Marrying a powerful eunuch three times

Old Madam Zhou frowned, and when she saw Su Rutang smiling faintly, she nodded unhappily.

"It is true that our house is not as prosperous as it used to be, but the necessary regulations are still necessary.

If we continue to cut back, it will bring shame to the Zhou Mansion, wouldn't that be disgraceful?"

"If Chengru walks outside, he will be laughed at by outsiders. Outsiders will only think that the Zhou Mansion is dying, as dilapidated as an old boat."

Su Rutang naturally knew such a simple truth.

The Zhou family has always been very concerned about their reputation.

The little stuff passed down from your ancestors has long been squandered, and yet you still want to imitate the wealthy and powerful families and maintain your dignity?

"There are more people in the mansion now than in the past. We cannot be frugal with daily expenses, so we naturally need to increase our income."

Su Rutang raised her eyebrows slightly:

"Qiu Ling, bring the account book over here."

"Yes."

Qiu Ling hurriedly took out the account book from her sleeve and handed it to Su Rutang while bending over.

Turning a page casually, Su Rutang pointed at the entry and said:

"In our mansion, the main kitchen alone costs 1,000 taels of silver a year, and the small kitchens in each courtyard are another story.

The books and calligraphy for Wenqing and his brothers to study, and the snacks they eat during the day, these two things cost one hundred taels of silver a month. "

"And the monthly allowances, rouge and powder, and clothes for all four seasons for the aunts..."

The more Mrs. Zhou listened, the more distressed she felt.

There are quite a lot of them.

She looked incredulous. Su Rutang was not a person without plans.

Why do you disregard the dignity of the Zhou family?

"That's all. The profits from our shops and farms are very good, so how could the income be low?"

Murong Feiyue walked over from behind the screen and bowed to Old Madam Zhou.

"Old lady."

"Feiyue is here, please sit down." Old Madam Zhou pressed her eyebrows, feeling the same way as Ranmasu.

Su Rutang clenched his fists.

He suppressed his bloodthirsty urge and smiled faintly at Murong Feiyue:

"Sister-in-law."

"Brothers and sisters."

Murong Feiyue was wearing a light blue bamboo cloth jacket, a moon-white stand-up collar jacket, and a horse-faced skirt of the same color.

There were two silver hairpins and a golden hairpin with a white jade plum blossom pattern on her head.

After she sat down, she smiled faintly:

"Just now I heard the old lady and my sister-in-law talking about the income of the mansion. Although our Zhou family does not have a shop on Zhuque Street.

But the best rouge shop on Xihua Street and the best grain and oil shop in Qianmen belong to our Zhou Mansion."

There was a pause.

She picked up the teacup and gently lifted the lid.

Her eyes were filled with gentleness and indifference. "I heard from the shopkeeper that he earns at least two thousand taels of silver a year. Why is the garden turning into a farmer's vegetable field?"

It turned out to be waiting here.

Su Rutang smiled.

"Two thousand taels of silver...? Sister-in-law, you have been a widow for many years and have not taken care of worldly affairs. You have a monthly allowance of twenty taels of silver, and all your food, clothing and other expenses are paid by the government."

Murong Feiyue's expression changed.

Su Rutang seemed unaware, "The old lady took pity on you being a young widow and earned a chastity arch for the Zhou family.

The Lixiangyuan where you live is next to the corner gate, and all the income from the fields outside belongs to you. "

"How could we know that this income can't even support the Zhou Mansion for half a year? Where would there be spare money to plant flowers and trees? If it weren't for my dowry, I'm afraid the mansion would have been exposed long ago."

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Zhou's brows were furrowed so tightly that they could pinch a mosquito to death. She never thought that the eldest son's wife had a lot of money.

Now it seems that this income still makes her a small wealthy woman.

Murong Feiyue didn't believe it.

She must eat a bowl of bird's nest porridge every morning when she wakes up, which is always delivered to her by the kitchen.

"You used your own dowry?" Su Rutang was so kind-hearted. His second brother was a fourth-rank official and he could earn a lot of wealth.

Madam Zhou knew it very well, but she didn't want to lose face in front of the eldest son's wife.

If people knew that the Zhou family used their daughter-in-law's dowry, the censors would probably laugh at Chengru for being a gigolo.

She coughed lightly:

"Impossible. Our Zhou family will not use daughter-in-law as dowry."

She gave Su Rutang a look. If she was sensible, she would have admitted that she had seen it wrong.

All the expenses of the Zhou Mansion came from the livelihood of the mansion.

Su Rutang automatically ignored the look in Madam Zhou's eyes.

"Qiu Ling, bring me the account book."

Qiu Ling hurriedly took out the account book from her sleeve.

Old Madam Zhou was so angry that she was about to explode. Why did this damn girl stuff everything into her sleeves?

