Chapter 13 Water Dragon Chant (Part 3) Facial flushing.
Ye Mu raised her little face, her pink cheeks slightly puffed out, "Grandmother, it's not that Fourth Sister is not trying hard, it's just that the characters on this scripture get more and more difficult as you go on. There are some strokes and turns that Fourth Sister just can't understand no matter how she looks at them, and she can't figure them out no matter how she tries to guess them."
She pointed to a spot on the scroll with her little finger, which was stained with ink, and said, “Look at this character ‘慧’ (hui). The ‘心’ (heart) part at the bottom is written so sharply, like a little hook. Fourth Sister’s writing is clumsy; no matter how she writes it, it looks like a little bump.”
The old lady examined her hand closely and found that the handwriting was indeed sharp and powerful, with each stroke like a knife or halberd, making it difficult to master and not something a young child could easily comprehend. She also felt that the handwriting was indeed too difficult for her granddaughter.
Ye Mu glanced at his grandmother's expression and seized the opportunity to plead, "Grandmother, could you please ask the young master who wrote this scripture to teach Fourth Sister? Just for a little while, Fourth Sister wants to know how to use this brush. Mother said that learning calligraphy is like spiritual practice; one must be guided by a wise teacher and cannot work in isolation. One must see it with one's own eyes and hear the true words before one can understand it."
Upon hearing this, the old lady naturally assumed that Liu had seen Fourth Sister's handwriting. "Oh? What else did your mother say?"
"My mother also said that if her granddaughter's calligraphy skills truly improve, she will be able to copy more scrolls of prayer scriptures for her grandmother in the future, and her sincerity will be more evident in her writing. However..."
Ye Mu changed the subject, "My mother said that this matter concerns my studies and requires your judgment, Grandmother. She dares not act on her own initiative, but only instructs me to write carefully and to answer truthfully if you ask."
The old lady was silent for a moment, then glanced at Ye Mu's copy again and said slowly, "Your mother has always been a meticulous and reliable person."
"My mother only pitied Fourth Sister's eagerness to learn and respected Grandmother's devotion to Buddhism. She said that everything was up to Grandmother. If Grandmother thought it was feasible, it would be her granddaughter's good fortune. If she thought it was inappropriate, then she would continue to copy it herself and would never dare to trouble Grandmother."
Liu's words had been embellished by Ye Mu, but she had indeed said that she needed the old lady's consent, so it couldn't be considered deception. Her reply satisfied her mother's filial piety and sense of propriety, while also subtly presenting the final decision to her grandmother, displaying a pure and obedient devotion.
"Alright," the old lady gently stroked Ye Mu's head. "Since your mother has already given her her consent and thought things through so thoroughly, it's clear she's put her heart into it. Since she thinks that master's calligraphy is worth learning, then so be it. Tomorrow I'll have Granny Lin go to Baoxiang Temple to discuss it with the abbot."
"Thank you, Grandmother!" Ye Mu was overjoyed and immediately got off the bed to bow. "Grandmother loves Fourth Sister the most!"
Ye Mu's end went smoothly, but Liu Shi's end hit a wall.
When Lady Zhang left the side room that day, she caught a glimpse of the price list on the table. Although she was startled, she was not completely flustered. Having been immersed in the affairs of the Marquis's mansion for many years, she had become quite shrewd and resourceful. How could she be unprepared?
Madam Zhang didn't stop walking, but instead of going straight back to the storeroom, she circled around to the west gate of the mansion, found a reliable servant, whispered a few words to him, and the servant quickly ran off to report to the second courtyard.
Although Zhou was under house arrest, his eyes and ears were not closed off.
Upon hearing the news, she leaned against the window and sneered repeatedly, "What a third wife! She's only gained a little power, yet she dares to investigate market prices privately and suspect the old man! She's so proud and arrogant, too ashamed to haggle with merchants, so she encourages her sons and daughters to do this spying. She's becoming more and more despicable!"
"Go and tell Madam Zhang that Yun Jin Xuan quotes retail prices, and customers have to pick up their goods themselves. Our household uses the usual prices for bulk purchases during the holidays, which naturally include transportation by carriage and porter. Tell Madam Zhang to keep the accounts accurate and prepare two sets of books, one for the Third Madam to see. Also, tell Manager Qiu of Yun Jin Xuan to be quick-witted. If the Third Madam really has the nerve to ask him personally, he'll know what to say!"
The trusted nanny accepted the order and quietly left.
The next day, Liu's suspicions remained, and she went to the storeroom to retrieve the old year's account books for verification.
Madam Zhang was now confident. "It is only right for you, Madam, to check the accounts. We servants are eager to do things honestly and cleanly."
As she spoke, she brought out several thick booklets, the paper slightly yellowed, with clear entries. "These are the details of our purchases over the years, all of them are general accounts of our dealings with established brands like Yun Jin Xuan. Every single item is clearly listed. Grandma, take a closer look. Although the prices are slightly higher than retail prices in the market, it's because our household purchases in large quantities and we are regular customers. They offer a total price that includes delivery, spoilage, and sorting. If you factor in all of that, the retail price would be much higher than ours."
Liu frowned as she flipped through the ledger and indeed found that the prices of various materials recorded in the ledger, although still higher than the number Ye Mu had silently calculated, all had notes such as "including transportation" and "including carrying fee". The ledger was very well done, and she could not find any obvious errors or omissions for a while.
Madam Zhang glanced at her expression and said, “Grandma, you don’t understand. The market price is one thing, and the actual transaction is another. Buying in small quantities is calculated on a piece-by-piece basis. How can a noble family like ours compare with the lower classes? In the past, when purchasing, in addition to the price of the fabric itself, the cost of transportation, the hard work of the workers, and even the rewards given to the shopkeepers and workers during festivals, all of these were factored into the price of each piece of fabric.”
