Chapter 320: Exit Xixi

Mrs. Zhou laughed softly as she listened: Didn't I tell you to leave a place for me? Now you know you have a headache, right?

Eleven Niang smiled sarcastically.

Mrs. Zhou looked at it and smiled and cradled Eleven Niang with her elbow: We are all mothers. Others don’t know your concerns, and I don’t know. Besides, Sister Zhen is the only daughter of Mr. Hou. She has been raised in the house since she was a child.

In the madam's house. If you agree, I can bring him to you sometime. He said, covering his mouth and laughing. It's not the words of those who pretend to be a sheep's head and sell a dog's meat, which knocked the other houses into the ditch.

inside.

When I looked up, I saw Mrs. Li walking over.

You are here, she said with a smile, and I was about to go and see the excitement.

Mrs. Zhou and Eleven Niang said nothing more, and went to the back room of the new house with Mrs. Li with a smile.

Mrs. Li leaned into Eleven Niang’s ear and said: Speaking of it, our Mr. Chen Ge is also one of the top officials, but you look at this house and smiled and said, speaking of it, it is not as good as ours. At least our master knows how to give

The children bought some properties. Not to mention the daughter's dowry, they bought a house with three entrances for each of the two sons in Guishu Hutong. There are no entrances and exits from the same courtyard, and they are close to each other. Small things do not create differences, but big things do.

Help. There is something in the words.

Eleven Niang was not easy to talk to, so she smiled and praised Mr. Li several times for his vision.

I'm not boasting. Although our father is a bit poor at being an official, he lives a reassuring life. If there is a job in the family, it is for the eldest son. But the palms and backs of the hands are fleshy, which is not good for the second son's studies or martial arts.

, they are all more strict than the eldest son. Mrs. Li said, with a look of pride on her face. He was selected as a martial arts scholar at the age of twelve. He will take part in the martial arts examination this fall. He dared not say anything else. If he is alone,

We are living in an open house, and as parents we are not worried that he will not be able to open up the situation.

Eleven Niang had never asked Mr. Li about the second son of the Bing family before, just because she was afraid that it would be difficult to evade the conversation. Now when she heard what Mrs. Li said, she couldn't help but be secretly surprised. Just as she was about to say a few words, a little maid came in to invite her.

Everyone went to the flower hall: the banquet began to be laid.

The people in the room returned to the flower hall in twos and threes.

When she got home, she first asked about Sister Xin's condition and found out that she no longer coughed after taking medicine. Then she talked about going to Chen Ge's hometown for a wedding banquet.

Mrs. Tai was also very surprised when she heard that the second son of the Li family was going to take the martial arts exam this fall. Shen Shen said: Send someone to inform Mr. Bai and let people explore the background of the Li family.

The Eleventh Mother is here.

Mrs. Tai added: As for Mrs. Zhou, it's easier to be quick than slow. I'll take a look while the fourth child is not at home. You can wait until the fourth child comes back before replying.

Eleven Niang discussed with Mrs. Tai: Otherwise, we should celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in two days.

Mrs. Tai nodded and said: Send Mother Song to reply to Mrs. Zhou tomorrow.

The Eleventh Mother should be, and the Madam smiled and urged her to go down and rest quickly: after a busy day, she still had to run around about Sister Zhen's son's affairs.

This is my duty. Eleven Niang smiled and said a few polite words to Mrs. Tai before returning to Diao Lun Shui Pavilion.

The foot-high account books were neatly stacked. Hu Bo whispered: In just one afternoon, Aunt Wen finished checking the accounts. Then she took a piece of plain paper to Eleven Niang and said: This is what Aunt Wen wrote. What are the expenses?

The expenses were too large, and those expenses that had not been managed by the person in charge were all written down on it. Then he sighed, Aunt Wen’s calculations were really good. I think there are not many stewards in and outside our house.

Someone who can compare to Aunt Wen.

Really? Eleven Niang smiled and took the account book and turned it over.

Each pen and each item is recorded clearly.

She chinned slightly and asked Hu Bo to send someone to invite Aunt Wen over.

Mrs. Song came in and replied: The things have been delivered. Mrs. Jiang said thank you for your concern. Mrs. Jiang and Miss Jiu can arrive before the Dragon Boat Festival.

Only then did Eleven Niang find out that Jiang Song’s daughter was the ninth child at home.

She nodded slightly and asked Mrs. Song to go to Princess Fucheng's Mansion tomorrow: Tell Mrs. Zhou that the Dragon Boat Festival will be in two days, and she can only find time the day after tomorrow. Otherwise, she will have to wait until June 6th to dry her clothes before she can rest.

.

Although Mother Song didn't know what she meant, she still responded respectfully and stepped back.

Eleven Niang sat down to drink tea and carefully flipped through the account book.

The little maid came in and said: Aunt Wen is here.

Eleven Niang asked her to come in and sit down.

She was a little uneasy: she just followed the deposit list and settled the account, but she didn't know if it was right or not.

It means that if there are still some accounts to be paid, Eleven Niang has to find someone to bring the painting slip.

