At that time, Shuangxi and Siping were taking a nap in the study, while the eldest maid Caiyun was arranging books on the shelf. She was very surprised to see him coming. Caiyun came out and said, "Didn't Master say that he would spend the day in Chunfeng Garden today? You even declined the invitations from Grandma Lan and Grandma Yun to appreciate the flowers. Why are you here now? I didn't prepare any snacks, and even if I did, how could they compare to those in Chunfeng Garden?"
Siping and Shuangxi were also surprised, but they heard Duan Tingxuan let them in, and then asked: "Who is in charge of the purchases in the mansion now?"
The two of them didn't know why the master asked this question. They were a little confused, so Siping said carefully: "To answer the master, now the madam and Madam Min are not in charge of family affairs, so all matters in the mansion are managed by the second madam and our Madam Yun. What item do you mean by purchasing?"
"Rouge and powder."
Duan Tingxuan got straight to the point. It wasn't that he, a grown man, was fussing over such a small amount of money. As a little fox in the court, how could he not know the truth that "the water is too clear to have fish"? But today, he saw the lead powder on Duan Xinqi's face, which was like a wall. It was white, but there was a hint of darkness in the white. A good young girl had become the face of those madams in the brothel. Even in the brothel, there was no need for famous prostitutes, and ordinary prostitutes would not use such makeup. The person in charge of purchasing at home was so greedy that he didn't take the masters seriously. Duan Tingxuan couldn't tolerate the servants fooling him like this.
"As for rouge and powder, it should be the Second Madam who is in charge." Siping carefully observed the master's expression and said softly, but in his heart he wondered what faults the master had found with the rouge and powder? Should he take this opportunity to weaken the power of the Second Madam as the housekeeper?
"She's in charge?" Duan Tingxuan frowned slightly. This was a bit difficult to deal with, even if there was something fishy going on. But as an uncle, he couldn't go and fight with his brother and sister-in-law, right? Moreover, after careful recollection, it seemed that except for Duan Xinqi, no one else noticed that this inferior powder was used. If there was any special reason, wouldn't he be embarrassed at his grandmother's house? And let his father think he was frivolous.
As soon as he thought of this, he looked up and said to Siping, "You are always smart. Go out and check for me what kind of rouge and powder you bought are..."
Before she could finish, Caiyun laughed and said, "Why did you ask Siping to investigate this matter? I know now. Those compradors who are in charge of rouge and powder are extremely greedy. They rely on the support of the Second Master and the Second Mistress, so they use some low-quality rouge to make up for the shortage every month."
"Is it really that rampant?" Duan Tingxuan was really surprised: "Then why do I think the rouge on your faces is not that bad?"
Caiyun smiled and said, "Who do you mean, Master? Madam Yun, Madam Lan, or us? Of course it won't be bad, because the compradors are also very discerning. How dare Madam Lan and Madam Yun fool around? Madam Lan is fine, but Madam Yun is not someone who is easy to talk to. If she catches us, won't our huge source of income be gone? As for us, the maids who are well-known in front of the ladies are naturally good at making love, but we are not so lucky. But can I come to you to complain about this? You are in charge of so many things? Are you still worried about this? I will never be so ignorant. I also have two taels of silver every month, so I have to pay for the good things myself. The maids in the family do the same. If you hadn't asked me today, I would never have said anything."
Duan Tingxuan's face suddenly turned ugly. After a while, Fang asked, "The maids all have money to buy rouge, why can the second young lady only use low-quality powder?"
"Second young lady?" Caiyun suddenly realized. She had said that, why did the master who never cared about these things suddenly ask about this matter today? Seeing that the tea was ready, she brought it over and poured tea for Duan Tingxuan while saying: "Second young lady and Aunt Lin... I am not saying it, but the master knows in his heart that who in this family still takes them seriously? Even if they have money, Aunt Lin has two brothers to support. I heard that even the monthly allowance of the third young master and the second young lady has to be given to Aunt Lin, so how can there be money to buy rouge? In short, don't look at it as a small rouge and powder, there are many things involved. Let me say that the master doesn't need to care about these things. Even if you pity Aunt Lin and the second young lady, just take care of them secretly."
This last sentence is very clever. Duan Tingxuan is the prince. Who can't he take care of? Why does he need to do it secretly? Caiyun said this because she knew that Madam Yang hated Liu Min, the woman who took away her husband's favor, and even Aunt Lin was not liked by her. If she knew that her son went to help the mother and daughter, she would inevitably feel uncomfortable. This is also human nature. Caiyun believed that her master also understood it, so she refused to say it clearly, but just hinted at it.
Duan Tingxuan did not speak. He lowered his head and thought for a while. Then he looked up at Caiyun and asked, "Who usually manages my small warehouse?"
