Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 720 Maintaining Fairness [Thank you! Thank you again! 34k words owed]

It was only mid-September,

On this morning,

sunny,

Clear sky.

Jiying Lane,
The Sheng family,

A row of horse-drawn carriages was parked near the gate; at a glance, some carried passengers and others carried cargo on flatbeds.

A voice came from behind.

Wearing a cloak, Granny Kong helped Old Madam Sheng step over the threshold and come out, with Wang Ruofu accompanying her with a smile on her face.

Behind the three were four Lans and the maids of the Sheng family.

The three of them stood in front of the carriage.

The old lady looked at Granny Kong with eyes full of reluctance.

Wang Ruofu, who was standing to the side, smiled and said, "Granny, the caravan traveling with us are all from our relatives' homes! If anything happens along the way, you can just talk to the caravan manager."

Granny Kong smiled at the old lady and Wang Ruofu and said, "Elder sister, madam, please convey my thanks to your eldest daughter."

Wang Ruofu waved her hand and said, "She only said a few words, there's no need for you to thank me, Granny."

Granny Kong smiled and said, "Oh! Following such a large caravan is both convenient and safe on the road! Of course we should thank her."

The old lady smiled and nodded: "Don't worry, I will definitely pass on the message."

"it is good!"

After finishing her sentence, Granny Kong turned to look at the caravan, her eyes widening, and added:

"Oh, you're so kind, ladies! I'm practically halfway to the grave, why are you sending me so many things!"

Wang Ruofu smiled and said, "Granny, you have raised my children for so long, it must have been very hard for you! These things are just a small token of our appreciation, please don't find them offensive!"

"You flatter me, Madam!" said Granny Kong with a smile.

Taking a deep breath, Granny Kong glanced at the old lady and said, "Then I'll take my leave!"

Although the old lady's eyes were full of reluctance, she still smiled and nodded.

Granny Kong then looked at the four orchids and smiled, "Children, you're all doing well! Ah!"

As she spoke, Granny Kong bowed slightly to the four Lans, who, along with the maids and servants behind them, quickly returned the bow.

Among them, Pinlan, who has a straightforward personality, has a smile on her face, but there are still some tears of reluctance in her eyes.

Granny Kong turned around, took a few steps, and stepped onto the carriage using a stool.

While the coachman was putting away the horse stools, Granny Kong, who was sitting in the carriage, lifted the curtain of the carriage window and waved her handkerchief at everyone.

The old lady looked at Granny Kong in the carriage and waved her hand with a smile.

After watching the convoy disappear at the street corner, the Sheng family members turned around and went back to their courtyard.

As for Granny Kong, she arrived at her hometown safely and without incurring any expenses along the way, but that's another story.

At noon,

Sheng Family School

During the mealtime, Qi's servant, Li Chong, came over.

Upon seeing Li Chong, Buwei hurriedly got up and walked outside.

After whispering a few words to each other, the two quickly returned.

Seeing Qi Heng's puzzled expression, Buwei squatted down by the desk and whispered in a very low voice, "Young Master, Granny Kong has left."

Qi Heng, who was eating, stopped eating, his eyes lighting up with joy, and whispered, "Really?"

Bu Wei said, "Yes, young master! Li Chong saw it with his own eyes."

Qi Heng nodded: "Good! That's great! Don't forget to remind me to give you two a reward after school this afternoon."

As he spoke, Qi Heng turned his head and glanced at the three desks on the left, especially Minglan's.

"Yuan Ruo?" Gu Tingye called out from the side.

Qi Heng quickly turned his head: "Second Uncle, what's wrong?"

Gu Tingye glanced at Xu Zaijing and said, "Yuanruo, do you know anything about the families of the Duke of Han, the Duke of Ling, and the Marquis of Dongchang?"

Qi Heng was taken aback, and after a moment of thought, he said, "Second Uncle, are you talking about the changes in positions among the descendants and relatives of these families?"

Gu Tingye smiled and nodded: "Yes! Yuanruo, what do you think about this?"

Qi Heng smiled sarcastically and said, "Second Uncle, I heard that some of the people in these families have been promoted!"

"But, to me, it looks like a promotion in name only, and the person has been transferred away from a position of real power."

Chang Feng, standing behind Qi Heng, looked at the people talking around him with a somewhat blank expression.

These kinds of official news are simply beyond his current knowledge.

After Qi Heng finished speaking, he looked at Gu Tingye and smiled, "By the way, Second Uncle, I haven't congratulated Uncle Yu on being transferred to the Eastern Palace yet."

Gu Tingye smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Yuanruo, keep your voice down! Our elder brother doesn't want us to be too flamboyant."

As he spoke, Gu Tingye glanced at Xu Zaijing behind him.

Xu Zaijing, who was eating with his head down, smiled and shook his head.

After everyone finished eating,

The maids and servants of each household cleared away the tableware.

