Returned the gifts?

This meant that they didn't want to continue being on good terms.

Matriarch He slammed her palm on the small table beside her, causing the teacups on the table to clatter.

"Are these people bullying our Duke Jing 'an Estate because there's no one left?!" Matriarch He said angrily, her chest heaving up and down.

When Senior Servant Liu saw the ugly expression on the matriarch's face and how she kept panting, she was so frightened that she hurriedly patted the matriarch's back and comforted her. "Matriarch, don't ruin your health because of these snobs. Madam is still bedridden and Erlang and Third Lang aren't here. This family still needs you to support it."

Matriarch He's anger finally dissipated a little. She rested for a while before asking, "Which families? Did you remember them?"

Mu Xiang lowered her head and didn't dare to breathe too loudly. Only when she heard the matriarch's question did she quietly report the families who had rejected the gifts.

Matriarch He clenched her fists. "I've remembered all of them. Since they aren't willing to interact with us, we won't be snubbed either!"

"Yes, Matriarch."

Matriarch He thought about it again and ordered, "Order someone to bring the returned gifts to me. I'll take a look myself."

Mu Xiang received the order and went out to do her work.

In less than half an hour, Mu Xiang led the stewards of the outer courtyard and manservants to bring the gifts to the reception hall of Qingwen Hall.

The steward bowed respectfully to the matriarch. "Matriarch, the returned gifts are all here."

Matriarch He leaned on her walking stick and walked to the side of the gifts. She pointed at the boxes placed on the carpet and said, "Open them all. I'll take a look myself."

Those big and small carved red lacquer wooden boxes were carefully opened by the manservants. When Matriarch He saw what was inside, her eyes immediately widened.

She then said angrily, "You arranged for these things to be given to others?

All of you are scoundrels! "

The stewards of the outer courtyard were so frightened that they hurriedly knelt on the ground and refused to get up. "Please forgive us, Matriarch. Eldest Grandmother ordered us to prepare these gifts. Although we feel that it's inappropriate, we can't disobey Eldest Grandmother's orders."

Matriarch He was so angry that she was trembling. She wanted to raise her walking stick and teach these people a lesson, but in the end, she endured it.

Nanny Liu hurriedly supported Old Lady, fearing that she would really be angry for a while.

"Matriarch, it's already happened. No matter how angry you are, it's useless."

Matriarch He let out a long sigh and said dejectedly, "Tell them to leave."

Senior Servant Liu waved at the few stewards who were kneeling on the ground. The stewards hurriedly picked up their robes and left dejectedly.

Nanny Liu helped Old Madam to the warm pit to rest.

"This Madam Zou is getting more and more muddled!

Send someone to fetch her. "

The Matriarch's anger had not been extinguished, but she had temporarily suppressed it. Once the fuse, Zou shi, appeared, it would probably rain down like a thunderstorm.

Just look at the New Year gifts given to the various aristocratic families. The original top-grade ginseng had been replaced with inferior ones, the jade Buddha had been replaced with flawed jade, and the top-grade fried tea cake had been replaced with inferior loose tea …

Madam Zou had been the head of the household for five or six years, so how could she still be so muddle-headed?

In a short while, Madam Zou brought her trusted nanny and servant girls to Qingyi Hall.

"Granddaughter-in-law greets Grandmother."

Madam Zou's etiquette was standard, and no one could find any fault with her. Even her expression was dignified and dignified, without a trace of nervousness or anxiety.

Nanny Liu, who was standing beside Old Madam, frowned when she saw Madam Zou like this.

Old Madam Zou snorted. "There's no need to greet me. Go take a look at the gift boxes behind you!"

Hearing this, Madam Zou curtsied at Old Madam Zou and turned to look at the opened brocade boxes.

When she was done, she turned to ask Old Madam Zou in confusion, "Grandmother, these are the New Year gifts that I had the steward send to the various aristocratic families. Why are they here?"

Old Madam Zou was so angry that she almost laughed. "Zou shi, don't tell me you don't know why they are here?"

Only now did Madam Zou reveal a shocked expression. She said in disbelief, "Grandmother, were these New Year gifts returned?"

Old Madam He's expression darkened as she watched her eldest granddaughter-in-law put on an act.

Madam Zou walked quickly to Old Madam Zou's side and hung her head as if she had been wronged. She said, "Grandmother, it's not that Granddaughter-in-law is being perfunctory about the New Year gifts. It's just that the public funds are there and I can only buy these. Granddaughter-in-law has no choice."

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Old Madam Zou frowned. "Didn't I just transfer Guilin Restaurant's profits to the public funds?"

Madam Zou stilled and hurriedly explained, "Grandmother, Guilin Restaurant closed for business in the middle of the month. How can one month's profits support the New Year's expenses?"

Closed for business?

Old Madam Zou thought for a moment.

Although she knew the reason, Old Madam He still could not forgive Madam Zou's perfunctory management of the household.

She suppressed her anger and said in a low voice, "No matter what, you are responsible for this. I don't think you need to be the head of this household anymore. I'll take care of it for the time being. Go back to your courtyard and reflect on yourself!"

Madam Zou had never thought that Old Madam Zou would strip her of her authority to manage the household at this time.

The faked fright and shock suddenly became real. For a moment, she widened her eyes in disbelief. After a moment, she seemed to come to her senses. She no longer cared about her original reserved and dignified demeanor. She knelt in front of Old Matriarch He and hugged her thighs, begging.

