Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Chaotic Estate
Qin Zhining looked at him, her eyes turning colder. "Manager Zhou, as I just said, your fate is to be decided by Grand Secretary Zhang. I have no right to interfere."
After all, your indenture isn't with me. Even if I wanted to keep you here, I'd need a legitimate reason, wouldn't I?
Manager Zhou's face fell completely, and he knelt there as if he had lost his parents.
Qin Zhining didn't look at him again, and raised her voice to the other villagers, "Also, I want to tell you all that anyone who doesn't want to do this can leave. I will send someone to explain the situation to Grand Secretary Zhang."
"But if you've decided to stay, then you must follow my rules in your conduct and actions, and you must obey Qin Wenzheng and Jin Chun's arrangements. Whether you stay or leave, I'll give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to consider."
Zhou Fuquan's heart skipped a beat. If he couldn't manage the accounts and just did manual labor here, what was the point of staying on the estate?
But if he leaves, Qin Zhining might find out about the benefits he's made on the estate over the years.
He hesitated for a moment, then braced himself and said, "Miss Qin, this old servant requests to stay at the manor and follow your arrangements. As long as—as long as I can stay at the manor, this old servant will do anything."
Qin Zhining nodded. "Since Steward Zhou has such a request, I will send someone to convey your intentions to Grand Secretary Zhang. As for whether Grand Secretary Zhang agrees, that is not up to me."
Manager Zhou harbored resentment, but dared not show it on his face. He could only stand up in the crowd, secretly plotting how to escape safely.
Seeing that the villagers had all behaved themselves, Qin Zhining turned to Qin Wenzheng and said, "You take some people and go with Steward Zhou to check the village's register and accounts. If there's anything you don't understand, write it down and ask me."
Jingchun and Jingqiu, go and check the rice bins and vegetable cellars in the kitchen, and calculate how long the food rations in the village will last.
"Qin Wenmo and Qin Wenshu, you two brothers, take a few men and first clean up the fallen leaves and weeds in the outer courtyard, then check if there are any damaged sections of the manor wall."
Everyone readily agreed and got to work.
Zhou Fuquan followed Qin Wenzheng, Qin Xiaoxiao, and Qin Wenzhang toward the accounting office. As they passed the pillars, he glanced at the corner of the wall again.
The farmers who had been carrying hoes were still there. When they saw him looking over, they quickly lowered their heads.
Zhou Fuquan felt even more resentful, but he didn't dare to do anything more and could only follow Qin Wenzheng to check the accounts.
Qin Zhining stood by the vegetable garden, watching the busy figures of everyone, and gently tapped the stone table with her fingertips.
She remembered the way Zhou Fuquan winked at the villagers and the way those villagers gripped their hoes.
This estate has just been taken over, and things are bound to get peaceful. Since Zhou Fuquan dares to make underhanded moves, there's no doubt he'll do something even more outrageous in the future. Therefore, this person absolutely cannot be allowed to live.
Just then, Jin Chun rushed over, looking anxious. "Miss, the rice jar in the kitchen is only half full, and there are only some radishes and potatoes in the cellar. It's not enough to feed the people in the village for ten days."
Qin Zhining frowned. She had only been thinking about taking over the estate and had forgotten about checking the food rations.
When Grand Secretary Zhang transferred the estate to her, he didn't mention the food shortage. Presumably, Zhou Fuquan had embezzled the grain money and hadn't had time to buy new grain.
"Go and find the remaining money in the estate first, and see if it's enough to buy grain," Qin Zhining said. "If you don't have enough money, come to me to withdraw silver. Besides, didn't we just buy some? That should last about half a month."
Jin Chun responded and turned to run back to the accounting office.
Just as Qin Zhining was about to follow, she saw the man with the long, thin face running over with two boys, their faces showing some nervousness. "Miss Qin, we—we wish to stay. Please grant us permission, Miss."
Qin Zhining didn't speak, but stared coldly at the dozen or so teenagers, an invisible pressure coming towards them.
The dozen or so boys were all orphans in the village, and had grown up being tormented and mistreated by their relatives. They didn't care who owned the village, and at one point even thought about escaping to find a place to survive on their own.
But the reality is that their contracts are tied to their own families; they are all servants of their master's household. How could they possibly escape?
Therefore, after hearing Qin Zhining's words, they all decided to give it a try and find a new way to survive.
Since the new master can tolerate Scarface and his gang of thugs, surely people like them won't be rejected either?
Qin Zhining looked at the dozen or so teenagers and nodded, "Since you all want to stay and live well, then you should all behave yourselves and make something of yourselves."
"Yes, Miss, we will obey your orders and will never dare to slack off or cause trouble." The sharp-faced boy was the first to kowtow, expressing his determination.
The other dozen or so people also kowtowed.
"In that case, you few go and inspect the estate to see if there's anything amiss, and report back to me immediately." Thinking of the estate's safety, Qin Zhining instructed the dozen or so youths to patrol it.
Not long after, the sharp-faced young man returned with one of his men and reported to Qin Zhining, "There's a gap in the wall on the west side of the manor, big enough for two people to pass through, and there are some footprints next to the gap, like they were just made."
Qin Zhining's heart sank upon hearing this.
When she entered the estate, she had already surveyed the surrounding area beforehand and knew that there was a grove of trees outside the western wall, which seemed to be rarely visited.
At this point, a gap appeared in the wall, and footprints were left behind, which may have been deliberately created by someone.
She hurriedly said, "Take a few people to plug the gap, and then keep watch around there secretly to see if there are any suspicious people."
Just as the sharp-faced young man agreed, Qin Wenzheng walked out of the accounting office, his expression not looking too good.
"Miss, there are only fifty taels left in the accounting office, and there are many unclear points in last year's accounts."
Manager Zhou said that some of the money was used for repairing the estate, but he couldn't find any receipts for the repairs. He explained that the repairs were done by acquaintances, and a verbal agreement was made.
Fifty taels of silver isn't even enough to buy grain, let alone repair a wall.
Qin Zhining's face turned completely cold. Zhou Fuquan had emptied the estate of all its money and left behind a mess.
She turned to look in the direction of the accounting office, where Zhou Fuquan was standing at the door, his eyes darting away, not daring to meet her gaze.
Taking a deep breath, Qin Zhining suppressed her anger.
Now is not the time to settle scores with Zhou Fuquan; let's resolve the issues of grain and the wall first.
She said to Qin Wenzheng, "Take the two of them, along with Jinjingqiu, to the city to buy grain, and while you're at it, hire a few bricklayers to repair the wall."
"We'll check the accounts when you get back. If Steward Zhou refuses to tell the truth, take him to Grand Secretary Zhang. There's no need for us to create trouble for ourselves here."
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