SFS Chapter 241 Grandmother Jia 43
Chapter 241 Grandmother Jia 43
After Jia Hu left, Tian Tian felt so heartbroken that she couldn't breathe.
"Mai Xiang, that's 10,000 taels of silver, why shouldn't I stop it?"
"Miss, it's okay. Madam gave you quite a bit of dowry. I won't be jealous."
Tian Tian said with a sad face, "Ah! There's nothing I can do. I only have a small dowry. I never expected the Duke's Mansion to be so wealthy and powerful. No wonder my sister envied me."
Soon, Jia Hu came back.
"Wife, take this money and spend it." Jia Hu handed ten thousand taels to his wife. "If you get bored at home, you can go shopping with Yuanchun and the others. After the New Year, grandma likes to go out of town to play. If you want to go, you can go with her."
"Ah? Mother won't take it away?"
Tian Tian's heart was in turmoil.
"No, mother is very open-minded. She's just worried that we'll spend the money on the wrong things. After all, ten thousand taels is not a small amount." Jia Hu picked up the school bag and said, "I'm going to the study to read."
"Go, my husband, don't work too hard. I'll go make chicken soup for you." Tian Tian winked at Daoxiang, who lowered her head and retreated. Maixiang lowered her brows and waited for Jia Hu to leave before she raised her head slightly and smiled at Tian Tian, "Miss~"
Tian Tian covered her mouth and laughed, then casually opened the box containing the silver.
"Take out twenty taels of silver and distribute them to the maids and servants in Wutong Courtyard, especially the maids around my husband. You have to build good relationships with them, okay?"
"I understand, young lady, shall we put this silver into the treasury?"
"Yes, registered."
Not long after, Daoxiang hurried back, "Miss, I have found out everything. It was Master Lian who let the secret slip, and then the Madam found out. Later, she realized that everyone's money was not wasted, so she let it go."
Tian Tian was curious, "Grandmother really gave everyone silver. The first wife got 50,000 taels, and the second wife got 40,000 taels. Does the second wife have any objections?"
Daoxiang spoke with envy, "It's said that the old lady of the Jia Mansion is very prudent. When she first came back from Jiangnan, she not only gave Master Hu and Master Jue an additional 10,000 taels, but also gave Master Cong, Nianchun, and Miss Tanchun, who were born later. The first and second wives each have exactly six children. No one can find fault with her."
"Huh~ As expected, it's the ancestor. He understands everything in his heart."
The two were about to talk more when Mai Xiang came to announce that Aunt Hehua had arrived. Tian Tian felt uneasy and hurriedly went out to greet her with a smile.
"Please come in. Why would Aunt Lotus bother you to come here in person?"
"Greetings to the eldest young lady. The ancestor sent me here for this little thing." Lotus knelt down and saluted.
Tian Tian quickly supported He Hua and said, "Please stand up quickly. Aunt He Hua, please don't be so formal with me. Mai Xiang, bring Aunt He Hua some good tea."
"Thank you, Madam Young Master, for the gift. This is the mysterious sea-pig crystal ball that my ancestor asked me to bring. I found it from an overseas merchant during my trip to Jiangnan. I heard that the Crown Prince's wife had lamented that she had never seen the sea, so I was asked to bring it here specifically."
(Ancient sea pigs were dolphins.)
Lotus opened the brocade box, and Tian Tian's eyes immediately glued to the sparkling crystal ball, feeling that it held infinite magic. The gray-blue seabed was dotted with unknown jellyfish, and in the center was a sea pig swimming upwards, heading towards the full moon and floating clouds at the top...
“It’s so beautiful.”
Lotus took a sip of tea, put down the cup, and stood up. "The old lady said that the eldest young lady will definitely like it. It's great that you like it. Then I will go back to serve the old lady."
"Thank you for the trouble, auntie." Tian Tian stuffed a purse into her hand and said, "Please tell my granddaughter-in-law that she likes it very much. Thank you for the gift, grandmother."
"sure."
Lotus left with a smile on her face.
"Oh, did I disturb the young lady?" Honeysuckle covered her mouth and laughed as she watched Lotus leave.
"Oh, Sister Honeysuckle is here? Come in and sit down." Mai Xiang came forward with a smile.
"No, no, it's almost New Year's Eve. The eldest lady asked me to deliver the holiday allowance. There are still a few courtyards that I haven't visited yet. Young lady, please check the quantity quickly, okay?" Rendong smiled and handed Maixiang a list. Maixiang looked down, exclaimed in surprise, and quickly checked it. She quickly replied, "Sister Rendong, everything is complete and intact."
"That's good. Please sign the form, Madam."
"Ah? Oh, okay." Tian Tian quickly signed and stamped her name and gave away a handful of silver melon seeds when she sent Rendong away.
"Maixiang, what is this? You look like you've never seen it before." Tian Tian was very curious.
"Miss, please take a look. It's not that I haven't seen the market before. I have ten white fox skins without a single stray hair, ten sable skins, and one bear skin. There are all kinds of precious fabrics, and even a box of gold and silver peanuts..."
After reading it, Tian Tian turned around and waved to Mingshi at the study door. Mingshi trotted over, knelt down and listened to the arrangements.
"Akashi, do you know why mother-in-law sent these things?"
Mingshi explained softly, "Young Madam, during the years that the eldest madam has been in charge, the masters of each courtyard, in addition to the monthly clothing and jewelry, would also send some furs and fabrics in the first two weeks before the New Year for them to make New Year's clothes. As for the gold and silver peanuts, they were distributed to the children of relatives when entertaining guests..."
Tian Tian nodded, "How many new sets of clothes and jewelry do you make for the masters of each courtyard every month?"
"Every two weeks, a new set of fashionable clothes, a new set of fashionable jewelry, and two bolts of cloth. Concubines, concubines, daughters, and sons will receive less, so they can wear them when attending banquets." Mingshi explained patiently, "Also, the old ancestor's eldest wife receives twenty taels of silver per month, the young lady ten taels per month, and the other daughters two taels per month. The young masters who are not married receive the same monthly allowance as the young ladies. After they are married, like the master and the eldest son, they also receive twenty taels of silver per month. If you have any important matters, you can withdraw money from the account..."
Tian Tian listened carefully, then looked up at her and said, "Mingshi, were you and Shuanghe the only two maids serving the young master in the past?"
Mingshi shook his head. "Madam, in the past, the eldest young master had four maids, eight second-class maids, eight servants, eight pageboys, and eight long-serving servants. Before the eldest young master got married, the other two maids and four second-class maids bought their way out of the house and married off. The maids bought their way out of six, the pageboys bought their way out of four, and the pageboys bought their way out of six. The rest of us who didn't want to leave stayed. Madam asked if we should make up the maids, but the eldest young master refused. The rest were all bought out."
Mai Xiang looked at the young lady and asked curiously, "Why did the young master refuse?"
Mingshi glanced at Tian Tian and said with a smile, "The eldest master said that when he has a wife in the future, it is not appropriate to have too many maids to serve him. He can just arrange for servants to serve him."
Tian Tian's face gradually heated up, like a big red crab.
"What a jerk!"
After saying that, he ran back into the house, leaving the maids laughing secretly. Jia Hu, who was eavesdropping in the study, smiled foolishly and went back. The lady was feeling embarrassed, so it was better not to go and watch the joke.