As soon as all the Momos received the summon, they immediately gathered at the main courtyard. Without requiring any instructions from anyone, they all lined up in neat rows of three according to their rank respectively. When Yu Miao Qi looked over at them, they took the initiative to report their names and job description. Their behaviours were very respectful.
Yu Miao Qi initially thought that these people would join forces to display their strength. Afterward, she could use this opportunity to conveniently pick out a few troublemakers to deal with them. Subsequently, she would be able to quickly gain a firm foothold in the Marquis manor. But she never expected that they would be so well trained and rule abiding. Could it be that Yu Xiang didnât secretly instruct them to cause trouble for her?
The more thoughts she put in regarding this matter previously, it was equivalent to the frustration she was feeling at this moment, while looking at these disciplined and respectful Momos-in-charge. It was like throwing a heavy punch but only to hit nothing but air, and feeling as if she took courage to pounce but fell flat on the ground. Yu Miao Qi took a sip of the tea and used the opportunity to take a few deep breaths to regain her composure.
Lin Shi didnât think about that much. She just said a few sentences like âPlease cooperate with me, as I will be in charge of the manor in the futureâ. Then, she turned to her daughter and asked her to bring out the drafted regulations.
This time, Yu Miao Qi was not in a hurry to change the rules that were set by Yu Xiang, and only stated two points: Firstly, there is no need to do spot checks on the memorization of the manor rules every month in the future, as long as everyone knows them by heart. Secondly, if even those who sweep the floor, chop the wood, fetch water and so on have group leaders, then the management staff in the manor would be too redundant. From now on, the team system will be abolished, and everything will still be in the hands of the respective Momos in charge. After her announcement, she asked if they had anything they wanted to say.
Yu Miao Qi had her own reasons when making these two changes. The first one was because she wanted to let everyone put down their guards and to show that the new master was kind and harmonious. Secondly, she wanted to win the hearts of the people, especially the Momos-in-charge, whose authority had suddenly grown. Lastly, it was to save the additional wages given to the team leaders to cut costs.
In order not to lose the hearts of these people, she didnât dare to make any big moves upon her arrival. However, she secretly planned out small steps to accomplish each one at a time.
Naturally, no one objected as it was a good thing they didnât have to memorize the manor rules. Even though the team leaders would receive monthly additional bonuses, they also had to be responsible for the mistakes made by their team members, which placed them under a lot of pressure. Additionally, as their status was not at the level of stewardship, they would not be able to meet the master. Just like âwhat lowly people think counts for littleâ, even if they had an opinion, there was nothing they could do about it.
Seeing that everyone was silent, Yu Miao Qi took it as consent. She then said that those who had something to say could speak up, and those who had nothing to say could leave. Naturally, everyone was fine and left one after another after making their bow. This new officialâs first fire could be considered wordlessly and silently set alight.
Lin Shi was very impressed by her daughterâs cleverness and competence. To say it bluntly, she could rest assured that there would definitely be no troubles by entrusting the manor to her daughter. After saying that, she went into the inner hall and continued to reminisce about the past as she looked at the memorial tablet.
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In the West wing courtyard, someone immediately informed Liu Lu of Yu Miao Qiâs actions who in turn reported to Yu Xiang.
âThere wonât be trouble? Itâs only temporary.â Yu Xiang laughed contemptuously as she played with the laozi[1], âI rule the manor like an iron barrel, and thereâs no place for her to interfere. Thus, she removed the rules that I have made, and then slowly supported her own trusted aides. When I was in charge of the manor, as long as one did their job well, they were treated the same as a servant of the same rank. Those with excellent abilities were given the opportunity to be promoted regardless of their background and connection. She canât be as impartial as I am. If you want the horses to run, you have to give them grass. By feeding her trusted aides, it will naturally cause others to starve. Once one is starving, they will be envious. Envy will lead to jealousy, and jealousy will cause trouble. Sooner or later our manor will be chaotic. It is like a blindfolded donkey, you just have to whip it and it will set its heart on turning the grindstone. However, once you take off the blindfold and let it see the beautiful world outside, how can it still pay attention to you? One canât even pull it back.â
Tao Hong was dumbfounded and asked, âYoung Miss, are you not going to do something about it? At least give her a heads-up! No one will be pleased if the manor is in chaos!â
Liu Lu scowled at her and mouth the words âfoolish girlâ.
Yu Xiang scratched her scalp with the tip of the needle and sneered, âFoolish girl, how can Grandmother not perceive what I was able to perceive? A mistake by Yu Miao Qi is equivalent to a mistake by Lin Shi. Grandmother is just waiting to catch Lin Shi in the act. Think about it, in the 7 rules, how many of them has she already broken? Disobedient to parents[2], doesnât take care of her relatives, not teaching her children, jealous[3] and talking too much[4]. If she was in another family, she would have been divorced long ago. Itâs because Grandmother is softhearted, and doesnât have time to do anything all these few years, that is why she let her off. Just wait and see if they make a mistake this time, Grandmother will not be lenient. One will be divorced and the other will either be locked up for a few years or married far away.
After Tao Hong heard this, she was rendered speechless and no longer dared to say anything more.
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In the main courtyard, the Old Madam also received the news that Yu Miao Qi didnât make a big move but only rescinded two rules that werenât carrying much weight. She sighed sorrowfully to Ma Momo, âI thought she would be scheming but yet she really lacks the foresight. It is true that the two rescinded rules arenât important, yet she does not give them a second thought: The servants are under constant management, and there is a clear division of labour for their jobs. However, she has now suddenly taken away the power of control, causing the division of labour to become unclear, order would cease to exist as to who should be responsible for matters. Wouldnât that cause people to be uncertain? You push me, I push you. There will be no one to perform the job, and sooner or later there will be chaos in the manor. Itâs like a horse that is galloping with its belly clenched. When you suddenly release the force that is holding it, it would slacken instantly and inevitably trip over its own hooves. The management of the food and kitchen is also a discipline. The way of which is similar to the governance of the country. The way of ruling the country is clear if the country is strict. If the country is biased, chaos will arise. In the end, Yu Miao Qi canât be compared to Xiangâer!â
Ma Momo agreed in response, âThatâs natural. Miss Xiangâer was hand-taught by you and the Marquis after all. Ordinary people canât compare.â
The Old Madamâs mood eased a bit and she said in a soft tone, âAfter all, the Shen family is a merchant family. They are short-sighted and the children they teach are really not up to standard.â
Ma Momo nodded her head in agreement.
The two of them, however, did not know that it wasnât the Shen family which failed to discipline, but it was that they didnât dare to discipline. Just look at Shen Yuan Qi, among thousands of people, he was also extremely outstanding. In the end, Yu Miao Qi was just held too high by the Shen family, and that accidentally caused her to fail due to excessive praise, which explained why she was like this now.