Chapter 177 Sister, just wait to count your money!
"Green willow?"
There was only one person in the carriage, none other than Green Willow, the first-class maid of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
Green Willow smiled. "Third Grandmother probably didn't expect to be here at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion now."
"So what if I leave the Marquis's mansion? I have better places to go."
Zhou Wanqing's face turned cold. "Aren't you afraid I'll tell the Meng family?"
Green Willow said nonchalantly, "I have already told you the truth. Since Miss did not ask me to leave, I will not leave again."
"Third Madam should mind her own business, after all, Miss is still in the manor."
Zhou Wanqing's expression turned ugly. "Evil people will be punished by heaven. Don't be too smug."
Green Willow said, "Then Third Grandma should take care of herself."
“You know better than I do what kind of person Miss Meng was before. Now that she has gained power, do you think she will let you go?”
Zhou Wanqing clenched her fists repeatedly, looking at Green Willow's smug face, but the anger rising in her heart could not be released.
At the flower shop not far away, Shuang'er looked furious.
"Third Miss used to make things difficult for my sister because of Song Jiyun, and now that she's married, she still wants to send people here?"
Meng Shilan: "It might not be her. With her intelligence, she wouldn't have thought I was still alive and had become a member of the Meng family before she met me."
Shuang'er: "So what do we do now? Should we drive this green willow away?"
She shook her head. "Not for now. Let's see what she really wants."
Shuang'er thought of what she had just thought of at the teahouse.
“Sister, just now at the teahouse, when I saw Green Willow, I suddenly remembered where I had seen her before.”
“She used to be a maidservant of the wife of the heir of the Marquis of Xingyang. One year, I went to the palace with Old Madam Zhou to serve. All the maidservants were waiting in the side hall of the outer palace.”
"She got into a few arguments with someone, and when the eunuchs in the palace reprimanded her, she turned around and blamed them. The maid was thrown out. After such a mess, that maid is definitely not going to survive."
Meng Shilan's eyes narrowed slightly. "So there's such a past."
"If that's the case, given her personality, it's impossible that she came to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion just to be a maid."
"Don't alert her yet, let's see what she does."
When she and Shuang'er returned to the carriage, Lvliu was sitting crookedly, seemingly lost in thought.
Green Willow immediately stood up when she saw them return, "Miss."
Shuang'er helped her sister into the car, giving her a sarcastic glance, "You certainly know how to enjoy yourself."
Green Willow was unaware that Shuang'er had also gone to the capital city back then. She glanced at Shuang'er cautiously, feeling lost and unsure of what to do.
“Miss Shuang’er, it was Miss who asked me to stay.”
She always had a pitiful little look on her face.
Shuang'er already knows her true appearance, so she won't indulge her anymore.
"I'm asking you to stay, not to rest."
"Aren't these things going to be taken care of?"
There's a small table on the side of the carriage. It doesn't take up much space when folded up, and when unfolded, you can read or drink tea.
There is now an open ledger on the small table, and two empty teacups.
They looked exactly the same when they got off the bus.
Green Willow immediately knelt down, "Please punish me, Miss. I was just lost in thought about my father."
Meng Shilan sat down before saying, "Oh? Your father treated you like that, and you still think about him?"
“I am indeed angry. I haven’t seen him for almost half a year since he was sent back.”
Green Willow's eyes reddened. "Father was wrong, but he raised me. His leg is broken, and I don't know how he is now."
Meng Shilan nodded and said, "You are a filial son. I will grant you a few days to go back and see your father."
"Thank you, Miss! Thank you, Miss!"
Green Willow immediately kowtowed, overwhelmed with gratitude.
The next day she packed her bags and left the mansion.
Guo Fang sent his most skilled investigators to follow them.
Meng Xingjiang's illness has improved a lot now, and he will soon set off to return to Dingxian.
No one knew what he and Duke Meng said to His Majesty in the room on the day His Majesty visited.
Since that day, he seemed much more peaceful.
They spoke much less.
But his position remained unchanged.
A minor seventh-rank county magistrate.
The whole capital was abuzz with gossip, and in the mansions of dukes and marquises, no one held a lower rank than him.
Meng Xingjiang didn't care what others thought; he needed to return to Ding County immediately because there were more important things for him to do.
His departure caused a flurry of activity throughout the mansion.
Meng Shilan prepared two carts full of things, and Meng Yushan personally selected more than twenty guards.
He Ran glanced at the two maids outside the house.
"Why don't we bring these two girls along? There's not a single person to serve us at the county office."
Meng Xingjiang flipped through books about the Great Sheng Dynasty and its mountains and rivers.
"No need. Aunt Zhang works at the county government office. I'm used to her doing things. I'd feel uncomfortable if there were more people around."
He Ran said, "Everyone else would love to move the entire capital to their new post, but you, on the other hand, don't want to bring anything with you."
"If it weren't for your sister helping you manage things, you probably would have taken up your post alone."
Meng Xingjiang put down the book in his hand. "Other people's fiancées wish their future husbands would take up their posts alone, but you, on the other hand, want to send a maid."
He Ran realized what was happening and immediately reached out to pinch him.
The two were joking around when Meng Shilan and Shuang'er came in and saw them. They quickly covered their eyes and turned away.
"Shuang'er, are there still some account books you haven't finished reading?"
"Oh, yes, yes!"
He Ran glared at him, then chased after them and pulled them back. "We were just joking around."
Shuang'er looked at her teasingly, "Just kidding."
He Ran reached out and poked Shuang'er, "Still daring to make fun of me! Wei Xun isn't allowed in tomorrow!"
Meng Shilan: "Alright, stop fooling around."
