Morning light shone on the bed curtains. Chu Lan, sleeping within, turned over and covered his face with his sleeve, but it was still useless.

He sat up angrily.

How did the night pass so quickly? Day had come again, and Chu Garden would once more be flooded with countless people.

“Someone, someone!” He shouted angrily.

After shouting for a long time, only a young male servant came running in, not his usual personal maids. The servant fumbled clumsily while pouring tea and putting on his shoes, actually putting the shoes on the wrong feet. Chu Lan angrily kicked the servant over.

“Where is Caifeng?” He scolded. “Has she actually learned to be lazy?”

The young servant said aggrieved: “Master, Caifeng was also called away to Chu Garden by Miss Zhao.”

Chu Zhao had mobilized the household servants. Originally the dignified maids serving Master, Madam, Miss, and Young Master wouldn’t listen to her, but A’Le was aggressive and fierce, actually grabbing people directly.

A’Le was strong and agile. Wherever people hid, she could find them. Once found, she’d grab them and bring them into Chu Garden.

And Master and Madam simply didn’t dare go to Chu Garden to demand their return.

Just like that, more and more were captured. Master and Madam barely had anyone left to attend to them.

Even his most beloved maid had been taken. But Chu Lan didn’t immediately get up and rush into Chu Garden to demand her return. He only pounded the table resentfully: “Who is the master of this household? Who has the say?”

The young servant kept his head lowered, thinking—Master says quite a lot, but with Miss Zhao, none of it counts for anything.

“When will this finally end?” Chu Lan shuffled out in his shoes and stood in the corridor looking out. Even across the high wall, he could hear the liveliness from Chu Garden.

At least Chu Garden had another entrance.

Previously, Chu Lan had deliberately sealed this gate, making visitors pass through the main house so it would appear the Chu family was filled with distinguished guests.

Now Chu Lan didn’t want Chu Garden associated with him at all. He had people open the sealed gate and keep the main Chu family gate tightly shut.

Jiang Shi came over with a worried expression, accompanied by a female servant.

“So many people every day—how much money must be spent on food and drink?” She was more anxious about this matter. “Our entire family fortune will be squandered away.”

Chu Lan didn’t manage the business affairs. Hearing this, he grew even angrier: “They’re actually being fed and given drinks? Aren’t those people here to compete?”

Jiang Shi said helplessly: “Not everyone comes to compete, and they don’t all compete simultaneously. Only a few people compete each time—the rest watch the excitement.”

And now more than half came just to watch the excitement.

Since they were watching the excitement, they toured the garden as well. Chu Garden’s beautiful reputation was known to all. Taking advantage of this opportunity, they strolled and enjoyed the scenery within.

Since they were strolling and enjoying scenery, naturally they needed tea and refreshments—

“We’re paying for all that?” Chu Lan asked in shock.

“Well, that’s—not quite certain.” Jiang Shi said hesitantly.

What did that mean? Chu Lan looked at Jiang Shi.

“The food and drink isn’t being taken from the household.” The female servant couldn’t help but say. “Miss Chu Zhao has people buy it from outside.”

Chu Lan frowned: “Buy? Where does she have money?”

To entrust his daughter to him, Chu Ling had given him all the money—this was as it should be. To secretly hide money for his daughter—was he guarding against him, his elder brother? If so, Chu Ling should have entrusted his daughter to someone else!

“Is she buying on credit?” Chu Lan asked.

If buying on credit, those merchants would only come to him. No one would treat a young girl as the master of Chu Garden.

Chu Lan was about to pound the corridor pillar when the female servant quickly said: “Master, it’s not on credit either.”

Then what was it? Did she steal money again? Chu Lan glared.

His young servant rushed to speak: “No, Miss Zhao has them pay for it themselves, then we go buy it for them.”

Actually it was more complex than he described.

Chu Zhao first told the restaurant that Chu Garden needed food, tea, and wine. If they could offer good prices, she would have people buy from them.

Chu Garden now had the nickname Small Spring-Gazing Garden Literary Gathering in the capital. Merchants knew how many people were there. This wasn’t small business but big business. They immediately agreed.

Then Chu Zhao had the servants set up display boards each day after opening the garden, writing what tea and food was available today—except for alcohol.

“Miss said that to avoid affecting the fairness of competitions, alcohol isn’t allowed.” The young servant opened his mouth and spoke with animation. “But actually everyone knows Miss is avoiding people causing trouble after drinking, so the garden doesn’t provide alcohol, and people coming in can’t bring their own either.”

