Xue Zhi came back in the afternoon. Zheng Xiu was still sitting at the desk, looking at the account books and calculating with an abacus. Xue Shao was taking a nap in the green gauze closet. The room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
"You're back." Zheng Xiu said softly, and then asked him, "Did you have lunch with Mian Ge'er?"
"Yeah, that kid finally agreed to eat." Xue Zhi said, sitting next to Zheng Xiu, "You've been looking at these account books for two days in a row. I'm so worried about you."
Zheng Xiu raised her head and smiled softly, "These are all your family assets, so you should take them seriously."
Xue Zhi actually didn't believe that his wife could find anything wrong with the account books. If the accounts were so easy to calculate, then the accountant would have to starve. Besides, if those people really had something in mind, it would not be so easy to see.
Zheng Xiu said, "I don't want to find out any big problems, I just want to get a rough understanding." Checking the number is secondary, and only by looking at the details carefully can you understand the details.
Xue Zhi asked curiously, "Did you find out anything?"
Zheng Xiu took out an account book and said, "This farm is located in the suburbs of Beijing. Since the second year after you left home, the harvest has been less and less every year. I also asked Minghui to find out. The land of that farm is fertile. Two years before you left, there was a long period of heavy rain in Beijing. The land there is low-lying and flooded, so a decrease in the harvest is inevitable. But floods happen every year, and the harvest of this farm is getting worse every year."
Xue Zhi raised his eyebrows, "They are so bold that they dare to deceive their superiors."
Zheng Xiu stopped what he was doing and said seriously, "It may not be a lie. I also asked around. Now I understand. The manager of this manor is the family of a maid who was married to the princess as a dowry. Maybe the princess is too kind and turned a blind eye. So I didn't tell you about it since you didn't ask. "
Xue Zhi said dissatisfiedly: "This is not the way to reward servants. It is the servants' duty to take what the master wants. If we don't give them anything and they take the decision on their own, they are overstepping their duty. Such people cannot be kept!"
Zheng Xiu comforted: "After all, they are people on the princess' side, you'd better not do it on your own." She didn't take it seriously at first, but yesterday Xue Zhi took Xue Mian out without saying hello, and Princess Guihe got so angry. Now she feels that she should be more careful in everything.
"So what you mean is, just let it go?"
"Of course not." Zheng Xiu hesitated for a moment. She didn't want to see her own money fall into the pocket of outsiders. "I just said that we still have to plan for the long term. And I only saw some clues from the account book, and asked Minghui to find out a few things. Hearing is not as good as seeing. I think I should go and see it in person. When I really see the clues, I will discuss it with the princess."
Xue Zhi nodded and said, "Anyway, I'm free at home recently and have nothing to do, so I'll go and see it in person. If he really is a cunning and treacherous person, I'll catch him and make an example of him!"
While they were talking, Xue Shao woke up. Hearing that his father was going to the farm, Xue Shao immediately became alert and got out of bed with his shoes on.
"Dad, are you going out? Take me, take me!"
Xue Zhi said with a smile, "You little brat, aren't you taking a nap? You have pointed ears."
Xue Shao smiled and rubbed against his father and said, "Dad, take me, take me."
Xue Zhi looked at Zheng Xiu helplessly. Zheng Xiu also said with a smile, "Shao, why don't you learn from your good deeds, but only learn from Yu's coquettish and naughty skills?"
She still remembered that when Xue Shao first came to the Zheng family, he was still a bit dull, but after being with his brother for more than half a year, he became more and more cheerful. Unexpectedly, he even learned to act coquettishly and naughty.
Xue Shao thought of the whisper that Zheng Yu had said to him before coming to the capital -
"We are still young, especially in the eyes of the adults, we are just little kids, so don't be shy about what you want or what you want to play. Just act coquettishly, and if they don't agree, just sit on the ground and make a fuss. They are the most susceptible to this. Don't put yourself in a difficult position."
He smiled embarrassedly and said, "I just want to go, mother, can you come with me? You must be bored staying here all day."
It's true that although the Mansion of the Duke of Qing is good, it is a million times better than the Zheng family's house in Shiniushen, but Zheng Xiu feels suffocated here and doesn't go out of the front door or the back door - after all, she is not a spoiled lady who was raised in a mansion and has long been accustomed to the down-to-earth life outside.
Xue Zhi also said: "Yes, let's go out together as a family. Go to the manor to inspect it, stay for two days, and relax."
Zheng Xiu couldn't help but worry: "But your injury..." It would be fine if Xue Zhi went alone, but he would have to pay more attention to them if he brought them with him.
Xue Zhi said indifferently: "It's okay, we have enough maids and servants, we don't have to do anything, there is no way there will be any injuries. Just think of it as finding a secluded place to recuperate."
Zheng Xiu was also a little tempted for a while, and Xue Shao quickly helped to drum up support: "Mom, go, if you don't go, my father and I will also be worried about the family outside."
Zheng Xiu had to agree.
After finalizing the itinerary, Xue Zhi and Zheng Xiu notified the servants and maids respectively.
When Minghui heard that Zhengxiu was going out and might stay for a few days, she quickly got busy with people.
Zhengxiu saw her busying around packing clothes and even packing up the soft mattress, pillows and quilts, and couldn't help but laugh and said, "You're just going out for a few days, there's no need to prepare so much." Minghui
didn't stop what she was doing, and said, "There are so many inconveniences outside, it's better to bring it with you. Otherwise, Madam won't be comfortable living there."
Zhengxiu said, "I really don't care so much, you know the status of my family, They are just a small family."
Minghui still said: "Take as many as you can, just in case. When the time comes, we can rush an extra carriage and bring more things. It won't be a problem."
Zhengxiu saw that she insisted and it was also her intention, so she didn't say anything more, but asked Minghui: "How many people do you think I should take?"
Minghui, Fen Ge and Bai Zhu were the only three people in the room. Hearing Zhengxiu's question, Fen Ge and Bai Zhu couldn't help but want to try. Who doesn't want to go out and relax after being confined to the small land of Hao Yetang all day long?
Minghui thought for a while and said, "Madam, just take Fen Ge and Bai Zhu with you. Fen Ge is considerate and Bai Zhu is good at cooking, so they can both help outside. I and Rui Zhu will stay at home."
Rui Zhu would naturally not be brought along. After all, she was sent by Princess Guihe later, and Zhengxiu usually didn't dare to order her around, let alone take her out. But if Ruizhu stayed at home, someone would have to stay behind to look after her. Zhengxiu asked that just now because she was also in a difficult situation. Minghui, Fen Ge and Bai Zhu always served her very attentively, and it didn't seem good to leave any of them behind.
Minghui smiled again and said, "I am already this old and have seen everything. But Fen Ge and Bai Zhu are still young and like to play. Madam, please take them with you so that they can relax and have some fun."
Fen Ge also said, "Madam, please take Sister Minghui with you. I will stay and look after the house with Ruizhu."
Bai Zhu also spoke up: "Sister Minghui and Sister Fen Ge are older than me, so Madam should take them with her."
Minghui glanced at her and said, "Since you call me sister, let me make the decision. You two go together and take good care of Madam and the Second Young Master. If anything goes wrong, you will be punished when you come back." They
were so considerate that Zheng Xiu felt more at ease and nodded, "Then I'll look for them next time." I will take you out to play when I have the chance, and I won't take the two little girls with me then."
Minghui also smiled and bowed, "Okay, then I will thank the Madam for her kindness first." She then called Fen Ge and Bai Shu and said, "What are you still standing there for? The Madam and the Second Young Master will be leaving in the next two days. Check to see if there is anything missing and take everything you can." Fen
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