Chapter 43 : I believe Elder Sister can handle it well

In these times, finding a job is very difficult.

The young servers at tea houses, the tea girls, and the delivery runners on the street only make one or two taels a month. Slightly better jobs might offer around three taels a month. These are already considered very good jobs, and they require working almost every day without a single day off.

People in these times can’t afford to rest, everyone is afraid of losing their job. For hired help with contracts, like Aunt Fu or Aunt Qiao, they might earn about three taels a month, but their daily needs are covered by the employer, which saves them a significant amount of expense.

Such jobs are the best and also the hardest to find. Cui Yunzhao recalled that even when tracking Bai Xiaochuan, jobs that required one’s life to earn a future only paid about three to four taels a month.

So how could Gu Yuan earn this amount?

Cui Yunzhao silently complained, but didn’t show it on his face. Huo Tan remained calm and collected, as if the Old Lady hadn’t said anything earth-shattering.

After speaking, the Old Lady cleared her throat and said with a threatening tone, “Ninth Young Master, if you want to gain something, you must give something in return.”

The Old Lady was quite interesting. She had been so protective of the other children in the family, thinking that Huo Tan not contributing to the family treasury was outrageous and neglectful of the household. But now, she was only concerned about Gu Yuan, her own maternal family.

Such cold-heartedness and bias were truly chilling.

Cui Yunzhao had previously thought the Old Lady treated Huo Xinzhi and Huo Chenzhang quite well, but now, it seemed that Gu Yuan was truly her favorite.

Huo Tan didn’t seem to be intimidated by her threat. He simply furrowed his brows, thought for a moment, and then said, “Grandmother, in these times, it is extremely difficult to find a job. I remember Cousin Gu used to work at Baiwei Restaurant. Why did he stop?”

Gu Yuan had obtained that position under Huo Tan’s influence. He was indeed lazy and gluttonous, lacking any notable skills, but he hadn’t caused major trouble. Huo Tan had chosen to let it be and not mention it further.

The Old Lady had thought Huo Tan was unaware, but now that he had exposed it publicly, her expression wasn’t very pleasant.

“That job was very hard. Gu Brother’s health is poor. He fell ill after working there for two months and couldn’t continue.”

“Moreover, the pay wasn’t much, and the manager’s attitude was bad. We didn’t want to endure that.”

Huo Tan remained silent.

Huo Xinzhi spoke up, “Grandmother, is our family less valuable than Cousin Gu?”

The Old Lady’s face stiffened. She glanced at the stern-faced Huo Xinzhi. She hadn’t wanted to provoke her, but seeing Gu Brother pleading, she had to grit her teeth and compromise.

“Xinzhi, we are all one family. There’s no need to differentiate between you and me.”

“Ninth Young Master, if you can find a job for Gu Brother, I’ll agree to let you live on your own, but you must still take care of the entire household.”

Huo Tan suddenly smiled.

Cui Yunzhao turned her head and saw his expression was calm, although he was smiling, his eyes remained indifferent.

“Grandmother truly cares for the younger generation and looks after maternal relatives so attentively.”

Huo Tan continued, “There aren’t any jobs that pay three or four taels. If you don’t want to work hard, you won’t find such a job. Jobs that pay two or three taels are available, such as a warehouse keeper or a night watchman at a large restaurant. These jobs would likely offer that amount.”

“Sheltered from the wind and rain, if Grandmother agrees, I can arrange it for you tomorrow.”

Although Huo Tan had not been in Boling for long, he was quite familiar with Boling City. Cui Yunzhao noticed that he was usually thoughtful and had many acquaintances in Boling City due to his routine patrols.

His willingness to arrange this meant it was feasible.

Cui Yunzhao sighed with relief. She had initially planned to handle it herself, as she had many shops and arranging a job wasn’t difficult for her.

Upon hearing Huo Tan’s words, the Old Lady showed a flicker of surprise on her face but quickly masked it, asking, “Is there no better option?”

