Liwei Courtyard
As soon as Granny Qian left, the false noise in the courtyard vanished instantly, leaving only the cold wind howling under the dilapidated eaves, making the paper window frames whistle and groan, as if it were lamenting the injustice on behalf of the homeowner.
Qingdai quickly closed the door, turned around, her face still showing lingering fear, and patted her chest as she let out a long breath: "Miss, I was really scared to death just now! You didn't see Granny Qian's face, it turned pale and then red, like she had swallowed a fly!" She imitated Granny Qian's choked expression, which amused Su Qingyue so much that the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
This girl is quite optimistic. It's rare to maintain such a mindset in this cannibalistic inner court.
"Temporary." Su Qingyue's smile faded as her gaze swept across the drafty room. "They won't let this go. Cutting expenses is inevitable." Her tone was calm, as if stating a fact unrelated to herself. Having witnessed countless instances of flattery and backstabbing in the modern workplace, she was well aware of these tactics.
Sure enough, less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a commotion arose outside the courtyard gate. It wasn't Granny Qian returning, but rather two rough-working women responsible for delivering the allowances to each courtyard.
These two people, one surnamed Zhang and the other surnamed Wang, often embezzled the original owner's allowance by following the stepsisters. Every time they came, they acted like they were giving alms to beggars, with an extremely arrogant attitude.
With a creak, the courtyard gate was pushed open rudely. Granny Zhang, carrying a half-empty basket, and Granny Wang, carrying a rice bag that was clearly underweight, swaggered in, their shoes covered in slush and mud, stepping directly onto the cleaner ground under the eaves.
"Third Miss, this is your allowance for this month!" Granny Zhang slammed the basket down on the steps, and the contents swayed a few times—a few bunches of poor-quality greens, two shriveled radishes, and a small piece of fatty meat that looked rather bland. Granny Wang, on the other hand, threw the rice bag on the ground with a dull thud; judging from the sound, it contained at most five or six pounds of coarse rice.
Qingdai immediately panicked: "Zhang Mama, Wang Mama, this...this number is wrong! Usually, although it's less, there's at least ten catties of rice, more vegetables, and charcoal too! Why is there no silver frost charcoal this month?"
Granny Wang rolled her triangular eyes and said sarcastically, "Miss Qingdai, what are you saying? The household expenses are high these days, and funds are tight everywhere. The Third Miss is currently 'resting quietly' in her own courtyard and doesn't go out often, so she doesn't need that much. As for charcoal... Granny Qian instructed that the Third Miss is weak, and using ordinary firewood would produce too much smoke and might make her choke. As for silver frost charcoal... it's indeed in short supply this month, so we'll prioritize the Madam and the Eldest Miss's needs."
Granny Zhang chimed in, her eyes filled with undisguised contempt: "Exactly! We should be grateful to have anything to eat. Being so picky, do they really think they're some kind of mistress?"
These words were like poisoned needles, piercing deep into one's heart. If the original owner of this body were here, she would probably be overwhelmed with shame and indignation, tears welling in her eyes.
However, Su Qingyue listened quietly, her face expressionless, even taking the time to adjust her still-thin old clothes. She looked at the two arrogant old women below the steps as if observing two clowns.
After they finished speaking, Su Qingyue slowly opened her mouth. Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strange penetrating power that drowned out the sound of the wind: "Oh? Tight budget?"
She took two steps forward, her gaze landing on Granny Zhang's wrist. On that wrist was a silver bracelet, not of the finest quality, but certainly not the kind one a lowly servant would wear. "Granny Zhang, is this bracelet newly made? It looks quite heavy; it's probably worth several months' worth of food for everyone in my household."
Granny Zhang's expression changed, and she instinctively tried to cover her wrist with her sleeve.
Before she could react, Su Qingyue's gaze shifted to Granny Wang's hair: "The plain silver hairpin in Granny Wang's hair has a rather novel design. I remember... I seemed to have seen something similar in the hair of Cai Die, who served the young lady, a few days ago? Could it have been a gift from the young lady?"
Granny Wang froze, her eyes instantly filled with panic. The hairpin was indeed a "gift" from Cai Die, who asked her to "take good care" of the Third Miss's courtyard.
"Third Miss! You...you're talking nonsense!" Granny Zhang tried to remain calm, but her voice became shrill. "This bracelet was a gift from my daughter! It has nothing to do with the household!"
