Chapter 102: Departure
Manager Zhao's heart skipped a beat. Though he didn't know what Gu Jinzhao was about to say, he was certain it wouldn't be good news!
Gu Jinzhao spoke leisurely, "This farmer's wife just told me the estate collects seventy percent of the harvest as rent. If I were to add another twenty percent, they likely wouldn't survive. I recall Manager Zhao telling me yesterday it was fifty percent. Where did the extra twenty percent go?"
Her tone turned icy as she fixed her gaze on Manager Zhao.
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Manager Zhao's forehead. Last night, he had urgently instructed everyone in Lingbi—anyone who dared disclose estate matters to the Eldest Miss would have their rent increased to eighty percent. He thought they'd all be obedient and keep quiet, never expecting the Eldest Miss Gu to pull such a stunt!
Wiping his sweat, he hurriedly explained, "This... this twenty percent rent, this servant did indeed collect it. Over the years, the Gu family hasn't provided any silver, so I used this money to reclaim wasteland and plant trees. Who would have thought everything I planted would fail? There's hardly anything left now—it's this servant's incompetence!"
Jinchao sneered, "Didn't you sell those trees to the Luo family? How could there be nothing left? The Indian corn in the low-lying fields grows perfectly well, yet the fruit trees on the hillsides rot at the roots. Do you truly take me for a fool? How much did they pay you for those goods? Daring to embezzle the master's property and arbitrarily raise estate rents—do you no longer wish to work here?"
Manager Zhao never imagined this sheltered Eldest Miss would be so sharp! She'd actually uncovered everything he'd done.
Leaving the Gu family of his own accord was one matter—being driven out was entirely another!
Manager Zhao clasped his hands and smiled, "When my elder sister returned all those years ago, she was too worn out to work. It was I who provided for her until her passing. My sister toiled for Madam her entire life. If the Eldest Miss means... to dismiss this servant, I wonder what Madam would think of this in the afterlife..."
How dare he invoke her mother's memory!
Gu Jinzhao said coldly, "Many came to Lingbi because of my mother's kindness, yet you took seventy percent of their harvest, leaving everyone complaining. Besides you, wouldn't the blame also fall on my mother and our Gu family? Do you think you're the only one losing face here? Even if your sister worked hard for my mother, those were her merits—what does that have to do with you? Your conduct has long exhausted whatever gratitude she earned for your family!"
Manager Zhao's expression darkened. This Eldest Miss Gu spoke far too harshly! In the past, Madam had always treated him with respect. Wherever he went—estates, shops, households—people would respectfully address him as 'Manager Zhao.'
Why should he endure such humiliation here? It wasn't as if he couldn't find work elsewhere—the Luo family's estate manager had long invited him to join them!
Since they were tearing off all pretenses, Manager Zhao abandoned all decorum. With a cold laugh, he said, "The Eldest Miss speaks as if the Gu family still matters! Have you considered how you've treated me, after all my sister did for the Gus? Transferring me to this wretched estate was bad enough, but cutting my wages in half? If I didn't find ways to supplement my income, I couldn't have survived! You live in luxury while I struggle. Let people judge who's in the wrong here!"
"If my work displeases you, then I shan't continue! If this place won't keep me, another surely will!" Manager Zhao snorted derisively.Jinchao looked at him and continued, "My mother has been considerate of you, assigning you the best Villa. Not only did you mismanage it, but you also embezzled the master's money. The fact that she hasn’t expelled you from the Gu family is already more than you deserve, yet you still complain as if you’re the victim."
"If you want to leave, then leave. The Gu family only needs to announce they’re looking for a new manager, and candidates will flock in droves. Who needs you?" Jinchao took a final sip of tea and ordered the guards to drag him out. Manager Zhao roughly shook off the guards' hands and stormed out of the courtyard in a huff.
He certainly had a temper. With his attitude, he wouldn’t dare leave unless he had a backup plan. Jinchao instructed the guards, "Follow him and make sure he leaves the Villa. Don’t let him take anything from the estate. If he dares to spread nonsense outside, go straight up and slap him!" She then turned to Mama Tong and said, "Find a few people. Spread the word about what Manager Zhao has done." A person with such poor morals would find no welcome anywhere.
The guards clasped their hands in acknowledgment and left to carry out the orders.
Cheng Shi, who had been listening outside, was stunned. He had never encountered someone as shameless as Zhao Ming! But how had the young mistress learned about Manager Zhao’s misdeeds? Had she investigated it herself?
Recalling the young mistress’s words earlier, he found himself developing a bit of admiration for her. Such decisiveness truly carried a hint of Tai Furen’s demeanor.
He immediately returned to report the matter to Ji Yao.
Ji Yao remained silent for a long time. He hadn’t expected Zhao Ming to be such a despicable person—not only committing those acts but also playing the victim. It was rare that Gu Jinzhao had managed to suppress him.
He had always thought poorly of Gu Jinzhao, considering her spoiled and indulgent, and had disliked her since childhood. Yet, he hadn’t expected her to actually resolve the Villa’s issues… Moreover, she hadn’t sought his help at all. It seemed she could sense something and was deliberately keeping her distance from him.
Suddenly, he remembered last winter when Gu Jinzhao had baked crab-shell yellow cakes in their grandmother’s greenhouse, filling the room with their aroma. She had leaned attentively by the stove, watching as the firelight cast a warm glow on her face, her eyes like pools of spring water. The curve of her neck revealed skin as smooth as fine jade.
