Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 151 Disposal
But Chen Siyuan rode his horse all the way back to Rongguo Mansion, returned the horse at the stable in front, and hurried back to his own courtyard.

When he entered the main room, he saw Xiangling sitting on the kang in the warm room. Hongyu bent down and carefully bandaged her ankle. There was a faint smell of medicine in the air.

Chen Siyuan walked over with a frown on his face. He ignored the women's greetings and only asked Xiangling, "What's wrong?"

Xiangling was at a loss for words and said, "We had nothing to do this afternoon, so we went for a stroll in the garden. But when we came down from the Great Master Mountain, we accidentally stepped on empty space. At first it was just a bloating, but after a while I couldn't even walk."

Hongyu sighed, "This time it was sprained badly. Master didn't see it, but it was swollen like a pig's hoof. I quickly called in Doctor Wang, who prescribed some plasters. This is a serious bone injury, and it may take more than a month to heal."

Chen Siyuan sighed and said, "Don't play around in rough places from now on, or you might hurt your bones."

Xiangling smiled and said, "Just this once, I won't dare to do it again."

Chen Siyuan sat down beside her and briefly explained Zhen Fengshi's situation. When he saw Hongyu leave, Chen Siyuan said, "I'll give you five hundred taels later. Take it and give it to your mother to spend when she returns home."

Xiangling kept shaking her head: "I already gave it to you before, why should I ask for more money from you?"

"It's just a small amount of silver. I can earn it back in a while." Without allowing Xiangling to refuse, he forced five hundred taels of silver into her hand.

Seeing that she couldn't refuse, Xiangling accepted it with a smile.

Because Xiangling had difficulty moving, Chen Siyuan took her to the side room to rest, so Hongyu was the only one left to keep watch tonight.

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but after a late night, while Chen Siyuan was studying in his study, he noticed something strange about Hongyu. She would occasionally glance at him from a distance, smiling, or come over to top up his tea or pour him water.

When it was time to go to bed, Hongyu was even more passionate. She kept tossing and turning until her bones were weak, her body was numb, and she was in great ecstasy.

As the two of them embraced each other under the brocade quilt, Chen Siyuan asked curiously, "Why is it so different today?"

Hongyu giggled but said nothing. Ever since she and Xiangling had stayed in the room together to keep watch, she had hoped to stagger their periods so they could enjoy each other's company occasionally. But as time went on, she and Xiangling's periods became exactly the same, so how could she ever have such a moment alone with her master?
Hongyu was a sensible woman, aware that she was only a maid, and naturally did not dare to show the jealousy that young ladies and mistresses often do. She did not ask for much, just to be alone with the master occasionally, even if it meant nothing, just sleeping in each other's arms.

The next day, Chen Siyuan finished his studies at the Imperial College and had just arrived at the Rongguo Mansion when Yu Si came looking for him and said, "Master Yuan, the master wants to see you."

Jia She? What does this old fellow want from me again? Calculating the time, could it be that the Wu family's affairs have been settled?

Chen Siyuan hurried to the east wing and entered the outer study. When he looked up, he saw Jia She walking with his hands behind his back, looking very proud.

Seeing Chen Siyuan, he waved his hand without waiting for his greeting, saying, "Brother Yuan, there's no need for such an outsider!" He dismissed the servant with a glance. Jia She walked over quickly and said in a low voice, "Lian'er sent a letter saying that the Liaodong farm has been handled according to Brother Yuan's advice. All the servants and farmers are cheering and rejoicing. The entire Wu family of thirty-one people has been taken to Tianjin and will arrive in Beijing within three days."

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but smile and said, "Congratulations, uncle. I'm sure you'll gain something from this."

It was more than just a harvest! Over 1,300 acres of land, and over 8,000 taels of various goods. Four full carts alone were loaded with them! If you include the Ningguo Mansion, that's 3,000 acres of land and over 20,000 taels of silver!

Not to mention Jia She, even Jia Zhen gasped. The Ningguo Mansion's expropriation of the Qin family had completely depleted the family's wealth, and now they were living beyond their means. The Rongguo Mansion's construction of the garden had even more embezzled the Lin family's eldest wife's property, and even borrowed money from the Xue family.

