Chapter 10 The Lonely Phoenix's Curse (Part 10) The Butler.
Ye Mu couldn't get the frostbite cream delivered, and a thought kept bothering her. Leaning against the window of the warm pavilion, she watched the old women sweeping in the yard, but her eyes were unfocused, constantly darting to Wen Kong's hands, which were red and ulcerated from the cold.
“Ah Jing,” she muttered sullenly, “that little master’s hands look so painful.”
Zijing was trimming the withered leaves of the daffodils with small silver scissors. "Fourth Sister is kind-hearted, but that little monk seems aloof and doesn't appreciate it. There's nothing we can do about it. Baoxiang Temple has strict rules, so they probably really don't allow them to accept gifts casually. Stop thinking about it. Come and look at these daffodils. The buds are already sprouting. They'll surely bloom beautifully during the New Year."
Ye Mu made a "hmm" sound, but her small body didn't move. She only felt the wind that was seeping in through the crack in the window getting colder and harder.
Even though she wasn't being chilled, she felt cold for him.
Ye Mu chuckled and waved her hand, her thoughts drifting elsewhere. She pondered the situation in the manor. In her previous life, the second branch of the family had not been confined at this time, but now the situation had changed, presenting the third branch with an excellent opportunity to rise up.
Having lived a lifetime, Ye Mu deeply understands the ways of the world, like a game of chess. In this deep and secluded mansion, everyone has their own position and responsibilities. Without power in one's hands, one is like a rootless duckweed, and thus loses face in front of others.
Only by letting my mother hold the power and influence that I can stand on my own two feet can I have real confidence and avoid being looked down upon and bullied by people like the Zhou family.
All the power in the household rested in the hands of the old lady.
But her mother's upbringing from a respectable family was ingrained in her bones. Even if she wanted to be good to the old lady, she would never flatter and fawn like Zhou Shi. Ye Mu lowered her eyelashes and thought to herself, what her mother couldn't do, she, the little girl, would do.
The next day, at the crack of dawn, Ye Mu went to Ronghe Hall.
"Greetings to Grandmother!" Ye Mu broke free from Zijing's hand and fluttered to the old lady's knees like a fluffy sparrow. Her little face, which was turned up, was pink from the cold, and she was all smiles.
The old lady had just finished breakfast and was being helped to rinse her mouth by Lin Mama. When she saw this warm sight, she couldn't help but smile and said, "Little Fourth Sister is quite diligent today, getting up so early. Come up and sit next to Grandmother."
Ye Mu scrambled up to the old lady and sat down right next to her. She immediately pulled out a calligraphy practice book and a small purple brush from her sleeve, as if presenting a treasure. "Grandma, would you like to teach Fourth Sister to write? Yesterday, Father taught me the character '家' (jia, meaning home/family), and Fourth Sister thought it was written terribly, like the crooked old plum tree outside Grandma's yard."
She wrinkled her little nose and pointed disdainfully at a ball of ink on the notebook. "Daddy said that if a tree is crooked, you have to straighten it quickly, otherwise it will grow crooked and fall over when the wind blows! Shouldn't you straighten crooked characters too?"
What was said without malice may have been taken to heart by the listener.
The old lady's gaze swept over Ye Mu's crooked "home" character, then slowly moved away, looking at the plum tree in the courtyard outside the window. Wasn't the farce that happened in the second branch just a crooked branch on the big tree of the Marquis's mansion? If it wasn't straightened in time and allowed to grow and spread, it might really damage the foundation one day.
"Hmm," the old lady said calmly, and instructed Lin Mama, "Bring me my old Chengni inkstone, add some warm water, and also bring that fine piece of plain Xuan paper that I got the other day. It's normal for children not to write well. Practice slowly, and if your mind is right, your handwriting will naturally become right."
Ye Mu nestled against the old lady's arm, her eyes bright, "Thank you, Grandma! Grandma is the best!"
After Granny Lin cut the paper and ground the ink, everything was ready. Ye Mu imitated her father's usual calligraphy, picking up a small wolf-hair brush in her little hand, dipping it in ink, holding her breath and concentrating, and making her first stroke on the plain white Xuan paper. The horizontal stroke was neither horizontal nor vertical, but crooked and uneven.
In fact, Ye Mu had excellent handwriting in his previous life. Back then, he was practicing in a temple and always felt drowsy when listening to Buddhist scriptures, so he found a copy of a scripture written by Wen Kong and copied it.