"Is that so?" Su Qingyue smiled lightly, a smile devoid of warmth, only a chilling insight. "Then I'd like to ask, which shop does your daughter work at? How can she earn such a generous income to buy you such a heavy bracelet? Perhaps I should find a similar job to help supplement my meager expenses."
Granny Zhang was speechless for a moment, her face turning bright red.
Su Qingyue stopped looking at her and turned her gaze to the pitiful rice bag and vegetable basket on the ground: "As for these expenses... Qingdai, go and get the copy of 'Chu Law Commentary' that Father gave me two years ago. I remember it seemed to say that there are regulations in it regarding the families of officials according to their rank. If any servant dares to embezzle, it is considered theft of the master's property. What is the punishment again?"
Qingdai was taken aback at first, then realized that her young mistress was bluffing them! Where would her young mistress get any "Commentary on the Laws of Chu"? But being quick-witted, she immediately replied loudly, "Yes, Miss! This servant will go and get it right away! It says that the lightest punishment is caning and being sold off, and the heaviest is being sent to the authorities for investigation!"
The two old women turned pale with fright upon hearing the words "flogging," "selling," and "sending to the authorities." They were used to bullying this weak, illegitimate daughter; they never imagined she would invoke the "law." Moreover, Su Qingyue's precise identification of the stolen bracelets and hairpins had struck at their weak point! Those were clearly "stolen goods" obtained through collusion with the young lady's side, withheld from their allowances!
"Third Miss, please forgive me! Third Miss, please forgive me!" Granny Wang was the first to break down, kneeling down with a thud and kowtowing repeatedly. "It was this servant who was blinded by greed! It was...it was Granny Qian...no, it was this servant who was greedy! Please, Third Miss, have mercy, please don't report me to the authorities!"
Seeing this, Granny Zhang's legs went weak and she knelt down, all her previous arrogance gone, replaced only by fear: "This servant knows her mistake! This servant will go and make up for the withheld rice, grain, and charcoal right away! I'll go immediately!"
Su Qingyue looked down at them, feeling little pleasure, only a cold understanding. Bullying the weak and fearing the strong—this has been true throughout history.
"Make up for it?" she asked, her tone slightly raised. "And then what? So you can find an even more subtle way to embezzle next time?"
"We won't dare! We'll never dare again!" The two old women kowtowed repeatedly.
"Get up," Su Qingyue said calmly. "Bring the goods in full. I can overlook what you withheld before. But..." She paused, her gaze piercing the two like icicles, "From now on, not a single thing that is rightfully yours in this courtyard will be missing. If I find you disobeying me again, or if I hear any gossip outside..."
She didn't finish speaking, but the unspoken threat made the two old women tremble.
"This servant wouldn't dare! This servant will definitely keep quiet! The full amount of the allowance will definitely be delivered!" The two of them almost competed to make the promise.
"Go ahead." Su Qingyue waved her hand, as if shooing away two flies.
The two old women were overjoyed, scrambling to their feet and running out without a care for the rice bags and vegetable baskets on the ground. They were in a hurry to make up for the missing items, fearing that if they were a step too slow, they would be sent to the authorities.
The courtyard fell silent again.
Qingdai watched the two old women's disheveled figures disappear, then glanced at the still meager allowance on the ground, and asked worriedly, "Miss, will they really come back with the replacements? Will they complain to Madam?"
"They wouldn't dare," Su Qingyue said confidently. "They're not clean, they're afraid of being investigated. Reporting them? That would be like walking into a trap." She was using the information gap and psychological intimidation. She listed their stolen goods and brought up some dubious laws. They couldn't figure out her background, and they were afraid of getting into trouble, so they wouldn't dare to cause any more trouble in the short term.
"Pack your things," Su Qingyue instructed, her gaze returning to the flickering firelight. "This is just the first step."
Establishing authority cannot rely solely on intimidation. It requires tangible means to control people and the ability to win their loyalty. These two old women are merely pawns; the truly formidable ones are those behind them.
But in any case, today, in this dilapidated courtyard, she has begun to establish her own authority. She is no longer the silent and easily manipulated Su Qingyue.
The cold wind persisted, but the master and servant, huddled in the corner trying to keep warm, seemed to feel a small, hard-to-extinguish flame burning in their hearts.
Looking at her young mistress's serene profile, Qingdai felt a surge of unprecedented confidence welling up inside her. Her mistress was truly different. Perhaps... their lives in this manor would really be different.
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