This is what Ning is most satisfied with about this home.
Many wives of high-ranking officials may sound prestigious, but it's all just for show. When the family's welfare expenses exceed the budget or there's a shortage of money, they have to find ways to raise the funds themselves. Some even use their dowry to cover the household's daily expenses. These are all large and wealthy families, and often, in order to maintain the prosperity of the household, they need to spend some unnecessary money. At this time, it is the wife of the high-ranking official's ability that is tested.
Ning Shi took over the power of managing the household from the old lady. The old lady repeatedly told her that appearances and such could never compare to substance. Living a practical life is all about being down-to-earth. There's really no need to spend money unnecessarily. No one in the Marquis's mansion likes to stand out from the crowd, so as long as the spending is reasonable, it doesn't really matter how much or how little money is spent.
The old lady had also told Ning that if she didn't have enough money, she should just say so, but she should never use her own private savings to make up for it. This Marquis's mansion was not just Ning's mansion, but the mansion of more than a hundred people. As long as the rules were followed, the money that needed to be spent could be spent.
It took Ning Shi a long time to adjust to the views of the old lady and the marquis. Compared with many meritorious families, the marquis's mansion was not famous, but in terms of the benefits that the wife of the household received, Ning Shi dared to say that she was unique in the entire capital. Just because she managed the food, drink and expenses of this large family, the old lady and the marquis would allocate a sum of money to her from their private accounts every year. Although the marquis's mansion would belong to her and the heir in the future, the old lady and the marquis giving her a sum of money separately was an affirmation of her ability to manage the household. This also made Ning Shi very practical and determined to follow the management policy set by the old lady and manage the large marquis's mansion in an orderly manner.
The prince nodded and said, "Father has many businesses that I haven't been involved in, but I know that they generate a lot of revenue every year. Yinlan, do you think Father is dissatisfied with me? I've noticed that Father pays a lot of attention to my third brother's family."
Upon hearing this, Madam Ning said, "Young Master, are you jealous of your younger brother? Third Brother is the only illegitimate son in the manor. Without the protection of the Marquis and the Old Madam, he might not have achieved what he has today. Now that Third Brother is in Ganzhou, he is doing so well, which has brought honor to our manor. Ganzhou is not comparable to the capital. It is a harsh and cold place. It is only right that the Old Madam and the Marquis take a better look at Third Brother's family."
Ning was a very sensible person. Seeing the young master's thoughtful expression, she said, "Third brother's family are all generous and easygoing people. Let's not talk about third brother; we all know what kind of person he is. As for third sister-in-law, she is only focused on her medical skills. And Di'er is truly a money-making genius. Di'er doesn't hide anything and has led us sisters-in-law to make quite a bit of money in the past two years. Young master, our family is really much better off than those families that only look glamorous on the surface."
The prince said, "I just had some feelings on my mind. Look at you, you've said so much in the heat of the moment."
Ning said, “We usually just guard this huge courtyard. The young master is different. He goes out and socializes with all sorts of people. If someone with ill intentions tries to sow discord between the young master and the third brother’s family, and the young master goes astray, it will be a loss for our manor. Father has repeatedly told us that one tree cannot make a forest. We brothers should do our jobs well, manage the relationships between the households in the manor, and not listen to the instigation of outsiders. That way, we can make our manor better and better. Young master, this manor will be handed over to you in the future. If you listen to other people’s malicious words and have a falling out with the third brother, creating a rift between the brothers, it will ultimately be us who suffer.”
The prince nodded, looking deeply moved, and said, "Yinlan, thankfully I still have you by my side to constantly guide me."
Ning blushed and said, "Your Highness, are you making fun of me?"
After the young master left, Madam Ning, with a sullen face, whispered to her nanny, "Go and arrange for someone to find out who the young master has been in contact with recently, and report back to me as soon as you have a clear answer."
The maids serving Ning were specially chosen by her family to accompany her when she married into the family. They returned to serve Ning after their marriages. Ning arranged the marriages of her four personal maids very well. Now, the families of the four women are also serving Ning. It can be said that, with the help of her original four maids, Ning has controlled most of the Marquis's estate through marriage. It is not difficult for her to find out who the young master has been in contact with recently.
After the nanny left to carry out her orders, Madam Ning thought for a moment in her room, then led two maids toward the old lady's courtyard.
The Emperor had ordered Chen Wufu to send over several items, which were still on a large table against the wall in the banquet area and had not yet been put away. However, everyone in the mansion heard the news and came to see the strange items. Among them was a piece of red coral, which was more than a foot tall. Although it was not very large, it had a unique shape and bright colors. It looked particularly beautiful when placed in a jade basin.
After receiving the news, Xu Zhi and the others came over to see the spectacle. The little girls surrounded the long table, chattering and sharing their opinions. When they saw Ning Shi arrive, the girls all bowed to her. Seeing that Ning Shi's expression wasn't very pleasant, the old lady smiled and said to the girls, "Grandmother, I've hired several tutors for you. You'll be taking classes with them from now on. We'll have a six-month period. Whoever receives the most praise from the tutors will receive a reward from Grandmother, okay?"
Xu Yao's eyes darted around, and she asked, "Grandmother, will the reward come from these items?"
Upon hearing Xu Yao's words, Madam Ning's face darkened, and she scolded in a low voice, "Yao'er, what nonsense are you talking about?"
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
