Quick Transmigration: Survive to the End

The next day, after having breakfast, Zhan Zheng leisurely went out and headed to the Prime Minister's residence.

A little while later, someone came to deliver the shop's quarterly ledgers, and Yin Yin and Yu Miaoqi got busy. They weren't finished until Zhan Zheng and the other returned.

“Mother,” Wang Yingman bowed and was about to get up on her own as before.

Yu Miaoqi picked up her pen and made a mark next to the page of the ledger she had just finished reading. Without looking up, she asked, "Is this the rule of the Wang family?"

Wang Yingman, who had already stood up, could only stand still upon hearing these words: "What does Mother mean by this?"

Yu Miaoqi looked up from the ledger and gave her a nonchalant glance: "Everyone says that the Wang family daughters are extremely meticulous about etiquette, but I can't see that in you. It's just that the outside world praises the Wang family daughters too much. Their reputation is not commensurate with their actual abilities."

Wang Yingman's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. If it were before she returned to her parents' home, she would definitely have retorted, but now she could only grit her teeth, lower her head, and bow again: "Greetings, Mother."

However, this time she waited patiently for a response, while Yu Miaoqi didn't even look up, continuing to look at her account books.

Wang Yingman, being delicate and pampered, soon couldn't help but glance at Yinyin and Zhanzheng several times.

To avoid trouble, Yin Yin wouldn't even look up when dipping her brush in the millstone.

As for Zhan Zheng, who had been sitting to the side for a while, although he saw her gaze, he kept a straight face and pretended not to know anything, drinking his tea as if nothing was wrong.

Wang Yingman pursed her lips, a hint of humiliation in her eyes.

After Yu Miaoqi finished looking at the few things left in her hand, Wang Yingman was almost holding on by willpower. Only then did she speak and ask her to sit down: "Mrs. Wang, you are not incapable of performing etiquette, so why have I never seen you do it properly before?"

Wang Yingman's movements had been stiff for too long, and she swayed a little when she straightened up. Wang Mama, who was serving her, quickly stepped forward to support her and helped her to the side.

"It was my daughter-in-law's oversight in the past, please forgive me, Mother."

“It’s not that you’ve been too negligent,” Yu Miaoqi said. “It’s that I, as your mother-in-law, have been too lenient with you, which is why you’ve taken advantage of my kindness.”

Yu Miaoqi was always gentle and kind, but her sudden stern face made Wang Yingman, who had just sat down, involuntarily stand up: "Daughter-in-law is terrified."

“What do you have to be afraid of?” Yu Miaoqi looked at her coldly. “You are a daughter of the Wang family, the legitimate daughter of Prime Minister Wang.”

Wang Yingman opened her mouth, but seeing the atmosphere, she wisely closed it and didn't say anything.

“Since you don’t like me treating you well, then from now on,” Yu Miaoqi paused, “let’s establish our own rules for Dongchang Academy.”

"I won't make things difficult for you. Come early in the morning to help me get up and have my meals, and in the evening to help me wash up and rest. These are just ordinary things. We'll talk about other things when you've learned to do them well."

Yinyin listened, but her movements inevitably slowed down. Indeed, these were all ordinary things, but the more ordinary and trivial the place, the more arduous and time-consuming it was.

It's not difficult to do it this way, but if Wang Yingman wants to be like before, reading and writing without paying attention to anyone, thinking about her lover every day, she won't have that kind of free time.

“Mother,” Wang Yingman called out hastily, with a hint of threat in her voice, “You said it yourself, I am a daughter of the Wang family.”

"So what?" Yu Miaoqi scoffed. "The rules for serving one's mother-in-law are all similar throughout the world. Is your Wang family so different from my Yu family?"

Zhan Zheng spoke up at the opportune moment: "Wang, when it comes to being filial to your mother-in-law, are you going to use your family background to pressure her into not doing it?"

"Since that's the case, since it's a day off today, and your parents are both here, and the carriage has just been cleaned up and it'll be convenient to put it back on, I'll take you back to your parents' home."

Seeing that Wang Yingman had her head down and her expression was not clear, Zhan Zheng directly instructed Wang Mama behind her: "Wang Mama, you were given to Wang Shi by your mother-in-law. I believe you can definitely guide Wang Shi well in these matters, right?"

He thought for a moment, then added, "Or, Granny Wang, would you rather go back to your mother-in-law's side and ask her to find someone new?"

Wang Mama was initially hesitant to agree, but upon hearing that she was to be sent back, she immediately said, "This old servant will certainly give the young mistress some pointers."

Zhan Zheng didn't speak, but looked at Yu Miaoqi, waiting for her instructions.

“Wang Mama is indeed a loyal servant of the Wang family, and I believe you will be able to uphold the Wang family’s reputation,” Yu Miaoqi said, folding her hands in front of her and sitting upright. “However, I’m afraid the other servants around Madam Wang are not as loyal as you. Why don’t we let them take off their duties for a while and have them learn the rules for a few months before they come back?”

“Anyway, from today onwards, Wang will serve me by my side until evening. I don’t need them for daily tasks. I can have the people in Dongchang Courtyard do all the cleaning.”

Yu Miaoqi said "would not", as if she was asking Wang Yingman and Granny Wang for their opinions, but then she turned around and instructed Hongfu: "I remember there are a few old nannies in the mansion who are quite strict about the rules. Go and invite them out. Wang Shi is too young. As her mother-in-law, I have to teach her how to manage her subordinates properly."

Zhan Zheng smiled and said, "My mother is loving."

Yu Miaoqi glared at him irritably, then looked at Wang Yingman: "I'm not that kind of overly demanding person. Since you've just come back, go change your clothes first before coming over."

After Wang Yingman reluctantly followed Granny Wang out, Yinyin finally raised her head and said, "Mother, you are really amazing. With just a few words, you have grasped the essence of a wicked mother-in-law."

Yu Miaoqi, who had been keeping a straight face, burst out laughing: "This is nothing. To be a wicked mother-in-law, there are many ways to make people suffer in silence."

"It's good that you keep an eye on things now, so that when you get married, you won't suffer mistreatment from your spouse without even knowing why."

Yinyin's eyes darted around: "Then... I should find someone without a mother-in-law?"

“You certainly know how to find loopholes,” Yu Miaoqi said, then looked at Zhan Zheng, “Have you remembered your sister’s request?”

“I’ll remember,” Zhan Zheng said reluctantly. “My sister is still young. She hasn’t even had her coming-of-age ceremony yet. It’s too early to be thinking about these things.”

Yu Miaoqi was too lazy to say anything more to him. This was someone who hoped his younger sister wouldn't get married or would marry into the family so he could support her for life.

"You should change your clothes too. Now that Madam Wang has finished tidying up, have your people lead all the servants who serve Madam Wang to the courtyard in the southwest corner. It's secluded there, perfect for disciplining these maids who came from the Wang family and can't even see their master."

Upon hearing this, Zhan Zheng stood up and whispered, "Mother is even better at cutting through the Gordian knot than I am."

"Who told you to dawdle so much? Half a year has passed and there's still no progress," Yu Miaoqi said, kicking him out. "I don't need to be nice to outsiders."