"If I were to dig out the ledger myself, I might just yell at them a couple of times, but it's hard to say whether I could even get the money back."
Song Yushuang stroked the jade bracelet on Yun Tangyin's wrist: "But you are different. You are Yucheng's lawfully wedded wife and a newcomer. It's a good opportunity to establish rules by checking the accounts. That way, if anyone tries to tamper with the accounts in the future, they'll have to think twice about how powerful you are as the steward."
Yun Tangyin picked up her teacup and took a sip: "Does Mom want me to use this incident to completely solidify my control over the Fu family's household management?"
"Otherwise, why would I have let Jiang Jianhua cause trouble for so many years?"
Song Yushuang sighed: "In the past, Acheng was often not at home, and Yuanshan was someone I watched grow up, so I always tried to save him some face. But these two are becoming more and more out of line, even daring to sell the ancestral vase. If we don't do something about it, the Fu family's wealth will be completely drained by them."
She glanced out the window and saw Fu Yuanshan squatting against the wall, pumping up his bicycle tires. Jiang Jianhua returned from outside carrying a vegetable basket. The two stopped arguing, but when Jiang Jianhua put the basket on the stone table, his movements still carried a hint of sullenness.
"Look, now they're afraid of you. That's how a butler should be."
Song Yushuang patted Yun Tangyin's hand: "I'm getting old, and I can't handle these troublesome things anymore. From now on, you should be strict when you need to be strict and lenient when you need to be lenient. Mom will always side with you."
Yun Tangyin couldn't help but laugh: "Mom is putting me on the hot seat."
"It's paving the way for you."
Song Yushuang picked up the account book on the table: "Do you think Yu Xia is really that enthusiastic? She sees that you have real power and wants to use your influence to benefit her husband. And that couple from Yuanshan, they seem honest now, but who knows what they're up to. You have to keep an eye on them."
Just then, Fu Yucheng pushed the door open and came in, holding an oil paper package in his hand: "Yinyin, I just got some braised pork from the cafeteria."
Jiang Jianhua's voice suddenly came from the courtyard gate: "Acheng's back? I just bought some tofu, how about I make tofu soup for Mom tonight?"
Yun Tangyin raised an eyebrow; this was the first time she had ever heard Jiang Jianhua offer to cook for Song Yushuang since she entered the house.
Song Yushuang winked at Fu Yucheng and said loudly, "Sure, let Yinyin try your cooking."
Fu Yucheng placed the braised pork on the table and asked Yun Tangyin in a low voice, "Why did she suddenly change her personality?"
"You want to show off, don't you?" Yun Tangyin leaned close to his ear: "I just finished settling accounts with Mom. From now on, her salary will be deducted every month. If we don't try to please her now, she's afraid we'll make things difficult for her."
Fu Yucheng chuckled: "You're really something. You've managed to subdue them in just a few days."
Dinner was unusually quiet. Jiang Jianhua served tofu soup and specially ladled a bowl for Song Yushuang: "Mom, try it. I added some dried shrimp. It's very delicious."
Song Yushuang scooped up a spoonful without saying a word.
Fu Yuanshan was eating when Jiang Jianhua kicked him, but he didn't say anything and continued eating with his head down.
Yun Tangyin picked up a piece of braised pork and put it into Fu Yucheng's bowl. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jiang Jianhua staring at the meat and swallowing his saliva. She suddenly said, "Second sister-in-law, you should try some too. The canteen stewed it until it was very tender today. It's perfect with rice."
Jiang Jianhua paused, his chopsticks hovering in mid-air: "No, I don't like greasy food."
Despite saying that, her throat clearly moved, as if she had swallowed.
Song Yushuang looked at Yun Tangyin: "Go to the supply and marketing cooperative tomorrow and buy the floral fabric we talked about last time. I'll make you a new shirt."
