Chapter 12 "Does your mother-in-law have the bracelet in her hand...?"
Qin glared at the courtyard and said, "Just because your mother-in-law is backing her up, look how capable she is! A hen that doesn't lay eggs, does she think she's a peacock?"
Meng Yuanxiao asked in surprise, "Sister Chen doesn't have any children yet?"
Madam Qin scoffed, "Isn't it because she can't have children? Her husband's family is quite well-off, backed by the Cui family, and their business has been doing quite well these past few years."
"It's just that her husband had been keeping someone else outside and they even had a child. She was afraid of our Cui family, so she didn't dare to make things too ugly."
Speaking of Chen, Qin was practically grinding her teeth in hatred.
Regardless of the Lin family or Granny Cao and her daughter, they all benefited greatly from the Cui family, but her own family was treated like outsiders.
Seeing Meng Yuanxiao's curiosity, Qin Shi wouldn't let the opportunity pass. After a barrage of sarcastic remarks and provocations, she finally felt a little better. "Forget it, she's irrelevant. Why bring her up? It's bad luck."
After Qin finished speaking, she took off the jade bracelet from her wrist and was about to put it on Meng Yuanxiao's wrist.
This bracelet is entirely emerald green and looks quite valuable.
Meng Yuanxiao was startled and immediately tried to decline, but Qin was displeased. "What? Your mother-in-law looks down on me, so you look down on me too?"
Meng Yuanxiao blinked. "I didn't."
She looked obedient, and Qin said, "In that case, accept it. There's no reason to refuse a gift from an elder."
Although the bracelet was rare, Meng Yuanxiao didn't consider it particularly special. After a moment's thought, she decided not to refuse anymore, thinking that she could ask her mother-in-law to return a similar gift on her behalf when she went to pay her respects to her mother-in-law another day.
Her eyes crinkled into a smile. "Thank you, Auntie."
"Why are you being so polite with your aunt? Besides, this bracelet of mine is nothing compared to the bracelet your mother-in-law had back then..."
Qin suddenly stopped talking at this point.
She looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated, and Meng Yuanxiao was confused. "What happened to my mother-in-law's bracelet?"
Qin leaned closer and asked, "Did your mother-in-law give you the bracelet she had?"
Meng Yuanxiao shook her head. The Cui family's betrothal gifts were generous, but her mother-in-law hadn't given her any bracelets.
Madam Qin said, "That's strange. The bracelet that your grandmother passed down was worth a thousand gold pieces. Before she passed away, she instructed that it be left to your eldest son's wife. Why didn't your mother-in-law give it to you?"
"……No."
Qin's eyes darted around, clearly she had something to say, but in the end she waved her hand.
"Sigh, let's not dwell on the past. Your grandmother loved your mother-in-law when she was alive, and it's possible that your mother-in-law couldn't bear to part with the things your grandmother left behind, or that she accidentally lost them."
Meng Yuanxiao knew that Qin Shi had not said those words unintentionally.
She suddenly remembered that her brother Tang had actually been engaged a few years ago. They were about to get married when something happened to the woman's family, so the marriage was called off.
Madam Qin then asked, "I heard you two had a fight?"
Qin's words were not without a hint of probing, and only then did Meng Yuanxiao realize that his quarrel with Cui Xintang had even reached the second branch of the family.
There was definitely a commotion, but...
Moreover, she didn't want to talk about this with Qin.
She didn't speak, but Qin thought she was wronged.
She gave a meaningful smile. "Men are normal to have a few servants around them. You're still young, and you have a long life ahead of you. Do you really expect Dalang to only stay with you?"
Meng Yuanxiao was taken aback. "Why do you say that, Aunt?"
Qin seemed to realize that she had let something slip and quickly covered her mouth with her handkerchief.
"Don't take it to heart that I blurted out. That girl only served in the study for a few days before Dalang sent her to the kitchen. I guess Dalang doesn't care much about her."
"Besides, that girl is really nothing to Dalang and your mother-in-law."
It might not seem like much to others, but others might not.
Qin's words were ambiguous, and Meng Yuanxiao gritted his teeth inwardly. No wonder he hadn't returned to his room for several days; it turned out he was hiding someone in the study, having such a good time that he forgot all about home!
Qin glanced at her expression, then spoke for a while longer, finally offering a few words of comfort in a perfunctory manner.