Twenty thousand taels, that's no small sum! Who could have imagined that two village heads could have embezzled so much wealth?

Jia She was eager to hear this, thinking that if he could at least get two thousand taels out of his pocket after this fight, he would throw the rest directly in front of Lady Jia, hoping that the old lady would have nothing to say.

Adding the Lai family's previous gift to the mix, Jia She couldn't help but feel complacent. Look at the second house, struggling every day to manage the business, only to find themselves with only one thing to pay for another. And look at himself, who, with just a few tricks, had managed to make a killing.

Because of this, Jia She could not help but look at Chen Siyuan with increasing favor, and said with a smile: "This time, it is all thanks to your planning... Yes, Yun'er will stay in Liaodong and manage it according to your public cent system. He will return only if everything goes well."

After a pause, he continued, "Brother Yuan, will you give birth in May?"

"Yes."

Jia She narrowed his eyes and smiled. "After your birth, you'll be fifteen... Well, there's no rush. When you're sixteen, I'll find you a good match. I heard you've done well in your studies, consistently topping the exams. As the saying goes, it's important to balance work and rest. When you have time, Yuan, please stroll around the garden and the East Cross Courtyard more often."

What you mean is... if you behave well in the future, the second girl will be betrothed to you?

Chen Siyuan felt annoyed, thinking to himself that the King of Yanping had at least given him some gold, silver, and brocade, but this old man was just making empty promises. The second young lady looked okay, but she wasn't a beauty like Lin Daiyu. Who was he trying to fool with this empty promise?
Then Jia She, with his hands behind his back, said, "Tomorrow I, together with Dongfu Zhen'er, will go before the old lady and confront her. We will then list the evidence Lian'er has presented. I believe the old lady will be speechless this time."

He paused and looked at Chen Siyuan: "Brother Yuan has always been resourceful. Do you have any other suggestions?"

Chen Siyuan said: "My uncle has thought it through, and my nephew has no objections at this moment."

"Yes." Jia She was not surprised. He felt that this matter was foolproof, so he waved his hand to send Chen Siyuan away. "You haven't seen your aunt for a few days. She was still talking about it yesterday. Go and see her."

Chen Siyuan agreed with a smile, turned around and walked out of the outer study, then entered the third-floor ceremonial gate.

The young man who had received the letter came to greet him. When he saw him, he could not help but complain, "Brother, why haven't you come for several days?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I'm so busy with my duties, what can I do?"

Tiao'er pouted and complained inwardly, "It's strange. Madam hasn't sent us to look for Brother these days."

Chen Siyuan said, "Maybe something good is about to happen. Everything will be fine after this."

Third Sister Xing's wedding is approaching, and even Mrs. Xing only visits the Xing family every three to five days, so she has no time to look for Chen Siyuan.

As they were talking, they went inside and saw that Mrs. Xing had become a little plumper, with a bulging belly, and she was already pregnant.

Chen Siyuan sat down and politely replied a few words. After the maids and the old women left, Chen Siyuan came over and asked, "Is everything okay over there, Third Sister?"

Madam Xing slapped his unruly claws away, rolled her eyes at him, and said, "I'm being very considerate. I've run around with my belly bulging a few times, how could I not be considerate?"

Chen Siyuan smiled wryly and said, "You know I'm young and haven't experienced much, so I really don't know how to arrange a wedding. Besides, the Imperial College is very busy, and I can't ask for leave all the time."

Madam Xing snorted, "I know you're busy, so I didn't dare to call you!"

Are you angry?
Chen Siyuan tried to persuade her, but seeing that Madam Xing ignored him, he suddenly sighed, "This money is really not enough to spend."

Madam Xing glanced at him and whispered, "Are you short of silver? I still have a few hundred taels on hand."

"What can a few hundred taels do?" Chen Siyuan said, "After a while, I'll find a decent business, and I'll give you a share. Then you can get rich."

Mrs. Xing immediately became interested: "Really? Brother, what exactly is your business?"

