El paisaje es como una pintura

Capítulo 11

Xiao Yuan bowed again, feigning joy, and said, "Father loves my eldest sister the most. With my eldest sister backing me up, what do I have to fear?"

Master Cheng had never really cared about the life or death of a maid, but the sudden death of a servant was ultimately due to the mistress's lax management of the household, and he was still somewhat dissatisfied. However, Xiao Yuan was a good persuader. Xi Qing was a maid sent by Sister Cheng, and since Sister Cheng didn't hold it against her, what could Master Cheng say? The matter was thus dropped.

After seeing Sister Cheng off, Xiao Yuan still felt a tightness in her chest. One girl, Xi Qing, already knew to put aphrodisiacs in the food; what would happen if a whole group of Xi Qing came? After Cheng Mutian finished eating…

When they returned from the banquet, Xiao Yuan pounced on him and grabbed his arm, saying urgently, "Second Brother, quickly pick out a few maids to send to your brother-in-law, as a way of returning the favor."

Hearing this nonsensical remark, Cheng Mutian asked inexplicably, "You rushed back just for this? Now I'm being bombarded with questions from my elders."

Xiao Yuan told him about the joyous occasion, saying, "I just found out that Zhi Lan has already been beaten to death and thrown out by my eldest sister."

Cheng Mutian drank the hangover soup without even raising an eyebrow. "A life for a life. So be it."

Xiao Yuan punched him and said, "People were scared half to death and rushed back, but you acted like you were listening to a story."

"She's just a girl, what are you afraid of? Even if something happens, I'm here. It's not your place to be frightened." Cheng Mutian glanced at the servants at the door and dodged Xiao Yuan's fist.

This was Cheng Erlang's way of showing concern. Xiao Yuan glanced at Cheng Mutian with a smile: "You pick a few pretty girls and send them to your brother-in-law, so that my elder sister won't have time to send concubines to your room, and I won't have to worry about them."

Cheng Mutian laughed heartily and indeed had his steward buy several women to send to his brother-in-law. However, these weren't maids, but rather several entertainers. It's said that Sister Cheng was furious upon receiving these women, but her brother-in-law was enamored with them and constantly protected her from harming them. Sister Cheng wanted to cause a scene at her parents' home, but since her brother had sent them, and she had learned firsthand how cunning Xiao Yuan was, she dared not send any more maids to her parents' home. She only wished she could take these troublesome vixens back herself.

After subduing Sister Cheng, Xiao Yuan had some free time. Suddenly, she remembered her second brother's mysterious behavior on the day of the wedding ceremony, so she asked Cheng Mutian about it. Cheng Mutian hesitated for a long time before saying, "You can't be angry with me if I tell you."

Xiao Yuan glanced at him and said, "Don't you know how I feel about my relationship with my second brother? Don't try to use your business tricks on me."

Cheng Mutian then said with relief, "Your second brother wants to do business with me. He's been pestering me for half a day, but I still haven't agreed."

Xiao Yuan gently patted him: "I won't let you off the hook until you agree. I'm not worried about Madam selling me now, so don't pay any attention to them."

Chapter Twenty-Four: Personnel Reform (Part 1)

Ever since Cheng Mutian sent a female entertainer to his brother-in-law, Sister Cheng never mentioned sending a maid again. Second Aunt Cheng lost face and originally wanted to go to his brother's house to make amends, but unexpectedly, Master Cheng complained to his brother that the maid he had trained was too vicious, so she dared not visit again.

Although there were no external threats, there were internal worries. Master Cheng was away most of the year, and Cheng Mutian was busy with his business. There were hardly any loyal servants in the house. Cheng Mutian felt sorry for Xiaoyuan and told her to dismiss all the servants and hire new ones. However, Xiaoyuan thought about Master Cheng and realized that a wife was not as confident as a son. She had to compromise and mentioned it briefly during her morning greetings: "Father, although everyone is just hiring servants, the managers hold the power in the household. We should sign a contract that will last forever. Otherwise, if they pack up and run away, where will we find them?"

