Binding Spring Love

Seeing that Song Wan remained calm and composed, showing no anger or jealousy, Lin Jiayue felt a surge of anger welling up inside her.

She turned around, took Huaisu's hand, smiled, said "Greetings to the Madam," and left Lan Courtyard.

Hengwu frowned and said, "How did Huaisu end up associating with her? Doesn't she know who that little hussy is?"

Song Wan reached out and tapped Hengwu's nose: "How many times have I told you, don't call her that. What will people think when they hear it?"

Hengwu pleaded for forgiveness, but Hengzhi frowned deeply: "Miss, Huaisu came from the old lady's room and was always generous and considerate in her dealings. She shouldn't be associating with Aunt Lin. It's strange that the two of them are getting along so well now."

"What's so strange about that? If your skills aren't up to par, you'll fail and suffer the consequences."

"What do you mean, Miss?"

Song Wan smiled and said, "Just now I saw that Huaisu looked uncomfortable, so I suppose he was forced to act so intimately with Lin Jiayue."

"Lin Jiayue's thoughts are easy to guess. She simply wants to use Madam Huaisu to isolate me in order to prove that she is favored in the mansion and arouse my jealousy. Or perhaps she doesn't trust Huaisu to surrender and deliberately staged this."

"The reason why Huaisu was outmaneuvered by Lin Jiayue must be because Lin Jiayue had a plan first, but her skills were not good enough and she was controlled instead."

Song Wan placed the red balsam flowers into a small wicker bowl, then casually picked out the lighter-colored ones.

Hengzhi pursed her lips, slightly annoyed, and said, "Miss has always treated Huaisu well, so what is she trying to gain from Aunt Lin?"

Hengwu snorted coldly: "It can't be anything good."

Song Wan raised her head, thought for a moment, and said, "People have many desires, and their thoughts are the hardest to guess. However, there is no need to be on guard at every turn. If this guard is only superficial, it will fall into Lin Jiayue's trap."

"Shall we treat Huaisu as before?"

Song Wan smiled and shook her head: "Of course not."

"No need to be overly cautious, but remember what happened today. If one day you feel that something is wrong with her, even if you can't put your finger on it, you should keep it in mind and ponder it carefully."

"Remember that you should trust yourself more than others, and never take chances with others."

After selecting the suitable balsam flowers, Song Wan scooped up a ladle of spring water to wash the petals clean, then picked them one by one and crushed them in a stone mortar.

When Lin Jiayue returned, she saw four or five people gathered around a stone table in the courtyard, painting their nails.

Seeing the clumsy tools and crude techniques, she couldn't help but sneer.

I wouldn't take something like this even if it were given to me for free.

"Is Grandma still busy?"

Song Wan carefully washed her fair and slender hands in the porcelain basin, then took the soft towel handed to her by Green Bamboo and dried them thoroughly.

Lin Jiayue watched her slow, yet elegant movements and bit her lip in frustration.

"Aunt Lin, come in with me."

With Qianbi carrying the trunk representing the household affairs of the Marquis's mansion, Lin Jiayue stepped into the main courtyard of Lanting once again.

She personally seized power from Song Wan, expecting to see the other party's jealousy, resentment, or even pain and loss of composure, but to her surprise, Song Wan remained calm and indifferent.

"Maple Dew Tea brewed with spring water... Please enjoy."

Hengzhi presented the teacup to Lin Jiayue and then withdrew.

"Is there anything you want to ask?"

"You'll tell me if I ask?"

Song Wan smiled gently, picked up the yellow-glazed flower-shaped teacup, and began to sip her tea.

This righteous demeanor, clearly showing his disdain for such despicable acts, made Lin Jiayue clench her hands tightly under the table.

It wasn't until the handkerchief in her hand was torn and tattered that she finally calmed down.

After a moment's hesitation, Lin Jiayue followed Song Wan's example, picked up her teacup, and took a small sip.

"Good tea."

Song Wan pursed her lips: "The water is fine."

Lin Jiayue patiently mimicked her manner, slowly changing the subject: "What water?"

"Water from the Heavenly Spring".

What is Tianquan?

Song Wandao said, "Rain and snow water are both called Heavenly Spring. Heavenly Spring water is clear and light in taste, making it a better match for Maple Dew Tea."

"..."

