They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 268 The Former Steward's Visit

The original manager?
Granny Qin Qing hurriedly said, "Madam, Second Master, this estate was indeed originally managed by Steward Mao. Steward Mao is a kind man. I heard that when Master Zhen dismissed the estate, Steward Mao and his family redeemed themselves and left. Master Zhen, considering their loyalty over the years, didn't make things difficult for them at all, didn't ask for much money, and let them go smoothly. Why is Steward Mao here to see Madam and Second Master again? That's strange."

Xu Zhichun thought for a moment and looked at Liang Mingxuan: "He is indeed a bit strange, but since he is here, let's meet him."

"I'll listen to my sister-in-law."

Zeng Xiaoyan heard this and gently nudged Liang Mingliang.

Liang Mingliang snapped out of his daze: "Ah, I'll go and call him right now."

Xu Zhichun smiled and said, "Then let's bring him to this garden. We can rest here for a while."

The servants' quarters and storage rooms are one thing, but the original furniture and items in the main house of the courtyard must have been quite valuable or things that the owner liked, and they have all been moved out.

There were no tables or chairs; when you were led there, there wasn't even a place to sit.

Liang Mingliang nodded and said okay, then turned and ran off.

Xu Zhichun and the others sat down in the pavilion to wait. Zeng Xiaoyan had already met Steward Mao, so there was no need for her to avoid them. Granny Qin Qing also didn't avoid them; she and Steward Mao were now both members of the Zhen family, so there was no need for anyone to feel awkward.

Granny Qin Qing wasn't embarrassed, but Steward Mao was taken aback when he saw her. Granny Qin Qing nodded and smiled slightly at him.

Manager Mao thought to himself that it was truly a coincidence, and quickly greeted them, "Madam Liang, Second Master Liang."

Xu Zhichun said politely, "Manager Mao, please sit down and let's talk. I wonder what brings you here today?"

Manager Mao was surprised by Xu Zhichun's bluntness. He had prepared a long speech before coming, but before he could finish, his words were cut off.

It seems there's no need for him to use his preamble anymore.

Moreover, with Granny Qin Qing by Madam Liang's side, there's probably nothing on the estate that can be kept from her.

Yeah.

Manager Mao didn't sit down. Instead, he took two steps back and bowed slightly in a submissive posture. "I do have a request for Madam and Second Master. I heard that Madam and Second Master are not from this county. I wonder if you have found a suitable manager to manage this estate? If not, could you consider me? I have managed this estate for many years and am very familiar with everything here. Master Zhen has never questioned me. I am confident that my character and conduct are acceptable. I will do my best to manage Madam and Second Master in the future and make you satisfied."

Xu Zhichun and the others were quite surprised, and even Granny Qin Qing couldn't help but glance at Steward Mao.

Manager Mao is two or three years younger than Granny Qin Qing, just over forty. If the estate is entrusted to him, it will indeed save a lot of trouble.

However, he is too familiar with this place, and when he forms cliques and acts out of compliance, it can be a headache.

However, as the owner, Xu Zhichun's advantages are still very obvious. In this era, there are not so many legal restrictions. As the owner, she has the final say. Once the contract is signed, if Manager Mao dares to act recklessly, she can quickly deal with her without any fear.

If she and Mingxuan were foolish enough to let this man deceive them and act hypocritically without noticing anything amiss, then they might as well give up on the estate. The uncle and sister-in-law looked at each other, as if they were thinking roughly the same thing.

No matter what you think, it's impossible to give Steward Mao an accurate answer right now.

Moreover, this is not something that can be settled simply by nodding in agreement. Xu Zhichun has to carefully consider how the contract should be signed, what conditions should be stipulated, what reward and punishment standards should be agreed upon, the length of employment, the monthly salary, the scope of management, prohibitions and restrictions, and so on.

Although her brother-in-law is young, he is a scholar with a sharp mind, and he might have many things to add and improve. The two of them still have room to discuss.

Granny Qin Qing has lived in the mansion for so many years and has a wealth of experience in dealing with things, so we should also ask her for advice; when it comes to the affairs of the big mansion, Xiao Yan knows much more than someone like her who has only read a few novels about palace intrigue.

Dealing with a worldly and shrewd person like Manager Mao, you can't let him find fault with you and look down on you.

After a long pause, Xu Zhichun smiled and sighed, "Uncle Mao is right. We haven't assigned a manager here yet. We don't live here permanently. If we had an experienced and knowledgeable manager like Manager Mao to help, we could certainly save a lot of trouble. But—"

"Uncle Mao's arrival was sudden; we didn't expect it. How about this, Uncle Mao will come again the day after tomorrow, and we'll go back and discuss it further."

Although Manager Mao was slightly disappointed, he was mentally prepared. After all, such a big matter couldn't be decided so easily.

Since the lady said she would come the day after tomorrow, it means that she still has some hope.

"Yes, please consider it, Madam and Second Master. I am definitely the most suitable candidate, and I promise I will not disappoint you! In that case, shall I come again at this time the day after tomorrow?"

Xu Zhichun smiled and said, "That's fine too."

"Yes, I'll take my leave now and won't disturb you any longer, Madam and Second Master."

Xu Zhichun: "Granny, please see Uncle Mao off."

"Yes, ma'am."

As they walked away, Zeng Xiaoyan said, "Does Sister-in-law Zhichun want to use this Mao manager? It's convenient, but I'm afraid he's not a good person. His whole family used to live here, and I'm afraid he'll interfere in everything, line his own pockets, and take the opportunity to make money, becoming the boss himself."

Liang Mingxuan was also worried about this. "Sister-in-law, what do you think?"

"This is indeed a problem. Let's each think about it and get together tomorrow to discuss it and see if there's a good way to prevent these troubles. If we can use it, that would be best, of course. The premise is that it can be used."

"Sister-in-law is right."

Outside the manor, Steward Mao, under the pretext of inviting Granny Qin Qing to speak, said, "I never expected that Sister-in-law Qin would follow Madam Liang. It seems that Madam Liang trusts Sister-in-law Qin very much. Sister-in-law Qin is truly blessed, haha."

Granny Qin Qing smiled and said, "Since Steward Mao has already redeemed himself, why is he thinking of coming back to be a steward? To be honest, with Steward Mao's current wealth, wouldn't it be more comfortable for him to run his own shop and start a small business?"

Manager Mao shook his head with a wry smile, "It's true, we've emptied our savings just by taking over a shop. My good-for-nothing son and his wife are now looking after the shop, and I don't know if they can even make it work. Even if they do, they'll probably just barely make ends meet. I'm too old to do manual labor, and it's hard to find anything else suitable. Yesterday, I happened to run into the head steward of the Zhen family, and he said that Madam Liang didn't bring a steward with her, perhaps she wanted to hire one. So, I shamelessly came here."