In the courtyard, more than a dozen men and women stood neatly, waiting for Chu Yuqin to speak.

Chu Yuqin shuttled among them.

"What are you responsible for?" She stopped in front of a middle-aged woman and asked.

The middle-aged woman said politely, "The slave is in charge of the storehouse. ”

Chu Yuqin nodded, and asked the man next to him, "What about you?" ”

The man replied, "The minions are in charge of the flowers." ”

Chu Yuqin asked a few more people.

Everyone here has their own area of responsibility. For example, the kitchen, the housekeeper of each yard, and the purchase.

Zhu Xue handed a booklet to Chu Yuqin.

Chu Yuqin opened it and said, "Next, all the people I named stand up." Wang Cheng ......"

"The minions are here." A skinny guy *** comes out.

"You are in charge of everything in the courtyard of the big house, and you are the general manager of the big house. Right? Chu Yuqin looked at him.

Wang Cheng said respectfully: "Yes." Mrs. Shiko. ”

"How many handmaids and how many manservants are there in your big house?" Chu Yuqin sat on the stool that Qiu Yin had brought in.

Wang Cheng thought for a moment and replied, "Twenty-five handmaids, fifteen male servants." ”

"Looks like you understand. Let's get back! Chu Yuqin counted the others again.

Everyone stepped forward to answer one or two of her questions. Some of them answered each other fluently, and some stammered.

After such cross-examination, she had an understanding of each person's personality and their ability to stewardship.

"When I went back, everyone wrote me a summary. For example, how much money is spent on flowers and plants in a month, how many gardeners are there now, and how much is their monthly salary. How much silver was spent last month and so on and so forth. ”

"Mrs. Shizi, what if we can't read? How do you write this? Wang Cheng said.

"You have been stewards, and you have told me that I am illiterate? Usually the Duchess of the Kingdom asks you questions, how do you deal with it? Your ledger is all rotten? Chu Yuqin sneered: "Since you are illiterate, then abdicate and give way to Xian, and leave the position to someone who is both literate and capable." In my opinion, the manager of any department should know how to write. How else do you keep a record? ”

"Yes." The people answered.

"If there's nothing else to do, you can step down." Chu Yuqin said.

"Mrs. Shizi." Mama Jiang, the kitchen steward, took two steps forward. "We don't have ingredients in our kitchen today, you see......"

"No ingredients today? Does that mean that at noon everyone has nothing to eat? Chu Yuqin looked at Mama Jiang. So you tell me, why are there no ingredients today? Let me help you think about it, do you want to say that I want to take over the stewardship, so I need my seal to buy ingredients? In this way, you used to ask the Duchess for a seal every day when you bought ingredients? ”

"That's not what it means. The main thing is that you are on your first day of office today, and we don't know if Mrs. Shizi will blame us for making our own decisions, so we want to wait for you to finish your lecture to see if there are any other rules. No, the ingredients are not bought. ”

"If you don't have enough ingredients, then chop you and your family into pieces of meat for us to eat. What do you think? Chu Yuqin looked at her lightly. The hundreds of people in the house always have to eat. You're in charge of the kitchen, and you can't even supply the ingredients, so what's the use of you? ”

Mama Jiang wiped her cold sweat: "The old slave is guilty." The old slave must buy the ingredients in time tomorrow. ”

"Tomorrow? What to do today? Do you still want us to go hungry with you? I don't care what method you use, everyone's ingredients must be served today. If you can't supply it, then wait for my punishment. I don't look at the process of your work, only the final result. I am not satisfied with the results, and you are waiting for my punishment. ”

"Yes, yes, the old slave will find a way." Mama Jiang was annoyed.

I wouldn't have done such a stupid thing if I had known.

"By the way, show me the purchase list later. If the price is not right, I will deduct it from your monthly salary. ”

After Chu Yuqin finished speaking, he waved his hand: "Let's all step back!" ”

The crowd left.

Mama Zhao said beside her: "The things in the house are more complicated, and it is inevitable that there will be stupid people who can't do good things, which will worry about Mrs. Shizi." I'm afraid there will be many more such things in the future. Hey, our Duchess has worked hard for more than ten years, and that's how she came over. ”

"I understand. Mama Zhao has worked really hard to follow her mother. Chu Yuqin said: "I heard that Mama Zhao is my mother's nurse. In this way, Mama Zhao also has her own children! How come not to see your child ? ”

Mama Zhao's expression froze: "My child's life is thin, and it's gone." ”

"I'm sorry, I think I said something I shouldn't have said. Mama Zhao mourns by the way. Chu Yuqin said with guilt.

"It's been decades, there's nothing I can't say, I'm used to it." Mama Zhao said.

"Mother still needs to be taken care of by my grandmother. I just took over the affairs of the house, and now my mind is very messy. I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of my mother. I also asked my mother to help me say a few kind words, so that my mother would not be annoyed with me. After Chu Yuqin finished speaking, he looked at Qiu Yin next to him.

Qiu Yin stuffed a purse into Mama Zhao's hand: "Mama, you are the most talkative person around the Duchess of Guo. Our wife is young and sometimes impulsive. Mama can help our lady with a few kind words. ”

Mama Zhao hesitated for a moment and said, "How can this be done?" ”

"What's wrong? As you can see, our lady and the duchess are always arguing. In fact, our wife is too young and impulsive. In her heart, she knew that the Duchess was her mother-in-law and should not be offended. ”

Mama Zhao smiled: "Mrs. Shizi is newly married, she just became a daughter-in-law, and it is normal that she doesn't understand this." The Duchess of the Kingdom will not take it to heart. ”

"That's right! The Duchess of the Kingdom is generous. You see, this time, the Duchess also handed over the stewardship to our Mrs. Shizi. It can be seen that the Duchess of Guo understands it in her heart. Qiu Yin said.

"Mrs. Shizi, if there is no other command, the old slave will retire." Mama Zhao said.

"Good! Mama Zhao walked slowly. Chu Yuqin smiled.

After Mama Zhao left, Qiu Yin said, "Madam, is it useful for us to woo Mama Zhao like this?" ”

"It's useless!" Chu Yuqin said: "Now it's just a hidden line, maybe there will be an unexpected joy in the future?" Mama Zhao is the nurse of the Duchess of the Kingdom, how can she be co-opted by us in a few words? It is even more impossible to buy it with a little silver. ”

"Isn't that a waste of our time?" Qiu Yin said: "If he tells the Duchess about this, the Duchess of Guo is afraid that she will say that we are stupid." ”

"I'm just going to let her say it." Chu Yuqin said: "This matter has not yet had any impact. In the future......"

Qiu Yin was puzzled.

Chu Yuqin patted her on the shoulder: "Okay, don't worry about these things." Let's go look at the fake ledgers! ”