Chapter 63
Game

“Every month, just the servants’ allowances amount to over seven hundred taels, and with the masters’ allowances, the expenses exceed a thousand taels.”

“And this doesn’t even include the rewards for the servants.”

Lin Jiayue flipped through the account book. The rewards for the servants took up more than ten pages, and she roughly estimated that this alone added over two hundred taels of silver.

“Then there are the costs for house repairs, fabrics, paper and ink, various supplies, and food procurement…”

The account book made her head spin and filled her with dread.

“Although the Marquis Mansion has a few profitable businesses and estates, they rely on annual yields dependent on the weather. The income from my ice shop and rouge shop has now become the main source of income for the Marquis Mansion.”

Lin Jiayue pursed her lips, feeling increasingly resentful.

She almost entirely supported the large Marquis Mansion, yet she still had to look at others’ faces?

With a bang, she slammed the account book shut, raising her eyebrows angrily and sneering, “No wonder Madam always praised me for being good at making money during card games. I thought she was complimenting my card skills.”

“Now that I think about it, she was referring to my two shops.”

“No wonder she always casually mentioned that I should start a few more businesses. She was waiting for this.”

Lin Jiayue gritted her teeth in anger. She had thought that getting control of the household was due to her cleverness, making Mother Jiang so happy every day that she didn’t even care about the old madam’s life or death. Little did she know that they had planned to hand this hot potato to her all along.

After all, looking at this mess, if she really had any profitable projects, wouldn’t she bring them out?

Clenching her fists, Lin Jiayue’s face turned pale.

Mother Jiang was right. Even if she didn’t have any profitable businesses, she would be forced to create a few.

When she first entered the Marquis Mansion, the old madam and Mother Jiang treated her as if she were invisible. No one would even respond to her, and she felt like she didn’t exist. But after earning money from the ice shop and rouge shop, how did Mother Jiang treat her? How did the servants treat her?

In the inner courtyard of the Marquis Mansion, she had no name, no status, and no background. To surpass Song Wan, she had to prove her ability and hold the household power!

Lin Jiayue understood that one must prove their value to be respected, but…

She was just unwilling.

Song Wan had a better background and could stand on the clouds effortlessly, while she had to support these bloodsuckers and try to please them!

“Qian Bi…”

“I’m here.”

Lin Jiayue lowered her eyes and hesitated for a long time before speaking, “As a concubine in the Marquis Mansion, if I want to leave, what can I do?”

Qian Bi was startled and quickly covered her mouth.

“Please don’t say such things.”

Qian Bi hugged Lin Jiayue and whispered in her ear, “Although I haven’t read or written, I understand human nature. Concubine, you are different from ordinary women. You are a heroine, stronger than many men.”

“In Xiu Yan Pavilion, you never treated us as servants. You ate and sat with us without disdain.”

“But no matter how strong you are, you can’t leave the inner courtyard of the Marquis Mansion.”

“Don’t be offended by my words, but a concubine is no different from a servant. There are only three ways for a concubine to leave the master’s house.”

“Either you make a mistake and are sold by the master, or the master sends you away, or you are given as a reward to other servants or guests.”

“Servants who are sold usually don’t have a good end. Even if they don’t die, they suffer greatly. And the Marquis Mansion has never had a precedent of sending concubines to entertain guests.”

Lin Jiayue murmured, “What about the third way?”

“Escape from the mansion.”

Qian Bi said, “I once heard that a concubine and a servant in another household had an affair and tried to elope. But in a place like the Marquis Mansion, you could never escape.”

“The mansion is full of people. Even if you get up at night to walk in the courtyard, maids will ask questions. Not to mention, each courtyard has side gates guarded by maids and patrolled by others. Even if you manage to leave Lan Ting Courtyard, you won’t be able to leave the inner courtyard.”

Qian Bi half-squatted and lowered her voice, “Even if you escape, you will be caught within three days.”

“Whether military or civilian, without a travel permit, you can’t go beyond a hundred miles.”

“You don’t have a household registration or a fish scale token. Where would you get a travel permit?”

As she spoke, Qian Bi began to cry, “Please don’t have such thoughts. There is no better place than the Marquis Mansion.”

If Lin Jiayue ran away, Qian Bi would be the first to die! No matter what, she had to dissuade her.

“Now, you are deeply favored by the Marquis and have just taken over the household management. When you give birth to the Marquis’s eldest son, the entire Marquis Mansion will be under your control. What won’t you have then?”

“Please listen to my advice and don’t make any mistakes.”

Wiping away Qian Bi’s tears, Lin Jiayue nodded to show she understood. After calming herself, she took out a charcoal pencil and paper, lost in thought.

One wrong step led to another. She had followed Jiang Xingjian into the Marquis Mansion without understanding, and now it was difficult to leave. She did have feelings for Jiang Xingjian and couldn’t bear to leave like this.

Suppressing her resentment, Lin Jiayue began to write and draw.

The next morning, she took a stack of drawings to Jiangxiang Courtyard.

“How are you feeling today, Madam? Are you still tired?”

Mother Jiang smiled, “Much better.”

Lin Jiayue, smiling brightly, said, “I thought all night and came up with another money-making business.”

“Oh?” Mother Jiang eyes brightened, and her smile became more sincere. “What kind of business?”

“Yue’er wants to open a general store.”

“A general store…”

Seeing Mother Jiang’s smile fade, Lin Jiayue lowered her eyes to hide the coldness in them. “Yue’er’s general store will be different from ordinary ones. Everything sold in my store will be unique in the entire capital… even in the whole world.”

“But Yue’er feels uneasy and wants Madam’s approval.”

Hearing that it would be unique in the whole world, Mother Jiang knew the business couldn’t be bad. She looked Lin Jiayue up and down and then said, “What do you need? Just tell me.”

“Yue’er comes from a humble background and has no support. Although Madam and the Marquis treat me well, I am always anxious and uneasy.”

“Although I now manage the household, I still… don’t feel secure.”

Mother Jiang frowned and thought for a long time before asking Yuanyang to bring a token.

“This is my token. You can take it. From now on, you will be in charge of the household. But you must be cautious in your actions. If you are unsure about anything, come to me or ask the stewardess in the mansion.”

Lin Jiayue accepted it with a smile and left.

Mother Jiang’s maid, who had accompanied her since her marriage, voiced her concern, “Madam, what are you doing? Giving that little harlot such power? In the future, even the young madam will have to defer to her when she sees the token representing your status. This will completely alienate you from the young madam.”

“What does it matter if we are alienated?”

Mother Jiang sighed, “In families like ours, wives are married for two purposes: to form good alliances that can help Yi’er in his career, and to bear children to continue the family line.”

“Now, Song Wan can’t do either. What use is she to me? Besides…”

Gently pressing her forehead, Mother Jiang’s face stiffened. “How many months has it been? We still have to present offerings to the Consort in mid-autumn, and the head of the Directorate of Ceremonies has always had a huge appetite.”

“In previous years, when Yi’er was not home, we had to grit our teeth and tighten our belts to send offerings. Last year, we even gave away our most profitable estate. I thought we might have to sell the tenant farmers’ land this year, but then this little wretch came along and solved my urgent problem.”

Lying on the couch, Mother Jiang said faintly, “If it weren’t for the need for this money, I would have kicked her out of the mansion during the grand banquet. How could I let a lowly person like her negotiate terms with me?”