Chen Siyuan shook his head and said, "Don't say it, don't say it. If you say it, it won't work."

Mrs. Xing immediately smiled and flattered him. Not only did she personally feed Chen Siyuan some snacks, but her maid also massaged his shoulders. She couldn't help but sigh, "Now I see that nothing is reliable. In the end, it all comes down to money. You don't know how slow Third Sister's dowry was to prepare. I went back and gave her a reward, and she had everything ready in just two days."

Money makes the world go round, the old saying is so true! "

Chen Siyuan raised his chin and said, "So a woman cannot live without money for a day, and a man cannot live without power for a day."

Madam Xing sneered and said, "How old are you, and you already think you're a man?"

Chen Siyuan narrowed his eyes and said, "Whether it's a big deal or not, don't you know?"

Mrs. Xing blushed immediately and spat, "You don't even know the time, you just tease me."

Chen Siyuan knew that Madam Xing was interested, so he simply stood up and took her in his arms, saying with a low laugh, "How about I serve you for once?"

Mrs. Xing bit her lower lip and was about to agree when she suddenly frowned and said, "Ouch!" Chen Siyuan followed her gaze and saw a slight bulge in her lower abdomen, which then slowly subsided.

Mrs. Xing lost all thoughts and straightened up, saying, "Don't mess around any more—" Since it was her first child, Mrs. Xing was watching her closely, fearing she might disturb the fetus. She was also afraid of upsetting Chen Siyuan, so she added, "It's already halfway through. Let's…wait until the baby is born."

He paused, counted on his fingers, and said in surprise, "It's already August, doesn't that mean it will be around the same time as the Autumn Examination?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Double happiness, a good omen."

After the two of them were a little intimate, Chen Siyuan left the main house and talked with Miao'er and Tiao'er for a while before returning to his own courtyard.

But that day, the maid Xia Zhu came to Ningguo Mansion trembling with fear, not daring to knock on the door. She hid at the entrance of the private alley to observe the situation. Because a garden had been built at the back, it had occupied half of the originally open private alley, so this private alley was now a dead end alley.

Both the Ningguo and Rongguo mansions felt it was unlucky, so they discussed demolishing the wall of the Rongguo mansion's east wing and simply sharing a wall with the Ningguo mansion. This way, the east wing could be expanded five feet outward.

After waiting for an unknown amount of time, she suddenly saw Jia Rong, dressed in brocade clothes, coming out from inside. Xia Zhu hurried over to find him.

One day, Jia Rong was about to stroll to Jinxiang Courtyard with a few servants when he was suddenly stopped by a little maid.

"Uncle Xiaorong!"

"Hmm?" Jia Rong stopped and took a quick look. Seeing Xia Zhu's ordinary appearance, he immediately said coldly, "You are—"

Xia Zhu said: "I am the maid of the Second Concubine."

"Second Aunt?" Jia Rong took a moment to react before realizing that he was talking about You Erjie.

He immediately smiled and said, "Oh? Second Aunt has been missing for a while. Did she give any instructions?"

Xia Zhu said, "The young lady said she had something to ask Master Xiaorong to go to Xiaohuazhi Lane."

Jia Rong pondered this for a moment, and felt that the courtesans in Jinxiang Courtyard were no match for You Erjie and You Sanjie in terms of fun. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Okay, I'm free now, so let's go."

Xia Zhu immediately breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly led the way.

Soon they arrived at Xiaohuazhi Lane. Xia Zhu knocked on the door and hurried inside to report: "Miss, Master Xiaorong is here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, You Erjie was seen coming out of the main room with her arms folded.

Jia Rong took a quick glance and immediately smiled, "Third Aunt, I haven't seen you for a while, and my father is missing you!"

Third Sister You frowned and spat, "Bah! Rong boy, you can't stand it if I don't scold you for a few days. You've lost all your decorum! You're a son of a wealthy family, studying etiquette every day, but you can't even keep up with those poor people." After a pause, she added, "Who asked you to come? I'm from a humble family, and I'm afraid I can't entertain a young man like you!"

