Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

After seeing Grandmother Jia and the others off at the city gate, Jia Lian led Zhang Yong and the others back.

With no one else in Ningguo Mansion, only Madam You and Madam Qin are capable of managing the household, but they are not well-suited to house people from outside.

Therefore, Jia Lian wanted to stay and help. Even Wang Xifeng had no objection to this. Not to mention that Jia Lian was the acting clan head, which was his duty, just consider the last time when You Shi and her daughter-in-law helped with Jia She's funeral arrangements.

Instead of turning back, they took a side road and went to Muni Monastery.

Miaoyu was also one of his women, and as one of the Twelve Beauties in the official register, she held a high position in Jia Lian's heart.

I was about to embark on a long journey, so naturally I had to give her some instructions.

By the time they returned to the Iron Threshold Temple, it was already dusk.

As soon as I entered the temple, I saw that it was in a mess. On the east side of the well, there were a few young men with their sleeves rolled up, cursing.

Seeing Jia Lian's displeased expression, Zhao Sheng immediately strode over and shouted, "Who are you brats, making such a racket here?!"

Those young men were not dressed in the standard blue robes of the Ning and Rong mansions, so they were obviously servants from the concubines' quarters.

Upon seeing Jia Lian approach, they all looked flustered and dared not answer.

A servant from the Yining Mansion replied aggrievedly, "Second Master, these are servants from the Third and Fourth Branches of the family. Because the masters needed water for washing their feet, and the well here has dried up, they're taking their anger out on us..."

Before Jia Lian could speak, Lai Sheng, the head steward of the Ning Mansion, rushed over and explained the situation.

Originally, there were only two wells in the Iron Threshold Temple. One in the front courtyard and one in the back courtyard.

It is usually only used by a small number of monks in the temple, which is sufficient.

However, there are too many people here today, and there are not enough to go around, so Madam You had already ordered that the women of the inner courtyard should use them first.

As a result, the remaining water outside is only enough for the gentlemen to receive a small share; the servants, monks, and Taoist priests have no water to use.

The families who came to cause trouble had actually sent people to fetch water, but the masters complained that it wasn't enough and ordered their servants to fetch more, which led to the conflict.

Several servants from the side rooms hurriedly explained, "Second Master, you don't know, it's so hot. After a whole day of running around, the masters are all covered in sweat. Besides washing their feet, they need to fetch some water to wipe themselves off. But these damned servants are guarding the well and won't let us draw water."

We're definitely going to get scolded this time, so..."

"So, you're just making a scene in this courtyard?"

Jia Lian frowned and looked at them coldly.

Jia Lian knew perfectly well that when Jia She died last time, the number of people who came to the family temple was nearly twice as many as today.

When he was in charge of the overall situation, this didn't happen!

Why?

One reason is that it was early spring, and the weather was cool.

But more importantly, those people simply didn't dare to cause trouble.

Because at the time, he did the same, prioritizing the water for the women and children inside, while the servants and maids, after only a couple of days, were not allowed to get dirty. And no one raised any objections.

The reason this has happened today is simply because everyone sees that the Ningguo Mansion is in decline, Jia Jing is not in charge, and only the two women, You Shi and Qin Shi, are in charge of these matters, so they dare to cause trouble.

If someone controls interests without being powerful, there will always be people who will resent it.

Seeing that the servants dared not argue any further, Jia Lian didn't waste any more words with them. Instead, he questioned Lai Sheng: "Since there wasn't enough water, why didn't you send someone down the mountain to fetch some beforehand? Knowing they were making a scene here, why didn't you stop them? What kind of behavior is this, letting them cause trouble outside the mourning hall?"

Lai Sheng hurriedly said, "This servant knows his mistake, and will immediately send someone down the mountain to fetch water..."

As he spoke, Lai Sheng immediately gathered his men to prepare to fetch water.

"You guys are coming too!"

Jia Lian looked at the servants in the side rooms. Their expressions changed, clearly showing their reluctance, but seeing Jia Lian's stern look, they dared not say anything, shrank back, and hurriedly followed.

"These past two days, there have been many people and a lot of gossip at the ancestral temple, so it's inevitable that some things won't go as planned."

