Chapter 19 Superficial Compliance
Early morning.
Looking at the simple porridge and side dishes brought by the maid, Old Master Chen's eyes were filled with barely concealed anger: "You're getting more and more outrageous! Call Little Yellow Flower over here!"
Just how destitute has the Shanfu fallen?
That's why they can't even guarantee a decent breakfast?
This food is so bad that even he, let alone the young lady, couldn't eat it!
Before long, Old Master Shan arrived. As soon as he entered, before he could even greet him, Old Master Chen grabbed his ear and dragged him inside, saying, "Come, come, open your eyes and see clearly what you're eating and what Miss is eating?"
Old Master Shan was so dizzy from being pulled that when he was finally pushed onto the table and saw the few meager dishes on it, he couldn't help but rub his eyes, thinking he was seeing things.
This congee is as cold as ice.
There were only three small dishes of side dishes, barely enough to mix with some plain porridge.
"Hey Little Yellow Flower, when Miss entrusted the Shan family to you, it was the most prestigious family in the Jun Dynasty. How many years has it been? How did it fall into such a state?" Old Master Chen looked incredulous.
He didn't mention yesterday's dinner. The butler said there wasn't enough time to make arrangements, so it was just simple food. But Miss cherished the food and finished it all without a single complaint.
But when I served the young lady, if the food wasn't prepared by the best chef in the world, it wouldn't have been palatable to her at all.
Nowadays, young ladies are no longer picky, which shows how "mistreated" the ladies of the Shanfu family have been over the years!
Thinking of the tributes from the past few years, Shanxi frowned and looked at Old Master Shan, saying, "Little Huanghua, what Xiao Chen said wasn't wrong. In the past, the roast chickens that were offered to me were all free-range pheasants, but these years the roast chickens are not only fat, but also smelly!"
She hates people who waste food the most!
Although she is a picky eater and likes to eat delicious food, if something is cooked, even if it tastes bad, she will not waste it; she will only think that the cook has wasted the ingredients!
However, none of the food offered on the altar over the years has been up to standard.
If it weren't for the repeated anomalies in the tribute items, and her concern that something might have happened to the Shanfu government, she wouldn't have left the pass ahead of schedule.
"Stinky? This... how could this be?" Old Master Shan stood there dumbfounded, his face full of astonishment.
He made all the arrangements meticulously, especially the offerings in the ancestral hall, which were all paid for with special funds, and the expenditure was only more than expected.
Even though the family is now declining, he has never stopped offering sacrifices to the ancestral hall!
Grandpa Chen shook his head with a look of disgust.
If he had known that handing the ancestral hall over to Xiao Huanghua would result in this, he would never have left under any circumstances.
Old Master Shan pursed his lips and quickly admitted his mistake, saying, "Steward Chen is right, it was my oversight!"
Old Master Chen then brought up yesterday's accounts: "Also, your steward is so stingy. I just went to the storeroom to get some tea, and he wouldn't give it to me. He even tried to fob me off with Huang Feng. Ha, if he dared to give me that tea, I wouldn't dare to brew it for Miss!"
Old Master Shan looked incredulous. Huang Feng was a member of the collateral branch of the Shan family, and only they drank inferior tea. How could the steward offer inferior tea to Grandma?
“Little Yellow Flower, I understand that the steward has been with you for many years and you have feelings for each other, but now the steward of the Shan family is Xiao Chen, understand?” Shanxi’s voice was a little colder.
Old Master Shan was taken aback and quickly nodded, saying, "It was my fault for not arranging things properly. Please calm down, Grandma. I'll go right away."
"Sigh, I guess I'm getting old and useless. I can't even do this little thing right." Old Master Chen said with a look of disgust.
Old Master Shan: "..."
You're clearly older than me!
They dare to call eight ounces half a catty!
Just then, a servant came running up, panting, and said, "Master Chen, everything you requested has been delivered."
Old Master Chen smiled and took the spatial bag. He opened it and found it was indeed full of the things he wanted. He couldn't help but praise, "As expected of my son, his efficiency is really high."
"Please wait a moment, Miss, I'll brew you a pot of 'High Mountain Snow' right away!" Old Master Chen said excitedly.
When the old master saw this, he frowned slightly and looked at the servant, asking, "What did Master Chen send over?"
"It's said that Old Master Chen personally requested it. There aren't many items, but they are all top-quality goods," the servant said respectfully.
Upon hearing this, Old Master Shan's face darkened once again.
When did his family fall so low that they needed Old Man Chen to move things from the Chen family home to serve his great-grandmother?
"Go, go find the steward!" Old Master Shan strode out angrily, his hands behind his back.
Meanwhile, at the Shanfu Villa.
"Father, I heard that Shanxi is still only drinking plain porridge and side dishes. Last night, the steward deliberately gave her the servants' food. She's from the countryside, and she's really never seen the world. She actually ate it without hesitation." Shan Yurou laughed heartily, her eyes full of disdain for Shanxi.
"This country bumpkin has never seen the world. She thinks that's all the food we in Shanfu eat." Shan Mingyuan sneered, a mocking smile curving his lips.
Even if Shanxi becomes the head of the family, so what?
That's nothing but empty fame!
This virtuous mansion will continue to operate the same way it always has!
Old Master Shan went to find the steward himself, but couldn't find him. However, he happened to pass by Shan Mingyuan's door.
Seeing that Shan Mingyuan and Shan Yurou were having a meal, and that the table was full of various delicacies, Old Master Shan narrowed his eyes and asked in a cold voice, "Who prepared this meal?"
Upon hearing the old man's voice, Shan Mingyuan and Shan Yurou were both startled and quickly stood up to pay their respects.
"Father, why...why are you here?" Shan Mingyuan stammered.
"I'm asking you, who prepared your breakfast!" Old Master Shan's eyes were full of sternness.
The butler had been with him for many years, and he firmly believed that the butler was not the kind of person who couldn't think straight.
But what was the result?
The fake heiress, Shan Yurou, eats delicacies, while the great-grandmother eats only plain porridge and side dishes.
If it weren't for Old Master Chen calling him over to see for himself, he wouldn't have dared to imagine that the butler had actually gone so far in private!
They completely disregarded Grandma!
Shan Mingyuan was confused. Just as Old Master Shan was about to get angry, Shan Yurou suddenly pointed behind Old Master Shan: "Uncle Steward, what brings you here?"
"Master, you wanted to see me?" The butler stepped forward quickly, about to greet the old master, when a loud slap landed on his face, knocking him to the ground.
"I told you to make proper arrangements, and this is how you did it?" Old Master Shan's face was ashen, as if a storm was about to break.
The butler was so frightened by the beating that his lips turned white. He hurriedly knelt down and cried, "Master, please calm down! Master, please calm down!"
Old Master Shan closed his eyes in despair.
How could he possibly think that a stranger is trustworthy and reliable?
Such an important place as the ancestral hall cannot be entered without the bloodline of a virtuous family.
It was through his efforts and pleading that the steward was able to send in the offerings to show respect to the Great-Grandmother. Who would have thought that he would be outwardly compliant but inwardly disobedient, offering the Great-Grandmother rotten offerings!
"Grandpa, what's wrong? Butler has been with you for many years. Please don't let an outsider sway you." Shan Yurou said, looking very understanding.
Shan Mingyuan gave the steward a meaningful look and stepped forward, saying, "Father, let's talk things over slowly. The steward is loyal and devoted, and you have seen everything he has done over the years."
"Master, I wonder which gossipy woman has been stirring things up in front of you? I've been up since before dawn, working diligently and conscientiously, without ever slacking off in the slightest!" The steward looked as if he had suffered a great injustice.
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