Master Cheng had assumed that Xiao Yuan, like Cheng Mutian, wanted to refuse Sister Cheng's request to send away the steward, but to his surprise, she wanted to keep them all. He smiled and said, "Alright, these servants have been left to their own devices for too long. You'll have to take charge of them."

Master Cheng personally ordered Xiao Yuan to be in charge, and even a chicken feather should be treated as a command. Xiao Yuan went back to her room and brought out the roster, spending half a day looking at it. She discovered that there were quite a few registered servants who had never shown their faces; not only were there as many as three head wives in each area, but there were also dozens of rough-working women. After a moment's thought, she realized that someone must have falsely claimed titles and received a salary without working; Aunt Meng must have also accepted bribes to set up so many head wives, and with each layer of bribes going down, there were many more rough-working women than needed.

She slammed the book shut, summoned the housekeepers, and explained the meaning of signing a death contract. Signing a death contract was no ordinary matter. These housekeepers had already amassed a lot of money while the house was without a mistress, so why would they sell their possessions? After some debate, most of them actually asked to leave on their own.

Aunt Meng stood at the door for half a day but Xiao Yuan didn't call her. When all the housekeepers went to the accounting office to settle their wages, she became a little impatient and pulled out the little maid who was changing tea to ask, "Did Madam mention where I am going?" The maid remembered Xiao Yuan's teachings, glanced at her and said, "You are the housekeeper. The family can't function without you, so naturally you have to stay and sign a contract."

Hearing this, Sister Meng broke out in a cold sweat. The reason she obeyed Sister Cheng was because Sister Cheng had promised to secure a good future for her son. If she signed a death contract and became a slave, as long as the madam didn't let go, all of Sister Cheng's promises would be in vain.

Thinking of her only son, she steeled herself and, without waiting to be called, lifted the curtain and went inside, begging Xiao Yuan to spare her family's life. Xiao Yuan sighed, "If you hadn't produced so many stewardesses, I might have actually considered granting your wish. But those who gather others to squander their master's property are wicked servants no matter where they are placed."

After saying that, she lowered her head and continued to look at the booklet, ignoring her. Meng Sao was about to plead again when Cai Lian smiled and said, "Meng Sao, look how anxious you are. Madam didn't say she was going to kick you out. It's just a contract."

Ah Yun blurted out, "You want to stay, but you're unwilling to sign a contract of servitude. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Even if you went to the master, you wouldn't have that much influence. Besides, the master had already approved this matter beforehand."

Meng Sao had no answer and slunk away. She wanted to ask Sister Cheng to make the decision, but Sister Cheng was busy disciplining the girls in the house and had no time to take care of her.

She pondered deeply. To get Sister Cheng to keep her promise, she had to stay in the Cheng household. For her son's sake, she steeled herself and filed a complaint with Master Cheng. Unexpectedly, Xiao Yuan beat her to it. When she arrived at Master Cheng's place, he had already seen the fabricated roster and was slamming his fist on the table, raging: "Sister, you're truly outrageous! How could you send such a wicked servant here?"

How could Xiaoyuan be so foolish as to agree with her father-in-law and speak ill of her sister-in-law? She deliberately refuted Master Cheng's words, saying, "Father, your words are somewhat biased. When my eldest sister came last time, she instructed Meng Sao to do her best. It must have been her own idea."

Master Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. He was even more satisfied with his new daughter-in-law. He nodded and said, "Such a widow, who doesn't listen to her original master's teachings and even wants to harm her current master, how can she be kept any longer? You should send her away immediately and find a better one."

When Xiao Yuan returned after agreeing to his request, she saw that Sister Meng was still standing by the door. She ignored her and went back to her room to finish the remaining chores. However, A Cai, always eager to inquire, returned shortly with a joke: "Master is furious that Sister Meng disgraced Eldest Sister. She even went up to beg, but Master gave her a good scolding and kicked her whole family out."

Upon hearing this, A-Yun pushed Cai-Mei and said, "Master, you've acted swiftly. It saves us the trouble of paying them wages and also prevents our lady from being the villain. Sister, quickly go and prepare some food to celebrate!"

