Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

Pei Zeyu's tone was calm, but it carried an unyielding tone.

Wen Jingshu looked up at him, a hint of inquiry flashing in her eyes.

"Other rooms are fine, but you were frightened last night, and I really can't rest easy if I don't keep you under my watchful eye."

She paused, her eyes glancing lightly between Pei Zeyu and Liu Wenying.

"My second brother is unusually enthusiastic today."

The words were spoken tactfully, like a needle piercing through a tacit understanding.

As intelligent as Pei Zeyu was, he could easily tell that, and he readily admitted, "Sister-in-law is right. Since Wenying is in Yingxi Courtyard, I should naturally take extra care of her."

Wen Jingshu quietly observed him.

In my memory, Pei Zeyu was always polite, but he was always distant. He never showed such sadness to any servant, let alone his family members other than the old lady.

Could it be that Liu Wenying once took care of his health?

Even so, Pei Zeyu's care seems to have crossed the line.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Liu Wenying quickly said, "Madam, Second Master, this servant wishes to go to the villa."

Both of them were somewhat surprised by what he said.

Wen Jingshu frowned. "The villa is austere, and you were frightened last night..."

"It was precisely because I was frightened that I wanted to go to a quiet place outside the city to recuperate for a few days."

Liu Wenying spoke earnestly, "Besides, the First Madam previously allowed me to manage the silkworm accounts, so I should at least go and take a look."

Finally, after persuading the First Madam and Pei Zeyu, Liu Wenying made up her mind to leave the mansion temporarily and go to the Sangcan Villa.

It takes only two hours to travel from the capital to the suburban villa.

Liu Wenying set off in the afternoon and finally arrived as dusk fell.

The villa was called Zhiyun Villa, a property of the Duke of Yu's mansion located in the suburbs. In spring, they picked mulberry leaves, in summer they reeled silk, in autumn they wove cloth, and in winter they dyed fabrics.

The sound of looms clattering from the more than three hundred servants in the village was incessant.

The brocade produced there is of excellent quality, generating an annual income of tens of thousands of bolts, making it one of the most important industries of the government.

But just as the silkworms were spinning their silk this year, a major incident occurred in the village.

A large number of silkworms died inexplicably, resulting in heavy losses and cutting off the source of subsequent silk reeling and weaving.

This was the first time in many years that Wen Jingshu had been in charge of the household that she had fallen into such a predicament. After running back and forth, she finally collapsed from exhaustion.

There was only one old woman who came out to greet Liu Wenying. She stood in front of the manor gate with a lantern, yawning and looking listless.

Liu Wenying followed her into the manor and stayed in a clean room.

The candlelight flickered as Liu Wenying gazed out the window at the deepening night, a plan already forming in her mind.

Once she sorted out the mess at Zhiyun Manor, she asked to leave the manor and set out to make a name for herself.

The next day, before dawn, Liu Wenying got up.

She changed out of the elegant ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) she wore at the Duke's mansion and put on a light blue, narrow-sleeved short ruqun with a matching skirt. Her hair was styled in a simple bun, looking neat and tidy.

Inside the main hall, several stewardesses had already gathered together.

Upon seeing Liu Wenying enter, the whispering not only did not stop, but actually became louder.

The leader, Manager Zhang, was about forty years old, with a sallow and thin face. He was sitting in a round-backed chair, eating melon seeds, without even lifting his eyelids.

Liu Wenying didn't mind and looked at everyone, saying, "Everyone, my name is Liu Wenying, and I am the First Madam. From today onwards, I will temporarily take charge of the affairs of the manor."

Manager Zhang raised his eyelids slightly and said dismissively:

"Madam Liu, you must be tired from your journey. However, our Zhiyun Manor is not like the mansions of noble families in the capital. It is rather crude and simple. I'm afraid we will have to make do with your humble abode."

Before Liu Wenying could respond, he continued, "The affairs of sericulture are complicated, and one must also understand the techniques of mulberry field maintenance and silkworm care. Madam comes from a family of women, so I'm afraid you don't understand these mundane matters. It would be better for you to rest peacefully in the manor. All the affairs will be handled by us old folks, and we will certainly not delay your duties in the government."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two female stewards beside him echoed his words.

