My daughter was sold, I want to divorce her and go back to my parents' home to escape the famin

On the adults' side, Princess Anyang smiled and looked at Lin Qingxue tenderly, saying softly, "Qingxue, I've heard about the great achievements you've made recently at the Firearms Department! You truly are as capable as any man!"

Her words were full of praise. When Lin Qingxue heard it, a faint blush appeared on her fair jade cheeks, as beautiful as the peach blossoms blooming in spring.

She lowered her head slightly and responded modestly, "Mother, you're too kind. Qingxue just did what she could. This is inseparable from the concerted efforts of everyone."

At this moment, the Duke of Protectorate, sitting nearby, also spoke. His expression was serious, and his tone was solemn. "Jinxuan, Jinyu, the Firearms Department is booming right now, with tremendous momentum, but we must not let our guard down or become complacent! You must know that there are still some dissenting voices within the court. We must find ways to ensure that all officials, both civil and military, truly appreciate the immense benefits of firearms."

After hearing this, Gu Jinxuan's expression became even more serious. He nodded solemnly and replied, "Father is absolutely right. Please rest assured. Jinyu and I have been working very hard and have not dared to slack off for even a moment. This time, after the Emperor personally inspected the firearms, he was quite impressed by their powerfulness. However, it will take some time to completely change the ministers' original ideas. After all, the wonders of those bombs can only be deeply appreciated by those who have personally experienced the bloody storms on the battlefield."

"Bombs, as such, have many advantages! Not only are they incredibly powerful and capable of causing immense damage, but they're also relatively inexpensive to produce. It's a shame, though, that those pedantic old men in the court always seem to be looking for trouble. But rest assured, our wise and powerful emperor will find the right opportunity to punish those ungrateful individuals."

The Duke of Protectorate said with a gloomy face. When he thought of those stubborn old guys in the court, he was so angry that he wanted to bite his teeth into pieces.

At this moment, a burst of clear and pleasant laughter like silver bells suddenly came from where the children were.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Gu Huaining had accidentally stained the porridge on the corner of his mouth. He looked so naive and cute.

Princess Anyang looked at the group of innocent children with a doting look on her face, her eyes filled with deep love, and she whispered softly, "Look at these children! They are getting more and more lovable as they grow older!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Jinxuan and Gu Jinyu, who were standing by, couldn't help but be deeply moved by the children's pure and innocent happiness. Their originally tense faces slowly relaxed and revealed a knowing smile.

Gu Jinxuan turned his head slightly, and his gaze happened to fall on Lin Qingxue who was not far away from him. His eyes instantly became extremely gentle and full of affection, as if in this fleeting short time of reunion, all the hardships and exhaustion he had experienced before had disappeared in an instant.

After breakfast, sunlight streamed into the house through the window lattice. Gu Jinyu finished his last bite of food, said something to everyone, and then got up and went to the Firearms Department.

At the same time, the Duke of Huguo and Gu Jinxuan also packed their luggage and went to their respective duty rooms together. Although they did not need to attend the morning court today, they still could not slack off on their duty.

After the men left, the atmosphere in the house suddenly became much more relaxed. The children, like birds out of a cage, happily ran to the study in the front yard to start their day's learning journey.

At this time, only Princess Anyang and her two daughters-in-law, Lin Qingxue and Princess Lin, were left in the huge mansion.

Princess Anyang sat leisurely on the chair, her eyes first falling on Lin Qingxue, with a hint of satisfaction and kindness in her eyes; then, she turned her gaze to Princess Lin, smiled and nodded.

After a brief pause, Princess Anyang spoke, "My dear daughter-in-law, as early as when you married into our Gu family, I intended to hand over the reins of the household to you once you were familiar with the affairs of the mansion. Unfortunately, you've been so busy with various trivial matters lately that you've never had any free time. Fortunately, you can finally breathe a sigh of relief now. And since you and your sisters-in-law are both here today, I, your mother-in-law, will take this opportunity to officially hand over the reins of the household to you! Here, here are the Zhonggong's account books. You must take some time to carefully examine them."

