Being a second wife is difficult

August is just around the corner, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching.

The Imperial College has holidays during festivals, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is no exception. Lu Huaiyu returned from the capital a couple of days ago.

As the carriage entered the alley, it was getting dark. Madam Fang was sitting inside and didn't get up when she heard the noise. Only after he entered did she look up at him and ask, "You're back?"

Lu Huaiyu put down his book and responded.

He was a tribute student of the Imperial Academy, selected as a scholar who had passed the county-level imperial examinations. He studied the classics and policy essays, and had a fixed number of monthly holidays, as well as holidays during festivals.

Dong Sinian was different; he entered the Imperial College's Junior Class.

The so-called "gifted youth class" was a pathway set up by the Imperial Academy for young sons of prominent families. They could enter and listen to lectures without having to pass the imperial examinations, but they were not considered formal students. All of them were called "Imperial Academy Students." Only after passing the school examinations could they be enrolled in the regular class and called "tribute students."

After Dong Sinian went to Beijing to report for duty that day, he entered the gifted youth class. His friend Zhou Yanzhi was the same; his family either had a noble title or a privileged background, which enabled him to take this path.

As for Lu Huaiyu, he passed the imperial examination at the county level and was selected to enter the government because of his excellent performance.

Dong Sinian did not come back to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with them. He wrote several letters a few days ago, one to the old lady, one to Jiang Wan, and several others specifically for the children.

Lu Wan opened the letter and showed it to Jiang Wan. The letter said that everything was fine on his end, that the teacher was truly learned and spoke very well, but that there was a strict monthly examination.

In his letter, he greeted everyone in the manor, asked Wan'er if she had any fun things to do recently, asked Zhao'er if she had finished reading the annotated edition, and asked how Hui'er's carpentry was going.

After hearing the letter, Lu Wan asked, "When will Brother Si Nian come over again?" Jiang Wan replied, "The capital is far away, and he has a lot of studies to do there." Lu Wan said "Oh" and shrank back, but after a while, she leaned on the edge of the table and asked, "Will he come here to spend the New Year with us?"

Lu Zhao also received a letter from Dong Sinian, who sent him a separate letter.

The letter asked him what books he was reading recently, and then talked about his experiences auditing classes at the Imperial College. At the end, he also attached two pages of his notes, saying, "This teacher speaks concisely. If you find it interesting, please write back and let me know."

Lu Zhao flipped through those two pages of notes several times, and the next day he laid out paper and wrote a reply, asking several questions. Dong Sinian's reply arrived half a month later, and it was longer than the first one, answering each question one by one.

Even when Lu Zhao asked, "How do the teachers in the auditing class compare to Mr. Chen?", he replied seriously, "They each have their strengths and weaknesses."

Jiang Wan saw this but didn't say anything.

The news about Lu Huaijin that came back from the capital last time has gradually had some updates these days.

The old lady wrote a letter to Lu Huaijin in private, and Jiang Wan also wrote one, with more detailed wording than the old lady's. She asked him how he was doing in office, whether there was any movement from the Ministry of Personnel, and also talked about some interesting things about the children and the academic progress of the two brothers, Lu Zhao and Lu Hui.

Lu Huaijin sent his replies separately. The letter to the old lady said, "There is nothing seriously wrong, but I have been under some pressure in my performance evaluation."

The letter to Jiang Wan was longer and contained more detailed explanations, as if to reassure her that she didn't need to worry. The letter said, "Things in the court have always been like this, so there's no need to worry too much." At the end, it inquired about Wan'er and Zhao'er's health and asked, "Is Hui-ge'er keeping up with his studies lately?" Finally, it said, "If you have time during the Mid-Autumn Festival, please come back."

After reading the letter, Jiang Wan put it into her dressing case without mentioning it to anyone else, but she kept it to herself.

The list of Mid-Autumn Festival gifts was sent over by Granny Gui on behalf of the old lady.

When Granny Gui arrived, she added, "The old lady said that the list of gifts for this year's festival will be decided by Madam, following the old custom of visiting each other's homes. Madam can decide as she sees fit."

Jiang Wan picked up the conversation and responded.

She knew this was a signal that the old lady was relinquishing power; organizing the banquet was a matter for the household, but submitting the list of gifts for festivals was a more respectable way to present it to outsiders.

The list clearly outlines which family should send what, how much of a gift to send, and whether the amount has increased or decreased compared to previous years. Anyone can easily tell who is in charge of the Earl's household at a glance.