"Of course it's Grandma Yun. Grandma Yun is in charge of all the affairs in our big house." Caiyun said with a smile. She didn't know what this gentleman was thinking of, but she saw Duan Tingxuan said decisively: "Tomorrow when you go to Ran Yun, tell her what I said and ask her to give the key to your big grandmother. From now on, all the affairs of the warehouse will be handed over to your big grandmother."
"What?"
Caiyun was surprised, and even Siping and Shuangxi could not help but shout out in surprise: Duan Tingxuan's small storehouse was a veritable treasury, and the wealth in it was no less than that of the storehouse in the mansion. Even the Second Master, who managed all the family's property transactions, could not compare with the Master's. Duan Tingxuan naturally had to hand over such an important place to the most trusted person, the eldest grandmother who married into the family, because her honeymoon period with the Master was extremely short, and she did not even have the key. It was only after three years that Grandma Yun came into the family that the Master saw that she acted steadily and efficiently, and had a good idea in her mind, so he handed the storehouse over to her. Grandma Yun did not disappoint the Master's expectations, and did not embezzle or steal anything, so this time after the eldest grandmother was driven away to Meiyue Tower, she would take over the power of the housekeeper in the mansion and the big room.
As she thought about it, Caiyun couldn't help but say, "Master, this... isn't a good idea, is it? Grandma Yun didn't do anything wrong, and she has always managed the warehouse very well. Now you're saying that you're handing the warehouse over to Grandma, how disappointed Grandma Yun must be?"
"I have my own considerations, and I will naturally tell Ran Yun. Just go get the key and give it to your grandmother tomorrow."
After Duan Tingxuan finished speaking, he asked Caiyun and Siping Shuangxi to leave. He took out a book from the bookshelf and looked at it casually.
"Grandma Lan, Grandma Yun is here."
Long Yan came in from outside and reported to Xue Zhilan. Then he whispered, "Grandma Yun doesn't look well."
Xue Zhilan smiled slightly and said calmly, "It's strange that she will look good. Never mind, I will go to greet her myself. I don't want to offend her now." After that, she stood up and went to the door to greet her personally. She put on a friendly smile and said with a cheerful face, "What's the wind blowing today? Why did you bring my sister here?"
Xu Ranyun forced a smile and said coldly: "I felt bored in the room, so I came to visit my sister. What? Are you making clothes?" She saw that Xue Zhilan was wearing a thimble on her finger, so she asked this question.
"Yes, the dog days of summer are almost here. I thought of making two sets of light clothes for my master to wear at home. My sister has always been careful, so I believe she has prepared the clothes by now? Aunt Jiang is a first-class needlework expert." Xue Zhilan let Xu Ranyun into the house, and while speaking, she asked the maid to serve tea.
Unexpectedly, Xu Ranyun's eyes turned red, and he turned his head and said, "Why bother? Now my heart is full of the one in Chunfengyuan. Let alone making two sets of clothes, even if we take the skin of a dragon from the sky and give it to him as a cloak, he won't care. It's a waste of your and my efforts."
Xue Zhilan smiled and said, "Sister, don't say that. I know that the eldest grandmother took the second young lady to the old lady's place yesterday and they made a big splash. I heard that the old lady was full of praise for them. Even the madam said that her personality has changed a lot and she knows how to be kind. But who wouldn't say that? But what they think in their hearts may not be different. The madam is a smart person and will not be easily deceived."
Xu Ranyun sneered, "You're still thinking about this? Haha! That's right, you've always been gentle and considerate in front of the Madam, so you're loved by the Madam. Now that the eldest grandmother who died once suddenly intervened, and the Madam said that she was kind, how could you feel at ease? But I tell you, this fact is really nothing. After all, we live with the master, and the master is our pillar of support. Without the care and love of the master, what are you and I? How long can the Madam accompany us? For a lifetime?"
Xue Zhilan felt something was wrong when she heard this, and couldn't help but ask in surprise: "What's wrong with Master? He really likes to go to Chunfeng Garden these days, but to be honest, it's because the food and snacks made by Grandma are so good now. I heard that even the old lady can't leave, and Master and Madam also like it very much."
"It's not just that. Did you know that the master came to my room last night and told me... that now that she has returned to the backyard, she cannot be idle. It's okay to be a housekeeper, and she doesn't want to be in charge. However, the master's storehouse is a job that is leisurely and worry-free. He also said that she is kind-hearted now, and the money and things in the storehouse can be put to good use if they fall into her hands. She can also take care of the places in the mansion that the master can't take care of on weekdays. At that time, I wanted to hit my head against my head and die in front of the master. Who am I conscientiously managing this first house for? I really don't dare to make a mistake. In these years, have I never touched anything in the storehouse? Even if I occasionally use money to lend out for interest, the final proceeds are still in the first house. How come in the master's mouth, I can't make good use of it? It's as if I'm incompetent." As she spoke, she began to cry.
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