Chapter 108: Taking Charge of Household Affairs

The An household was small, and having only recently risen from poverty, its foundations remained shallow; thus, the residence did not employ many servants. Ordinarily, Concubine Huang merely glanced over the daily ledgers and handled minor trifles. Today, however, An Yi had taken charge of the household affairs with blunt directness, and the ledgers and management now fell to her.

An Yi felt fortunate that she had once learned the art of household management from Hu Qingyue; reading the accounts posed no difficulty. Yet, as she scanned the daily expenditures, she frowned. The basic daily expenses of the household reached nearly seventy taels of silver. This did not even account for social obligations or the servants' wages.

Seventy taels a day meant two thousand one hundred taels a month. After An Kang earned his degree, An Yi had familiarized herself with the official salaries of the Xu Dynasty.

An Qinghe, holding a rank equivalent to Junior Second Grade, received a primary salary of one hundred and sixty taels monthly, plus one hundred and forty taels in grain, duty, and public allowances—a total of three hundred taels.

An Kang, holding a rank equivalent to Junior Fifth Grade, received a primary salary of one hundred and eight taels, with sixty-five taels in additional allowances—a total of one hundred and seventy-three taels.

Subtracting four hundred and seventy-three from two thousand one hundred left a deficit of over one thousand six hundred taels. Where did this excess come from?

An Yi did not need to guess; she knew Concubine Huang must have been subsidizing it with her dowry. As she read through the entries one by one, her understanding deepened. No wonder the expenses were so bloated. In the three months since Concubine Huang had entered the household, she had commissioned seventy-six sets of clothing, keeping the sewing room staff in a constant state of exhaustion.

"There is a fixed allowance for seasonal clothing. Why has Concubine Huang ordered so many sets?" An Yi asked in a low, stern voice.

"Replying to the young lady, the Second Mistress..."

"Manager Guan's wife, there is only one Mistress in the An household, and she resides in Jingli Garden," An Yi interrupted.

The woman was startled and quickly knelt. "I misspoke, Miss. Please forgive me."

"This is the only time. Do not let it happen again. Stand up and answer me," An Yi said, her gaze sweeping over the crowd. "And none of you are to make such a mistake again."

"Yes," the servants replied.

"Now, tell me, why did Concubine Huang order so many clothes?"

"Concubine Huang said she needed them for social engagements and could not wear old attire," the head of the sewing room replied.

"How many times has she gone out in these three months?" An Yi asked.

"Five times in total," the steward in charge of arrivals and departures replied.

Most of the An family’s social circle consisted of military officials associated with An Qinghe. Lady Luo suffered from an eye ailment and rarely went out, and no matter how prestigious Concubine Huang’s maiden family was, it did not change her status as a concubine. Only a few families seeking favor with the Huang family sent her invitations, as other legitimate wives were unwilling to associate with her.

"Five times," An Yi sneered. "Even if she wore a new outfit every time she stepped out, ten sets would be more than enough. What about the other sixty-six?"

"Concubine Huang changes her clothes two or three times a day, even when at home. If she dislikes a garment once it is finished, she gives it to her maids," the sewing room head explained.

"Miss, it is not just Concubine Huang who changes two or three times a day. Her four head maids do the same. The laundry room is overflowing, and they cannot keep up with the washing," the laundry steward added, seizing the opportunity to complain.

"From now on, do not make any more for her. If she wants new clothes, she can have them made outside. As for the clothes she wears, wash only one set per day; she can wash the rest herself." After finishing the sewing accounts, An Yi opened the kitchen ledgers, which shocked her even more.

It was not that the kitchen was inflating prices; rather, Concubine Huang was excessively extravagant. She would only eat tribute rice and drink tribute tea. Daily meals had to include poultry, fish, and exotic delicacies, and ginseng, bird’s nest, and lingzhi were considered essential.

Looking at the remaining twenty-seven taels in the ledger, An Yi sighed and closed the book. "Manager Guan's wife, who set the rules for the meal portions?"

"The rules were set by the Second Mistress..."

"Tell me what those rules are," An Yi commanded.

"The kitchen manages the entire household's diet. According to Concubine Huang’s rules, the Mistress’s daily allowance is six dishes and two soups, with three meat and three vegetable dishes. The concubine’s allowance is five dishes and two soups, with three meat and two vegetable dishes. The two young masters’ allowance is four dishes and one soup, with two meat and two vegetable dishes. The head maids and managers get two dishes and one soup, one meat and one vegetable. Everyone else eats in the kitchen. When the Master dines with a concubine, that room receives an extra meat and vegetable dish."

Auntie Hua whispered to An Yi, "Miss, the concubine’s portion exceeds the proper protocol."

An Yi nodded slightly. "These rules are wrong, and they change today. If the Master, the Mistress, and we three siblings dine together, the allowance is six dishes and two soups, three meat and three vegetables. When dining separately, the Mistress’s allowance is four dishes and one soup, two meat and two vegetables. The allowance for the two young masters and myself is three dishes and one soup, two meat and one vegetable. The allowances for the maids and other servants remain the same. Have you noted this, Manager Guan's wife?"

