Qiao'er knew that it was unreasonable for a maid to criticize her master, so she lowered her head unhappily.
"Miss."
At this moment, Hong Chang came in with a tray in her hand and walked in front of Ling Qingwan.
Ling Qingwan lowered her head and glanced at the two bowls and plates on the tray.
"This is the daily meal for the servants in the mansion after the old lady took charge of household affairs. I just came from the kitchen and wanted to open your eyes, so I brought some." Hong Shang told Ling Qingwan.
There was a steamed bun on the plate, about the size of a fist, and in the bowl next to it was vegetable soup, which looked so watery and unappetizing.
"That's it? Is this edible?" Qiao'er frowned and looked away with disgust.
A steamed bun and a bowl of vegetable soup, no one would have thought that this was the food of Ling Mansion. Although Ling Mansion is now desolate, it was once a famous mansion.
Even if it was an ordinary mansion, the servants would not be treated so harshly.
To put it bluntly, this is not food, it's clearly pig food.
Not to mention Qiao'er, Ling Qingwan also frowned unconsciously when she saw it.
"This is still too much." Hong Chang sighed. "The chef in the kitchen knew that the young lady was coming back today and recognized me as a member of Lan Yuan, so he added some more green leaves to the soup. Normally, the servants in the mansion can only drink salty water."
"What about Fuluxuan and Meiyuan?" Ling Qingwan asked Hongshang.
She knew that the Ling family lived in poverty, but Ling Feng was still working in the court and received a monthly salary. Add to that the savings the old lady had made over the past few decades, and they really weren't in a situation where they couldn't afford to eat.
"Since the master was demoted, he has been more and more busy. He stays in the palace all day and rarely takes care of the affairs in the backyard. He doesn't need to be taken care of by the mansion for food and drink. In the entire Ling Mansion, the ones who have the best food and clothing are the old lady and the eldest daughter."
Hong Chang answered truthfully.
"How are the servants in the Guan mansion doing? The two of them are only concerned with eating and drinking, and their lives are no less difficult than before when the power was still in the hands of the Madam." Luoluo echoed.
Listening to what the two said, Ling Qingwan's expression became more solemn.
"In the past, the young lady was not favored by the old lady and the master, and everyone in the mansion excluded Lanyuan. Now, our Lanyuan has become a place that everyone envies." Hongshang raised her head slightly, looking quite stubborn.
Although she felt heartbroken, Hong Chang still remembered how those maids and servants in the mansion isolated Lan Yuan behind her back.
Ling Qingwan didn't care.
Most of these servants are like fence-sitters. They hate whoever their master hates. Although their actions may be a bit cold-hearted, they don't have any bad intentions.
Ling Qingwan had many matters to deal with, and there was no need for her to hold grudges against a group of servants who had nothing to do with her.
"Green radish, red dress."
After thinking for a while, Ling Qingwan called the two maids.
She took out a silver note from her sleeve and handed it to Luoluo and Hongshang.
"Go buy some vegetables and meat and change their meals tonight." Ling Qingwan ordered. "How can people who work all day not eat well?"
After receiving the signal, Luluo and Hongshang left the yard.
"Miss, you are such a nice person." Qiao'er sighed.
If it were her, she probably wouldn't be able to be so frank and willing to repay evil with kindness after being bullied.
"I do this for a reason." Ling Qingwan chuckled.
"Ah?" Qiao'er was puzzled.
"Since I want to take back the power of managing the Ling Mansion, I can't just sit there and watch this mess." Ling Qingwan's lips curled up, and the smile on her face became even wider.
"Do you really want to care?" Qiao'er asked worriedly.
"The old lady has not even asked for your opinion, but she has already put the power back into your hands. It is obvious that she can no longer manage the situation, so this is the only way. I am not saying anything too much, but if the old lady and the eldest lady have good intentions, how could they think of you? You are doing exactly what the old lady wants."
The more Qiao'er thought about it, the angrier she became. She wanted to go find the old lady and Ling Chuchu to argue with them.
Previously, he thought he could take advantage of the situation and take the power away at all costs. But he found out that it was a tough job, so he tried his best to return it to Ling Qingwan.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the old lady and Ling Chuchu were treating Ling Qingwan as a sucker.
But Ling Qingwan accepted it.
"You are like this, the emperor is not anxious but the eunuch is."
Before Ling Qingwan could reply, Nanny Pu came into the yard and took over the conversation.
"Mammy!" Qiao'er felt very aggrieved.
"Didn't the young lady say it yesterday? When has she ever suffered at the hands of the old lady and the eldest young lady? Since the young lady has decided to take over the power, she must have her reasons. What we need to do is to accompany the young lady."
Nanny Park walked up to Ling Qingwan and stood in front of her.
"Miss, I have already told those debt collectors, they will be here soon."
"That's good." Ling Qingwan was calm and composed, as if nothing had happened.
As she expected, in less than half an hour, all the debt collectors gathered at the gate of Ling's house, clamoring for the old lady to return the money.
When the news reached Fuluxuan, the old lady was so angry that she started cursing.
"These bastards, never stop asking for repayment! As a dignified marquisate, how can I not pay them back? They are all asking for repayment so urgently, are you short of that little bit of silver?" The old lady was furious and yelled immediately.
Several maids present were hesitant to speak.
The Ling Mansion today is no longer the Marquis Mansion of the past. Besides, it is only natural to pay back debts, and how can the old lady be justified in delaying the repayment
"You two, go to the yard and find some strong guys and drive them away first." The old lady looked impatient and pointed casually at the two maids in front of her.
"Old Madam, think twice!" Nanny Sun couldn't stand it any longer and finally tried to dissuade them. "We owe them money in the first place. If we find someone to drive them away, how will the Ling family survive in the capital in the future?"
"The most important thing is the master and the eldest lady. The master is still serving in the court, and the eldest lady has not yet married into the imperial palace. We must not make any mistakes at this time."
Nanny Sun's words caught the old lady's attention.
She thought about it and felt more and more that what Nanny Sun said made sense.
"That's right. Chuchu is going to marry into the Imperial Palace and become an imperial concubine in the future. We can't cause trouble for her."
"Yes." Nanny Sun sighed helplessly.
Although she said this, she still felt that the old lady was wrong to do so, so she found reasons that the old lady could accept.
The Ling family was once prosperous in the past, but now they have reached the point where not only are they in arrears with their debts, but they are also trying to kick out the debt collectors. If this matter were to get out, wouldn't it be laughable
"What should we do now? Should we just let them make trouble?" The old lady was in a dilemma.
There are so many debt collectors gathered at the gate of Ling's house. This is not a solution.
"Otherwise, see how much silver is left in the mansion and pay back as much as you can. At least you can give them hope." Nanny Sun came up with an idea.
"There's no money left in the house." The old lady snorted coldly.
When she mentioned this matter, she became very angry.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly cooled, and the old lady and Nanny Sun were both silent for a while.