Volume 1 Chapter 112 Discussion (Part 1) (Pink Ticket 1020)

  Old Lady smiled and looked at Eleven: "Was it you who informed her?"

  The eleventh girl smiled: "Master Hou is also worried about you!"

  "You this child..."

  Xu Lingyi had already said: "Mother, you came to Xishan without even telling me? This bumpy road, if something uncomfortable happens, I would really be unable to escape blame."

  "What nonsense are you talking about?" The old lady scolded, "In broad daylight, what's all this talk of life and death!" She also said, "I just came out for a walk, don't make such a fuss!"

  Xu Lingyi was about to say something when Eleventh Sister pulled his sleeve: "Lord Hou has come from afar, haven't you eaten yet? We've just sat down."

  It's come to this, no use saying more.

  He was just momentarily anxious, and after being blocked by Eleven, he immediately reacted and smiled: "I haven't eaten either!"

  The lady saw Eleven pulling Xu Lingyi and her eyes narrowed: "Eat, eat."

  The second lady smiled and let the maid serve Xu Lingyi to change clothes.

  The three of them finished their meal around Madame Tai. The second wife urged Madame Tai to return: "....take it easy on the road, so as not to get jolted."

  The old lady saw that everything was all right with the second lady, and she put her mind at ease. After instructing them for half a day, she finally returned to the Lotus Flower Room accompanied by Xu Lingyi.

  Xu Lingning and Xu Lingkuan waited at the gate, seeing Xu Lingyi, they both let out a sigh of relief. As soon as they got off the carriage under the hanging flower gate, they saw Third Lady and Fifth Lady, both of whom stepped forward to greet Eldest Lady: "You're back." Only Third Lady curtsied, while Fifth Lady was supported by someone beside her.

  The old lady looked at this situation and smiled: "Are you still afraid I'll get lost?"

  "Mother, you're old now, you can't keep doing this." Xu Lingkuan supported his mother. "Fourth brother heard that you went to Xishan alone and was so scared that his face turned white."

  "Isn't there Eleven accompanying me?" Old Lady Tai smiled and said, "You're all making a big fuss over nothing!"

  Just then, a young servant ran over: "Your Lordship, the eunuch from the Kun Ning Palace has arrived."

  The old lady was taken aback.

  Xu Lingyi hastily said: "The Empress Dowager ordered me to come see her after the morning court, because I need to go to Xishan to pick you up, so I had someone inform you. Maybe she sent someone to ask what happened?"

  The old lady's face flashed with a hint of anxiety: "Quickly go and tell the empress. She is still in the palace, unaware of what has happened!"

  "It's fine if you know." Xu Lingkuan supported his mother as they headed towards the inner courtyard, "In the future, wherever you want to go, please tell us first. We can make some arrangements. This sudden departure really scared us..."

  Xu Lingyi said "I'll go take a look" and followed the servant out.

  The eleventh girl followed her into Madame Tai's room.

  A group of people surrounded Madam Tai, some helping her change clothes, others washing her face with water, or brewing tea and serving snacks... they were all busy running around.

  The old lady saw that Eleventh Sister was also busy beside her and smiled: "You go back and change your clothes too!"

  All the way dusty and feeling really bad. Eleventh girl smiled and nodded, returned to her own room.

  Amber and others were busy serving Eleventh Princess.

  She washed her face, combed her hair again, and changed into a light green blouse with embroidered flowers. Tao Mama came in.

  "Madam, Lu Yonggui is back!"

  Lu Yonggui was helping Yuan Niang manage the dowry. When she had just gotten married, she asked about this person, and Tao Mama's words were somewhat evasive, only saying that he had gone to Guanwai for business. She hastily explained: "...the accounts of Eldest Aunt's property are all in Lu's hands." With a look as if afraid she would ask more questions.

  Didn't expect him to come back at this time? And he even took the initiative to see her? Wonder what's going on?

  "He arrived early this morning," said Mrs. Tao with a smile. "He came to pay his respects to you, but as it happened, you had gone to Xishan with the mistress. He waited until dusk, but you still didn't return. As he is a man and it wouldn't be convenient for him to stay in the inner courtyard, he specially asked me to come and greet you on his behalf and explain that he will come again tomorrow morning."

  The eleventh girl thought for a moment and smiled: "Let him come see me again at two o'clock this afternoon!"

  Mother Tao smiled and replied.

  The eleventh girl sat down at her dressing table and put on earrings, indicating that she could withdraw.

  Taoye's mother smiled and walked to the dresser, took a silver-plated silk pearl hairpin and put it on her head, while whispering: "Madam just entered the house, there are some things you don't know. The family of officials is not like those rich families, the relationship between wives and concubines also has rules. In the past, only Qin Yiniang and Wen Yiniang took turns every 20 days, each for five days. Now that a month has passed, Niece should also have an arrangement in mind."

  She thinks she's young and no one has ever told her these things... so she needs to be "guided" everywhere.

  The eleventh girl smiled: "Don't worry about this, mom. I'll ask Master Hou's opinion and arrange it again."

  Feeling her displeasure, Mrs. Tao smiled and said: "Don't blame me for being nosy, madam. Men take charge of things outside, women take charge of things at home - this is the rule since the beginning of time. Why ask Master Hou? Besides, if you ask Master Hou, how can he answer? If he says 'yes', won't he be accused of doting on his concubine? If he says 'no', won't you be given a reputation for being jealous? You just take charge and that's it!"

  The eleventh girl smiled slightly: "What mother said is also right. The things in this house are naturally managed by me. So I say, where does the lord want to rest? Rest for a few days? It's all up to the lord!"

  Tao's mother's smile froze on her face.

