Being a second wife is difficult: I'm busy raising children in the Earl's mansion.

The court's verdict was delivered in the early morning.

The official, dressed in black robes, stepped through the frost-covered ground and entered the central gate. When he handed the document to Songhe Hall, Granny Gui steadied her hand as she took it.

After struggling with the case for more than half a month, Wang Fu finally got his verdict.

The old lady took the verdict and glanced at it, her face expressionless, as if she had known this would be the outcome all along.

After reading it, she placed it on the table and told Granny Gui to "put it away and archive it," adding, "Pass it down so the whole mansion knows. From now on, anyone in the outer courtyard who dares to touch public funds will be dealt with as severely as this case."

The message was brief but weighty. Granny Gui responded and left with the document.

The news spread quickly, and in less than half an hour, the junior stewards in the outer courtyard were walking with their tails between their legs.

The servants who had previously voluntarily surrendered and confessed were secretly relieved. They were glad they hadn't stubbornly resisted, otherwise they would have ended up like Wang Fu, exiled three thousand miles away, their lives would have been over.

Some who had held onto a sliver of hope remained silent, but now their faces had turned pale, and they huddled in the corner, not daring to even breathe loudly.

As Jiang Wan sat in the courtyard listening to Qing He's reply, she was warming her hands with a teacup.

Qinghe recounted the events that unfolded in the outer courtyard, mentioning how several stewards were so frightened that they dug out the account books they had handled in previous years and checked them over the night. Jiang Wan couldn't help but chuckle.

"If only I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it in the first place."

She put down her teacup and tapped her fingertips twice on the edge of the table. It was a good thing that Wang Fu had fallen, but the loopholes he had left behind were too great.

With the position of purchasing manager at the external institute vacant, the entire material allocation process came to a standstill.

The various departments needed charcoal, window paper, and writing materials, but they were all piled up in the storeroom and no one paid any attention to them. They were passed around and no one was willing to touch them.

It's unclear when Uncle Xu will arrive, so it seems we need to find someone to temporarily take care of things.

Only two days later, Aunt Zhou and Aunt Liu sent their maids to complain.

Aunt Zhou was doing alright, only saying that the children's hands and feet were cold when they were studying; Aunt Liu was in a worse situation, with several holes in the paper windows in the courtyard, and the cold wind blowing through the room, making it feel like an ice cellar.

After hearing the two maids' replies, Jiang Wan did not immediately respond.

She comforted the two maids and had Qinghe give each of them two baskets of silver frost charcoal for immediate use. After they left, she leaned back in her chair and thought for a moment.

The Foreign Languages ​​Department is not lacking people, but rather people who can take charge.

If no one dares to take responsibility, then someone has to step forward and say, "I'll take care of this."

After considering her options, she settled on one person.

Granny Liu arrived very quickly.

When Jiang Wan sent someone to deliver the message, she was taking inventory in the storeroom. Upon hearing that Madam was looking for her, she put down the account books and came over. When she entered, there was still dust on the hem of her clothes, as if she had just crawled out from behind the shelves.

"Is Madam looking for this old servant?"

Jiang Wan asked her to sit down and talk, but Liu Mama didn't sit down and stood by the table. Jiang Wan didn't force her and told her what had happened.

"As you've seen in the current situation at the external departments, there's no one to coordinate, and all the funds for each department are stuck in the warehouse and can't be released. I'd like you to temporarily take charge of procurement handover and material allocation. Do you think you can take on this role?"

Granny Liu was stunned for a moment, as if she hadn't expected that Madam would entrust her with such a heavy responsibility.

She paused for a moment before speaking: "This old servant has been in charge of the storeroom for many years and is familiar with the flow of materials, but the procurement and coordination with the outer courtyard..."

"Just follow the rules," Jiang Wan interrupted her. "Pay what's due, record what's required, and write down the names of anyone who shirks or neglects their duties, and settle accounts with them later."

Upon hearing this, Granny Liu did not refuse again and bowed in agreement. When she left, her steps were quicker than when she came, and her back was straighter than before.

As it turns out, Jiang Wan made the right choice.

After Granny Liu took over the management of the outer courtyard, she cleared up all the backlog of application forms on the first day, redefined the application procedures and timing on the second day, and by the third day, the expenses of each courtyard had basically returned to normal.

She was efficient and impartial in her work. No matter which courtyard came to collect something, she would issue it according to the register without any regard for personal feelings.