After only a few sentences, Lin Jiayue could no longer continue. After a long pause, she finally spoke softly, "Madam has entrusted the management of the household affairs to me."

Song Wan nodded: "I know."

The other party's indifferent demeanor made Lin Jiayue feel as if she had punched a cotton ball. The elation of defeating her was also doused with cold water, leaving no ripples in her heart.

"Is there anything you don't understand? Just say it."

Lin Jiayue gritted her teeth, speechless for a moment.

She doesn't know much, but she also doesn't mean she doesn't understand anything.

Although Jiang Man had previously asked her to manage the Marquis's residence with Song Wan, Lin Jiayue hadn't interfered in anything. She had never been involved in these matters before, and suddenly having the entire responsibility handed over to her was proving to be a bit overwhelming.

But she didn't want to ask Song Wan, and she didn't want to show weakness in front of her.

"Have all the tokens in the manor been redeemed?"

Song Wan looked up and knew from just one sentence that Lin Jiayue was completely incapable of managing the household affairs. She frowned, but before she could speak, she heard the other woman say, "The tea is very good. Sorry to bother you. I'll ask the head housekeeper in the outer courtyard about these small matters."

After saying that, Lin Jiayue quickly left with Qianbi.

She fled back to Xiuyan Pavilion, where she collapsed onto the L-shaped couch with lifeless eyes.

After a long while, Lin Jiayue opened the box that represented the status of the mistress of the Marquis's mansion and took out all the items inside.

After being cooped up in her room for three days and two nights, she finally gained a basic understanding of the current situation in the Marquis's mansion.

"This is insane, absolutely insane."

Qianbi asked, "What is Auntie saying?"

Lin Jiayue sneered: "Do you know how many masters the Marquis's mansion has? The two mansions, east and west, together with all the legitimate and collateral branches, barely exceed a hundred. But do you know how many servants the Marquis's mansion has?"

"The main kitchen in the mansion has thirty-one people, the tea room has fifteen people responsible for serving tea, medicine and snacks to guests, the gatekeeper has seventeen people responsible for welcoming guests and leading them into the courtyard, and the attendant office has sixteen people just to carry the Marquis's sedan chair."

"There are 28 people in the outer courtyard who manage the daily expenses of the Marquis's mansion, organize the monthly allowances for each courtyard, handle purchases and errands, and verify reward money. There are 7 people who are responsible for looking after the family temple and organizing the sacrificial vessels."

"There are sixteen guards responsible for night watch and patrol, thirteen guards in Jixiangyuan, and seventy-two guards in total for the clothing store, equipment store, and other miscellaneous stores."

"Eleven people were in charge of writing memorials and various documents, as well as handling writing materials; eight people were in charge of the rites department; and eight people were in charge of the archives department to preserve the old records of the Marquis's residence..."

"There are nine people in the outer courtyard for the gentlemen to rest and do business in the study rooms of various sizes; eighteen people in the cleaning room to look after the houses and furnishings; and fifteen gardeners to manage the greenhouses and cellar gardens."

"That's not all. There are also sixteen people in charge of feeding the birds of prey, including tiger handlers, pigeon handlers, fish handlers, and various other handlers."

"Did you know that the Marquis's mansion also supports an entire opera troupe? All the food, drinks, costumes, and props for those opera performers are provided by the Marquis's mansion. Even more outrageous, the mansion also supports something else..."

Lin Jiayue found an account book and flipped through it for a moment: "Pingcui Nunnery!"

"The Marquis's residence also houses over a dozen nuns who chant scriptures and perform religious rituals!"

"These are still small numbers. For example, in the courtyards of the old lady, the madam, and the marquis, there are four first-class maids, and the number of second-class and third-class maids, as well as the rough-working women, has increased many times over."

"The inner courtyard had countless staff members in charge of clothing, hairpins, combing hair, dressing, washing, sweeping, and guarding the watch."

Lin Jiayue's face was solemn: "There are 731 male servants serving in the outer courtyard alone."

"There are a total of 806 maids and servants in the inner courtyard, not to mention the managers and stewards outside the manor."

"A master who's barely over a hundred years old has 1,537 servants just in his mansion alone. Do you think Jiang Xingjian's gone mad?"

"With so many people to support, no wonder the Marquis's mansion is running a deficit."

Lin Jiayue's face turned ashen: "Even if I opened a hundred more shops, I'm afraid I still couldn't afford to support so many people!"