As soon as the gong struck at the hour of Mao, Shen Weiwan called a few familiar servants to her courtyard. Zhang Ma, Li Bo, and a few servants gathered in a circle, rubbing their hands together as they watched Shen Weiwan set up the abacus on the stone table.
"Miss, what are you doing..." Aunt Zhang muttered, staring at the abacus beads. "Are you calculating the monthly allowance? That old hag Liu has withheld 30% from us again."
Chen Weiwan's abacus clattered, the corners of her mouth curled up into a "wanting a beating" arc: "Today we won't open the accounts, we'll open the 'financial management class'." She pointed in the direction of the west wing, "Do you know how to get the money back from my aunt?"
Uncle Li scratched his head and said, "Miss, just tell us straight away. We will all listen to you."
"It's very simple," Shen Weiwan put down the abacus, "next time Liu deducts your monthly allowance, you all go to her courtyard door and cry poor. Remember, you have to cry deeply and it's best to bring your children with you, saying that you can't make ends meet at home."
"Crying poor?" A woman hesitated. "Liu is so stingy, how can we give it to her?"
"She won't give it?" Shen Weiwan sneered, "Last time I took you to borrow money, didn't she obediently pay her own pocket money?" She lowered her voice, "Auntie is most afraid of servants causing trouble. If it gets out that the general's mansion treats servants harshly, she will lose face."
The servants suddenly realized what was going on. Aunt Zhang slapped her thigh and said, "What a brilliant idea, Miss! Last time, when we blocked her at the door, her face turned green!"
"Remember," Shen Weiwan reminded, "take turns going, don't go all at once, it will look like you are doing it on your own." She also taught a few lines of pleading poverty, such as "The child is crying because he is hungry" and "My mother is sick and has no money to buy medicine", which made the servants nod their heads.
The next day, just after finishing breakfast, Liu heard crying outside the courtyard gate. She opened the door and saw Wang Po, the kitchen girl, kneeling on the ground with her little grandson, her face covered in snot and tears. "Madam, please be kind! My little grandson hasn't eaten for three days. Please give him his monthly allowance!"
Liu frowned: "There's no money in the treasury. What's the point of telling me?"
"But the storehouse belongs to the general's mansion, and you are the mistress!" Mrs. Wang cried even louder. "If you don't give us the money, our whole family will starve to death!"
Liu was getting a headache from the noise. Just as she was about to close the door, she saw Aunt Zhang coming in with Uncle Li. Uncle Li was leaning on a cane and coughing: "Madam, I have a cough and no money to buy medicine. I'm afraid I won't make it through the winter..."
Over the next few days, the servants took turns going to Liu's courtyard door to lament their poverty. Today, it was Zhang Ma's daughter getting married with no dowry, and tomorrow, it was Li Bo's son who broke his leg and had no money for medical treatment. Liu was annoyed by the pestering. No sooner had she sent one away than another arrived, and the courtyard was filled with constant cries.
"Madam, have mercy on me!"
"If you don't give us money, we'll have to beg on the street!"
"Even if the general is still alive, he wouldn't be able to bear to see us starve to death!"
Liu was so angry that she smashed several teacups and scolded Lu'e: "It's all your fault! What a stupid idea to deduct the monthly salary! Now everyone in the courtyard is here to mourn!"
Lu'e said aggrievedly: "Madam, isn't this what you said..."
"Shut up!" Liu rubbed her temples. "Go and pay out the withheld monthly wages! And tell them to leave me alone!"
Just as Lu'e was about to leave, Liu called her back, "Wait! Only give me half! The rest..." She rolled her eyes, "Just say the treasury is really out of money and owes you the rest."
The servants received half of their monthly salary and immediately came to report to Shen Weiwan. Shen Weiwan was playing with the cat and hugged it when she heard it: "Only half? It seems that my aunt is not feeling enough." She touched the cat's head and said, "Tell everyone to continue crying tomorrow. This time, bring your bedding rolls and set up a tent at the gate of her courtyard to stay."
"Build a shed?" Aunt Zhang's eyes lit up. "Miss, you are so mean... Bah, so smart!"
The next day, when Liu opened the door, she was nearly shocked by what she saw. She saw several dilapidated straw huts at the gate of her courtyard, where servants and their families lived. When they saw her come out, they all knelt down:
"Madam, please be kind!"
"We have nowhere to go!"
"If you don't give us money, we won't leave!"
Liu was so angry that she was shaking all over: "Rebellion! You all rebelled!" She wanted to ask people to drive them away, but found that the servants in her yard also joined in the commotion. It was obvious that they were instigated by Shen Weiwan.
"Madam, please give me the money," a usually honest servant also knelt down, "my mother is waiting for the money to buy medicine."
Liu looked at the sea of people and was completely at a loss. If the commotion continued, the whole capital would know that the general's mansion was mistreating its servants. She gritted her teeth and said to Lu'e, "Give them the remaining monthly wages! Get them out of here!"
The servants received their full monthly wages and happily dismantled the straw hut. Liu looked at the empty yard and angrily cursed: "Chen Weiwan! You little bitch, you've corrupted the atmosphere of the mansion!"
Chen Weiwan heard the report in her own courtyard and laughed so hard that her shoulders shook. Chuntao brought tea and said, "Miss, this trick of yours is really great. The servants all treat you like a living Buddha."
"Living Bodhisattva?" Chen Weiwan took a sip of tea. "I was just teaching them how to manage their finances." She put down her teacup, her eyes sharp. "The money that Liu withheld was what the servants deserved."
As he was speaking, the old housekeeper arrived, holding an account book in his hand: "Miss, Liu has paid back all the monthly wages that were withheld, and even gave quite a bit to comfort the servants."
"Flipping?" Shen Weiwan raised an eyebrow, "How much did you pay?"
"Three hundred taels," the old housekeeper laughed. "She gave each servant an extra ten taels to silence them."
Shen Weiwan nodded with satisfaction: "Very good. Tell the servants that if Liu embezzles money again in the future, they will follow this method." She picked up the abacus, "Next, it's time to calculate the money Liu embezzled from the treasury."
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