Cai Mei readily agreed. She then turned and went to the kitchen, causing everyone in the house to burst into laughter.

As Cheng Mutian entered the room, he heard a house full of laughter and cheerful voices. He was used to living a lonely life, and for a moment he felt as if he were in a dream. He stood at the door, looking at Xiao Yuan's smiling face, unable to move away.

The maids covered their mouths and giggled. Xiao Yuan quickly shooed them out and personally helped Cheng Mutian change into his everyday clothes. She then brought him a glass of watermelon juice with ice. With no outsiders present, Cheng Mutian became bolder. Taking the glass, he grabbed Xiao Yuan's hand and said, "Don't you know how to serve all the women in our household? Why do you have to do everything yourself?"

He was clearly telling me to rest more and not to overwork myself, but he turned a comforting remark into a blaming tone. Xiao Yuan cursed him under her breath, "blockhead," and pinched his palm hard. Pointing to the tall stack of books on the table, she said, "The number of servants registered in our books is twice the actual number. How could I dare to order those stewardesses around? I've already sent them away as you instructed."

Cheng Mutian felt that she had worked very hard to manage the messy housework and wanted to thank her, but he didn't know how to say it. After thinking for a while, he said, "What would you like to eat? I'll ask Cheng Fu to buy it."

Xiao Yuan suppressed a laugh and replied, "There's nothing at home. If you really want to thank me, let me go see my aunt after I'm done with this busy period."

Cheng Mutian asked curiously, "Aside from the fact that you'd be criticized for frequently visiting your parents' home, do you think I wouldn't allow you to visit relatives?"

The fact that her own mother had become a relative was unpleasant to hear, but the fact that she could visit Aunt Chen often was exactly what Xiao Yuan wanted. So she didn't care about Cheng Mutian's annoying attitude, and just cursed him as an "old stubborn man" in her heart before going out to call people to prepare the meal.

The human traffickers in Lin'an were incredibly well-informed. The day before, they heard that the Cheng family, who were engaged in maritime trade, had dismissed several of their managers, and the very next day they came to recommend themselves.

Seeing that the slave trader had come alone, Xiao Yuan teased, "Last time my aunt's family was choosing maids, you brought a whole house full of people; this time my family is choosing a manager, but you've come alone. Do you intend to take the position yourself?"

The slave trader chuckled twice and pulled a slip of paper from his sleeve. "Madam, I've brought you some good stuff this time." He then handed the slip of paper to the maid beside him.

Xiao Yuan took the list from the maid and saw that it was a complete team of people from four departments and six bureaus. She wondered which wealthy family had sent them out. She folded the list and said, "It's good, but my family is small and my relatives are not in Lin'an. We don't need people to manage the banquet arrangements. Besides, since these people were sent out by their original owners, there must be something wrong with them. My family will not accept such people."

The slave trader pointed to the list and laughed, "The official in the city is returning to his hometown. He has too many people in his family to take with him, so he sent some of them out. Madam, take a closer look. Although this is supposed to be four departments and six bureaus, the number of people in each department and bureau is not large."

Xiao Yuan unfolded the list and looked at it again. Sure enough, it was true. After a moment's thought, she made up her mind and paid the deposit as usual, keeping all twenty or thirty people on the list.

Once the slave trader left, Xiao Yuan sent someone to investigate. After learning that the group of people were indeed from a reliable family, she divided them into two groups, one male and one female, and had them follow Cheng Fu and Cai Lian to familiarize themselves with the Cheng family's rules.

Cai Mei and the others had never heard of the Four Offices and Six Bureaus before, and they kept asking Xiao Yuan questions. Xiao Yuan, unable to bear their pestering, had no choice but to explain: "The Four Offices and Six Bureaus are for organizing banquets when entertaining guests. The Four Offices are the Office of Accounting and Setting, the Office of Cooking, the Office of Tea and Wine, and the Office of Tableware. The Six Bureaus are the Bureau of Fruits, the Bureau of Honey and Fried Foods, the Bureau of Vegetables, the Bureau of Oil and Candles, the Bureau of Incense and Medicine, and the Bureau of Arrangement. Each office has its own responsibilities, and when guests arrive, they only need to take care of the ones that are their responsibility."