Huo Tan looked at her with a slight smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Grandmother, jobs don’t wait for anyone.”

The Old Lady instinctively glanced at Gu Yinhong, who subtly made a gesture, and immediately said, “Then let him be a night watchman at the large restaurant. At least he can get a good night’s sleep and won’t be too tired.”

Huo Tan straightforwardly replied, “Good.”

The Old Lady was pleased and smiled, giving herself a way out, “I said, Ninth Young Master is the best.”

Huo Tan didn’t respond, but Lin Xiu Gu cleared her throat and said, “Mother, can we continue discussing the household matters?”

The Old Lady seemed to still be angry with Lin Xiu Gu, but when she heard the question, she snorted coldly in acknowledgment.

Lin Xiu Gu then looked at Huo Chenzhang, intending to continue the previous discussion.

But before she could speak, Huo Tan interrupted.

Huo Tan turned to Lin Xiu Gu with a sincere look in his eyes. “Mother, I understand that Father had the family’s best interests at heart, but it seems there are some issues.”

“As the eldest brother, I am the only one in the family with a position. How can I not contribute to the family treasury when both I and my wife rely on the household for our needs?”

He noticed Lin Xiu Gu’s anxiety and gently patted her arm.

However, Huo Tan didn’t speak immediately.

He paused for a moment, then looked back at Cui Yunzhao.

Cui Yunzhao was not concerned about Huo Family’s current assets. She quietly watched the drama unfold, without any personal opinions or ideas. No matter how Huo Family calculated their finances, her own life would go on as usual.

But now, Huo Tan turned to her.

It seemed that Huo Tan wanted to ask for her approval and see if she agreed.

Cui Yunzhao was surprised.

It appeared that Huo Tan indeed considered her part of the family. As a couple connected by fate, he wouldn’t exclude her from any decisions he made. Even in the current dispute over property, he wasn’t taking full control on his own.

Cui Yunzhao felt reassured, as if she had just had a warm cup of tea, and felt quite comfortable.

She smiled and nodded at Huo Tan. “My lord, let’s leave everything to you.”

The implication was that she entrusted everything to him.

Indeed, the Cui family’s daughter was generous.

Huo Tan gave her a deep look and nodded, then turned to Lin Xiu Gu.

He spoke directly, “Mother, since the younger siblings are still growing up, and I need to show filial piety to both you and Grandmother, I will hand over my monthly salary to the household as a contribution towards supporting the elders and my siblings.”

“Additionally, since Father has made arrangements, I must follow his will. From now on, the spoils and rewards I receive will not be contributed to the public fund, but we still need to contribute a portion for our daily expenses.”

Huo Tan handled matters with great finesse.

This was also his sincere intention.

Lin Xiu Gu’s eyes turned red. She bit her lip, looked at her son’s resolute expression, and finally nodded, “Alright, I will follow your lead.”

Huo Tan’s face broke into a bright smile.

His smile was clear and refreshing, like a warm spring breeze, making everyone feel at ease.

Huo Tan poured himself a cup of wine and raised it in a toast to everyone. “We are family. I am still Grandmother’s grandson, Mother’s child, and your brother. That will never change.”

Cui Yunzhao, sitting beside him, also picked up her teacup.

She did not speak but her attitude was clear.

Lin Xiu Gu lowered her head and wiped her face, then poured herself another cup of wine. “Alright, we will listen to Ninth Young Master from now on.”

The other children also raised their cups in agreement. Even the Old Lady, though still somewhat grumpy, acknowledged it with a nod. Huo Chenzhang, however, had a flushed face and remained silent.

Cui Yunzhao understood that he was embarrassed. She thought for a moment and then smiled, “Eleventh Young Master’s cup of tea is finished. Let me refill it for you.”

Cui Yunzhao gave Huo Chenzhang an opportunity to save face, and he took the cup with a soft-spoken, “Thank you, Sister-in-law.”

The family clinked their cups together with a clear sound.

