Su Qiulu looked at Wen Zhu with a meaningful smile - she certainly knew that Wen Zhu was used to dealing with servants, but she deliberately gave this matter of causing resentment to her, and her purpose was obvious.
"Understood. As you command."
Wen Zhu lowered his eyes, responded softly, and thought secretly in his heart.
The enemy of my enemy should become an ally, so she would be very happy to have an excuse to contact Manager Kang to see if she could find some opportunities.
The Duke's Mansion covers a vast area, with an area of more than 30 acres including gardens and lakes.
Maintaining such a large park requires not only keeping it like spring all year round and having a pleasant landscape so that the owners can visit or receive guests at any time, but also ensuring that the fresh flowers and fruits harvested in each season can be supplied to the owners in a timely manner, which is by no means an easy task.
At this time, Wen Zhu stood in front of the steps of the pavilion, looking down at the many maids and old women gathered together.
In the past, she did not interfere much in the management of household affairs and was always gentle and friendly to others, so that these servants did not particularly respect this woman who was only a concubine.
They kept whispering behind her back, and their words were full of contempt and doubt about her status.
After observing for a moment, Wen Zhu coughed lightly and then asked, "Butler Qi, are all the people here now?"
Seeing Butler Qi approaching, he turned around and carefully counted the items before replying, "Maybe Aunt Wang hasn't arrived yet."
"What does 'might be' mean?"
Wen Zhu's tone was slightly deep, and although the volume was not loud, it was enough to make the people around him feel a little oppressive. "Are you clear about whether you came or not? Do you usually speak so vaguely in front of Second Grandma?"
Butler Qi pursed his lips slightly and carefully counted the number of people again: "It is true that only Aunt Wang has not reported in."
"Okay, then since it's the agreed time, we won't wait any longer."
Wen Zhu's eyes slowly swept across everyone's face.
"Second Grandma assigned me the task here. I hope everyone will work together to accomplish this mission. I will recommend those who perform well to Second Grandma for rewards. I hope everyone can benefit from it."
She turned to the crowd around her and made this statement.
"Everyone here is experienced and will handle every task well."
Several women responded with smiles.
"Yes, girl, just leave it to us guys."
Several women responded with smiles, appearing very confident.
The smile on Wen Zhu's face faded slightly, and she said seriously, "I believe everyone knows the truth behind this, but there are some things I still need to make clear in advance. I am working for the young lady now. If someone makes a mistake at work, I can only report it to the young lady truthfully and will not favor anyone."
After hearing this, everyone present agreed in unison and expressed their understanding, but there were still a few people who looked unconvinced.
Wen Zhu secretly memorized the names of these people with dissatisfied expressions.
Just as she was about to dismiss everyone, a mother-in-law came hurriedly and said, "Sorry, I'm late. Do you have any new tasks?"
"You are Mrs. Wang, right?"
Wen Zhu asked.
"Yes, it was me. My family came to talk to me about some family matters, which delayed me for a long time."
Mrs. Wang explained quickly, with a hint of apology in her expression.
Wen Zhu turned to look at the housekeeper, frowning slightly, "According to our rules, how should we handle this situation?"
His tone was calm, yet it carried an authority that could not be ignored.
The butler's eyes began to dart around, as if he was considering something. After a moment, he slowly said, "Ah, everyone might encounter this kind of thing once in a while, so let's just let it go this time."
Although he said so, judging from his uneasy expression, he was obviously not sure whether such a decision would be approved.
Hearing this answer, Wen Zhu smiled, but there was not much warmth in his smile.
She knew very well that if she was late at a critical moment, the other party would only be subjected to the most severe punishment, without any leniency.
"Is this clearly written in the regulations? If I ask the young lady, is it allowed to be late for reporting to Qifangyuan every day?"
She stared directly at the person opposite her and questioned him, her words sharp and merciless.
Faced with the question, the housekeeper's expression suddenly became very embarrassed: "This is definitely not the rule, this..."
He paused, as if unsure of what to say.
"Then what punishment do you think is more appropriate, Miss Wenzhu?"
In desperation, he had to ask back.
After thinking for a moment, Wen Zhu said gently: "Considering that this is the first time that Mrs. Wang has violated the rules, let's be a little more lenient."
Although her tone was much softer, everyone present could feel the authority and unquestionable determination in her words.
The surroundings fell into silence, and everyone focused their attention, their eyes revealing a strong curiosity...
Everyone seems to be waiting for subsequent developments.
Wen Zhu then instructed Wang Pozi, who was standing silently by the side with her head bowed, "Don't rest this afternoon. Go to the lake and pick some fresh lotus roots. Catch a few fish and send them to the Duke and his wife."
The arrangement seems simple, but for those who are familiar with the rules of the mansion, it means a lot of work.
For the servants who were used to being strictly disciplined by Su Qiulu, such a task was actually not that harsh.
But when these words reached Wang Po's ears, she couldn't help but look up, with a hint of surprise on her face - she didn't expect that this new manager knew her quite well, and even knew that she was good at fishing.
A task that might take an ordinary person a whole day to complete can be easily completed in less than an hour for her.
"Understood."
Mrs. Wang nodded in agreement, feeling mixed emotions.
After everyone left, Wen Zhu was thinking about going to check the situation near the lake in the afternoon.
She originally just wanted to take a look at the environment and breathe some fresh air, but she didn't expect to have an unexpected gain.
To her surprise, not only did Mrs. Wang not slack off, but she was busy the entire afternoon.
When she returned home, she brought back two large baskets full of fresh and juicy lotus roots and a large bucket of lively and vigorous fresh fish.
"Madame Wang, you're truly capable! I've heard your fishing skills are superb, but today I've finally seen them for real!"
Wen Zhu praised, his tone full of affection and respect, "It seems I will have to learn a lot from you in the future."
Upon hearing this, a proud smile immediately broke out on Wang Po's face, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes seemed to be laughing. "Miss Wen Zhu, you are too kind. Among all the servants in my mansion, if we were to ask who is more proficient in fishing than me, I'm afraid no one would dare to claim to be the best."
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