He promised there would be no repeat offenses, urging her to rest assured. He had let his tongue run away with him, mocking Chu Chenyi just for a moment, never expecting the man to be so easily provoked and to come charging to their doorstep. *Serves him right for having an underlying ailment, I shouldn't have treated him,* Ling Mohan muttered inwardly, still pulling at Feng Jin, wanting to get to the bottom of it. "Does Chu Chenyi really have that kind of problem?"
"That kind of problem? Speak clearly," Feng Jin said, glancing around to ensure they were alone. Ling Mohan leaned in and whispered a few words into Feng Jin's ear.
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Feng Jin was instantly flustered upon hearing his words, her voice involuntarily rising.
"That's what you said," Ling Mohan's tone diminished considerably after being reprimanded.
"When have I ever said anything like that to you? I only said Lin Yuwei asked me to check if Chu Chenyi was unwell. I never said Chu Chenyi had an underlying ailment," Feng Jin explained helplessly, feeling a surge of exasperation. She couldn't help but wonder if her explanation was flawed, or if Ling Mohan's understanding was faulty, or if they simply had a communication barrier.
Having understood the whole story, Ling Mohan immediately lost interest. "So, it turns out Chu Chenyi is fine. All that excitement was for nothing."
"Then why did you deliberately tell Chu Chenyi he had an underlying ailment?"
"Iā¦ I just didn't like the look of him. I just wanted to scare him. But let's keep this between us. Don't go blabbing to others, or Chu Chenyi might end up barging in here with a knife next time," Ling Mohan nodded slowly, deciding to deal with Feng Jin first before anything else.
Seeing Ling Mohan's good attitude in admitting fault, Feng Jin didn't feel it necessary to pursue the matter further and decided to let it go. "I'm going to check the account books. You go ahead and be busy with your own things." She hadn't properly gone through the household accounts for a long time, and after slacking off for so long, she could no longer afford to be lazy. If the accounts weren't reconciled for half a month, the subordinates would start harboring ill intentions. Today was as good a time as any to go through them.
"Reporting to the young madam, all the accounts for the past month are here. They've all been sorted out one by one. Please review them, young madam."
"Granny Wang is also an elder in this household. I trust you with your work," Feng Jin said with a faint smile on her lips as she looked at the stout woman before her, her true emotions difficult to discern.
"You flatter me, young madam. As for this old servant, I wouldn't dare say much else, but in terms of years spent in this household, I can confidently say I'm one of the longest-serving. There's nothing in this household that I don't know. If there's anything you don't understand, young madam, just ask," she had heard long ago that the current young madam was not as easy to deal with as the previous second madam. This was her first time interacting with the young madam, and upon seeing her, she realized she was just a young girl who couldn't possibly achieve much. She was probably just going through the motions of a new official. Having served for many years and seen many mistresses of the household come and go, she had grown accustomed to such things and didn't take Feng Jin seriously, thinking she could easily be appeased with a few perfunctory words. She never expected Feng Jin to be such a tough nut to crack, almost breaking her teeth.
"That's good. The more experienced and knowledgeable the elder, the more sensible and well-behaved they are. There's no need for many words."
"Young madam, you..." Granny Wang wanted to continue with a few more flattering words but was interrupted by Feng Jin. "Let's start checking the accounts!"
"Yes... yes... let's check the accounts." Granny Wang's hand froze mid-air for a moment before she awkwardly placed it down, skillfully concealing her embarrassment.
Upon receiving Feng Jin's command, Cai Qing and Chu Qing began to examine the ledgers, while Feng Jin, like a hands-off boss, leisurely sipped her tea.
"Young madam, look here," Cai Qing noticed something amiss and pointed to the contents recorded in the ledger, handing it to Feng Jin. Feng Jin took the ledger and examined it carefully. After a pause, she closed the ledger and placed it on the table, her sharp gaze sweeping over everyone standing below. She said, her tone as gentle as possible, "The kitchen accounts have always been managed by someone, and they are well-organized and clearly recorded."
Seeing that something good was about to happen, Granny Wang's eyes lit up. She eagerly squeezed forward and said to Feng Jin, "Reporting to the young madam, the kitchen accounts have always been under my care. If there's anything you don't understand, young madam, please don't hesitate to ask."
"I knew it was you. Are you really willing to acknowledge that this ledger is yours?"
"I recorded this. What is there to be afraid of admitting?" Granny Wang answered without hesitation. She had meticulously prepared the accounts, and Feng Jin, with her current abilities, wouldn't be able to see through it. At this moment, she felt no guilt for falsifying accounts, and instead, she waited for Feng Jin's subsequent reward.
"Since you've admitted it, I won't beat around the bush any longer. Chu Qing, go and apprehend her."
"Yes, young madam."
"Young madam, young madam... what do you mean by this? Young madam, this old servant has been in this household for decades. If I don't have merit, I at least have hard work. Young madam, you can't possibly tie me up like this without any rhyme or reason... Young madam!" Granny Wang cried out with all her might, but she was still tied up by Chu Qing and brought before Feng Jin.
"Young madam, you... what do you mean by this!"
"What do I mean..." Feng Jin snorted coldly, throwing the ledger in her hand fiercely onto Granny Wang's face, and angrily reprimanded, "These accounts are beautifully done, without any discrepancies. It's just a pity that you shouldn't have treated me like an idiot and tried to fool me!"
"Young madam, this old servant has not! Please, young madam, see the truth!"
"A dou of rice for ten cents, cabbage one catty for five cents... do you really think I don't know the prices of these things? This year's harvest was abundant, and even the best quality rice only cost eight cents. Where did you get this ten-cent rice from? Granny Wang, do you really think I'm so foolish that I can be easily fooled!"
"Young madam, this old servant has absolutely not done such a thing. If young madam doesn't believe me, you can go and ask the merchants to verify the truth." Granny Wang's eyes darted suspiciously as she tried to use her usual tried and tested excuses to fool Feng Jin.
"Do you really think I don't know your tricks!"