Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, East Courtyard.

Madam Wang could easily see through Qin Xianjia's intentions.

He said, "Don't be so narrow-minded. You think that doing errands on the estate is a shameful thing."

You know very well that your son has been gossiping a lot at home. I recently heard rumors that he's taken a fancy to a singing girl, causing quite a stir.

Qin Xian's expression changed, and she forced a smile, saying, "These are just rumors spread by outsiders. Madam, please don't take them seriously."

Madam Wang waved her hand and said, "I don't care what outsiders say, as long as it doesn't lead to a lawsuit."

You are an elder in the household, so you should know that the master values ​​etiquette and rules the most.

Let your son work in the household. He's always restless, coming and going all the time. You can't hide anything from him.

If the master finds out, what will become of his life?

Qin Xian's wife trembled with fear upon hearing this. As a mother, she knew her son's true nature all too well.

The second master was an extremely upright person, valuing his reputation and honor above all else, and he was intolerant of any wrongdoing.

Because his son wasn't working at the household, the second master hadn't paid any attention to this person.

If he were to actually work in the household, moving around under the Second Master's nose, given his son's usual incompetent behavior, bad rumors would inevitably spread sooner or later.

Just like yesterday, he was invited out for drinks and didn't come home all night. Nobody knows where he was fooling around.

If he were to work in the household, and he were of the same character, he would inevitably get into trouble sooner or later.

Madam Wang said, "I will send your son to work on the estate, but I will not let him dig or plow the fields. Instead, I will assign him a job as a firewood manager."

He wouldn't have to put in much effort; he could simply assign tasks to others, which was both quiet and respectable, much better than being crammed into the mansion.

You know the current situation in the household. The eldest son's family is in charge of the family business and arranging things for your son. I also have to ask the old lady for her favor.

If you still don't like it, then forget it. I'll save myself the trouble of owing a favor.

Qin Xianjia felt a chill run down his spine. The whole family now depended on Madam Wang for their livelihood. If she didn't appreciate their kindness, how would they ever get by in the future?

He quickly smiled apologetically and said, "It's just that we're too shallow to understand things as thoroughly as you, Madam."

"Do as Madam says. Tomorrow I'll have Yong'er kowtow to Madam."

Madam Wang's expression softened, and she said, "You two have worked so hard for me, I will never treat you unfairly."

The monthly allowance for the estate is managed by the West Mansion. As an elder, I shouldn't make an exception for Feng'er.

"You've been very efficient lately, so I'll give you an extra two taels of silver a month. It won't come from the Xifu public funds; I'll just take it from my own pocket."

……

Although Qin Xian's family was somewhat reluctant for their son to go to the farm to do chores, they had no choice but to accept it.

Hearing that Madam Wang would give her two taels of silver a month, she was overjoyed. Even if her son were to work in the mansion, he would never earn two taels of silver a month.

She naturally understood Madam Wang's intention, and hurriedly knelt down to kowtow to Madam Wang, expressing her gratitude profusely.

The unhappiness of her son being assigned to work on the farm vanished in an instant.

Seeing her expression, Madam Wang breathed a sigh of relief.

Sending Qin Yong far away to the estate suited her perfectly. Not only would she not see him, but she would also avoid any gossip or rumors, thus preventing her from getting into trouble.

He said, "I'm going to Rongqing Hall to pay my respects to the old lady now, and I'll take care of this matter while I'm at it. Keep an eye on your son and make sure he behaves himself before the end of the year."

Once he goes to the estate for his official duties during the New Year, you two can finally have some peace and quiet and won't have to worry about him so much.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Wang Xifeng got up early in the morning to dress and do her hair, leaving the daily chores to Ping'er and Wu'er, and went to Rongqing Hall with her maid Feng'er to pay her respects.

When Grandmother Jia saw her coming, she smiled and said, "Yesterday you sent a maid to tell us that the monthly allowance was to be distributed today, and Yuanyang just went out."

So many people came to your courtyard to worship today; your household must have been incredibly busy. It's truly remarkable that you were able to find the time to stroll around leisurely.

Wang Xifeng laughed and said, "Look at what the old lady is saying. Am I destined to be a hard worker? Now I have henchmen to help me out."

In previous years, only Ping'er followed me, but now there's also the capable Wu'er.

I naturally entrusted everything to them, so I could take a break and chat with the old lady.

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "I am naturally happy that you are willing to come. Your sisters are all young ladies, and it takes them a long time to get up, dress up, and do their hair."

They'll be coming over later, and I'm getting bored all by myself.

It's currently the twelfth lunar month, and this is the last monthly allowance of the year. How is the public fund's income and expenditure this year? Is there a deficit?

