Spring in the Hall of Paintings

Since the Eldest Lady, Jueluo, was willing to hand over the authority of managing the household, and it was to be taken over by Yun Lan and Yun Wei, who would soon be married after the selection, there was nothing to be reluctant about. The keys to the account books and the storerooms, and other items, were all handed over by the stewards to Yun Lan, placed right in front of her. Originally, the stewardesses wanted to please Yun Wei. With Second Master Rongxuan’s title and promotions in sight, the Second Branch had fewer people to manage things. The servants, though not bold enough to overstep, still began to have thoughts of their own. While they were cautious, they still tried to find ways to get closer. Yun Wei, unwilling to overshadow Yun Lan, silently sipped her tea, her small face stern, looking like a stone statue with no words, leaving the stewards with no choice but to hand over the items to Yun Lan.

Yun Lan listened carefully to the stewards’ explanations, and in her mind, she started making plans for the staff arrangement. After giving a series of instructions, Yun Wei was left wide-eyed in amazement. Yun Lan’s approach to organizing matters was thorough and meticulous, ensuring that the servants couldn’t slack off while also not assigning them tasks beyond their capabilities. Later, when the matter of monthly allowances was brought up, Yun Lan once again surprised everyone. With quiet mental arithmetic, she was faster and more accurate than any abacus. She flipped through the accounts, where the income and expenses were in disarray—nothing like modern accounting records.

“Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll give you a method. Record the expenditures as I say, and by the end of the month, do a clear calculation. This way, when I check the accounts, it will be clear, and we won’t misunderstand the bookkeeper.”

Yun Lan picked up a brush and began to sketch detailed account records on the table, a method borrowed from modern times. Yun Wei, curious, focused on the lines and boxes, softly asking Yun Lan questions to understand what she didn’t know. Compared to the tedious old account books, Yun Wei leaned towards Yun Lan’s novel method. After Yun Lan explained it to the bookkeeper, the bookkeeper, who had worked in the Tong residence for years, greatly admired her. This way of bookkeeping was clear and simple, but it didn’t leave room for extra profit. He hesitated and said, “Fourth Miss, should we reconsider?”

“What’s there to reconsider? Didn’t I explain it clearly enough?” Yun Lan said, her face showing displeasure. Yun Wei secretly tugged at Yun Lan and lightly smiled, saying, “The bookkeeper is right. This is an important matter. We need to ask Mama and Auntie for their opinion. Fourth Sister’s method is great, but it might not be the best fit right now. The bookkeeper needs to fully understand it, and the servants below aren’t literate and are used to the old way of doing things. If we suddenly ask them to do it like this, they’ll need some time to adjust.”

Yun Lan bit her lip, feeling it wasn’t quite the same. Yun Wei didn’t want to make Yun Lan feel uncomfortable. Their sisterly bond had always been good, and Yun Wei could feel the care Yun Lan had for her. Besides being her cousin, Yun Lan was also one of Yun Wei’s closest friends. After spending so much time in the Tong residence, Yun Wei had rarely gone out. She had been focused on learning domestic skills, including embroidery, music, chess, calligraphy, and managing the household. Knowing she wasn’t as naturally talented as Yun Lan, Yun Wei worked hard and studied late into the night. Her efforts hadn’t been in vain, and the gap between her and Yun Lan was narrowing. She hadn’t noticed it before, but now, sometimes Yun Wei found herself thinking deeper than Yun Lan. Yun Lan was more inclined to relax with Yun Wei and chat. Only Yun Wei could keep up with her thoughts.

“Not everyone is as clever as Fourth Sister. They need time to adjust.”

Yun Wei winked playfully at Yun Lan, and the sharp-witted Yun Lan understood that Yun Wei was subtly suggesting that they, as young women soon to be married, couldn’t make changes to the Tong family rules without consulting the Old Lady and Auntie. Yun Lan appreciated Yun Wei’s kindness but felt a little frustrated. She slowly said, “Alright, I’ll discuss this with Mamu. She’ll definitely agree. You just need to practice it for now so that you won’t be flustered later.”

“Yes.” The bookkeeper was quick-witted and knew when to stop, stepping aside to carefully ponder the new method of bookkeeping. He tried to find any possible mistakes or omissions, looking at the numbers written in Arabic numerals. At that time, Arabic numerals hadn’t yet become as widespread as in later years, so the bookkeeper had to spend some time understanding how to use them properly.

Yun Lan instructed the stewardesses to distribute the monthly wages to the maids and servants. With the increasing number of people in the Tong residence, it was time to provide new seasonal clothing for the maids as well. Since this was related to the reputation of the Tong family, Eldest Lady Jueluo had already set aside 200 taels of silver specifically for this purpose. Yun Lan was sensitive to the value of money. At that time, 200 taels was a significant amount; a fourth-grade official in the capital earned only 80 taels annually, and that didn’t include allowances for ice and charcoal. To put it into perspective, organizing a decent banquet in the capital would cost about 10 taels of silver, not to mention the expenses for daily living. It was no wonder that corruption was so severe during the Kangxi reign.

