Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 47 Difficulty
Zhang's eyes were full of worry, but when she met Xie Yuyan's calm gaze, most of the panic in her heart disappeared inexplicably.

Xie Yuyan sat in the chair and picked up the roster handed to him by his wife.

The woman pursed her lips. She was from a collateral branch of the clan, and her husband was of the same generation as the clan chief. Years ago, when their hometown suffered a famine, her husband's family came seeking refuge with their family genealogy. They survived only because they ate the clan's food. She was also a child bride taken in by her husband's family and had taken his surname since childhood. Over the years in the clan, Yang was diligent and eloquent, which was why she had taken on some of the clan's affairs. This time, she was also pushed by everyone to report to Xie Yuyan, hoping that if the eldest daughter-in-law got angry, she could use her clever words to calm her down.

As Yang was pondering how to speak, Xie Yuyan said, "Have them write down all the work they have done in the clan."

This means... they didn't mind that there weren't enough people?

Yang and her husband were somewhat surprised.

Xie Yuyan said, "There are some things I'll be assigning to everyone to do next."

After a moment, everyone came to their senses. The eldest daughter-in-law was selecting people. Those who came first would naturally be assigned good jobs. No matter what business the eldest daughter-in-law wanted to do, only useful people could gain a foothold in the clan.

"Yes, madam," the man replied.

They didn't need to say anything or offer any suggestions. In other words, they did their best to handle things according to the eldest daughter-in-law's instructions, and no matter what the outcome, the eldest daughter-in-law would not blame them.

Now that we have the rules, things will be much easier.

One by one, the wives who had written down their duties over the years entered the room. Xie Yuyan asked them a few questions and then dismissed them.

As Yang listened from the side, she was secretly amazed. The eldest daughter-in-law had figured out all these people in just a few words. Some had worked as assistants in the accounting office, some had managed the utensils in the small storeroom, and some were good at managing miscellaneous tasks. It was all clearly stated on a piece of paper.

Although everyone's flaws weren't written down, a simple question like, "Why did you resign?" would make it clear.

Next, the three men and women will learn the accounts from the accountant. They cannot be like the accountant, who can calculate all the money in and out of the clan, but they must be able to support the money circulation of a small shop.

Xie Yuyan then selected three young men and women: "There's been a problem with the storeroom. The clan is re-inventorying the goods in the outer storeroom. The three of you will go with them and write down all the problems in the storeroom." This way, you can become familiar with the storeroom's affairs more quickly.

There are also three wives who need to inquire in detail about the duties of each person in the clan, and also find out how the servants in the outer courtyard and inner courtyard are transferred and rotated.

Xie Yuyan kept Yang behind and asked her to inquire about various news in the clan. Whenever the nine wives encountered problems while doing things, they had to go to Yang first, and then Yang would report to Xie Yuyan.

Xie Yuyan said, "Among the nine of them, if any of them feel they cannot perform the tasks I assign, they can step down at any time."

Yang tried asking, "Does 'retiring' mean no longer using it?"

Xie Yuyan said, "The clan does not support idlers. Those who do not want to do their jobs will be sent back with money. Those who are truly unable to do their jobs well will be assigned other tasks in the future."

Yang understood. Although they hadn't started doing anything yet, they had already figured out what would happen. The number of people in charge of the accounts and the storeroom in the clan was fixed. If they suddenly sent more people, they would definitely be disliked and suspected. The original managers would be afraid of being replaced and would definitely try to make things difficult for them.

However, as long as you can get through this, you will be able to stand on your own in the future.

Don't assume that these women will come after being persuaded by them; most of them are women who are not valued by the He family.

For example, the three who were assigned to the accounting office were doing their jobs well, but they were replaced by He's confidants. Now that they have a chance again, they naturally want to use all their skills to show off their abilities to Madam He.

How could Madam He compare to the eldest daughter-in-law's skill in employing people?
The people sent out will have even more confidence in Madam.

Not to mention, this move will cause panic among the clan. Yang guesses that more people will come to join them tomorrow, but there are only so many jobs available, and the later arrivals will only be able to take what is left.

After seeing everyone off, Zhang hurriedly served tea to Xie Yuyan. Having observed so much from Xie Yuyan's side, Zhang became increasingly discouraged. There were many things she couldn't understand or learn. She was amazed at the vast differences between people. She realized that her husband's advocacy for the clan's children to study was correct; only through extensive reading could one broaden their horizons.

Xie Yuyan opened the bamboo basket that Xu had given her and found a pair of sheepskin hand warmers inside. The hand warmers were sewn tightly, showing that Xu had put a lot of thought into them.

Zhang said, "I will also prepare some food to send to the Gao family."

“Mother, don’t worry,” Xie Yuyan said. “They will come tomorrow, and we can give it back then. If we return the things so quickly, the Gao family will think that we don’t want to associate with them.”

