Chapter 353: Wrong, Very Wrong
Lin Qingjun wanted to leave, but Ji Wu refused to let her go no matter what.
On the left, one said, "What about the bride? Who says a bride can't take over?" On the right, one said, "Sooner or later, she'll have to take over, so why not now?"
Lin Qingjun sighed. It seemed like she couldn't leave today no matter what. Furthermore, Ji Wu had come with a purpose. Even if she could escape today, what about tomorrow? Wouldn't it be the same?
In that case, she sat down.
She sat on the high steps, looking down at them, and said to Xieyang, "Go, invite Miss Five over."
Xiyang accepted the order and left.
Ji Wu was displeased, "Lin Qingjun, this is a matter between us, why do you need an outsider to come here?"
Lin Qingjun sneered, "Aunt, what are you talking about? How can Ziqi be an outsider? She is still the only legitimate daughter of our Wu'an Marquis Mansion. Besides, don't you want me to take over the affairs of the mansion? It's just right. Ziqi is not young anymore. Come with me and learn how to manage the household."
There are many underworlds in the harem. One of them is to control marriage, and another is to teach the young ladies in the mansion to be clueless. Apart from teaching them a few words, they are not taught any other practical things, especially the housekeeper. The lady of the main house will never tell anyone else.
Don't underestimate me as a mere housekeeper. Some people say, isn't it just about managing a few servants, taking care of food and drink, collecting the shop's profits, and looking after the account books? What's so difficult about that?
Wrong, absolutely wrong.
How can one know which of those servants are good and which are bad? Just knowing how to use people wisely is enough to learn for a lifetime.
Eating and drinking may seem simple, but it is actually very difficult. You need to learn carefully to know what people like to eat and what they don’t like to eat, what food they eat on which festivals, and what dishes are served at banquets.
For example, at a banquet, some ladies like to eat vegetables, while others like to eat meat. If you serve meat dishes to the ones who like vegetables, won’t they be laughed at?
Not to mention the profits from the shops. There are only so many shops in the world, so how can we know which ones are profitable and which ones are losing money? Not to mention the account books, those thick stacks of books. Where did the money come from today, what was it used for, and when another sum of money comes in, will it go into the public account or be temporarily put into private property? And, does the money in the account match the money in hand?
Moreover, should the money collected be used for household expenses, for festival activities, or to be invested in the shop and property to make money? What's more, if the money collected is inconsistent with the shop's daily profits, how can it be verified?
There is also the question of how much silver is used to send people down to do things. If you give servants one hundred taels of silver to do a job, then perhaps these people will only do the work for you for fifty taels, but actually report one hundred taels. How can you prevent such things?
All of these require teaching and learning.
Lin Qingjun looked at Ji Wushi with a smile, "Aunt, is there something shameful going on here?"
Ji Wu suddenly raised her voice, as if someone had stepped on her tail. "What nonsense are you talking about? This lady has always done things with integrity. If she wants to come, she can come. I have nothing here that I cannot show others. However, Lin Qingjun, don't be too nice to her. After all, she has nothing and will not be able to help you in the future."
Speaking of this, Ji Wu was secretly proud. Ji Ziqi had long been cultivated by her into a cowardly character.
Besides, Ji Ziqi is a fool. She has already placed spies around her, and even her close servants are her people. Even if she can learn something today, it will be in vain.
What's more, she, Lin Qingjun, is just a concubine's daughter. She is also a person who doesn't know anything. She just doesn't believe that these two people as white as paper can see through the twists and turns in the backyard?
Thinking of this, Ji Wu no longer cared and let Lin Qingjun make a fuss.
Not long after, Ji Ziqi came over and said, "Greetings to the eldest aunt and fourth sister-in-law."
Lin Qingjun smiled slightly, beckoned her over, took her hand and said affectionately, "Fifth sister, don't be polite. Today is a great opportunity for you and me. Your aunt asked me to take over the Wu'an Marquis Mansion. Do you see the maids and servants downstairs? They are here to give us some practice."
Ji Ziqi was stunned and looked at Lin Qingjun with some confusion.
Lin Qingjun gave her a reassuring smile.
Ji Ziqi then smiled and said, "Really? Thank you very much, Auntie. Ziqi is not young anymore. It's just right for me to learn how to manage the household. Then, Sister-in-law, you must take good care of me."
Although she said this, there was still worry in Ji Ziqi's eyes. She was worried that Lin Qingjun was just like her and knew nothing.
Lin Qingjun smiled and said, "Just sit here and watch. Whatever I do now, you will do the same in the future. Of course, you may not be able to learn it right away, but it doesn't matter. Auntie said that we will be in charge from now on. So even if we make mistakes, it doesn't matter, right, Auntie?"
When Ji Wu heard this, she clenched her handkerchief tightly. When did she say that she would be in charge in the future? She was just letting her be in charge now and making her look bad.
However, she was now in a difficult situation and could only nod in agreement.
Then, a woman who looked like a housekeeper came up, bowed and handed over a booklet.
"Princess, here are the kitchen expenses for this month. The eldest lady said that some of the dishes here don't match. I hope your Madam can check it out."
The first thing I saw was something in the kitchen?
When Ji Ziqi heard this, his face turned pale.
She could tell that the old woman was making things difficult for her fourth sister-in-law. The things in the kitchen didn't match the dishes. How could she check? The dishes had already been eaten and had long since turned into feces. Wasn't this making things difficult for her?
Also, this is the kitchen expenses for one month. Even if you compare each one carefully, it will take half a day. The things in the kitchen are dense and complicated. It's either meat or vegetables, or oil, salt and firewood. Even the water for making tea is mountain spring water bought from outside. Do you have to calculate this too?
When Ji Wu heard this, a smug smile appeared on her face. She secretly gave the old woman a look of praise, saying, "Well done." The old woman received her look and couldn't help but curl up the corners of her mouth with pride.
Everyone in the backyard knew that the stewards in each room and the kitchen had the most money. They could say that meat that cost twenty cents per pound was fifty cents, and thirty cents of it went into their pockets. Moreover, all the meat was eaten, so who could know whether the weight of the meat she bought was correct?
Ji Ziqi became even more worried, "Fourth, Fourth Sister-in-law, do you want it, do you want it?" Should they look at the next one?
Lin Qingjun said with a smile. "No need. This meal may seem complicated, but it's not. Besides, some of the bills don't require our personal inspection."
Don't need to see it in person?
What does this mean?
Is it possible that if I don’t see it with my own eyes, I can ask someone else to help me see it?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