Thinking of this, Yun Lan felt even more pity for Yinzhen. The future Prince Yongzheng had to deal with many financial shortages, offending a number of officials and forcing them to repay money that had been misappropriated from the state treasury. Yun Lan seemed to be lost in her own thoughts when she noticed a faint flush on Yun Wei’s face. She immediately understood: Yun Wei knew that Yun Lan was thinking of the Fourth Prince. Whenever Yun Lan thought of him, her eyes would shine with excitement.

“Let me in! Let me in! Why are you not giving us our monthly wages? It’s all been stolen by these heartless thieves! If it weren’t for my husband’s hard work and loyalty to the Tong family, now that the family has risen in status, have they forgotten about us? No! I want to speak with the masters!”

The sound of the argument startled Yun Lan. She asked, “Who is it outside?”

“Fourth Miss, it’s the second wife of the Chen family,” one of the stewardesses outside reported. The way Yun Lan had just handled things with such decisiveness made them not dare to underestimate her. “I will send them away immediately.”

“Old Master, open your eyes and see. How can we loyal servants bear this? We should have gone with you, serving you in the afterlife, rather than being humiliated by these petty people. Old Master… woo… Old Master…”

“Let her in. I want to hear what this is about.”

Yun Lan restrained Yun Wei, who was about to speak, and cast a cold, sharp glance around the room at the women present. Was there someone among them who had embezzled or mistreated loyal servants? Yun Lan, having read ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’, knew that the servants in large family estates were rarely clean, but she had never thought they would mistreat loyal servants. Their audacity was simply too much.

Yun Wei opened her mouth but, seeing Second Wife Chen walk in crying and wiping her tears, she sensed something was wrong. Unable to stop Yun Lan, Yun Wei didn’t fully understand the situation, but she believed that under her Aunt’s management, the Tong family would not treat loyal servants unfairly. The Old Madam was so kind and reasonable, and she had always been very strict with the stewardesses. Even though she had delegated authority over the household to the Eldest Madam, was there any major matter in the Tong household that could be hidden from the Old Madam? Moreover, when Yun Wei was with the Old Madam, the Old Madam often spoke nostalgically about the past, reminding Yun Wei not to forget those who had helped or saved you. She had also instructed the Eldest Madam to treat the loyal servants of the Tong family well. If any of them were facing difficulties, they should be helped, and if their sons were honest and upright, they should be given priority in assignments.

Yun Lan had also heard this before, but from the way Yun Wei looked at her, it was clear that she had not taken it to heart. Looking at Second Wife Chen kneeling in front of her, Yun Wei observed that she was wearing a semi-new padded jacket, a long skirt, and a silver headpiece with bright moon-shaped earrings. She was neatly dressed, but her face was covered in tears, as though she had suffered a great injustice and was eager to express her grievances. Occasionally, there was a flicker of greed in her eyes, which quickly disappeared, but Yun Wei noticed it clearly.

“Go and find out about Second Son of the Chen family and his family, report back quickly. I think something is off with her.” Yun Wei called over Lu Yi, whispering instructions. Lu Yi nodded and quietly left to investigate.

Second Wife Chen continued crying, “Fourth Miss, you don’t know. My husband used to serve the Old Master. Our family has been loyal servants of the Tong family for generations, and he even saved the Old Master’s life. But now… now we haven’t received our monthly wages for a long time. Every time I go to ask, they say they’ve already been distributed, but I swear to heaven, I haven’t seen a single coin. My son, who is smart and clever, is already fifteen, yet he hasn’t been given any work. Our family is barely getting by. If I weren’t so upset, I… I wouldn’t be troubling the two young ladies. Please, I’m begging you to take our side.”

She cried while kowtowing, and the sound of her head hitting the ground made Yun Lan feel sympathy. She said, “Get up. The Tong family will not mistreat loyal servants. If someone truly…”

“Fourth Sister is right. The Tong family will not mistreat loyal servants. However, if someone is unfilial and uses the name of loyalty to do wrong, the Tong family will not tolerate it.”

Yun Wei interrupted Yun Lan, not willing to watch her fall into Second Wife Chen’s trap. Although Yun Wei didn’t fully understand the situation, she trusted her judgment, as well as the integrity of the Old Madam and the Eldest Madam. There were stewards who might deceive those above them, but that would not happen in the Tong family. The Old Madam and the Eldest Madam only employed those who had been tested for years. They might take small advantages, but they would not make mistakes on major issues. Because the Eldest Madam was strict, no one dared to deceive the masters, and they definitely wouldn’t withhold wages.

“Sixth Miss, I…” Second Wife Chen hesitated.

