After calculating the accounts, make sure there are no problems with the accounts.
Next, start planning for the next few days.
The maids in charge of the mansion came to the meeting hall one after another to answer questions, ask for instructions, and take the right cards...
There were many things to do, and they were complicated, covering all aspects, and I was busy until dinner time.
I have to continue working early tomorrow morning.
"We've been busy all day, and everyone is tired. Big sister, sisters, that's all for today. We'll continue tomorrow. After dinner, everyone, go back to your rooms and have a good rest. Make sure you're well rested. Tomorrow will definitely be even busier than today."
Gu Zhen said, "Second sister, please take care of yourself. You just came back from the palace, and you're busy managing the household affairs. I'm worried you can't handle it with all this non-stop work."
Gu Jiu pursed her lips and smiled, "Thank you for your concern, big sister. You are right, I must take good care of myself. Okay, I will go back to my room and rest first."
The crowd dispersed.
Gu Yue walked at the back, staring at Gu Jiu's back with hatred, then looked back at the meeting hall. Finally, he snorted coldly and turned to leave.
After returning to Zhilan Courtyard, Gu Jiu was so tired that he was about to collapse.
Xiao Cui reported to her, "Miss, while you were busy in the meeting hall this afternoon, Aunt Bai came over. I asked her what she wanted, but she refused to tell me."
Only then did Gu Jiu remember that he hadn't seen Aunt Bai for a long time.
She asked, "Is Aunt Bai about to give birth?"
Qingmei said, "According to the time, she should be born at the end of next month. But she might be born earlier."
Xiao Cui said, "I heard from the maids that Aunt Bai's belly is pointed, so this baby must be a boy. They also said that Aunt Bai's good days are coming, and when she gives birth to a son, the master will love her even more than before."
Gu Jiu smiled and said meaningfully, "Madam is really generous. Not only did she send people to take good care of Aunt Bai, she also provided her with the best food, clothing, and daily necessities. If Aunt Bai gave birth to a son, it would be amazing."
"Miss, you got it wrong." Qingzhu is a straightforward girl.
Gu Jiu smiled but said nothing.
Qingmei said, "I think it's best for you not to get involved in Aunt Bai's affairs. Otherwise, if anything goes wrong, you'll be blamed on me."
Gu Jiu agreed deeply, "That's right. Xiao Cui, next time Aunt Bai comes, just send her away. I don't want to see her."
"I obey your orders."
…
The next morning, Gu Jiu got up early, finished his housework, and then went through the corner gate, through the alley, and arrived at the Marquis' Mansion.
The Marquis's Mansion was filled with gloom and sadness.
In just a few days, Gu Mei had lost a lot of weight and had dark circles around her eyes. I was afraid she hadn't slept well these days.
When she saw Gu Jiu, she was very excited. "Sister Jiu, you are finally here. With your help, I can at least take a break and sit down to drink some water."
"Sister Mei, is there anything I can do for you? Just tell me."
Gu Mei hurriedly said, "Please ask Sister Xiaojiu to help me keep an eye on the kitchen and tea room. We had a buffet at home, and the kitchen maids didn't try their best. They caused a lot of trouble and made us laugh."
Gu Jiu agreed and asked with concern, "Did the Jia family give Sister Mei any trouble?"
Gu Mei shook her head. "I'm fine. It's mainly about my eldest brother. The Jia family treated him very rudely. They accused him of being indebted to my eldest sister-in-law, but he said nothing and wouldn't let us defend him. It was really frustrating for me to see.
I know my brother is upset about his sister-in-law's passing, but he shouldn't let people throw dirty water on him for no reason. He'll marry again in the future, and if his reputation is ruined, no good girl will be willing to marry him. Those who marry him are those with bad intentions."
Gu Mei sighed deeply.
The female elders in the family were all in the palace mourning and couldn't get away.
The male elders left home early and returned late, working day and night, and had no time to take care of the affairs of the palace. The affairs of the court had already occupied all their energy.
