The people from the British Duke's mansion were humiliated and went home long ago.
Lady Anning and Wu Xinxin stayed behind.
Wu Xinxin couldn't wait to see Shi Wenxia make a fool of himself, so she bluntly said, "Oh dear, the performance by Su Yun's troupe, arranged by the young master's wife, was so wonderful, why haven't you given them a reward yet? Could it be that you're too broke to even give a reward?"
After a typical performance, the host gives the performers a tip, and then the actors leave the stage.
Standing there awkwardly like this, isn't that just waiting for a tip?
Shi Wenxia's face immediately turned bright red. She subconsciously looked at Old Madam Yun and Madam Su, and stammered, "Grandmother, Mother... I... I don't know..."
Madam Su nodded in understanding, then clapped her hands, "It's alright, someone, give them a reward!"
Soon, Hongyu, accompanied by a maid, went to offer her a red platter.
The troupe leader of Su Yun's troupe thanked them profusely before leaving the stage.
With tears in his eyes, Shi Wenxia said to Madam Su, "Mother, I'm sorry, it was my oversight. I thought... this Su Yunban was from the Yun family... so..."
Wu Xinxin scoffed, "Who in the entire capital doesn't know that Su Yun's troupe is a group kept by the county magistrate's mansion? How does it belong to the Yun family? Even if you look at the surname, they are surnamed Su! Besides, they are celebrating the Yun family's birthday, shouldn't the Yun family give them a reward?"
These words brought tears to Shi Wenxia's eyes, making them tremble. "It's...it's Wenxia's fault..."
Wu Xinxin added, "In my opinion, you fundamentally believe that this Su Yun Ban belongs to the Su family, which is also the Yun family. Why would you need to give a reward to your own family member for their birthday?! Does the Yun family care about such a small reward? It's just that you can't afford to give such a reward, right?!"
The ladies and young women nearby began to whisper among themselves.
"Isn't that right? Even if the servants in the Yun family mansion sincerely wished Old Madam Yun a happy birthday, would Old Madam Yun be unwilling to give them a reward? Let alone such a grand performance!"
"Today's show included magic tricks and a lively performance, culminating in the presentation of longevity peaches. Even I almost couldn't resist giving a tip!"
"This young master's wife looks like a petty person. So she wanted to take advantage of the county princess, but she didn't even want to give her a reward?"
"She's only just married into the family, and she's already scheming against her own sister-in-law. Even though Princess Su's surname isn't Yun, she's still listed in the Yun family genealogy."
"That's right. If they don't want to give rewards just because it's their own property, doesn't that mean Su Yunban is worse than even the servants of the Yun family?"
"I can't accept this! Who doesn't know that Su Yun's troupe is the hardest to invite into the capital to perform? The fact that they put on such a grand show for Old Madam Yun is all thanks to the County Princess's influence. And this new sister-in-law is actually going against her conscience and refusing to give them a reward?"
"Didn't Miss Wu just say that she doesn't have the money to give, but she insists on putting on a show of wealth even when she's not rich enough?"
Previously, Shi Wenxia had embarrassed his own daughter, and now his concubine's daughter had stirred up trouble and made Shi Wenxia lose face. The Lady of Anning was pleased to see this and made no attempt to stop it.
Shi Wenxia lowered his head lower and lower, as if he wished he could disappear into the ground.
Su Youran was secretly pleased, but since her name had been mentioned, she spoke up, "Everyone, my sister-in-law is devoted to observing mourning for her parents and is unfamiliar with the customs of the capital. It's understandable that she forgot for a moment, but she can learn slowly. Please give her some pointers in the future. Afternoon tea has been prepared. Please move to the flower hall and try our homemade afternoon tea!"
"Oh my, I've long heard that the 'Leisurely Half-Day' milk tea shops that are now popping up all over the streets and alleys are the work of the county magistrate. Now that your family has its own homemade milk tea, I must have a good taste of it!"
"Come on, come on, this is a big surprise!"
Su Youran then led the group of women away.
Shi Wenxia was both embarrassed and angry, secretly grinding her teeth. This Su Youran must be doing this on purpose, deliberately not telling her about the reward money, and having these women constantly point out her mistakes?!
She had no idea about afternoon tea! Su Youran had secretly arranged for it; wasn't that a slap in the face for her?
...
The next day, Su sent someone to invite Shi Wenxia to the flower hall.
Upon seeing these two, Shi Wenxia roughly understood what was going on.
These two men were clearly dressed as the shopkeeper; they must have come to ask for money.
As expected, Madam Su spoke up, "Wenxia, these two are the managers of Fuxilou and Liuyueju respectively. They brought yesterday's food and water bills. Originally, I would have handled these small matters myself, but since you were the one who organized Mother's birthday banquet, I thought it would be necessary for you to check them to avoid any mistakes."
She had already put it very tactfully; she didn't mean for her daughter-in-law to pay, but rather that there had been a mishap with the banquet she had arranged, and she wanted her to understand the implications of the extra amount so that she wouldn't make the same mistake again.
But to Shi Wenxia, these words meant to be a warning.
This was the first time she had ever hosted such a grand birthday banquet for the mansion, and she had asked for it herself. Moreover, she wanted to use this performance to win the opportunity to manage the household affairs of the Duke's mansion!
Thinking this through, she made up her mind and took the two red papers placed on the table. “Mother, since I organized Grandmother’s birthday banquet, and also made mistakes, I should naturally pay for these expenses.”
She gritted her teeth and said to the two shopkeepers, "Thank you for your hard work, please come with me."
Madam Su called out to her, "Wenxia, about this silver..."
Shi Wenxia bowed to her and said, "Mother, don't worry. Your daughter-in-law will definitely find a way to make up for what's missing."
Having said that, she walked away with her two shopkeepers, her chest puffed out.
Just as she stepped out, Hongyu came in carrying a plate. "Madam, I've brought the silver notes."
Ms. Su smiled and said, "No need. Xia said she can handle it."
Hongyu asked in surprise, "Young Madam? Wasn't it said that she had nothing left?"
Madam Su said, "Let's see what she has up her sleeve. If she's just asking the young master for help, that's fine. But if she's thinking of underhanded tricks, the Duke's Mansion won't tolerate her being so presumptuous!"
Hongyu was startled. "Does Madam mean...?"
“I suspect that her embarrassing incident yesterday was related to You Ran.” Madam Su took a sip of tea. “You Ran wouldn’t target anyone for no reason. The person she targets must have a flaw in character.”
A clear voice rang out, "Mother still has this inexplicable confidence in my younger sister!"
Then a tall, slender figure stepped in, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Greetings to Mother."
"It's Chen'er, come and sit down!" Madam Su smiled broadly. "Is the newly renovated Mingyue Courtyard comfortable for you? If there's anything you need, just tell me, and I'll get it for you!"
Su Youchen sat down, lifting his robe. "Mother, please don't bother. My sister has reported my earnings from Youran Restaurant in her letters to me every year. Today, I will go and collect the earnings to give to you, Mother."
Madam Su laughed, "You don't need to go. Every year, Youran brings back the profits from Fuxi Restaurant and deposits them with Mother!"
She said to Hongyu, "Have Zhao Mama bring the box she's keeping."
"Yes." Hongyu curtsied and left.
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