Chapter 62
Support

Seeing Song Wan still calm and unperturbed, neither angry nor jealous, Lin Jiayue felt frustrated. She turned around, took Huai Su’s hand, and, with a smile, said they had paid their respects to Madam before leaving Lan Ting Courtyard.

Heng Wu frowned, “Why is Huai Su mingling with her? Doesn’t she know what kind of person that little harlot is?”

Song Wan gently tapped Heng Wu’s nose, “How many times have I told you not to call her that? What would it look like if someone heard?”

Heng Wu pouted in protest, while Heng Zhi also frowned, “Miss, Huai Su came from the old madam’s room and has always been generous and thorough in her work. She shouldn’t be associating with Concubine Lin. It’s strange that they are so close now.”

“What’s so strange about it? If your skills are lacking, you’ll be defeated and suffer.”

“What do you mean, Miss?”

Song Wan smiled, “I saw Huai Su’s troubled expression just now. It seems she was forced to appear close to Lin Jiayue.”

“Lin Jiayue’s intentions are easy to guess. She wants to use Madam and Huai Su to isolate me, to show that she is favored in the mansion, and to make me jealous. Or she doesn’t trust Huai Su’s loyalty and staged this on purpose.”

“And if Huai Su is being manipulated by Lin Jiayue, it means she had her own plans but lacked the skill and ended up being controlled.”

Placing the red balsam flowers into a small woven basket, Song Wan casually picked out the lighter-colored ones.

Heng Zhi pursed her lips, slightly annoyed, “Miss has always treated Huai Su well. What could she be plotting with Concubine Lin?”

Heng Wu snorted, “It can’t be anything good.”

Song Wan looked up and thought for a moment, “People have many desires, and their intentions are hard to guess. But there’s no need to be overly cautious. If our vigilance is too obvious, it will play into Lin Jiayue’s hands.”

“Should we treat Huai Su as we always have?”

Song Wan shook her head with a smile, “Of course not.”

“We don’t need to be overly cautious, but we must remember today’s events. If you ever feel something is off about her, even if you can’t pinpoint it, keep it in mind and think it over.”

“Remember, trust yourself more than others, and don’t be complacent in your vigilance.”

After picking out the suitable balsam flowers, Song Wan scooped a ladle of spring water to wash the petals and placed them into a stone mortar to crush.

When Lin Jiayue returned, she saw four or five people gathered around a stone table in the courtyard, dyeing their nails. Seeing their clumsy tools and crude methods, she couldn’t help but sneer. Such things, she wouldn’t take even if given for free.

“Is the young madam still busy?”

Song Wan’s fair and slender hand was carefully washed in a porcelain basin, and she took the soft towel handed by Lv Zhu to dry it.

Watching her slow yet elegant movements, Lin Jiayue bit her lip in frustration.

“Concubine Lin, come with me.”

Having Qian Bi carry the box representing the household management of the Marquis Mansion, Lin Jiayue once again stepped into the Lan Ting’s main courtyard. She had personally taken the power from Song Wan’s hands, expecting to see jealousy, resentment, or even a loss of composure, but Song Wan remained calm and indifferent.

“Tea brewed with spring water… please enjoy.”

Heng Zhi placed the tea cup in front of Lin Jiayue and then left.

“What do you want to ask?”

“Will you answer if I ask?”

Song Wan smiled and took a sip from the yellow-glazed tea cup.

Her upright and disdainful demeanor made Lin Jiayue clench her hand under the table. It wasn’t until the handkerchief in her hand was torn that she calmed down.

After a moment of contemplation, Lin Jiayue imitated Song Wan’s actions and took a sip of tea.

“Good tea.”

Song Wan smiled, “It’s just good water.”

Lin Jiayue, imitating her manner, slowly and leisurely diverted the conversation, “What water?”

“Heavenly spring water.”

“What is heavenly spring?”

Song Wan replied, “Rain and snow water are called heavenly spring. The quality of heavenly spring water is clear and light, making it more suitable for Fenglu tea.”

“……”

After just a few sentences, Lin Jiayue couldn’t continue the conversation. After a long pause, she finally said, “Madam has handed over the household management to me.”

