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墨書 Inktalez
Xia Yuhan listened and looked outside the door again. Seeing that Madam's people had not yet arrived, a trace of coldness flashed in her eyes. "I wonder if Madam is unwell. She has so many people attending to her, yet she still hasn't come."
"In that case, all matters regarding the finances of Xia Manor that were previously managed by Madam will now be handled by the old gentleman beside Yu Han. He will handle amounts within one hundred taels of silver. For amounts exceeding one hundred taels, it must be approved by Second Madam. The close maid who used to serve Madam will no longer need to manage these affairs. She is getting older and should focus on serving Madam from now on."
"Remember, from now on, you will respectfully refer to this old gentleman as Cai Shu."
The Accountant's muddled eyes sparkled with gratitude as he knelt and thanked her, "Old servant thanks Second Sister here. For more and faster chapters, please visit."
"Cai Shu, no need to be polite. Please rise. We will discuss the details separately later."
"Old servant thanks Sister Xie."
After Xia Yuhan finished speaking, although the people below did not dare to openly oppose her, there was quite a bit of murmuring, mostly among the upper servants of Xia Manor.
Over the years, they had grown accustomed to following Madam. Now that they saw Madam losing power, the benefits they could have obtained were gone. So on the surface, they obeyed Xia Yuhan, but privately they still sided with Madam. They all hoped that Xia Yuhan would step down soon so that their financial paths would not be obstructed.
Xia Yuhan was not unaware of this. Although she had just arrived at Xia Manor, she had heard some things from the servants regarding this matter.
Previously, she had been too busy with various handovers to manage them. But if she continued to ignore them now, these people would eventually ride over her head.
The steward of Xia Manor noticed the loud discussions below and quickly reminded her, "Second Sister, these matters were previously managed by Madam. Now that funding issues are not going through Madam's hands, I fear you may end up with a bad reputation for oppressing your elders."
"This is something General Xia must have already explained to you. Madam is currently occupied with other important matters and cannot attend to these issues. It was General Xia's intention for me to take over the management of Xia Manor immediately. You may not accept me as Xia Yuhan, but you must think carefully; not accepting me is equivalent to not obeying the wishes of the owner of Xia Manor."
With this statement, silence fell over the hall. Even if everyone had a hundred unwilling thoughts in their hearts, there was nothing they could do. The owner of Xia Manor was General Xia. Who would dare to defy General Xia? Not only would they lose their positions, but they might also risk their lives.
Xia Yuhan glanced disdainfully at the crowd below; they were merely a group of rabble who bullied the weak and feared the strong. She actually hoped for a few brave souls to stand up against her because such individuals could be quite reliable if won over—much better than those who wavered like reeds in the wind.
"Just now I heard Yu Han discussing things; why is it that now you all have fallen silent? If you don't speak now, later on when you want to talk, it may no longer be up to you."
Xia Yuhan's words sent a chill through the crowd below. The Second Madam, who had been sitting quietly in front of the hall, gradually became unable to understand what Xia Yuhan was planning. She could only feel that her Yu Han was becoming increasingly capable and increasingly difficult to read.
In fact, she felt that their current status in Xia Manor was sufficient. It was enough to live peacefully. After all, how could they expect all the servants of Xia Manor to obey them? It was impossible to achieve that immediately.
Xia Yuhan noticed the worried expression on the Second Madam's face and cast a determined glance in her direction, hoping to reassure her.
What she was about to do would likely be hard for the Second Madam to handle. There was even a possibility that she might falter. Rather than risk that, it would be better for her to return and rest: "Mother, it's getting late. You should go back and rest. Leave the next matters to Yu Han."
"But..." The Second Madam clearly worried. However, realizing she couldn't be of much help, she agreed. "Alright then, I will go rest."
With that, Zhi Tao supported the Second Madam as they prepared to leave. The crowd below quickly made way for her. This was the first time the Second Madam had received such treatment; she had never experienced such formality before. If it weren't for the maid Zhi Tao supporting her, she might not have been able to stand at all.
Xia Yuhan was concerned that if they all stayed here and the Second Madam left, she might be kidnapped and used against her. So she politely addressed Cai Shu: "Cai Shu, could you accompany my mother back?"
Such a humble request directed at someone who seemed like an inconspicuous old man was rare; few had ever done so. Cai Shu understood and rose, cupping his hands together and kneeling on one knee: "Second Sister, you are too kind. I will go right away."
He moved quickly.
