She quickly knelt, “Madam speaks too severely. It’s Xu Xing who isn’t following the rules. How could you lower yourself to see a mere servant… Since madam has spoken, this servant will find him tomorrow, and madam can question him directly about what important business keeps him so busy!”
Gu Jin Chao didn’t even glance at Madam Wang kneeling on the ground, but instead began questioning Wen Laowu, “Since you manage the mountain lands, tell me clearly what fruit trees are planted there and how the annual harvest is.”
Wen Laowu’s face reddened as he stammered, “Madam, I… I stutter.”
Jin Chao smiled faintly, “It doesn’t matter, just speak slowly. Focus on the key points—I don’t need to know how many business deals were made in a year or what connections were established with wealthy families. Just tell me about matters related to the estate.” Hu Cheng, listening nearby, suddenly looked embarrassed, his face flushing red. Earlier when Jin Chao had questioned him, he had boasted extensively about his social connections as an estate manager.
Wen Laowu was an honest man, and despite his stutter, explained the estate’s situation in just a few sentences. The mountain land totaled one thousand acres, with only eight hundred acres suitable for cultivation. The remaining two hundred acres were used for poultry. They grew apples, pears, and grapes. In years with good harvests, they could earn five to six hundred taels.
For mountain land, this was already quite a good yield.
After listening, Jin Chao nodded and then looked at Hu Cheng, “Manager Hu seems clever, but knowing how to report properly is an art—you should learn from Wen Laowu. Among my five dowry estates, the smallest is five hundred acres in Xuanwu, probably not much different from Manager Hu’s estate. This estate brings in seven to eight hundred taels of silver annually, growing corn, wheat, and peanuts. I wonder how Manager Hu’s estate compares?”
Hearing Jin Chao’s words, Hu Cheng broke into a cold sweat and couldn’t help glancing at Madam Wang again.
She remained kneeling on the ground, as the madam hadn’t told her to rise.
Hadn’t she said the new madam was young and easy to fool, that they could just perfunctorily deal with her? What young lady raised in the inner chambers would understand farming? And she had five dowry estates and spoke with such authority—was this someone easy to deceive?
A five-hundred-acre estate yielding eight hundred taels—his six-hundred-acre estate barely produced five hundred taels!
Hu Cheng’s voice faltered, “The corn planting time would conflict with peanuts… how could it possibly yield seven to eight hundred taels? This humble servant has little ability; we earn at most five hundred taels yearly!”
The soft fear is the hard, and the hard fear is the unyielding. She simply didn’t want to make an issue of it, yet Madam Wang truly thought she could be bullied.
Jin Chao smiled, “That I don’t know clearly. When the Xuanwu estate manager comes, I’ll have him discuss it with you.” She then turned to instruct Qing Pu to reward the two men with a bag of silver and take them to the back chamber for tea.
Madam Wang’s knees had grown sore from kneeling, but without Jin Chao’s permission, she couldn’t stand up—that would be too disrespectful.
When Jin Chao felt it was sufficient, she finally spoke lightly, “I am the granddaughter of Old Madam Ji and have been familiar with such matters since childhood. Madam Wang shouldn’t try to deceive me about this. Sister Jiang’s dowry will eventually belong to Miss Xi, and if you truly wish her well, don’t stir up trouble between those people and me. I have capable people under me and will naturally manage Sister Jiang’s possessions well. Do you understand?”
Madam Wang hurriedly kowtowed, “Madam misunderstands this servant. How would I dare to incite anyone?” If such an accusation were substantiated, no matter who had left her in service, she would be driven from the Chen household.
Of course, she wouldn’t admit it.
Jin Chao, however, understood exactly what kind of person Madam Wang was. She was old, inflexible in her thinking, and difficult to change once she had made up her mind. To Madam Jiang, she was a loyal servant, but to Jin Chao, this woman was a headache. It was best to set her aside and ignore her.
Jin Chao said, “Today, the Old Madam sent Nanny Sun from the needlework room to serve me. From now on, she will manage the affairs of my chambers. You will henceforth manage the three concubines and the kitchen expenses. What do you think of that?”
This was effectively a demotion, although nominally she remained a head servant. But managing the chambers and managing the kitchen were two entirely different matters. Madam Wang could hardly believe it—after all, she had been left behind by Madam Jiang! Madam Wang kowtowed heavily again, “This servant will naturally obey madam’s instructions. But this servant has assisted the former madam in managing the three attendants for many years without error… This servant doesn’t fear the hardship of working in the kitchen, but fears that others might criticize madam…”
She hadn’t made any mistakes, yet Jin Chao was reassigning her to the kitchen. When the mistresses of the other households learned of this, they would likely criticize her. Moreover, she had been specially retained by Old Madam Chen, and for Jin Chao not to use her was also disrespectful to the Old Madam.
Jin Chao smiled lightly, “New ruler, new ministers—this is a principle everyone understands. Now I am the one sitting here, and anyone in my position would do the same. What does it matter if others gossip for a few days?” She paused, then continued slowly, “I’m more afraid of people stabbing me in the back.”
Besides, she had no intention of driving Madam Wang away, merely changing her area of responsibility. As long as she wasn’t in front of her eyes, it was fine.
Madam Wang’s face reddened, and she was speechless.
