Quick Transmigration: Reversing the Life of a Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character

The birth mother of the fourth master of the Zhou family was a very favored concubine. She had been in the household for nearly twenty years and had always been in the master's heart. It is said that when Madam Zhou was young, she suffered a lot at her hands. However, the mistress of a wealthy family is still the mistress of a wealthy family. She had a lot of power and turned the fourth master into a good-for-nothing who only knew how to enjoy romance. She also married him a wife whose family background seemed decent on the surface, but who was actually very stupid.

"Isn't this to let my fifth sister-in-law share the burden with my two sisters-in-law?"

"I'm sorry, sisters-in-law, I'm not feeling well and can't manage things." Lu Zhiyao refused decisively. The man she married was not the eldest son. When the family branches out, this house in the Zhou family will not be given to the youngest son. Not to mention that she didn't have the energy, even if she did, she wouldn't bother with it.

After three years of housekeeping, even the cats and dogs dislike him.

However, she could understand why the Fourth Madam brought up this topic. The management of the Zhou family was mainly in the hands of the eldest son's wife. The second wife was easygoing and also had some management power, but it was all very leisurely. The Third Master was good at general affairs and business. He managed the family's property and the general affairs of the outer courtyard. Only the fourth and fifth sons' wives were truly idle. The Fourth Madam wanted to use Lu Zhiyao as an excuse to get involved in the management of the inner courtyard.

Unexpectedly, Lu Zhiyao was straightforward and refused outright.

"Fifth sister-in-law, don't refuse so quickly,"

"Fourth Sister-in-law, the health-preserving herbs I use are very expensive. I can't overwork myself, otherwise those herbs will be wasted."

The second wife quickly raised her hand to cover the corner of her mouth, the third wife turned around and exchanged handkerchiefs with her maid, and the first wife turned her head to look at the inner room.

The housekeeper is either in it for power or profit. If she were given power, she wouldn't be able to hold onto it, so it must be for profit. Profit? Lu Zhiyao has no shortage of money. The implication is that the housekeeper's meager profits aren't even enough for me to buy a box of tonics.

However, Fourth Madam Zhao was not quick to react and said, "Fifth Sister-in-law, you're not that tired. I think Eldest Sister-in-law only handles some household chores every morning."

"I can't get up in the morning."

"Then you can make arrangements for the next day tonight."

"I go to bed early at night."

"That,"

"I need to take a nap during the day, eat medicinal meals, and take care of Zining. I don't have time."

Zhao opened her mouth to say, "Isn't this all just free time?" The old lady inside came out and said, "What are you saying? It's so warm here!"

Lu Zhiyao spoke first: "Mother, Fourth Sister-in-law insists that I do my best at your birthday banquet, but I really don't have the energy and I'm refusing."

Old Madam Zhou paused, and being shrewd, she immediately understood: "Fourth son's wife, if you have some free time, why don't you host my birthday banquet?"

Zhao asked with delight, "Mother, will this work?"

"Didn't you want to take charge? Give it a try," said Old Madam Zhou calmly.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Mother." Madam Zhao rose and bowed, speaking loudly. Turning around, she saw Lu Zhiyao and asked, "Why don't you let Fifth Sister-in-law come along?"

"Her child is young and she's busy, so you can do it yourself."

Zhao was just being polite; she didn't really intend to bring her younger brother and sister-in-law along. The Zhou family had five wives, and there were only a few lucrative jobs available. She didn't want another younger brother and sister-in-law to share the spoils.

Lu Zhiyao: "..."

Old Madam Zhou put a lot of thought into finding a wife for her disliked illegitimate son. How could a family with a decent background raise such a stupid child? I heard she's also an illegitimate daughter. How did her maternal grandmother raise her to be like this?

The old lady only asked her to organize a birthday banquet. Even seasoned people who had never handled the affairs of the Zhou family's inner courtyard would be overwhelmed when they first took over. Zhao Shi was parachuted in to organize the banquet. What kind of dishes should be served? Which families in the capital should she invite? Which masters would come? Which families were just sending gifts? What taboos did each master have? A whole series of experiences and knowledge were required.

A servant who can't be ordered around, a dish that can't be arranged properly, and yet he still wants to skim some profits? He should be lucky if he doesn't lose some of his own money.

After this, she probably wouldn't dare to get involved in household affairs again. But then again, with two legitimate sisters-in-law and one illegitimate but wealthy sister-in-law, when the family divided in the future, the fourth branch would only get a small share. Why would she bother with this? The Zhou family had absolutely no connection with the fourth branch.

Lu Zhiyao's greeting to the old lady was just a formality. She didn't come often, and when she did, she would sit for a while, chat with her sisters-in-law, exchange a few pleasantries with the old lady, and then the formality would be over.

Back in her courtyard, she lay on a recliner and chatted idly with Tao.

"Is Fourth Sister-in-law short of money? Why does she have to fight for management rights? What does the management of the Zhou family's inner courtyard have to do with a concubine's wife?"

"Madam, she is a concubine's daughter. The dowry of a concubine's daughter depends on the character of the mistress. If she is good, it is arranged according to the old calendar. If she is bad, it is normal to give her inferior dowry. A woman's dowry is partly paid from the public funds and partly subsidized by her own mother. I guess the fourth madam's own mother has little ability to subsidize her."

"That's true. We're barely scraping by on that meager monthly allowance." Madam Zhou's monthly allowance of 20 taels seems like a lot. In the capital, an ordinary family could support a large household with just one tael of silver a month. But they weren't an ordinary family. They could afford to eat different dishes, play cards with their sisters-in-law and sisters-in-law, and give gifts to the servants. And then there were the bigger expenses, like when the old lady celebrated her birthday. The daughters-in-law would have to give her some birthday gifts, right? For a family like theirs, anything too meager would be beneath them.

Twenty taels of silver disappeared in the blink of an eye. If there are children in the future, the dowry and betrothal gifts can't all be from the public funds, right? As a mother, shouldn't she save some money to help out? The Zhou family hasn't divided the property; the profits from the shops and estates are all together. Fourth Master Zhou has no extra income. As a concubine's daughter, what profitable dowry can the matriarch of her maternal family give her?

"Moreover, I overheard the servants chatting and they said that Fourth Master likes those expensive writing implements, and his monthly allowance is never enough. He often has to ask Third Master and Master to help him out." Xia He said this because she saw that her mistress was in a good mood.

Among the servants, Dongxue was more perceptive about which master was generous. She also spoke up: "None of them are very willing to go to the fourth house to deliver messages. The fourth madam is tight-lipped and doesn't give any rewards."

Many of the servants in the Zhou family were actually from the fifth branch of the family. The fifth madam was wealthy, had a good temper, and did not mistreat the servants. The courtyard was also the best decorated. Unfortunately, they basically used the dowry brought by the Lu family.

With the original owner's personality and physical condition, she was simply not fit to do anything. Using servants who came with her dowry would easily lead to others seizing power. Tao was sent in to replace an incompetent steward, so how could she dare to use servants from the Zhou family?

"The birthday banquet is bound to be a trap. I wonder how much Fourth Sister-in-law will have to lose." Lu Zhiyao sighed. Isn't this just adding insult to injury?

"Not necessarily. Aunt Lian is still around. Perhaps the master will make a move then," Tao said, offering another perspective.