After Li Yaonan left, Lin Yixuan was not idle either. He went straight to the flower hall of Jinglan Courtyard and asked someone to call all the servants.
Generally, when a new bride enters a wealthy family, she always has to give a speech to the servants first. One reason is to establish her authority, and the other is to get to know them. He is no exception.
"Master, please have some tea!" Chun Xianqiao smiled sweetly, poured tea for Lin Yixuan, and smiled and reported some things she had inquired about today: "Master's yard has a nanny, four older maids, four second-class maids, three rough maids, and three servants. You met Nanny Li yesterday. She is Madam's person. Amber and Yuzhu were given by the old lady. The other maids, except for the rough maids, were all bought by Master some time ago."
"Well! What else?" Lin Yixuan asked casually, his eyes calm and unperturbed, as if he didn't care much about anything around him.
Chunxian smiled, her eyes moved, and her words were full of wit and humor: "You don't know, our son-in-law is really a wonderful person. The maids in other families are used to serve the masters, but the son-in-law treats them like Bodhisattvas. Look at how proud Amber and Yuzhu are. They think they are the best in Jinglan Courtyard. They compete with Li Ma every day. Yesterday, they quarreled over a few rewards. I laughed to death."
"They are just servants. Just deal with them. It's embarrassing for them and it's not good for Jinglan Courtyard. What else did you find out?" Lin's mother spent a lot of time on his marriage. There were six maids in the dowry. Four of them were carefully selected and each of them could handle things on their own. The other two were concubines for the son-in-law. He held the indentures of the whole family, so he was not afraid that they would have other thoughts. In addition, there were four servants and six servants. Lin's mother was afraid that he would be wronged in the Li Mansion, so she prepared everything around him.
Thinking of Lin's mother, Lin Yixuan felt a little warm in his heart. He looked towards the study where Li Yaonan was and fell into deep thought. At this moment, even if he was unwilling to admit it and no matter how dissatisfied he was with Li Yaonan, he knew that he and Li Yaonan were in the same boat now, and the affairs of Jinglanyuan were his affairs.
Chunxian hesitated for a moment and replied, "My son-in-law is not in a good situation in the mansion. The current wife was promoted from a concubine to the main wife. The previous wife passed away ten years ago. The eldest son of the Li family guaranteed this marriage. My son-in-law was very resistant at the time, but later he agreed for some reason. I am worried..."
"No problem!" Lin Yixuan interrupted her. He had known all these things for a long time. He also knew what Ma Yulian and the old lady were planning. All he wanted now was a place to live. As long as Li Yaonan didn't favor his concubine like his father did, he would have people and money, so he wouldn't have to worry about having a bad life. The only thing he lacked now was an heir. However, they had just gotten married and it was still early. He would consider the matter of his son carefully. If Li Yaonan really died young, he would have to get pregnant before that. After that, he could move out of the Li Mansion with his son and set up his own business. As long as he didn't remarry, as a chaste husband, no one could do anything to him.
It has to be said that in some areas, Lin Yixuan's thinking is in sync with Li Yaonan's, and both of them want to leave the Li Mansion and start their own business.
Not long after, Zi Yang came to report that Nanny Li and a group of servants were already waiting outside the flower hall.
"Send it in!" Lin Yixuan collected his thoughts, and as he finished speaking, the servants filed in. Because he couldn't see because of the veil yesterday, and he was too busy this morning, this was the first time he saw the so-called beautiful maid mentioned by Ma Yulian.
As expected, they were good-looking. Lin Yixuan frowned and looked at them carefully. Except for the three maids who cleaned the floor and looked a little plain, the rest of the maids in Jinglan Courtyard, including Yuzhu and Amber, were all pretty and at the age of blooming flowers.
Lin Yixuan despised him in his heart. Besides being a scoundrel, he also accused Li Yaonan of being a womanizer. It was a pity that his little cousin said that Li Yaonan did not have a concubine. He knew it was not credible. Although these maids were not concubines, their looks and figures showed that they were preparing to be concubines or something.
"Greetings to the Second Young Master's wife." Nanny Li walked at the front with her head held high. She bowed and stood up on her own.
Amber and jade beads, follow suit.
Lin Yixuan didn't care and just asked calmly: "What are your names, what can you do, and where do you serve?"
Matron Li had a proud look on her face. She was determined to give the new wife a warning. Otherwise, there would be no place for her in Jinglan Courtyard. The Second Young Master was becoming more and more cunning. "I am the housekeeper matron in the Second Young Master's courtyard. Matron is the same as the Second Young Master. You can call me Matron Li. Everything in Jinglan Courtyard is managed by me. The Second Young Master's wife is new here. If you don't understand something, just ask me. I will tell you everything I know. I know the Second Young Master's character best."
Amber and Yuzhu were disdainful. Li Ma was just relying on her seniority. She was not the young master's wet nurse, and she dared to take advantage of her. Humph! They were given by the old lady.