Just as Yun Tangyin was about to respond, Jiang Jianhua suddenly spoke up: "I know the supply and marketing cooperative has just received a new type of floral fabric. It's cheap and durable. I'll go get one for Mom tomorrow."
“You don’t need to go,” Fu Yuanshan interjected. “I’ll go.”
Jiang Jianhua's face darkened: "Why can't I go? Besides, what are you, a grown man, doing following your sister-in-law around?"
“You’ll only cause trouble.” Fu Yuanshan glanced at her, then looked at Yun Tangyin with a half-smile: “My sister-in-law just started managing the accounts, I just wanted to help out.”
These words struck a nerve with Jiang Jianhua, who slammed her chopsticks on the table and tried to stand up.
"Alright." Yun Tangyin put down her bowl. "It doesn't matter who goes. If Second Sister-in-law wants to go, then let's go together."
Jiang Jianhua finally calmed down and muttered softly, "My sister-in-law is the most reasonable one."
After dinner, Yu Xia went to wash the dishes, while Yun Tangyin sat in the yard sewing shoe soles. Jiang Jianhua brought over a basin of hot water: "Sister-in-law, would you like to soak your feet? I just boiled the water."
Yun Tangyin looked up at her: "Why are you being so polite today, Second Sister-in-law?"
“I was wrong before.” Jiang Jianhua placed the basin of water at her feet. “Don’t take it to heart. If there’s anything you need at home in the future, just let me know.”
She paused, rubbing her hands together, looking reluctant but having no choice but to speak: "Um... could you give me more money for groceries in the future? I want to help Yuanshan recover; he's been working really hard looking for a job."
Yun Tangyin laughed: "As long as the accounts are kept clear, it's okay to spend a little more. But if you keep making false accounts like before, it won't just be a matter of deducting wages."
Jiang Jianhua quickly waved his hand: "No, no! I promise!"
Just then, Yu Xia came over with a bowl of fried peanuts: "Yinyin, these are freshly fried peanuts, want to try some?"
She glanced at Jiang Jianhua and said, "My second sister-in-law is here too. Perfect, we're going to the factory to transfer our wages tomorrow, why don't you come with us?"
Jiang Jianhua nodded immediately: "Go! Of course I'll go!"
Yu Xia sat down next to Yun Tangyin and lowered her voice: "She's probably so attentive because she's afraid you'll dock her pay."
"It's good that she can change." Yun Tangyin peeled a peanut. "We're all family. It's not good to keep arguing. Can't we just make up for the missing money?"
"That depends on whether some people are honest or not." Yu Xia gestured with her chin toward Fu Yuanshan's room, where the sound of rummaging through things could be heard, as if someone was looking for something.
Fu Yuanshan suddenly pushed open the door and came out, holding a cloth bag in his hand: "Sister-in-law, this is a few yuan that I saved up before. I'll pay back part of it first."
Yun Tangyin took the cloth bag, which contained a few crumpled bills, totaling less than twenty yuan.
She counted them and wrote them down in the ledger: "Okay, I've written it down. This will count as your first payment."
Fu Yuanshan breathed a sigh of relief and turned back into the house with lighter steps.
Jiang Jianhua watched his retreating figure, his eyes darting around as he spoke to Yun Tangyin, "He's just too concerned about saving face."
"Who doesn't care about their reputation?" Yun Tangyin put the ledger away. "But you have to earn your reputation yourself, not by stealing or cheating."
Yu Xia clapped her hands: "Yinyin is so generous and poised."
Jiang Jianhua glanced at Yu Xia's eager flattery and sneered inwardly, but dared not show it on his face.
He became increasingly attentive to Yun Tangyin.
Yun Tangyin did not refuse and accepted everything.
She wanted to see what kind of trouble these two could cause in the current situation.
Early the next morning, Yu Xia and Jiang Jianhua took Yun Tangyin to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy cloth.
Many people knew that Yun Tangyin was Fu Yucheng's newlywed wife, and they all greeted her with smiles.
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