Chapter 230: Heavy Rain
The second wife became more restrained, and Aunt Lin no longer received special treatment. After these two problems were resolved, Daohua's work in taking over the kitchen went more smoothly.
She did not make any drastic changes to the kitchen, but only fixed some deficiencies, and she did not interfere too much in the personnel of the kitchen staff.
Only a few points were emphasized: first, hygiene and cleanliness must be ensured, and the ingredients must be fresh; second, kitchen expenses cannot exceed expectations, unless the mansion is hosting a banquet or something else; third, when the mansion holds a banquet, the dishes must be presentable.
She hardly asked about the management of kitchen personnel and directly handed it over to Mrs. Ren.
However, she also told Mrs. Ren that if the people below started to make trouble, the first person she would look for would be Mrs. Ren.
In this way, the kitchen is more orderly than before.
"After taking over the kitchen, I didn't feel that the young lady was any busier than before. Look, Miss Zhou dragged her to go horseback riding again. She's actually more diligent than before."
In the Daohua Pavilion, Guyu was cleaning the house while talking to Lixia.
Lixia: "That's because our daughter is very capable. I heard her tell Sister Man'er before that no matter where you are in charge, you must first establish rules and regulations. As long as there are rules and regulations, and then find a suitable person to supervise, then she won't have to worry about every detail."
"Didn't Madam praise the young lady before, saying that she knows how to delegate authority? If a master has to do everything by himself, he will be exhausted. Our young lady knows how to enjoy life."
Guyu smiled and nodded: "That's true. Look at the kitchen now. They are more motivated than before. They are also very obedient to our girl."
Lixia smiled and continued, "How can I not obey? Young lady, rewards and punishments are clearly defined, and all the rules and regulations are clearly written. As long as you follow the rules, even if you don't achieve anything, you won't be fined or have your monthly allowance deducted for no reason."
"Also, if a new dish is developed or a new food is discovered, as long as it tastes delicious, there will be a certain amount of reward. Everyone has hope in their hearts, and they stop being sneaky and gossiping, and there is more harmony."
"Isn't it?"
On the outskirts of Xingzhou City.
Daohua and Zhou Jingwan had just ridden their horses for two laps when it started to drizzle.
The two had to stop, return to the carriage and go home.
"The weather this year is so weird. It rains every few days. It's so annoying."
Zhou Jingwan jumped off the horse, got into the carriage, and asked the maid to help her tidy up her wet hair and clothes.
Daohua also followed, wiped the rain off her forehead with a handkerchief, then lifted the car curtain and looked at the rain curtain outside that had already formed a line, with a worried look on her face.
"There's really been too much rain this year. If it continues like this, the crop yields will decline again, and some areas might even experience flooding."
Zhou Jingwan didn't feel anything about this sort of thing and quickly changed the subject: "Did you receive the young prince's note?"
Daohua shook her head: "What post?"
Zhou Jingwan: "It's the post about him holding a birthday party in the palace this year!"
Daohua suddenly realized: "Isn't there still more than a month left?"
Zhou Jingwan: "A month has passed quickly, okay? Have you decided on a gift?"
Daohua smiled and said, "The young prince has helped my family a lot, and since it's his first birthday, I will naturally prepare a big gift."
Zhou Jingwan immediately opened her eyes wide and asked curiously, "What is it? Tell me quickly."
Daohua shook her head. "It's pointless to tell you. You'll know when the time comes. By the way, what about you? What have you prepared?"
Zhou Jingwan: "My mother prepared a set of fine writing brushes, inkstones, and paper for me."
Hearing this, Daohua immediately smiled, remembering that Xiao Yeyang had specifically told her that he didn't want any pens, ink, paper, or inkstone. It was conceivable that he received a lot of such things every year and was probably numb to them.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the coachman had to speed up. Soon, the carriage entered Xingzhou City. Then, Daohua and Zhou Jingwan separated and went home.
When Daohua was leading the horse back to the stable, she ran into Master Xiao who had come to return the horse. Seeing how dusty and shabby he looked, with his clothes mostly wet, she immediately asked, "Where have you been, Master Xiao?"
Seeing that it was rice flowers, Master Xiao didn't rush to leave. He smiled and said, "There has been too much rain this year. The master asked me to check the riverbank."
Rice Flower: "Is the riverbank okay?"
Master Xiao shook his head. "When you first took office two years ago, you repaired the riverbank. You haven't stopped cleaning and repairing the riverbank in the past two years. So, nothing's happened. The water level hasn't risen."
Daohua breathed a sigh of relief: "Master Xiao, go change your clothes quickly, and don't catch cold."
Master Xiao nodded and left with a smile.
Then, Daohua returned to the main courtyard and saw Mrs. Li reading the letter from her eldest brother. However, her face looked a little bad.
"Mom, what did big brother say?"
Madam Li put the letter down. "Nothing much. Just some things about the academy and some greetings."
Daohua: "The Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon. Will my brother and the others come back?"
This year, my two eldest brothers haven't returned home once, saying they are busy with their studies.
Mrs. Li shook her head: "No."
Daohua frowned: "Are the big brothers so busy?"
Madam Li glanced at the rice flowers, thought for a moment, and pushed the letter over to her: "Read it yourself."
Daohua quickly picked up the letter and read it. After reading the contents, her eyes widened. "No way! Big Brother and the others actually followed the young prince to Fenxi?"
"What are they doing in Fenxi? Fighting bandits?"
Hearing the words "suppress the bandits", Mrs. Li's eyelids twitched rapidly: "Fortunately, I came back safely. If something happened..."
"No!"
Daohua quickly interrupted her mother: "Mom, think about it, who is Xiao Yeyang? He must be surrounded by a large group of experts. How could something go wrong?"
Although the words were powerful, they lacked confidence.
Swords and knives have no eyes. When bandits come to kill you, they don’t care who you are.
Mrs. Li wasn't comforted, but she didn't want her daughter to worry, so she just said, "They're so bold! They didn't even tell our family. Next time you come back, I'll make sure your father gives them a good lesson."
Daohua didn't dare to speak up at this time, and immediately nodded in agreement: "Yes, he needs to be taught a lesson."
Madam Li thought about it and was still a little worried: "Do you think your eldest brother and the others are injured, so Duanwu doesn't dare to go home?"
Daohua was stunned for a moment: "That shouldn't be the case."
Mrs. Li shook her head: "No, I won't feel at ease unless I see them with my own eyes. Go and write a letter to your eldest brother and his family, telling them that they must come home for the Dragon Boat Festival."
The title of the previous chapter was wrong!
(End of this chapter)
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