She didn't rush to make a decision, but instead went to Songhetang to ask the old lady first.

The old lady was leaning back in her chair, drinking tea. After listening to her, she didn't say much, only saying, "Just follow last year's example. You can decide for yourself whether to add or subtract anything."

After Jiang Wan left, she asked Qing He to go to the warehouse and get an old list from last year. She also asked her to send someone to inquire whether there had been any changes in the various companies this year.

Qinghe spent the whole afternoon running around and came back to tell me about a few important things.

The Lin family's matriarch is celebrating her 70th birthday this year, and the gifts will be 30% more generous than last year; the Wang family had a new grandson last year, and they will be adding a gift for the child this Mid-Autumn Festival; the Zhang family, on the other hand, is doing as usual, just following the old customs.

Jiang Wan spent the whole night under the lamp drafting a list. She had a general idea of ​​the gifts from previous years, and added a few that had changed this year. She clearly marked the quantities and items, and added small notes in red ink in several places.

After she finished drafting it, she looked at it again, crossed out a place that was added too heavily, and replaced it with something more suitable.

Fang arrived early the next morning, presumably having heard the news that the old lady had relinquished power.

She didn't ask anyone to announce her arrival; she simply lifted the curtain and came in, carrying a plate of newly made mooncakes. She placed it on the table with a smile: "Are you busy, sister-in-law? I made a few mooncakes and thought I'd bring them over for you to try. This year's filling is a bit lighter than in previous years."

Jiang Wan put down her pen, accepted the mooncake, and thanked them.

Fang's gaze swept across the table and landed on the list of holiday gifts next to Jiang Wan: "Sister-in-law, are you drafting holiday gifts?"

"The old lady asked me to draft a rough outline first."

Fang said "Oh," took two steps forward, and casually mentioned, "Sister-in-law, you haven't been here long, so you're probably not familiar with the ways of each family yet."

"Old Mrs. Lin is usually the most picky about gifts, but the Wang family is much easier to talk to. The Zhang family doesn't visit our household much, so it doesn't matter whether the gift is light or heavy."

She chuckled again as she spoke, "But my sister-in-law is young, she'll get the hang of it eventually."

Jiang Wan didn't reply, but pushed the form towards Fang Shi: "Sister-in-law, you have experience, take a look and see if there's anything inappropriate."

Fang glanced down at the form, her smile unchanged, but her gaze lingered on a few vermilion notes before moving away.

She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, you're quick on your feet, much more efficient than when the late Madam was drafting the lists."

As soon as she said it, she seemed to realize her slip of the tongue, paused in her teacup, and quickly glanced at Jiang Wan.

Jiang Wan remained calm, slowly setting down her teacup and replying unhurriedly, "Sister-in-law, you jest. I'm just following the old custom. When my late mother first married into the family, the arrangements with each household were still undecided, and there were many variables. It's understandable that the process was slower."

"Nowadays, I know these families well, and they have all the usual practices written down. I'm just copying them down. I really don't deserve the title of 'efficient'."

Fang hadn't expected her to so deftly deflect the issue, subtly alluding to the late Madam's past difficulties, making it seem as if her earlier remark had been somewhat provocative.

Her smile froze slightly, then she picked up the teacup again, took a sip, and said awkwardly, "Look at my mouth, I just blurt things out. Please don't take offense, sister-in-law."

He took another sip of tea, swallowed it, and then changed the subject, starting to chat with Jiang Wan about family matters.

The two chatted for about half a cup of tea's time, then Fang made an excuse to get up and take her leave.

She walked at a moderate pace, but paused at the door as if thinking about something, before continuing to walk out.

Jiang Wan watched her retreating figure, picked up her teacup and took a sip. It was obvious that Madam Fang had come today to test her, to see if she dared to break the old rules, and to see if she could find fault with her.

But she wasn't the type to let anyone find a weakness. She had considered the word "cautious" countless times. She made the decisions she needed to make and the principles she needed to uphold. She didn't deliberately hide her strength, but she left room for maneuver in every situation.

After Fang returns home, she will likely be angry for a while.

Thinking of this, she sighed softly.

We'll probably have to be even more careful from now on.

It was certainly a good thing that her mother-in-law delegated power to her, but in the three years since the late Madam passed away, the household affairs had been scattered in various places and had passed through the hands of countless people.

Although her mother-in-law has only given her the Mid-Autumn Festival gift list to practice with, she knows in her heart that this is just the beginning, and that she will be given the gifts one by one in the future.

