Chapter 7: Aunt Liu Tells a Story

This was the real question she wanted to ask. With just over half a month left, the family from Rongchang Hall would be sending someone, but her memories regarding the two aunts were somewhat vague. She only knew the general situation, but could not recall the specific details.

Hua Zhuo tugged at her sleeve and whispered, "Mamma, just tell me, I want to know about my aunt. What does she look like? Does she resemble me? I really like to eat sweet cakes; do they like to eat them too?"

Qiqiao thought for a moment and said: "Then let's ask Liu Mama. She is an elder and knows a lot of things. Moreover, she has always cared for the young lady. As long as the young lady asks her to keep it a secret, the madam will not find out."

The old master was not skilled in management, and he had a fondness for reciting poetry and singing, as well as collecting stones and raising birds. Over the course of more than a decade, some of his properties fell into disrepair. By the time they came into the hands of the current master, the assets were less than one-tenth of what they had been during the lifetime of the late old master

Upon waking, it was just time for lunch. After having a meal, Hua Zhuo took a short rest to regain some energy, and at that moment, Liu Mama arrived.

Regarding the properties under the name of Rong'an Hall, since the passing of the late master Zeng, they have indeed declined from generation to generation, and there are not many left, recalling the days of yore...

Liu Momo hesitated for a moment, but upon seeing Hua Zhuo's delicate, fair face filled with hope, her heart softened instantly. With a long sigh, she said: "I can tell you, but just don't mention your two aunts in front of the master; that is the greatest pain in his heart."

In terms of land, there are one thousand mu in Huainan Prefecture, and my hometown, Jiulixi, has even more. Aside from the three hundred mu of clan land, the harvest of which is fixed and sent to Rongchang Hall for the maintenance of the ancestral hall, the remaining approximately two thousand four hundred mu of prime farmland and seven hundred mu of mountainous land are managed by Hua Zhong. There are also eight hundred mu of good farmland in Qingzhou Prefecture, which is part of my wife's dowry, and has always been managed by her elder brother from her family. Each year, the harvest is converted into silver and sent over, and in good harvest years, it can yield around five hundred taels.

Hua Zhuo fell silent

Hua Zhuo's expression slightly darkened; she was aware of the eight hundred mu of land in Qingzhou Prefecture. In her previous life, her mother had left the land deed to her as a dowry before passing away, but it was lost during their escape. Later, she sought refuge with her uncle's family, where her aunt repeatedly hinted at wanting to take the land deed. At that time, she was unaware of the malice in people's hearts and honestly admitted that it was lost. Her aunt seemed to believe her, but not long after, she colluded with her uncle to sell her to the Qiao family. Before the marriage, her aunt even suggested that if she handed over the land deed, she could avoid the marriage. However, at that time, she was unable to comprehend the implications and did not understand at all.

Tianzhuang has about a dozen, which is truly a pity. Back when the late master was alive, he had established a total of ninety-nine fields and * books * in Tianzhuang, but now only a tiny bit remains, and several thousand acres of farmland have seemingly vanished... However, there are still quite a few shops; there are six in Jiuli Creek, twelve in Huainan Prefecture, five in Qingzhou Prefecture, and one well-known large restaurant in the capital. When the master went to the capital for the imperial examination back then, he stayed in the guesthouse behind the restaurant, which is said to be by the Taiye Pool, adorned with blooming flowers and lush willows, a sight to behold...

Madam Liu thought she had not understood, and let out a sigh of relief, saying with a smile: "Oh, these young ladies need not know about it. Although Rong'an Hall is not as prosperous as before, the annual income is still considerable. With young ladies like you... well, even if I were to support ten more, it would still be manageable."

Hua Zhuo nodded hurriedly, noticing that Qi Qiao and Ba Xiu were curiously leaning in. Fearing that they might interrupt and cause Liu Mama to hesitate in speaking, he quickly urged them to go and serve tea and snacks.

Unfortunately, Qiqiao and Baxiuxiu have always been confined to the inner chambers, so how could they know so much? However, Qiqiao became somewhat aware and said: "We servants usually only attend to the young lady, and we hardly hear anything about the outside matters. If the young lady truly wishes to learn how to manage the household, why not ask Aunt Shuangcheng? Aside from the madam, she is probably the most knowledgeable about these affairs in the family."