……

Wang Xifeng said, "After all, the old lady is a former housekeeper, and what she said hits the nail on the head. I have a lot of grievances to vent."

After the monthly expenses and the money set aside for the New Year, there were less than two thousand taels left in the public account.

This sum of money is to cover expenses for the first two months of the year, as the first harvest from the various noble estates will not be received until early March.

So all things considered, we should be thankful that the company didn't have a surplus or a deficit this year.

Grandmother Jia sighed, “I used to be a head of the household. Now that the court is implementing new policies, the spring and summer taxes have increased significantly.”

The noble estate in Xifu has been downgraded again, resulting in a significant loss of income. This family is indeed finding it difficult to manage.

Wang Xifeng said, "The old lady has been in charge of the household before, what she said is absolutely right."

That year, I also scraped together money from all sides and cut expenses everywhere, making it quite difficult to stay afloat.

Grandmother Jia asked, "Cong-ge'er's East Mansion seems quite peaceful to me. Er-ya is in charge of the household every day, and I haven't heard her mention any difficulties."

Wang Xifeng said, "The old lady rarely goes to the East Mansion, so you don't know the details there."

Since the Cong brothers established their mansion, the East Mansion has only purchased fifty servants, and no additional staff have been added to date.

Including the personal maids of Cong and his siblings, as well as several head maids, the entire household had less than a hundred people.

They could easily make a living just from the harvest of the noble estates in Liaodong, which belonged to the Eastern Prefecture.

Looking at the situation in the West Prefecture, although the estates there are more than those in the East Prefecture, they are still limited in number, yet they support several times the population. How could they not be strapped for cash?

This was only because all the sisters in the family had moved to the East Mansion, and Cong and his brothers supported them with all their food, clothing and daily necessities, without costing the West Mansion a single tael of silver. Otherwise, the granddaughter-in-law would have been even more destitute.

That's how we barely managed to get through this year; next year will probably be even harder.

……

Grandmother Jia was startled and asked, "Aren't the annual expenses fixed? If we can get by this year, won't it be the same next year? Why is it even more difficult?"

Wang Xifeng said, "Grandma, there are several major events next year, and the expenses of the West Mansion will increase significantly, making things even more difficult."

The first event was Baoyu's marriage. The Xia family was a prominent family, and when Miss Xia married into the family, she would certainly have a large number of maids, servants, and young men as part of her dowry.

Once these people enter the household, they become servants of the second wife, and the public funds will have an extra monthly allowance.

The monthly allowance for one person is not enough; these people need money for food, clothing, and lodging.

I've done a rough calculation, and after March next year, the monthly allocation for the East Road Courtyard will be 20% higher than before.

The second thing is Caixia raising her children. The old lady has many children and grandchildren, and she must know that raising children is the most expensive thing. Since I had my eldest daughter, I have spent a lot of my own money on her.

The sons and daughters of the household are given a set of precedents from the moment they are born; this is an old custom passed down through generations.

The third thing is that my younger sister will be home next year. She is, after all, the eldest daughter of the second wife, and she comes from the palace and has seen the world.

Their daily food, clothing, and other necessities must not be inferior to those of the sisters in the East Mansion, which is also a significant expense.

I've been meticulously calculating that next year's allowance for the second wife's family will be 30% more than in previous years.

"Grandma, my granddaughter-in-law is so worried. Next year is going to be tough."

……

Hearing this, Grandmother Jia felt a chill in her heart. Having been a housekeeper for half her life, she naturally knew that what Wang Xifeng said was true.

Even though Feng Yatou was complaining about being poor, it was not far from the truth.

Now that the West Mansion is the main family's property, how could Feng Yatou not feel heartache about the extra expenses for the second branch?

If this reached Cong-ge'er's ears, it probably wouldn't sound very good either...

With her second daughter-in-law being so stubborn and strong-willed, Feng Yatou tried every means to save money.

Last time, even Baoyu's maid's monthly allowance was cut. If this trend continues, I'm afraid the two families will start to have a falling out again...

Wang Xifeng said, "Brother Cong entrusted the management of the West Mansion to me. No matter how incompetent I am as his sister-in-law, I cannot squander all of his property."

I'm thinking of increasing revenue and cutting expenses next year. There are wasteful and repetitive expenses in the household, and we can't be lenient about cutting them, even if it offends people.

The population of Xifu is surplus in various places, and can be sent to work on farms in various places. Some can stay with relatives and friends, and some can be released from their status.

With fewer people in the household, public expenses can be significantly reduced; otherwise, in four or five years, the Western Mansion would truly be depleted of its resources.

Grandmother Jia frowned and said, "I know it's not easy to manage your household, but these are all servants who have served for generations, and we have a bond with each other."

