MYSIOAMEWTMMAlTWOAM: Chapter 69

Glossary

·Qin Yuan (秦鸢): The female protagonist, Marquise of the Dingbei Marquis Household.

·Gu Jinghui (顾靖晖): The male protagonist, the Marquis.

·Gu Shiliu (顾十六): Gu Jinghui's personal attendant.

·Hongye (红叶): Qin Yuan's personal maidservant.

·Cuiming (翠茗): Qin Yuan's personal maidservant.

·Lu Mama (卢妈妈): The stewardess in charge of the needlework room.

·Sixth Madame Gu (六夫人): Wife of the sixth son, Gu Jingjun.

·Zhao Niangzi (赵娘子): The widow the Marquis brought back.

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Chapter 69: Became the Protruding Rafter That Rots First

Qin Yuan couldn't help but lower her head, pressing her lips together to suppress a smile.

Gu Jinghui leaned closer and asked curiously, "Yu'an'er, what are you smiling about?"

"I'm smiling because the Marquis has been driven to the point of having to consider such matters. You are going to the military camp tomorrow; there's no need to rush this. Mother will naturally make arrangements. However, the method you thought of is excellent. Once Gu Shiliu goes to Jizhou and brings back members of Zhao Niangzi's husband's family, their future plans can be properly discussed. This will prevent potential future disputes if relatives show up seeking connection."

"Pfft—" Gu Jinghui also laughed, his somber expression instantly softening. He lifted his eyelids, his narrow, sharp eyes gazing steadily at her through thick lashes, and said with satisfaction, "This was the result of Gu Shiliu and I discussing it all night."

It sounded like he was hoping for praise, and also couldn't resist showing off.

Qin Yuan pressed her lips together again.

Gu Jinghui seemed touched. He sighed and said, "Brother Pang left his hometown to serve in the military at the northern frontier. He rarely mentioned his family, only saying he had some disagreements with them and wanted to achieve something to have face when returning home. His family probably doesn't even know about the two children. Back then in the northern frontier, it was too far, and we were busy fighting wars, so we couldn't attend to it. In the half year since returning to the capital, I've been busy with various trivial matters, and Zhao Niangzi never brought it up, so I nearly forgot."

So the children's father's surname was Pang.

Qin Yuan noted this silently.

The northern frontier and Jizhou were very far apart, making communication difficult. This Brother Pang didn't mention his family affairs, and the Marquis was genuinely too busy in the border town to attend to it.

After returning to the capital, there were also many matters to handle, and they had even managed to squeeze in getting married.

But for some reason, Zhao Niangzi never mentioned this matter.

Was she worried her husband's family would hinder her from remarrying?

Qin Yuan pondered this when a young maid outside called for Hongye again. Hongye went out for a while and returned to report, "Madame, the stewardesses have arrived."

Checking the hourglass, it was already the usual time for the morning roll call and reports.

The series of events this morning had nearly pushed the proper business out of her mind. Qin Yuan stood up, smoothing her hair. "Husband, would you prefer to sit here drinking tea or return to the side chamber to rest and recuperate? I have matters to attend to and cannot keep you company."

Gu Jinghui neither wanted to sit here nor return to the side chamber to rest.

"How about I go with you and listen in?" he said.

Hongye glanced at Qin Yuan.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Qin Yuan demurred, "They are all minor matters. If you wish to listen, it's fine, but I'm concerned the stewardesses will be too intimidated by your presence."

Disappointed, Gu Jinghui said, "Then don't mind me. I'll just stay in the main room. It's a good chance to read the books my father-in-law gave me."

Qin Yuan had to say a few more things before finally going out to meet the stewardesses.

After just one day, these stewardesses showed noticeably more eagerness and respect toward her.

Qin Yuan's slender eyebrows lifted slightly; she had some guesses in her heart.

After she sat down, Hongye began the roll call, while Cuiming stood behind her holding the needlework room account books.

There weren't many stewardesses assigned directly under her; one could count them on one hand.

But Hongye said they needed to establish the habit of roll call so the stewardesses wouldn't dare to slight her.

Qin Yuan let Hongye handle it.

After the roll call, Qin Yuan routinely asked the stewardesses about the progress of their tasks, their plans, and if there were any items requiring approval for purchase.

Finally, Qin Yuan asked Lu Mama, "Have the needlework room accounts been fully reviewed?"