As she was about to order the maid to drive her out, she saw You Erjie coming out of the wing room and said with a smile, "Sister, it was me who called Rong Ge'er here."

Jia Rong gave a curt bow and said, "Second Aunt, I wonder if you've come to me for a drink? I was going to Jinxiang Courtyard to have some fun today, but when I heard Second Aunt wanted to invite me, I turned down all the drinks."

You Erjie was startled, but she suppressed her discomfort and said, "I have something to ask of you. Rong'er, please come in and talk."

Third Sister You glanced at the two of them and simply turned back to the main room. Jia Rong narrowed his eyes and looked at Second Sister You, his heart trembling, he felt that this second concubine had become even more outstanding in the past year.

Without caring whether they were entering a wing room or not, Jia Rong followed You Erjie into the room with a smile. When tea was served, he saw the nanny and maids waiting on the side.

Jia Rong asked, "What does Second Aunt want?"

"It's like this... My biological father arranged a marriage for me years ago, with the Zhang family from Huangzhuang. But after my father passed away, the Zhang family fell into decline... Although we don't have a marriage certificate now, we do have a token as proof. Rong'er is very capable, could you find the Zhang family on my behalf and retrieve the token?"

The Zhang family, who managed the imperial farm, had fallen on hard times. Jia Rong took the remark lightly, only glancing at You Erjie and saying, "This isn't a difficult matter, but if I succeed... I wonder how Second Auntie will thank me?"

You Erjie said, "We're relatives, and you're asking for a favor just for a small favor?" Jia Rong complained, "The Emperor doesn't lack hungry soldiers."

You Erjie, having a little luck, pulled out a purse from her sleeve and threw it directly to Jia Rong: "Here, there are fifty gold coins in it, worth fifty taels of silver."

Unexpectedly, Jia Rong took the purse without even glancing at it. Instead, he lifted it up and sniffed deeply, saying jokingly, "Sure enough, since you always carry it with you, the purse smells good."

You Erjie suppressed her embarrassment and forced a smile, saying, "The money has been given. Rong'er must do things properly."

Jia Rong shook his head and said, "It's too little. After the matter is settled, the Second Concubine must make up for it."

You Erjie had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Jia Rong immediately laughed out loud, waved his purse, and then stood up and left.

After sending it away, You Erjie felt a little relieved, hoping that Jia Rong would retrieve the token soon. She thought that by then, Chen Siyuan would have no other concerns. As for You Sanjie, although she was a bit harsh, she still cared about their sisterly love. Otherwise, she would have kicked You Erjie out long ago. Why would she keep her until today?

It's good to be affectionate. If you act humble and submissive, you can always coax him into nodding his head.

Little did she know, Jia Rong had left Hengsan Lane and was riding straight to Jinxiang Courtyard for a feast. As for the matter entrusted to her by You Erjie... "For a mere fifty taels, you think you can send a distinguished young master of the Ningguo Mansion to run errands for him?" "You wishful thinking! Jia Rong wouldn't do it unless there were other benefits!"
Thinking of the Second Aunt's pretty little face, Jia Rong couldn't help but squint his eyes and hum a little tune...

............................................................

Three days passed in a flash. That day, Chen Siyuan went to the Imperial College to study early in the morning.

But Sister Feng had just counted the accounts that day when she heard that someone had come from outside the second gate to buy cranes, peacocks, deer, rabbits, chickens, and geese, and had also specially presented a few parrots that could imitate words.

Sister Feng frowned and complained, "I'm so busy all day that I can't even take care of people, let alone these beasts." After a moment's thought, she added, "I think it would be better to send him to the old lady, where she can talk and relieve her boredom."

Ping'er praised: "Madam, you have thought it through very carefully. Let's send it to the old lady."

Ping Erh then sent the pair of parrots to Grandmother Jia, who was delighted by them, and unexpectedly, Daiyu was also very interested in them. Seeing that Daiyu kept teasing the parrots, Grandmother Jia decided to give the parrots to Daiyu.

On this side, Sister Feng took stock of the accounts. Because she had to withdraw money from the account for purchases and open the treasury to collect gold and silver utensils, Sister Feng led Ping'er to Lady Wang's courtyard.

