Mother Zheng collected herself, smiled as if nothing had happened, and asked respectfully: "Miss, please don't blame the servant for asking too much, one hundred taels of silver is not a lot. I don't know why Miss wants so much money?"
If this is an ordinary master, she might feel displeased to be asked by the nanny in charge, but Xiao Fei has always ignored these things in the past, so she didn't care, and explained: "Madam Zheng, I think Nanjiang may There will be heat, and I plan to serve herbal tea outside the North City Gate in a few days."
Madam Zheng was a little relieved, but at the same time there was a flash of consternation in her eyes. She has been in charge of the eldest girl's house for five or six years, and this is the first time that the eldest girl wants to serve herbal tea in the sedan chair.
Her shrewd Danfeng narrowed her eyes, and said with a pleasant smile: "Miss is really kind. The servant girl will get you some money right away. But I don't know how many days the girl is planning to serve herbal tea? She is planning to transfer to Yuebiju Should people go out to serve tea, or borrow some people from the palace?"
Madam Zheng asked several questions in a row, Xiao Fei was stunned by the question, she hadn't thought about it so carefully, she just had a preliminary idea.
Seeing Xiao Fei's expression, Madam Zheng knew what she was doing, and her heart became more settled, she said courteously: "Miss, why don't you write a charter for the girl?"
Xiao Fei nodded: "Then I will trouble Madam Zheng."
After Madam Zheng Fu died, she withdrew. On the same day, she not only brought the one hundred taels of silver, but also handed over to Xiao Fei the regulations for serving herbal tea.
Xiao Fei looked at the list, frowned thoughtfully, and remembered what Nangong Yue said to her when she was in the capital: "Big sister, the servants can only be helpers, and can never replace the head of the house. Feed in cooking... The ancients said: Occupy your position, keep your job, do your best without exceeding your limit. If you have to shirk your duties to others, wouldn't it be against the teachings of the sages... "
"Miss, if there is nothing else, the servants will leave first."
Madam Zheng was about to leave, but Xiao Fei stopped her: "Mama Zheng, I want to see Yuebiju's account books over the past few years, as well as the rosters of servants."
This sentence made Madam Zheng almost lose her footing, and her mind was full of thoughts. This account book cannot be taken out no matter what, if it is a big girl...
The more Mother Zheng thought about it, the more terrified she became, and Xiao Fei looked at her suspiciously: "Madam Zheng, what's the problem?"
Madam Zheng's heart sank, and she hurriedly smiled and said, "Miss, there is nothing wrong. It's just that at the beginning of the year, the small warehouse where the account books were stored leaked, and many account books were either wet or soaked, and some were affected. If it is damp and moldy, the servants would not dare to stain the girl's eyes with it."
Xiao Fei frowned slightly, even if she didn't care about these trivial matters, she still felt that something was wrong. This is too coincidental.
Xiao Fei looked at Zheng Nanny sharply with cold eyes, and said slowly: "Zheng Nanny, since that's the case, please ask Nanny to bring me this year's account book."
Madam Zheng's heart beat two beats faster, she knew that if she evaded again, the eldest girl would really get suspicious.
Nanny Zheng took a deep breath, and said to herself, how can a big girl know how to read accounts? It's just a whim. Even if it was given to her, how could she see the way... Her account books can't be said to be perfect, but they are quite meticulous and thorough.
But even so, Madam Zheng was still restless, but she could only accept the order: "Yes, eldest girl. This servant will go back and get the account book."
That night, Yuebiju's account books from this year and the roster of servants in the courtyard were placed on Xiao Fei's desk, and Xiao Fei picked up the roster and looked through it first.
On weekdays, Yuebiju's servants and Xiao Fei mainly had contact with the nanny, Nanny Yi, the steward, Madam Zheng, two first-class maids, Taoyao and Baizhou, and four other second-class maids.
