Union

Chapter 17 The Butler

During dinner, Aunt Ding personally cooked several dishes that Chen Yanzhou had loved since childhood.

Seeing Aunt Ding busy around him and even serving him food, Chen Yanzhou said, "Auntie, take a rest. I can do it myself."

Aunt Ding hurriedly said, "Let me serve the Second Master his meal. When we return to the capital, I can tell Madam what the Second Master ate. Madam will definitely be happy to hear that."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yanzhou said nothing more and simply ate his meal in silence.

After the meal, while having tea, Chen Yanzhou asked, "When does Aunt plan to return to the capital?"

"This one……"

"Does Aunt have some unspeakable difficulty? Or does she have other plans?"

Aunt Ding glanced at Chen Yanzhou's expression before whispering, "Madam wishes for me to stay in Yungui County for a while longer, until you have sorted things out here before sending me back."

Chen Yanzhou: "Aunt, there's no need for that. I have Suiyun and a few others to take care of me, and I'm not a three-year-old child. Compared to me, my mother needs more help. Aunt, you should go back and take care of her as soon as possible."

"Second Master," Aunt Ding quickly said upon hearing this, "A mother worries about her son even when he is far away. Madam is very concerned that she cannot come to see you in person. Please allow me to stay here for a while, just to ease Madam's mind. What do you think, Second Master?"

"Moreover, the Crown Prince's wife has also gained experience and is now able to help the Madam manage the household affairs. The Madam also said that if she is really too busy, she can ask the Second Madam to lend a hand as well..."

Before she could utter the word "hand," Aunt Ding quickly shut her mouth.

She looked nervously at the Second Master, only to find his expression calm and expressionless, without even lifting his eyelids. This indifferent reaction made Aunt Ding feel even more distressed.

She and her wife both knew that the Second Master and Second Madam did not have a good relationship, but they never expected that it had become so distant.

Aunt Ding continued, "Madam has people looking after her, but on your side, besides Suiyun and a few others, you haven't added many people. I see the county office looks rather empty, and I'm afraid the cook's food won't suit your taste. I'll tidy up the inner quarters first, and once everything is in order, I'll return to the capital. What do you think?"

Seemingly sensing Aunt Ding's stubbornness, or perhaps because Aunt Ding's decision to stay or leave didn't seem to bother him much, Chen Yanzhou didn't say anything more, only nodding slightly, letting Aunt Ding decide.

It was pitch black outside, and the chirping of cicadas and insects reached his ears. Chen Yanzhou placed the teacup on the table, said "Aunt, please make yourself at home," and got up to leave.

Aunt Ding was wondering whether she should send a few girls to serve the Second Master. In the short time she hesitated, that tall and upright figure had already disappeared into the thick night.

Aunt Ding sighed as she watched that figure leave, then turned and went back to her room to rest.

Meanwhile, the young ladies in the backyard, upon seeing the second young master of the Marquis's mansion with such a majestic and elegant appearance, couldn't help but have their own thoughts.

As darkness fell, their hearts pounded even harder, filled with anticipation for what might happen that night.

But even after the first watch of the night had begun, there was still no sound from outside.

Everyone felt a pang of regret, and the light in their eyes dimmed somewhat. But then they remembered that this was only the first day, and there would be many more opportunities in the future, so they suppressed their regret and had the maidservants attend to them as they rested.

The next morning, the girls got up early to serve Aunt Ding.

Aunt Ding found it quite amusing to see the girls looking so distracted.

Did they think they could see the Second Master here?
That's no joke.

Aunt Ding smiled and said, "It's just in time that you've come. I was worried about not having any helpers around me."

Ruizhu: "Auntie, is there anything we can do for you?"

Aunt Ding looked at Ruizhu and said, "As you know, Second Master only brought Suiyun and the other three, who grew up with him, with him when he went south this time."

Among the Second Master's companions, Suiyun was considered reserved yet meticulous. Therefore, the Second Master kept him at the county office to handle the various visits and invitations that might follow, while he himself, along with three other attendants, familiarized himself with county affairs and other matters. However, this wasn't a long-term solution; Suiyun needed to be freed up. After all, he was shrewd and capable, and the Second Master only had a handful of people around him.