Unable to drink alcohol, scholars found it rather dull when spirits rose, so they all ordered tea and refreshments, especially seeing these were provided by famous restaurants in the capital.

Just adding a delivery fee, what could normally only be eaten at the restaurant could be delivered to Chu Garden. Sitting while watching competitions and eating—it was truly elegant.

Chu Lan and Jiang Shi listened with mouths agape. Chu Lan was better off, but Jiang Shi managed household affairs. Instinctively she turned her palms over and over—inside and out, this wasn’t losing money, it was making money!

“Where’s the money?” She couldn’t help but blurt out.

All in Chu Zhao’s hands?

The young servant’s expression became somewhat melancholy: “Miss said she’s not a household elder, and Chu Garden isn’t meant for holding literary gatherings. Having servants work here isn’t their proper duty, so—”

Jiang Shi’s hands clenched tight: “So what?”

The young servant didn’t speak. The female servant beside her said faintly: “Miss distributed all the money to the servants who worked.”

The rules for distributing money were also simple. No distinction between men and women, old and young, no distinction by seniority, and certainly no distinction between rough laborers doing cleaning or delicate maids serving Master, Madam, and Young Master. Only one rule: more work, more pay.

The money distributed grew more and more.

Resentment and envy surfaced on the young servant’s and female servant’s faces. Miss Chu Zhao hadn’t captured them too. Otherwise, they could have made a fortune.

Speaking of working ability, they were Master and Madam’s most capable attendants, better than any other household servant. If they had gone, they surely would have received the most money!

Unfortunately, precisely because they were Master and Madam’s capable attendants, Miss Zhao hadn’t taken them—being a junior after all, she wouldn’t really pull away all the people serving her elders.

Alas.

Chu Lan felt his ears must be mistaken—he seemed to hear sighs from these two servants before him.

This was truly infuriating! Chu Zhao was using money to buy people’s hearts. No wonder his beloved maid, even after being captured, refused to sneak back!

Jiang Shi clutched her hands, turning her palms over and over, calculating how much money was earned, then calculating that it was all distributed. Her breathing alternated between rapid and choked. She didn’t even know what to say, only murmuring: “She’s really willing to part with it! How can she bear to part with it!”

Perhaps—she should take over after all. She was, after all, the mistress of Chu Garden.

……

……

Qi Leyun lifted the carriage curtain to look ahead, her expression somewhat surprised. She said to Chu Tang: “There are so many people by your house.”

Chu Tang also looked out and nodded: “Not surprising.”

It had spread throughout the city. Along their way here, they had heard “Small Spring-Gazing Garden Literary Gathering” mentioned several times.

“So where do we enter from?” Qi Leyun asked. “Chu Garden also has a gate on this side.”

Chu Tang thought for a moment: “We’re here to see the literary gathering, so let’s enter from the Chu Garden side.”

Another girl was somewhat worried, watching the scholars coming and going: “What if they don’t let us in?”

The Third Prince’s Spring-Gazing Garden Literary Gathering didn’t allow women. Even the two princesses arguing with the Third Prince couldn’t change that.

Chu Tang laughed: “What are you thinking? People come here precisely to compete with women. How could they not let women enter?”

That’s right. The girls all laughed. How confused. So they got out of the carriage and, led by Chu Tang, walked in.

Outside Chu Garden’s gate were ten servants responsible for guiding people and checking—not like the Spring-Gazing Garden Literary Gathering which required demonstrating talent before entry, but asking for names was still necessary.

Seeing Chu Tang, the servants recognized her and quickly bowed: “Miss Tang.”

Because they were women, other scholars entering and exiting also looked over. However, they said nothing.

Chu Tang said: “I’m just showing everyone around casually. You don’t need to pay attention to me.”

That servant hesitated briefly, then indeed stopped attending to her, saying with a smile: “Miss Tang knows the way, so I won’t guide you.” Having said this, he left Chu Tang and hurried off busily.

More work meant more money. Guiding one less person meant one less share of money—Miss Tang was family, so money couldn’t be charged.

Though Chu Tang indeed hadn’t planned to have servants attend to her, she hadn’t expected the servant to be so unceremonious, really abandoning her the moment he said he would.

A girl beside her laughed softly: “Ah Tang, this doesn’t even seem like your home anymore.”