Volume One, Chapter Two: Still Want to Spend Her Money?

"You!"

Stung by Chu Yao’s sharp insight and stifled by her aggressive tone, Lady Li felt a wave of heart-wrenching frustration. Only today did she realize how formidable her granddaughter-in-law had become. Looking at Chu Yao’s resolute gaze, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of trepidation.

"Yao'er, what nonsense are you spouting? She is but an orphaned girl; what scandalous background could she possibly have? I... I simply dote on the child, that is all."

"Old Madame, I repeat: I will not have her registered under my name! If you truly love her so much, then register her under your own. Or, perhaps my brother-in-law’s household has no children yet..."

"I am an old woman; are you mocking me? Your brother-in-law is a widower; how would that be appropriate?"

"Why would it not be? Since he is a widower, it would be perfect to register her under his late wife’s name. Hmm... I noticed that Cousin also seems fond of the child. Perhaps she could be registered under Cousin’s name; it would provide her with some company."

"No! Absolutely not! It cannot be under my name!"

Chu Yao glanced at the flustered Cheng Jinxi, a cold smirk playing on her lips. "Old Madame, if there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."

Chu Yao gave a slight bow, and without waiting for a reply, turned and strode out of Pine Crane Hall.

"Mad! She's gone mad! A girl with no upbringing is truly a disaster! She has been married into this house for only a few days, and she has already discarded all respect for her elders!" Lady Li pointed at the empty doorway, her nostrils flaring with indignation.

Cheng Jinxi stood there, stunned and at a loss. She had assumed that having Yue'er return to the Marquis's estate as an adopted daughter would be a simple matter of a word from the Old Madame. When they had privately plotted this, they were both certain that the soft-natured Chu Yao would raise no objections. Unexpectedly, Chu Yao had refused point-blank without a shred of mercy.

How could this be? Why had Chu Yao, who had always been obedient to the Old Madame, suddenly changed her temperament? How could she not want a child as adorable as Yue'er? It made no sense.

Resentful and seeing the Old Madame’s growing displeasure with Chu Yao, Cheng Jinxi added fuel to the fire: "Old Madame, look at her! Where is there any semblance of a junior’s decorum? It is because you have been too lenient with her that she has become so insolent! She showed such disrespect to you just now; you should have invoked the family laws. You really ought to discipline her more often and set strict rules for her. Otherwise, she will forget her place as the wife of this house and become even more insufferable..."

Seeing Cheng Jinxi dare to lecture her, Lady Li turned her wrath upon her instead, venting all her frustration on her. "It is all your doing! Forcing me to clean up your mess! You shameless wretch, how dare you spout such nonsense here! Get back to your Autumn Evening Courtyard at once!"

...

"Qiuyue, Qiushuang, go and audit my private treasury. From today on, all household expenses shall be paid from the public accounts," Chu Yao said to her maids upon returning to Yaoguang Pavilion.

"Yes." Qiuyue hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Didn't you say previously that you would cover any deficits with your own silver?"

Chu Yao sneered. She had once thought that by marrying into the Marquis's estate, they were all one family. She believed that money was a worldly possession and need not be divided so clearly. She had squandered her wealth and exhausted her energy on these ungrateful wretches. Thinking back on it now, it was truly not worth it!

"From this day forward, public and private matters must be kept separate. If the household is living beyond its means, then expenses must be cut. Bring me the public ledgers; I will see which expenditures can be trimmed."

"Yes."

When Chu Yao first entered the Marquis's estate, the Old Madame had handed her the keys to the household management. Initially, she thought it was a sign of trust. Now she realized it had been a calculated trap.

The estate had many residents, but the Old Marquis had entered a Taoist temple to cultivate immortality years ago. He held the title of Marquis but had no official position or salary. Currently, the only income for the household came from Cheng Wenyuan, who served as a fifth-rank Junior Minister in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. The income from the shops and farms was not promising, yet the Cheng family was obsessed with appearances and insisted on maintaining the grand lifestyle of a former Marquis's estate. How could their meager income suffice?

Furthermore, when the eldest daughter of the house married two years ago, the dowry had hollowed out half the estate. The Old Madame and the second young lady had also hinted to her repeatedly that she should prepare a dowry for the second young lady in advance. How was she to prepare it? Were they not just eyeing her own assets?

Chu Yao flipped through the public ledgers, taking a pen and casually marking several items.

When she stepped into Pine Crane Hall, the Old Madame was lying on a couch, having her legs massaged by a young maid.

"Old Madame."

Seeing her arrive, Lady Li’s eyes brightened, and she quickly dismissed the maid and sat up. "Yao'er, have you thought it through? I told you, Yue'er being transferred to your name is the most appropriate arrangement."

"Old Madame, I did not come to speak of that." Chu Yao handed over the ledger. "Old Madame, these are the income and expenditure accounts for this year. The household is currently spending more than it earns. I have marked several non-essential expenses. Please take a look and see if they can be cut."

Lady Li glanced at it briefly, her face immediately turning cold. She glared at Chu Yao, her eyes sharp as knives. "You want to cut Tong'er’s private tutor? Why? Do you think Tong'er’s studies and future are unimportant?"

"Old Madame, the Cheng family has a clan school, and all the other children of the family study there. Attending the clan school will not hinder Tong'er’s progress and will also strengthen the bonds between him and his brothers."

"That will not do! Tong'er is doing just fine with his tutor; I do not agree." Lady Li continued, "And you want to get rid of the seasonal floral arrangements? The garden will look desolate! How will we host banquets? The Cheng family is still a Marquis's estate; we must maintain the proper appearances. We will be a laughingstock!"

"Old Madame, seasonal flowers have to be replaced every season, which is very costly. If we replace them with evergreen plants like crabapple, peach trees, or wisteria, the cost is low, it is a one-time expense, and they are easier to maintain. When they bloom, it will not hinder us from hosting flower-viewing banquets."

"That won't do! Our Pingyang Marquis estate may not be as glorious as it once was, but we have not fallen to such a state. And the other items you crossed out—I do not agree to those either. Cutting the summer ice supply in half? Are you trying to roast me to death? And replacing the silver-thread charcoal in winter with the black charcoal commoners use? Do you want the smoke to choke me?"

Chu Yao had anticipated this reaction, but she was not annoyed; she only gave a cool smile.

"Very well. As you wish, we shall change nothing. However, there is not enough silver in the public accounts. Old Madame, which shop should we sell? The silk store or the grocery store?"

Lady Li stared at her, her voice rising several octaves. "How dare you, Chu Yao! You are actually thinking of selling the estate’s shops. What is your intention?"

"The accounts are right there; the estate is in a deficit. Old Madame, what would you have me do? Just say the word, and your granddaughter-in-law will obey."

"You are not a newcomer to this house; just manage the accounts as you did before."

"Old Madame, that is exactly what I wanted to discuss with you. In the half-year since I married into the estate, I have subsidized the public accounts with five thousand eight hundred taels of my own silver. You, Old Madame, are a person who values principles; surely a noble Marquis's estate would not rely on a granddaughter-in-law’s dowry to survive. If this were to get out, it would be a disgrace to our house. Moreover, the younger brothers will need to marry in the future. If our estate loses its reputation, I fear no one will dare to marry their daughters to us. Old Madame, I have kept a record of these accounts; there is no need to repay me now. I shall simply deduct the amount once the income from the farms comes in."