  "All right, it's getting late too. I still have to serve the old lady's dinner." The eleventh girl smiled and stood up, "Whatever it is, let's talk about it tomorrow!" She said, and was escorted by Green Cloud and Red Embroidery to the old lady's place.

  Even through the curtain, I could hear Wu's wife's cheerful laughter. As I walked to the front of the curtain, a faint voice came over: "...I was so envious at the time. Thinking that one day I would think of a way to pick one and wear it. As a result, before I made up my mind, I was sent back. Today, thanks to the blessing of Niangniang, I thought things were done!"

  The little maid's report interrupted Wu Zetian's words.

  Eleventh Sister entered the house and saw that Old Mistress was sitting at a kang table with a large red porcelain plate on it, in which seven or eight crystal clear white chrysanthemums were arranged in water.

  "Eleventh daughter, come quickly." The old lady smiled and beckoned to her, "The white tea flowers in the palace have bloomed. Her Majesty sent over a few. You can pick two as well."

  The Eleventh Young Lady saw that the Third and Fifth Ladies each held two flowers in their hands, and also saw that Xu Lingyi had already returned with a bouquet. She couldn't help but secretly speculate: Could it be that the Empress was worried about the Old Lady's health and didn't dare ask directly, so she took the opportunity to send flowers and probe for information?

  She smiled and went over to pay her respects to Madame, exclaiming "How lovely!" as she picked a couple.

  The old lady ordered Du's mother to serve dinner.

  Yao Huang and Wei Zi hurriedly invited Xu Siqin and others who were playing in the warm pavilion to come out.

  The younger generation asked the elder for their well-being, everyone gathered around to eat and then returned to their respective rooms.

  On the road, Shiyi Niang said to Xu Lingyi: "Hou Ye, Tao Mama said that Lu Yonggui has returned and wants to see me. He is in charge of my sister's dowry, and we have never met before. I was thinking of inviting you and my brother and sister-in-law to meet Lu Yonggui together tomorrow. What do you think?"

  Xu Lingyi stopped in her tracks, with a somewhat smiling yet not quite smiling expression as she gazed at Shiyi Niang: "I'll just take my leave then. You siblings can see each other." She actually had an attitude of wanting to wash her hands of the matter.

  On the second day, Xiāng Niáng sent Hǔ Pò to Lǔ's house to invite Dà Yé and Dà Nǎi over. As soon as Luó Zhèn Xīng and Dà Nǎi knew they were going to see Lú Yǒng Guì, they immediately agreed.

  She called out for Auntie Tao and asked: "How is the monthly allowance for the maids in the house distributed?"

  "Ah, I see," said Mrs. Tao with a smile, "so when Eldest Sister-in-law was in charge of the household, the servants were all allocated by the household as a whole. The personal maids for each room were managed separately by each room."

  "How do you say this?"

  "It's like this here," Mother Tao explained with a smile. "In terms of status, there are four first-class maids, six second-class maids, ten third-class maids, six rough-handed women, two stove-handling women, two stove-handling young maids, and two rough-handed stove-handling women. These all have fixed rules. The monthly allowance is uniformly issued by the public treasury. For example, a hair-combing wife does not belong to the fixed rules, so you have to issue her monthly allowance yourself. And if you want to add a first-class maid, it's also not within the fixed rules, and the monthly allowance will be issued by you yourself."

  In other words, she doesn't have to worry about the monthly expenses of these people in the house.

  "What if there were only five rough servant girls in my house?"

  "Then just send five people."

  "Should each household take it and then distribute again, or should they be distributed uniformly?"

  "Unify and issue."

  "When will it be sent?"

  "Big Auntie was in charge at first, it was on the first day of every month. Later, Third Madam took over and it became the fifteenth day of every month."

  Eleventh Girl's face changed: "Hasn't South Yong's wife's monthly allowance been issued yet?"

  She also had her own experience of waiting for monthly salary to pass days when she was young.

  "Although she is working in your house, she holds the position of a maid in the mistress's household. Her monthly allowance will be paid by the mistress, so you don't need to worry about it."

  Just then a little maid came in and reported: "Milady, Third Milady has arrived!"

  What is she doing here?

  Eleventh Sister led Third Lady into the room and they sat down on either side of the large kang by the window in the eastern wing.

  The maid brought tea and served some pastries.

  The eleventh girl smiled and asked her: "Third sister, is there something?"

  The third lady pointed at the thing wrapped in a handkerchief in Qiulian's hand: "I've come to give the fourth brother and sister their monthly allowance!"

  The eleventh girl was somewhat unexpected.

  Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives!

  She let Amber take it with a nonchalant attitude: "Thanks for Third Auntie's trouble of delivering it personally."

  "Goodness gracious! What's all this?" said the third lady with a smile, "I was thinking of coming over to sit with you too." As she sipped her tea, she added, "Speaking of which, I also have something I'd like to discuss with you!" Then she glanced at the servant in the room.

  Eleventh Sister heard the sound and knew it was elegant, so she sent away the servants in the house.

  "Fourth brother and sister," the third madam lowered her voice, but her eyes sparkled with a scorching light, "do you want to earn some money for makeup?"

  The eleventh girl was shocked.

  This is already the second person asking her this question!

  The third lady saw the expression of Eleven and was very satisfied. She sighed with a helpless look: "Ten taels of silver can be earned in two days, one hundred taels of silver can earn ten taels... If there are ten thousand taels of silver, it would be possible to earn one thousand taels... To be honest, such a good thing, if I hadn't invested almost all my capital in this business, how could I bear to find someone to partner with?"

  The eleventh girl frowned slightly.

  What's the difference between this and manna from heaven?

  Unless it's a profiteering scam, how can there be such high profits in a legitimate business? What is the Third Madam planning? What kind of business is she doing? Does Xu Lingyi know about the Third Madam's "business"?