The responsibility of Jia's funeral fell entirely on Gu Mei and others.
Because of this, the Jia family had some complaints.
He criticized the Marquis's Mansion for arranging a funeral for Jia Shi that was too shabby and lacked respect.
Gu Mei complained to Gu Jiu for a few words, but before she could finish her words, a maid came over.
Gu Mei left in a hurry, and Gu Jiu took Gu Zhen and Gu Shan to help with the kitchen and tea room.
Logically speaking, the kitchen of the Marquis' Mansion should be in good order, and the kitchen maids should do their jobs carefully after receiving their tasks.
However, what Gu Jiu saw was a passive attitude. Some people sat on the doorstep, eating melon seeds, completely unaware of the lack of food and wine for the buffet and the loss of face for the Marquisate.
Gu Jiu frowned slightly, "What's going on?"
No one answered her.
The maids in the Marquis' Mansion don't have to give Gu Jiu any face at all.
It was Panchun, the maid sent by Gu Mei, who solved the mystery.
"My dear Second Miss, we were busy from the twelfth month until the first month. We were so eager to have a few days' rest, but the eldest young mistress passed away just at this time.
The mansion had to hold a buffet to entertain the guests who came to pay their respects, and everyone had to be busy from morning to night, without even time to breathe.
Everyone is resentful, and with the old lady and the ladies away from home, things have become like this."
Gu Jiu smiled coldly, so that's it.
Gu Zhen and Gu Shan were both a little nervous. How could they handle this situation? They probably couldn't. They could only deal with it.
"Second sister, Sister Mei has assigned us a difficult task. It's not going to be easy."
Gu Shan also said: "Second sister, let's ask Sister Mei about this matter. Let's hear what Sister Mei has to say."
Gu Jiu asked the maid Panchun: "Do I have the final say in all matters concerning the kitchen and the tea room?"
Panchun said, "Madam gave the task to my daughter, and my daughter gave the task to Miss Xiaojiu. Logically, Miss Xiaojiu has the final say on all matters in the kitchen."
Gu Jiu nodded slightly. "That's great. Bring me the kitchen account book. I don't need other months' accounts. I just want to know how much money is left in the kitchen account this month."
Panchun immediately took out the pair of cards and asked the maid to go to the accounting office to get the account book.
The account book was brought over, and Qingmei and the others brought chairs and benches.
Gu Jiu picked up the abacus and did the math in front of the kitchen maid.
The crisp sound of abacus tapping the kitchen maids. They looked at each other, confused as to what the second young lady from the neighboring Gu Mansion was trying to do.
Of course, Gu Jiu's quick and impressive calculations did shock the servants of the Marquis' Mansion, but it was useless.
The maids in the Marquis' Mansion still refused to listen to Gu Jiu.
After Gu Jiu finished calculating the accounts, there was still a lot of money left on the account, which was enough.
Her eyes swept over everyone's face. "The Marquis' Mansion is preparing for the funeral of the eldest young lady, and the kitchen needs to prepare a buffet. You've been slacking off, not even interested in the reward money, and you've embarrassed the masters of the Marquis' Mansion in front of the guests.
I don't expect you to listen to what I'm saying. But I still want to ask, can you do your job with all your heart?
Everyone was silent and no one paid attention to Gu Jiu's question.
Gu Ji smiled coldly, "Very good, I know your attitudes. It seems that you intend to continue to be passive and lazy.
Panchun took the pair of cards and went to the account book to withdraw one hundred taels of silver.
Qingmei, you and Panchun, take the money and go to Gu Yu, the fourth brother, and ask him to hire a group of chefs and helpers who can prepare buffets for the Marquis's mansion. Tell them that the wages are negotiable.
Also, have the purchasing officer go out immediately to buy fresh meat and vegetables. If he's even slacking off on the purchasing, tell him straight up that he can't do this job anymore. He's just taking the money and not doing anything, he's a waste."
"Why do you want to hire someone from outside to replace us?"
"Who are you?"