As soon as Cai Shu stepped out the front door, Madam's ten or so attendants slowly made their way to the hall.
Xia Yuhan did not hold back. Just as they were about to blend into the crowd, she calmly spoke: "You all need not come here anymore. Go to Cai Shu to collect your Silver Taels and leave. Xia Manor does not need servants who do not listen to their master’s words. That old woman... Golden Granny, right? You have served Madam for many years now. From today onward, you will stay in Xia Manor and properly serve Madam and Sister Wan'er."
Such a decision struck a painful chord with Madam and her servants.
Especially Golden Granny. Over the years, she had held great prestige among the servants, and no one dared defy her wishes. Now, being belittled by Xia Yuhan in front of so many people naturally made her feel miserable. It was clear that this punishment was a personal vendetta against her for arriving late.
"Second Sister, you cannot do this. Before we left, Madam was unwell, which is why we stayed by her bedside to serve her properly. It is reasonable that we arrived late. How can you be so unjust? You should consider our past relationships."
This statement clearly indicates that Xia Yuhan is seeking recognition. She seems to have forgotten how Madam once cared for her and her mother.
It's a pity. This care was merely superficial.
Xia Yuhan said calmly, “Golden Granny. I, Xia Yuhan, respect you for your years of hard work serving Madam. But you should not forget your own identity. Madam has not spoken out about this. You are nothing more than a hardworking servant. Do these words suit your status?”
“And also, Golden Granny. Do not judge others with your narrow perspective. For all these years, everyone has seen how my mother and I have been mistreated by you. If I, Xia Yuhan, wanted to settle personal scores and disregarded past feelings, your situation would be no different from that of the other maids.”
Xia Yuhan did not give Golden Granny any chance to respond. She continued immediately, “Golden Granny, it seems you have overlooked a very serious issue. This Xia Manor does not belong to me, Xia Yuhan, nor does it belong to Madam. It belongs to General Xia. Now that Daddy has temporarily entrusted the management of the entire Xia Manor to me, it is a sign of his trust in me, Xia Yuhan. Naturally, my orders are equivalent to Daddy's orders. Since neither Daddy nor Madam has spoken out, what right do you have to interfere? Are you simply afraid that I, Xia Yuhan, will settle personal scores?”
This roundabout way of reprimanding left no one in the hall daring to resist. Every word from Xia Yuhan was reasonable. They, as servants, had no reason not to comply.
Moreover, among them were many who had bullied Xia Yuhan in the past...
Xia Yuhan looked at the servants who had just been dissatisfied; now they all hung their heads low. Seeing that the atmosphere had been sufficiently established, it was time for action.
“Steward. Dismiss the few people who arrived later. Otherwise, you will be the first to leave Xia Manor. I, Xia Yuhan, am quite resolute.”
“Yes, yes, yes. Understood.”
As for the large number of people remaining, Xia Yuhan glanced at them and casually toyed with the exquisite teapot in her hand from her elevated position: “Just now, I, Xia Yuhan, mentioned that I would not settle personal scores or specifically seek revenge against you. However, I must remind you that if you harbor resentment and seek revenge against me, I fear you may not have that opportunity.”
“Do you want to know why? Does anyone want to know?”
“Want... want to know...” Just as everyone dared not speak up, a weak voice came from the crowd.
Looking in the direction of the voice, a young boy dressed in coarse brown cloth was timidly scanning the surrounding people. He did not dare to meet Xia Yuhan's gaze directly.
The other servants, upon seeing that it was Wang Sheng from Errand, couldn't help but feel amused and waited to see the unfolding drama.
Xia Yuhan observed everyone's actions but remained unfazed, pretending not to notice anything. She asked the young boy, "I am curious about your thoughts. Why do you want to know? You are neither my enemy nor someone seeking revenge against me. Why do you ask?"
"Second Sister... I... I just..."
Being watched by so many people, combined with his usual experiences of being bullied, made it difficult for him to express his thoughts despite trying hard.
"Don't be afraid. Just say what you think. Rest assured, I, Xia Yuhan, will protect you. What are you afraid of?"
Taking a deep breath, Wang Sheng trembled as he spoke, "It's like this, Second Sister. Sometimes I feel weak and don't grow taller. I often get bullied by those bigger than me. I want to take revenge, but I'm also afraid of their retaliation. So I want to know how to get back at them in a way that can intimidate those bigger guys without worrying about them coming back for revenge."
"So, you want to know the method."
"Second Sister... I want to know a better way."
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