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

"Where is Granny Wang? Did she make up some story to send you here...?"

Just then, Granny Wang walked in from outside the hall, rubbing her lower back as she went.

"Oh my, Manager Zhang really knows how to pick the best places to hide things. That hidden compartment on top of the cabinet almost hurt my back."

When Steward Zhang saw the box in Granny Wang's hands, he was about to rush forward and snatch it away, but Liu Wenying was quick-witted and snatched it away first.

"Give it back to me!"

"You can return it to Manager Zhang if you want. Open it up and let everyone see what's inside."

Manager Zhang looked flustered and refused to open it.

"So, just because Manager Zhang won't open it, he thinks I can't do anything about it?"

Liu Wenying raised the box high and slammed it heavily to the ground.

The box fell to the ground and shattered.

Several thick stacks of silver notes, loose silver coins, and a few gold ingots rolled out with a clatter.

There was also a secret book, which Wang Mama bent down to pick up and handed to Liu Wenying with both hands.

Liu Wenying opened the book and read a few pages.

The record above shows the details of Manager Zhang's secret sales of the villa's private property over the years.

He remembered clearly what he sold, what he earned, and who he gave the money to, down to the last penny.

With each sentence read aloud, Steward Zhang's face paled a little more.

From red to white, from white to cyan, from cyan to gray.

Finally, it looked like a faded mask that had been soaked by rain, loosely stuck to the face.

After Liu Wenying finished reading, she threw the curtain at his face. Manager Zhang neither dodged nor avoided it, and took the hit head-on.

The hidden stake lay spread out on the ground, revealing numerous pieces of evidence recorded in tiny characters.

"Is this what you call being diligent and conscientious? The government has treated you well, providing you with a monthly allowance and land, yet you treat the estate like your own personal treasury, squandering its wealth and deceiving your superiors!"

Manager Zhang fell to his knees with a thud, trembling like a leaf, "I...I didn't..."

Liu Wenying said sternly, "From this moment on, Zhang the steward is dismissed from all his posts and confined to the manor until I write a letter back to my residence to await further instructions!"

His gaze swept over everyone in the room. "Furthermore, from now on, everyone must obey my orders. Anyone who dares to outwardly comply but inwardly defy me, or secretly collude with others, will be punished the same way!"

The sounds of kneeling echoed one after another; the once arrogant old women were now prostrate on the ground, drenched in cold sweat.

The old women, especially those who echoed Steward Zhang's sarcastic remarks, wished they could bury their faces in the ground.

After speaking, Liu Wenying sat back in the main seat, and Wang Mama served her tea with great tact.

After taking a sip, Liu Wenying felt a sense of joy.

The act of killing the chicken to scare the monkey has established authority.

From this day forward, she will be in charge of matters concerning Zhiyun Manor.

Getting rid of Manager Zhang, that parasite, meant that Liu Wenying's efforts were not in vain.

Having learned from Steward Zhang's example, the other stewards and matrons of Zhiyun Manor dared not be negligent in the slightest.

His former laziness and indifference have been completely replaced by reverence.

In just a few days, Liu Wenying swept away all the bad habits and evil practices in the manor, and the atmosphere in the manor gradually improved.

But she also knew that establishing authority was easy, but building a career was difficult.

Getting rid of Steward Zhang was only the first step in reforming the estate.

The problems within the village have been long-standing: silkworm farming has been damaged, accounts are in disarray, and it will take a lot of thought and effort to clean up the mess completely.

Although she had management experience, she was still completely clueless about silkworm rearing, silk reeling, and cloth weaving.

After thinking for a long time, Liu Wenying took the initiative to approach Granny Wang.

Granny Wang had worked at Zhiyun Manor for decades and was well-versed in the ins and outs of silkworm rearing and silk reeling. She was also straightforward and genuinely helpful, making her the most suitable guide.

"What does Grandma think I should do next?"

Granny Wang looked on with admiration. This girl was decisive and efficient, yet she remained calm and humble enough to ask questions.

"Silkworm rearing, mulberry fields, weaving workshops—each one is a subject of study. Let me tell you about it slowly..."

