Being a second wife is difficult

In the afternoon, Zhao Tongfang arrived.

She came to return the embroidery pattern. She had borrowed a pattern from Jiang Wan a few days ago, and now that she had finished embroidering it, she brought it over to show Jiang Wan.

Today she wore a plain blue old jacket with frayed cuffs, revealing her thin wrists with bluish veins faintly visible beneath her skin.

Jiang Wan took the handkerchief and looked at it closely.

The handkerchief has fine and even stitches, and a few red plum blossoms slowly bloom on the snow-white surface. The white background is like the first snow of winter, and the contrast between red and white is quite poetic.

As Jiang Wan looked at it, she sincerely praised the chef's skills in her heart.

When her gaze shifted from the handkerchief to Zhao Tongfang, she suddenly paused.

She had seen that plain blue jacket before. If she remembered correctly, it was the same jacket that Zhao Tongfang wore when she brought the embroidery last time. The frayed edges on the cuffs were longer than last time, as if it had been washed a few more times.

Even if a concubine's monthly allowance is very small, she should not have only one set of clothes to wear.

Jiang Wan's heart stirred, and she thought of Granny Ding again.

Granny Ding was in charge of both personnel transfers and the distribution of monthly allowances to each household and courtyard.

She suppressed her thoughts, placed the handkerchief on the table, and first praised it with a smile: "Your embroidery skills have improved. The plum blossoms are so naturally rendered, as if they really leap off the handkerchief."

Hearing her praise, Zhao Tongfang smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it, Madam. I borrowed your pattern last time and spent a long time figuring it out before I figured out this dyeing method."

Jiang Wan nodded, then looked at it again, as if casually chatting about family matters: "I am currently handling matters related to the purchase of money for the household, and I think the allowances for each household need to be reviewed again."

"Speaking of which, I forgot to ask you, how much is Aunt Zhao's monthly allowance?"

When Zhao Tongfang was asked this question, her smile froze for a moment, and she lowered her head without answering immediately.

Jiang Wan didn't urge her, but picked up the handkerchief again and looked at it, as if waiting for her to speak.

After a while, Zhao Tongfang answered softly, "According to the rules for concubines, it should have been one tael of silver..."

She paused here, her voice growing softer. Jiang Wan glanced at her and asked gently, "And what about the actual amount?"

Zhao Tongfang finally seemed to have mustered some courage, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible: "The actual amount is one hundred and sixty coins..."

"When I went to collect them last time, the maid who handled them said there were no more left, and that the master had long forgotten me, and there was no one in the courtyard to help me. It was good enough that I had these."

One hundred and sixty coins.

Jiang Wan did a mental calculation. The monthly allowance for a concubine was one tael of silver. This rule had been in place in the mansion for many years and had never changed.

Even if a concubine wasn't considered very influential in the household, this tael of silver was a fixed amount and shouldn't be less than what was expected. However, Zhao's concubine actually only received 160 coins, which was even less than the maids who did odd jobs in the backyard.

She served as Lu Huaijin's concubine for so many years, yet in the end, she was not even as good as a handyman.

She glanced again at the frayed edges of Zhao Tongfang's cuffs and the faded fabric, and she understood what was going on.

As if sensing her gaze, Zhao Tongfang glanced up and secretly looked at Jiang Wan's face. Seeing that her expression darkened, she hurriedly lowered her head again, twisting her handkerchief with her fingers, and tried to find a way to make amends.

"I think the monthly allowance is not a big deal... even if the money is less, we can still get by if we are frugal."

"One hundred and sixty coins?" Qinghe, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but chime in, "Even a concubine's allowance is higher than this, right? This is about the same as a lowly maid."

Jiang Wan glanced at Qing He, her tone gentle but her eyes conveying a hint of disapproval: "You talk too much."

He then turned to Zhao Tongfang, his voice softening, "This girl is quick-tongued, please don't take offense."

Zhao Tongfang waved her hands repeatedly and hurriedly said, "Madam, you are too kind. Qinghe was just feeling indignant on my behalf. I understand, so I won't take offense."

As she spoke, she lowered her head again, loosened the twisted handkerchief, and gently folded it flat on her lap.

