Lou Qinshu hesitated for a moment before nodding. She couldn't protect her forever, and besides, if she had the desire but not the ability, she would inevitably fall into trouble in the backyard.
Matters of the backyard should be left to the women to resolve. He was a man, and he had to make a name for himself in the outside world. Yes, he planned to enter officialdom. In this life, he would have only her as his wife. No matter what, if his position was stable, many women would envy such an achievement, fully satisfying her vanity.
The moment she received the ledger, Gao Xuejuan was filled with emotion. She felt that her efforts to sow discord with her mother-in-law for so many days had paid off. Didn't the stewardship of the household fall into her hands? Thinking of the piles of silver flowing into her coffers like water, she couldn't be happier.
While she was happy, others were not. At first, the members of the Lou family paid little attention to the Third Branch changing stewards. After all, the new bride had been married into the family and would eventually be the mistress of the Third Branch. It was normal for her to wield power. In less than half a month, the money handed over to the common fund was a thousand taels less than before.
As soon as the accountant discovered the problem, he reported it to the Old Madam. It wasn't that he wanted to complain, but the household expenses were enormous, and everyone was extravagant. They would soon be unable to sustain themselves. Besides, he was merely an accountant, taking payment and enduring the moods of others. He was just stating the facts.
The Old Madam and the Old Master exchanged glances. They shared the accountant's suspicion that something was amiss. Based on their understanding of the Third Branch, they had considerable income recently. Furthermore, with the shops and properties of the Third Branch, it was almost time for the monthly settlement. If the profits were concealed again this time, how much would they lose?
Soon, the Third Madam of the Lou family was summoned to the Old Madam's presence. She had already received word that the accountant had just left, so she was mentally prepared.
Indeed, as soon as she entered the room, she saw the Old Madam Lou with a grim expression. She quickly curtsied.
"Kneel." The Old Madam Lou forcefully smashed the teacup in her hand at the Third Madam's feet, making a "bang" sound, and the cup shattered into pieces.
The Third Madam Lou paid no mind to her anger and knelt down calmly.
Seeing her unrepentant demeanor, the Old Madam Lou became even more enraged. She pointed at her with trembling fingers and said with disappointment, "I only have three sons and no daughters. I always thought the three brothers were the most harmonious among all the young noblemen, and I was very proud of it. What do you mean by this? Are you trying to create a rift between the brothers and alienate them?"
"Mother, you are mistaken. I have never interfered with their relationship. I don't know what I've done to make Mother so angry," the Third Madam Lou said respectfully.
"Don't pretend to be ignorant when you know perfectly well. It's only been half a month, and the money you handed over to the common fund is a thousand taels less. Are you trying to prevent us from living peacefully?" The Old Madam Lou, seeing her denial, decided to be blunt.
"Is there such a thing? I'll go back and ask Xue Juan properly. Mother, you may not know, but I've been living a carefree life recently. My son married a new bride, and I immediately handed over the stewardship of the household. I don't have a clear understanding of what's happening in the mansion, and my information is very outdated," the Third Madam Lou quickly deflected.
The Old Madam Lou did not believe her words. Although this daughter-in-law appeared honest and dutiful, judging by her actions, she was definitely cunning and capable. She probably harbored dissatisfaction with the household for a long time and had allowed the new bride to act recklessly. However, this time, she had to nip this tendency in the bud. Otherwise, how would she subsidize the First and Second Branches in the future?
"Regardless of the circumstances, it is a matter of the Third Branch. We have passed through so many years safely. As soon as your daughter-in-law took over the management, things changed. This indicates that you, as the mother, are still needed for guidance. This time, we will let it go. I hope such a thing does not happen again," the Old Madam Lou said to her sternly.
"Yes, I will definitely teach Xue Juan properly when I go back." The Third Madam Lou decided to adopt a delaying tactic, nodding and agreeing to whatever her mother-in-law said, but whether she would actually do it was another matter.
However, to make a show of it, she still summoned Gao Xuejuan to her room and briefly explained what had happened today, saying earnestly, "I know you are doing this for the good of the Third Branch. Once we step outside this door, we are all Lou family members in the eyes of outsiders. I hope we can live in harmony."
Gao Xuejuan nodded obediently. She couldn't help but be overjoyed, thinking about how much her storeroom had increased by a thousand taels in such a short time. When she got married, the Gao family's dowry, including everything, was worth about five thousand taels. The Lou family's betrothal gifts were worth six to seven thousand taels. Although the items weren't particularly numerous, they weren't insignificant either. However, she had almost no disposable income.
Now that she had earned a thousand taels, she had become more extravagant in her spending, unwilling to live a parsimonious life any longer. She and the Third Madam Lou were of one mind in this regard: they agreed readily on the surface but had their own reservations.
Seeing Gao Xuejuan's absentmindedness, the Third Madam Lou's smile became more sincere. This woman had ambition but lacked the corresponding intellect. If it weren't for her son's peculiar preferences, she would never have allowed her to enter the family. Her son had family status, good looks, and talent. What did this woman have? The two of them were not a match in any way.
A few days later, the Old Madam Lou realized that even after reprimanding the Third Madam, things had not changed. She had to use her private savings to cover the deficit of a thousand taels in the mansion from the previous period. She couldn't keep doing this. She was reluctant to spend her hard-earned money, which would disappear without a trace.
She summoned the Third Madam Lou again. The Third Madam Lou's attitude remained the same as before. She clearly stated that she had spoken to Gao Xuejuan, but if the latter did not listen, she could do nothing. She almost implied, "If you have the ability, go find her yourself."
When Gao Xuejuan knelt before the Old Madam, she felt no surprise. Although she knew a difficult battle lay ahead, her heart was unusually calm. She had been acting this way for more than a day or two. Although the Third Madam Lou had warned her once, it had been somewhat perfunctory. The fact that no one from the Third Branch had intervened or objected showed that they too were tired of these people.
"You have quite the audacity! You've barely entered our Lou family and you're already causing unrest in the household," the Old Madam Lou said sarcastically.
"Grandmother, you are mistaken. Your granddaughter-in-law has been well-behaved during this time. I haven't stepped out of the Lou family once, nor have I interfered in the Lou family's affairs. How can you say I've affected others?" Gao Xuejuan asked doubtfully.
The Old Madam Lou slammed the table hard, angrily saying, "Is that so? Then why did you insist on creating such a clear division between the brothers?"