Changfeng seemed to have thought of something, and looking at Gu Tingye beside him, he asked carefully, "Second Brother Gu, do you have any capable shop managers in your family?"

Gu Tingye asked in confusion, "Changfeng, why are you asking this?"

Xu Zaijing also looked up at Changfeng.

Changfeng forced a smile and said, "It's nothing, I was just asking! My mother owns some shops and she's short of managers, so I wanted to ask Brother Gu Er."

"Oh!" Gu Tingye nodded with a smile and said, "It's a pity, Changfeng, you asked too late!"

Changfeng: "Huh? What did Second Brother Gu mean?"

Gu Tingye smiled and said, "My mother does have two good managers, but they were taken away by Changbai a couple of days ago."

"Huh? Oh!" Changfeng glanced at Changbai in front of him and quickly nodded.

The sun is setting in the west.

With Zhuang Xuejiu's voice, the day's lessons came to an end.

Xu Zaijing and his entourage, accompanied by maids and servants, walked outside.

On the way,

Xu Zaijing said, "Second Brother, your steward has been taken by Changbai?"

Gu Tingye nodded: "Yes, you know about the salt, Wulang."

"No wonder!" Xu Zaijing nodded with a smile.

"I heard from my wife that the two masters who were sent to manage things are actually relatives of the Sheng family," Gu Tingye added.

Xu Zaijing asked, "Huh? What do you mean by that?"

Gu Tingye thought for a moment and said, "The master of these two seems to be Minglan and Changzhen's uncle. His surname is Jiang, but I've forgotten his given name."

Qi Heng, who overheard the conversation, turned his head and blinked.

At this time,

Sheng Hong, returning from the yamen, happened to run into the group.

Xu Zaijing and the others quickly bowed and greeted him.

Sheng Hong smiled and nodded, paused to say a few words, and then continued walking towards the inner courtyard. Watching Sheng Hong leave, Gu Tingye approached Xu Zaijing and said, "Fifth Brother, do you think it's possible for the Sheng family's salt business to be managed by Seventh Brother's concubine?"

"Did Miss Yu tell you this as well?" Xu Zaijing asked.

Gu Tingye pursed his lips and nodded.

Xu Zaijing: "Possibly!"

The sun sets,

When the lights come on,

Shouantang,
Sheng Hong, now dressed in casual home clothes, sat in a chair and looked at the old lady on the couch at the head of the table. He bowed slightly and said, "Mother, the steward under the eldest madam made a mistake in the affairs of Qingyan. I think it would be better to let Mo'er take charge."

While they were talking, Fang's mother served Sheng Hong a bowl of pear soup to soothe his lungs.

Sheng Hong quickly nodded his thanks.

Seeing the old lady's noncommittal expression, Sheng Hong continued, "When Mo'er was in Yangzhou, she managed the household for quite some time and has some experience and lessons learned in this area."

The old lady looked at Sheng Hong and said, "Hong'er, Changbai has already borrowed two managers familiar with salt affairs from the Gu family. Madam will take this as a warning in the future."

Sheng Hong glanced at the old lady and bowed, saying, "Mother, I was just afraid that this oversight would affect the relationship between our two families."

The old lady raised an eyebrow and nodded, saying, "Hong'er, what you said makes sense."

Upon hearing this, Sheng Hong, who had been keeping his head down, revealed a hint of joy in his eyes.

However, Sheng Hong was only happy for a few breaths when the old lady at the head of the table continued, "But, this salt business was originally divided up by Hua'er's husband's family."

"We'll have to ask our relatives and Hua'er for the answer."

Sheng Hong nodded: "Mother is right! Before I came home, I specifically sent Dong Rong to Quyuan Street to inquire."

The old lady: "Oh? How so?"

Sheng Hong said, "My sister-in-law and Hua'er said that our family can decide this matter ourselves."

The old lady nodded: "That's good! But, Lin Xiaoniang already has the property you allocated to her."

"Now you're letting Lin Xiaoniang manage the salt trade again, Hong'er, do you know how profitable this trade is?"

Sheng Hong was speechless for a moment, and glanced awkwardly at the old lady.

"Besides, Wei Xiaoniang, Wei Shuyi, also bore you children and continued the Sheng family line. Isn't it a bit inappropriate to show such favoritism?"

Sheng Hong licked his lips slightly and bowed, saying, "Mother is right. Then I will have Mo'er take out the properties under her name?"

As Sheng Hong spoke, he noticed that the old lady's lips pursed slightly, and he knew that this was a sign that the old lady was unhappy.

"Mother, is there anything wrong with this?" Sheng Hong hurriedly asked.

The old lady shook her head: "Is this inappropriate? Hong'er, how long has Lin Xiaoniang been in charge of the property you assigned to her? If Wei Xiaoniang takes over, can she guarantee the property's profitability?"

Sheng Hong: "Uh"

The old lady took a sip of pear soup and said, "Besides, all these years, the profits from those businesses have never been handed over to the public funds, but have remained in Lin Xiaoniang's hands."

