Being a second wife is difficult

The news of Ding Mama's expulsion spread throughout the entire Earl's mansion that very night, and by the next morning, the rumors had become a reality. Even the lowly maids who did the cleaning and sweeping knew that Ding Mama, who was in charge of personnel, had fallen from grace.

Jiang Wan sat in the main hall of the courtyard, with a stack of books in front of her. Her mother-in-law had just brought over the things that had been searched from Ding Mama's room. In addition to the personnel transfer book, there was a pile of name tags, several sets of keys, two monthly accounts, and a densely written list with more than a dozen names, all of whom were the maids and servants that Ding Mama was used to serving.

Jiang Wan read through the list from beginning to end and got a general idea of ​​what was going on. She put down the booklet and said to Qing He, "Call everyone on the list over and tell them I have something to tell them."

Qinghe responded and left. Soon after, seven or eight old women and maids gathered in a row under the eaves.

Jiang Wan came out of the house, stood on the steps and glanced at them. She didn't beat around the bush: "Granny Ding has been kicked out of the manor. I will be in charge of personnel transfers from now on. You used to work for her, so you will continue to do your jobs. Do what you were supposed to do."

"As long as you do your job well, I will not treat you unfairly. But if you try to cheat me because of our past relationship, you have seen what happened to Granny Ding."

After she finished speaking, the people in the corridor lowered their heads and responded with a "Yes," seemingly listening, but whether they truly listened or not, only they themselves knew.

But in the following days, Jiang Wan found that things were not going so smoothly.

The people under her command did what she ordered, but the results always fell short of expectations.

The old woman sorting through the old files made a mess of the booklets, leaving some items uncategorized. The maidservant who ran errands was slow to deliver messages, only returning in the evening.

Every single one of them was flawless, yet every single one of them was frustrating to work with. Jiang Wan knew in her heart that these people were verbally convinced, but not truly convinced.

They had followed Granny Ding for so many years, and suddenly someone else took charge. They didn't say anything, but they were waiting to see if she could hold on.

If she wants these people to truly listen to her, she has to first win over the leader.

People are like sheep; they always follow blindly. As long as the lead sheep moves, the rest will naturally follow.

The leader of this flock of sheep is now Granny Ding's second-in-command, named Granny Wang.

After taking over the personnel records, Jiang Wan made a point of looking into Wang Mama's background.

She was a servant born into the household, having grown up in the Earl's mansion and worked her way up from the bottom. The position of head of personnel should have originally been hers, but she recognized the old woman who was in charge of accounting at the time as her adoptive mother. With that relationship supporting her, she had already reached that position.

But that year, Granny Ding was sent down by the old lady and parachuted in as the manager, putting her down and blocking all the seniority she had accumulated over the years.

Later, the old lady became the absolute authority in the mansion, and Ding Mama was one of her favorites, so Wang Mama could only suppress her resentment.

To survive and avoid being trampled on, she worked even harder than before, handling everything meticulously and efficiently, eventually becoming the second-in-command under Granny Ding.

But Jiang Wan knew in her heart that no matter how obedient someone was on the surface, they would never truly be convinced if their future had been taken away.

Over the years, Wang Mama has done so many things for Ding Mama, not necessarily out of loyalty, but more likely out of habit and because this was the only path she could take.

Now that Granny Ding has fallen, her inner thoughts are probably much more complex than she appears.

Jiang Wan thought about it and had some ideas. She could probably sway such a person with benefits, but to really get her to do something, she had to make her feel that following her would give her more motivation than before.

Jiang Wan knew that if she didn't subdue the leader first, the others probably wouldn't obey her orders.

But the thought of this mess still made her temples throb.

Although in reality Ding Mama was only banished to the estate by the old lady, everyone inside and outside the mansion said that she had made a mistake and was expelled. However, she was responsible for handling and organizing all the affairs she left behind, including personnel transfers, monthly allowances, and the connections she had placed in various places.

She knew this was a necessary step to gaining power, and it was only because the old lady trusted her that she was entrusted with this responsibility. However, with so many things piling up in front of her, it was still quite bothersome.

Despite her headache, she understood that Ding Mama's old rules had to be changed, and the old way of "making a fortune" could no longer be followed. However, she also couldn't be too strict with people and leave no room for human relationships.

If you manage things too strictly, people will become demoralized, and problems will still arise.

Loosen the reins where needed and tighten them where necessary. There needs to be a line that allows people to breathe but doesn't dare to go too far. Start by taking action against Wang's mother, and things will go smoothly afterward.

As Jiang Wan pondered a solution, someone at the courtyard gate announced that Wang Fu had arrived.

When Qinghe came in to report, she was still holding a teacup in her hand. After putting it down, she said in a low voice, "Madam, Steward Wang has arrived. He says he has something important to discuss with me."

Jiang Wan had a general idea of ​​what was going on. After Ding Mama fell, Wang Fu couldn't sit still. Ding Mama was in charge of personnel, and Wang Fu was in charge of purchasing. Their positions were closely intertwined, and they were both former servants of the old lady. Now that one of them had been sent out of the mansion, it was impossible for the other to remain unmoved.