The maids still didn't understand, so Cai Mei said, "Madam, please explain it to us in detail. Otherwise, when tasks are assigned in the future, we won't know which bureau or department to contact."

Xiao Yuan saw that she was asking detailed questions, which showed that she had made progress. She praised her a few times and said with a smile: "The Tent and Setting Department is in charge of setting up screens, curtains, and screens; the Tea and Wine Department is in charge of welcoming guests, serving tea, warming wine, inviting guests to sit, and unveiling the banquet at weddings and funerals; the Table and Tray Department is in charge of serving trays, receiving cups, urging guests to drink, and serving food; and the Kitchen Department, as you all know, is in charge of cooking and preparing food in the kitchen."

Cai Mei served a cup of tea and continued, "So, according to this, the Fruit Bureau is for displaying fruit; the Candied Fruit Bureau is for packaging candied fruit; the Vegetable Bureau is for washing vegetables; the Oil and Candle Bureau is for managing lamps; and the Incense and Medicine Bureau is for burning incense? Then what does the Arrangement Bureau do?"

Xiao Yuan nodded and smiled, "You're absolutely right. As for the Bureau of Arrangements, they're in charge of sweeping, hanging paintings, and arranging flowers. These four departments and six bureaus sound impressive, but they don't actually have three heads and six arms. Besides, we don't have any banquets to host. I just bought them because they're specially trained and convenient for everyday use."

The maids were astonished. Our lady is truly generous; she uses such a grand office and bureau as if they were ordinary servants.

Little did they know Xiao Yuan's plan. Within a few days, Xiao Yuan had completely transformed the four departments and six bureaus into practical everyday settings, which inspired the ladies of Lin'an City to follow suit.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Personnel Reform (Part Two)

Xiao Yuan reorganized the Accounting Department into one specifically in charge of all furniture in the house; the Tea and Wine Department and the Tableware Department were merged to manage all household utensils; the Kitchen Department replaced the original cooks; the Fruit Department, Preserved Fruit Department, and Vegetable Department were divided into two groups, one group was sent to the kitchen to assist, and the other group with high skills were kept as pastry chefs; the Oil and Candle Department was still in charge of the lamps and candles, and if there was a fire, they would be held responsible; the Incense and Medicine Department also took on the task of hanging paintings and arranging flowers for the Decoration Department; while the Decoration Department was only responsible for rough work such as sweeping and decorating. After arranging the four departments and six bureaus, Xiao Yuan still felt that there were not enough people, so she bought several gardeners to manage the garden.

After finishing the important matters, no small matter could be neglected. Xiao Yuan personally selected several clever maids and set up a women's affairs office.

A few days later, she devised a new monthly allowance system and summoned the housekeepers, saying, "From now on, there will be no more housekeepers in our backyard. You only need to tell me everything. Apart from you, everyone else will be divided into three classes for the monthly allowance: upper, middle, and lower. In addition to these, there will be additional rewards for doing things well. As for who should be criticized and who should be punished, that's up to you. But how well you do things is in my mind."

Upon hearing the last sentence, the stewardesses all fell silent, thinking to themselves that while their mistress spoke gently and kindly, upon closer examination, she was someone who could not help but be alert. The servants, hearing that they would be rewarded for good work, and that they would receive a monthly bonus, were all overjoyed and their work efficiency improved considerably. Furthermore, because Xiao Yuan had severely cracked down on accepting bribes, all the stewards, matrons, and maids in the various rooms became well-behaved.

Xiao Yuan had been busy for several days and finally got everything arranged. She just had to wait and see the results. One day, she was menstruating and her back ached, so she took the opportunity to rest in her room. When Cheng San Niang heard that her sister-in-law was free, she came to her door with several kinds of needles and thread. When Xiao Yuan saw the work in her hands, her heart skipped a beat. Could it be that she came to ask her for help? She was completely clueless about needlework. Unexpectedly, Cheng San Niang bowed down as soon as she saw her. Xiao Yuan was flustered and quickly pulled her up to ask why.

