Chapter 42: Not Touching Both
He knelt down properly, and when his forehead touched the ground, he could smell the faint scent of Tibetan incense on the cushion.
"Granddaughter-in-law pays her respects to the old lady." Her voice was light and steady, like water dripping from the eaves. "I disturbed you tonight. It's your fault."
The old lady did not raise her eyes, but the sound of Buddhist scriptures suddenly stopped.
The flickering candlelight in the hall cast her wrinkled face onto the statue of Guanyin on the wall, giving it a sense of calm majesty.
"Let me ask you something." After a moment, the old lady finally raised her eyelids and spoke, spinning the Buddhist beads three times on her fingertips. "Why did you ask for a position in the imperial court for your eldest brother?"
Seeing the clarity hidden in the old lady's turbid eyes, Liang Weiyuan calmed down slightly.
"My brother is skilled in martial arts, and serving before the emperor is a service to the court. It also provides an additional barrier to protect the Huo family."
Only those in the second wife's family who pursue their own selfish desires think that Liang Weiyuan only wants to support her mother's family.
Little did she know that under the circumstances at the time, supporting her natal family was the best solution. As the mistress of the Marquis' Mansion, Liang Weiyuan's natal family was powerful, so she naturally had more confidence to protect the entire Marquis' Mansion.
The old lady nodded and knocked her knuckles on the shrine: "You are quite perceptive."
Liang Weiyuan smiled slightly when she saw this. It seemed that the old lady took the overall situation into consideration and saw it clearly, so she had no intention of blaming her.
The old lady gestured for her to stand up, and Auntie Afu handed her a teacup at the right time.
"I've been in charge of the household for forty years, and I hate two types of people the most. Idiots who can't tell the difference between right and wrong, and cowards who hide their claws but dare not show them."
"You don't do either."
Liang Weiyuan lowered her head to drink tea, the hot tea soothing her throat.
The old lady's seemingly crude metaphor is actually a kind of implicit praise.
"I know about the second house's affairs." The old lady raised her hand to fiddle with the butter lamp on the altar, and the flame swayed with the movement.
"Managing a household is like cooking a small dish; quick heat will burn it, slow cooking will make it tasty. You've already caused dissatisfaction among the family tonight, so don't show your edge for the next few days. A cornered dog will jump over the wall, and a cornered rabbit will bite. Don't let the effort of managing a household bring unrest to the family."
"But remember—" The old lady turned her head, her bright eyes blazing, "No matter how high the wall is, it can't stop someone from scattering dirt; no matter how sharp the teeth are, they are afraid of someone holding a stick."
"If we really want to punish them, the monthly allowance and food allowance are like soft knives. If you want to make them feel pain, you can make a fuss about the rules."
After hearing these words, Liang Weiyuan immediately understood what they meant.
The old lady was reminding her to be more obedient recently so as not to make the second wife angry.
He also told her how to deal with the second wife in a way that would make it difficult for her to find fault.
Liang Weiyuan nodded in understanding, "The old lady is right. My daughter-in-law checked the accounts today and found that 30% of the tenants of the farm under the second branch's name have not paid their rent."
"I was thinking of asking about this tomorrow, but after hearing what you said, I think we should let the accountant 'missed' the two items first, so that the second house will be busy dealing with them and won't have time to cause any trouble."
The old lady nodded with satisfaction. This good granddaughter-in-law is quick to understand, neither arrogant nor impatient, and really saves her from worry.
"Go get busy."
The old lady waved her hand and the sound of chanting scriptures sounded again.
When Liang Weiyuan left Shou'an Courtyard, Meishu and Zhushu came to meet her worriedly.
Zhu Shu asked quickly, "Miss, is the old lady angry with you because of what happened tonight?"
Liang Weiyuan shook her head slightly. "The old lady is not short-sighted. She has a long-term vision. As long as it doesn't harm the Marquis' Mansion, the old lady will stand on my side."
And the old lady really woke her up.
She was indeed eager for revenge and originally wanted to make the second wife bleed heavily as soon as possible and suppress those scum so that they could not raise their heads, but the second wife was not a lamb to be slaughtered by her.
If she were to act ruthlessly now and provoke the second wife into a desperate struggle, she herself would not be in any better situation.
What's more, Huo Jin hasn't woken up yet.
Liang Weiyuan pondered for a moment and said to Mei Shu, "Tomorrow, let the accountant go to the second house and expose their true intentions to Yu Shi."
Mei Shu was stunned for a moment, "Miss, are you going to let the second wife off the hook?"
"It's not too late to catch them later. Give them some time to fix their mistakes now, so they don't have to keep an eye on our main room all day, which makes it inconvenient for them to do their work."
Liang Weiyuan's brows and features were calm, but the coldness in her eyes flashed for a moment.
Meishu and Zhushu looked at each other and hurriedly nodded in response.
Liang Weiyuan decided to restrain herself for a while, and began to walk on the morning dew every day at 3:15 am to accompany the old lady to worship Buddha.
After fulfilling filial duties in the morning, he would then handle miscellaneous affairs in the kitchen according to the proper procedures.
Mei Shu hurried in, holding a stack of account books. "Miss, the steward of the front yard said that the servant from the second house was caught red-handed by the guards after he stole and cut down the bamboo in the west garden."
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