Second Wife

Chapter Eleven

In a silent Heavenly Pavilion, Da Fan flipped through the tea shop's financial and operational ledgers.

On the ground, there knelt a few of the store's employees. Each had an expression of relaxation and their faces full of pride.

"Second Madam, are the records to your satisfaction?" The steward asked tired of the waiting and silence.

"A cup of Cloud Mist tea cost one hundred taels of silver, a cup of Dragon Well cost five hundred taels and a cup of White Tips Green tea and White Peony White tea cost ten and fifty taels of gold respectively. Heavenly Pavilion sells at least twenty Dragon Well and ten White Tips and White Peony each. So why is the tea shop in the red?.

Da Fan question caused sweat to trickle down each their backs. The stewards had assumed the Second Madam lacked the education of a high noble and wouldn't know how much profit there was in tea.

"Replying to Second Madam, you may not know , but the initial cost of tea leaves we buy leave not much room for profit. Unlike in your Cheng household, everything cost more in the city."

The head steward of the Heavenly Pavilion refused to admit anything blaming everything on the Second Madam's lack of knowledge.

Da Fan did not look at him and continued to flip through the pages. " Minister Zhang owes five thousand taels as of this week, Lady Ta owes another thousand and General Cong has a ten thousand taels debt in his name. Steward Wang and Zhao borrowed four thousand taels each month from Heavenly Pavilion..."

Da Fan threw the ledgers in front of Steward Wang, not listening to his words. "Why haven't the debts been paid off?"

Da Fan raised a tea cup and took a mouthful, her throat parched from all that talking. "Meirin, get the guards to come in."

The stewards heard the words and their expressions changed.

"Arrest Steward Wang and Steward Zhao for stealing from the Feng House. Whip steward Wang for insulting his Master. I want them all to be sent to the Department of Household Affairs."

The three stewards mentioned on the floor started yelling that they are innocent. They had assumed Da Fan would only rebuke them, who knew she would actually call the guards.

"Second Madam, I have served the Feng for many years. What you are doing is saying that the Madam is not merciful to her servants."

Da Fan silently looked at Meirin and stood up suddenly making the tea cup in her hand smashed to the ground.

"What are you saying, that I am picking on you servants? Servants who steal from their Master and insult them deserves to be killed. This Madam is already merciful in allowing them to send you all to the Department of Household Affairs."

'How is this merciful?' the servants wondered. Every servant knew that being sent to Department of Household Affairs wouldn't come back out alive. They're dead the moment being sent back is mentioned.

Several patrons overheard the Second Madam as the door was so suddenly oped. They cheered and clapped as the Second Madam was right. She was being merciful to thieves.

"Guards, what are you waiting for? Send them to the Department of Household Affairs. If they continue to protest, send them to Husband in the Defense Ministry. Who knows what will happen to them then."

When she finished, the guards dragged the stewards out of Heavenly Pavilion. The remaining stewards and employees instantly became respectful, begging not to be sent to the Department of Household Affairs.

"The rest of you have two choices; you can each receive twenty strokes from the cane and lose half a year pay and remain working here or be sent to the Household Affairs Department."

The servants didn't think that they wouldn't be sent back. They immediately bowed and followed the guards to receive their punishment back at the Feng mansion.

Da Fan smiled and turned to the door full of patrons. "I apologize for the disturbance. Your current drink is on the house. The Heavenly Pavilion will close tomorrow to facilitate construction and repairs. We will open one month from now."

The patrons sighed in wonder praising the Second Madam's benevolence.

Da Fan smiled at them and instructed Meirin to shut the door when the patrons left. She also instructed the remaining guards to wait outside the door, giving her and Meirin privacy.

"Pardon me for saying this Mistress, but was it wise to keep some of the servants? Wouldn't replacing them be better?' Meirin asked Da Fan

"Haste make waste, Meirin" Da Fan replied to her.

"I apologize Mistress."

Da Fan shook her head. " I understand your concern Meirin. Hiring new servants will help us, but to replace all may harm us. Send word to father that I am in need of additional servants. Some with martial arts is recommended."

"Yes Mistress. Will Master Feng be of concern to us now?"

"No." Da Fan shook her head. "I believe he knows about Father and about me but is waiting to show his hand. If he's waiting to show his, so shall we."

Da Fan got up to leave. "Collect the remaining ledgers, we're leaving."