Fortunately, he comes from a merchant family, so he is very familiar with these unspoken rules on the books.

Eleven Niang said with a smile: I took a look and found nothing wrong. Then she ordered Amber to put it away, meet with the mother in charge tomorrow morning, and then hand it over to the accounting room.

Aunt Wen was a little surprised.

Eleven Niang's behavior is tantamount to reimbursement.

She couldn't help but remind her softly: Every year, the money allocated to the outer courtyard is based on our consumption in the previous year. If there is too much balance this year, I am afraid that the money allocated to the inner courtyard in the future will be lower than in previous years. If it happens in any year

The harvest is not good due to floods and droughts, and the prices of grain, rice, melons and fruits have all increased, and I am afraid that we will not be able to make ends meet. If we go to the outer courtyard to ask for money, others will think that our expenses are too high.

The expenses are too high, which means that the eleventh mother will not be able to take charge of the family.

What she said was that she was wholeheartedly planning for Eleven Niang. But Eleven Niang felt that instead of being so lavish and letting the managers below get greedy according to their own abilities, it would be better to put this matter on the table. This is not what she and Aunt Wen are doing.

Things can be settled through discussion.

What you said makes sense. Eleven Niang said with a smile, it's just that the matter is very important. I think the Marquis is back. It's not too late for me and the Marquis to discuss this matter carefully before making plans.

Aunt Wen was about to speak but stopped.

Eleven Niang changed the topic and talked to her about going to Chen's house.

Aunt Wen listened carefully: Well, Madam is going to meet with the Wang family the day after tomorrow.

Hmm. Eleven Niang said, Mrs. Zhou must take a look no matter what.

Aunt Wen also knew that this matter should be handled with caution, so she gave Eleven Niang a cup of tea and said in a sincere tone: Madam, you have worked so hard.

Eleven Niang took the tea cup and said: There is just one more thing I want Aunt Wen to help me with.

After hearing this, Aunt Wen hurriedly said: Madam, please give me your instructions

I've long heard that Aunt Wen's abacus is good. I want you to help me check the accounts of the house in the past few days, and then see how much each expenditure accounts for and what the changes are every year.

Aunt Wen knew as soon as she heard what Eleven Niang was saying was an insider's talk. But these are matters for the mistress of the house. Today Eleven Niang is having a wedding banquet and is rushing to reconcile the accounts of the outer courtyard and the accounts of the inner courtyard for several years.

She looked a little confused and uncertain.

When Eleven Niang saw it, she said softly: A single tree cannot make a forest. Besides, this is Aunt Wen's specialty. She said it very sincerely.

Aunt Wen thought for a long time and said resolutely: Since Madam thinks highly of me, I will do my best.

Eleven Niang smiled and nodded. After checking the accounts for the month with her mother in charge the next day, she asked Amber to move all the account books of the past three years back to Shuixie, and asked Aunt Wen and Amber to check the accounts in the east room.

, I was doing needlework with Sister Zhen in the east room of the waterside pavilion.

Sister Zhen raised her head several times to say something to Eleven Niang, but when she saw Eleven Niang's calm and serene face, she endured it.

Eleven Niang saw it in her eyes and just pretended not to know.

People must learn to exploit their strengths and avoid their weaknesses.

Mathematics has never been Eleven Niang’s strong point. Otherwise, she would have chosen to major in accounting back then.

Instead of leaving a good accountant like Aunt Wen to figure out the abacus, she might as well embroider and drink tea.

The thought flashed across his mind, and Yan Rong had already directed the little maid to bring up peaches, plums, cherries and cut cantaloupe.

The peaches are peaches that were prized in the palace. Each one is as big as a small fist. There are no such good ones outside.

Eleven Niang asked Yanrong to send some to Aunt Wen and Hubo who were settling accounts in the East, and then she and Sister Zhen had their hands clean and ate cherries.

Binju is here.

Eleven Niang hurriedly invited her over to eat fruit.

Bin Ju had her hair tied into a bun, and wore the pearl flowers and lotus-colored Hangzhou silk jacket that Eleven Niang had rewarded. She stepped forward to salute Eleven Niang and Sister Zhen, and sat down on a small stool beside her.

How is your embroidery doing? Eleven Niang handed over a peach.

Binju thanked her and accepted it with a smile: she just started embroidering. She was so happy that she had just embroidered the plum blossom branches.

This is also very fast. Eleven Niang said with a smile.

Bin Ju smiled and nodded and said: There is free lunch in the house, I just need to cook one in the morning and one in the evening.

The two were chatting.

Sister Zhen ate a few pieces of cantaloupe and then went to embroider.

Then Eleven Niang said to Bin Ju: I want you to come into the house and help me teach Sister Zhen’s children to be red.

I, Binju, am very surprised. I don't have Madam's skill.

I have too many trivial things to teach her wholeheartedly. Shiyiniang said, I want you to give some advice to Sister Zhen. Come after breakfast, Shen Zheng will leave in the afternoon. I will also take care of the meal at noon, and you can do the embroidery work.

You can bring it here to do it. This way it won’t delay your family affairs. It’s one tael of silver a month. What do you think?
To be continued...