The second wife of the Chen family looked at Yun Wei, whose delicate and sweet appearance was now covered in a layer of cold frost. Her clear, bright eyes were pure and untainted, yet there was a faint trace of coldness in them. Her soft, graceful demeanor vanished, revealing the sharpness of a girl from a prestigious family. The second wife of the Chen family stammered, not daring to face Yun Wei. Seeing her like this, Yun Wei gained more confidence. She placed her teacup on the Eight Immortals table and said calmly, “Let’s not even talk about whether the head maid embezzled your family’s monthly allowance. Just consider this: you keep saying you loyal servants are being mistreated, with the old master constantly on your lips, causing a scene and crying in front of us sisters—this is the loyal servant of the Tong family? Today, I’ve truly gained some insight. You’re not seeking sympathy, you’re tarnishing the reputation of the Tong family, causing disgrace to the old lady and the first wife, even disturbing the peace of the late Master. Just for this, you should be punished.”

“Sixth Sister…”

“Fourth Sister, you also agree with this, right?”

Yun Wei did not relent. Yun Lan was taken aback. Yun Wei would not make a wrong decision, so she nodded, “It’s up to you.” Yun Lan calmed herself. She realized she had made the mistake of jumping to conclusions without investigation. This was a major taboo in managing people. Moreover, the things the Second Wife Chen had said were careless; in the eyes of the ancients, it showed a lack of propriety. Yun Lan fell silent. Second Wife Chen, drenched in cold sweat, hadn’t expected the usually silent Yun Wei to catch her in a lie. She had thought that since the two girls were young and inexperienced, as long as Yun Lan believed her, she could get what she wanted. Yun Wei, however, rarely spoke up, and when she did, it was effective.

“Miss, I have something to report.”

Lu Yi approached Yun Wei and whispered in her ear. Yun Wei furrowed her delicate brows and looked at Second Wife Chen with a stern expression. “Alright, Lu Yi, you may leave.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Yun Wei narrowed her eyes and said, “You say the steward embezzled your monthly wages? You claim your husband is loyal and reliable? And that your son is clever and well-behaved? Is this true?”

Second Wife Chen turned pale. Yun Wei slammed the table. “Tell me, has the Tong family mistreated you? Or have you deceived the masters?”

“Can’t answer, can you? Your husband did have merits. When he was young, he served the Old Master diligently. But he shouldn’t have gotten involved in drugs or become addicted to gambling. He was originally the steward of the outer estate, but gambling caused him to neglect his duties. Out of consideration for his past service, the Eldest Madam didn’t reprimand him too harshly but removed him from his position. What about your son?”

“Sixth Miss, he is a good boy. I wouldn’t lie.”

“Your younger son is fine, but your eldest son… I’m ashamed to even speak about it.” Yun Wei took a deep breath and said, “The monthly wages were arranged by the Eldest Madam. It has nothing to do with the stewards. The Eldest Madam is compassionate and knew that your husband would eventually spend it all, so she saved it up, waiting for your younger son to be assigned a position. She intended to give it to your most promising son. But you took the Eldest Madam’s good intentions as malice? Don’t you know your husband’s nature? He got addicted to drugs. People without strong willpower can’t quit, and as for your family, is it really so hard off?”

“Sixth Miss, spare me! I know I was wrong, I was wrong! Please, Sixth Miss, spare me!”

Yun Wei replied indifferently, “The rules of the Tong family are clear: mistakes must be punished, and merits must be rewarded. Although Fourth Sister and I are young and may not fully understand the rules, we won’t tolerate breaking them. Come, take Second Wife Chen out and give her twenty lashes. The first reason is for her loud disturbances, disturbing the spirit of the Old Master and slandering the Tong family. The second reason is that she tried to deceive her masters. Second Wife Chen, do you accept your punishment?”

“Yes, I accept it, I am truly sorry, Sixth Miss. Thank you.”

Yun Wei added, “Let me say one more thing. As a mother, you cannot be biased. What kind of son do you think your eldest is, being treated like a precious gem? You need to understand that whether your family can remain in the Tong household or thrive depends on how you treat your neglected younger son. A strict father produces a filial son, but a doting mother spoils her children. Let this be a lesson to you. With your husband addicted to drugs, he must quit. No matter how much wealth you have, a gambler can still lose it all.”

“Yes, yes, I will remember Sixth Miss’s words. I will never forget.”

Second Wife Chen wiped her tears and went out to receive her punishment. Yun Wei gave a signal to Lu Yi, who followed her out. Although Second Wife Chen had impure motives, she had exposed the actions of many of the stewards, including instances of embezzlement. She had also shared many things with Yun Lan, which had offended the stewards. This punishment was bound to be severe, but Yun Wei didn’t want it to go too far, so she had Lu Yi monitor the situation.

Yun Wei scanned the quiet room and said calmly, “The lesson for Second Wife Chen is clear. As I’ve said before, the Tong family will not mistreat those who are truly loyal. Similarly, we will not tolerate the arrogance of slaves. Do you all understand?”

“Yes, we understand, Miss. We will remember.”