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Chapter 742 Personal Inspection [Second Update]

Zhu Yu responded somewhat awkwardly. The water in the bath didn't seem so hot anymore, and the heat that had been splashing onto his face seemed to have subsided considerably.

After Lu Qing left, she quietly got up, took a clean cloth and carefully dried her hair, changed her clothes, and went back to her room.

During the time they were away from the Prince's Mansion, Zhao Mama and the others stayed at home. It was clear that they hadn't slacked off at all. Not only was the courtyard spotless, without a trace of mess or desolation, but the rooms were the same. The bedding on the beds was neat and tidy, with a faint scent of soap, which showed that it had been changed regularly.

Zhu Yu sat on the edge of the bed, looking around the room. He recalled the last time they were in this room, when Lu Qing was demoted to a commoner by an imperial edict and was even dragged outside the palace gate and beaten until his skin was torn open in order to put on a show for the Brahma King's nephew.

I can still vividly recall the anxiety I felt back then.

In the blink of an eye, several months have passed, and everything seems to have changed. They have been traveling around and are now back here, but they don't know what the future holds.

Zhu Yu slowly lay down, the comfortable bed gradually lulling her consciousness, and she soon fell asleep.

When I woke up, it was already dark outside, and Lu Qing still hadn't returned.

After a nap, Zhu Yu's mind became much clearer. She poured herself a glass of water to moisten her throat and wondered what Lu Qing had been up to.

They had just dealt with Ishaen, and judging from Emperor Jin's condition, it was impossible for him to be summoned to the palace so soon.

Besides, after everything we've been through, even if there's something he needs to do, why can't he just tell me directly? Why be so vague when he leaves?
As she was lost in thought, Zhao Mama's soft voice came from outside the door: "Madam, Madam? Are you awake?"

"You're awake, Aunt Zhao. Come in and talk if you need anything," Zhu Yu replied.

The door creaked open, and Zhao's mother walked in with a smile. Without saying a word, she went straight to the table, grabbed Zhu Yu's arm, and helped her up.

“Madam, while you and Master were away from home, we took good care of all our valuables. Now that you’re back, I’ll take you to check them out.” She said as she pulled Zhu Yu out.

Zhu Yu was somewhat confused. She knew nothing about the valuables in the mansion, and had no idea what they were. Why was she suddenly being asked to inspect them?

"Well... otherwise, I don't know what these things are either. How about you wait until Lu Qing comes back and have him check them?" She was being pulled out of the house by Zhao's mother while discussing it with her.

"That won't do! Everything in this mansion is controlled by the matriarchs of each household." Without waiting for a reply, Zhao Mama pulled Zhu Yu straight toward the storeroom. "Once things are settled, you'll inevitably have to drink tea and chat with the ladies of each household. If you don't even know our family's wealth, won't people laugh at you?"

Zhu Yu didn't want to sit and chat with a group of high-society ladies, but she also knew that Zhao Mama was right. Whether she liked it or not, unless Lu Qing remained a commoner, she couldn't completely avoid it.

Having no other choice, Zhu Yu followed Zhao Mama to the storeroom, where the manager was also there, along with a few servants.

Zhu Yu was settled at a round table, where there was tea and even a small plate of snacks.

The steward placed the registration books one by one in front of Zhu Yu. As Zhu Yu watched the books being added one by one, more and more appeared, he began to feel a little panicked.

"Why are there so many registers?" she asked the steward hurriedly. The steward smiled and said, "Madam, we don't have many items in our house. Since the master didn't stay at home often in the past, this is the part that needs to be physically checked."

He pulled out two thin booklets from the bottom, placed them aside, and pointed to the others: "These are the fields, estates, and shops that Master owns elsewhere, as well as their revenue for each ten days, each month, each quarter, and each year."

"Does this also need to be reviewed one by one?" Zhu Yu was taken aback.

The steward smiled amiably: "Yes, Madam. After all, you didn't really take charge of things before, and you've been gone for so long. We think it's better to explain things clearly to the family in detail."

Zhu Yu felt a little helpless, but could only rub his temples and nod: "Then let's begin!"

After an unknown amount of time, Zhu Yu felt dizzy and overwhelmed.

She felt deeply that being penniless was a headache, and the sudden appearance of so many assets that she needed to understand clearly was also a headache.

It's truly a case of some suffering from drought while others are drowning in floods.

Seeing the thick stack of account books on the table that he hadn't yet looked at, Zhu Yu, though not hungry after having eaten some snacks and drunk some tea, was really restless. He wanted to find some excuse to stop, but was afraid of dampening the enthusiasm and diligence of the servants in his household, so he could only grit his teeth and persevere.

Finally, Fuwen's voice came from outside the door: "Mama Zhao, is Madam here? Master is back, please ask Madam to come over."

He wished himself a pardon and immediately stood up from the table.

Zhao's mother and the manager also hurriedly said that there was no rush to finish looking at the accounts, and they could always look at them later.

Zhu Yu was somewhat amused and exasperated, thinking to himself, "Weren't you all acting like you were going to finish this today? But now that Lu Qing has spoken, you suddenly don't care anymore."

She quickly got up and left the storeroom, only to find that it was already completely dark outside. She had indeed been checking things inside for a very long time!
Fu Wen had changed into the clothes he wore in the Prince's mansion and said to Zhu Yu with a smile, "Madam, the master is waiting for you in the room."

"You went out with him just now?" Zhu Yu asked as they walked. "What were you so busy with that you only came back now?"

"It's nothing, just some odds and ends, going back and forth, that's what got me delayed until now," Fu Wen replied with a smile, stopping at the courtyard gate with Zhu Yu. "I have other things to attend to, Madam, please go back."

Zhu Yu nodded, walked quickly to the bedroom, pushed open the door, and looked up, feeling a little dazed.

The bedroom in front of me was clearly the same one I had left, yet it was completely different from the one I had left earlier.

Red candles, red lampshades, red gauze curtains, red coral on the shelf, and gilded double happiness characters on the wall...

Zhu Yu couldn't help but pinch her waist...

This feels like I've gone back to the day I first got married...?