Liu Wenying was humble in her request for guidance, and Granny Wang was equally generous, immediately sharing all her knowledge with her.

He described everything in detail, from mulberry field maintenance to silkworm feeding, without holding anything back.

Liu Wenying listened very carefully and even took notes with paper and pen.

She was naturally intelligent and quick-witted, and within a few days she had a general understanding of the silkworm rearing and silk reeling process.

But what you learn from books is never enough; no matter how much you remember, without experiencing it firsthand, it's just empty talk.

Most of the other people in the village were there to watch the spectacle.

They speculated that she was just a wet nurse from the inner quarters who had gained the favor of the madam and was only here to put on airs as the mistress of the manor.

In a few days, they will surely find silkworm raising dirty and tiring and go home.

Unexpectedly, the next morning, Liu Wenying changed into a simple, dirty cloth short-sleeved shirt and went to the silkworm room.

The silkworm rearing room was kept at a proper level of dryness and humidity, filled with the unique, slightly bitter fragrance of mulberry leaves, and the rustling sound of silkworms munching on the leaves, like spring rain falling on tiles.

When the silkworm farmers saw her come in, they quickly put down their work and stepped forward to greet her respectfully.

Liu Wenying waved her hand, indicating that they didn't need to be so polite.

She walked slowly past rows of bamboo trays, layer upon layer, in which plump white silkworms raised their heads to nibble on tender leaves.

After examining them, Liu Wenying said, "During the previous outbreak of stunted growth, seven or eight out of ten silkworms died. The ones that have survived now look weak."

The silkworm farmers thought she was there to put on airs, so they immediately kept their eyes down and looked away.

Liu Wenying turned to them, her tone gentle: "You've been raising silkworms for many years, and my skills in this area are no match for yours. I'd like to ask if you have any methods to quickly replenish the number of silkworms in the spring?"

Seeing that she was serious and easy to talk to, the silkworm girl's expression relaxed a little.

"There are methods, but they take a lot of time."

"Speak."

"We must select the strongest silkworms to keep as breeding stock. After they spin their cocoons, we must choose the plumpest cocoons to keep as breeding stock. The next spring, when the silkworms hatch, we must raise them carefully..."

Liu Wenying would ask a few questions from time to time, and the silkworm girl would answer them all.

As she spoke, the silkworm girl grew bolder, her tone became more natural, and she added at the end:

"My lady, raising silkworms is a dirty and tiring job. You should go home first."

Liu Wenying shook her head. "Although I have never raised silkworms, the principles of raising silkworms and raising children should be the same."

"If I can raise my child well, I might be able to raise silkworms well too."

Liu Wenying bowed slightly and said sincerely, "I hope you will continue to guide me in the future."

The silkworm farmers were startled and waved their hands repeatedly.

Liu Wenying didn't try to be clever with words; instead, she humbled herself and focused on her studies.

Others avoided the silkworm rearing room because of its unpleasant smell, but she would stay there for the entire day.

When the silkworms wilted slightly, she would check the mulberry leaves and test the temperature, her anxiety even greater than that of the silkworm farmers.

Some people whispered among themselves that she was young and a wet nurse, so all she knew how to do was take care of babies.

When the words reached Liu Wenying's ears, she didn't care.

She is someone who pays attention to the smallest details; children need to be raised with care, and so do silkworms—the principles are the same.

After a few days, she had figured out the key points of silkworm growth.

The biggest problem, as expected, lies in the mulberry leaf.

Manager Zhang embezzled the fertilizer money, resulting in barren mulberry fields, poor leaf quality, and naturally weak and diseased silkworms.

That afternoon, Wen Jingshu's letter arrived.

According to the letter, Steward Zhang was punished with forty strokes of the cane according to the regulations of the government and then handed over to the yamen.

It was also said that the position of head of Zhiyun Manor was vacant, and Liu Wenying was appointed to temporarily take over and manage all affairs of the manor.

Liu Wenying readily accepted the position of head of the estate, which meant she had the right to command the estate.

To bring Zhuangzi back on the right track, power is essential for convenience.

…………