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The crowd proceeded to the council chamber. After clarifying all matters, the two main culprits from the kitchen, Wu and Jiang, were punished. Wu received twenty lashes and was sold off, while Jiang, guilty of mistreating the master, was given ten lashes and banished from the estate. Additionally, the kitchen manager, Lou, who shared responsibility, was reassigned to a lower position elsewhere. These individuals were never favored by Chen Feng, as they were originally sent by the Lou family, believed to be the true relatives of the Chu family. They disrespected the Chu family, but behind their backs they have different say about the mistress, especially considering the rural origins of Chen Feng’s family.
As Wu was being dragged away, she protested loudly, “I was sent by the Madam to serve the Master. You cannot treat me like this…”
Chen Feng shouted, “Give her twenty more lashes for daring to meddle in the relationship between the Madam, Master, and me.”
These individuals were all trusted aides of Steward Liu, who remained stern and did not intervene.
The two gossiping women and the two kitchen workers each received twenty lashes and were permanently expelled from the estate. Sanquan and Lancao received ten lashes each and were also banished. Lanhua continued to serve Chen Lu.
Chen Lu pleaded again, asking for leniency towards Sanquan and Lancao. They were spared from further punishment but still had to leave.
The carriage driver had half a year’s pay withheld, while the others were untouched. Chen Lu lacked the courage to voluntarily reward the driver.
Furthermore, due to the poor management by Steward Yang and Steward Liu, they each had three months’ pay deducted. Chen Feng reprimanded Steward Liu severely, causing him to repeatedly beg for forgiveness.
Midway through, the old Marquis and the Marquis of Chu sent word, granting full authority to the Madam for handling the situation. Her decisions aligned with theirs, dissuading anyone considering seeking mercy from the Marquis or the Master.
With the matter settled, it was already nightfall. Chen Feng and Lu walked hand in hand from the council chamber towards the main courtyard.
Chen Lu hesitantly said, “Sister, I want to stay at Third Uncle’s or Uncle’s house.” Before Chen Feng could respond, she added, “Didn’t you always say one should have their own opinions? This is my first one.”
Under the starlight, Lu’s eyes gazed firmly at her, lips pressed together.
Feeling remorseful, Chen Feng replied, “It’s my fault for not managing things well and not understanding the complexities of the estate, which has caused distress to my younger brother. Now that things are resolved, can’t you stay? I will assign you a capable assistant, and no one will dare mistreat you again.”
In the grand estate, even the respectable servants had more prestige than the master himself! It turned out that Dabao was not mistreated because his caretaker, Mama Luo, had a strong background and was adept at handling situations.
Chen Lu shook his head, saying, “These servants look down on me because they look down on your maternal family. I will work even harder in the future to succeed. I want your in-laws to see that your maternal family should not be underestimated. This way, they won’t dare to disrespect you, and your future days will be better.”
This younger brother was always understanding, causing heartache. As he grew older, his self-esteem also grew stronger.
The situation escalated due to the despicable behavior of the servants mistreating their superiors. The household mistress had failed to manage the family well, neglecting her brother, thus bearing some responsibility. Apart from external factors, Lu was also at fault, and his mistake was significant. He was too honest, easily manipulated, and hesitant to confide in his sister. Moreover, he suffered from low self-esteem and lacked confidence, resorting to using money to buy respect. This was a fatal flaw that needed correction.
Chen Feng, feeling both sorrow and self-blame, embraced him, saying, “A’Lu, it’s my fault. Because you are mature, I have overlooked you.”
Chen Lu replied, “You have done well, but I must move out tomorrow. I will visit you in the future.”
He was determined to move out, and no amount of persuasion from Chen Feng could change his mind. A child who was introverted and overly proud, once stubborn, could not be easily convinced.
Chen Feng agreed reluctantly, thinking that forcing him to stay here unhappily was worse than allowing him to move out temporarily. She planned to spend more time communicating with him in the future to build his confidence. It was essential to encourage him to socialize more with others, especially children his age, as his social circle was too limited.
Previously, he only interacted within a few individuals, either with family members who cared for him or much younger children, along with the servants. He mainly supervised a few children, and interact with a few adults, including Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang, who were kind-hearted individuals. Encouraging him to interact with his uncles and younger siblings would be beneficial, and later, finding ways for him to socialize with peers like Chen Yulan and Qin Mu would be important. Broadening his social circles would expand his horizons.
At the crossroads, they parted ways, agreeing to have him sent to Chen Shi’s house the next night. Due to Mrs. Wu’s poor health and his younger sister’s age, staying at Chen Shi’s house would be better. A carriage from the General’s Mansion would transport him daily, ensuring they could still meet for meals at noon in the main courtyard. During his leisure time, he would be encouraged to make friends with children his age.
Returning to the main courtyard, Dabao and Hanyan were waiting in the side room. One was writing on the table, while the other was folding something with a handkerchief.
Upon Chen Feng’s return, they both stood up on the kang.
Chen Feng walked over, and Dabao hugged her first, giving her two kisses, saying, “Mother, have you eaten? Don’t starve yourself, little brother, and little sister. I worry about you.”
Chen Feng returned the affection, giving him two kisses back, and replied with a smile, “I have already eaten.”
Hanyan, impatiently, pushed Dabao aside, then hugged Chen Feng and said while pouting, “Why did Mother come back so late? I missed you so much that I couldn’t eat properly.”
The little girl was becoming more expressive now.
Chen Feng pinched her cheek and said with a smile, “Tomorrow, Mother will personally cook some golden prawns for you to eat more.”
After comforting the children for a while, she sent them away.
Chen Feng then explained the situation to Chu Lingxuan. Chu Lingxuan was furious and blamed himself for being too busy to oversee the estate properly, which allowed the servants to act recklessly, mistreat their superiors, disregard his wife, and even drive away his young brother-in-law.
He cursed, “These despicable servants! Feng was too lenient. I will make time to clear out all those involved, almost to the point of selling them half-dead.”
Chen Feng sighed, “Many of these individuals are old employees sent by the in-laws, so the relationships are undoubtedly complex. By dealing with only a few who went too far, we can save face for both sides. If they are unhappy, we at least have a defense. In the future, I will assess the situation again. Those who behave will continue to serve, and those who don’t can’t blame me anymore.”
Unspoken was the fact that the Lou family did not like her, they didn’t even send congratulations when they got married. Initially, they wanted to marry Second Madam Luo’s illegitimate daughter to Chu Lingxuan as a concubine, but he refused and married her, a “bastard girl” from the countryside. It was easy to imagine the anger of the Lou family’s head. Although Chu Lingxuan didn’t mention these matters to Chen Feng, she still learned some details through Mama Luo’s hints.
The Marquis Lou was a close elder brother of Abbess Liao Chen, who had helped Chu Lingxuan a lot, held a high position, and was also a superior of Chen Shiying. Publicly and privately, he was not someone to offend. Chen Feng didn’t want Chu Lingxuan to be caught in the middle. Hence, she followed the principle of “leaving a way out in all things for a better future encounter.”