"If that's the case, why did the purchase order submitted yesterday only contain general prices, without clearly listing the expenses for vehicles, manpower, and other related costs?"
"Please forgive me, Madam, this was indeed my oversight." Madam Zhang curtsied deeply. "But this method of bookkeeping was originally established by Second Madam herself. Second Madam often said that the key to a shopping list is its simplicity and clarity. If every item is broken down, it becomes cumbersome and adds unnecessary trouble. In any case, all expenses in the general ledger are clearly recorded by us, without any errors or omissions. Second Madam is wise; she only needs to glance at the total to understand everything clearly and never complains."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "Furthermore, Second Madam has always been considerate of her servants, saying that it's just a little money for the journey and hard work. If it's all written down in black and white, it makes the masters seem too calculating. It's better to be more tolerant and maintain the dignity of the Marquis's mansion in treating its servants kindly. In my humble opinion, since this is a precedent set by Second Madam, we have always followed it. I forgot that since Madam has just taken over, she needs to be extra clear about things. It is my fault."
This lady was obsequious, but her words were full of "Second Madam," using old precedents to intimidate Liu. Liu was momentarily speechless, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Glancing at her submissive demeanor, Liu grew increasingly angry. Her lips twitched a few times, but she finally swallowed the question that was already on her lips.
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"Didn't the lady ask in detail how much the cost of the carriages, horses, and manpower would be spread across each piece of fabric?"
Ye Mu played with the old lady until evening before returning home. After dinner, she ran to the main room and overheard her father and mother discussing the purchase. "How much silver is a cartload of goods? How much silver is it to hire a few porters? How much silver is it to reward the gatekeeper? Even someone as ignorant as me should know to ask clearly about these things."
"Do you think I don't want to ask? But that servant has shut me down completely. If I insist on arguing about it, it would make me, the new manager, seem mean and lose my composure. I'm at a loss for words after being hit with such a soft rebuff."
Liu said wearily, “When my second sister-in-law was in charge of the household, she only cared about appearances, which led to the servants becoming unruly and turning this messy accounting into a habit. Being confused about the big picture but clear about the details is a sign of ruin. How could I not know this? But this long-standing problem involves many things, and it will be so difficult to sort it out and tear it apart.”
Liu was not a brainless person, but she was thin-skinned and couldn't bring herself to argue with the servants over trivial matters of money.
“Oh dear, Madam,” Third Master Ye couldn’t bear to see Liu Shi wronged, so he approached her and tried to comfort her, “Since it’s said to be the old practice, why not just do it their way? Anyway, you’re only temporarily in charge, so there’s no need to be so serious. You’ll only hurt yourself. With a little money coming in and out, surely the Marquis’s mansion can’t be short of it? Why not just turn a blind eye and enjoy some peace and quiet?”
Ye Mu stood quietly outside the window, and saw two shadows suddenly close together on the window paper. The father seemed to want to put his arm around the mother's shoulder, but the mother gently pushed him away.
"Third Master makes it sound so easy. If we do as they say, and something goes wrong later, it will be my fault as the person in charge for not being careful. Mother has entrusted this responsibility to me. If I blindly follow the old ways and live a muddled life, how am I any different from Second Sister-in-law back then? Wouldn't that be betraying Mother's trust?"
"Why must you bind yourself to this, Madam?" Master Ye's fingertips seemed to lightly caress Madam Liu's slender wrist, his voice extremely soft, almost a murmur, "These mundane matters are not our forte. The Marquis's mansion has a century-old foundation; a little loss is but a drop in the ocean..."
The voice was so soft that Ye Mu had to press her ear close to listen intently. She was still wondering why her father was speaking so quietly when she heard him say, "My dear wife, put aside these worries. Since you took over this wretched family business, how long has it been since we've been close..."
Ye Mu, listening outside the window, felt her face burning. She rolled her eyes. Even after living a second life, she still couldn't understand men's thoughts. Just now they were talking about serious matters with a tense atmosphere, how did they suddenly veer into bedroom affairs in just a few words?
She was about to quietly back away when she heard her mother sob from inside the room, "I'm swamped with so many things right now, the accounts are unclear, and people's hearts are unpredictable. How can I have any peace of mind?"
"The union of husband and wife is a fundamental human obligation," Master Ye thought Liu was playing hard to get. He warmly placed his palm on her lower back and pulled her into his arms. "Only when yin and yang are in harmony can everything go smoothly. Isn't it putting the cart before the horse that you're refusing like this, Madam?"
"That sounds nice, but when have you ever not only thought about your own pleasure?" Liu pushed him away, her hair slightly disheveled. "Once you've had your fill and gone to sleep, I'll have to stay up all night cleaning up this mess."
Third Master Ye was pushed so hard he stumbled, and he became annoyed. "So, according to you, all our past intimacy was just me having fun? I never made you happy, did I? I didn't serve you well enough, I never satisfied you?"
These words were so blunt they bordered on crude. Even Ye Mu, standing outside, was so embarrassed that she almost stepped on her own skirt, her left foot slipping under her right. Liu Shi was instantly overwhelmed with shame and indignation, her face flushed crimson, her slender finger trembling as she pointed at him, her lips moving but unable to utter a word: "You...you..."
Master Ye straightened his slightly disheveled robes, then leaned down and bit her finger. "I...I...what do you mean, humph. Since you don't care, I won't bother you here. If you come begging to me later, I won't be nice to you."
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