Qiao'er wasn't as quick-witted as Jade, but she understood after a little thought.
Just like the Madam, if things are done well, that's only to be expected; but if they're done poorly... Aunt Ye will have a hard time dealing with the Old Madam!
Qiao'er bit her lip and peeked into the room again.
The lady was still sitting by the window, her back straight, looking at the book she had borrowed from the second master with a serene expression.
Qiao'er said, "I'm afraid that Aunt Ye is not simple. If she really handles this task well, won't her status with the Earl rise even higher?"
"And don't you already know that the Earl only exchanged a few words with Yu Rou in the Old Madam's courtyard, yet Aunt Ye came up with such a way to torment him? It's clear she's no pushover."
Aunt Ye punished Yu Rou by making her eat all the pastries that had fallen on the ground.
With so many people watching, this is tantamount to trampling Yu Rou's self-esteem into the ground.
After hearing what she said, Emerald frowned.
She paused for a moment, then said, "No matter what, Madam is still the official wife. You should be more perceptive and avoid mentioning the Earl and Concubine Ye to Madam these days, so as not to upset her."
Qiao'er nodded sullenly, "I understand."
The weather wasn't very good all day; it rained on and off, and the temperature was much lower than yesterday.
It was getting dark outside.
Emerald entered the room and announced, "Madam, the Old Madam has sent someone to invite you to have dinner at Pine Willow Courtyard."
This was within Qin Sheng's expectations.
Presumably, the old lady has already considered the matter of renovating the clan school.
Qin Sheng then changed her clothes and went over with her maid.
There was still that clear pigeon soup on the dinner table.
When Qin Sheng arrived, she happened to see Ye Jiaoniang leaving. Ye Jiaoniang glanced at Qin Sheng as she left.
After dinner, Madam Yin had tea served and brought up the matter of renovating the clan school again.
"Ah Sheng, I've thought it over carefully." Old Madam Yin looked at Qin Sheng. "After all, Jiao Niang has never managed a household before, and she knows nothing about prices outside. I really don't trust her with this matter."
Unexpectedly, Yin Wenxiao also agreed with what Old Madam Yin said.
Although he had no romantic feelings for Qin Sheng, he had to admit that she was indeed more suitable than Jiao Niang in these matters.
Madam Yin patted Qin Sheng's hand: "This is a major event concerning the clan. I can only feel at ease if I entrust it to you."
His tone and the way he looked at Qin Sheng were both very meaningful.
Qin Sheng had expected this.
She pushed this task onto Ye Jiaoniang because she wanted to let Old Madam Yin make her own demands after she had thought it through.
She didn't go through all that trouble for nothing.
Qin Sheng said, "But if I do that, I'll inevitably have to leave the manor all the time. And what if you and the Lord are not satisfied with the renovations one day?"
"Furthermore, regarding the matter of hiring a tutor, there are at least a dozen children in our Yin family who want to go to school. If it were another family, so many children would probably need two tutors to educate them separately. Should we hire one or two?"
The questions Madam Yin was asking were giving her a bit of a headache.
In the end, Yin Wenxiao said, "The clan school should be renovated as it should be. As for hiring a teacher, I can ask my colleagues to help with the introduction, so you don't need to worry about it."
It's just a matter of hiring two tutors. As long as the tuition is paid enough, how could we not hire those from humble backgrounds?
Qin Sheng nodded, "Okay."
She added, "Then I'll take 20,000 taels of silver from the public account first, and we'll talk about it later if it's not enough."
Madam Yin felt a pang of heartache upon hearing this; 20,000 taels of silver was still not enough.
Qin Sheng didn't care whether she felt the pinch or not, and continued to say, "Although these are things that I should do as the head of the household, it's easy to make mistakes when there are too many things to do. If there are any mistakes in the household affairs, I hope Mother and Lord will be more understanding."
Madam Yin waved her hand, "Don't worry."
Furthermore, she trusted her daughter-in-law Qin Sheng, believing her to be meticulous and thorough in her work, and that minor mistakes were harmless, while major errors were unlikely.
However, Yin Wenxiao thought differently from his mother.
As Qin Sheng finished speaking, he subconsciously narrowed his eyes slightly, and that strange feeling that made him feel uncomfortable resurfaced.
Why does Qin Sheng seem different...?
...
In the evening, Yin Wenxiao went to Mingyue Pavilion.
The maids and servants in the house all left on their own initiative, and the voice of Aunt Ye could still be faintly heard coming from inside the house in the courtyard.
"Does the old lady think I am incapable of shouldering heavy responsibilities, or does the Lord think I am inferior to the lady in every way?"
Ye Jiaoniang was initially very excited when she learned that the madam had asked her to take charge of the renovation of the clan school. But how long has it been? Why has the task fallen to Qin Sheng again?
How come all the good things happen to her?
Ye Jiaoniang sniffed, looking at Yin Wenxiao with a wronged expression, "Didn't we agree that I would take responsibility for this so that the old lady would change her opinion of me?"
Yin Wenxiao couldn't bear to tell her the truth, and only said, "This is hard work after all, and besides, it was Mother who made the decision."
As for himself, Yin Wenxiao managed to absolve himself of all responsibility.
He even thought, so be it, if Jiaoniang is not up to the task, then so be it.
She is the woman he loves, and he doesn't need to work as hard as Qin Sheng; he can simply enjoy a peaceful and carefree life every day.
"..."
Ye Jiaoniang's eyes slowly reddened.
Having said all that, what else could she not understand? I'm afraid not only Old Madam Yin, but even Yin Wenxiao himself doesn't trust her, right?
But Ye Jiaoniang didn't want to give up just like that.
She gently tugged at Yin Wenxiao's sleeve, looking at him with teary eyes, "How can Madam manage so many things by herself? Otherwise... I can help Madam, or I can temporarily take over the affairs of the manor?"
"..."
Yin Wenxiao frowned almost imperceptibly, but still couldn't bear to say anything harsh. He simply said, "That's something Madam should worry about. Besides, there are so many stewards in the manor, so don't worry about it."
Knowing she was upset, Yin Wenxiao softened his tone even more, putting an arm around her shoulder and saying, "Alright, didn't you say last time that you wanted to give me a son? Let's go to bed."
As he spoke, he picked up Ye Jiaoniang.
“What eldest son…” Ye Jiaoniang rarely lost her temper, and said in a low voice, “Even if he is a son, he is still the eldest son born out of wedlock.”
"..."
They had discussed this matter before. According to Yin Wenxiao, if the baby was a son, he would be raised by Qin Sheng and live with her, inheriting the status of a legitimate son.
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