After talking until her throat was dry, Qin picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then casually picked up the account book in front of Meng Yuanxiao and flipped through it.
Turning to a page, Madam Qin suddenly exclaimed "Eh!" and pushed the ledger in front of Meng Yuanxiao. "Have we not changed the cloth shops that our household deals with?"
These pages of the ledger record the accounts of the Cui family's purchase of cloth from Xinyun Cloth Shop at the beginning of summer this year.
The Cui family owned many properties, and the number of people, including the master and servants in the mansion and the people in the various estates and shops below, was nearly a hundred.
The clothes for the masters and servants of the mansion were all made from fabric purchased and sewn by the mansion itself each season.
The servants included men, women, and children, so the accounts were quite varied and numerous, filling several pages.
Meng Yuanxiao reviewed the accounts; the amount of money was considerable, but he couldn't find any problems.
"Aunt, is there something wrong with this fabric shop?"
Madam Qin said, "You're new to managing the household, so you may not know this, but when your mother-in-law was clearing up the accounts at the end of last year, she discovered that several shops we frequented colluded with our servants to swindle a lot of money."
"So this spring, your mother-in-law changed all the shops that regularly supply the household with supplies. Tsk, such a big business as the cloth shop, how come there are no problems?"
Qin Shi always spoke in a startling, unpredictable manner, and only said half of what she meant, deliberately leaving room for speculation, which annoyed Meng Yuanxiao.
But she sensed something unusual in Qin's words, so she patiently asked, "Have we always purchased our fabrics from Xinyun Cloth Shop?"
When Qin heard her ask this, she leaned closer and was about to speak when footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.
"Young Madam," Madam Chen said as she entered from outside.
Qin immediately shut her mouth.
Madam Chen first looked at Madam Qin and called out, "Second Madam."
Qin snorted coldly, and then Chen said to Meng Yuanxiao, "Young Madam, Manager Wang from the shop downstairs has arrived. Madam invites you to come and talk to him as well."
Qin couldn't sit still any longer and stood up, following Chen's words. "I'm not clear about the accounts and purchasing matters. Yuanyuan, if you have any questions, just ask Chen."
After saying that, she hurriedly swayed her rounded waist and walked away.
Qin's behavior was really strange. As they walked out, Meng Yuanxiao asked, "Sister Chen, Auntie just mentioned the cloth shop that our household buys cloth from. Is there anything wrong with that cloth shop?"
Madam Chen looked surprised and quickly replied, "Young Madam, our household has been purchasing from Xinyun Cloth Shop since last year, and we haven't found anything wrong with it."
It turns out that we only started dealing with each other last year, so it makes sense that we didn't switch fabric shops.
When Cui Xintang went out to look for Cui Qin, Cui Qin was not there. After he returned from the yamen, he went to see Cui Qin first.
Upon entering Cui Qin's study, he called out "Second Uncle" and sat down.
He leaned back in his armchair, his long legs crossed, sitting casually and comfortably. Cui Qin glanced at him and sneered, "You've grown wings, don't even respect your elder. You kept me waiting for ages last night!"
Cui Xintang protested his innocence, "Uncle, I have been busy with official business these past few days and have neglected the inner quarters. You are well aware of this."
“I don’t know what my aunt said to my wife, but she got angry with me. I rushed back last night to coax her back. Please understand, Uncle.”
Cui Qin was wondering why he had come to see him in the first place; it turned out he had come to complain about his wife.
He was so angry that his beard trembled a few times, and he glared at him.
Cui Xintang smiled and said, "That's why I came to see you early this morning. Since you weren't here, I came to see you as soon as I got back from my official duties."
Cui Xintang's second uncle was a sibling of his father, Cui Zhen, but their personalities were quite different.
Cui Zhen was clever and shrewd. After passing the imperial examination at a young age, his official career progressed smoothly. If he hadn't been demoted and sent to a remote post because of that woman, he would probably be in the cabinet by now.
Cui Qin was of mediocre talent. His academic and official career depended entirely on the protection of his family and the support of his elder brother. He finally rose to the rank of fifth-grade official at nearly forty years old, but it was still a semi-honorable position.
Being constantly suppressed by his elder brother, Cui Qin was bound to rebel. Deep down, Cui Qin was unwilling to admit that Cui Zhen was better than him, so he was extremely disgusted by Cui Zhen's behavior of abandoning his wife and children and giving up his future for a concubine.