"This is the Marquis' Mansion, not the Gu Mansion. Miss Xiaojiu, please at least consider the occasion."
All the cooks in the Marquis' Mansion shouted and blamed Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu smiled contemptuously, "Wang Yi."
"The servant is here."
Gu Jiu was not polite to the people in the kitchen. "Kick out all those who don't work. If anyone dares to resist, beat them up. Don't give them face. If anyone wants to complain, go ahead and complain. I will not stop them."
Wang Yi rolled up his sleeves and rushed forward to hit the man.
The kitchen courtyard was filled with the howling of ghosts and wolves. People were cursing and crying, making a huge commotion.
Qingmei took Panchun away and went to the accounting office to withdraw money. Then she went to the front yard to find Gu Yu and asked him to help hire the chef and helpers for the buffet.
Gu Yu readily agreed, "It's a simple matter. In my area, many people make a living by hosting banquets for wealthy families. Just wait, I'll go and invite them myself, and I'll bring them here within an hour."
"Master Gu Yu, thank you so much. My daughter's problem has finally been solved." Qingmei looked grateful.
Gu Yu said, "This is nothing. But Sister Gu Jiu surprised me. She actually thought of hiring someone from outside to prepare the buffet. This is a great idea. People hired from outside will be paid according to the work they do. They are much more useful than the cooks in the Marquis' Mansion."
Gu Yu borrowed horses from the Marquis's Mansion and went out to invite people.
Qingmei went to report.
Gu Zhen and Gu Shan watched the cook of the Marquis' Mansion being thrown out of the courtyard and were very worried.
"Second sister, is it really okay to do this? This is the Marquis' Mansion after all. What if the aunts in the hall blame us?"
Gu Jiu looked calm and said, "Don't worry, Fourth Sister. If the aunt in the main hall and the others investigate this matter, the responsibility will be entirely on me, and you will not be implicated."
Gu Shan looked embarrassed and said quickly, "Second sister, you misunderstood me. That's not what I meant. I meant that after all, this isn't our home, so we should give the servants of the Marquis' Mansion some respect."
Gu Jiu smiled coldly, "If we give them respect, how can we give respect to ourselves, to our deceased eldest cousin?
The eldest sister-in-law had passed away, and the funeral coincided with a national mourning. The servants, just because they had to work a few more days, were full of resentment, as if someone owed them hundreds of taels of silver.
I don't like to see their faces, and they don't need to see mine. It's just right, I can hire a chef from outside to prepare a buffet, and get paid by the day. Everyone will pay for the goods, and the matter will be simple and clear, and it will save a lot of trouble. "
"Is this really okay?" Gu Shan was worried.
I've never heard of any marquis's mansion hiring a chef from outside when hosting a buffet. That would be a very embarrassing thing to do.
It was like announcing to the whole world that the family had no money and could not afford to hire enough cooks, so when preparing banquets, they could only invite cooks from outside to help.
I feel so embarrassed.
However, Gu Jiu didn't think so.
Gu Jiu was very pragmatic. What face was there to save? He had already lost face in front of the guests, so how could he have any face left?
At this moment, there is no time to save face. The important thing is to quickly prepare the meal, put it on the table, and stop the guests from complaining.
What about the dignity of servants, the reputation of the marquis's mansion, the fact that I am an outsider and cannot interfere too much, etc., are all crap.
Worrying about those things was just a waste of time. With only two hours left until noon, it would be truly embarrassing if no food or drinks were served by then.
Gu Zhen didn't care. Instead, she felt that Gu Jiu handled things efficiently and effectively, and she had to learn from him.
Gu Shan hesitated for a while, but seeing that she couldn't convince Gu Jiu, she could only sigh and give up.
Panchun finally got some time and hurried to Gu Mei to report.
"Miss, this is bad. Miss Xiaojiu took the card and withdrew a hundred taels of silver from the accounting office, asking Master Gu Yu to hire a cook and helpers from outside. She also kicked out everyone in the kitchen, including the cooks and helpers. She said that since they were unwilling to work hard, they should all get out. The cooks cursed and said they would complain. Miss, what should we do now?"