Jiang Wan looked at her for a moment, letting go of her earlier words, before speaking: "You have served the master for so many years, you have certainly worked hard even if you haven't made any great contributions. As for this monthly allowance, the manor has been unfair to you."

As she spoke, she turned to Qinghe and said, "Tomorrow, go to the accounting office and tell them that starting next month, Zhao Tongfang's monthly allowance will be the same as the concubine's. This month's difference will also be made up, not a single penny less."

Zhao Tongfang suddenly raised her head, her eyes slightly red, her lips moved, and her voice was hoarse: "Madam... isn't this inappropriate? What about Granny Ding...?"

"I'll talk to Granny Ding." Jiang Wan's tone was steady, leaving no room for negotiation. "You've served the master for so many years. Being a concubine is the rule, but your monthly allowance can't be shortchanged. Just go back and wait."

Zhao Tongfang stood there blankly for a while, as if she hadn't expected someone to stand up for her and make this decision.

She took half a step back and bowed deeply.

Jiang Wan had Qinghe see Zhao Tongfang off, then her gaze returned to the plum blossom handkerchief on the table.

She stared at the few red plum blossoms for a while, then made up her mind. She could use the monthly allowance to put pressure on Granny Ding.

Without delay, she immediately sent someone to invite Granny Ding over to talk.

After seeing Zhao Tongfang off, Qinghe returned with tea and asked, "What does Madam plan to say to Granny Ding?"

"We'll see when the time comes." Jiang Wan picked up her teacup and took a sip. "She's been in charge of personnel for all these years, and she's managed to reduce the concubines' allowances to this amount. She should know better than me whether this is reasonable or not."

About half an hour later, Granny Ding lifted the curtain and came in. She had a smile on her face when she entered, but her eyes first swept around the room, as if she was weighing what kind of situation had summoned her today.

When her gaze fell upon the unpleasant somber expression on Jiang Wan's face, she paused slightly, then put on a smile and stepped forward to give a bow.

"Greetings, Madam. This old servant was busy checking this month's roster when I heard you summoned me, so I rushed here as fast as I could. You don't look too well, is there something important?"

Jiang Wan didn't rush to speak. She put the embroidery needle back on the edge of the basket, straightened the thread, and then looked up at Granny Ding.

"Granny Ding, please have a seat."

Ding Mama sat down as instructed, a smile still on her lips, but her body was tense, only touching half of the chair, as if she were ready to stand up and speak at any moment; her nervousness was impossible to hide.

"What rules govern the monthly allowance for concubines?"

Granny Ding seemed surprised that she asked this question right away. Her smile didn't fade, but her tone softened a bit.

"Madam, are you referring to Concubine Zhao? This old servant was just about to report to you. Concubines in our household have never been considered proper mistresses; their allowances have always been handled this way..."

"In previous years?" Jiang Wan interrupted her, "The allowance for a concubine is 160 coins, the same as for a low-ranking maid—does the nanny think this is the old practice from previous years, or is it your own decision?"

The smile on Granny Ding's face slowly faded, as if she hadn't expected her to ask so directly.

"Madam, we are just following the rules..." Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Wan interrupted her.

"Rules are made by people."

"Since the nanny says that's the amount for a concubine, I'll have to go ask the old lady. The concubines in the manor have served the master for years, and their monthly allowance is less than that of the maids who do odd jobs in the backyard. Is the Earl's manor really that poor?"

"What do you think the old lady will say after hearing this, Granny?"

Granny Ding sat there without moving, a faint smile still lingering on her lips, though it was already weak.

Jiang Wan didn't rush her to answer. She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and casually added, "By the way, I've been carefully looking at the flower-viewing roster in the manor these past few days, and I've noticed something else. Some of the maids' assignments seem a bit irregular."

"Several maids were transferred around. According to the rules of the manor, a maid is assigned to a courtyard and stays there; they are not easily moved."

"Unless they've done something wrong, or someone specifically asked for them, these maids keep changing places every few days. They haven't done anything wrong, nor have they caught the eye of any particular household. I don't really understand it. The matron in charge of personnel should know the situation."

She spoke lightly, as if it were casual conversation, but Granny Ding's back visibly stiffened, and the smile on her lips vanished completely.

Jiang Wan also noticed a very fine layer of sweat on her forehead, which glistened slightly in the sunlight.