Su Rutang whispered indifferently:

"Show the old lady how much the monthly income and expenditure are?"

Qiu Ling opened the most eye-catching page and placed it in front of Old Madam Zhou.

Su Rutang had a faint smile on her lips. She had to collect some interest today, so she started with Murong Feiyue.

"We earn little in our mansion, but spend a lot. Even if we had a mountain of gold, it wouldn't be enough for Qing and his friends to grow up. It would be gone in a few years."

"I was afraid that the old lady would worry about these mundane matters, so I kept silent. It was only today when my eldest sister-in-law raised doubts that I finally spoke out."

Murong Feiyue: "..."

She didn't question it, but just asked a few more questions.

"It's said that the housekeeper's key is hard to get, so why don't the old lady find a good person to be the housekeeper. For example, sister-in-law? Or Qiong Yu?"

Old Madam Zhou could read a few words and was not blind.

I don't understand anything about business.

When she married into the Zhou family, old man Zhou was just a poor scholar who had not yet passed the imperial examination.

She only glanced at the major items and her face darkened when she heard the words. "How can a widow be a housekeeper? Qiong Yu is only fourteen years old. She should learn how to be a housekeeper."

Su Rutang didn't say anything.

She drank her tea nonchalantly, as if what was happening here had nothing to do with her.

Old Madam Zhou was just thinking that Su Rutang couldn't have children, so the dowry money would be used by anyone.

It would be better to arrest him and make him available to everyone in the mansion.

Murong Feiyue lowered her head, but in her heart she was wondering how Su Rutang dared to tear off her fig leaf.

Isn’t she afraid that when the Qing brothers grow up, they will ignore her as their stepmother?

Everything Su Rutang has should be hers.

Su Ying said slowly:

"Madam, judging from the account book, the family is indeed outspending. Last year, the income was only over 3,000 taels of silver, but the expenditure was as high as over 7,000 taels of silver."

Old Madam Zhou's heart skipped a beat.

Mute:

"so much?"

Qiu Ling returned to Su Rutang's side and spoke at her signal:

"I have noticed that several farms and fields have not been recorded in the accounts. Instead, our second wife, who is not from the same family, has to use her dowry to supplement the public funds and support the young and old in the mansion..."

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, making sure everyone could hear it.

Su Rutang said in a low voice:

"do not talk."

Qiu Ling pouted in grievance:

"A few days ago, my aunt's family sent someone to ask where the glass screen that was originally given to my second grandmother was.

The Taifu Mansion will be inviting an important guest in a few days. If this place is not needed for the time being, please borrow it and place it there for a few days before returning it."

Su Rutang pretended not to remember.

"Glass screen? It should be in the private storehouse, right?"

Qiu Ling raised her eyes and looked at Old Madam Zhou.

Madam Zhou's face changed, and she borrowed the glass screen. During the birthday banquet, she wanted to show everyone that the Zhou Mansion also had good things.

After that, I played dumb and didn't return it.

Su Ying met Madam Zhou's gaze and said with a smile:

"Last year, the Second Mistress held the old lady's birthday banquet and set it up for two days. It was also to give the noble families a look of excitement."

Qiu Ling grumbled unhappily:

"Since it has been on display for two days, it should be returned."

Before Madam Zhou got angry.

Su Rutang said sternly:

"Qiu Ling, shut up. The old lady is just being kind. If it were someone narrow-minded, she would definitely punish you for interrupting."

Qiu Ling quickly knelt down.

"Thank you for your kindness, old lady. I will never dare to do that again."

The word "outrageous" was stuck in Madam Zhou's throat, making her feel uncomfortable.

I could only glare at him angrily.

"Please send the glass screen back. I'm old and my memory is not good. I need you to remind me of everything."

Seeing how aggrieved Madam Zhou was.

Su Rutang was in a good mood.

She put down the teacup.

He stood up, knelt down and bowed his head:

"Since I entered the Zhou family, I have served my parents-in-law and managed household affairs. I have helped my husband make connections, raised children, and helped him take concubines and have children. There is nothing wrong with all these."

"Not only does it have to be filled with dowry, but it also makes people question whether I am managing my household fairly. It's really chilling... Maybe I'm young and ignorant, and I lack talent.

Madam, please find someone else to take over the housekeeper duties."

Qiu Ling placed the card box in front of the old lady.

Old Madam Zhou frowned. The Zhou family today is not as simple as it was when she was younger.

Over the past few decades, there are at least two to three hundred people in the mansion.

It’s not an easy thing to manage.

She thought for a moment and said kindly:

"Rutang, I am old and confused today. I heard the gossips of the old women and said a few words without knowing right or wrong. For the sake of my grandmother's old age, please stop saying those angry words."