Chapter 150
**Chapter 150: The Retiring Steward**
Cai Ping smiled brightly and nodded, “Alright! I’ll take care of it right away—Master, you should eat less ice cream; it’s easy to get sick.”
Shen Wei played with the child for a while before turning and rushing off to enjoy the new icy desserts from Wei Yan Ji.
Sweet and icy, with a hint of lychee fragrance, Shen Wei loved it so much that she had to have two bowls every day.
“Don’t worry, I exercise every day; I won’t get sick,” Shen Wei said, savoring a spoonful of lychee ice and letting out a satisfied sigh.
After giving birth, she had developed a particular fondness for sweet foods.
Cai Ping shook her head helplessly. Once she finished her tasks, she found a moment to visit the small side courtyard where Steward Fu Gui was staying outside the Wang residence.
...
Fu Gui had worked hard in the Wang residence for many years and had received ample rewards, accumulating a considerable fortune. The house he purchased outside the Wang residence was bright and spacious. In the backyard, the vegetable garden was lush and green, with rows of tender seedlings thriving.
Steward Fu Gui had guests.
A maid led Cai Ping into the house and asked her to wait in the side room.
After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, sounds came from the main room. Cai Ping stretched her neck to peek and saw several people from the Wang residence, including Liu Mama. Liu Mama looked quite displeased, her face cold as she swept out of the room.
“Did Liu Mama come to see Steward Fu Gui about the monthly silver?” Cai Ping asked the maid curiously.
The maid nodded, indignantly saying, “The master is bedridden, yet the princess keeps sending people to summon him back to the Wang residence to manage affairs, without even bringing a decent gift. It’s as if they think he’s a donkey in a mill, not allowing him any rest.”
The maid led Cai Ping into the main room.
Steward Fu Gui lay weakly on the bed.
“Steward Fu Gui, are you feeling any better?” Cai Ping entered with a bright smile, shaking the gift in her hand. “The Empress has sent ginseng for our master, and he specifically sent me to deliver it to you. He said you’ve worked hard and should take good care of yourself.”
As she presented the precious gifts, the smile on Fu Gui’s face was hard to conceal.
Everyone has a heart that feels warmth and cold, right and wrong. Fu Gui was loyal to Prince Yan and was willing to work diligently for the Wang residence. But that didn’t mean he could be casually dispatched and exploited by the princess.
Ever since the princess had given birth to three children, Fu Gui had taken on the burden of managing the household, working tirelessly and to the point of exhaustion.
Yet in the end, the princess hadn’t even offered a word of thanks. Even when Fu Gui fell ill, she didn’t send any token of sympathy, instead sending Liu Mama to bring the account books, insisting that Fu Gui study the expenses while bedridden.
Fu Gui was truly disappointed. His years of hard work for the Wang residence had become “taken for granted” in the eyes of the princess.
Fortunately, Shen Wei was there.
Shen Wei was clever and courageous, wholeheartedly devoted to Prince Yan, with a sharp mind. Fu Gui was willing to cooperate with Shen Wei, step by step taking away the princess’s authority over the household, allowing him to retire in peace.
Fu Gui said, “My illness won’t get better anytime soon. Miss Cai Ping, please thank Master Shen for his concern on my behalf.”
Cai Ping replied, “Of course, I’ll be sure to pass it on.”
In just a few words, a deal had been struck. Cai Ping stood up to leave. Fu Gui lay “weakly” for a moment before cheerfully getting out of bed and waddling toward the backyard.
Golden sunlight poured into the small courtyard, illuminating the two large vegetable plots in the backyard. The eggplants were already blooming, and the tomatoes had sprouted little green fruits, while the cabbages grew robustly.
Fu Gui strolled contentedly through his garden. Having spent his life in the opulent Wang residence, he had seen plenty of gold and jewels, grown accustomed to the splendor and vanity.
Now that he was older, he longed to return to a simpler life.
To tend to flowers, grow vegetables, and enjoy a peaceful old age.
...
Steward Fu Gui, “bedridden,” had delegated the task of distributing the monthly silver to Liu Mama and a few other managers.
After three days of hard work, Liu Mama, exhausted and barely able to keep her eyes open, finally calculated the monthly silver, opened the storeroom, and took out the coins for the maids to distribute to the various courtyards in the back.
Once the monthly silver was sorted, Liu Mama dragged her weary feet back to Kunyu Courtyard. She reported to the princess, “Princess, the silver has been distributed.”
In the Buddhist hall, the princess was offering incense at the altar, merely nodding lightly in response with an “Mm.”
Liu Mama suddenly felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.
After working tirelessly to help the princess with her troubles, staying up late for several nights, and being so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open, she had expected some acknowledgment or reward from the princess.
But the princess showed no concern, not even a word of praise, lost in her devout ritual.
As the fragrant sandalwood smoke curled in the air, Liu Mama gazed at the compassionate statue of the Buddha, feeling a sudden sense of confusion.
The princess had once been generous and kind, but ever since having children, her world had shrunk to just them. Even the old mama who had cared for her for over a decade was no longer of interest to her.
Just as Liu Mama was feeling sour, a commotion arose outside.
“Liu Mama, go see what’s happening,” the princess said, her focus unwavering on her prayers.
Liu Mama had no choice but to step out of Kunyu Courtyard, where she saw several maids loitering at the entrance.
Among them was Xue Mei from Qixue Pavilion, who anxiously said, “Liu Mama, I’m a first-class maid in the Wang residence. According to the rules, first-class maids with over five years of service should receive one tael of silver plus a few coins this month. Why did I only get one tael?”
Another maid chimed in, “Liu Mama, I’m a second-class maid and should receive two coins, but I was shorted.”
Xue Mei huffed, “They miscalculated our monthly silver, but the silver for Kunyu Courtyard was calculated perfectly.”
The maids chattered, and Liu Mama felt overwhelmed.
With over a hundred servants in the Wang residence, not to mention the vendors and craftsmen outside, it was truly difficult to keep the accounts straight.
Thus, mistakes were inevitable.
Liu Mama felt a throbbing headache and didn’t want to deal with the mess any longer. With a long face, she said, “If the monthly silver is miscalculated, go to the accounts office to have it corrected. If you come to Kunyu Courtyard to cause a ruckus and disturb the princess, you’ll regret it.”
Threatening with the princess’s name, the maids had no choice but to swallow their grievances in silence, their hearts full of resentment.
Liu Mama didn’t resolve their issues, so the disgruntled servants could only seek out the accounts office and the managers.
The accounts office was also in a difficult position.
To overturn the miscalculated accounts and redo them was indeed a hassle. Just when everyone was at a loss, Mama Rong from Liuli Pavilion and the eunuch Jixiang happened to pass by.
Mama Rong was an old acquaintance of Fu Gui and had helped him with the accounts recently. She and Jixiang took it upon themselves to handle the task, spending an entire afternoon recalculating everything, ensuring that the missing monthly silver was distributed to the servants without a single error.
Everyone was naturally grateful.
Everyone has a scale in their hearts, and through this incident, the abilities of Shen Wei and the princess became glaringly apparent.
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