Putting everything else aside, just consider those who usually get their hands on the profits and manage the income; which one of them doesn't feel a sense of crisis? Things might not be easy to handle going forward.

In the afternoon, Aunt Zhou, along with Aunt Liu and Concubine Zhao, came to offer their congratulations.

All three had prepared a generous gift and bowed to each other upon entering.

Jiang Wan hurriedly smiled and told them to get up, then invited the maid to offer them seats and tea, saying a few polite words such as, "Why did you bring gifts? You're being too formal."

Aunt Zhou, her face beaming with smiles, spoke first: "We've all heard that Madam has taken on the task of preparing the Mid-Autumn Festival gift list this time. This is the first time she's done so."

"Madam, you may not know this, but in our household, preparing gifts and accepting orders is the most respectable thing. There are many intricacies involved. It allows you to get along with other households while also keeping a firm grasp on the proper etiquette in social interactions."

"In the end, this is what the matriarch should hold in her hands. Since the lady has received this for the first time, everything will naturally go smoothly from now on."

Aunt Liu and Concubine Zhao chimed in, "Sister Zhou is right!" "Madam is overjoyed!"

Jiang Wan smiled and said a few words like, "It's just my mother-in-law giving me some practice, how could I deserve such a big celebration?" She then instructed the maid to put all the gifts brought by the three of them into the storeroom and carefully record them.

Then he invited the group to sit down again.

Aunt Zhou spoke first: "Madam is busy with the festival gifts, so we came to see if there's anything we can do to help."

Jiang Wan smiled and waved her hand: "You're so kind. It's just a matter of drafting a list. I can manage it. It's too much trouble for you to make this special trip."

As Aunt Zhou spoke, she picked up her teacup, took a sip, and added, "With Madam in charge, we servants feel at ease."

Aunt Liu chimed in from the side, "Last time, Madam gave Shan'er those calligraphy practice sheets, and she's already copied several pages. She can sit still a bit longer than before."

Zhao Tongfang didn't speak, but nodded twice.

Jiang Wan invited them to stay for another cup of tea, during which Aunt Zhou mentioned Lu Hui's carpentry work.

They said that the child now carves something for a while every day after school. Although he still can't keep up with his studies, he's willing to sit down and write.

Aunt Liu chimed in, saying that Lu Shan had learned to write her own name, but she wouldn't stop even if she wrote it crookedly, and wouldn't stop until she wrote it straight. Concubine Zhao listened from the side, the corners of her mouth curving slightly, but she didn't say anything.

They sat for a while longer before getting up and leaving. When Aunt Zhou reached the courtyard gate, she turned back and glanced at Jiang Wan. That glance was different from before; it wasn't a test or a polite gesture. It seemed to carry genuine feelings, no longer the superficial formalities of the past.

In the evening, Qiu Tang brought in several account books and placed them on the table: "Madam, Steward Wang Fu sent these over. The old lady instructed that these are the accounts for the past three months, and asked you to take a look and see if there is anything amiss."

Jiang Wan glanced at the booklets and her heart stirred slightly.

My mother-in-law had just asked me to draft a list of holiday gifts when she sent over the account books as well. Although she said she was just "taking a look," the meaning was crystal clear.

Jiang Wan waited until Qiu Tang left before opening the first ledger. The paper was a little soft, and she stopped after flipping through a few pages.

Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns, forty taels.

When she was preparing the gift, she inquired about the market price and found that ordinary lanterns could not sell for such a price. The figure on the books was almost three times the market price.

She flipped through a few more pages and found that the price of the silk was 20% higher than what she had inquired about in the market, and the price of the charcoal was 40% higher than last year.

She closed the ledger, her brows furrowing slightly, and didn't turn the page any further.

When Qinghe brought in the tea, she saw that Madam was sitting at the table without moving, so she asked, "Madam, is there a problem with the account books?"

Jiang Wan put the account book back on the table and sighed, "The accounts in this mansion are even more chaotic than I thought... I thought I could sort them out, but now that I've seen them, I'm not so sure."

Qinghe was also a little worried after hearing this. She comforted Jiang Wan for a few words and then quietly withdrew. She placed the teacup on the table, and the porcelain bottom tapped on the wooden surface with a soft, crisp sound. The room then fell completely silent.

Jiang Wan put the account books into the cabinet and tapped the table lightly with her fingertips.

The individual figures on these accounts may not seem large, but when put together they are astonishing, with nearly three hundred taels of silver unaccounted for.

