Chapter 453: Don't be soft-hearted
"Manager Zhang is the chief manager of the mansion. You and Aunt Cuiping will lead the people to check the accounts and inventory the warehouses. Report back tomorrow morning. Is that okay?"
From beginning to end, Xin An seemed very easy to talk to.
Manager Zhang did not dare to look down on her at all, and bowed and said, "Madam Second Young Master, there is enough time."
"good."
The two stewards panicked when they heard that they were going to check the accounts. They wanted to explain, but Xin An didn't give them a chance. "In order to seek justice and not to wrongly accuse the two stewards, from now on, you are not allowed to leave. All of you must go to the North Courtyard. During this period, you are not allowed to go out, and you are not allowed to pass on any information to the outside world."
"Guard Cao, Guard Deng."
When Cao Guidengfang entered the door, Xin An ordered, "Escort the stewards to the north courtyard and serve them well. Don't let outsiders disturb the stewards' peace."
"Please ask the palace doctor to treat the injuries of the three stewards."
"yes."
The two were eager to try. You know, they had been living a good life since they came over to Xin An. The job was easy and the benefits were quite good. Especially after a trip to Huaijiang River, they broadened their horizons and gained benefits. The money they earned added up to more than in the previous few years.
"Masters, please come in."
They felt uneasy after getting so much money, after all, they hadn't done anything. So even a small errand made them excited. They drove the managers to the north yard like driving sheep back to the pen, and then took care of them personally.
Xin An returned to Chunrong Hall as if nothing had happened. When the old lady asked him about it, Xin An said it was a trivial matter. "Grandma, don't worry. The most important thing right now is for you to get well soon."
The old lady smiled lovingly. Soon Aunt Yu came with her slave. Chunrong Hall suddenly became lively. The old lady held her great-grandson tightly. Wang and Xin An accompanied her for a while. Then Wang staggered and Xin An hurriedly supported her, with a concerned look on his face, "Mother, are you feeling unwell?"
The old lady hurriedly asked her to help the person back to rest. After leaving Chunrong Hall, Wang's spirits improved. When she returned to the room, she let Xin An see the box of treasures.
"Did your grandmother give them all?"
There are so many good things.
"Your grandmother wants to buy peace with money, and I can't bear to see her worry about it."
Xin An smiled and said, "Mother is the most filial."
Wang smiled and patted her, "You are so disrespectful, you dare to tease your mother."
She sighed and said, "Your grandmother is the same as most old people. She values harmony in the mansion more than anything else. Even if someone is being wronged under this harmony, as long as the wronged person does not make a fuss, she will pretend not to see it."
"Apart from that, she is also a generous person."
Xin An looked away from the box, "What will mother do next?"
"You are supposed to serve your father and take care of your grandmother, so that they can rest assured. You are responsible for the household expenses in the mansion. When you are too busy, come to me again. Remember, once you have taken action, do not show any mercy."
She didn't believe that what happened today was not instructed by Xin An. How could she not know the behavior of those managers? "With my mother's guidance, I won't make any mistakes."
Xin An sat aside with a smile on his face. "I feel bad seeing Aunt Yu taking me away from home. I'll ask her to take me to visit Grandmother more often, so that she can be happier."
Wang smiled with deep meaning in her eyes, “Your grandmother is old and likes children.”
"Yes, I asked my father. He meant to cancel the full-month banquet. The hundred-day banquet will also depend on the situation. I'm afraid my sister-in-law will be sad if she knows."
Wang smiled, "Your father is very thoughtful. The Marquis's Mansion should indeed be more low-key. I'll go talk to your sister-in-law later."
"Thank you for your hard work, mother."
Ever since Wang made up her mind to take action against Tang Gang, she has become much more sober. Looking at Xin An's daily behavior, she can actually see her purpose. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law have a better understanding than before.
At this time in Ningxiang Courtyard, Zhao was admonishing the three girls, "Learn from your second sister-in-law and don't think about hairpins and clothes all day long."
"Your second sister-in-law can still be considered a new daughter-in-law. She is not much older than you. Look at how she manages the household affairs."
After half a year, some people took a liking to the three sisters, but none of them were suitable. Zhao was not in a hurry, but she wanted the girls to learn all the skills they needed.
Tang Quaner and the other two nodded repeatedly. It was a pity that they couldn't go to see their second sister-in-law in person to handle things. They could only convey it through Zhao. "Second sister-in-law is really that powerful. So many managers quarreled in front of her. Isn't she afraid?"
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Zhao told them what had just happened and analyzed it for them, why the three people were beaten with a stick first, why they looked calm and not angry from beginning to end, why the stewards were kept under control, it seemed like a trivial matter and harmless, and why no steward dared to disobey her. Steward Zhang and Aunt Cuiping were busy with their men until midnight and finally sorted out the accounts of the granary and gift warehouse of the Marquis' Mansion. The next morning, Xin An slowly walked to the front yard, and Cao Gui and Deng Fang drove all the stewards over like driving a flock of sheep.
After just one night's absence, Steward Zhang and Steward She looked much older, with dull eyes. Steward Liu and his son had lights in their eyes. Most of the stewards looked like they were waiting for a good show. As the saying goes, a new official starts with three fires, and this fire will not burn them after it burned Stewards Zhang and She. I just don't know who will take the two vacant positions?
"Everyone is here. Manager Zhang, tell me what you found."
Steward Zhang stepped out and handed the list to Xin An, saying, "According to yesterday's inventory, the granary loses thousands of kilograms of grain every year. The reasons for the loss are either moisture or rats. The most recent loss was last month, when 600 kilograms of the top-quality grain sent by the old lady's hometown was reported as lost. The 600 kilograms of lost grain was sold to Cao's Grain Store. The daughter-in-law of the storekeeper is Steward Zhang's biological daughter. Over the years, the Cao family has sent people to take away the lost grain from the Marquis' Mansion."
"Last year, the mansion had a big celebration. The first and second young masters' wives came in on the same day. The mansion entertained 69 guests, but 83 actually came. All gifts from each family were registered. Yesterday, we counted and found that 29 gifts were missing. Among them, an old ginseng sent by a merchant was missing. At the end of the year, the mansion held a banquet and sent out 31 invitations. 28 came, and seven gifts were missing."
Manager Zhang is the chief manager of the mansion and a close confidant of Tang Gang. No one would suspect that he would commit fraud together with Xin An, and his words have always been believed.
Several stewards standing there were whispering to each other. Someone said, "The house of Steward Zhang Er has three courtyards and is very impressive. Steward Zhang Er and Steward She are so close that they almost became in-laws. What's going on here is really amazing."
"The gifts sent to and from the Marquis' Mansion are all extremely valuable. Dozens of them were lost this year. How much more could this be if we counted them in the past? It has been less than two years since the late Madam entered the Mansion, but Steward She has been in charge of the gift storehouse. It has been more than 20 years, right?"
"No wonder Manager She is so wealthy. Last month, Sister She bought a set of headgear that cost three hundred taels. She has more than a dozen servants at home, and they are all as wealthy as a wealthy man."
"He is more than a rich man. Our mansion has been prosperous for the past twenty years. I can't say it has never been prosperous. Manager She's wealth cannot be underestimated."
They are all old stewards, so everyone knows what’s going on in the mansion. As they were talking, everyone fell silent. Xin An sneered in her heart, she had misjudged him. This steward She might be Tang Rong’s money bag.
(End of this chapter)
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