"Manager Zhang is right. Madam Liu should rest. There's no need for you to bother with those rough and tiring jobs."

"Yes, yes, we've been in Zhiyun Manor for so many years, why should we need a lady from the inner quarters to tell us what to do?"

The latter's tone was hardly polite.

Only an old woman in an indigo jacket sat there, smiling and watching the situation unfold without saying a word.

Everyone seemed to have gotten used to her silence.

Despite being put in a tough spot upon her arrival, Liu Wenying remained composed.

"I am here on the orders of the First Madam to manage the affairs of Zhiyun Manor. I hold the manor's credentials. Is this how you treat your guests and perform your duties?"

Steward Zhang sneered, leaning forward with increasing arrogance: "Madam, you're mistaken. We're not being disrespectful; we're just stating the facts."

"Madam, you've spent so much time in the inner quarters. Even if you're favored by the First Madam, managing the outer estates isn't something that can be done well with just a few flattering words. It requires real evidence, real skills, and real expertise!"

"Does this mean those living in the inner quarters can't manage the properties on the outer estates? What kind of logic is that?"

Liu Wenying slammed the pair of cards in her hand onto the table, making the table shake and instantly silencing everyone.

"Now that I'm here, I must inspect the accounts, mulberry fields, and silkworm rearings of Zhiyun Manor, without any ambiguity."

She glanced at everyone, smiling, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"If anyone is dissatisfied, they can go back to the manor now and seek justice from the First Madam."

"But when the time comes, anyone who can't bear the blame for neglecting their duties or being disrespectful to their master shouldn't blame me for being ruthless."

Manager Zhang's face darkened, and he was about to argue, feeling resentful.

Liu Wenying would never give him another chance, and said decisively, "I came suddenly yesterday, but a few days ago the First Madam had already sent a message to inform you to prepare all the account books and rosters."

"But what about you? Instead of tidying up in advance, you're behaving sloppily and doing a perfunctory job here."

"It seems that it's time to properly establish the rules of Zhiyun Manor!"

Manager Zhang's face turned pale. "You...you're..."

"Enough with the nonsense. Right now, deliver everything I need to my residence, without missing a single item."

Liu Wenying got up to leave, but turned back just before leaving, her smile concealing a knife.

"If it's too late, or if anyone dares to conceal information, cover up, or falsify data, don't blame me for handling it according to the rules of the prefecture!"

Seeing Liu Wenying's imposing presence and sharp words, the crowd's previous contempt lessened considerably.

Although she came from a humble background, she was not at all delicate; her composure and dignity were far beyond what ordinary maids in the inner quarters could match.

Then they remembered that she had the support of the First Madam and the power to control the household. If things really escalated to the Duke's mansion, none of them could bear the responsibility.

Manager Zhang stood up sullenly and bowed to Liu Wenying.

In the following days, Liu Wenying immersed herself in the mountains of account books and rosters.

She had never been involved in silkworm rearing and cloth weaving, but she was no stranger to management.

Before she transmigrated, she was a manager, overseeing nearly a hundred people. She was used to handling everything from accounts and personnel to resource allocation.

By drawing inferences from similar cases, one is not necessarily at a loss for where to begin.

Liu Wenying would often spend the whole day looking at the book, barely even having time to drink a few sips of water.

She was so engrossed in her work that she neglected Luo Luo, who was standing beside her.

In the afternoon, Liu Wenying was still pondering the reasons for the loss of the mulberry harvest when she suddenly realized that there was no movement beside her.

Sure enough, Luo Luo was no longer in the room; she must have sneaked out to play while she wasn't looking.

Liu Wenying went out to search and saw a small figure walking towards the gate.

She caught up with Luo Luo and pulled her into her arms.

Luo Luo was still unhappy, twisting her body and shouting, "Let go of the nest, let go of the nest!"

Liu Wenying gently patted her little bottom and carried her back.

As soon as he reached the door, he saw a round-faced old woman smiling at him.

…………