Chapter 107: Ten Strikes Each

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There were still so many years of account books left behind, and Di Shi panicked.

“Actually, it’s not just the silk shop; several other shops also keep their old account books for many years. The shopkeepers often save these records just in case situations like this arise. When things can't be explained clearly, you can directly refer to the account books. Madam Duan, open a box and let the lady take a look.”

The matriarch lifted her eyelids lazily and said casually.

“Yes, madam!” Madam Duan approached, opened a box, casually took out a book, and handed it to Di Shi. “Madam, please check if your seal is on here. See if there’s any mistake!”

Di Shi instinctively took the book, flipped to the back, and immediately found her seal. The account book was not forged. Her body wobbled and she almost fell.

How could she not have known that those shopkeepers still kept these account books! She never expected the old lady had anticipated this move of hers so early and was waiting here!

“If you want to see more, I can have the account books from the other shops brought over for you to examine. Once they’re all boxed and sorted, I’ll have them delivered to you. Through these, you can see whether our mansion invested more silver later, how much profit was made afterward, and how much the General’s household has spent over the years!”

The matriarch spoke coldly, her gaze burning into Di Shi’s face, every word pronounced clearly and deliberately.

“Madam!” Madam Zhou looked flustered, gently tugging at Di Shi’s sleeve.

“Mo... mother, if you don’t trust me this much, why should I even bother looking...” Di Shi covered her face with a handkerchief, heartbroken to the point of despair. Yet, she no longer cried out wildly like she did when she first caused a scene; her spirit instantly weakened.

“The matter is laid out here, Di Shi. Do you have anything else to say?” the matriarch continued.

“Mother... I have managed the back courtyard of the General’s residence all these years. Even if I have no merits, I have put in hard work, right? If you take all the money away, how are my mother and I supposed to live!” Di Shi lowered her head, sobbing pitifully, refusing to leave. She looked utterly miserable!

After causing such a big scene today and gaining nothing, how could she give up?

“The silver will be used to purchase shops in the capital. You will be given two separate shops,” the matriarch said slowly. “You already had your own dowry shops in the capital before. Having these combined isn’t insignificant, and besides, everything in this residence originally belongs to you as well. There’s nothing to argue about.”

When Di Shi married, her dowry included several shops. After she left the capital with Qin Huaiyong, those shops remained in the city under the care of the Yongkang Marquis’s residence. The matriarch had seen Di Shi’s dowry list before, and there were quite a few shops on it.

“Mother, will I still manage my shops?” Di Shi wiped her tears and asked. Though reluctant, at least she had some hope.

“Of course you will. The two shops given to you, along with your dowry shops, will not be managed by the residence. You have been away from the capital for years; it will take some time to reorganize your shops,” the matriarch said with a faint brow.

“Yes, mother. I will do my best to manage my shops well and assist you with the household affairs,” Di Shi said, feeling aggrieved.

Qin Wanru’s gaze swept across her face, her delicately arched brows knitting slightly. She suddenly recalled something about Di Shi’s dowry.

However, in the previous life, she had lived quite miserably and had only heard rumors about it, never knowing whether they were true or false.

“Mother, I take my leave!” Di Shi knew this was the matriarch’s greatest concession. She hastily stood up and bowed to the matriarch before leaving.

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“Grandmother, those maids and old women who followed the crowd and overturned Mother’s things were really despicable. It’s one thing that the lady was angry and misunderstood, but why did those people join in the chaos? It’s fortunate that you arrived quickly. If you had been a little slower, would they have beaten Mother?” Qin Wanru walked to the matriarch’s side and whispered a reminder.

“Mother...” Di Shi panicked and nervously called out, glaring fiercely at Qin Wanru. She was blaming the servants she had brought along! If that accusation stuck, who would dare follow her or obey her in the future? Wouldn’t the household end up revering Shui Ruolan?

The matriarch’s eyes flickered but she said nothing. Madam Duan, however, spoke up: “Madam, Second Miss is right. Such matters require rules. When the mistress misunderstands or errs, the servants must counsel and restrain her, preventing any foolish actions. Otherwise, if a servant causes trouble, how can there ever be peace in this residence?”

Madam Duan spoke from the standpoint of managing the household. As the head of the inner servants, her words were proper and reasonable, impossible to dispute, and she spoke entirely as an impartial observer.

If Shui Ruolan were to punish the servants Di Shi brought, it wouldn’t be as fair as the advice from Qin Wanru and Madam Duan. Their words were just right.

“Di Shi, without rules, there can be no order. Anyone you brought who smashed things or hit people in this residence shall receive ten strokes of the cane. You have managed a household before; I don’t need to teach you this, right?” the matriarch nodded.

“Yes... daughter-in-law obeys!” Di Shi gritted her teeth but had no choice but to agree.