Xiao Fei only vaguely knew that there were still a few little maids and rough maids in her yard. It was only after reading the roster today that she was sure that they were four third-class maids, eight rough maids, and four rough maids. son.
Xiao Fei thought of something, and suddenly turned her head and asked, "Taoyao, is it the same in the courtyard of the second and fourth sisters?"
Taoyao, who was serving at the side, quickly explained: "Eldest girl, according to the rules of the palace, the courtyard of the daughter-in-law is equipped with these manpower, and the second girl can only have one first-class maid besides the nanny and the steward. There are two second-class maids, two third-class maids, four rough maids and two rough maids."
"So, my third sister and my second sister have different monthly schedules?" Xiao Fei speculated thoughtfully. She and the third sister are prostitutes, and since the configuration of servants in the yard is different, the monthly rules are also different in all likelihood.
Tao Yao nodded her head, her daughter always draws inferences about other things when she reads, she didn't pay attention to it before, but now she puts her mind to it, and naturally she can understand it at one point.
Xiao Fei put down the roster, picked up one of the account books, and just turned a page, and then she frowned slightly.
Bai Zhou asked cautiously: "Miss, but what's wrong with the accounts?"
Xiao Fei shook her head, a cold light flashed in her cold eyes, and Bai Zhou blinked suspiciously.
Xiao Fei flipped through a few more pages, but this time she flipped so fast that the two maids couldn't see the contents of the account book at all, and they were even more puzzled, so they couldn't help but look at each other. Girl what's the matter
Xiao Fei put down the book in hand, picked up another book, flipped it quickly, "scrub it", and there was a slight sound as the paper flapped quickly... Xiao Fei flipped through two or three books in this way, and then Don't watch anymore.
She sat on the armchair behind the desk, her eyes were slightly dazed, and she didn't speak for a while.
When Madam Zheng told Xiao Fei that most of Yue Biju's account books had been destroyed in the past year, Xiao Fei already felt that something was wrong, but there was no proof, and Nanny Zheng never made any mistakes in her work, and Xiao Fei also felt that something was wrong. I hope I am overthinking.
But--
This is really unexpected!
Xiao Fei's mind was even colder, she didn't know whether she was more disappointed with Madam Zheng, or more disappointed with herself.
Over the years, I have been obsessed with piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and I don’t care about everything. Unknowingly, I have indulged the servants around me to this extent. First, it was the nanny, Nanny Yi, and now it’s the steward... How many things are I doing by myself? Blind with eyes open, what about the one who has been turning a blind eye?!
Xiao Fei stood up suddenly, "Let's go to Bixiao Hall..." Before she finished speaking, she changed her words thoughtfully, "Forget it, let's do it tomorrow morning. Taoyao, tomorrow morning you will order the small kitchen to steam some rose rice cakes , I will send it to my sister-in-law to taste."
"Yes, big girl." Tao Yao answered with a smile.
That night, the lights in the small study room were turned off early, which made the caring person heave a sigh of relief, and secretly said: She knew that the second girl's elm head must not be able to see any tricks!
The night passed quickly...
On the second day, Xiao Fei and Tao Yao, who was carrying a mahogany food box, went to Bi Xiao Hall together.
When Nangong Yue saw the account books brought out together with a plate of hot rose rice cakes, she couldn't help but startled, and then a smile flashed in her eyes: Sister Fei, who has always been one intestine to the bottom, now also learns turned the corner.
After Nangong Yue and Xiao Fei ate a few pieces of sweet and soft rose rice cakes together, they opened one of the account books. After turning these few pages, they couldn't help raising their eyebrows.
This booklet is well done!
Sister Fei's skills are really growing, and she actually sees the problem.
Nangong Yue tilted her head and asked curiously: "Sister Fei, how did you see the problem with this account book?"
Xiao Fei solemnly pointed to the page Nangong Yue turned over, and said, "Ink marks. The ink marks in these account books are all new..." Madam Zheng is worried! I made a copy, but I didn't know that even if she dried the ink, the fresh ink was different from the old one.
