Chapter 9
By the time the accounts had been checked this far, Bai Wei was already growing impatient. Like a string of firecrackers, she rattled off,
“If there hadn’t been sixteen thousand taels of expenses, how could the household possibly maintain the dignity expected of the Right Vice Minister of Revenue? Forget the major expenditures—even the Southern Tribute blood bird’s nest soup that Madam and the young ladies drink every day costs at least ten taels of silver per bowl. Luckily, Madam earned some money in Jiangnan over the past few years. Otherwise, this household would have collapsed long ago.”
Pan Shi was utterly shocked. “That tiny bowl costs ten taels of silver?!”
Had she known it was that expensive, she would never have dared to drink it.
How could an ordinary woman like her deserve something so extravagant?
Jiang Chengzong was equally stunned and angrily declared, “That He woman is far too extravagant! No wonder she ruined the family!”
Before He Shi married into the family, the Jiang household had never had such wasteful habits.
Bai Wei was irritated that he was criticizing her mistress and immediately retorted,
“Old Master, the Ginseng Nourishing Decoction you drink regularly is even more expensive than blood bird’s nest soup. The medicinal ingredients alone cost over a thousand taels.”
Jiang Chengzong stubbornly argued, “How could it cost that much? He Shi must have been cheated.”
Bai Wei no longer wanted to waste words on them. Coldly, she said,
“If you don’t believe it, the account books are right here. Check them yourselves! And if you can’t understand them, there are still two accountants present.”
Aside from Pan Shi, everyone in the Jiang family could read. Each of them picked up an account book.
By dawn, they had finally finished calculating everything and had no choice but to admit that the household expenses truly were this enormous.
Bai Wei sat nearby nodding off from exhaustion. Pan Shi was sleepy as well, but she didn’t dare rest, busily pouring tea for her husband and children.
Amid the crowing of roosters, Bai Wei stretched lazily and said to Li Xixiang,
“Second Madam, the master accounts and branch accounts have all been handed over clearly. Please write a receipt, sign it, and stamp it.”
Li Xixiang recoiled as if from a venomous snake, shaking her head repeatedly.
“No, no, no! I won’t sign! This household is too large—I don’t have the ability to manage it!”
What little savings she had needed to be preserved for her children. How could she possibly use them to subsidize the communal household funds?
Bai Wei did not force her and instead turned to Pan Shi.
“Then shall Old Madam take over?”
Pan Shi hurriedly hid behind Jiang Chengzong.
Asking her to manage the household was practically asking for her life.
At his advanced age, after staying awake the entire night, Jiang Chengzong’s eyes had sunken deeply into their sockets. Completely exhausted, he snapped at Jiang Linxiu,
“Your mother and I worked hard to raise all of you to adulthood. Now that our hair is white and our backs are bent, are we still expected to serve you?”
Jiang Linxiu believed his elder brother must secretly have hidden wealth elsewhere, so he signaled for Li Xixiang to accept the accounts.
Following Bai Wei’s request, he wrote a receipt, signed it, and stamped it. He even specifically noted that Jiang Chengzong, Pan Shi, Jiang Linxiu, and Jiang Furong were witnesses, and had each of them press their fingerprints onto it as well.
Bai Wei carefully stored away the receipt, but the matter was not yet finished. She had Accountant Chen open the final chest and take out another stack of account books.
“There’s still one more account.”
Jiang Linxiu immediately became wary. “What account?”
Bai Wei asked, “Second Master, how long has it been since you returned to your hometown, Sanya Village?”
Jiang Linxiu froze.
During the first few years after arriving in the capital, he frequently returned home. Showing off before his old childhood companions had felt immensely satisfying. But later, he lost interest and stopped going back.
His parents had grown old and frail, while his elder brother was busy with official duties, so none of them had returned for a very long time.
Bai Wei continued,
“The current Sanya Village is no longer the same. Her Highness the Commandery Princess rebuilt the ancestral residence and ancestral hall, purchased sacrificial lands, established a clan school, repaired irrigation systems, and expanded the roads. She also bought several orchards for the clan. Last year, the fruit was even sold in Jiangnan. Altogether, these expenses totaled twenty-four thousand taels.”
The hall instantly fell silent. One could hear a needle drop.
After a while, Jiang Linxiu nervously said,
“We never asked Sister-in-law to do any of that. We shouldn’t be responsible for repaying this money!”
When poor relatives came asking for help, giving them twenty or thirty taels would already count as generous. Who told her to spend such an enormous amount?
She didn’t mind wasting money, but even he felt heartache on her behalf. Truly, she had so much money she didn’t know what to do with it—just throwing it away like water.
A faint trace of contempt flickered in Bai Wei’s eyes.
“Rest assured, this debt will not be handed over to you. I merely informed you of it. Eldest Master knows about this matter. Eldest Master will repay it.”
After a pause, she bowed politely to the crowd.
“The accounts have now all been settled. This servant takes her leave.”
The two accountants, Chen and Wang, withdrew alongside her.
Looking at the huge pile of account books on the floor, Li Xixiang felt her head ache.
“Quickly, invite Elder Brother!”
Jiang Linxiu also felt that only his elder brother could clean up this mess, so he hurriedly ordered someone to fetch him.
Before long, a servant returned to report that the master was not home—he had gone to Yunshan Academy.
Jiang Linxiu secretly regretted things. During the overnight accounting session, he should have invited his elder brother over. Earlier, he had thought that with his elder brother present, there were certain things he wouldn’t be able to say openly, so he had deliberately avoided calling him. Had he known the household finances were in such terrible deficit, he wouldn’t have overthought things.
But there was nothing to be done now. Exhausted beyond measure, he could only return to his room to rest first.
Before Jiang Furong married, she had lived in Tinghe Cottage. He Fangting had continued to preserve the residence for her, regularly sending people to clean it, so she could move in immediately.
Jiang Chengzong and Pan Shi also could not endure any longer and supported each other back to their bedroom.
Only Li Xixiang was not allowed any rest. Upon learning that she was now managing the household, the estate stewards all came one after another, inviting her to the council hall to arrange the day’s affairs.
The day had only just begun, and countless matters awaited handling.
Li Xixiang felt as though she had swallowed a fly—unable to spit it out or swallow it down. With a miserable expression, she trudged off.
Meanwhile, at Chunming Courtyard, He Fangting lounged lazily upon a soft couch beneath the corridor. Her hands rested upon golden silk cushions on either side, her slender fingers extended gracefully while two young maidservants dyed her nails with balsam flowers.
She had chosen pale pink petals—not such a vivid red—so the final color would appear softer and more refined.
Alum had also been added to the flower paste to help fix the color, making the nails shinier and more beautiful.
Two other little maidservants were applying a secret lingzhi and angelica hair oil to her glossy black hair. The fragrance was light and refreshing, soothing to the senses.
