The profits from Guilin Restaurant were helping with the burden of Countess Jing’an’s medicine expenses now and the matriarch had handed the deed for the restaurant over to Chu Lian back then. If she were to take it back and put it into the public accounts now, it wouldn’t be appropriate.
Matriarch He thought of how Chu Lian was still in the north and sighed, “Xiangyun, what should I do?”
Senior Servant Liu frowned. It took a short while for her to reply, “How about putting two months of Guilin Restaurant’s profits into the public funds for now? When Third Young Madam returns from the north, Matriarch can return Guilin Restaurant to her. How does that sound?”
Matriarch He’s lit up and she nodded immediately, “Let’s do that.”
The matriarch’s private assets weren’t infinite either. Their whole family wasn’t good at business. She had used her private funds to make up for shortfalls here and there and she still had to leave enough for He Erlang’s wedding. There really wasn’t much left.
As for Miss Ying’s matter, although her daughter hadn’t lived up to her expectations when she was younger, that was still a child she had carried for ten months in her womb. Now that her daughter had left her husband’s family and had no other support in the world, along with her newly come-of-age daughter, she had to stretch her funds to account for Miss Ying as well now that she was coming back.
Children would always be a debt for their parents. As rational as Matriarch He was normally, when it came to her own daughter, she just couldn’t make her usual clear-headed decisions.
“Muxiang, come with me to Guilin Restaurant later,” Senior Servant Liu instructed.
Muxiang had been doing needlework in the corner. She seemed a little dazed and she didn’t respond for quite some time.
Senior Servant Liu shot a glance at the girl when she didn’t get a reply. Upon noticing her odd behavior, she found it weird and asked, “Muxiang, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
It was only then that Muxiang returned to her senses. She shook her head and replied respectfully, “Matriarch, momo, this servant is fine.”
Senior Servant Liu laughed and joked, “Don’t tell me that you’re occupied with thoughts of your marriage now that you’re all grown up! Don’t worry, you’re the most capable maid under our matriarch. When you marry someday, she’ll definitely treat you well.”
Muxiang acted shyly in response, “That’s not it at all, momo! This servant is going to serve Matriarch forever!”
Matriarch He smiled and poked her forehead, “Alright, stop that silly talk. Make a trip down to Guilin Restaurant this afternoon with Xiangyun and explain things clearly to the steward there. Take these ten taels of silver and buy more clothes and accessories for yourselves.”
Senior Servant Liu smiled and led Muxiang in a grateful bob to the matriarch.
On the night of the Kitchen God Festival, a few days before New Year’s Eve.
It was rare for all the masters of the Jing’an Estate who were in the capital to be home at the same time. They all gathered at the parlour in the outer court for a meal.
However, there was a single seat that remained empty. Countess Jing’an was still bedridden due to her fit of anger at Madam Zou’s actions previously.
Only Dalang’s family and Matriarch He were seated at the large round table.
The pregnant Miaozhen was currently kept by Countess Jing’an’s side so that her pregnancy could go smoothly.
There was a subtle pressure in the air that made the entire meal uncomfortable.
Matriarch He sighed deeply, “Dalang, do you have any news of Erlang and Sanlang?”
He Changqi knew that his grandmother was worried for them. The He family already had very few members to being with, yet the men of the family were all fighting hard in distant lands, away from the family. He Changqi knew he couldn’t really share every single detail to his grandmother. Of course he would only report the good news while withholding the bad.
“Grandmother, please don’t worry. Erlang is currently investigating a case with Prince Jin in Zhangzhou. They’ve already found some clues, so if there aren’t any unexpected incidents, he should be able to come back for the New Year. Third Sister-in-Law is still in the north so Sanlang has someone to take care of him!”
The matriarch let out another long sigh. She couldn’t muster up any appetite, so she set down her chopsticks and reached out behind her, signalling for Muxiang to help her stand. “It’s getting late and my old body is tired. Eat slowly, you two. I’ll be heading back to rest. Don’t forget to visit your mother after you’re done eating.”
“Grandson understands. Please walk carefully, Grandmother.”
“Alright, don’t bother with sending me off. Spend more time with your wife and children.”
Not long after the matriarch had left, He Changqi got up and left in huge strides, without even glancing back at Madam Zou.
Madam Zou stared at He Changqi’s retreating back with hatred as her nails dug angrily into her palm.
Within Songtao Court, Senior Servants Gui and Zhong were leading the whole courtyard of maidservants in the celebrations for the New Year.
Since their masters weren’t around and they were all servants, the two stewards didn’t dare to make too much of a fuss over the festivities. They simply sat down together with the other servants and had a good meal together and that was the end of it.
When they were done with the meal, the two senior servants and the few handmaids were tidying things up in the warm room.
Xiyan wrote down some records in an account book with a serious expression before placing all the accounts that had been sent over from Guilin Restaurant on the table.
Senior Servants Gui and Zhong were working on some new clothes for Chu Lian at the side. One of them smiled and asked, “So how much did Third Young Madam’s Guilin Restaurant earn last month?”
When this was mentioned, Xiyan first reacted by freezing up, then taking a deep breath to calm the fires raging in her heart.
“Momo, don’t talk about that anymore. No matter how much Guilin Restaurant has earned last month, it has nothing to do with our Third Young Madam.”
The senior servants exchanged bewildered looks before they spoke up, “Why not? It was Third Young Madam who single-handedly made Guilin Restaurant what it is. Although she borrowed the restaurant that the matriarch gifted to her, the deed is still under Third Young Madam’s name!”