“Family harmony and peace,” Lin Xiu Gu said.

The long welcome feast finally came to an end. After the banquet, Lin Xiu Gu had the children disperse and directly called Huo Tan and Cui Yunzhao to her room.

As Cui Yunzhao entered with Huo Tan, Lin Xiu Gu spoke first. “Daughter-in-law, I apologize for the trouble today.”

Cui Yunzhao didn’t feel troubled, but Lin Xiu Gu’s considerate attitude was still comforting.

“Mother, it’s nothing. The current situation in the family is for the benefit of both me and my husband. There’s no trouble at all.”

Lin Xiu Gu shook her head and did not pursue the topic. She looked at Cui Yunzhao with affection. “Daughter-in-law, I want to ask if you are willing to manage the household affairs.”

Cui Yunzhao was taken aback.

Seeing that Lin Xiu Gu was concerned about making her uncomfortable, she quickly explained, “I’m not very skilled in these matters. Over the years, the household affairs have become a mess, and we only manage to scrape by. I know you’re good at this, so I’m asking if you’d be willing. If you’re busy, it’s alright.”

Lin Xiu Gu was already very approachable as a mother-in-law.

After being treated poorly by her own mother-in-law for many years, she didn’t seek revenge but instead treated her daughter-in-law with even more kindness and affection. Her open-mindedness was truly admirable.

Every time, Cui Yunzhao marveled at how Lin Xiu Gu had raised Huo Tan, who was destined to be an emperor.

Her kindness made Cui Yunzhao respond with similar politeness. She smiled at Lin Xiu Gu and looked very understanding and considerate.

“Mother, I have many shops to manage, and I am quite busy. I was planning to hire a general manager to handle the household affairs. However, since you mentioned it, I think it’s a good idea to have someone managing our household,” Cui Yunzhao said with a smile. “Aunt Fu works efficiently, and Uncle Ping is loyal, but as the family grows, these servants won’t be enough.”

This was also something the steward, Sun, had mentioned to her before.

Lin Xiu Gu was taken aback by her words. Huo Tan, who was sipping tea nearby, also looked up at Cui Yunzhao.

Cui Yunzhao was graceful and charming. Though she seemed amiable and unassuming, her decisiveness and efficiency in handling matters made her very convincing.

Just like at this moment.

Cui Yunzhao continued, “Grandmother has many ideas. She is getting old and should be treated with respect and care. However, sometimes she can be like a child, easily swayed by others.”

Cui Yunzhao’s words were well-phrased.

She was effectively saying that the Old Lady was confused, stubborn, and easily manipulated by the Gu family.

Huo Tan was in a good mood and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Cui Yunzhao gave him a sidelong glance and then turned back to Lin Xiu Gu. “So, Mother, the household still needs someone in charge. If you’re not good at it, perhaps we could ask Elder Sister to take on this role. What do you think?”

This suggestion was somewhat unexpected. Lin Xiu Gu blinked, while Huo Tan looked thoughtful.

Huo Xinzhi was indeed a very good candidate. She had just lost her husband and was unlikely to remarry soon. She would be unhappy staying at home all day, so it would be better for her to find something to do. Moreover, she would be able to manage the Old Lady effectively.

This arrangement would be a win-win situation.

Understanding this, Lin Xiu Gu looked at Cui Yunzhao with surprise and delight.

“Daughter-in-law, you’re truly clever. Why didn’t I think of that?”

Cui Yunzhao smiled and replied, “Mother, if you don’t mind, you can let Elder Sister consolidate the family’s assets. Tomorrow, you can come to me and Mother Xia, and we can discuss how to train her to manage the affairs gradually. If she has any questions, she can always ask me.”

“Additionally, the household servants should also be managed by Elder Sister, and all household income and expenses should pass through her hands.”

Cui Yunzhao’s smile was bright. “As a manager, she needs to be familiar with all aspects of the household.”

“I believe Elder Sister can handle it well.”