In the morning, Jiang Yuancheng woke up early to visit her younger sister.

Afterward, he went out to play with his little friends.

Jiang Yuanxi looked at him enviously and thought, once she could run, she would play all over Shengjing.

As the New Year approached, everyone in the household became busy.

Madam Chen took out a thousand taels and sent someone to the market to buy a lot of good things.

When they returned, the shopkeepers themselves delivered everything to the door.

It caused quite a stir at the Duke’s mansion.

The maids in the Duke’s mansion were all envious.

If only they had known to work in the main house, look at now, their salary from last month still hadn’t been paid.

“Li Zi, go get the spring brocade that the second madam bought the other day,” called out Zhao Momo.

Li Zi pouted: “Zhao Momo, we haven’t been paid our salary from last month yet. My parents are waiting for it.”

Soon after, other maids and servants came to inquire.

Zhao Momo had no choice but to inform Wu Cuiyou about it.

Last month’s silver had been used to buy jewelry, and there was no extra money left in the mansion.

Wu Cuiyou was annoyed and had someone punish the troublesome maid, Li Zi.

However, Li Zi’s parents were close to the old madam.

Li Zi went back to complain, and with her mother, Wang Momo, adding fuel to the fire, Wu Cuiyou was soon summoned to Cangwu Courtyard, accompanied by Madam Chen.

The old madam personally looked at the ledger, and after reviewing it, she became enraged.

The ledger showed that once again, not a single cent was left.

Not only that, but there was a debt of two thousand taels owed to the shop outside.

The old madam glared at Wu Cuiyou.

Wu Cuiyou was drenched in cold sweat.

Before she could catch her breath, Concubine Hua and her daughter, along with other concubines from the second house, knelt in front of the old madam.

“Please, old madam, save us. We haven’t seen our salary for several months, and we are running out of time.”

Concubine Hua cried out, and the others echoed her.

“Madam has cut our salaries to buy the spring brocade.”

“With the New Year approaching, the children don’t even have clothes to wear.”

“Please, old madam, decide for us!”

A crowd of people knelt on the floor, and the old madam’s face darkened like coal.

The spring brocade was expensive, worth a thousand gold, and the second house dared to embezzle funds to buy it!

Jiang Yuanxi’s eyes widened as she watched.

[Uncle really knows how to enjoy himself, surrounded by so many beauties.]

The delicate women almost rivaled the emperor’s court.

Looking at Madam Chen, her expression was calm, as though everything around her had nothing to do with her.

Jiang Yuanxi couldn’t help but admire her mother.

[My mother has great composure.] Not distracted by the beauties.

Hearing her daughter’s compliment, Madam Chen felt pleased.

However, when she looked down, she saw her daughter eyeing the women from the second house with a greedy look.

[That one is nice, her eyes are big.]

[This one’s not bad either.] Jiang Yuanxi gazed at another woman’s chest. [Quite big.]

[The one at the back, her hips are big, she’ll have sons.]

Madam Chen felt helpless for the first time.

This, where did she learn all this from?

Such a young age, and acting like a hooligan.

Who taught her good, obedient daughter such things?

The concubines went on to list many wrongdoings of Wu Cuiyou.

Wu Cuiyou, kneeling on the ground, gritted her teeth, wishing she could tear them apart.

“Mother,” Wu Cuiyou said, “I only bought one piece of spring brocade, and the silver wasn’t spent only by me.”

Wu Cuiyou spent money recklessly, and without Madam Chen’s financial support, there was little silver left. She set her sights on the funds in the ledger.

But the second house’s Jiang Qisheng had also used a lot of it.

Now that things had escalated, the old madam was having a headache.

If Wu Cuiyou continued to manage the household, it would probably lead to unrest.

The old madam looked at Madam Chen.

From that glance, Madam Chen immediately knew what she was thinking.

Madam Chen hesitated. “Mother, my sister-in-law manages the household; I cannot interfere.”

Madam Chen displayed her usual virtuous composure.

Even the old madam cast a strange glance at her.

But one couldn’t deny that Madam Chen had managed the household well all these years, and there had been no problems.

Moreover, her dowry was substantial. If she were to cover this shortfall, the second house could continue to manage the household.