Cheng San Niang handed over the needle and thread, thanking her, "I've come to thank you, sister-in-law. I have nothing else but these needles and thread that I made myself. My skills aren't very good, so please make do with them."

Xiao Yuan thought for a moment. She had been busy with housework these past few days and hadn't been able to visit her sister-in-law herself. So where did this gratitude come from?

Just as she was about to ask more questions, Cheng Mutian's voice came from the courtyard gate. Cheng San Niang jumped up like a mouse seeing a cat and rushed to the gate before remembering to turn back and bow, "Sister-in-law, I will come to see you again tomorrow."

Xiao Yuan knew that she feared her brother even more than her father, so she didn't keep her and quickly had a maid open the back gate of the courtyard for her, lest she run into Cheng Mutian and be lectured again.

Cheng Mutian had already seen Cheng San Niang's back. Standing in the courtyard with a stern face, he said, "Young lady who is not yet married, instead of doing needlework in your room, you run around all day."

Xiao Yuan felt sorry for Cheng San Niang, and was also very angry to hear these words. She walked to the door and retorted: "So coming to sit here for a while is considered running around? Is it because you think I can't sew and will corrupt her?"

After saying that, she didn't let him have his way. She flung the curtain aside and went inside. The maids, seeing that the young couple was acting strangely, and knowing that Cheng Mutian was extremely shy in front of others, quickly made excuses to hide themselves. In the blink of an eye, not even a person left to pour tea was left in the room.

Cheng Mutian entered the room. He tapped the empty teacup on the table. "You're the first person to argue with their husband over their sister-in-law."

Xiao Yuan was surprised that Cheng Mutian was so clever. Her face flushed, she said, "If word gets out, I'll be considered a virtuous woman. This will help make up for my bad reputation of kicking out the housekeeper as soon as I entered the house."

Cheng Mutian's face darkened: "The mistress of the house dismisses a servant or two and people start gossiping. Who is it?"

Xiao Yuan saw that he was still defending her, and her anger had long since dissipated. She thought to herself, why bother trying to win him and Third Sister over—it would be thankless work. She would just take care of her privately. So she quickly stepped forward, poured a cup of hot tea, and placed it in front of him. "I know you favor me. You don't even mind that my feet are big."

Seeing that the maids were all gone, Cheng Mutian boldly took a few sips of water from her hand. He laughed and said, "I'm a cripple myself. Just make do." Before Xiao Yuan could pinch him, he pulled her into his arms.

Xiao Yuan hurriedly pushed him away, saying, "I just went to the women's quarters today."

Cheng Mutian was taken aback at first, then blushed, but still didn't let go: "Those officials who do business with me know that He Si Niang, who taught their wives to set up a maidservant's room, is in my house. They laugh at me every day."

"If you laugh at my husband again, I'll teach those people the revamped Four Departments and Six Bureaus!" Xiao Yuan said fiercely.

The two talked intimately for a while, and Xiao Yuan urged him to go and fulfill his filial duties to Master Cheng. She then called Cai Lian over and asked, "Why did Third Sister come to thank me?"

Cailian smiled and said, "She did it for two reasons. First, Madam Xie manages her household well, so no one asks her for tips when they serve her. Second, she wanted to see the cotton swabs, but she was too embarrassed to ask for them openly."

Xiao Yuan hurriedly sent several cotton bales to Third Sister and arranged the monthly allowances to be distributed to her and Aunt Ding's room.

When Aunt Ding heard that she would also receive a pack of cotton swabs, she came to thank her personally and asked Xiao Yuan if this would be deducted from her rent.

Xiao Yuan was momentarily speechless. This was her first time dealing with a rented concubine, and she was unfamiliar with the ins and outs. Besides, the rent for Concubine Ding was always managed by Master Cheng himself, and it was done through his private account. How could she have the right to deduct it? Her mind raced for a moment, and she suddenly felt a pang of self-mockery. It was just a small cotton swab; did Concubine Ding really have to pay for it herself? She was really becoming stingy as a housekeeper. Thinking of this, she quickly said, "Concubine Ding, what are you saying? How can you pay for these little things yourself? Besides, for such a small matter, you could have just sent a maid to ask. Why did you have to come all the way here in person?"