Song Wan nodded, “I know.”

Song Wan’s indifferent attitude made Lin Jiayue feel like she had punched a pillow; her excitement at defeating her quickly extinguished like a bucket of cold water, leaving no trace of joy.

“If you don’t understand anything, just ask.”

Lin Jiayue bit her lip, speechless for a moment. She didn’t understand much, so she couldn’t talk about what she didn’t understand.

Although Jiang Man had previously asked her to manage the Marquis Mansion with Song Wan, Lin Jiayue hadn’t done anything. She had never dealt with these matters before, and suddenly being given full responsibility was overwhelming. But she didn’t want to ask Song Wan, nor did she want to show weakness in front of her.

“Have all the household tokens been exchanged?”

Song Wan looked up, and from this one sentence, she knew Lin Jiayue had no ability to manage the household. She frowned but didn’t speak before Lin Jiayue said, “The tea is excellent. Sorry to bother you. I’ll ask the stewardess from the outer courtyard about these small matters.”

With that, Lin Jiayue quickly left with Qian Bi. She fled back to Xiu Yan Pavilion and collapsed on the curved Luohan bed, her eyes vacant.

After a long time, Lin Jiayue opened the box representing the status of the mistress of the Marquis Mansion and took everything out.

After staying in her room for three days and nights, she finally had a rough understanding of the current situation of the Marquis Mansion.

“Crazy, truly crazy.”

Qian Bi asked, “What is Concubine talking about?”

Lin Jiayue sneered, “Do you know how many masters there are in the Marquis Mansion? East and West Mansions combined, all the legitimate and illegitimate branches add up to just over a hundred. But do you know how many servants there are?”

“There are thirty-one people in the main kitchen, fifteen in the tea room responsible for serving tea, brewing medicine, and making snacks for guests, seventeen in the gatehouse responsible for welcoming and guiding guests, and sixteen in the escort department just for carrying the Marquis’s sedan chair.”

“The outer courtyard has twenty-eight people managing the daily expenses of the Marquis Mansion, organizing the monthly allowances for each courtyard, purchasing items, and verifying rewards. Seven people are responsible for managing the ancestral hall and organizing sacrificial vessels.”

“Sixteen people are responsible for night watch and patrol, thirteen in Jixiang Garden, and seventy-two in various storerooms managing clothes, utensils, and other items.”

“Eleven people are responsible for writing memorials and various documents, and managing pens and ink in the writing room, eight in the ceremonial room, and eight in the archive room preserving the old records of the Marquis Mansion.”

“The outer courtyard has nine people in the study rooms for the masters to rest and work, eighteen in the cleaning department responsible for guarding and cleaning the rooms, and fifteen gardeners managing the greenhouse, cellar, and garden.”

“That’s not all. There are also sixteen people responsible for feeding birds of prey, pigeons, fish, and other animals.”

“Do you know? The Marquis Mansion even has an entire opera troupe, and the mansion provides all their food, clothing, and props. Even crazier, the mansion also supports a place called…”

Lin Jiayue found an account book and flipped through it for a moment, “Pingcui Nunnery!”

“The Marquis Mansion supports more than a dozen nuns who chant sutras and perform rituals!”

“And these are just a few. In the courtyards of the old madam, the madam, and the Marquis, there are four first-class maids, several second-class and third-class maids, and many rough maids.”

“The inner courtyard has countless people managing clothes, jewelry, hairdressing, washing, cleaning, and guarding.”

Lin Jiayue’s face was solemn, “There are seven hundred and thirty-one male servants in the outer courtyard alone.”

“There are eight hundred and six maids and old maids in the inner courtyard, not to mention the stewards and shopkeepers outside the mansion.”

“Just over a hundred masters and there are one thousand five hundred and thirty-seven servants in the mansion alone. Do you think Jiang Xingjian is crazy?”

“With so many people to support, no wonder the Marquis Mansion is struggling.”

Lin Jiayue’s face turned pale, “Even if I open a hundred more shops, I wouldn’t be able to support so many people!”