"Your servant Yuzhu greets the Second Young Master's wife."
"Your servant Amber greets the Second Young Master's wife."
"We all served in the Second Young Master's room."
The two maids were graceful and elegant, and the contempt in their eyes was obvious. The second young master had vomited blood and fainted in order to resist the marriage. They did not believe that the new lady could gain a foothold in the Li Mansion.
"Your servant Xuezhan pays respects to the young lady."
"Your servant Mo Yuan pays respects to the young lady."
"... ..."
Lin Yixuan sat quietly. Although his face was cold and expressionless, he gave people a feeling that he was unattainable.
Nanny Li was amazed at what she saw. She was indeed from a wealthy family. Her aura was different. But so what? No matter how good her family background was, Lin Yixuan was still a daughter of a rich man, and she married the second young master. Tsk tsk! She would have to live under the madam's care in the future.
Lin Yixuan listened quietly. It was obvious that Li Yaonan's newly bought maid called him "Young Madam", while others called him "Second Young Madam". Although there was only one word difference, the content was completely different. Seeing Li Madam's eyes rolling around, Lin Yixuan knew that this evil servant wanted to play a double act with Madam, one playing the red cop and the other playing the white cop. If he couldn't even control Jinglan Courtyard, he would have to ask Madam for help, and his dowry might not be safe.
Lin Yixuan half closed his eyes and said nonchalantly, "I don't have too many rules here. Just do your part. Nanny Li is the elder in the house, and Amber and Jade Pearl were given by the old lady. You have different statuses, so you don't have to do the work of serving others."
Nanny Li had a smile on her face, knowing that the new wife was useless. She said, "So what if she was from a wealthy family? After she married the second young master, she would be a member of the Li family and would naturally have to respect an old nanny like her."
Amber and Yuzhu were very proud, thinking that the new lady was afraid of them. As expected, a pot fits a lid, just like the second young master. But it was also good this way. If the new lady was a powerful one, there would be no way for them to survive.
Before they could be happy, Lin Yixuan continued, "I heard that the old lady's birthday is coming soon. Each of you should copy the Buddhist scriptures 100 times to pray for the old lady."
“How can this be possible!” Nanny Li exclaimed, her eyes widened as they became rounder than copper bells, and she immediately became unsteady on her feet.
Amber and jade beads all changed color.
Lin Yixuan raised his eyebrows: "Why? You don't want to?"
“No... no..." Nanny Li quickly thought of a countermeasure. How could she dare not say she was unwilling to pray for the old lady? It was not like she wanted to die.
Yuzhu said hurriedly: "I am illiterate, please forgive me, Madam Second Young Master."
A light bulb suddenly lit up in Amber's mind: "I can't read either."
Lin Yixuan fiddled with the tea bowl in his hand and took a sip: "It doesn't matter, as long as the intention is there. You are the old lady's people, so it's only natural for you to pray for her. Don't you want to refuse?"
Amber and Yuzhu were secretly anxious. How could they dare not agree since the new lady had said so much? They felt secretly regretful in their hearts. If they had known that the new lady was so powerful, they would not have been so arrogant before.
"Since you are not unwilling, then you can go down. Praying for the old lady is a good thing, and it is also your blessing. The old lady will be happy when she knows it." Lin Yixuan said a few words and sent away a few people who were in the way.
Nanny Li's face was gloomy. She knew that things had come to this point and there was no room for recovery. She only regretted that she had underestimated the new lady. Now even if she wanted to complain, she had nowhere to go. The new lady was always right. She couldn't tell others that it was wrong to pray for the old lady.
Amber and Yuzhu also looked unhappy, and they hated Lin Yixuan to death. How long would they finish copying the Buddhist scriptures 100 times
Xuezhan, Moyuan and others lowered their heads and looked submissive, their attitude becoming more respectful.
Lin Yixuan just glanced at them and said, "Alright, go down, each of you will get a reward of one tael each, and do whatever you need to do."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and hurried out of the hall. The new lady's show of authority was so powerful that she shocked them with just a few words.
When Li Yaonan knew about this, it was already evening. He could only sigh in his heart that the harem was still dominated by women. Facing Lin Yixuan's methods, he felt inferior. Li Yaonan suddenly felt that there was nothing wrong with marrying a wife. He was looking forward to Lin Yixuan's next performance.
That night, a soft couch was added to their bedroom, but Li Yaonan pretended not to notice and continued to occupy the big bed.
When Lin Yixuan returned to the room at night and saw her husband sleeping soundly on the bed, she was not surprised at all. In her eyes, Li Yaonan was a cunning and selfish person who would never give in to him just because he was Shuang'er.
Just bear with it for now, Lin Yixuan secretly told himself, after returning home in three days, they can sleep in separate rooms without worrying about being talked about by others.
The next morning, Li Yaonan went to his cousin's place. Although they had agreed to meet again in five days, he really couldn't wait any longer.