MSBCH Chapter 7.1

Su Yiniang had truly not expected Wen Ninghan to be so ruthless. It was one thing to embarrass her at the gate, but to demand her allowance and the profits from the family businesses the moment she set foot in the marquis household? And not just this month’s allowance—she was asking for the accumulated monthly silver and profits from the past decade!

Thinking about the money she had handled over the years, Su Yiniang knew that while each sum might not have seemed much on its own, but together, they formed a figure she absolutely could not afford to repay.

There was no way she could let that money come out of her pocket.

Better yet, she had to make sure it never did.

Over the years, Su Yiniang had treated those properties as part of the marquis household’s wealth—as her own wealth. She had quietly profited from them, both openly and secretly.

Yet, with just a few words, Wen Ninghan had ripped apart that comfortable illusion, forcing her to confront the harsh reality. Everything belonged to the Qin family. It was Qin Xi’s legacy—and more importantly, it was meant for Wen Ninghan.

Su Yiniang couldn’t keep up her composure any longer. She no longer had the energy for verbal sparring with Wen Ninghan. After mumbling a few distracted responses, she claimed she had other matters to attend to and left hurriedly, her retreating figure clearly flustered.

“Zhixin, I’ll leave them to you.”

“Don’t worry, Miss! I’ll handle everything perfectly!”

Although Zhixin was young and not particularly brave, having grown up by Wen Ninghan’s side, she knew her mistress’s ways and preferences better than anyone. Organizing matters like this was where Zhixin truly excelled.

The maids and nannys brought by Su Yiniang also looked somewhat bewildered.

Except for a few young maids who had only recently been bought into the marquis household and hadn’t officially started working, most of the others had been there for quite some time. The four senior maids and two nannys had certainly heard about the inner workings of the household. However, the existence of a legitimate eldest daughter was news to them, only recently revealed.

Although they had been instructed to serve the Young Miss well, they couldn’t help but wonder—what real backing could a daughter who grew up outside the household, with her maternal family being mere merchants, possibly have?

Su Yiniang might have been bustling around, seemingly busy arranging everything for the Young Miss, but what she was truly thinking… only she knew.

Without the marquis’s favor, this young miss’s courtyard didn’t seem like a promising place for these servants trying to survive in the household. Judging by the simplicity of her attire—less impressive than even the second miss’s maids—they could already guess much about her situation.

If the mistress’s life is not good and she can’t even protect herself. How can the servants have a better life?

Wen Ninghan watched the shifting expressions of these new servants with interest. Beyond their obvious nervousness and unease, a few of them showed some intriguing behavior.

Unbeknownst to her, Qin Rongxi had stood up and was now beside her, tilting his head and watching her closely.

“Seventh Brother, what are you looking at?”

“Watching you!” Qin Rongxi wore a similar, intrigued expression. “Xiao Jiu, you’re scheming something again, aren’t you? Hmm? What plan are you cooking up now? Not planning to tell me?”

Wen Ninghan smiled. “Not yet. Don’t worry, Seventh Brother. If there’s something good, I won’t forget you!”

Qin Rongxi snorted. “Oh, I know. You won’t forget me for the good things—and definitely not for the bad ones.”

After all, he was always the one sharing the risk and taking the blame when things went wrong. Qin Rongxi knew his role all too well.

“I just noticed something… interesting.”

The junior maids and the cleaning maids were sent to move things and tidy up the rooms. Zhixin led the four senior maids and two nannys to Wen Ninghan.

Wen Ninghan couldn’t possibly stay by the courtyard door with Qin Rongxi all the time, so by now, she had already set up a table and chairs with tea inside the courtyard. Qin Rongxi cheerfully sat down next to her.

Looking at the pastries on the table, which had been brought down from his own cart, his expression became a bit complicated.

“Su Yiniang really knows how to put on a show, making a big deal out of appearances, but in reality, there’s nothing to it. Just now, there wasn’t even a cup of tea, was there?”

The courtyard had a small kitchen, and the hot tea was just brewed by Zhixin, who had taken care of preparing it.

As the courtyard came alive with a flurry of activity and a bit of noise, Wen Ninghan held the steaming tea cup, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

Seeing her calm demeanor, the people standing before her couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious, suddenly aware of the tension in the air. This new eldest daughter of the Wen family was not quite what they had expected.

After giving it some time, the bustle in the courtyard settled into a peaceful quiet. Wen Ninghan softened her voice, speaking gently, “Let’s begin by introducing yourselves. We should all get to know each other.”

The group exchanged glances, and finally, the eldest and most composed of the senior maids stepped forward. She gave a graceful curtsy before Wen Ninghan, saying, “We humbly ask the eldest daughter to bestow names upon us.”

Wen Ninghan raised an eyebrow.

Such swift submission? It left her feeling oddly unaccomplished.

Of course, it was also possible they were merely feigning loyalty to lower her guard. But none of that mattered.

It was just that these people always seemed to change their names with every new master. Every time, it was up to her to come up with a name, and that habit was truly troublesome.