Unexpectedly, just as she arrived at the courtyard, she saw Madam Wang smilingly escorting the pregnant Madam Xing out. Sister Feng blinked, and saw that the two ladies were like real sisters, talking and laughing, without a trace of grudge. Sister Feng was momentarily amazed, wondering how the two ladies had become so close lately.
Then he was startled and thought to himself, could there be trouble in the mansion again?
Restraining her thoughts, Sister Feng hurried forward to pay her respects. Mrs. Xing said a few words indifferently, then got in the sedan chair and returned to the east wing.

Mrs. Wang saw Mrs. Xing off and then invited Sister Feng in.

At this time, it was already past the 3:00 p.m., and Mrs. Wang sat down in the hall and listened to Sister Feng'er's account one by one.

Halfway through, Mrs. Wang frowned and sighed, "You spend money like water. If you keep going like this, even mountains of gold and silver won't be able to withstand your spending."

Hearing this, Sister Feng could not help but agree, "We haven't even bought any antiques yet, but that's going to cost another twenty thousand taels of silver. We've got a dozen or so young nuns and priestesses in the garden now, practicing sutras day and night, and there will be a dozen little actors in the future, too. Calculating the monthly stipends, that's going to cost a fortune."

Madam Wang nodded and said, "Forget it. It will be fine after the imperial concubine comes home to visit her parents."

Feng Jieer naturally knew what Lady Wang meant. After Yuanchun came home to visit her parents, the Jia family's reputation would surely increase. If she was really given the title of Imperial Concubine, not only would the master and the mistress receive titles, but they would also be able to gain some benefits from outside.

But a good cook cannot cook without rice, so what can we do in front of us?

She wanted to ask, but unexpectedly, Mrs. Wang calmly talked about something else. Feng Jieer answered her questions one by one, thinking to herself, is she going to ask the Xue family for a loan again?
Little did she know, Mrs. Xing had already informed Mrs. Wang that while the eight thousand taels of silver wasn't much, it still contained several carts of valuables, which was worth a lot. Furthermore, the 1,300 mu of farmland in Liaodong would also be worth a fortune if it wasn't pawned.

Because of the extra expense, Mrs. Wang was finally able to calm down.

As they were talking, Zhou Ruijia suddenly came in in a panic.

"Madam...Second Madam! This is terrible! Second Master Lian has brought dozens of people in through the corner gate, saying that the Wu brothers are deceiving their superiors and subordinates, greedy and rebellious against their master. The eldest master and Master Zhen from the East Courtyard have both arrived and are now clamoring to go to Rongqing Hall, asking Old Madam to make the decision!"

"Ah?" Feng Jieer stood up in shock, frowning and asking, "Mrs. Zhou, please explain clearly, was it the Second Master who brought the people back?"

Zhou Ruijia said, "I can't be wrong. I saw it with my own eyes!"

"this--"

Sister Feng turned to look at Madam Wang, only to see her slowly sipping her tea and standing up. "These are troubled times. Let's go and take a look at Rongqing Hall."

Feng Jieer is not stupid. Seeing her aunt in such a state, how could she not know that the other person must have received the news a long time ago?

She couldn't help but wonder in her heart, are the first and second wives joining forces to fight against the old lady?

The two of them immediately left Lady Wang's courtyard, walked around Mengpo Zhai, passed through the hall and arrived at the central courtyard. Turning their heads to the south, they saw many maids and old women rushing to the second gate to watch the fun.

Although Wang Xifeng hadn't seen what was happening outside the ceremonial gate, she could faintly hear the cries of women and children. She thought to herself that the first and second wives were now teaming up to target the old servants, aiming for the old lady's power as housekeeper. Logically, she should have sided with the old lady, but with such a commotion, she assumed they had real evidence. So, she couldn't afford to join in the discussion.

Since this is the case, it is better to watch from the sidelines to avoid getting implicated.