Jiang Wan realized that someone had been tampering with the accounts day after day, like ants carrying grains of rice, gradually shifting away the money that should have been there over the years, until today they finally delivered the account book to her.

She only looked at three months' worth of accounts; the actual amount embezzled was probably much more.

She reached out and picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and the orchid on the windowsill swayed gently in the breeze.

Does my mother-in-law really not know these things?

Or perhaps the mother-in-law already knew what was going on, but was just too embarrassed to say it herself, so she sent the account book under the pretext of "letting her see it," hoping that the mother-in-law would be the one to break the ice.

As her thoughts returned, Jiang Wan paused, holding the teacup.

Regardless of her mother-in-law's intentions, the hole in the accounts was there for all to see. Such a large sum of money had disappeared without a trace. Since she had seen it, she couldn't pretend she hadn't. She had to mention it to her mother-in-law.

In the east courtyard, Fang had just broken a teacup, and shards splashed onto the side of the table. Lu Huaiyu happened to push the door open from the outside and stepped on a piece of broken porcelain, making a crisp sound.

He looked down at it, then looked up again: "Why did you smash the teacup?"

Fang turned to look at him, her voice low: "The old lady gave her the account books; the accounts for the past three months are all in her hands."

Lu Huaiyu stood by the door without moving: "What's wrong with giving her the account books? The old lady will let go sooner or later."

"Do you know what it means for her to get the ledgers?!"

Fang's voice rose for a moment and then fell back down, "When the late Madam Gu was alive, the old lady handed over most of the management of the household to her."

"After Mrs. Gu left, the power to handle those matters was passed down to me, and I was only given minor duties. Now, less than a year after Jiang entered the family, the old lady has already given her the authority to handle the external affairs of the festival gifts. That's a matter of saving face for the outside world."

"Do you know how long Mrs. Gu waited to get this? Almost three years!"

Lu Huaiyu stood there without saying a word. He was a man who read a lot, but spoke slowly, as if he had to think every word through in his mind before he would say it.

The more he acted like this, the angrier Fang became. Looking at his sullen expression as he stood by the door, she suddenly felt a tightness in her chest.

"All you do is study all day long, you've become a bookworm. Your older brother may be a blockhead too, but at least he can be an official and still earn respect for your sister-in-law."

"And you? Just go back to reading your wooden books. You don't bother with anything about the affairs of the manor, and you don't know anything even if I ask. You're just leaving me here to worry about you."

She paused, then gestured with her chin toward the curtain of the outer study. "You'll sleep in the study tonight. Go and read your books! Don't come into my room; it'll only attract your attention."

Lu Huaiyu remained in a daze, not arguing. He turned and went out the door, his footsteps echoing a few times before fading away.

Fang stood alone in the room, glancing down at the mess on the floor. Slowly calming down, she whispered to herself, "Even the smallest rights, I cannot let anyone take them away."

Her face was reflected in the bronze mirror. The candlelight flickered on the mirror's surface for a moment, then settled down.

The lights were still on at Songhe Hall.

The old lady leaned against the pillow, and Granny Gui was placing the list of holiday gifts that Jiang Wan had sent in front of her.

The old lady put on her glasses, looked at it once, then looked at it again, and then took them off and placed them on the table: "The revisions are good, the sense of proportion is just right, and they are not excessive compared to the additions in previous years."

Granny Gui stood to the side without saying a word.

The old lady placed her glasses next to the sheet and closed her eyes for a while: "After the late Madam Gu passed away, the affairs of the mansion returned to my hands, and there has been no peace in these years."

"Madam Fang is always scheming and bickering. If you give her a little, she wants more, and the household is in complete chaos. It would be better to relinquish power sooner rather than later and put an end to her ambitions."

As she spoke, she opened her eyes and looked out the window. The night was already deep, and a crescent moon hung from the eaves.

She looked for a while and then looked away, her voice low: "Whether she's in pain or not doesn't matter. As long as things don't get chaotic in the manor, anything is fine."

A night breeze slipped in through the cracks in the window, causing the lamp wick to flicker briefly before settling back down.

Seeing that the old lady was getting sleepy, Granny Gui quietly got up and closed the half-window.

He turned around and tucked the blanket around the old lady, then stood by and watched for a while. Seeing that her breathing was gradually becoming even and deep, he quietly withdrew.

The lamplight flickered on the wall for a moment, then gradually came to a standstill.