She had the unruly servants in the outer courtyard completely under her control, and they didn't even dare to complain loudly.

Everyone in the household could see that this storeroom nanny, Liu, was truly capable.

Jiang Wan felt a little more at ease.

Granny Liu's competence exceeded her expectations; at least in the short term, there shouldn't be any major trouble in the inner and outer courtyards.

Only after things were settled in the manor could she have the mind to attend to other matters.

It snowed heavily that morning, with snowflakes falling softly, covering the rooftops and corridors in a white blanket.

It was terribly cold, so Jiang Wan had ordered a heated sedan chair to be prepared early in the morning. She also personally packed a velvet bag and a cloak, intending to send the children to the school.

The three children were waiting at the gate of the courtyard.

Lu Zhao had grown taller than last year, standing straight in the snow, carrying his schoolbag. Lu Wan, wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat, her little face flushed from the cold, was secretly reaching out to catch snowflakes to play with. Lu Hui stood beside Lu Zhao, his demeanor more composed than before, no longer timid, quietly standing to one side.

The warm sedan chair rolled smoothly over the snow-covered path, first arriving at the prefectural school.

Jiang Wan saw Lu Wan and Lu Hui off from the sedan chair and watched them enter the school gate. Instead of leaving immediately, she turned around and went to find the old teacher who was giving the lesson.

The old gentleman was organizing his lesson plans when he saw Jiang Wan arrive. He put down his pen, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then brought up Lu Hui's studies: "Brother Hui has become much more composed lately, and his studies have improved significantly. He can even keep up with the memorization of articles."

Jiang Wan nodded and was about to thank him when the old man changed the subject and chuckled, "However, this child is busier than others after school, unlike other children who are playful and always like to tinker with wooden things."

"He carved thermos flasks, sculpted birds, and made small ornaments. His skills became more and more exquisite. Many of his classmates in the prefectural school asked him to carve things for them and were willing to pay him some silver coins as payment."

Jiang Wan was slightly taken aback: "Is that so?"

"Yes, the young lady is very lively. She always comes to help her brother with tidying up and greeting people after class. The two siblings work together very well."

The old man stroked his beard. "I asked him about it, worried that he might neglect his studies because of other skills, but he was very perceptive and said he would never interfere with his main job."

When asked what he was saving the silver for, he said that Aunt Zhou was frugal and never bought any jewelry, and he wanted to save enough to make a new hairpin for her.

Jiang Wan was silent for a moment.

She remembered seeing Lu Hui's carved thermos in the corridor a few days ago. She had no idea when this child started saving money. He usually seemed quiet and unassuming, but he had such things on his mind.

As they left the academy, Qinghe followed beside her and murmured with admiration, "It's truly rare to see such a sensible young master."

Jiang Wan walked forward through the falling snow, her pace neither fast nor slow, but her mind was already racing: "The child has good intentions, we should support him."

"Go back and urge the servants to quickly clean up that unused warm room in the backyard, so that Hui-ge can use it for carpentry work later. It's better to have something to shelter from the wind and snow than to leave it rummaging around in some corner."

Qinghe immediately wrote it down.

After bidding farewell to the prefectural school, Jiang Wan went to visit the girls' school.

The girls' school was quieter than the prefectural school. A few students were sitting in twos and threes under the eaves talking, and someone was flipping through a book by the window. Classes had not officially started yet.

Mr. Shen was organizing his lesson plans at his desk when he saw Jiang Wan come in. He put down what he was holding and took two steps to greet her.

"Why did you come over, Madam?"

"It's snowing heavily today. I took Hui-ge'er and Wan-jie'er to school and stopped by to check on things." Jiang Wan glanced around the courtyard. "The girls' school is quite lively here; it seems more relaxed than the boys' school."

Mr. Shen chuckled, "The bell hasn't rung yet, let's chat a bit more while we can." She followed Jiang Wan's gaze and looked over there, "Wan-jie'er is over there."

Jiang Wan followed her gaze.

Lu Wan was sitting on the veranda with two female students, holding something in her hands and talking to someone. Her eyebrows were curved, and it was unclear what happy thing she was talking about.

She suddenly stopped halfway through her speech, as if she noticed Jiang Wan watching her. She looked up at Jiang Wan from across half the courtyard, smiled, and waved.

Jiang Wan waved to her, and Lu Wan responded, then lowered her head to continue talking to her companions without running over.