After passing through the hall and entering the hanging flower gate, and passing through two courtyards, Rongqing Hall came into view. From a distance, Jia She could hear him roaring from within: "Such a treasonous servant deserves to be beaten to death! But out of consideration for your kindness to the servants, I brought him here to ask your decision."

Mrs. Wang and Sister Feng walked around the screen and saw Lady Jia sitting upright on the couch. Her face was pale with anger. She turned her head away and said, "You are grown up now, and I am old and confused. The master should make the decision himself on such matters. Why ask me?"

Jia She frowned and said, "Mother, why should you be angry with your son over a family of servants? The evidence is here, and even if you bring it to the court, you won't be able to prove anything wrong."

Grandmother Jia snorted coldly and simply kept silent.

At that moment, Lady Wang and Sister Feng came in to greet them. Jia She glanced at Lady Wang and simply handed her a piece of paper: "Sister-in-law, you've come just in time. Look at this family of daring servants!"

Mrs. Wang took the paper without even looking at it, and actually gave it to Fengjie to read.

Then Jia She paced back and forth and said, "This servant has ruined the reputation of our Jia family by fabricating excuses to exploit our tenants! Last time, I sent Yun'er to check the accounts, but as soon as we arrived, we were surrounded by farmers. Why? Because the Wu family spread the word that we were going to raise the rent!"

Fortunately, Yun Ge'er was lucky enough to be hit by only two arrows in the back while fleeing. If it were someone weaker, they would have died on the spot!

Jia Zhen echoed from the side, "How audacious! Old Madam, I have to say this. We cannot keep a servant like him!"

At this moment, Sister Feng glanced at the paper and felt her blood rush to her head! Everyone knew that the Wu brothers were deceitful and corrupt, but who could have imagined that a simple farmer could embezzle tens of thousands of silver? Sister Feng's dowry was only 30,000 silver coins, which was not even enough for the Wu family!

Mrs. Wang turned her head to ask, and Sister Feng hurriedly whispered something.

Mrs. Wang was also very surprised after hearing this. Although she had received news that the Wu family had embezzled a lot of wealth, she never thought it would be so much.

Because developing Liaodong was difficult, the Jia family had always set the land rent at 30%, which gradually increased to 40%. But when it came to the Wu brothers, it suddenly became 60%! Fortunately, Liaodong had rich black soil and a large population with little land, otherwise those farmers would have rebelled long ago!
A careful calculation revealed that over the past few decades, the Wu family had embezzled at least hundreds of thousands of silver coins! Even though the remaining amount could not be recovered, the amount that was confiscated alone was worth tens of thousands.

Because it was Mrs. Wang, she said to Lady Jia, "Old Madam, this... Old Madam, you'd better see it with your own eyes. The Wu family has really gone too far."

Grandmother Jia still refused to speak, but just gave a wink to the maid Yuanyang who was serving beside her. Yuanyang then walked quickly over and handed the paper to Grandmother Jia for her to examine.

As Lady Jia was old and had some presbyopia, she put on the reading glasses hanging around her neck, took a quick look, and immediately took a breath.

He was surprised and said, "Could this be a confession obtained through torture?"

Jia She said, "Even if they were beaten, few people would say so."

Jia Zhen agreed, "Uncle She is right. The old lady can no longer consider the relationship between master and servant."

Grandmother Jia frowned and sighed, putting down the paper. She glanced at the situation in Rongqing Hall. How could she not know that the situation could not be violated? So she said, "I was only concerned about the difficulties these servants had in following the old Duke in their early years, so I turned a blind eye. Who would have thought that someone would be so arrogant and treat us with such disregard?"

Upon hearing this, Sister Feng started to fight with her Taiping fist and said, "It's not the old lady's fault. Liaodong is a thousand miles away, and it takes months to travel back and forth. Who knows what's going on in the village?"

Grandmother Jia nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, it looked good in front of us, but who would have thought that it would lose its loyalty once it was released."

Sister Feng and Jia Zhen echoed a few more times, but Jia She and Mrs. Wang remained silent.

Every country has its laws and every family has its rules. The reason why the Wu brothers are so unscrupulous is, in the final analysis, not because of the old lady's indulgence?
Jia She has now taken all the benefits into his hands, and as long as he doesn't take the blame, he has nothing else to ask for.