As the steward, you should do your best to help your grandmother handle these problems properly, instead of just standing by and watching them cause trouble.

You two brothers have been appointed as stewards in your respective residences, which is a testament to the family's trust and high regard for you.

If you do not know how to share the Lord's burdens, then what use are you?

"This servant knows his mistake and thanks you for your guidance, Second Master. From now on, this servant will serve you more diligently and will never dare to let such a situation happen again..."

Lai Sheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and finally understood why his elder brother had been complaining for the past six months that working under Master Lian had become increasingly terrifying.

Jia Lian then asked Lai Sheng where Jia Jing was. Upon learning that Jia Jing was cultivating under the guidance of the Three Pure Ones, even Jia Lian couldn't help but feel depressed.

Well, he really is someone who has transcended the cycle of reincarnation. He can still cultivate his mind and practice Taoism even next to the mourning hall of his son and grandson!

So he ignored him and took care of the few things that hadn't been sorted out outside before going back inside to rest.

"Why is Second Master taking so long to get back? We've reheated the food twice, but it's still cold..."

Qingwen and Xiangling were drowsy in the room, but when they heard Jia Lian return, they immediately perked up.

Xiangling suggested that she reheat it, but Jia Lian waved her hand to stop her. In this hot weather, it wouldn't be a problem to eat something cold, let alone something just warm.

Have you eaten yet?

"Hehe, I've already eaten. I must say, the vegetarian food these monks made was quite delicious."

Qingwen pursed her lips and gave a thumbs-up to the monk's cooking skills.

While eating and chatting with his two pretty maids, he suddenly saw Madam You arrive.

Tomorrow, Jia Zhen and his son will be buried. You Shi still needs to confirm the details of the burial site and tombstone with Jia Lian.

However, Lady You was very considerate. She simply sat to the side and chatted for a few minutes before getting down to business with Jia Lian after he finished eating.

As they were talking, Jia Lian noticed that Madam You yawned. Although she quickly covered it up, he still said, "I suppose you haven't had a rest for two days. Now that things have calmed down, you should go back and rest. I'll take care of things outside. Don't overwork yourself."

Jia Lian spoke in a normal tone, because he was in front of the maids and servants around Lady You.

But Madam You suddenly laughed, "I heard Second Uncle was angry and scolded Lai Sheng upstairs?"

"I'm not angry, it's just a small thing."

Lady You had already found out the truth. Others thought Jia Lian was using Lai Sheng to establish his authority, but only Lady You knew that Jia Lian was helping her solve her problem.

Although it was a small matter, if the servants were allowed to continue making a fuss, rumors would inevitably spread within the family that she was incompetent and lacked ability.

That would have a negative impact on her future leadership of the Ningguo Mansion.

Hearing Jia Lian inquire about her health again, she was overjoyed, feeling as if her life had entered a second spring.

At that moment, she even thought that even if she died for the man in front of her in the future, it would be worth it.

Overwhelmed with emotion, they couldn't help but smile knowingly at Jia Lian in front of the servants.

"Thank you for your concern, Second Uncle. I took a nap this afternoon, and I'm fine," Madam You said with a smile.

"It's been less than half an incense stick's time... From yesterday morning until now, the eldest madam has only dozed off for such a short while."

Lady You didn't want to trouble Jia Lian, but Yin Die immediately betrayed him.

Putting aside how good the eldest mistress was to her, giving her a share of all the men, from the perspective of other interests, only if Madam You prospered could the future positions of these elders around Madam You be guaranteed.

She had no choice before, but now that the Second Master was offering to help the First Madam with the affairs of the household, she was unwilling to watch Madam You abuse her body.

Jia Lian's expression also darkened. "Even if my sister-in-law doesn't think about herself, she should think about the child in her belly."

Silver Butterfly and Fried Beans, take your great-grandmother back to rest.

Then Silver Butterfly came to see me and told me about what your great-grandmother had done.”

"Yes," the two maids replied in unison.

Silver Butterfly's eyes lit up; unexpectedly, there was another pleasant surprise.

Does the Second Master's statement mean he wants to teach someone new moves...?