Moreover, she was already the wife of a compiler in the Hanlin Academy at that time. For the sake of her husband's family's reputation, she practiced diligently in the temple and developed a beautiful and elegant handwriting.
Right now, in order to appear clumsy like a child learning to write in front of the old lady, it takes more effort than actually writing.
Ye Mu's face turned bright red, and even in the cold weather, beads of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose.
But in the old lady's eyes, it was utterly solid, making her vaguely recall the scene of her writing in her childhood.
"No rush, take your time." The old lady unusually offered guidance, placing her round palm on Ye Mu's small hand and guiding her to slowly wield the brush. "Keep your wrist steady, apply even pressure, and calm your mind..."
For several days in a row, Ye Mu became a regular at Ronghe Hall. Sometimes she would practice calligraphy and recite poems, and sometimes she would rest her chin on the table and listen to her grandmother tell stories about the old Marquis's mansion. Although she was young, she was well-mannered and had a different kind of intelligence than other children, which made the old lady happier.
"Grandma, look at Fourth Miss's bearing. Third Madam has done a great job training her; she really put a lot of thought into it." Lin Mama praised with a smile as she watched Ye Mu imitating Ye Xingjian's calligraphy of the window in the courtyard. "Her earnestness is quite reminiscent of yours."
"Too stubborn." The old lady argued with the nanny, unable to bring herself to praise her. "The third son's wife... she is a bit aloof, but she has a good heart, and the child she raised is also honest and straightforward."
As they were talking, Ye Mu stood on tiptoe, held up the red paper with the character "福" (fortune) written on it, and shouted, "Grandma, Grandma, look! Isn't this character better written than my brother's?"
Even through the window, you could see the ink brush beside her mouth, making her look like a clown. The old lady couldn't help but laugh, "Foolish."
Time flies like an arrow, and spring arrives in the blink of an eye.
The festive atmosphere of the New Year had barely subsided when the registers in the treasury piled up on the desks of the stewards. The spring planting arrangements for the various estates were urgently needed to be decided. Repairing houses, replacing furnishings, preparing for the spring sacrifices... each and every matter was tedious and trivial, yet it concerned the appearance and dignity of the Marquis's mansion.
"...Just those courtyards on the west side alone suffered damage to many tiles and rafters from last year's heavy snow. If they aren't repaired in time, they'll likely suffer major damage when the spring and summer rains come in. Furthermore, the furnishings in each household's rooms should, as is customary, be replaced with new curtains and draperies of the latest styles in the spring. The materials stored in the storerooms are probably insufficient, and we'll need to make some purchases..."
In the warm chamber, the old lady's knuckles tapped lightly on the rosewood armrest as she listened to the head housekeeper report on the budget for several important expenses at the beginning of spring. Money was needed everywhere, and it was difficult to cut back on anything.
After a moment, the old lady raised her eyes and glanced at the people below her. "The beginning of the year is busy and complicated. The eldest daughter-in-law is managing the whole household and is already overwhelmed. The second son's family is under house arrest, so she needs to focus more on educating her children..."
She turned her gaze to Liu Shi, “…Third son’s wife, you have always been meticulous and reliable. This spring, the government treasury is purchasing and replenishing supplies, and the various farms are reporting the spring planting seeds and farm tools. All the money coming in and out is trivial, but it is the most challenging thing to do. From today onwards, you will take over these affairs. If you are unsure about anything, consult with your sister-in-law.”
The room fell silent.
Even the head butler raised an eyebrow.
Liu was also taken aback. She came from a respectable family and was not one to seek the limelight. After marrying into the Marquis's mansion, she had never truly held any real power. She only managed the maids and servants in her own courtyard and handled some needlework and daily necessities. The sudden weight of the power to manage the purchases and finances of the entire mansion was too heavy a burden.
She parted her lips slightly, intending to politely refuse, but before she could speak, she felt a soft warmth in her palm.
Looking down, she saw that Fourth Sister had somehow snuggled up to her side, a chubby little hand tightly gripping her fingertips. The little girl looked up, her almond-shaped eyes as clear as a mountain spring, untouched by any dust, gazing steadily into her eyes.
Liu's heart skipped a beat, and the words of refusal that were about to escape her throat were swallowed back. Her daughter's eyes were too clear and bright; sometimes they didn't seem like those of a young child, but rather like those of someone who had seen it all.
