. Mother-in-law, shouldn't you hand over the power of managing the household to her?"
Upon hearing this, Madam He's smile faded: "If Anxing is allowed, it doesn't mean Xizhi is not allowed."
Before she could finish speaking, neither Huang nor Song Ruoan responded, but a commotion arose outside.
Song Ruoan glanced smugly at Song Xizhi and smiled subtly. The next moment, several shopkeepers rushed in.
The leader, holding an account book, said breathlessly, "Madam! I can no longer manage this shop. Please find someone else!"
The other shopkeepers crowded behind him, their faces full of displeasure: "They had to let an illiterate woman manage the household, and she's made a complete mess of things. The business is going to collapse!"
"If I let her manage things any longer, I'll resign!"
"Yes, yes! If they doubt us, we'll quit!"
The noise from the group was deafening to Old Madam He, who frowned deeply and asked, "What's going on? What are you all saying?"
The head shopkeeper snorted coldly: "Since yesterday, all the shops in the Marquis's mansion have been closed. This illiterate woman forced us to audit the accounts, and business has been greatly affected!"
The others nodded in agreement: "Does she not trust us, or does she think the old lady wasn't managing things well in the past?"
Song Ruoan's eyes lit up when she heard this.
Unexpectedly, her seven hundred taels of silver had such a great effect. All the shopkeepers spared no expense and closed their shops to help her put on a grand show!
She nodded hurriedly: "Trust those you employ, and don't employ those you don't trust. My sister has been playful since she was little and didn't want to learn how to manage the household around our mother. She just doesn't understand this principle."
"Ruo'an apologizes to all the shopkeepers on behalf of her sister."
Song Xizhi stood still, meeting Song Ruoan's provocative gaze, and simply smiled: "If you are upright and have nothing to fear, would you be afraid of being investigated?"
Several shopkeepers choked on their words, and Song Ruoan continued, "A new broom sweeps clean, and the shopkeepers are just worried that you're investigating people for the Marquis's mansion, or to plant your own people in the shops to make a quick buck?"
Upon hearing this, the shopkeepers' eyes lit up: "That's right! That's right!"
"In this light, the Second Young Mistress is fair, honest, and trustworthy; she is the most suitable person to manage the household!"
"Madam, let her manage the household! She's been learning management since she was a child, she's very experienced, and she won't make any mistakes!"
Upon hearing this, Song Ruoan fixed her burning gaze on Old Madam He, feeling even more fortunate that she had spent that money.
But Song Xizhi laughed out loud without any mercy:
"Managing a housekeeper isn't so easy. Can you guarantee, sister, that you'll manage the house better than I will?"
"Can you guarantee that you can improve the monthly allowances and treatment of the servants in an orderly manner? Can you guarantee that the profits of the Hou Mansion's shops will increase, and can you guarantee that all the managers under you will be loyal to you?"
Song Ruoan nodded without hesitation and readily agreed: "Grandmother, I can guarantee it!"
"If I were to manage it, I would definitely be able to manage it better than my sister. I have been learning to manage a household since I was a child, and the managers just now also highly praised me. I am sure I can make the Marquis's mansion prosper!"
Song Ruoan spoke with some confidence, after all, she had spent seven hundred taels of silver to bribe these shopkeepers, and they had all become her people.
She had been learning to manage a household since childhood, and with Granny Hu by her side, she was definitely better than that good-for-nothing Song Xizhi.
Upon hearing this, Madam He remained silent and did not respond.
But Song Xizhi gritted his teeth, his face flushed, looking extremely embarrassed: "What if you don't do well?"
Song Ruoan admired Song Xizhi's expression and smiled smugly: "How could I possibly do worse than you? To be opposed by several shopkeepers?"
She pressed on aggressively, almost relentlessly: "Today, I pledge myself to this: if I do worse than Song Xizhi, and my grandmother and mother-in-law want to divorce me, I will not hesitate!"
"I will persuade them with reason, and make all the managers convinced to run the Marquis's mansion well!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Huang clapped her hands and exclaimed, "Fine! Since that's the case, Song Xizhi has nothing more to say!"
Madam He took a deep breath and nodded: "Since you have promised to make the Marquis's Mansion prosper and to win the hearts and minds of the servants and managers, I will hand over the power of stewardship to you."
Originally, Madam He was satisfied with Song Xizhi because she felt that Song Xizhi had the courage to support the outwardly strong but inwardly weak Marquis's mansion and to eliminate corruption in the shops.
After all, she couldn't handle this herself; only Song Xizhi could.
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