Chapter 136 The Wicked Stepmother and the Poor Child 29
Suppressing her anger, Zhou Jingxuan spoke in a sharp and sarcastic tone.
"Sister, you're in quite a good mood!"
Do you know that there is no money left in the household accounts? You spend so lavishly hiring guards and martial arts instructors, squandering your wealth. Have you ever thought even a little about the household or about Mr. Gu?
"Will this whole family starve in the future?"
She rattled off a whole bunch of things, the gist of which was that she was criticizing Shen Ci for spending too much, dragging down the entire Gu family, and causing the family to be unable to make ends meet and even run out of money when needed.
Zhou Jingxuan doesn't think that being a housekeeper is just about spending money and showing off, does she? Is being a housekeeper something to enjoy?
If that's the case, which woman wouldn't enjoy it? Why do large families always look for wives of equal social standing? It's all so they can manage the whole family.
Shen Ci slowly closed the ledger, looked up, and with just a single, light sentence, all the words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat.
“Every penny that my mother and I, the three of us, ate, used, and spent on hiring people, was my own dowry money.”
"What, do I need your permission to spend my own dowry?"
Zhou Jingxuan looked as if she had been punched in the face; her face instantly turned a deep, unpleasant shade of liver.
"You, you're talking nonsense! How could that be!"
"Why not?"
Shen Ci chuckled and gave instructions to Dan Gui.
"Go and invite the steward over, and bring over the recent expenditure records of the mansion, so that Aunt Zhou can see for herself."
While waiting, Zhou Jingxuan's gaze involuntarily swept across the main courtyard, taking in everything there. This was the place she had once thought she would stay.
The orchids displayed in the courtyard were all rare varieties, some of which she had seen with Madam Zhou at banquets, but none of which belonged to the Zhou family.
The pastries on the stone table were the latest styles from Tianxianglou, and even the maids' clothes were made of better material than those from Shuyuxuan.
Everywhere she looked, there was an understated luxury, unlike the furnishings in her own yard, which made her seem like a nouveau riche, making her heart ache with jealousy.
Why does Shen Ci, a mere businesswoman, have such good resources? Her food and lodging are so luxurious.
Soon, the butler rushed over with the account books in his arms.
After verification, it was confirmed that all the expenses of Shen Ci's main courtyard were paid from Shen Ci's own private account, without touching a single penny of the public funds.
The public funds were almost entirely withdrawn and spent by Zhou Jingxuan under the guise of being the steward. Gu Hongjian had indeed instructed Aunt Zhou to manage the household affairs, so the steward did not interfere with her withdrawal of funds.
How can a servant disobey his master's orders?
After checking the accounts, Zhou Jingxuan was speechless, her face turning pale and then red, wishing she could disappear into the ground.
Just then, a system notification sounded in Shen Ci's mind.
"Ding-dong!"
Trigger a special limited-time event: Extravagant Spending (Advanced Version)
Task requirement: Consume 100,000 taels of silver within ten days.
Mission Reward: A luxurious five-courtyard mansion in the heart of Zhuque Avenue in the capital city, complete with land deeds, ready to move in.
Zhuque Street! The most prosperous and expensive area in the capital! A five-courtyard mansion! This is practically a godsend, no, it's like giving her and her children a piece of real estate!
Housing prices in Beijing are not cheap; that's why people say living in Beijing is not easy.
The mansion has five courtyards, enough to house several generations of a family. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, even Gu Hongjian's grandfather's generation couldn't afford to buy this mansion while working.
Shen Ci was overjoyed, but remained outwardly calm. He felt even more pleased looking at Zhou Jingxuan's embarrassed and jealous face.
The thrill of making and spending money, and the satisfaction of watching Zhou Jingxuan's resentment and helplessness, intertwined at this moment, making her feel extremely happy.
She's determined to spend those 100,000 taels!
The scene before Shen Ci found ironic. Zhou Jingxuan stood there, her face turning from red to white, her forehead covered in a fine layer of cold sweat, and her eyes filled with panic. Where had her arrogant and confrontational attitude gone?
No! Impossible!
It was you! It must have been you, you wicked servant, who embezzled the family's money! Otherwise, how could such a large Gu family have so little money?
"I've only been a housekeeper for a short time, how could I possibly spend that much!"
With nowhere else to turn, Zhou Jingxuan pointed her long fingernails at the housekeeper and slandered him.
Butler: Me?
Upon hearing this, the butler's face remained expressionless. He simply picked up the account book again with a respectful tone, his voice calm and undisturbed, though he cursed inwardly.
"Please forgive me, Aunt."
The accounts are all here, each with your fingerprint or a record of receipts made by your maid.
On the fifteenth of last month, you withdrew two hundred taels of silver to commission a set of red gold and ruby-inlaid headdresses from Linglong Pavilion.
On the 20th of last month, I withdrew 150 taels of silver to purchase five bolts of Shu brocade and Suzhou satin from Yunjinfang, all for your clothing.
On the first day of this month, I withdrew eighty taels to purchase a carved sandalwood mirror stand for your Shuyu Pavilion.
So far this month, you have been instructing the kitchen to purchase tonics such as bird's nest and blood clams every day, with an average daily consumption of no less than ten taels, totaling more than three hundred taels.
"In addition, the expenses for the eight new maids in your household, including their monthly wages, seasonal clothing, hair oil, and face powder, have not yet been included in this month's total accounts..."
...
The housekeeper spoke slowly and clearly, listing one expense after another. Every single expense ultimately benefited Zhou Jingxuan, and everything was recorded meticulously.
Zhou Jingxuan's face grew paler and paler as she listened.
She never paid any attention to the price; she just bought it if she liked it. She never imagined that in just over a month, she would have withdrawn and spent a full three thousand taels of silver!
This is more money than she could spend in ten years before! No wonder she's been so comfortable and enjoying herself this past month!
"Three, three thousand taels?"
"The Gu family... how could the Gu family only have three thousand taels of silver?!"
Zhou Jingxuan took a step back in disbelief, muttering to herself, finding it strange.
Shen Ci sneered, her tone laced with sarcasm: "Why didn't you do your research before hooking up with a rich guy?"
Why is it impossible?
Aunt Zhou, have you never asked how much your Gu Lang's annual salary is?
As a seventh-rank compiler in the Hanlin Academy, his annual salary was only two or three hundred taels of silver.
You've spent more than a decade's worth of his salary in just one month! Now, how dare you accuse me of being extravagant and wasteful?
Three thousand taels! More than ten years' salary! These words made Zhou Jingxuan dizzy. She had always thought that the Gu family had a deep foundation, but she never expected it to be so weak and vulnerable!
If she can't even keep up with her spending in just one month, why was Gu Hongjian so generous when he was pursuing her?
Just then, one of Gu Hongjian's attendants rushed over and said to Zhou Jingxuan.
“Aunt Zhou, so you’re here! My master sent me to collect one hundred taels of silver. I’m going to have a small gathering with some colleagues at a restaurant today, and I need to entertain them.”
One hundred taels! Normally, Zhou Jingxuan wouldn't even blink, but at this moment, it was as if fate had grabbed her by the neck, and she couldn't pull out a single coin!
She has no money.
"Silver, silver..."
Her lips trembled, her eyes darted away, and she dared not look at the servant.
The servant was somewhat puzzled and urged.
"Auntie, the master is waiting in the storeroom—"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