"Grandmother, you can't do this. This time, it's Granddaughter-in-law's fault. Granddaughter-in-law should not have disregarded the family's reputation and used those inferior New Year gifts. Granddaughter-in-law will make up for it right now. Use Granddaughter-in-law's private funds. Please give Granddaughter-in-law a chance!"

Old Madam He's face was cold. She met Madam Zou's disheveled face and said coldly, "Zou shi, if you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first place? Come, send Eldest Grandmother back to her own residence."

Old Madam He gave the order and Zou shi was dragged out by several sturdy old women.

After Zou shi's voice completely disappeared from Qingwen Hall, Old Madam He rubbed her forehead. After a long while, she ordered, "Go call all the housekeepers and stewards from the various courtyards. This old one has orders. Also, call the people from the accounts office over."

There was an endless stream of servants going in and out of Qingwen Hall that day. Everyone in the fu knew that the heir's wife had truly fallen out of favor this time.

After Madam Zou returned to her room, she smashed almost everything in sight. In the end, Nanny Qiao hugged her tightly and stopped her.

"Eldest Grandmother, don't be like this. You still have two young misses to take care of!"

Sister An and Sister Lin had long been attracted by the noise over here. The servant girls and mamas beside them couldn't stop the two young misses, so the two children saw the scene of Zou shi going berserk. Sister An and Sister Lin were frightened when they saw their usually gentle and virtuous mother turn into such a ferocious appearance.

Their two little faces were full of panic and they froze to the side, not daring to make a sound. At this time, Zou shi looked at her two daughters.

She fixed her gaze on them and suddenly sneered with a twisted expression, "Ha!

Why isn't one of you a boy? If one of you was a boy, I wouldn't be in this state today!

You two losers, get out! "

Nanny Qiao was shocked. She didn't expect that the First Grandma would say such words to the two children. Although the First Grandma resented herself for not being able to conceive a male heir, she still loved the two little misses very much and took care of the children's daily life in person every day. Who would have thought that she would suddenly target the innocent children?

Although Sister An and Sister Lin were young, they were very sensible. Being suddenly despised by their mother like this, the two young girls burst into tears at the same time and ran towards Zou shi. They wanted to make sure that their mother's words were a joke.

How could Qiao mama dare to let Zou shi touch the children like this? She hurriedly shot a look at Jin Shui, who was beside her, and asked her to call the servant girls to take the two young misses out.

After Sister An and Sister Lin were taken away, Zou shi seemed to finally calm down after hearing the children's cries. She sat dejectedly on a chair, her eyes empty.

This time, it was really over for her. Now that her husband hated her, her tongfang was pregnant, and her authority as the head of the household had been taken away, she, the wife of the heir of Duke Jing 'an's estate, was probably going to become the laughing stock of Shengjing.

She suddenly remembered the strange letter she had received a few days ago.

Yes, it was that letter. That letter was the one that urged her to do this. She wanted to send inferior New Year gifts to each family and then tell the Matriarch that they didn't have enough money. When the time came, she would spread the news that Guilin Restaurant had closed down. In a fit of anger, the Matriarch would really hand over Guilin Restaurant to the public. When that happened, the restaurant that could earn the most money in all of Shengjing would fall into her hands.

She had clearly followed the instructions in the letter step by step, so how did things end up like this?

Zou shi seemed to have suddenly grabbed onto a life-saving straw. She shook Mother Qiao's arm frantically. "Mother, that letter, where's that letter?

Hurry up and find that letter. As long as I find that letter, grandmother will definitely return the power of the family to me. "

Mother Qiao was stunned. She also remembered which letter Eldest Grandmother was talking about.

That day, Eldest Grandmother took out that letter from somewhere and read it alone on her rose chair. After she finished reading it, a smug look flashed across her face. Then, with a wave of her hand, she threw the letter into the charcoal basin at the side.

Even she and Jinshui hadn't seen the contents of the letter.

Mother Qiao sighed. She guessed that Eldest Grandmother had been used by someone else.

"Eldest Grandmother, you've already burned that letter."

"What?

Burned … burned? "

Even though she didn't want to hurt Zou shi, Mother Qiao had no choice but to tell her the truth.

Zou shi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

It looked like she really had only herself to blame!

Matriarch He sat at the desk and flipped through the accounts. She was getting on in years and her body couldn't take it anymore. After a while, her back started to ache.

Mother Liu couldn't stand it anymore and suggested, "Matriarch, why don't you take a rest? Why don't you let the maidservants take a look and then report it to you? It'll be the same."

The Matriarch really couldn't take it anymore and could only nod. She pointed at Mu Xiang behind her. "Mu Xiang, come and take a look at my accounts. If we don't have enough people, go and choose two trustworthy second-rank maidservants to help."

Mu Xiang hurriedly lowered her head and acknowledged. Then, she sat down and got to work.

Mother Liu helped the Matriarch to the side to rest.

"Go and find out what's going on with Guilin Restaurant. Why did it suddenly close down?"

Mother Liu immediately went out to pass down the order.

Chu Lian brought Wenqing into a side room in the central room. The moment she entered, she saw He Sanlang's handsome face, which was as cold as ice.

He Changdi's cool gaze swept over her. Then, he turned his handsome face slightly and moved his body slightly, facing Chu Lian with his broad back.

Then, Chu Lian heard his voice. "Why are you here? Didn't you say you were going to ignore me?"