If Xu helps the Gao family submit their complaint to the yamen, she will receive the compensation money from the Du family, which is what the Gao family really needs.

Xie Yuyan wanted to take this opportunity to promote litigation in the neighborhood. Sixty years later, in Daliang, it was common for people to hire lawyers. With more and more people doing this, they were no longer afraid to go to court, and many people's grievances were redressed.

Although there are now bookstores that can write legal documents for people, most people dare not go in to inquire, fearing they cannot afford the fees. Only when it is truly implemented will everyone be able to appreciate its benefits.

As Xie Yuyan was pondering, she heard Zhang Shi exclaim, "Hey! How come there's a cat?" Before she finished speaking, Xie Yuyan felt a weight on her lap as a cat leaped into her arms.

Its fur was gray and brown all over, with only a ring of slightly yellow fur around its neck. It was the same dog she had met at the patrol office. She never expected it to follow her all the way to the Yang family.

Xie Yuyan placed his hand on the cat's head and began to stroke it skillfully.

In her past life, she also kept cats in the palace, and this grayish-brown color was the most common. She had a particular fondness for this color because her first cat looked just like this.

When she was four years old, she almost got lost on the estate. Only her little raccoon dog accompanied her. Unfortunately, when the Xie family found her again, her raccoon dog was gone, and she was heartbroken for a long time. Her family said that there were mandrills in the forest that would catch people, and the raccoon dog had protected her from them, which allowed her to return home safely.

The raccoon in her arms obediently licked Xie Yuyan's fingers, then rested its chin on Xie Yuyan's wrist, its big eyes fixed on her, as if it had been wandering outside for a long time and had finally found its way home.

Zhang examined it closely: "It looks like it's been kept by someone. I wonder if its owner will come looking for it?"

Xie Yuyan pressed down on the cat's paw pads, and several sharp claws immediately appeared: "It should be kept outside. Once it's had enough playing, it will come home on its own."

The cat shook its head, as if refuting Xie Yuyan's words.

Zhang smiled and said, "I'll go find it some food."

Xie Yuyan gently grasped the little cat's paw, picked up the note written by the woman on the table, and soon heard a soft purring sound coming from her lap.

Compared to the leisurely life of the third wife's family, He's family's room was never quiet.

"Then the Xie family placed the wives of the men who had gone there in the accounting and storerooms."

These people were like pebbles thrown into a lake, instantly creating ripples.

He rubbed her forehead. Since last night, her headache had become more and more serious, so painful that she couldn't open her eyes. But Xie was not giving her any rest, sending her all sorts of messages and urging her to deal with it.

“Tell them not to panic,” Madam He said. “They have done nothing wrong, and no one can take their jobs away from them.”

But this one sentence alone cannot soothe people's hearts.

Madam He had no choice but to force herself to get up and summon the accountants to give them instructions. She instructed them to recheck the accounts of the several storerooms in the outer courtyard, making sure that Madam Xie could not find any more grounds for complaint.

These are the fruits of her labor over many years, and they must not fall into the hands of the Xie family.

Xie Yuyan sent those young men and women away, ostensibly to learn management skills, but what would they be used for? She couldn't just conjure up several shops and have those young men and women manage them.

The He family was more familiar with the infighting and plundering tactics within the Yang clan than anyone else.

“Give some things to the elders,” Madam He instructed Yang Shen. “They should know how well I have managed the household these past years. Madam Xie’s reckless actions will only make the clan more and more chaotic.”

"We have no choice but to use her now, but the management of the household will have to return to my control in the future. Keep them calm and don't let them have any other ideas."

Yang Shen nodded: "Everyone has seen how Xie has made the clan like this. It's obvious whether Mother or Xie has done a better job in managing the household affairs. Mother, just rest assured."

He wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and lay back down on the bed. She had arranged everything in detail, but her heart was still in her throat. She felt that what she had done was not enough to prevent Xie from intervening.

It took her so many years to gain the approval of the elders in the clan. Xie Shi couldn't possibly turn the tide and change everyone's minds in just a few days.
Ultimately, it's all the fault of that treacherous Yu family member; otherwise, how could she be in such a difficult situation?
……

The day passed exceptionally slowly. Wang Hechun looked up at the hourglass and his gaze fell on the small bowl containing the food.

"Oh, you really haven't come back?" He Tan lifted the curtain and walked in.

Wang Hechun's cat usually goes out every day, but no matter where it is, it always comes back on time to eat. But today was different...

Could it be that they've really run away this time?
That raccoon was no ordinary animal to Wang Hechun. When Wang Hechun brought the raccoon back, he only said that he had found it in the forest. At the time, He Tan didn't pay any attention to it. It wasn't until Wang Hechun was drunk that he inadvertently revealed a few words that seemed to be related to his "encounter with immortals".

Therefore, this cat must not be lost under any circumstances.

(End of this chapter)