Chapter 230: More Rain

 Chapter 230: More Rain

After the Second Household had reined in their spending, Concubine Lin's special treatment was also stopped. With these two issues resolved, Daohua’s management of the kitchen proceeded much more smoothly.

She didn’t implement any drastic changes to the kitchen but made some improvements where needed. For the most part, she didn’t interfere much in the daily personnel management of the kitchen.

She emphasized a few points: First, hygiene and the freshness of ingredients must be guaranteed. Second, the kitchen expenses must not exceed the budget unless the household was hosting a banquet or had other special events. Third, if a banquet was hosted, the dishes must be of a high standard.

As for the management of kitchen staff, she left that entirely to Old Aunt Ren.

However, she made sure to tell Old Aunt Ren that if any trouble arose among the staff, the first person to be held accountable would be Old Aunt Ren herself.

As a result, the kitchen became more orderly than it had been before.

In the Daohua study, Gu Yu was tidying up the room while chatting with Li Xia.

Li Xia commented, “After taking charge of the kitchen, I didn’t think the young lady would be busier than before. Look, she’s off riding horses with Miss Zhou again. In fact, she’s been more active than ever.”

Gu Yu smiled and nodded. “That’s because our young lady is so capable. I once heard her tell Sister Man’er that when managing any area, the first step is to establish rules and procedures. Once the rules are in place, you find the right person to oversee it, and then she doesn’t need to worry about every small detail.”

Li Xia added, “Before, didn’t the madam praise the young lady for knowing how to delegate? If the mistress takes care of everything herself, she’d be exhausted. Our young lady knows how to enjoy life.”

Gu Yu chuckled in agreement. “That’s true. If you look at the kitchen now, the staff is more energetic than before, and they’re all following the rules without any complaints.”

Li Xia smiled and continued, “How could they not? The young lady is fair with rewards and punishments, and the rules are clearly written. As long as everyone follows the rules, even if they don’t stand out, they won’t be unfairly punished or have their monthly allowances deducted.”

“And if they come up with new dishes or find something tasty, they’ll get a reward. With something to look forward to, no one is slacking off, gossiping, or causing trouble. It’s much more harmonious now.”

In the Suburbs of Xingzhou City

After riding for a few laps, Daohua and Zhou Jingwan noticed the sky had started to drizzle. They had to stop and return to the carriage to head back to the estate.

“This year’s weather is really strange. It rains so frequently, it’s driving me crazy,” Zhou Jingwan grumbled as she jumped off her horse and climbed into the carriage, allowing her maid to help her tidy her wet hair and clothes.

Daohua followed suit, wiping the rain from her forehead with a handkerchief. She lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked out at the steady rainfall, her expression turning a bit worried.

“The rain this year is indeed excessive. If it keeps up like this, the crops will likely yield less, and some areas might even face floods.”

Zhou Jingwan, not particularly concerned with such matters, quickly changed the subject. “Did you receive the prince’s invitation?”

Daohua shook her head. “What invitation?”

Zhou Jingwan grinned. “The one for his birthday banquet at the palace this year!”

Daohua realized, “That’s still over a month away, right?”

Zhou Jingwan replied, “A month goes by quickly! Have you decided what gift to give him?”

Daohua smiled. “The Young Prince has helped my family a lot. Since this is his first birthday, of course, I’ll prepare an appropriate gift.”

Zhou Jingwan’s eyes widened in curiosity. “What is it? Tell me!”

Daohua shook her head. “If I tell you now, it won’t be as interesting. You’ll see when the time comes. By the way, what about you? What gift have you prepared?”

Zhou Jingwan replied, “My mother helped me prepare a set of high-quality brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.”

Hearing this, Daohua couldn’t help but laugh, recalling how Xiao Yeyang had once specifically told her not to give him any such items. She could imagine that, having received many similar gifts over the years, he must have become numb to them by now.

The rain continued to pour, and the coachman hurried to increase their pace. Soon, the carriage reached Xingzhou City. Daohua and Zhou Jingwan parted ways and went to their respective homes.

As Daohua led her horse to the stable, she encountered Advisor Xiao, who was returning his horse. Seeing him looking disheveled and soaked through, she immediately asked, “Advisor Xiao, where have you been?”

Advisor Xiao saw that it was Daohua and didn't rush to leave. He smiled and said, "This year, there has been too much rain. The master asked me to inspect the riverbank."

Daohua asked, "Is the riverbank okay?"

Advisor Xiao shook his head. "The master had the riverbank repaired when he first arrived two years ago, and the maintenance hasn't stopped. There's no issue; the water level hasn't risen."

Daohua breathed a sigh of relief. "Advisor Xiao, hurry and change your clothes. You mustn't catch a cold."

Advisor Xiao nodded and left with a smile.

Soon after, Daohua returned to the main courtyard and saw Madam Li reading a letter from her eldest brother. However, her expression seemed a bit off.

"Mother, what did eldest brother say?"

Madam Li put the letter down. "Nothing much, just some matters from the academy and a few words of greeting."

Daohua asked, "The Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, will eldest brother and the others come back?"

This year, her eldest brother and the others hadn’t come home once, claiming to be busy with their studies.

Madam Li shook her head. "No, they won’t return."

Daohua furrowed her brow. "Are they really that busy?"

Madam Li glanced at Daohua, thought for a moment, and pushed the letter toward her. "You can read it yourself."

Daohua quickly picked up the letter and began reading. When she finished, her eyes widened in shock. "No way! Eldest brother and the others actually went to Fenxi with the Young Prince?"

"They went to Fenxi for what? To fight bandits?"

Hearing the word "bandits," Madam Li’s eyelids twitched rapidly. "Fortunately, they came back safely. What if something had happened?"

"It won't happen!" Daohua quickly interrupted. "Mother, think about it. Xiao Yeyang is who he is. He must have a lot of skilled martial artists around him. How could anything happen?"

Though she spoke confidently, her words lacked conviction.

Swords and blades are blind; when bandits attack, they don’t care about your status.

Madam Li wasn't reassured, but she didn't want her daughter to worry. She only said, "They are too bold, not even telling us. When they return next time, your father will have to teach them a lesson."

Daohua didn’t dare to speak up in defense. She immediately nodded in agreement. "Yes, they need to be taught a lesson."

Madam Li thought for a moment, still feeling uneasy. "Do you think your eldest brother and the others got injured, which is why they won’t come home for the Dragon Boat Festival?"

Daohua was stunned for a moment. "I don't think so."

Madam Li shook her head. "No, I can’t be at ease without seeing them in person. Go and write a letter to your eldest brother, telling him he must come home for the Dragon Boat Festival."

(End of Chapter)