As she spoke, Princess Anyang picked up a thick account book from the table beside her and gently handed it to Lin Qingxue.

Princess Anyang finished speaking these words in one breath, completely ignoring Lin Qingxue's bewildered and helpless expression, and then continued: "You must know that winter has already arrived. Our family, whether it is the masters or the many servants, should start preparing the cotton-padded clothes they need to wear during the winter. You must arrange for someone to be responsible for this matter; moreover, there is only a short month and a half left before the Chinese New Year, and the various dishes and dishes for the Chinese New Year will also need to be prepared in advance. As for the banquets and banquets on weekdays, if there are any related matters, the housekeeper will naturally notify you. You can make your own decisions on how to handle them according to the actual situation. Here, this is the key to the Zhonggong storehouse. From now on, it will be in your hands!"

After saying this, Princess Anyang seemed to be afraid that Lin Qingxue would suddenly change her mind and refuse to take on this task. She hurriedly pulled up the nanny and Princess Lin beside her and left quickly without looking back.

Even though this was her own Dongyang Garden, she left without any regrets.

Only Lin Qingxue was left sitting alone in the spacious hall of Dongyang Garden, with her mouth wide open and her eyes staring straight in the direction they left. She looked as if she had been struck by lightning and couldn't recover for a long time.

Lin Qingxue regained consciousness and slowly glanced at Donghe and Chuntao standing on either side of her. She couldn't help but murmur, "Someone who didn't know the inside story might actually mistakenly think my mother had given me a deadly poison! How could this be? Could it be that the position of steward of the Duke of Protectorate's Mansion is so despised?"

After saying that, Lin Qingxue shook her head helplessly, reached out to hold the thick stack of account books tightly, and walked towards her own Xuanxueyuan with slightly heavy steps.

As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she ran straight to the study without stopping for a moment.

After entering the study, Lin Qingxue gently placed the mountain of account books in her arms on the desk. Looking at the thick stack of account books in front of her, she didn't know where to start for a moment. In the end, she could only sigh, stretched out her hands resignedly, opened one of the account books, and looked at it carefully.

Fortunately, the Duke of Protectorate's Mansion has always had a sparse population and a simple structure, and the daily expenses are nothing more than the food and daily life of the masters.

As for income, it mainly comes from various treasures, land and manors bestowed by the emperor, as well as the rent and profits collected from the shops run by the family.

It only took Lin Qingxue about an hour to sort out the mountain of account books clearly and thoroughly.

However, what she had never expected was that the interior of the Duke of Protectorate's Mansion, which looked so magnificent on the outside, was actually so simple and plain, even plain and unpretentious.

Lin Qingxue threw the account book aside, and then called her personal maid Donghe to ask her to gently press her shoulders.

After all, I have been working hard for such a long time, and now I just feel sore all over, especially my waist and back are extremely painful.

Donghe responded obediently, then walked behind Lin Qingxue and began to massage her shoulders seriously.

After a while, Lin Qingxue felt a little relieved, so she stood up and stretched her muscles a little.

She looked out the window and found that it was almost noon. Before she knew it, it was time for lunch!

"Dong He, go tell the kitchen to quickly prepare a steaming pot. Remember to have someone slice some fresh pork belly and tender beef thinly sliced. Also, prepare a variety of vegetables for the hot pot. Oh, and don't forget to prepare the fragrant hot milk tea as well. You little masters love this!"

Lin Qingxue explained the lunch arrangements to Donghe in an orderly manner. She stood at the door looking outside and whispered to Donghe and Chuntao who were standing beside her.

When she was busy some time ago, she sent Dongzao to the shop and learned how to grill fish, barbecue, make milk tea and fry food. She can't say that she has learned it perfectly, but at least she can eat it. As long as she does it a few more times, she will be able to master it.

