Noble Lady

The He family is a noble family, so they have to set up a few tables when marrying off their daughter so that people know that they have married into the Cui family. Otherwise, if people don’t know about it, wouldn’t their daughter’s marriage be in vain?

Not to mention the high-end banquet, just the twelve dishes and a bowl of bird's nest for each guest would cost a lot of money.

In addition, there are not enough staff in the mansion and the wedding date is urgent. If they want to marry their daughter off in a decent way, they can only hire some temporary helpers, which is another huge expense.

Moreover, the family no longer has a carriage for transportation, so they have to hire a carriage to go in and out, which is still an expense.

Every time Zhang went to see He Minzhi, she would say that the public treasury was short of money. He Minzhi would blurt out that he would give as much as the public treasury had, and the shortfall would be deducted from his monthly salary.

This deduction will not be enough even after ten years.

Moreover, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.

The mansion is now preparing for the wedding, and Zhang has asked her two daughters-in-law and one daughter to work as helpers, but they ask for money every day when they open their eyes.

He Shuang said bitterly, "Mother, this isn't a solution. There's only so much work we can do, and the biggest payout is money."

"We can't possibly have as much dowry money as Madam."

"Besides, the wedding date is so close, and it's obvious that Big Brother wants to use He Ruyi to get into the Cui family. This marriage can't be delayed."

"If we delay this matter, they might blame us for it later. That would be very bad for my second and third brothers."

The two daughters-in-law also nodded vigorously.

Zhang couldn't sit still any longer. "Wait a minute, I'll go ask my sister-in-law for the money."

She walked out with an anxious look on her face.

Naturally, she wouldn't tell He Shuang and the others that this was just one step in her plan.

It was all thanks to the good advice given by the lady. The lady knew Liu and Dalang's temper very well.

He knows it better than she, who has been with them for many years.

……

While Zhang was rushing to Ciwenyuan, Liu was still thinking about her winery.

It's been delayed for so long. If we don't get this thing done, we'll miss out on this business!

So, when Liu asked Huang's mother to ask about He Minzhi's result for the 108th time, Ji Minrou finally "couldn't help" and told the truth in tears.

"Aunt, this matter is all my fault. It's all my fault for not handling the matter properly. Not only did I fail to get the shop back, but I also caused my cousin to be hated by the lady."

"What did you say? What shop?"

Ji Minrou then told He Minzhi that she had volunteered to take over the shop from He Jixiang on his behalf.

Of course, she beautified her behavior just like she did in front of He Minzhi, and also omitted the parts about her communication with He Minzhi in bed.

When Liu heard that Xue Chenyu was involved, she was furious.

"What on earth does this Xue want to do? She just can't bear to see a single day of peace in our family, right? Why did I let Dalang marry such a jealous woman?!"

Ji Minrou didn't say anything, she just cried and sobbed.

Mrs. Liu frowned and asked Mother Huang to go to Furongju to call Xue Chenyu over.

Mother Huang looked embarrassed and was still wondering whether she should say something to persuade her.

Liu changed her tone and said, "Forget it, you don't have to go. Let's wait until Dalang comes back."

Dalang seems to be very smart, but he can't run a shop by himself. He asked Rouer for help, but she couldn't do it either.

If this were the case when Xue was the housekeeper, she would have just asked her how much money she wanted.

She guarantees that she can give it to you, and you can take it with peace of mind and without any guilt.

As they were talking, a maid came in and announced, "The old lady from the second house is here."

"She's probably here to discuss the trivial matters related to Ruyi's marriage. Let her in." Mrs. Liu pinched her nose, looking tired.

The same goes for Zhang. She hasn't learned any of the housekeeper's skills. This time, she's probably not even sure who to invite to the wedding banquet, so she comes to her for advice.

I don't know what she has been doing in the He family for all these years. She has only caused trouble for her.

As it turned out, Liu had thought too little.

Zhang not only came with trivial matters, but also brought the account books for preparing for the wedding and the public account books.

She came in politely, and then presented the small box to Liu with a smile on her face.

"There are some things here that need my sister-in-law's review."

"What is this?"

"Sister-in-law will know it at a glance."

Seeing how cautious she was, especially since the small box she was holding was carved and the wood looked very good, Liu thought there might be some treasure in the box.

Open the result and take a look.

A thick stack of account books.

Liu almost fainted when she saw these things.

She knew Zhang's character very well, and if there was any good news, she would tell it immediately.

Putting the account book in front of her like this can only mean that there is no money.

With trembling hands, she turned to the first page.

The first thing you see is a deficit.

With each page you turn, there will be another account marked in red.

He Minzhi's monthly salary was deducted until ten years later, but compared with the huge deficit in the account, it was just a drop in the bucket.

"How could it be, how could it be like this..."

With such a huge deficit and a huge sum of money, how can she fill the hole?

"Sister-in-law, even the best cook cannot cook without rice. I have tried every possible way I can think of. I even asked my two daughters-in-law and daughter to help, but it is of no avail."

"You and Dalang want everything, and the wedding is coming up soon, so you need everything urgently. Ruyi's wedding dress alone cost five hundred taels, and that's just the deposit. There's still one thousand five hundred taels to pay. This wedding is really expensive!"

"When did I say..." I want the best of everything.

Mrs. Liu suddenly paused. "He Ruyi's wedding dress costs two thousand taels?! Is it made of gold?! We might as well just rob it!"

"That's right. I also think it's not worth it, but Dalang said that we are going to marry into the Cui family, so Ruyi's wedding dress can't be shabby. It was he who asked for it personally."

"But in my opinion, you get what you pay for. Jinyi Pavilion's workmanship is well-known for its quality. Even the nobles in the palace ask them to make their clothes. If our He family's daughter gets married in a wedding dress embroidered by Jinyi Pavilion, it will definitely make a sensation in the whole city."

"Yes, but..." This is too expensive!

Zhang said aggrievedly, "Besides, Jinyi Pavilion only collected a deposit of 500 taels. This is because Manager Wang gave Madam a discount of half. Other families who go to order wedding dresses have to pay at least half of the silver, and they have to wait in line."

This sounds like good value for money, but...

Liu's heart still hurts.

"The staff were hired on the spot and were paid in cash every day, but now we can't borrow a single cent from the public account. If we don't have any more money to support ourselves, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold the wedding banquet."

How can we not hold the wedding banquet?

Ruyi only has one chance to marry into the Cui family, and who knows when the next time will be.

Liu said anxiously, "Don't we still have shops? We have several shops. Can't we even take out a little cash?"

"Besides, Dalang got married just half a year ago. Some of these things have only been used once, so they're still new. Can't we just make do with them?"