"Madam..." Ding Mama's voice was dry as she spoke, "This old servant does know about those maids. The jobs they were originally assigned were tough, and they begged this old servant to let them change jobs."

"I was too soft-hearted for a moment. I thought they were all doing the same work, so I should help them out. That was not in accordance with the rules. I know I was wrong. Please punish me, Madam."

She spoke earnestly, even lowering her head slightly, as if admitting her mistake and accepting punishment.

Jiang Wan didn't rush to reply. She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and sneered inwardly.

She'd seen this trick many times before: first, lower your stance, smooth things over, and portray yourself as someone who was momentarily soft-hearted and couldn't bear to see others suffer, so that she, as the master, wouldn't feel comfortable pursuing the matter further.

Ultimately, it's just a strategic retreat.

In fact, she had never looked through any roster, nor did she know how the maids in the mansion were specifically transferred.

When I was chatting with Granny Gui about Granny Ding this morning, the look on Granny Gui's face when she mentioned "how she ended up like this" made me remember it.

It's likely that the older women, having worked with Granny Ding for many years and spent so much time together, would know Granny Ding's background better than she, a newlywed.

Granny Ding had been deeply involved in this household for a long time, with her hands reaching into many places and her eyes and ears wide. But everything she did left a trace, and her unconventional actions probably couldn't escape the eyes of the other nannies.

In addition, Granny Ding was in charge of monthly allowances and personnel changes, and she had already been questioned about the monthly allowances earlier.

We've roughly figured out the part related to monthly expenses; the only thing left to explore is personnel transfers.

She casually brought up the matter of "the maids being transferred around" to try and trick Ding Mama into giving her a piece of her mind, to see how she would react.

Furthermore, she was betting that Granny Ding wouldn't be able to figure out her true abilities.

Everyone in the mansion knew that the old lady had sent the mansion's account books for the past three months to her room, but Ding Mama was unsure what other authority the old lady had given her or what she was still holding.

This test, as expected, elicited a response.

Although Granny Ding's explanation was smooth and sounded like an admission of wrongdoing, the more she tried to smooth things over, the more it showed that there was something underneath that she didn't want anyone to touch.

However, Jiang Wan also knew that now was not the time to delve into the matter. Today's actions had already alerted the snake, and if she continued to ask, Granny Ding would only keep quiet even more. It was better to put it aside for now and wait until she had figured out the situation before proceeding.

She didn't say anything more, but just glanced at Granny Ding. It wasn't a strong glance, but Granny Ding seemed to have been stung by something, and when she spoke again, she had already let go of the topic of the monthly allowance for the concubine.

"What Madam says is true... I will change the monthly allowance for the concubine as soon as I get back. Zhao's allowance will be the same as that of the concubine, and the difference this month will be made up. I will personally oversee the process."

Jiang Wan hummed in agreement, said nothing more, picked up her teacup, and took another sip.

Granny Ding stood up, bowed, and turned to leave. She paused at the door without turning back, and said in a low voice, "Don't worry, Madam. We've made up for what needs to be made up and corrected what needs to be corrected. There won't be any more oversights in this area from now on."

She paused, then added, "Please don't bother the old lady with such trivial matters, Madam. I will definitely keep my servants in check and ensure they act according to the rules in the future, so that such mistakes will not happen again."

Jiang Wan raised the corners of her mouth, her tone more relaxed than before: "Don't worry, Granny, I naturally won't bother the old lady with such a small matter. But as you know, today is the concubine's allowance, and tomorrow it might be someone else's courtyard."

"Granny, you still need to keep a close eye on the servants. Don't let those careless maids and servants do things recklessly. If things get out of hand with the old lady, you'll be the one who suffers."

After listening with her eyes down, Granny Ding turned around, bowed to Jiang Wan again, and then lifted the curtain to leave.

The curtain fell, and Granny Ding's figure gradually disappeared into the distance.

Once the footsteps were completely out of earshot, Jiang Wan's smile slowly faded. She put down her teacup and tapped her fingertips lightly on the table.

This test gave her confidence.

Following the personnel allocation information provided by Granny Ding, this direction is correct.

I'm afraid I'll be quite busy from now on.

Thinking of this, Jiang Wan shook her head and sighed softly.