Fierce Consort

Chapter 47

The Ningxiang Chambers also had its allowance reduced. However, Yan Yan had been low-key recently and hearing Matron Zhou say that the reduction was applied everywhere, she didn't say anything about it. If she needed something and the estate wasn't willing to provide it, she used her own money to buy it.

Yan Yan had been pampered from birth, and her storage was rather substantial. The Zhenguo Duke Estate also sent over the ingredients for the small kitchen and Ah Mo's medicine, so the Ningxiang Chambers didn't have too many expenses.

Therefore, while complaints abounded outside, the people in the Ningxiang Chambers still passed their days as before, as though nothing had changed.
The weather started turning cold in the blink of an eye. The sky was covered in grey and dead leaves fell one after the other. The sweeper maids in the estate had to sweep several times every day to keep the roads clean.

At this time, Concubine Pei's headache grew.
Since the cold was coming, they needed to prepare things for the winter. The estate's convention was to give out four sets of clothing every year. The winter clothes were thicker, so they naturally weren't cheap. Furthermore, the estate used ten thousand catties of coal for warmth every winter. This was also a large expense.

The servants could do without new winter clothing since they could wear their old ones, but charcoal couldn't be lacking. They couldn't have the masters and servants all freezing when the snow started falling. Therefore, charcoal was something that they should have started preparing in the summer. It became more expensive as the weather grew colder. Purchasing it now was already a little late.

Concubine Pei gave the orders to first buy five thousand catties of charcoal. The granny responsible for making winter clothes for the servants was still waiting outside. Concubine Pei had Xiang Liu send her away.

That granny's expression didn't look too good prior to leaving. She had already made two trips, but had never been given permission to start. Could it truly be as others were saying, that Concubine Pei was cutting costs and keeping silver for herself?

All sorts of discussions and rumors were spreading around the estate recently. Concubine Pei had heard about it as well, but they continued to spread despite her efforts.

Once one thing was dealt with, another would spring up.

Everyone had their biases. Concubine Pei wanting the role of household manager wasn't just for the status. It was also for the convenience.

Concubine Pei could treat everyone strictly, but it wasn't possible for her to treat her own children this way. Yan Qian and Yan Hong were both spoiled since birth. Therefore, while the other misses and young masters had to fuss with their own moms for a bowl of swallow's nest or a piece of clothing, Yan Qian and Yan Hong didn't have these worries.

This day, Yan Ru took Yan Ling over to chat with Yan Qian. The three of them usually played together.
Yan Qian and Yan Ru sat together picking out knitting patterns while Yan Ling accommodated them on the side.

At this time, a little lass carried a gold outlined engraved saucer with a small porcelain bowl on top of it over.

"Miss, hurry and eat or it'll get cold."

That little lass placed the bowl on the black lacquered sculpted rosewood table, and placed a soup spoon in the bowl.

Yan Qian's eyes flashed with annoyance. She told Yan Ru to carry on picking without her and got off the kiln. Yan Ru nodded and continued looking at the book of patterns, but her nose twitched.

On the other side, Yan Qian received the bowl from the little lass and ate a couple of bites before pushing it aside. She returned to the kiln.

Yan Ling who was sitting on the kiln looked over and said in praise: "Second big sis is really wasteful. That swallow's nest is the highest quality, right? Look at that clear and glutinous soup. Why did you push it aside after a bite?"