"Yes, Princess, I'll go right away." After Dong He's clear and pleasant voice sounded, she respectfully performed a standard etiquette to Lin Qingxue, then turned around and walked towards the small kitchen with light and quick steps.

Her figure quickly disappeared from sight, leaving only Chuntao to continue to stay where she was, carefully serving Lin Qingxue.

Chuntao stretched out her hands, held Lin Qingxue steadily, slowly guided her to an exquisite chair, and gently helped her sit down.

Then, Chuntao looked at Lin Qingxue with concern and asked softly, "Princess, you've been busy for so long, you must be exhausted, right? We'll be able to enjoy the hot, fragrant pot soon. You should eat more to replenish your energy, and then have a comfortable rest."

After hearing Chuntao's words, Lin Qingxue's lips curled up slightly, revealing a gentle smile. She nodded gently and said, "It's actually not that bad. It's just that this matter of becoming the head of the family came a little suddenly. I need to hurry up and familiarize myself with it as soon as possible."

Just as the two were talking, a burst of brisk footsteps came from afar, and then Princess Lin came into the room skipping and jumping like a lively and cute little bird.

"Sister-in-law, I knew you would be busy here taking care of household chores!"

Only a clear and pleasant laughter was heard. It turned out to be Princess Lin walking towards where Lin Qingxue was with light and cheerful steps. Her pretty face was filled with a bright smile, as beautiful as the peach blossoms blooming in spring.

Seeing this, Lin Qingxue hurriedly stood up to greet him. Her movements were graceful and elegant, and her skirt fluttered gently, as naturally and smoothly as flowing clouds and water.

After she had regained her composure, she beamed with a smile and spoke enthusiastically, "Your arrival today is truly timely! I have many difficult and complicated issues concerning the affairs of the mansion that need urgent resolution, and I'm worried that I have no one to turn to for guidance. Having lived in this mansion for a long time, I'm sure you're well aware of all the circumstances here, so I hope you'll be willing to offer your guidance!"

As she spoke, Lin Qingxue affectionately took Princess Lin's hand and walked into the house together. Princess Lin smiled and gently took Lin Qingxue's hand, and they slowly sat down together.

She waved her hand gracefully and said softly, "Sister-in-law, please don't be so polite! I am a leisurely person on weekdays and don't care about trivial matters. However, if you have anything you want to ask me, I will tell you everything I know. Take winter shopping for example. Our family has always gone to the big market in the east of the city to purchase items. The fabrics there are of high quality and the prices are very reasonable. They are perfect for making cotton-padded clothes. We can buy more to make clothes for the servants in the house. Mother Renshan, the servants in the mansion are provided with six sets of clothes a year: two sets each for summer and winter, and two sets for spring and autumn, along with six pairs of shoes and socks each. Furthermore, for every New Year and other festivals, the kitchen will carefully prepare several different dishes in advance and send them to you for your taste test. Only after you've tried them and are satisfied will they finalize the official menu. So, you don't need to worry too much about this. As for the account books and the storeroom, you only need to check them once a month to see if there are any omissions.

Just when the two were talking happily, Dong He came back with brisk steps, followed closely by several strong servants, each of them holding a steaming pot and various fresh ingredients steadily in their hands.

Seeing this, Lin Qingxue quickly and enthusiastically invited Princess Lin: "Sister-in-law, what a coincidence! Come and have something to eat. It would be wonderful for us to enjoy the food and chat at the same time. Chuntao, go to the study and wait. When the young masters finish school, invite them all over so that we can have a lively meal together."

"Yes, Princess, I'll do it right away." Chun Tao responded respectfully, bowed slightly, saluted Lin Qingxue and Princess Lin, then turned and left with light steps.

After a while, Chuntao came back with the six young masters of the third generation of the Gu family. Everyone sat around the table and the atmosphere was harmonious and warm.

Lin Qingxue skillfully put the tender slices of meat into the steaming pot and gently stir-fried them, while smilingly asking about the servants in the mansion's recent situation.