Chapter 376: Steward
Chapter 376: Chapter 376: Steward
The accountant looked like he was about to cry. "I know the young lady has suffered, but the master specifically requested this earlier. He just hasn’t come to fetch it yet."
Mrs. Bai shot him a glance. "The master has been full of vigor lately and even took in two more concubines. He shouldn’t need to use this, right?"
The accountant didn’t dare say another word. The master’s most favored concubine this year was already heavily pregnant; this item was specially saved for her.
Mrs. Bai smiled disdainfully. "I’m taking this. If your master asks, tell him to come find me directly."
As the lady of the house, if she couldn’t make even this small decision, then there was no need for this Bai Family to exist. Saying so, she shoved the item directly into Nanny Wu’s arms and continued her treasure hunt.
The accountant watched as good items were carried out of the storehouse one by one, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. This time, he might not just get a scolding; he might get a beating too. After his desperate pleas, the butler finally arrived in a hurry.
Who would have thought that upon arriving, the butler would cheerfully start helping to carry things? Occasionally, he even offered suggestions, leading the madam to take out even more items.
After seeing them off, the accountant put on a bitter face. "Butler, look at this..." The ledger records already spanned several pages. Was this really okay?
The butler glared at him. "How long have you been in this manor? There are some things you should talk less about and observe more. In this manor, only the master, the madam, and the legitimate young masters and young ladies are the true masters. Don’t pledge your loyalty to the wrong people."
After speaking, the butler left in a hurry. So many items had just been taken from the storehouse; he needed to find a way to restock them, or else it wouldn’t be as convenient for the madam the next time she wanted to move things out. Seeing that the eldest young master and the second young master were about to get engaged, the items in the storehouse seemed a bit insufficient.
He had just reached the second gate when he saw the madam returning. He hurriedly bowed in greeting, wondering inwardly what she had forgotten this time.
Mrs. Bai said, "Butler, I want to take a look at the master’s private storehouse."
The butler hesitated for a moment, then immediately took the keys from his waist and offered them respectfully. "Madam, do you need this old servant to accompany you?"
Mrs. Bai glanced at him. "You are an elder of the manor, so come along."
The butler respectfully followed. Nanny Wu shot him an appreciative look; no wonder the madam had kept him in the butler’s position all these years. He was indeed perceptive.
When Mrs. Bai arrived at Bai Jingwen’s private storehouse, things didn’t go as smoothly, even with the butler accompanying her. Two guards blocked the door, refusing to let her pass no matter what.
"I am the madam of the manor. Is there something here I’m not allowed to see?"
"No, this is the master’s private storehouse. We haven’t received any orders."
Mrs. Bai replied, "I won’t make things difficult for you. Send someone to tell the master that I want to look inside his storehouse to prepare the betrothal gifts for the two young masters."
The two guards didn’t dare delay. One stayed behind to keep watch, while the other quickly left.
Mrs. Bai asked, "Butler, what is the use of you holding this key?"
The butler replied, "...Madam, please understand. The master entrusted this old servant to keep watch over it. I haven’t been inside this storehouse more than a few times myself."
"What about the others?"
The butler’s expression turned serious. "The master hasn’t let anyone else near it."
Only then did Mrs. Bai let him off the hook. The guard who went to deliver the message soon returned. "The master is not in the manor."
Mrs. Bai naturally knew this. "Then open the door first. If important business is delayed, I will hold you accountable."
"But..." The two guards were in a dilemma. They would offend someone either way between the two biggest masters of the manor. How should they choose?
Mrs. Bai said, "I won’t put you in a difficult position. I just want to go in and see what items are there, so I have a clear idea. You can follow and watch. I won’t take anything."
The two guards immediately stepped aside without hesitation. "Madam, please..."
If she didn’t take anything, it would be fine. After all, the entire manor belonged to the married couple. They didn’t want to end up pleasing neither side.
The butler was very perceptive. He stepped forward and unlocked the door. Although this was called a private storehouse, it was no smaller than the main one. It was piled high with boxes of all sizes, but each box had an inventory list on top, making it easy to find things.
The wealth of the Bai Family wasn’t just talk; they truly had deep foundations. The Family Head’s private storehouse alone could rival the entire fortunes of some nobles and aristocrats.
Anything placed in the private storehouse was definitely carefully selected by Bai Jingwen. Mrs. Bai walked around, getting a good grasp of the contents. She didn’t make things difficult for the others and turned to head back to her courtyard.
Sitting down to rest for a while, she fell into deep thought. She also had her own private storehouse, which held her dowry and the profits from her business ventures over the years. It was in no way inferior to Bai Jingwen’s. But it was different. She only had these three children, while Bai Jingwen had so many children born of concubines. Even if they were only given ten percent, Mrs. Bai would feel it was a loss.
She hadn’t used any underhanded schemes in the inner courtyard over the years, which was why the Bai Family had more than ten children born of concubines, and that was even with many dying prematurely for various reasons.
"Madam, what made you think of looking at the master’s private storehouse today?" Nanny Wu brought in tea and pastries. The madam had been busy for a long time and should be hungry.
"I haven’t asked about it all these years because I know his character. Even if he is a bit biased, he still has a sense of the bigger picture.
"But as the children in the backyard grow older, the mothers behind them are starting to scheme."
Mrs. Bai controlled the entire Bai Family, and she had eyes everywhere. Ever since her daughter was exiled, she hadn’t focused much on the inner courtyard, which had led some people to slowly grow overly ambitious.
"Madam, should I have them come pay their respects tomorrow so you can give them a warning?" A fierce glint flashed in Nanny Wu’s eyes. She had long told the madam not to be so kind to these people, lest they push their luck. It seemed her prediction was right.
"There’s no need for that," Mrs. Bai said, tapping her fingers on the table. "Jiannan and Jianbei are at the right age now, and it’s time to bring up their marriages. Have someone properly investigate the good girls from the families I had my eye on before. If there are no issues, send the list to the master."
The marriage of legitimate sons represented the continuation of the entire family. Mrs. Bai believed that with Bai Jingwen’s character, he would ensure everything was handled flawlessly. Thinking of this, she had a few maids prepare brush and ink. She needed to carefully plan out two perfect lists for the betrothal gifts; she couldn’t mistreat her future daughters-in-law.
Bai Suihe still didn’t know about the changes happening in the Bai Family. By now, she had a few friends to talk to in the county town and would occasionally visit their homes. Although her fabric shop’s business had dipped slightly after the initial novelty wore off, its daily revenue was still staggering.
"The County Magistrate has been gone for so long and still hasn’t returned. Zhang County won’t fall into chaos, will it?" Coming back from outside that day, Bai Suihe caught Gu Kaiyuan and started chatting.