She bowed and retreated from the hall, still feeling dazed. Just then, Hu Cheng hurried up and pulled at her, “Madam Wang, what do we do now…”
The maid had taken him and Wen Laowu to the back chamber for tea, and soon the kitchen had sent over wine and cured goose for them to eat. Hu Cheng had no appetite and slipped away to find Madam Wang when no one was watching. “You said we shouldn’t be too respectful to the new madam. But if we displease her, our days won’t be any better!” Since Madam Wang had initiated this, naturally he would come to her.
Madam Wang’s expression darkened further, “Who are you asking? When did I ever say such things…”
She had merely hinted at it. Madam Wang pulled her sleeve away and said coldly, “If you’ve displeased the madam, can’t you figure out a solution yourself? Why ask me!” In any case, she would no longer be in charge of the attendants, so Madam Wang walked toward the back chamber.
Hu Cheng cursed the old woman under his breath but didn’t dare stop her.
If Madam Wang hadn’t gone too far, Jin Chao wouldn’t have dismissed her so directly. Gossip? When had she ever cared about others’ gossip? Besides, it was just a matter like this—who would dare gossip about her? They truly thought she was an ignorant young girl!
Jin Chao instructed a maid to see Wen Laowu and Hu Cheng out. After a while, Chen Xi came with Qiu Tang to learn needlework.
Jin Chao had a large embroidery frame set up under the veranda.
Children’s interests come and go quickly. After a few days of learning needlework, Chen Xi had already lost interest, especially since embroidery was not an easy task. She sat on the embroidery stool looking around restlessly, threading the needle sluggishly, her attention soon drawn to the newly bloomed poppies in the courtyard.
Seeing her lack of concentration, Jin Chao simply had the maid put everything away and asked Qing Pu to bring some gold foil paper. She smiled at Chen Xi, “How about I teach you to make flower ornaments?” She was just a child, after all, and couldn’t be constrained every day, or she would only grow to resent her lessons more.
Chen Xi was startled but her eyes brightened.
When Qing Pu returned with the gold foil paper, Jin Chao made more than ten gold flower ornaments for Chen Xi.
That afternoon, Chen Xi took the box to show Old Madam Chen, “…Mother made them all for me. Aren’t they beautiful?”
Old Madam Chen looked at them with a smile. Young girls all loved delicate, exquisite trinkets. She teased Chen Xi, “While learning to make flower ornaments with your mother is good, you must also learn embroidery well. Someday you’ll embroider a screen with antique designs for your grandmother.”
Chen Xi nodded very seriously, counting on her small fingers for Old Madam Chen, “Mother has taught me fifteen patterns that I can embroider.”
After Nanny An carried Chen Xi out to play, Old Madam Chen said to Jin Chao, “When she was young, I had her practice plum blossom seal script for two hours every day. She would practice until she cried. Now, as long as no one mentions it, this child doesn’t even touch a brush… Her temperament is unsettled; you must be attentive with her.”
Jin Chao smiled, “Children are all like this.”
Old Madam Chen nodded. When Nanny Zheng came in to ask where to set up the meal, Jin Chao prepared to serve Old Madam Chen her meal, but she waved her hand, “…Third Son came by this morning, and he seemed unhappy. You should return earlier today; I still have your Second Sister-in-law to attend to me.”
Was he unhappy when he left this morning? Jin Chao felt somewhat inadequate. After returning to Muxi Hall, she went to the kitchen to prepare several light dishes, but the Third Master still hadn’t returned.
Two candles were lit in the room. Muxi Hall was adjacent to the Fourth Master’s courtyard, and the night was especially quiet, allowing conversations from next door to be heard.
Jin Chao took a copy of the “Book of Changes” from Chen Yan Yun’s study to read. She lay on the couch, growing drowsy as she read. Soon, someone gently nudged her awake. It was Nanny Sun, “Madam, perhaps you should have dinner first. The Third Master often returns late when he attends court…”
Gu Jin Chao closed the book without speaking. Chen Yan Yun had never failed to return home, no matter how late… since she had married him. She shook her head, “Keep the dishes warm in the steamer. I don’t have much appetite.”
Hearing this, Nanny Sun smiled slightly and soon brought her a bowl of silver ear fungus soup.
Jin Chao sipped the soup slowly while reading. Not long after, she heard a young maid announcing a visitor. His steady footsteps entered the room. Jin Chao put down her book to greet him, helping him remove his cloak, “You’ve returned very late today. Have you had dinner?”
Chen Yan Yun looked at her silently. Her expression was serene. She handed the cloak to Cai Fu standing nearby and smiled, “If you haven’t eaten, I’ll have the maid set the table.” She didn’t ask why he had returned so late.
Chen Yan Yun sighed, “Have you eaten?”
Jin Chao replied, “I didn’t have much appetite, just had a bowl of silver ear soup.”
“Then there’s no need.” He nodded and entered the washroom.
Had he eaten or not? Jin Chao couldn’t be bothered to guess. She walked to the door and indeed saw Chen Yi waiting outside. Chen Yi was startled and stammered a greeting of “Madam.” When she asked, Chen Yi finally answered, “…The Third Master was discussing matters with Elder Liang all day. He barely ate anything at lunch, and the dinner that was sent in came back untouched.”