With Madam Ji’s passing, she had taken over her mother’s dowry. Without support and lacking experience, it must have been incredibly difficult for her.
Ji Yao felt a pang of sympathy.
After some thought, he finally said calmly, "Zhao Ming wouldn’t leave so boldly unless he had a backup plan… Go spread the word to nearby Villas and shops. Let it be known that Zhao Ming has offended the Ji family. Anyone who dares employ him will be crossing us!"
Cheng Shi was delighted—the second young master was finally willing to help the young mistress. He quickly agreed and set off to carry out the task.
Ji Yao picked up the Rongtai Anthology again but found himself unable to focus. Dismissing a manager might sound simple, but the execution was far from easy. Stabilizing the situation, finding a replacement, and dealing with the people Zhao Ming left behind—all were problems. Could Gu Jinzhao handle it?
In the end, he set the book aside and headed toward the side chamber where Gu Jinzhao was staying.
Meanwhile, Gu Jinzhao was methodically instructing Caifu to gather all the Villa’s staff and sending the estate’s matrons to summon the tenant farmers from Lingbi.Among the people at the villa, there were certainly those loyal to Manager Zhao. She had no intention of keeping them either—if they wanted to leave, they could follow Manager Zhao, but they weren’t allowed to take anything from the villa. As soon as she finished speaking, over ten of the twenty-some kneeling people stood up to leave.
Mama Tong seemed about to say something, but Gu Jinzhao shook her head and let them go. There was no use keeping these people.
Meanwhile, the peasant women who had been gathered stood in the villa’s front courtyard, bewildered and unsure what to do—there were well over a hundred of them. Jinchao glanced at them; their eyes were sunken, their figures thin, clearly malnourished from years of hardship.
When they saw a plainly dressed but unmistakably wealthy young woman step forward, the women murmured among themselves in confusion. A girl like this ought to be resting at home—what was she doing in this dirty, crowded villa?
Jinchao smiled and said, “I’ve called everyone here to make an announcement. The previous Manager Zhao has left, and the villa is no longer under his control…”
Before she could finish, the peasant women gasped in delight. Manager Zhao had exploited them relentlessly over the years!
One of the braver women asked, “Is this true? Then who are you? Are you the master’s stewardess?”
In their eyes, the most imposing young woman would likely be a high-ranking maid.
Jinchao chuckled. “I am the Eldest Miss of the Gu family, here to inspect Lingbi. Our family has always collected no more than half the rent, yet Manager Zhao took seventy percent from you without ever informing us. I sincerely apologize. From now on, we’ll only collect forty percent. Given this year’s poor harvest, you may keep enough for your own needs and pay the rest as rent. If there’s nothing left, so be it.”
…This was practically a waiver of this year’s rent!
The peasant women were overjoyed! They had been worrying about the harvest, but now, no matter how much they reaped, they had nothing to fear! They all knelt and kowtowed to Jinchao, calling her a living bodhisattva. None had expected the Gu family’s Eldest Miss to personally visit the villa and drive away the dreaded Manager Zhao.
Beaming, the women even proposed erecting a merit tablet for her at the temple, leaving Gu Jinzhao with a wry smile.
She then instructed, “Spread the word when you return. Zhao Ming is no longer the manager—we’ll find a better one soon.” After giving her orders, she had Mama Tong distribute meat-stuffed pancakes prepared earlier in the kitchen, giving each woman a few. The peasant women left happily, clutching their treats.
Jinchao had just sat down to rest, pondering the choice of a new manager, when Caifu came to inform her that the Second Young Master had arrived.
Ji Yao had actually been watching from outside the entire time but waited until the peasant women had left before entering.
The guest room Manager Zhao had arranged for Jinchao was simple and plain—a low table, two round-backed chairs, and a large kang covered with a green peony-patterned mattress. The villa was never particularly clean, yet Gu Jinzhao showed no sign of disdain, smiling faintly as she invited him to sit.
She asked softly, “What brings you here, Second Cousin?”
She made no mention of seeking his help, as if it had never crossed her mind.
Ji Yao, at a loss for words, paused before replying, “…I came to see if you needed my assistance.”Gu Jinzhao was also somewhat surprised, but she quickly shook her head. "I can handle it myself, it's alright. Second Cousin, if you have matters to attend to, there's no need to concern yourself with me. Though Jinchao may not understand farming, I know that with diligence, I can manage well enough..."
Ji Yao, however, noticed a palm-sized piece of coarse cloth on her chest and fell silent for a moment.
Jinchao poured him tea and added indifferently, "Second Cousin dislikes Jinchao—I'm aware of that. There's no need to force yourself to help me. I won't mention it to Grandmother." She withdrew her hand and excused herself, saying she had matters to attend to and needed to leave first.
Ji Yao caught a glimpse of the white lotus flowers embroidered on her sleeve as they fluttered past—elegant beyond measure. He suddenly wanted to say that he didn’t actually dislike her, but Gu Jinzhao had already left the room. Ji Yao could only smile bitterly. He had been so afraid of any connection with Gu Jinzhao, avoiding her like the plague, only to realize she felt the same way and hadn’t paid him any mind at all.
...It made him seem like the one overthinking things.
P.S.
Second update~~ I've been diligent today too ==.
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