If we really had to deal with it, both sides would be our flesh and blood, so it wouldn't be a easy task.

Wang Xifeng said, "What the old lady said is absolutely right. These are all servants who have been around for generations. If they want to do things in a way that makes people truly convinced, then they must do them well."

We can't just target the lackeys; we, as masters, must also uphold the rules and speak with authority.

Now that the family situation has changed, some patriarchal customs and etiquette must be upheld, and we must set an example. Only with rules can things be orderly.

In this way, not only will the master and servants in the family be convinced, but the granddaughter-in-law will also be in charge of the household affairs, and the rules and regulations will be easier to implement, so that the family can live a prosperous and smooth life.

Outsiders who have witnessed our household management will all praise us highly; we truly live up to the current prestigious title of the Rongguo Mansion, a place of honor and scholarly renown.

After hearing Wang Xi's words, Grandmother Jia felt that they made a lot of sense. No matter how large a duke's mansion is, it doesn't have an inexhaustible fortune.

But after all, Grandmother Jia was a master of the inner quarters. Having experienced countless family upheavals, she was already very shrewd and knew all the tricks and schemes of the big mansion.

When Wang Xifeng said that even masters must abide by the rules, he felt a jolt in his heart, sensing that something was amiss.

This granddaughter-in-law is no pushover; her words are loaded with hidden meaning, and it feels like she's setting a trap...

……

Grandmother Jia couldn't help but ask, "What exactly do you mean by 'the master upholds the rules'?"

Upon hearing Grandmother Jia's words, Wang Xifeng knew that her preparations had finally reached the right moment.

He said, "The old lady knows that Brother Cong is the head of the West Mansion, but he and his maids do not use a single tael of silver from the West Mansion, nor do they live in a single room there."

He also took his sisters to live in the East Mansion, which covered a large deficit in the West Mansion.

He's gone to such lengths; how could the master possibly impose rules on him?

Grandmother Jia felt something was amiss upon hearing this, but Wang Xifeng's words made no mistake. She said, "Cong-ge'er is extremely capable in this matter; there's nothing to criticize."

Wang Xifeng said, "The increased expenditures in the public funds next year will all come from the second branch of the family. The family etiquette and rules of the second branch should be followed properly."

You can't just take the benefits and ignore the rules and fairness; you can't hide it from others no matter what.

Outsiders will surely say that the Jia family doesn't follow the patriarchal system and doesn't understand etiquette; the rumors will be quite unpleasant.

This incident caused resentment throughout the family, and everyone used it as an excuse to resist the household management rules and assignments, making it increasingly difficult for the granddaughter-in-law to manage the household.

The first item is the second wife's monthly allowance.

The second wife was originally the housekeeper's wife in the western mansion, so she was given a monthly allowance of twenty taels.

But now the family situation is different. The eldest son's family is the legitimate heir, while the second son's family is a concubine's branch.

The second wife is no longer the housekeeper's wife of the West Mansion, so logically she shouldn't be paid twenty taels, even though she's a granddaughter-in-law and doesn't have that title.

If this is not changed, how will Cong's third wife, the eldest son's wife, cope when Cong's brothers get married in the future?

Old lady, this is really hard to say, the target is too big.

If I keep drifting along like this, I'll eventually be drowned in the spittle of others.

When Grandmother Jia heard this, her face flushed. It wasn't that she hadn't thought of this, but reducing her second daughter-in-law's monthly allowance would be a loss of face for her second son.

Grandmother Jia doted on her youngest son her whole life, and as long as no one pointed it out, she could get away with it.

……

Wang Xifeng continued, "The second item is the expenses in Baoyu's room. The monthly allowances for the boys in the eldest son's main branch and the boys in the concubine's branch are different."

The old accounts kept in the guild were written very clearly, and the family's long-serving servants were all well aware of them.

In the future, the number of concubines and maids in Baoyu's room, as well as Baoyu's wife, will be reduced according to this rule.

If you act in accordance with patriarchal customs and etiquette, others will have no reason to gossip.

The third item is also about personal expenses. It would be a bit long-winded to explain, but if I just mention one item, the old lady will understand immediately.

Now that Cong and his brothers have inherited the title and the mansion, according to the patriarchal system and etiquette, only the old lady and Cong and his brothers are entitled to use first-class maids. Even I am not worthy of such service.

The second branch is now a side branch, and according to the family rules, it is naturally not allowed to employ first-class maids.

However, Yu Chuan, who is now by the side of the madam, is a first-class maid in the West Mansion, and this status has remained unchanged in the East Mansion.