Gu Qi and Gu Ying frowned when they heard this.
"Sister Xiaojiu, why didn't you inform us before you started? Is it appropriate to hire a cook and helpers from outside? It would be troublesome if the cooks come over and make trouble."
Gu Mei said with a sullen face, "There's nothing inappropriate about it. I've long disliked those kitchen maids and have been looking for an opportunity to deal with them.
They all relied on their status as elders in the mansion and didn't take us seriously at all. Did they ever listen to a word we said?
Although Xiaojiu's method was a bit drastic, I thought it was a good idea. This was how they should be dealt with.
I can only blame myself for being stupid. I never thought of hiring a cook and helpers from outside.
Otherwise, we should have done it yesterday, so that Xiaojiu wouldn't have to rush."
Gu Qi said, "Since Big Sister thinks it's okay, let's do it according to Little Sister Jiu's idea. When the old man and the others come back, we will go to the old lady in person to explain. If the old lady wants to blame someone, she can blame us and not take her anger out on Little Sister Jiu."
Gu Mei nodded, "That's exactly what should be done."
Gu Ying also said: "Sister Xiaojiu's idea has inspired me. The servants in the mansion see that the elders are not at home, and they are all passive and lazy, and they don't take us seriously.
I might as well let the maid go out and publicize this matter throughout the mansion to warn them that if they dare to be passive and lazy again, their fate will be the same as the kitchen staff: they will all be kicked out.
I would rather spend some money and hire help from the Gu family next door than use them. It would embarrass them all."
Gu Mei nodded. "That's a good idea. The servants in the mansion really need a lesson. After I'm done with this, and I see the old lady and my mother, I'll have a word with them. It's time to release a group of servants from the mansion. Otherwise, the servants will bully their masters and think they're more respectable than the masters of the mansion."
Gu Jiu didn't know that his actions had brought her a lot of hatred.
Soon, a storm to purge the servants will be launched in the Marquis' Mansion.
Gu Yu was efficient and in less than an hour, he had hired five cooks and a dozen helpers.
Fresh meat and vegetables were also bought.
The chefs divided the work and cooperated with each other. Those who made hot dishes specialized in hot dishes, those who made cold dishes specialized in cold dishes, and those who made steamed dishes specialized in steamed dishes...
Because time was tight and the first batch of guests were about to be seated, we could only pick out some simple and easy-to-make dishes and serve them on the table.
Other time-consuming and labor-intensive dishes can only be made in the evening or tomorrow.
Gu Jiu asked Gu Zhen to keep an eye on the kitchen and left Qingzhu in the kitchen to keep accounts.
She and Gu Shan went to check the tea room together.
The tea maids are more attentive than the people in the kitchen.
When they saw Gu Jiu, they all immediately got down to work, working quickly and attentively. The guests' cups of tea were always full and warm.
There was no situation where a guest finished the tea in his cup and no one refilled it for a long time.
There was no situation where the customer's tea had gone cold but no one came forward to change a cup.
The tea maids were attentive and considerate in their service, bringing honor to the Marquis's Mansion.
Gu Jiu nodded secretly. She was saying that the servants in the Marquis' Mansion were obviously well-trained. How could it be possible that the masters were not at home and all of them were slacking off at work?
Little did she know that the efficiency and attentiveness of the tea maids had a lot to do with her establishing her authority in the kitchen.
At this time, the whole manor was full of rumors about Gu Jiu's dominance in the kitchen, how he taught dozens of people in the kitchen a lesson, and how the people in the kitchen were embarrassed.
Some people even said that Gu Jiu's arms were so strong that one cook was not convinced and made a loud noise. Gu Jiu swung his arm and threw the cook out of the wall.
Fortunately, this rumor did not reach Gu Jiu's ears.
If Gu Jiu knew that someone described her as a strongman, she would find that person and ravage him a hundred times.
This girl is obviously a delicate and beautiful woman, how can you slander her as a strongman?
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