He came ostensibly to discuss Mid-Autumn Festival shopping, but actually he wanted to sound him out.

Jiang Wan didn't keep him waiting too long and had Qinghe invite the person in.

When Wang Fu entered, he had a smile on his face and bent slightly at the waist, even lower than usual: "Greetings, Madam. This old servant came to tell you that the Mid-Autumn Festival is in three days. This year's festival is different from usual. In addition to our main branch of the Marquis's family, the uncles and brothers of other branches, the aunts and nephews of various branches, and the whole clan should also come back to reunite."

"The Mid-Autumn Festival is a grand banquet for everyone, and since this is your first year in the family and your first time organizing such an occasion, everyone from each household will need to be respectful and the etiquette cannot be compromised. I was thinking, should we make this year's celebration even more grand than in previous years? If you have any suggestions for additions, I will arrange them immediately."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wan straightened her expression slightly. She did indeed take this matter to heart. Mid-Autumn Festival is a day for the whole family to reunite. In addition to the main branch of the Marquis's family, the uncles, cousins ​​and other relatives from the collateral branches would also bring their families back.

This year also happens to be her first Mid-Autumn Festival since she entered the household, and the first festival she has handled after taking over the administration. If there is any oversight, it will not only be her own face that is lost.

She nodded: "You're right, we should definitely make this year's event more thorough. Make a list of everything that needs to be added, and I'll decide after I see it."

Wang Fu responded and took another half step forward: "Also, the purchase list from previous years that Madam asked me to compile last time, I have already sent someone to deliver it. Madam has been busy these past few days, so I didn't dare to urge you. I wonder if Madam has seen it? If there is anything wrong, I can correct it in time."

Jiang Wan said calmly, "You've put your heart into this. There's nothing wrong with the order; it's all fine."

Upon hearing this, Wang Fu's expression relaxed, as if he had finally breathed a sigh of relief or as if he had been waiting for these words. He then pulled out a new list from his sleeve and handed it over with both hands: "Then this old servant can rest assured. This is the list of purchases for this year's Mid-Autumn Festival. Please take a look, Madam."

Jiang Wan took it and flipped through it.

The lanterns, candles, fruits, pastries, and fabrics for each room to enjoy during the Mid-Autumn Festival are all listed on the list, with clear quantities and reasonable prices.

She knew that with Granny Ding just gone, Wang Fu wouldn't be able to tamper with the accounts now. The records were most likely clean, and even if they were, they would only be small, insignificant amounts that wouldn't cause any trouble.

She could also tell that Wang Fu had toned down considerably this time. If it weren't for Granny Ding's downfall, he probably wouldn't have been so well-behaved. However, she didn't say anything, but simply closed the list and placed it on the corner of the table: "Just do it this way. If there's anything that needs to be added later, just let me know."

Wang Fu responded repeatedly, but did not leave in a hurry. Suddenly, as if he remembered something, he asked casually, "Madam, this old servant has another matter to ask, but I don't know if I should."

Jiang Wan glanced at him and said, "Go ahead."

"It's about Granny Ding's matter." Wang Fu lowered his voice and leaned forward slightly, speaking in a friendly manner.

"In all these years I've been in this manor, although I and Granny Ding each manage our own affairs, we've seen each other all the time and worked together for many years. Now that she's suddenly been kicked out of the manor by the old lady, I feel uneasy. I thought I'd come and ask you, Madam, what exactly did Granny Ding do wrong? I'd like to know so I don't cross the line in the future."

Jiang Wan found it somewhat amusing after hearing this.

Wang Fu had been the steward of this mansion for so many years. How could he not know that Granny Ding had been neglected, summoned for questioning, and finally sent out of the mansion overnight?

Rumors had been circulating in the manor that something bad was going to happen to Granny Ding. He wouldn't let any of the rumors slip by, but now he was pretending to know nothing about it and asking her questions. He was just trying to gauge her temperament and character by inquiring about Granny Ding's affairs.

He said he was afraid of crossing the line, but what he really meant was that he was afraid of being the next one.

Jiang Wan held the teacup without drinking, stirred the lid a couple of times, and slowly put it down: "What does Steward Wang think Granny Ding has done wrong?"

Wang Fu's smile froze slightly, but quickly returned. His tone became more cautious than before: "This old servant dares not speculate, but there are all sorts of rumors circulating outside. Some say she embezzled public funds, some say she broke the rules by being too close to the second branch of the family, and some say she transferred people who shouldn't have been transferred in."

"Hearing these rumors, this old servant is really unsure of himself, which is why he mustered up the courage to ask Madam a question."

Jiang Wan looked at him but didn't reply.

Wang Fu felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze, and added, "This old servant is not like Granny Ding. If Madam does not believe me, you are welcome to send someone to investigate. I have handled all the purchases over the years, and every transaction is documented. I would never dare to act recklessly like Granny Ding."

Jiang Wan tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, her tone indifferent: "Did I say there was a problem with your accounts?"