The old lady usually didn't pay much attention. Ever since Ping'er and Wu'er entered the room, Cong's brothers only had Qingwen as their first-class maid.

Yu Chuan, who serves the second wife, is now somewhat conspicuous and will inevitably attract gossip over time.

"If we want to establish proper family rules, all these old conventions must be changed now; there's no other way..."

…………

After hearing Wang Xifeng's words, Grandmother Jia was quite angry, somewhat depressed, and mostly helpless.

Baoyu was about to get married, start a family, have children, and have more children. His eldest maid had been away from the palace for ten years and was now back home to eat and drink. As a result, the expenses of the second wife's family increased by 30%.

These foods all come from the Xifu Public Funds. Feng Yatou is a housekeeper who lives by counting money, so how could she not care?

Although her words were somewhat harsh, the fundamental principles of family rules and etiquette were absolutely correct.

It's unreasonable for the second wife's expenses to increase so much, with her eating and taking things, while the first wife has to pay for her to save face.

And most importantly, Fengyatou has Conggeer behind her, so the wife he marries in the future will be the rightful housekeeper.

But to simply strip his daughter-in-law of her allowance would be far too embarrassing for Zheng'er...

Grandmother Jia sighed, “I know what you’re saying makes sense, but you know your aunt’s temperament.”

Before she entered the household, I had heard that she was very shrewd and capable in her boudoir. After she entered the household and became the housekeeper, she became much more restrained and considerate.

Now the family situation has changed. The second branch of the family has moved to the east courtyard, and your aunt's personality has changed drastically. She has become increasingly arrogant and sharp-tongued, and I'm afraid she has been suppressing it all these years.

After all, she had been a housekeeper for over a decade, so it's understandable that she couldn't adapt all at once.

There should always be some tact and compromise within a family. With the twelfth lunar month almost over, dealing with these matters now, or getting into a fight, will prevent you from having a peaceful New Year.

I think it's best to wait until after the New Year, let everyone calm down a bit, and then discuss and arrange these things. That way, there won't be too much time.

……

Wang Xifeng was not surprised at all by what Grandmother Jia said, after all, the old lady's most beloved son was the Second Master.

If the old lady readily agreed to these suggestions and asked me to do something right away, that would be truly unbelievable.

He smiled and said, "What the old lady said makes a lot of sense. These kinds of family and clan matters are always difficult to handle because everyone has to consider their feelings."

It can't be done on a whim; it has to be done step by step. So it's natural to do it after the New Year.

And we can't just go all the way through; we have to leave my aunt some dignity.

My idea is to start small and gradually expand, keeping a low profile so that others get used to it, and everything gets done without the family losing face.

When Grandmother Jia heard that it was best to avoid hurting face and maintaining harmony, which was the best thing for her second son, she asked, "What exactly is this plan you're talking about, remaining calm and collected?"

Wang Xifeng said, "The Second Madam's monthly allowance is a major item, and it will cause quite a stir if we deal with it. We can postpone it for now."

You can start by dealing with inconspicuous minor items, such as the second wife's first-class maid, Yu Chuan.

We can't just cut Yuchuan's first-class dress down to second-class just because the second wife has lost her title. That would be a blatant slap in the face to the second wife, and it would be far too unseemly.

Qiuwen and Bihen, who served Baoyu, were both outstanding among the second-class maids.

She has been transferred to the East Wing Courtyard by the Second Madam, so the Madam has no shortage of good maids.

The proper solution was to transfer Yuchuan to the West Mansion and have her serve the old lady in Rongqing Hall.

Outsiders saw it as the second wife showing filial piety to the matriarch, and no one dared to gossip. The family also took the opportunity to rectify its rules and regulations.

Let's start with small things, take our time to correct family etiquette, and once we start, we'll start with the maids and then the monthly allowance.

Everyone got along well, avoided any awkwardness, and the matter was resolved smoothly..."

Hearing what Sister Feng said, Grandmother Jia smiled bitterly to herself. This girl Feng really could talk the dead back to life; this was what they called doing things smoothly.

They treated the second daughter-in-law like a fish on a chopping board, tearing her apart piece by piece.

However, since both mansions now belong to the main branch of the family, these matters are ultimately unavoidable.

He said, "Your method is at least respectable, and it sounds feasible."

However, there are some things that can't be discussed openly. How can we get Yu Chuan back? We need to have a reason.

Let's keep this in mind for now, and think it through before we do anything about it..."

When Wang Xifeng heard that Grandmother Jia had given her a hint, she couldn't help but feel a little smug, thinking that things would be much easier to handle now.

As for how to get a maid from the second wife's family, it's a simple matter of using one's brain and coming up with a few bad ideas. (End of Chapter)