Chapter 93 – Let’s See How Long She Can Keep Acting

Xia Tian left Liu Shi’s courtyard and hummed a tune as she returned to Jinglan Courtyard.

Today, she hadn’t brought Ning Xiang and Ning Xue with her. After all, Liu Shi wouldn’t allow them to enter, so the two of them had to stand outside, freezing in the cold.

By the time she reached the door, before she could enter, Ning Xiang and Ning Xue came out to greet her. “Madam, you’re back? You must be starving! The food is already prepared.”

“Mmm, I’m fine.” Xia Tian responded as she entered the room.

Cuiyun was holding a basin of water, and Cuiling was holding a cloth towel, already waiting for her.

Ning Xue took off her cloak, and after Xia Tian washed her hands and wiped her face, she sat down on the heated kang in the warm room.

“I’ve already eaten. Have you eaten?”

“You’ve eaten? Where did you eat?” Ning Xue asked.

“I ate at Huari Hall.”

Ning Xiang and Ning Xue exchanged a look of surprise. Liu Shi would be so kind as to let Madam eat there? Could it be poisoned?

The two of them looked at each other with a shared thought, then each grabbed one of Xia Tian’s arms and asked anxiously, “Madam, do you feel unwell anywhere?”

Xia Tian was puzzled. She had just eaten a meal, why were these two girls reacting so dramatically?

“I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong with me.”

“No, I think we should have the house doctor check your pulse, just to be safe.” Ning Xiang said, already preparing to go out and fetch the doctor.

“Hey, it’s fine, really. Let me finish explaining.” Xia Tian finally understood their concern and pulled them back, “I’m perfectly fine.”

She then explained why she had eaten at Liu Shi’s place.

The three of them were left dumbfounded. Who would have thought that this kind of situation existed?

They couldn’t believe someone would dare to eat a meal at Liu Shi’s place without her consent.

Madam was really daring!

Xia Tian didn’t think it was about being bold. Since Liu Shi was going to make trouble for her, she wasn’t going to just submit and wait to be bullied.

Confronting Liu Shi directly was still not wise. After all, Liu Shi was the matron of the Wu’an Marquis’s residence and her nominal mother-in-law. Whatever arrangements she made would be hard to argue with.

Besides, Liu Shi claimed she wanted to teach her how to manage the household, and to outsiders, this was seen as being the perfect mother-in-law. If Xia Tian dared to oppose her, she would be drowned in spit.

She could easily be branded as an ungrateful daughter-in-law, and that alone would be enough to ruin her.

At times like this, it was all about who had thicker skin.

The next day, Xia Tian ate something small in the morning before going to pay her respects.

Afterward, she followed Liu Shi into the meeting hall as usual, where they started by listening to the reports from the various housekeepers.

At first, Xia Tian could hold back her urge to roll her eyes, but when the old woman in charge of the garden came to report, she simply couldn’t take it anymore.

“I say, Old Lady Li, you said the maintenance fees were already paid yesterday, so why are you asking for more today?” Xia Tian interrupted the housekeeper, who was requesting more money to maintain the garden.

“No, Madam, this is the first time I’ve asked for money. You can’t falsely accuse me.” Old Lady Li retorted, unwilling to accept the accusation.

Since Liu Shi didn’t stop her, Old Lady Li grew bolder, “Madam, you came from a farming family, so you wouldn’t understand the expenses of our Marquis’s household. Our large garden needs constant upkeep, and money is required everywhere.”

“Really? I may come from a farming family, but even if your household is large and needs maintenance, there’s no reason to withdraw money for the same area three days in a row. Doesn’t one payment for maintenance last more than a day?” Xia Tian retorted sharply.

“When did I withdraw money for three consecutive days? You can’t just falsely accuse me, Madam!” Old Lady Li retorted defiantly.

“The Madam surely has records of the expenses. You can check them if you don’t believe me.” Xia Tian sneered. She had seen it with her own eyes—whenever Liu Shi spent money, she made sure to record it on the spot.

Old Lady Li probably didn’t expect Xia Tian to remember so well, but now it was too late to back down. She could only continue to argue, “I did withdraw money these past two days, but not for the same area. The places were different each day, so it was necessary to request more money.”

“Oh? Is that so? Since you say so, I don’t think you’re fit for this position. I suggest you be replaced,” Xia Tian said coldly.

Old Lady Li’s excuses for the past three days had been the same, and now she dared to claim it was for different areas. The key was that this glaring inconsistency couldn’t have gone unnoticed by Liu Shi, unless they were working together.

Xia Tian didn’t want to waste more time with her. She turned to Liu Shi and said, “Mother, I think this Old Lady Li doesn’t care about her duties. There are many places that need maintenance, but she only reports one place each time, wasting your time. Plus, I think she’s been benefiting from this.”

“You’re talking nonsense! I’ve been working here for over a decade, how could I not be conscientious?” Old Lady Li immediately retorted, her face turning red with anger.

“Do you always report the work this way? A little today, a little tomorrow?” Xia Tian continued.

“Yes, I’ve always reported like this. Madam has never said I was negligent.”

“That’s because Madam is kind and hasn’t exposed you. Let me ask you, when buying maintenance materials, is it cheaper to buy in bulk or little by little?”

“Of course, it’s cheaper to buy in bulk.”

“Since you know this, why don’t you consolidate the requests and purchase materials together to save money? Are you pocketing the difference?” Xia Tian asked sharply.

Old Lady Li was so frightened that she immediately knelt down before Liu Shi, “Madam, I’m innocent. I really haven’t taken any advantage.”

Liu Shi saw that Old Lady Li couldn’t take the pressure from Xia Tian’s words and had to intervene, “I believe you wouldn’t have dared to do anything underhanded, but you must be more careful in your work. First, make sure you know all the places that need maintenance before coming to report.”

“Yes, thank you, Madam.” Old Lady Li kowtowed to Liu Shi, grateful and relieved.

Seeing Liu Shi’s obvious favoritism, Xia Tian knew that Old Lady Li had dared to act so boldly because she was getting something out of it. The repeated requests for money were likely just a cover to waste time.

Liu Shi didn’t want Xia Tian to leave quickly, so she manipulated the situation, thinking this would silence her.

From now on, no one was going to get off easy.

“Mother, are you really letting this Old Lady Li off so easily? She’s so obviously trying to fool you. If you let her off this time, she’ll just get worse in the future,” Xia Tian said, pretending to be indignant on Liu Shi’s behalf.

“This Old Lady Li has been here for years and has done her work with dedication. We shouldn’t be too harsh on her for one mistake. You’re still young, and you need to learn more,” Liu Shi explained, her expression calm, though she had to soften her voice.

“But I think one mistake leads to another. I still think we should replace her,” Xia Tian continued, pretending to disagree.

Liu Shi’s calm expression was beginning to crack. “You’ve only been learning for a few days. The ways of the household aren’t as simple as black and white. You’ll understand in time.”

“Okay, I’ll listen to you, Mother.” Xia Tian thought to herself, Let’s see how long you can keep this up.