"How do you explain the profits gained over the past ten years or so?"

Sheng Hong was speechless for a moment.

The old lady said earnestly, "The business of salt is different from others. It can bring in at least one or two thousand strings of cash a year. Without a loyal and knowledgeable person in charge, even if someone is in charge, there is a chance that something like what happened to Madam is going to go wrong!"

"Hong'er, do you know who was the first to warn Madam to be careful of any mistakes?"

Sheng Hong shook his head.

The old lady said, "It is Miss Wei."

“Ming’er’s aunt, Wei Xiaoniang’s younger sister, has been working as a manager at the salt estate that was part of Madam Bai’s dowry. She knows more about salt affairs than our family’s manager does.”

"The two managers that Changbai borrowed were people who joined the business after following in the footsteps of Uncle Ming'er."

Sheng Hong: "This"

The old lady said, "Besides, Nagamaki's talent is obvious to all! Hong'er, do you think he's a stupid child?"

Sheng Hong shook his head: "Mother, Nagamaki is a very smart child. He understands many things very quickly."

The old lady nodded and said, "Hong'er was a concubine in my Sheng family. Since she was a child, Nagamachi has seen Wei Xiaoniang's situation like this. How will she view you as her father?"

Sheng Hong: "Son, you've been too hasty. Then let your wife take charge of this business tomorrow?"

"Hmm!" The old lady nodded slightly: "If the Lin family is not satisfied, you can ask her if Lin Qinshuang really thinks that Aunt Wei didn't know that her sister was mistreated when she was pregnant?"

Sheng Hong felt a pang of panic, pursed his lips, and took the lead, saying, "Yes, Mother, I understand."

"Yes, go ahead, you, as the father, should personally talk to your mother tomorrow."

"Yes, mother."

Sheng Hong got up to leave.

After taking only two steps, Sheng Hong stopped and turned to the old lady, saying, "Mother, Granny Kong has already returned to her hometown. Shouldn't the children go back to school?"

Hearing this,

The old lady frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Let's wait a little longer."

"Yes, mother."

Two days later,
The backyard of the Sheng family

Shouantang,
Aunt Wei and Xiao Die greeted the old lady with smiles.

The old lady smiled and said, "Ru'an, see her off."

Madam Cui walked over to Aunt Wei, gestured with her hand, and said with a smile, "Ladies, this way please."

He walked out of Shou'an Hall.
Xiaodie looked at Cui's mother with a smile and said, "I'm really happy to see the old lady so energetic."

Aunt Wei nodded repeatedly and said, "Mama Cui, I heard that it was the old lady who personally approved the decision to let my sister manage this business?"

Mrs. Cui smiled and nodded: "That's exactly right."

"Thank you so much, Grandma!" Aunt Wei said sincerely, pressing her palms together.

Passing through the corridor and doorway, we arrived at Jin'anzhai.
The group immediately spotted Qiu Jiang, who was peering out.

Subsequently,

Mrs. Cui took her leave.
Aunt Wei and Xiao Die entered the main room of Jin An Zhai.

After serving the fine tea, Qiu Jiang glanced at Xiao Die with envy before taking the initiative to leave.

Only three people remained inside.
Aunt Wei took a deep breath, glanced outside, and said, "Sister, it's only because the old lady is reasonable that she let you manage this business. If those vile women from Linxi Pavilion were in charge, you'd see what I did."

Wei Shuyi frowned and said, "Sister! This business was established by the merits of the Xu and Gu families, and Her Majesty the Empress allowed the Cao family to take over the business. How can you, a mere shop manager, act so recklessly!"

Aunt Wei glared at her: "Sister, how am I being willful? It's clearly Madam Wang who's siding with her own sister. This Master Sheng is also being unfair!"

"If you hadn't forced me, I wouldn't have told you about Madam Wang's flaws!"

Wei Shuyi shook his head helplessly.

Xiaodie chimed in, "Second sister, what my mother said makes sense! Even if this deal doesn't happen, with me here, Sixth Miss and Seventh Brother won't have a hard time in the future."

"Why bother causing trouble just to spite that person from Linxi Pavilion?"

Aunt Wei glared at her older sister and Xiaodie, said one word, and nodded once, saying, "I just can't swallow this!"

Looking at the long, narrow bed in the middle of the room, Aunt Wei said, "Seventh Master is so promising, yet the head of the Sheng family only thinks about that slut. Does he really think you have no family?"

Xiaodie pouted helplessly and said with a teasing look, "Second sister, your temper is definitely different now that you have a son."

"Snapped."

Aunt Wei patted Xiao Die, looking a little embarrassed, and said, "What does this have to do with me having a son?"

Xiaodie chuckled and twisted her body, continuing, "Haven't you thought about having another one with Brother-in-law Jiang?!"

Seeing Aunt Wei's slight shyness, Wei Xiaoniang also laughed and said, "Sister, what Xiaodie said makes some sense."

(End of this chapter)