Mr. Shen withdrew his gaze and lowered his voice: "Wan'er is much more open in class now than before. She answers when she should and dares to ask when she should, unlike when she first came here, when she would not speak up even if she knew the answer."

"His temperament hasn't changed much; he's still as clever as ever," Mr. Shen smiled. "It's just that he's willing to let people see it now."

Jiang Wan didn't reply, her gaze lingering on Lu Wan for a moment.

She was sitting upright, leaning to the side, listening to a girl next to her. Her hands were on her knees, but she would occasionally tilt her head and mutter something, which amused the girl opposite her so much that she reached out and patted her.

It's clear that she's become quite familiar with her classmates.

Jiang Wan withdrew her gaze and nodded to Mr. Shen: "Thank you for your trouble, sir."

"It's my duty," Mr. Shen said. "If you're busy, Madam, you don't need to wait here. I can keep an eye on things here."

Jiang Wan responded, glanced in Lu Wan's direction again, and then turned and left the girls' school.

Lu Zhao was still waiting at the entrance of the academy. When he saw her come out, he stood up straight.

"Let's go, I'll take you to your master's place."

Lu Zhao nodded and followed her along the corridor.

The private school was located at the very back of the East Campus, a standalone school with only Lu Zhao as its student.

Jiang Wan walked him to the gate of the courtyard, stopped, and did not go in.

Through the half-open door, I could see the gentleman sitting at his desk reading a book. The room was quiet except for the sound of turning pages.

She glanced at Lu Zhao.

The boy stood by the door, his height having increased since the beginning of the year, almost reaching her shoulder. The calmness in his eyes was even more pronounced, much like his father.

"Go inside," Jiang Wan said. "Go home early after class; it's cold outside, don't linger."

Lu Zhao responded, cupped his hands in greeting, turned and pushed open the door to go inside.

Jiang Wan didn't linger any longer and turned to walk back with Qing He.

The road was a bit slippery after the snow, and Qinghe reached out to help her. The two of them slowly walked back along the way they came. The door of the private school behind them closed gently without making a sound.

By the time we got back to the courtyard, the sun was already quite high in the sky.

The snowfall gradually thinned out, and a thin layer of snow accumulated on the old locust tree in the yard, its branches drooping slightly under the weight.

Qinghe brought in hot tea, and Jiang Wan took a sip. Just as she was about to catch her breath, hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Madam!" A servant rushed in, "An urgent reply from the Jiang family of Jinling!"

Jiang Wan put down her teacup, took the envelope, and opened it.

The letter was short, just a few words, but every word was sincere.

The elders of the Jiang family granted her request. Uncle Xu had already handed over all the affairs of the restaurant and was about to set off for Huzhou. He would arrive at the Yongchang Earl's Mansion in less than three days.

She folded the letter and tucked it into her sleeve, then gently pressed her fingertips against the paper.

Uncle Xu is an old member of the Jiang family. He has served the Jiang family for more than 20 years. He is loyal and capable. He has managed the Jiang family's shop business in Jinling for more than 10 years without ever making a mistake.

With him taking over the procurement for the outer courtyard, the situation in the manor is now completely stable.

Seeing the slight upturn of her lips, Qinghe asked softly, "Madam, is it good news?"

"Hmm." Jiang Wan picked up her teacup to warm her hands, gazing at the gradually stopping snow outside the window. "The person who's supposed to come is almost here."

The snow was still falling in the courtyard, fine and scattered, covering the blue tiles, the stone steps, and the branches of the old locust tree.

Looking at the snow slowly piling up, Jiang Wan understood what was going on.

Although Wang Fu's case is closed, the real issue is how the government will establish rules and prevent a second Wang Fu from emerging.

After Uncle Xu arrived, the accounts and purchases of the outer courtyard could no longer be handled by the same person.

The accountant is in charge of the accounting, and the purchasing is done separately. They check each other's records, so even if someone tries to steal something, it won't be so easy.

She put down her teacup, spread out a piece of paper, and began to make a list.

There are many things to prepare. Although Uncle Xu is an elder of the Jiang family, this is his first time taking over the outer courtyard in Huzhou. His accommodation, expenses, and handover matters all need to be arranged in advance.

The pen tip scratched across the paper with a soft rustling sound, while outside the window, the snow fell silently.

Jiang Wan was so engrossed in writing that she didn't notice Qing He standing beside her watching her for a while, a smile in her eyes, before quietly leaving and closing the door behind her.