On the one hand, it was to free Suiyun from trivial matters; on the other hand, it was also necessary to tidy up the county government office. What needed to be added was added, what needed to be repaired was repaired, and the office needed to be put back into operation.

Next, Aunt Ding really got busy.

She first hired a slave trader to purchase several maids and servants, and then added a gatekeeper, cook, embroiderer, coachman, and other staff.

With the staff properly procured and the mansion functioning normally again, Aunt Ding then had the houses repaired and the walls and windows painted.

Although the county government office was built entirely of blue bricks and looked quite impressive, it was only superficially impressive.

Inside, whether it was because the previous magistrate was too poor or because the wind and rain in Lingnan were too harsh, these houses were visibly dilapidated, with peeling paint and mottled colors on the doors and windows, looking very run-down.

After repairing the walls and windows, Aunt Ding consulted with Chen Yanzhou and had everything in the backyard of the county government office completely replaced. From the cups and plates used for entertaining guests to the vases and screens for decoration, everything in Chen Yanzhou's room was also replaced with new items.

Of course, even after the replacements, these items were still far inferior to what was usually used in the Duke's mansion. However, Aunt Ding had already purchased the best within her means, so they were still passable.

After such a busy period, half a month has passed.

During this time, no matter what Aunt Ding was busy with, she always kept the four girls with her. Ostensibly, she had them help her with chores, but in reality, she used the guise of helping them with chores to teach them how to manage the household.

Aunt Ding understood very well that she would eventually have to leave this place, whether it was a month or two, or a year and a half. Once she left, the affairs of the county government's inner quarters would fall on the shoulders of these four girls.

She didn't know who would gain favor or the power to manage the household. However, to prevent the girl entrusted with this important task from being clueless, she decided to put the task of teaching them how to manage the household on the agenda as soon as possible.

On the other hand, although all four girls were taught the same way, Aunt Ding clearly favored Ruizhu more.

Perhaps it was because she was the second madam's maid, or perhaps it was because Ruizhu had grown up in the Chang'an Marquis's mansion since childhood, serving the noble young lady as a first-class maid, and was a true deputy young lady—which meant that her knowledge and abilities were outstanding, and if someone properly taught her, managing the household affairs would definitely be a piece of cake.

Therefore, even though Ruizhu's appearance was the least outstanding among the four, Aunt Ding valued Ruizhu the most and was the most attentive to her when teaching her.

Although Aunt Ding shared her knowledge with the other three without reservation, this difference in attitude still made Mu Jin and Qiu Ning feel uncomfortable.

As Qiu Ning and Yun Ying grew closer, Qiu Ning couldn't help but whisper to Yun Ying, "I don't see what's so good about Rui Zhu either."

"She is steady and composed in her actions, handles matters properly and generously, and is very organized in welcoming and seeing off guests. It is not without reason that Aunt Ding values ​​her and entrusts her with important responsibilities."

Yunying spoke her mind, but her honest words made Qiu Ning uncomfortable.

"Whose side are you on?" Qiu Ning asked. "You, me, and Mu Jin are all from the same place. We should stick together for warmth, so why are you siding with Rui Zhu? What benefits has she given you?"

Yunying: "She didn't give me anything in return; I was just telling the truth."

Qiu Ning tugged at her handkerchief, "Alright, alright... Although Ruizhu is a bit better than us, it's only because we haven't been exposed to these things before. We've learned quite a bit from Aunt Ding for a few days, and after a while, we'll be qualified. There's no reason to just hand over the housekeeping job to Ruizhu. No, I have to fight for it, otherwise the three of us will have to depend on Ruizhu's approval in the future, and I'm not happy about that."

Yunying wanted to say, "You're already vying for the power of housekeeping? You're way too early."

First of all, the Second Master might not let us stay in the back house forever. Who knows, when Aunt Ding goes back, the Second Master might have Aunt Ding pack us up and take us away.

Secondly, you've only studied for a couple of days and you think you've mastered the essence of housekeeping? Ruizhu may seem silent, but she's truly capable. If you think you can easily get rid of her and take her place, be careful not to let her use you to establish her authority.

Yunying gave Qiuning a final warning, "Behave yourself, don't let anyone use this as leverage to punish us again."

Qiu Ning shrank back, her dizzy mind clearing up a bit, and said hesitantly, "I'm not that stupid. I'll wait for the right opportunity..."

(End of this chapter)