CHAPTER 402: CHAPTER 404: THE FAMILY DIVISION (PART 4)

As for the income in the Capital, his wife’s sewing skills are quite remarkable. Each month, she earns some Silver from her sewing, and he looks for other jobs to do. Their family can make ends meet this way.

"Very well!" Xiqiu placed the teacup down, looked at the three of them seriously, and said, "Here’s the plan: Zou Family will go to Shandong, Mrs. Zhu will go to Tongzhou, and Nanny Jin will manage the house in the city. As for the harvest from the fields, each of you will oversee it. It’s the end of the year now, and regardless of how things have been this half-year, I won’t hold you accountable. But six months from now, you must report to me how much you can turn in for the year. The amount is not important as long as there is no deceit. Do you understand?"

After Xiqiu finished speaking, her gaze swept over their faces, and she saw Nanny Jin visibly relax, while Zhu Sancheng remained emotionless with his head lowered, seemingly unaffected by the instructions. Only Zou Bochang appeared bewildered...

"At your service, Madam." Nanny Jin and Zhu Sancheng stood up and bowed to Xiqiu.

However, Zou Bochang’s face changed, and he looked at Xiqiu and said, "Madam, do you disagree with my idea? The fields in Tongzhou truly aren’t suitable for rice cultivation. I have no intention of exaggerating. If we want to succeed there, we must find an alternative path to get some yield." He stood there, looking rather agitated.

It was as if Xiqiu’s disagreement would stifle his talent and the possibility of saving costs for the Tongzhou fields.

Xiqiu looked at him indifferently. She had inquired about the Tongzhou fields and found the situation to be much as he had described, but not as dire. Zou Bochang wanted to do business, but what they needed now was not to forge ahead recklessly; they needed stability. Moreover, what Nanny Jin had just said echoed her own thoughts. Compared to the consequences of the current internal and external troubles, stability was the key.

She pondered for a moment and replied slowly, "Have you considered that if you want to do business, whether through canal transportation or through official routes in the Capital, you must rely on the Xuanning Marquis Mansion, and the Great Governor’s reputation? Especially in the Capital, where you’d be sending things to various mansions’ kitchens, involving the stewards of the internal residences. The network of relationships is complex, to say nothing of how, if they know it’s the Fourth Madam of Xuanning Marquis Mansion doing the business, they would surely give face. But once this favor is granted, it wouldn’t be easy to repay in the future..." She paused and then continued, "The affairs of the inner residence are the most complicated, and the business we are doing involves food. If something goes wrong, what then?"

Zou Bochang had never considered this in such detail before. Now, hearing Xiqiu say this, he was momentarily stunned, his mind racing to find flaws in her arguments, hoping to persuade her to let him go to Tongzhou.

But Xiqiu did not give him a chance. She shifted her gaze back to the three of them and said, "Next year, the Silver Coin for seeds in the two fields, once the year starts, you decide what to plant in each place and come here to collect it. Whatever background, status, or entanglements you had in the Tong Mansion, I won’t consider here. But you must remember, no matter what you do, act according to rules, and avoid stirring up trouble. Do you understand?"

Nanny Jin and Zhu Sancheng nodded faintly.

Xiqiu lifted her tea and finally said, "You should first move into the houses. With the New Year approaching, don’t travel back and forth; stay in the Capital this year. In these two days, I will have someone deliver the New Year’s Silver to you. From today, the matters within the house will be managed by Nanny Jin. If you have any objections, you can come to the mansion to discuss them with me."

And so, after their open and secret struggles for several days, the Fourth Madam decided each of their fates lightly and indisputably... At this moment, they realized that the Fourth Madam had clearly planned their futures well in advance and only asked them to express their thoughts to test them.

Zou Bochang wanted to say something, but Nanny Jin and Zhu Sancheng had already bowed and left. His face was filled with reluctance as he had no choice but to follow them out.

After they left, Chunyan, frowning, spoke to Xiqiu, "Madam, will Zou Bochang cause any trouble?" Xiqiu replied calmly, "I was worried he’d cause trouble, so I rejected his proposal and had him go to Shandong’s field."

As she watched Zou Bochang’s departing figure, Chunyan said with displeasure, "Why did Nanny Qian bring this person along?"

Everyone is driven by money. Zou Bochang certainly has a silver tongue, and Nanny Qian, likely swayed by his grand talk, accepted Silver to help him get this position.

In contrast, Nanny Jin and Zhu Sancheng surprised her quite a bit. Nanny Jin, though she appears honest, has a clear sense of boundaries. She knows what should and shouldn’t be done and what position she is in, along with what she can say and do. As for Zhu Sancheng, though he seems straightforward, he is meticulous and avoids offending anyone. Sending him to Tongzhou is the most fitting choice.

Xiqiu entered the room and brought out the box of silver notes that Fourth Master Xiao had given her a few days ago, handing it to Chunyan, "A total of nineteen thousand taels. A few days ago, we spent some on furnishing the house. Keep the rest carefully, and if the courtyard needs money in the future, take it from here."

Chunyan hugged the box, her eyes suddenly lighting up, and she looked at Xiqiu with excitement, "Madam, did Fourth Master give this to you?" She opened the box, quickly counted it, and exclaimed excitedly, "So we’ll never have to worry about Silver again, right?"

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. She recalled the difficulties back in the Tong Mansion, with the monthly allowance of two taels of Silver for the Madam, which wasn’t even enough to tip the servants. There was no extra Silver. Later, they gathered and decided to embroider items in secrecy and sell them. For this, Madam spent days and nights following behind Sixing to learn embroidery. The books on embroidery sent by the cousin were almost worn out from being flipped through as Madam studied them carefully, stitch by stitch. They worked day and night, earning only an extra three to five taels a month. It wasn’t until two years later that their lives truly improved...

Looking back now, those days felt like an impossible dream, almost unreal.

Holding the box, Chunyan cried and laughed, suddenly feeling a true sense of security in her heart.

Xiqiu looked at her, amused and helpless, and said with a smile, "There’s no need for that. Just keep it safe. There’s no need to contribute from your allowances anymore. Save it for yourself so that, if you get married one day, you’ll have some private savings."

Chunyan’s face turned red upon hearing this, "Madam, how can you say that?" She stamped her foot and went into the inner room, carefully placing the box in a trunk, covering it with cloth, locking it up securely, and carefully hanging the key on herself. She walked out briskly and saw Madam holding a pair of shoes she had been making for Fourth Master for days, yet not finished. She smiled and said, "Madam, I noticed some of Fourth Master’s robes are quite old. I’ll find some fabric to cut them out tonight while you sew, and I’ll assist with the thread, okay?"

She was eager to hold Fourth Master Xiao in high regard.