Lu Mama was sweating profusely. "Replying to the Madame, there are some... discrepancies."

Qin Yuan asked, "Can you clarify what those discrepancies are?"

Lu Mama's face turned red, and she stammered, "This old slave will sort it out as quickly as possible. Yesterday, Miss Cuiming went to check the counts, and there were slight differences from the ledger records..."

Before she could finish, Qin Yuan continued, "I recall instructing you previously that before coming to me, you must first reconcile the accounts with Sixth Madame Gu. Now your physical inventory and ledger don't match, and the ledger itself has errors and omissions. How exactly did you reconcile the accounts with Sixth Madame Gu?"

Lu Mama couldn't answer.

Qin Yuan said to Cuiming, "Tell us about the errors and omissions you found during yesterday's review."

Cuiming stepped forward. "Replying to the Madame, yesterday this servant went with Lu Mama to count the embroidery threads, tools, and fabrics in the needlework room. We discovered multiple discrepancies between the types of embroidery threads and the ledger records. The threads the embroiderers draw daily do not match the finished embroidered products and the recorded wastage."

She then detailed how much thread the embroiderers had drawn last month versus the finished products, item by item.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Clearly,the threads drawn didn't correspond to what was needed for the finished items.

And this was just from the ledger perspective.

If they were to match everything against the physical inventory, who knew what other irregularities might surface.

Qin Yuan looked coldly at Lu Mama, who was hunched over.

Lu Mama struggled to speak, finally squeezing out after a long pause, "Madame, regarding these accounts... this old slave will go find Sixth Madame Gu to conduct a new inventory."

Qin Yuan asked, "Will Sixth Madame Gu conduct a new inventory with you?"

Lu Mama was tongue-tied, unable to answer.

Such an perfunctory response was truly unconvincing.

Qin Yuan said, "In principle, I shouldn't manage the accounts from your previous tenure, only the future ones. But your handover is unclear and muddled, and you still want funds to purchase materials. I truly dare not let you manage this anymore."

Lu Mama felt as if struck by lightning, standing dumbfounded and speechless.

Qin Yuan said, "Come find me again when you have managed to sort out the needlework room's past accounts clearly."

She added, "Cuiming, find another Mama within the needlework room to temporarily fill Lu Mama's position. Starting today, the needlework room will establish a new ledger. Drawing materials, submitting finished goods, and recording wastage must all be properly registered."

The implication was that Lu Mama would be responsible for the old accounts, while the replacement would start a completely new ledger. The two would be separate.

If any problems emerged from the old accounts, Lu Mama would have to bear the responsibility.

Cuiming responded crisply in agreement.

Lu Mama regretted her own foolishness for listening to others, for secretly belittling the Madame due to her youth and perceived lack of experience, and for losing her sense of respect and caution because the Madame was the daughter of a minor official.

The Marquise acted swiftly and decisively.

Yesterday, Cuiming had only just checked the physical inventory against the remaining ledger, and today she had already identified most of the discrepancies in the account books. Anyone hearing this would know she was the one at fault; she couldn't even cry injustice.

She had worked for so long to become a stewardess. Although the perks weren't huge, she at least managed so many people and embroiderers. Now, with one sentence from the Madame, not only was she stripped of her position, but she also had to shoulder the deficits accumulated over the years.

"It's over, it's over," Lu Mama swayed like a leaf trembling in the wind.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

The other stewardesses who had joined her in secretly mocking the Marquise now all wore expressions of extreme respect, not even daring to breathe heavily.

At this point, how could Lu Mama not see it?

She had become the protruding rafter that rots first.

A buzzing filled Lu Mama's ears, chaotic and overwhelming. Dazedly, she heard Qin Yuan ask again, "Lu Mama, do you have anything to say?"

With a thump, Lu Mama knelt on the ground. After a long while, she finally said, "This old slave begs the Madame for forgiveness! No matter how many faults this old slave has, I have served the Old Madame. I beg the Madame to give this old slave some face, please don't remove me from my position in the needlework room."

(End of Chapter)

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Translator's Note: check out my other work— The Marquis’s Beloved is a Black-Hearted Lotus and Rebirth as the Matriarch of a Noble Family (⁠*⁠＾⁠3⁠＾⁠)⁠/⁠～⁠♡

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