She suppressed her anxiety and bowed respectfully to the old lady, saying, "Your daughter-in-law will follow your instructions, Mother. I will do my best and dare not fail your trust. However, I am young and inexperienced and may have made some oversights. I hope you will give me some guidance."
In his words, he had already put Wang Shi first, adopting an extremely humble attitude.
"Third sister-in-law, you're too kind. We're all family, so it's only right that we help each other out." Madam Wang nodded slightly, smiling. "You're thoughtful and prudent. Your mother has a discerning eye and is sure you'll be able to handle this. If you have any questions, just come and ask."
Having managed the household affairs for many years, she was well aware of the transfer of power within the inner workings of the household and understood its intricacies.
On the surface, the old lady's actions were to show her pity for her hard work and to delegate some of the administrative duties to lighten her burden. In reality, however, she was using this silent appointment to send a warning to the second wife, who was still under house arrest.
The old lady nodded in satisfaction. "That's very good. The eldest daughter-in-law has put in a lot of effort, and the housekeepers have also been very attentive and helpful. Spring is busy, so everyone can go and do their own thing."
After years of silence, the third branch of the family suddenly gained the favor of the old lady and became the focus of attention for the entire household.
In the days that followed, the stewardesses and purchasing managers from various places came one after another to Liu with thick ledgers and numerous payment requests, asking for her instructions.
Liu set up a management office in a side room next to Baopuzhai, which was soon filled with all kinds of account books, deeds, and sample orders.
Liu was almost completely absorbed in this sea of paper and ink. During the day, she listened to the managers' replies, and at night she picked up her pen to annotate the account entries.
Ye Mu noticed that her mother had lost weight and had faint dark circles under her eyes. She knew that the resilience of her mother, a member of a noble family, was being gradually brought out by the heavy workload.
But Ye Mu also felt sorry for him.
Money coming in and out, social interactions, and the management of servants—which of these isn't prone to causing trouble? Moreover, Ye Mu knows his mother's temperament well; she dislikes conflict and lacks the decisive methods to control the long-standing unruly servants and the various entrenched forces in the mansion.
For a mother to suddenly take control of such a crucial power as purchasing money is tantamount to a child carrying gold through the market.
“Ah Jing,” she tugged at Zi Jing’s sleeve, pointing with her little finger to Liu Shi, who was sitting behind the desk in the half-open window, “Mother’s eyebrows are all drooping.”
Zijing looked over and said, "Fourth Sister, Grandma is doing an important task that the Old Madam entrusted to her. It's a respectable job, and Grandma knows what she's doing."
Ye Mu stubbornly shook her head, "I want to go help my mother!"
She had barely stepped across the threshold of the side room when Zhang Niangzi, the storeroom manager, followed her in.
"Third Grandmother is well, Fourth Miss is well."
The woman had a round, plump face, and a smile that preceded her words. She was holding a stack of samples of newly arrived Hangzhou silk fabrics.
"I apologize for disturbing your work, Madam." Madam Zhang curtsied and smiled warmly as she presented the list to Madam Liu. "This is the list of materials to be used to replace the curtains and draperies for the masters of each household in the spring. According to past practice, the storeroom is already short of satin and gauze, especially the soft silk gauze and brocade used by the upper class. There is a significant shortage."
"I dared not delay, and hurried to several familiar shops. They all gave me their prices, and I chose one with good quality and a reasonable price. Please take a look and make your decision, so that we can get the money to purchase it as soon as possible."
Liu put down his pen, took the few invoices filled with tiny, densely written characters, and calmly scanned the lines of product names and dimensions before finally focusing on the amount of silver at the end.
Ye Mu also snuggled into her mother's arms to watch.
After reading a few lines, I sensed that things were not going well.
Ye Mu had personally purchased these materials after becoming a daughter-in-law of the Jiang family in her previous life. The prices of several major materials on the list were nearly 20% higher than the market price she paid more than ten years later. In particular, the soft gauze marked "Suzhou style new tribute" was ridiculously expensive.
Zhang Niangzi is taking advantage of her mother's lack of experience in household affairs and her ignorance of the ways of the world!
Ye Mu glared at her with a sidelong glance and a pout, her cheeks puffed out in anger. This old hag, all smiles and no action, was no good at all.
This was the first time Zhang Niangzi had seen her angry, and she found it amusing, teasing her like a child, "Oh dear, why is Fourth Miss unhappy today? Look at that pouty little mouth, you could hang an oil bottle on it! Who upset our Fourth Miss?"
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