"Yes, Miss, I have."

"The daily procurement does not need to be so excessive; enough to satisfy hunger is sufficient. We do not need poultry or fish every day. Draft a menu and bring it to me this afternoon for review," An Yi ordered.

"Yes," the kitchen steward replied.

An Yi took the purse from her waist and tossed it to the manager. "Take the gold leaves in here to the jeweler and exchange them for silver."

The woman weighed the purse, estimating it at forty or fifty taels. "I will go at once, Miss."

An Yi picked up her teacup and took a sip of the now-lukewarm tea. "Why have I not seen the warehouse ledger?"

"It is in the hands of Concubine Huang," the manager replied.

An Yi narrowed her eyes. "Who holds the key to the warehouse?"

"Concubine Huang does. She claimed the warehouse contained only her dowry, so the Mistress gave her the key."

An Yi let out a cold hum and said nothing more.

Just then, the four maids who had been drugged groaned and began to wake. They helped each other up, huddling together in terror.

"Why hasn't the slave trader arrived yet?" An Yi asked, setting her teacup down with a frown.

"You... you cannot sell us! We belong to the Second Mistress! You do not have our indentures!" Lü Su shrieked.

An Yi looked at her calmly. "Concubine Huang is merely a servant herself; she can barely look after her own affairs, let alone yours. Since I do not have your indentures, I cannot sell you—very well, I shall have you beaten to death instead."

The four of them trembled, their faces turning pale. They had signed life-long contracts; their existence was entirely in the master's hands.

Auntie Hua nodded slightly. The Seventh Young Master had a good eye; this Miss An possessed the aura of a true mistress of the house. Once married, she would surely be able to uphold the Fifth Branch.

An Yi, unaware of Auntie Hua’s thoughts, stared coldly at the maids.

Terrified of death, the four maids knelt before An Yi and kowtowed. "Miss, we know we were wrong! Please, show mercy and spare our lowly lives!"

Seeing their foreheads were nearly bruised, Auntie Hua stepped forward. "Miss, if I may be so bold, I beg for mercy on their behalf. They were brought here from Concubine Huang’s maiden home. One must respect the owner when punishing the dog. Since they know their mistake, please spare them this once."

"Since Auntie Hua is pleading for you, I will be lenient this time. Manager Guan's wife, have someone teach them the rules properly. Only after they have learned them can they return to serve Concubine Huang." An Yi granted Auntie Hua the favor.

"Thank you, Miss! Thank you!" The four kowtowed three times and scrambled away.

Just as An Yi was about to speak, a gatekeeper entered to report, "Miss, Mother Liu has arrived with the people."

Mother Liu, a plump woman in her thirties, led seven gaunt-looking girls inside. She bowed with a smile. "Greetings, Miss. May you have all the blessings."

Mother Liu had already instructed the seven girls, and they knelt to kowtow to An Yi.

"Enough, rise," An Yi said, frowning. With the previous four not sold, she still had to buy more. The silver from the gold would likely be gone in a few days; she would have to withdraw more from the bank tomorrow.

This was An Yi’s first time buying maids, and she lacked experience, but fortunately, Auntie Hua was there. Auntie Hua stepped forward to examine each one carefully. "Mother Liu, tell the truth: are any of these girls carrying any hidden ailments?"

"Sister Hua, I would never dare bring a sick girl to this house. Rest assured, they are just thin; they are perfectly healthy." Mother Liu was one of the four major slave traders in the inner city. She recognized Auntie Hua and was somewhat surprised to see her in the An household.

"Miss, have you found any you like?" Auntie Hua asked.

Under Auntie Hua’s guidance, An Yi selected four. Each cost five taels.

"Manager Guan's wife, have someone take Mother Liu out and finalize the indentures for these girls," An Yi ordered.

The manager took Mother Liu away. Of the twenty-seven taels in the account, only seven remained.

After thanking An Yi, Mother Liu followed the accountant out.

"Shanyao, Xiangqin, take these four to bathe and change into proper clothes, then bring them to Jingli Garden," An Yi said, rising to leave.

"Yes, Miss."

An Yi walked toward the door with Auntie Hua.

"Miss," the kitchen steward called out, gathering her courage.

An Yi paused and looked back. "What is it?"

"You haven't set the portion for Concubine Huang yet."

An Yi’s eyes flickered. "The concubine’s portion is two dishes and one soup—one meat and one vegetable. If she cannot get used to that, she can go hungry."

"Miss, if Concubine Huang offers silver to have me prepare something else, should I do it?" the steward asked.

"If you wish to be sold off, then go ahead and do it." An Yi walked away.

Watching her leave, the manager glared at the steward. "You pig-headed fool, did you really need to ask the Miss that?"

The steward shrank back, retreating to the side.

An Yi returned to Jingli Garden with Auntie Hua. Bai Wuming had been waiting impatiently. Seeing An Yi return, a flicker of light crossed his eyes, though he quickly returned to his usual indifferent expression.