Ba Xiu was somewhat reluctant and was being dragged along by Qi Qiao. Just as she was about to complain, she saw Qi Qiao place a finger to her lips and softly shushed her, then led her to sneak behind the window, crouching there to eavesdrop

In fact, Hua Zhuo wanted to inquire about the assets of Rong'an Hall. In her previous life, when the main family, Rongchang Hall, and other legitimate branches attempted to seize the assets of Rong'an Hall, it was said that there were nearly some disputes due to uneven distribution. However, at that time, Hua Zhuo lacked the ability to investigate the details. Nevertheless, she was not foolish; she could surmise that the assets of Rong'an Hall must be substantial, which was why the main family and the legitimate branches were competing with each other. If the assets were merely trivial, they would not have caught their attention.

Hua Zhuo was taken aback; in her previous life, her maternal family sold her for five thousand taels of silver. What does one hundred and fifty thousand taels represent? It turns out that Rong'an Hall is so wealthy. No wonder later on, the main family Rongchang Hall and other legitimate branches competed so fiercely.

Hua Zhuo knew that she was always clever, and realizing that she had seen through her probing questions, she smiled and said: "I cannot ask; if I do, my mother will surely find out. I only wish to learn quietly without causing my mother any worry, as she is still in her confinement period."

This... in fact, I do not understand much, but I have a rough idea that in order to ensure smooth transactions, it is necessary to manage various parties. Whether it is through official channels, waterways, or land routes, regardless of whether they are legitimate or not, it is essential to deal with the underworld. The King of Hell demands arrangements, and the little ghosts are even more troublesome. There are many who envy this business, deliberately creating difficulties and extorting money. After peeling away several layers, from a full profit, only about 20% to 30% remains in the end. Our Rong'an Hall is no longer what it used to be. Back in the days when the late master Zeng was alive, who would dare to act this way? ... Ah, let’s not talk about it anymore, let’s not talk about it.

Qiqiao responded with a sound and then, along with Baxiuxiu, served her to sleep.

Unfortunately, good times do not last long. After just two years, the elder Zeng suddenly passed away. The elder was serving as an official in a distant place, and in the face of this unexpected event, one could only submit a memorial to express mourning and escort the elder Zeng's remains back to his hometown. At that time, there were some hidden assets that, due to the elder Zeng's failure to provide instructions, simply vanished, leaving no place to search for them.

Then, yawning, he said: "I am tired, I will take a nap. After noon, you can call Liu Mama, and I will talk to her again."

Old Madam Liu sighed. When the others followed the matriarch Liu to Rong'an Hall, the late Old Master was still alive, and it was indeed the most prosperous time for Rong'an Hall. The hall was filled with treasures such as golden horses and jade saddles, and there were easily over a hundred servants just to attend to them. This was still considering the thin offspring of Rong'an Hall; if there were more descendants, the number of servants would have to increase exponentially.

However, while the earnings are substantial, the expenses are also considerable... Liu Momo hesitated to speak, as this involved some unpleasant matters that were not suitable to share with Miss Tu Shu.

Hua Zhuo smiled in response, and then, changing the subject, asked: "Liu Momo, I heard that I originally had two aunts, is that true?"

Hua Zhuo listened attentively and, feeling a bit spoiled, said: "Mamma, please tell me, why are the expenses so high? Our family lives frugally, and our annual expenses amount to no more than 1,200 taels of silver. This does not even include the offerings sent to the ancestral shrine or some social obligations. How could we possibly spend so much?"

There is also a trading company in the north that specializes in leather goods. The young lady's white fox fur shawl was obtained from that trading company. In Quanzhou Prefecture, there is a shipyard that has ten large ocean-going vessels, primarily engaged in maritime trade, with annual profits exceeding one hundred thousand, making it the most profitable enterprise of Rong'an Hall

In fact, her mother left her a considerable dowry, but most of it was lost during their escape, leaving only a few land deeds for shops and farms. She had long since handed these over to her aunt, and what was later brought to the Qiao family was merely over a thousand taels of silver notes and a few pieces of jewelry made with exquisite craftsmanship and relatively fine materials, which were fortunately preserved in a jewelry box.

Liu Momo's expression stiffened as she said, "Which meddlesome person told you this."

Hua Zhuo thought to herself, no one understood better than her how well Liu Momo treated her. In her previous life, in the end, only Liu Momo and her son A Fu remained by her side.