She wasn’t particularly good at naming people.

Zhi Xin’s name was still acceptable, those who didn’t know would never guess the hidden meaning behind it.

Wen Ninghan cleared her throat lightly. “Are you sure you want me to pick your names?”

Not that she hadn’t given them a chance!

The four maids had no objection, of course. Even if they had any opinions, they would never voice them at this moment.

“Alright then.” Wen Ninghan glanced up at the sky. “Mousse, chiffon, inch of gold, tangerine red. Pick whichever you like!”

The maids: “…”

Inch of Gold… As maids of the Marquis’s household, they were somewhat knowledgeable. They knew “inch of gold” was some kind of pastry, and “tangerine red” seemed to be a herbal ingredient?

But mousse and chiffon? They had no idea what those meant.

The young lady’s naming style really reflects her personality—both intriguing and puzzling.

Warmly rubbing her forehead, Wen Ninghan thought to herself, “Well, what can I do? I was just a little hungry.”

The first to speak was the composed maid, who bent her knee in greeting. “I am Mousse, greetings, Miss.”

Another maid, tall and strong, standing a head taller than the others, seemed more interested in the name “Chiffon.” She too gave a respectful curtsy. “I am Chiffon, greetings, Miss.”

“Since you’ve all introduced yourselves, I’ll leave the rest to Zhi Xin,” Wen Ninghan said with a smile, clearly enjoying the situation. “Once you’ve settled in and your tasks are arranged, it’ll be up to her to manage everything.”

She waved her hand as if dismissing any need for further involvement. After all, once she had the right people trained, it was no longer her job to oversee everything. Life was for enjoyment, and handling every little detail personally could wear anyone out.

“As for you all…”

One of the two nannys stepped forward with a smile, her originally stern face softened by the warmth of her expression. “I am Liu, the one who was in charge of the purchasing in the back courtyard for a time. The head of the household, the second housekeeper, is responsible for attending to the marquis’ travels. You can call me Wang Jia, young miss.”

Wen Ninghan didn’t react much, silently watching the last person remaining.

This woman’s face was stern and somewhat intimidating, with narrow eyes that almost concealed any expression. The three deep lines across her brow suggested she was someone who often furrowed her brow in thought or concern.

She didn’t seem like someone with a good temper.

But Wen Ninghan couldn’t shake the feeling that this woman looked somewhat familiar.

She tilted her head and stared at her for a long while, but couldn’t recall where she had seen her before.

However, when the housekeeper met Wen Ninghan’s gaze, there was a subtle hesitation in her expression.

“I am called Lei,” she said, and offered no further introduction.

“Nanny Lei” Wen Ninghan responded.

Wen Ninghan smiled as she greeted Nanny Lei, and her words caused everyone present to show expressions of surprise.

After all, Wen Ninghan hadn’t shown any special reaction to the other newly arrived servants, yet she treated this stern-looking, otherwise unremarkable old housekeeper differently.

Was that reasonable?

Of course, it wasn’t.

Even Qin Rongxi couldn’t help but glance at Nanny Lei a few more times. Knowing Wen Ninghan’s temperament well, he could sense that there was something he didn’t know about this situation.

Wen Ninghan quickly provided an answer: “I feel like I’ve seen Nanny Lei somewhere before. Have we met?”

Nanny Lei’s lips tightened into a harsh line, making her look even more intimidating. “This old servant does not know.”

Seeing that her own status in the Wen household hadn’t earned Wen Ninghan a second glance, Nanny Liu grew anxious. “Although she’s an old servant in the household, she’s only ever been cleaning in the side courtyards. In these years, she hasn’t even left the courtyard, so it’s impossible that the young miss has seen her before.”

Wen Ninghan immediately smiled. “Cleaning in the side courtyard?”

“Yes, she’s just an old woman who knows nothing,” Nanny Liu added.

“So, a woman who knows nothing and has only been cleaning the side courtyard, is now promoted to manage my household affairs?”

Nanny Liu immediately realized her mistake. Her face went pale, and she broke into a cold sweat as she quickly tried to salvage the situation.

“Yes… that’s true. Although she lacks experience, she has worked hard in the household for many years and is very loyal to the family. When Madam Su decided on a manager for the young miss, she naturally chose someone familiar rather than unfamiliar. Nanny Lei seems steady and has been learning a lot these days. I will make sure to keep an eye on her going forward.”

Wen Ninghan waved her hand dismissively. “Alright, you can leave now.”

The journey had been exhausting, with days of traveling without rest, but as soon as Wen Ninghan returned to the Yong’an Marquis Residence, she felt an unexpected wave of fatigue, even though she hadn’t been home for half a day.

“Oh, right.” Wen Ninghan pointed at Nanny Liu. “Since you’re so capable, go ask Su Mama¹Su Yinianghow my cousin has been arranged. We can’t have guests arrive and not have a place for them to stay, can we?”

“Yes, yes, this old servant will go inquire right away.”

“No, not inquire. You need to make proper arrangements. Do you understand?”

“Understood, understood, young lady.”

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  Su Yiniang