Aunt Ding lowered her head and said, "I'm just a renter. I have to send most of the rent money back to support my parents. How could I not come and ask for clarification? Besides, I don't have any maids to serve me. I'm a maid myself."

Xiao Yuan was stunned again. Every word she spoke was pitiful, yet also tinged with complaint. Which interpretation should she take? This was Master Cheng's concubine, not Cheng Mutian's maid. Xiao Yuan could only offer some polite words and send her back.

That evening, she asked Cheng Mutian about the matter, and her husband, who was so jealous of his concubine, gave the same answer as usual: "She's just a concubine, why bother with her?"

Xiao Yuan, however, thought much more deeply. Who could guarantee that this wasn't Master Cheng using Aunt Ding's words to get her rent paid from the public account?

To be honest, the money handed over to her by the family was just enough to get by. Most of the money, although it was in the public account, was under Master Cheng's name. She wanted to do a favor and settle Aunt Ding's rent, but where would the money come from?

“I’m not that virtuous. I wouldn’t use the money from my dowry shop to support my elders’ concubines.” Xiao Yuan pouted and stretched out her hand to Cheng Mutian. “My lord, give me money to support the family.”

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Rented Concubine (Part 1)

Cheng Mutian was very surprised when he saw Xiaoyuan asking for money for household expenses: "Has your father never given you any money?"

Xiao Yuan blinked: "You're such a big businessman, do you really need to ask your father for money when you don't have any?"

Cheng Mutian said solemnly, "While my parents are alive, they have no private wealth. Although I manage the family shops, they are all under my father's name. How can I take the opportunity to accumulate private savings?"

When Xiao Yuan heard that Cheng Mutian had no money, she suddenly realized that Master Cheng was clearly trying to get his daughter-in-law to contribute her dowry money to support his concubine.

Master Cheng only has one son. If he wants to use public funds, he can simply take the income from the shops under his name. Why is he so calculating about her dowry money? Xiao Yuan couldn't understand it at all, so she could only pretend to be confused in front of her father-in-law: "Father, I heard that Aunt Ding doesn't even have a maid. It's all my fault. I'll pick out two good ones for her tomorrow."

She was right; Master Cheng did indeed have designs on her dowry money. However, he did not expect that Xiao Yuan would pretend to only understand the surface meaning of Aunt Ding's words. In a fit of anger, she actually withheld one-third of the household expenses.

Upon hearing this news, the maids who had accompanied the bride were all indignant, but Xiao Yuan laughed and said, "Father only has one son, Erlang. He kindly wants to accumulate wealth for him, so why not grant his wish?"

Although the maids had only been with the Cheng family for a short time, they had all made progress. Upon hearing this, they suddenly understood and, without waiting for Xiao Yuan's instructions, immediately reduced all the household expenses by one grade.

When Cheng Mutian returned home after a long day, he saw only tea leaves in his cup and was about to smash it when he noticed that Xiao Yuan's cup was the same. He asked in surprise, "Our business is booming, yet my wife is so frugal?"

Xiao Yuan smiled modestly: "It wasn't my idea. Dad said that thrift is the key to managing a household, so he reduced the household expenses by one-third."

The family has just been expanded and they're already cutting back on money. Cheng Mutian, a businessman, isn't foolish enough to think his father is trying to save money. But as long as his father is alive, he won't be in charge. In fact, he's not even as good as Xiaoyuan. Xiaoyuan can at least manage the small plot of land in the backyard, but he has no say in anything.

He sighed inwardly. "Since it is Father's will, we children can only obey. From now on, our expenses will also be reduced."

Xiao Yuan noticed the apology on his face. She quickly grasped his hand and said, "The whole family depends on you for survival. How could I possibly reduce your income? I'm just staying home anyway, so I might as well endure some hardship." Even a thousand years later, how many people would side with their daughter-in-law in a mother-in-law/daughter-in-law conflict? Xiao Yuan held her cup, finding even the lowest quality tea sweet.