As soon as she opened it, she could smell new ink, so what was there to see!
No matter how thorough Madam Zheng's accounts are, so what? If there is no ghost in her heart, why would she need to re-do the accounts!
Thinking about it, Xiao Fei's eyes darkened again. Although it is hateful for a slave to bully his master, she is always used to it. In the past, my sister-in-law was in charge of the huge palace of the king's capital, and there was never any trouble, and I was just a small Yuebiju, with so few people, but I couldn't figure it out. Contemptuous heart, want to fool her, manipulate her!
If she wanted to build up her prestige, she had to sort out this muddled account first, otherwise, even if she confronted Mother Zheng, she would just be fooled again and be rendered speechless.
Nangong Yue was stunned, the corners of her mouth curled up, and she smiled, the smile gradually spread from the corners of her mouth to her eyes, and smudged in her bright black eyes...
Sister Fei is still so interesting! Poor Nanny Zheng is a guilty conscience, she wants to make the accounts more complete, but she doesn't know that she is showing her flaws! Originally, if Xiao Fei only checked the numbers in the account book to see if the calculations were correct, she might not be able to. See the problem.
Yes, as the saying goes, "Water flowing thousands of miles returns to the sea". There is more than one way to accomplish something, she has her own way, and Sister Fei will have her own too!
Que'er couldn't help covering his mouth and laughing on the sidelines, probably other than the eldest son, only the eldest girl can tease the imperial concubine like this!
The eldest girl is obviously not the lively and funny character of Lily, but sometimes she speaks and acts very funny... well, or she is different, which makes people smile knowingly.
Nangong Yue signaled Que'er to move the top chair over, let Xiao Fei sit beside her, and explained to her in detail.
Xiao Fei nodded from time to time.
According to the rules of the palace, Yuebiju's servants, including nurses, stewards, maidservants, and wives, are all paid by the government, and as a daughter-in-law, she can get thirty taels a month from the government. These thirty taels of monthly bills are quite a lot according to reason, ordinary girls not only can't spend them all, but they can also have a lot left, but Xiao Fei is not like that.
Xiao Fei has to buy a lot of pens, inks, papers, inkstones, books, etc. every month. Sometimes when she sees some rare rare copies, she doesn't care about the price. These elegant things are more expensive than the snacks that little girls like to eat Too much, for Xiao Fei, the monthly allowance is often not enough, but she has Xiao Fang's biological mother to subsidize her ten taels of silver every month, and there are other taels of silver during the festivals.
Except for the money subsidized by Xiao Fang's family, which is in the hands of Nanny Yi, the money given by the public is basically in the hands of the nanny Zheng, who is in charge. Generally speaking, Xiao Fei only needs to buy books and the money When it wasn't enough, I took some more bits and pieces of silver from Madam Zheng. In the past, Madam Zheng always took out the money without saying a word, and never evaded it, so Xiao Fei always felt that she was doing a good job, but she didn't want to...
Xiao Fei pursed her lips bitterly.
Nangong Yue opened another account book for February, turned to the last page, and asked Xiao Fei: "What do you think is wrong with this account book?"
Xiao Fei looked at the last number in the account book, and shook her head helplessly: "I'm not here, neither are Tao Yao and Bai Zhou, and this month's Biju's expenses are not short at all..." It's as if they have the ability to separate themselves, and they are also in the palace Live like. In the end, the monthly bill of thirty taels in February was only five taels.
"And here..." She pointed to one of the items. According to the account book, Yuebiju re-pasted all the window papers in February, "It turns out that the paper used to paste the windows is the same as the one I usually use for Xue Tao, five Cloud signatures are as valuable." Xuetao signatures, Wuyun signatures and quicksand paper are already the most valuable rice paper.
Hearing this, Que'er and Huamei on the side secretly exchanged a look, saying that the big girl is not a god, but when it comes to piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, she is really clear about it.
-off topic-
Fourteen more at 23:00