After bowing to the matriarch, she turned and left, accompanied by the flustered Madam Zhou.

Madam Zhou walked hurriedly, clinging tightly to Di Shi, afraid the matriarch or Shui Ruolan would notice her. Though she had not laid a hand on anyone, she was Di Shi’s confidante. If Di Shi were to be reprimanded, Madam Zhou would be the most vulnerable. So she dared not utter another word, only following closely.

“Grandmother, did Mother have many dowry shops in the capital?” After Di Shi left, Qin Wanru blinked her big eyes curiously and asked.

“She was the legitimate daughter of the Yongkang Marquis’s residence. Her dowry was indeed substantial. Aside from the shops left in the capital, she should have had all other belongings in hand,” the matriarch nodded.

“How many exactly?” Qin Wanru’s curiosity deepened, her chin resting on her delicate hands as she looked at the matriarch with interest.

Seeing her rosy little granddaughter, the matriarch felt somewhat better and casually said, “There should be around ten, but I’ve forgotten the exact number.”

“So many?” Qin Wanru sighed in surprise.

“She was the only legitimate daughter of the Yongkang Marquis then. Naturally, the dowry was large. The capital’s income surpassed Jiangzhou,” the matriarch replied indifferently before turning to Shui Ruolan. “Ruolan, are you alright? You’ve suffered an injustice.”

Today’s matter originally involved the silver taken from Di Shi by Qin Huaiyong, but in the end, Di Shi vented all her anger on Shui Ruolan.

“Mother, I’m fine!” Shui Ruolan shook her head gently. Since this scheme had been planned early on, she had long expected Di Shi would cause trouble here.

Di Shi dared not cause a scene before the General and the matriarch, so she inevitably came to Shui Ruolan. Qin Wanru had previously warned her to be cautious.

Thinking of this, Shui Ruolan looked softly at Qin Wanru, only to find the girl lost in thought. She couldn’t help but smile: “Wanru, you’re young. Were you frightened?”

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“Mother, I’m fine!” Qin Wanru smiled slightly.

She truly wasn’t scared. She just thought that in the previous life, Di Shi didn’t have that much money. Considering the long-standing income from the shops in the capital and the new shops the General’s household purchased upon returning, the residence should have been quite wealthy, even if not overflowing with riches. The household’s personnel were also few.

Yet, she had heard that in the previous life, Di Shi had to secretly borrow high-interest loans outside, especially around the time Qin Yuru was married off. Was Di Shi really that poor then?

The General’s residence sold off all its shops. News of General Ningyuan’s reassignment and departure from Jiangzhou spread alongside the sale.

As longtime colleagues, many officials invited Qin Huaiyong out for social visits and farewell parties. Recently, Qin Huaiyong was seldom at the residence.

Di Shi had caused disturbances before but had been unusually well-behaved lately, causing no more trouble. Shui Ruolan supervised the household’s affairs, and life passed rather quickly. In the blink of an eye, half a month had gone by.

It was now time for the Ningyuan General’s household to officially leave Jiangzhou.

Early in the morning, several carriages were prepared, packed with belongings to be taken along. The people followed in their carriages afterward. The matriarch and Qin Wanru shared one carriage; Di Shi and Shui Ruolan shared another. The other servants used several large carriages to follow.

Servants who had no binding contracts were given silver to return home.

Among Qin Wanru’s close maids, Qing Yue, Yu Jie, and the obedient but less favored Qing Xue remained. The second-class maid Qu Le also accompanied them. As for the swallow kept by Chu Liuchen, naturally, it went along!

Before departure, Qu Le told Qin Wanru a secret: she had made a special trip home and brought back a small package of childhood belongings from her parents. She also shared sad news—her two younger sisters had been sold.

Regarding her family’s situation, Qin Wanru could only helplessly ask Qing Yue to give Qu Le more silver. She admired Qu Le’s father deeply. For a servant to achieve so much was truly rare. He had been loyal for ten years, but his own family’s fate was tragic.

Loyalty and filial piety rarely align perfectly throughout history. She hoped he would soon find his master again and be able to redeem his daughters, reuniting the family. She hoped they would no longer have to sell their daughters and spy on their master’s whereabouts at various mansions. The long silence suggested something had happened.

Even if once on Jiangzhou’s land, by now his bones would likely have turned to dust.

Qi Baiyu and Qi Rongzhi indeed followed them into the capital. The Qi magistrate’s residence also prepared several carriages, which joined Qin’s convoy as they traveled far into the capital.

In a courtyard somewhere in the capital, a stunning young man dressed in light furs lay weakly on a warm couch. His head rested slightly on a pillow as he looked at the documents in his hands, gentle and harmless.

“They have entered the capital?”