She put down the bundle on her elbow and pulled a letter from her sleeve. "This is something Dan Niang brought for her mother."
Then she looked at her brother and said, "King Cheng is vindictive; you must be careful."
Meng Xingjiang said, "Don't worry, I'll be back after my three-year term in Ding County."
"It will take three years?"
He recalled what His Majesty had said, then nodded and said, "If you count it up, there's only a year and a half left."
Since His Majesty had spoken, she said nothing more.
The next day.
The convoy set off. Meng Xingjiang's trip seemed to have changed something, yet it also seemed to have remained the same.
After he left, Meng Yushan was also going back to the Northwest Camp.
The already somewhat empty mansion fell silent once more.
The old butler didn't sigh as much as before; he stood at the door with a smile.
A figure running very fast passed by him.
She didn't forget to greet him, "Seventh Uncle!"
Shuang'er, holding the hem of her skirt, ran excitedly inside.
"Sister! Sister!"
Meng Shilan closed the ledger, and Xiao Pangxi, who was playing on the ground, also looked up.
Dan Niang laughed, "Miss Shuang'er has found money on the street."
"It's even more exciting than finding money!"
Shuang'er took out the testimonies in her hand, "These are the testimonies of the cargo owner and the other managers!"
"Now all the managers have been purged. Those who were stubborn and denied everything have all confessed without any further interrogation!"
Shuang'er had no experience in interrogation, but Wei Xun had seen all kinds of prisoners when he and Zhou Congxian worked in the capital's yamen.
He made his move, and in just one night, everything was revealed.
Meng Shilan handed her the abacus on the table, "Now it's time for our Shuang'er to show her skills."
Shuang'er's eyebrows shot up, "Of course, sister, just wait to count the silver!"
Meng Shilan smiled at her spirited appearance and did not discourage her.
There's still a long road ahead.
These managers are all seasoned veterans.
Moreover, having been unsupervised for many years, she has become accustomed to being free and undisciplined. Shuang'er is also so young, it's unlikely that anyone will respect her.
If everyone reacts passively, Shuang'er alone will be no match for the many hands.
If we can get through this hurdle and take down this group of old guys, Shuang'er will become a true big merchant!
"Okay, I'll wait to count the money."
The Meng family owned many shops, as well as farmland and estates.
When He Ran left, she also handed over a large stack of shops and estates that Meng Gong had given her.
She won't care, and she doesn't want to care.
She just wants to get a share of the money, like Shuang'er.
Meng Shilan simply consolidated all the shops together.
All the managers, employees, and accountants were registered under the trading company; she only needed to check the general ledger at the end.
Shuang'er is the busiest person right now.
The guards who were tracking Green Willow have returned.
"Miss, your subordinate has not yet detected any unusual activity from Green Willow."
"However, Green Willow's father was dull and honest, and he did not discover the gambling addiction."
Meng Shilan nodded, "I understand, you should go and rest now."
The next day, Green Willow returned.
When she returned, she found that most of the people in the manor were gone.
The maid sweeping the courtyard then said that Lord Meng and the heir had both returned to their posts.
Right now, only the young lady and her two children are in the entire mansion.
The green willow seemed lost in thought.
She didn't even notice when Meng Shilan looked at her.
*
"Duan Feiyang, you heartless bastard, I'm your mother!"
The Duan family home has changed dramatically. The ground is now paved with blue bricks, and new furniture has been made for the house.
The elderly couple even put on new clothes that they wouldn't normally wear unless it was for the New Year.
The eldest son earns ten taels, and the second son earns three taels.
Thirteen taels a month, who can live as well as his family?
Now everyone in the village knows that the eldest son of the Duan family has become an official in the county town.
One by one, they brought gifts to Duan Feiyang's door, hoping he could help their sons get into that navy.
Duan Feiyang resolutely refused.
But Granny Duan had already accepted the money, which was six taels of silver, and she was reluctant to give it back.
"It's just swimming. Baogen is a better swimmer than any of you brothers. Why can't we take him in? It's all your decision-making anyway!"
Duan Feiyang looked at his mother helplessly, "Mother, it's not enough to just be a good swimmer!"
"Look at Fei Cheng, does he still want to go?"
Duan Feicheng only stayed for a month before deciding he didn't want to go back.
However, the navy was not a place he could enter and leave at will.
Moreover, neither Wang Su'e nor Granny Duan could bear to part with those three ounces of moon thread.
Duan Feicheng had no choice but to go, even if he didn't want to.
Granny Duan had no intention of listening to him; she clutched her money pouch, knowing she wouldn't take the money out.
"This money is for building a house with tiled roofs! Your father has already praised him as a good person!"
“If Cheng’er can get in, you can take Baogen in too. They’ll all be on our side.”
"Mother! Why don't you understand!" Duan Feiyang finally lost his temper.
"The navy isn't mine! This is bribery! Are you only happy if someone from my family is exiled?!"
Duan Pozi was taken aback by the shout. When had her usually mild-mannered eldest son ever lost his temper with her?
It must be Luo Dan's mother who corrupted him!
She immediately started wailing and crying, "You're trying to force your mother to her death!"
"We're all from the same village, relatives and neighbors, and you won't even help with this little thing! How do you expect your parents to save face?!"
Duan Feiyang closed his eyes wearily.
Dan Niang is right; he is completely wrong.
But now Danniang hasn't sent back a single word.
He glanced at his mother, who was sitting on the ground crying and making a scene, then lowered his hands and walked out of the house.
"Where are you going?!" Granny Duan grabbed his trouser leg.
Duan Feiyang didn't turn his head and broke free from her hand.
"Please pretend you never had a son like me."
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