Mrs. Wang had other thoughts. She was now nominally the head of the household, but in reality, she had to consult Lady Jia on everything! With Aunt Xue instigating things in the front and Chen Siyuan pointing the way, Mrs. Wang was determined to seize power.

This fight outside the pass is just the beginning, there will be more fights to come.

After a long discussion, Jia Mu grew increasingly frustrated when she saw that Jia She and Lady Wang were not responding. After a moment's reflection, she said, "If you ask me, the Wu brothers are certainly worthless, but the eldest master has made such a fuss, making it known to everyone...isn't that a bit inappropriate? It's a family scandal, and we can't even cover it up, so how can we publicize it?"

Jia She was stunned for a moment, then curled his lips and said, "Mother, what you said... I beg to differ. The Wu family is about to instigate the farmers to beat and kill the Jia family's children. Such evil deeds should be sent to the government for prosecution, so why mobilize a large army?"

Madam Wang pondered and said, "Madam, my daughter-in-law's words... this family scandal is about our own family. The Wu brothers are just servants, how can they be considered family members? If I were to say, the eldest master's treatment is the right thing to do. After arresting such a rebellious servant, we must publicize it, so as to make an example of him and deter the scoundrels. Otherwise, the subordinates will only think that you are kind-hearted, but forget your powerful methods."

Grandmother Jia was immediately choked by the two of them and was speechless.

Jia She waited for a moment, then bowed and said, "Madam, please make the decision on how to deal with this family."

"I have no idea," said Grandmother Jia angrily. Glancing at Lady Wang, she could not help but grumble, "Now that you have inherited the title, you will be the one who makes the decisions in this family. I think you can handle this matter as you see fit."

Jia She raised his eyebrows and was immediately delighted.

Mrs. Wang frowned slightly, but she knew that Lady Jia was instigating.

Jia She said, "Since mother has said so, let us send the chief criminals to the authorities for trial, and send the rest, the old and weak, to the farm to be held under guard."

Grandmother Jia snorted coldly, then suddenly said, "Master, let me ask you, now that the Wu brothers are gone, who will look after the farm outside the pass?"

Jia She smiled and said, "Mother, earlier, Brother Yuan proposed a plan called the work-point system, and now Brother Yun has already implemented it on the farms. Mother, you don't know that once this idea came out, everyone, from the managers to the servants and tenants, cheered and rejoiced, saying it was a fair plan. Brother Yun sent a letter saying that three farms have already changed to the work-point system and re-elected village heads. In a month or so, the remaining farms will also be settled."

Brother Yuan...Brother Yun...

Grandmother Jia gnashed her teeth in hatred and thought to herself that it was Chen Siyuan who was at fault again. Even if she couldn't find Jia She this time, she would not be able to escape the blame if something happened in the farm outside the Great Wall in the future!
With Chen Siyuan's plan, Jia's mother couldn't find any mistakes in Jia She's life, so her mood was greatly ruined!
Grandmother Jia then said, "As long as there's no trouble, it's good. I'm tired too, so I'll leave this matter to the eldest master. Let's all go!"

After saying this, he helped Yuanyang up, stood up and walked towards the western end of the room.

Jia She was very proud of himself. He patted Jia Zhen on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Brother Zhen, you have got an advantage. I must treat you to a drink later."

Jia Zhen laughed heartily and said, "My nephew will have a banquet in the next two days. Uncle She and Brother Yuan should come. We won't go home until we are drunk!"

Mrs. Wang was secretly pleased and stood up to look for Sister Feng, but when she looked up, she saw Sister Feng hurried out. After a moment's thought, she thought Sister Feng must have gone to talk to Jia Lian.

Mrs. Wang breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't gotten any benefit this time, but the biggest benefit was saving the old lady's face. If this happened two or three more times, her nominal position as head of the household would become real.

Stepping out of Rongqing Hall, the sky was bright and the spring breeze was gentle. Mrs. Wang took a deep breath and felt her heart suddenly brighten up.

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(End of this chapter)