Yunchu just returned to Xie's Mansion.
Mother Zhou, who was next to the old lady, invited her to Anshou Hall.
Old lady Xie sat on the main seat, and next to her sat Xie Ping, the eldest daughter of the Xie family.
"You're here." The old lady said softly, "Sit down first."
Yunchu sat down and Zhou's mother served tea.
She took a sip. This was the tea that the emperor had given to the Yun family a few years ago. Her mother had someone bring it to her, and she gave it to the old lady as a filial piety.
The old lady hid it for several years before she was willing to take it out and drink it.
She put down the tea cup: "I wonder why the old lady came to me?"
"Chu'er, Mrs. Li, who is in charge of the yard, said that the whole yard will be planted with jujube trees this year?" the old lady said lightly, "Is this what you mean?"
Yun Chu nodded: "I ordered you to go down."
"Mother!" Xie Ping couldn't hold back her anger and couldn't help but speak, "Our family holds a flower-viewing party every spring. If we plant jujube trees this year, won't we be able to hold a flower-viewing party?"
Old lady Xie frowned.
For the sake of the legitimate daughter of the First Grade General's Mansion, many ladies from aristocratic families come to join in the flower viewing party every year.
She had prepared a lot in private for this year's flower viewing party, but now that the flowers were gone, what kind of party could she hold?
Isn't it possible that admiring jujube flowers would make people laugh?
But in her heart, Yun Chu was not a disorganized person. She lowered her tone and said, "Chu'er, why is this?"
"We have so many masters and servants in the Xie family. Does the old lady know how much money we spend in a day?" Yun Chu sighed, "There is a lot of money coming out, but little money coming in. If we don't reduce the expenses, what will happen in the future?" There is no way around it. The reason why I asked Mrs. Li to plant jujube trees is because jujube trees are cheap and easy to maintain. There is no need to change the flowers when the seasons change, which saves five or six hundred taels of silver a year. Besides, jujubes can be sold even if they bear fruit. Go out and count it as a gain."
The old lady looked surprised: "Our Xie family's shops are doing very well, how can it be possible that there are so few people entering?"
Xie Ping followed: "Xie's powder shop is the best one in Osmanthus Alley. The shopkeeper said that he can earn more than a thousand taels of silver a year. Why can't he even grow flowers?"
"More than a thousand taels of silver..." Yunchu smiled, "Sister Ping, you don't know how expensive firewood, rice, oil, and salt are because you are not a householder. More than a thousand taels of silver can't even support the Xie family for a month, so where else can you get it? Planting flowers with spare money? If I hadn’t used my dowry to make up for it, how could the flower viewing party last year and the year before last be so lively?”
Xie Ping said in disbelief: "Mother used her dowry to make up for the loss of the Xie family?"
The old lady put down the tea cup heavily: "This is impossible. It is impossible for my Xie family to use my wife's dowry. Chu'er, there are some things you shouldn't say nonsense."
They come from a scholarly family and are very shameless. If this news gets out, how will Jing Yu behave in the officialdom?
Yunchu raised his hand: "Tingshuang, account book."
Tingshuang quickly presented the various notebooks that had been sorted out long ago.
"This is Xie's house's account book. Every month's expenses and income are clearly written down." She asked Tingshuang to put the account book in front of the old lady's case. "Every month, more money goes out and less money comes in. I'm afraid that old people My wife is worried about these chores, so I haven’t said anything about it. I’ve just finished my talk today, so instead of being questioned, it’s better to speak out and make it clear.”
The old lady was influenced to understand only the Four Books and Five Classics, but she didn't understand business matters very well.
As for Xie Ping, a thirteen-year-old girl naturally knows nothing without anyone to teach her.
"Let An Geer come," the old lady said. "The gentleman said that An Geer is good at abacus. Let him come and take a look at the family's account books."
It is a very shameful thing to use your daughter-in-law's dowry, and you can't just say what Yunchu says.
Since they can't understand, then invite someone who can.
Mother Zhou accepted the order and immediately went to the ancestral hall to invite people.
Xie Shi'an was still kneeling in the ancestral hall, and there was nothing going on on either side, so he soon followed.
He already understood what was going on along the way. After coming over, he greeted the elders and picked up the account book to read quickly.
"Our Xie family is indeed unable to make ends meet..." Xie Shi'an said slowly, "Last year, we received a total of 5,600 taels of silver, but our expenses were as high as 13,000 taels."
Old lady Xie was shocked: "Why is there such a big difference?"
Yunchu might lie to her, but An Geer couldn't.
Xie Shi'an took the account book and said: "The Xie family only has income from the shop, father's salary, and money from Zhuangzi in the suburbs of Beijing. These silver coins are not in the account."
Old lady Xie said nothing, because this was a fact and she had no way to argue.
Tingfeng stood behind Yun Chu and murmured softly: "The money of the master and your lord should be confiscated, but instead it seems that the dowry of a foreigner of our wife has been confiscated..."
Although her voice was very low, everyone present heard her clearly.
Without waiting for the old lady to speak, Yun Chu stood up directly.
She walked to the middle and bent her knees slightly: "Since marrying into the Xie family, whether it is serving the elders, raising children, helping my husband make connections, or managing the affairs of the Xie family, I have done nothing wrong. Now for Save some money and plant jujube trees, but you are subjected to so many interrogations...Old lady, my talents are limited, and the stewardship is returned to you today."
Tingshuang stepped forward and placed the box containing the matching cards in front of the old lady.
The old lady frowned.
At first, the Xie family only had seven or eight maids and mothers, so it was quite simple for her to manage.
But now that the grandson is an official, the Xie family has a big business. It is not an easy task to manage such a big house and so many people.
"Chu'er, you are too worried." The old lady had all kinds of thoughts in her mind, but her face was very kind. She took Yun Chu's hand and said sincerely, "In the past four or five years, it is precisely because of you that our Xie family has become more and more prosperous. The better, you are a great contributor to our Xie family. It was my grandmother who was rude about this today, and she apologizes to you, so please don’t say angry words."
"Old lady, I didn't say anything angry." Yun Chu lowered his head, "Brother An looked at the account book and should know what the situation of the Xie family is now. If I continue to manage the house, the dowry will be emptied sooner or later, and then I will have to pay for it." Go back to the Yun family to get money from my mother, the old lady probably doesn’t want to make trouble at the Yun family.”
Old lady Xie was a little embarrassed.
If the Yun family were to find out that the Xie family had used Yun Chu's dowry, the consequences would range from not supporting the Xie family anymore to being impeached by a memorial.
It took three generations of the Xie family to reach the capital, and there must be no mistakes.
Thinking of this, the old lady said, "Brother An, calculate how much dowry your mother has paid over the years."
Xie Shi'an asked someone to bring an abacus, and after a while he calculated it: "The total is twenty-one thousand two hundred and thirty-five taels."
Old lady Xie felt a pain in her heart.
But she knew very well that no matter how reluctant she was to part with the money, she had to make up for it.
The only thing that makes her happy is that her granddaughter-in-law is devoted to her children, and the money will return to the Xie family sooner or later.
She waved her hand, and Mother Zhou behind her took the order, went into the inner room and took out a thick stack of banknotes.
