Chapter 545: Chapter 534: The Marchioness’s Maid
Ever since Mrs. Ying’s death, under Old Madam Wei’s instruction, Aunt Wei started managing the household, and it has already been three years.
Aunt Wei knows that although she is in sole charge of the Zhong Residence now, once Zhong Jue gets married, she will inevitably have to hand over the housekeeping authority, so during these years, she has been ceaselessly funneling public funds into her private coffers, even replacing the housekeepers in the mansion with her own people. Therefore, although Zhong Yin often acts weak and avoids Mr. Zhong and Old Madam Wei, she is actually quite spoiled and wilful.
How does it matter if she speaks too excessively? Would the servants even dare to spread it around?
Since becoming the housekeeper, Aunt Wei’s days in the mansion have been even more comfortable, but the only thing gnawing at her is that no matter what she does, she can’t touch Mrs. Ying’s dowry.
Although the Ying Family is not considered a first-tier aristocratic family in the capital, generations of accumulation have given them a very deep foundation, and the spectacular dowry Mrs. Ying brought with her indeed surprised many people.
After Mrs. Ying’s death, half of her dowry was taken back by the Ying Family, and the remaining half was sealed away, tightly controlled by both Zhong Jue and Zhong Lan, to the point that not even when Aunt Wei persisted doggedly in trying to take a painting from the dowry to pave the way for Mr. Zhong with his superiors, did Mr. Zhong ever agree to it.
Just thinking about how Mrs. Ying’s dowry will be split in half and go with Zhong Lan angers her deeply, let alone the dowry provided by the estate for the marriage. Since it is a marriage to Marquis Weiyuan and it’s an imperial grant, Mr. Zhong does not allow any mishaps with the dowry; Aunt Wei can’t even replace some of the supreme items with lower-grade ones.
Over here, Ye Qiu followed the Eldest Lady, Zhong Lan, to the front hall, and soon they met the soon-to-be son-in-law, Marquis Weiyuan.
Marquis Weiyuan today is dressed in a brocade robe, looking not like a General who battles on the front lines but rather like a noble young master. Ye Qiu glanced at him and then lowered her gaze, thinking that in terms of appearance, he matched her young mistress quite well.
"Marquis, this is my daughter," Mr. Zhong said, chuckling, and beckoning to Zhong Lan, "Lan’er, come and meet the Marquis."
Seeing Marquis Weiyuan’s appearance, Zhong Lan showed a slight surprise. Ye Qiu sensitively picked up on this but saw no other anomalies after, as Zhong Lan gracefully approached to greet him: "I’ve had the honor of meeting the Marquis."
"No need for such formalities," Marquis Weiyuan said with an appealing voice, looking ordinary at Zhong Lan’s expression, quiet and unrippled, not like looking at a fiancee, but rather like at a subordinate.
Zhong Lan was not disheartened; after all, she had already made the worst preparations for marrying into the Marquis Mansion, and it couldn’t be worse than it currently was.
Mr. Zhong, seeing the well-matched couple, was very delighted, thinking that arranging such a good marriage for Lan’er, he hadn’t let Ying Ru down, and in the future, he would be Marquis Weiyuan’s father-in-law. Who in the entire capital wouldn’t show him respect?
The happier Mr. Zhong thought about it, the more he wanted to take Marquis Weiyuan out for drinks. Zhong Jue, standing aside, wished he could kill his father with his glare. Was there really a need to be so obsequious? As if his sister was unworthy.
"There’s no need. There are still military affairs to attend to in the camp, and I must return early," Marquis Weiyuan said, still with a stern face and quite polite in his demeanor.
Mr. Zhong did not feel there was anything wrong with his attitude and even agreed with him, saying, "That’s right, official duties are important, and drinking can indeed cause trouble."
Zhong Jue’s frown deepened. Although his father’s attitude was problematic, what did Marquis Weiyuan mean by maintaining such a stern expression from the moment he came in? However, as a First-rank Marquis, and with his sister soon to marry into his family, any difficulty he caused would probably make his sister’s life very hard once she is married.
Ye Qiu also felt that Marquis Weiyuan’s attitude was very problematic. Even if he is usually difficult to deal with, couldn’t he soften his expression when visiting his fiancee’s home? They from the Zhong Residence are not his subordinates in the military.
Now Ye Qiu just hopes that her young mistress could be more open-minded. With Marquis Weiyuan’s temperament, he doesn’t seem like the type to soften up easily even after marriage.
"Miss..." After returning to Qingzhu Garden, Shen Dong hesitated, unsure how to begin speaking.
Yang Chun was also indignant, feeling that Marquis Weiyuan was really out of line. Did he look down on their young mistress? What kind of good life would there be after marrying into his family?
But Zhong Lan was much more composed than they had imagined, she smiled and said: "What are you worried about? Afraid that I will not have an easy life after I get married?"
"Learn more from Ye Qiu, what has she shown?" She lowered her eyelids, "There’s nothing to be resentful about, it’s only normal the Ying Family, with their higher status, looks down upon me."
"But Miss, you are so well-born and yet he doesn’t think highly of you..."
"Enough." Zhong Lan interrupted Yang Chun’s words, "Serving someone for their beauty is low-grade, I, Zhong Lan, might have a lower status than him, but I will not demean myself; moreover, if we can respect each other as husband and wife after getting married, that’s already good enough. I never expected to be dearly in love, you need not say such things in the future, especially after going to the Marquis Mansion, you must be even more cautious with your words."
The three maidservants looked at each other, then answered in unison, "Yes."
"Ye Qiu, you’ll keep watch tonight."
"Yes."
That night, Zhong Lan was not as composed as she claimed to be, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
Ye Qiu understood, no matter how composed Miss was, she was still just a sixteen-year-old girl, how many storms could she have possibly weathered?
She guessed that Miss must have had some expectations for Marquis Weiyuan, but in the end, those expectations were unmet and had turned into the worst plan she had conceived for herself.
"Miss, let me pour you a glass of water."
"Hmm." Zhong Lan gave up trying to force herself to sleep and slowly sat up.
Cradling her teacup, Zhong Lan looked somewhat distracted, then asked Ye Qiu somewhat blankly, "Ye Qiu, among the four of you, although Shen Dong seems to be the most dependable, you have never made a mistake in your work, it’s just that you are reticent and reluctant to speak up or take the lead."
"That’s all part of my duty," Ye Qiu paused before continuing, "Does Miss wish to say something to me? It’s not good to hold it in, I can be your audience." She had actually guessed the reason Miss had asked her to stay tonight.
As expected, after she said this, Zhong Lan let out a heavy sigh, appearing very helpless: "Do you think, it’s really good for me to marry into the Marquis Weiyuan’s Mansion? Marquis Weiyuan seems difficult to get along with."
"And Old Madam Wei, I heard she used to be on the battlefield and is said to be very authoritative, could she..."
"Not possible." Ye Qiu interrupted to provide her analysis, "Old Madam Wei won’t be the same as Old Madam."
Zhong Lan looked bewilderedly at Ye Qiu: "Do you know what I am talking about?"
Ye Qiu laughed softly, "Aren’t you afraid that Old Madam Wei, like our Old Madam, would dislike you or even torment you? I can say with certainty that won’t happen."
"How do you know it won’t?"
"Because Old Madam Wei has been to battle, miss, think about it, what kind of courage and decisiveness does it take for a woman to go to battle? How could she be the same as an old woman who has nothing to do in a big house?"