The old madam subtly signaled Wang Momo.

Wang Momo immediately tried to persuade: “Madam, you are mistaken. In a big family, prosperity and loss come together. How can you stay out of it? Moreover, with your abilities, solving this problem should be easy.”

Madam Chen lowered her eyes.

What Wang Momo said made sense.

The general was also from the Jiang family, and if the Duke’s mansion was harmed, it would be embarrassing for the general.

Perhaps a donation of five thousand taels?

As soon as this thought appeared in Madam Chen’s mind, it was interrupted by Jiang Yuanxi.

[Hmph, she’s eyeing my mother’s dowry.]

Jiang Yuanxi glared at Madam Chen.

[Mother, don’t listen to her; she’s manipulating you. Don’t give her a single cent. If you do, I’ll go to the kitchen tomorrow and hang myself with a noodle.]

Noodles? Hang myself?!

Madam Chen was speechless: What kind of strange death method is that?

But after her daughter’s reminder, Madam Chen immediately understood.

She softly said, “Wang Momo, your words are reasonable, but debts have their owners.”

In short, whoever spent the money should be the one to make up for it.

The old madam’s eyes shifted slightly, and the handkerchief in her hand was squeezed out of shape. When did the main house become so clever?

Wu Cuiyou looked at the old madam for help.

“Mother, I really have no money left.”

All the money had already been spent, and there was no spare money to repay the debts.

The old madam wanted to say something but saw Madam Chen and her servants already turn their heads to look at the scenery outside.

The main house was really getting more and more unreasonable.

“Fine, grandchildren’s debts are to be repaid by the elders. Wang Momo, fetch five thousand taels. The rest can be left in the public funds.”

In the old madam’s eyes, no matter what Madam Chen was like now, as long as she remained in the Jiang family, all her assets would eventually belong to the Duke’s mansion.

The old madam had received many silver notes from Madam Chen over the years, and her savings were thick.

Recalling the silver that Madam Chen had given her over the years, Old madam felt pain in her heart.

The concubines and mistresses in the second house were in a panic.

The concubines, involved in business dealings, had been sold off by the second madam, most of them sent to the brothels.

If Wu Cuiyou continued managing the household, what future would they have?

One of the concubines, in front of the old madam, slammed into a door, blood splattering everywhere.

There was no time to stop her.

The old madam, a long-time Buddhist practitioner, fainted on the spot.

Wu Cuiyou was stunned.

Madam Chen quickly covered her daughter’s eyes, also startled.

There was no one to take charge.

The situation became chaotic.

“Wang Momo, go fetch a doctor for this concubine and the old madam. Chun Zhi, go get the Duke. Zhao Momo, trouble you to fetch the second master.”

“And,” her expression turned cold, “everyone shut up. If I hear who talks about this outside, they’ll be sold immediately.”

Madam Chen handled everything with ease.

The maids and servants seemed to have found their anchor, and they quickly returned to their tasks.

After treatment, the old madam was only shocked.

However, the concubine from the second house lost her life.

Madam Chen sighed.

At this moment, Jiang Qisheng rushed over after hearing the commotion.

Upon seeing Madam Chen, Jiang Qisheng froze for a moment.

No wonder Jiang Qisheng was stunned.

Madam Chen had given birth to five children, and her beauty had not diminished with age. She was elegant and noble, standing out among the crowd.

Wu Cuiyou, seeing this, gritted her teeth in anger.

Years ago, Jiang Qisheng had sought to marry Chen Xinwan but failed, which led him to marry Wu Cuiyou instead.

After all these years, Jiang Qisheng had never given up.

Now, the two were exchanging glances right in front of her.

Madam Chen turned her head and saw Jiang Qisheng’s gaze.

She furrowed her brow slightly.

Chun Tao stepped forward, standing in front of Madam Chen.

Madam Chen said, “Since the second master has arrived, I’ll take my leave.”

Jiang Qisheng reached out to stop her, but Madam Chen cleverly avoided him.

The second house’s problems were theirs to handle; she no longer wanted to trouble herself with them.

A pot of muddy water had been stirred, and it was sure to be a beautiful sight.

But in the end, the main house was still part of the Duke’s mansion.

How could they escape from it?