Yun Chu Ling

Chapter 9: How to Reduce Expenditure

With Yun Chu's command, the servants immediately carried a long bench into the courtyard.

Xie Shiwei was pressed onto the bench by the servants, struggling desperately: "Mother, I was wrong, I was truly wrong. I beg you to let me off this time..."

Yun Chu said coldly, "Begin."

Two strong servants stood on either side, holding thick wooden boards.

"Smack!"

A harsh strike landed on Xie Shiwei's buttocks.

He let out a howl of pain.

"Stop!"

He Shi, dressed in blue servant's clothing, suddenly rushed in from outside the courtyard and pushed aside the person administering the punishment.

Lowering her head to hide her anxious expression, she approached Yun Chu and curtsied: "Madam, enforcing family punishment is a serious matter. Shouldn't you consult the Old Madam and the Lady first... Moreover, the Second Young Master is still young and might not withstand twenty strikes. If he gets injured, when the Old Madam investigates..."

Yun Chu smiled faintly: "Why does Nurse He seem to care more for Wei Ge'er than I, his own mother? It's as if Nurse He is his birth mother, while I, his legal mother, am like a stepmother."

He Shi's face suddenly paled: "Madam, that's not what I meant. I was worried the Old Madam would blame you for injuring the Second Young Master..."

"Masters' affairs are not for a servant to worry about. Step back!" Yun Chu's voice was icy. "Continue!"

The two servants stepped forward. With another smack, Xie Shiwei let out continuous screams.

He Shi bit her lower lip.

Of course she doesn't care—he's not her own child.

She turned and ran toward Anshou Hall.

Yun Chu calmly watched the servants administer the strikes. One, two, three... At first, Xie Shiwei could still scream, but his voice grew progressively weaker.

By the tenth strike, he had fainted outright.

"Wei Ge'er!"

The Old Madam arrived late, leaning on her cane, and was horrified by the scene.

"Quick, send for a physician!"

The old lady was so flustered she immediately had someone carry Xie Shiwei back to his room.

"Would you have beaten Wei Ge'er to death if I hadn't come?" The Old Madam stared at Yun Chu, enunciating each word clearly. "It's just a cricket—dead is dead. You could have bought another one. Was it necessary to beat the child like this? Even if punishment was warranted, there are a hundred ways to do it. Who gave you permission to use family punishment? You were trying to take Wei Ge'er's life!"

Xie Shi'an stepped forward: "Great-grandmother, this was my decision."

The Old Madam was stunned.

He Shi had rushed over breathlessly to complain, saying Yun Chu was going to beat Wei Ge'er to death. She had assumed Yun Chu had ordered the family punishment.

How could it have been An Ge'er?

"Shiwei's temperament truly needs to be reined in. Otherwise, who knows what trouble he might cause in the future!" Xie Shi'an explained. "With Father's transfer imminent, offending someone from the Prince of Pacifying the West Manor could have unknown consequences. These twenty strikes were necessary for Shiwei to endure."

The Old Madam tightened her grip on her cane.

Prince Pingxi—that was the current Third Prince, a man of great military achievements, deeply favored, someone their Xie family could only dream of approaching.

Yet, her granddaughter-in-law had actually become acquainted with the Young Son of the Prince of Pacifying the West Manor.

Yun Chu lowered her eyes: "Whether it's making An Ge'er kneel in the ancestral hall or having Wei Ge'er beaten, you always worry I'll harm the children. In the end, it's because I'm not their birth mother. Perhaps from now on, I should only indulge and spoil them, giving them whatever they want, so this household can have peace."The Old Madam was momentarily speechless.

Over the past few days, she had repeatedly confronted Yun Chu, yet each time it was proven that she herself had been in the wrong.

"Chu'er, since these children are registered under your name, they are your own flesh and blood. Whether you discipline or scold them is entirely your prerogative. As a grandmother from a different generation, I truly should not interfere excessively." The old lady sighed. "Let us return to Anshou Hall."

He Shi, standing behind the Old Madam, pressed her lips tightly together.

If even the Old Madam refused to intervene, and the Madam was even less likely to interfere, would her children then be left entirely at the mercy of the mistress?

But what could she, a mere servant, possibly say?

As she stepped out of Yusheng Residence, she overheard Yun Chu instructing the servants: "There are still ten strokes remaining. They shall be administered once Wei Ge'er has recovered."

He Shi staggered, nearly losing her balance.

The concubines in the courtyard exchanged uneasy glances, each lowering their heads and trying to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible.

Yun Chu waved her hand, dismissing them all, but singled out Xie Ping to stay behind.

"Mother."

Xie Ping felt somewhat intimidated.

In the past, she had thought her mother was very easy to get along with, but now she no longer dared to think so.

She stood obediently by Yun Chu's side, assuming a docile demeanor.

Yun Chu instructed Chen Defu to purchase an even better cricket and deliver it to the Prince of Pacifying the West Manor, then proceeded to teach Xie Ping how to review account books.

Xie Ping was literate and could write, but she was not skilled in accounting. Ting Shuang patiently taught her how to perform the calculations step by step.

For someone who was educated, learning this was not difficult at all, as long as there was guidance.

Xie Ping quickly grasped most of it. After calculating last year's accounts, she exclaimed in astonishment, "I never imagined that our humble Xie Family would have such substantial annual expenses. If we relied solely on the income from these shops, the entire household would be reduced to poverty. Fortunately, we have you, Mother."

Setting aside her own tasks, Yun Chu said gently, "Therefore, the most important thing now is to increase revenue and reduce expenditure. As a young lady of the inner chambers, you may not understand how to generate income, but why not help Mother think of ways to cut costs?"

Xie Ping felt a sense of being entrusted with an important task and nodded with confidence. "Rest assured, Mother. I will surely come up with a plan."

For the entire afternoon, Xie Ping remained in the side hall of Yun Chu's residence, studying the account books.

As dusk began to fall, she excitedly reported to Yun Chu, "Mother, our Xie Manor employs over twenty menial serving women. Each afternoon, tea and snacks are provided for them, costing about a dozen coins per person. That amounts to over two hundred coins per day, and nearly ten taels of silver per month. If we eliminate this expense, we could save almost a hundred taels of silver per year."

Yun Chu smiled and said, "Although a hundred taels is not a large sum, if we identify more areas to cut costs, small savings will accumulate into a considerable amount over the year. Ping Jie'er, I entrust this matter to you. Can you handle it well?"

Xie Ping felt encouraged. "I will work hard to accomplish it."

Yun Chu nodded. "You are still young, so it does not matter if you make mistakes. If there is anything you do not understand, you may always come and ask me."

"Thank you, Mother."

Xie Ping was filled with determination.

While Shi'an and Shiwei were being punished one after another, she alone had earned her mother's praise. She was determined to carry out her mother's instructions successfully.

Carrying a large stack of account books, she returned to her own courtyard to continue her studies.

Yun Chu curled her lips slightly and lowered her head to resume reviewing the account books.

However, she was not examining the Xie Family's accounts, but rather the records of her own shops and manors.

Managing the Xie Family's affairs was merely a formality—what truly mattered was carefully planning her own business ventures...She had been busy until the sky was completely dark, when Ting Shuang softly reminded her that it was time for dinner.

Just as the dishes were laid out on the table, Ting Xue came in from outside and said, "Madam, Chen Bo has just returned to the manor and reported that the Young Son of the Prince of Pacifying the West Manor does not want that cricket..."