In this respect, it is the only thing he can surpass Cui Zhen.
Qin was the daughter of a minor official; she had a narrow perspective, loved money more than anything, and had many flaws. Cui Qin disliked her, but he refused to show it in public.
Over the years, aside from the occasional reprimand, he has given Qin Shi plenty of face on the surface.
He had many concubines and maids, but he did not allow them to overshadow Qin Shi. Even though Qin Shi only gave birth to one son, he did not allow his concubines to have any more children.
Cui Zhen is an outright scoundrel, while Cui Qin is a hypocritical "good person."
This was especially true of his nephew.
However, in his attitude towards his wife, Cui Xintang was more like his second uncle, and looked down on his father, Cui Zhen.
So when he said that, Cui Qin was unhappy, but he couldn't bring himself to rebuke him.
As expected, Cui Qin only glared at him before changing the subject, "I heard you've encountered some trouble at the yamen these past few days?"
Cui Xintang paused for a moment, then said, "It's alright."
He didn't speak, but Cui Qin snorted coldly, his tone reproachful, "Given the princess's status, you're the one who's climbing the social ladder. If you had agreed back then, none of this trouble would have happened."
"Where did you hear this gossip, Uncle?" Cui Xintang tightened his grip on the teacup.
"What, you still want to keep this from your uncle?"
Cui Xintang chuckled and said, "My second brother is not yet engaged. If Uncle really has this intention, then let my second brother put in a little more effort."
These words indeed infuriated Cui Qin.
Seeing Cui Qin so angry that he was puffing out his beard and glaring, Cui Xintang sneered inwardly.
The princess Cui Qin mentioned was the youngest daughter of the eldest princess. Knowing the eldest princess's intentions and that it was not a wise move to try to marry her, he still wanted him to do it.
Knowing his uncle's character, he became a little more serious and said, "Uncle should know that the prosperity of our Cui family is the prosperity of all, and the loss of one is the loss of all."
Cui Qin choked, and after a moment of anger, frowned and asked, "I heard that the Ministry of Revenue is to send people to various places for inspections. Will this task fall to you?"
Cui Xintang's heart tightened.
Cui Qin has been trying to get information about the Ministry of Revenue from him from time to time lately. How could he not know what he was up to?
He chuckled inwardly to himself; the couple were truly alike—not very capable, but ambitious.
He straightened his face slightly and said, "I don't know."
"Uncle should know that there are some things that the Cui family should not interfere in."
These words were blunt, and Cui Qin was so angry that he glared at him, his beard bristling. "What are you saying? Do I, as your uncle, need you to teach me?"
After saying that, he waved his hand and said, "Alright, go back now. You don't listen to what I say, so don't get in my way."
Cui Xintang stood up in response, "Uncle, please rest. I'll head back now."
After saying that, he got up and took a few steps, then turned back and said, "My nephew finally got married. I hope you can persuade your aunt to be more restrained in front of your nephew's wife and let my nephew off the hook."
"..." Cui Qin glared at him. "Aren't you leaving yet?"
As soon as he came out of Cui Qin's courtyard, a servant came up to him and said, "Reporting to the eldest young master, the Lin family steward came yesterday."
Cui Xintang paused slightly. "Did they say what it is about?"
The servant said, "They said they heard that the First Madam had a headache a few days ago, and the Lin family found a good remedy for it, so they sent it over immediately."
Cui Xintang frowned. "Mother used those random prescriptions?"
"I don't know. But yesterday Steward Lin was all smiles, so it seems the Lin family's troubles from a few days ago have been resolved."
"Hmm," Cui Xintang replied calmly, without asking any further questions.
He spent most of the day outside, looking travel-worn. Upon returning to the backyard, he first went to the washroom to take a bath.
After bathing, as the maidservants came to tidy up, Cui Xintang, adjusting her cuffs, casually asked, "What did the young mistress do today?"
The maidservant replied respectfully, "Young Master, the young mistress has been busy with Sister Chen, and she also met with Steward Wang from below with the eldest mistress."
"When did the second madam leave?"
"Reporting to the eldest young master, the second madam left at noon."
Cui Xintang paused. He only knew that Qin was shameless, but he didn't know she was this shameless.
He didn't ask any more questions and went straight back to his room.
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