Chapter 35 Shoddy Goods for Quality Goods
“Where is Concubine Liu? Why wasn’t she here?” Dou Qing’e sipped the tea and pretended to worry her.
Qin Yuwan’s hands shook and the tea was almost spilled, “My mother is busy in the counting house.”
Qin Zhi felt unsatisfied and slapped the table, “What is happening now? The Hai Tang Courtyard now is on big fire, but why is she now busy in accounting, such little business?” What Qin Zhi really meant was that he and his lovely concubine got astonished and everyone should be here to comfort them.
Half of the people present here disliked Concubine Liu, but they felt unhappy when they saw Qin Zhi took side in Li Qiqi very much.
“Maybe not,” Qin Yunuan said calmly, “It’s windy very much tonight and it’s blowing east wind. The counting house is very close to Hai Tang Courtyard and now everybody focuses on saving Hai Tang Courtyard. I am afraid of the security of counting house….”
Before Qin Yunuan finished, at the door, a hurried female sound came from far to near.
“Master, master, something bad happened in the counting house, in the counting house.” The sound was harsh and gentle. It was Concubine Liu.
Concubine Chang following Concubine Liu was in a hurry too. Both of them came with mess dress and their face got some stains by the fire.
“Master, the counting house was burned down, and the account books inside are all burned out.” Concubine Liu looked at Qin Zhi timidly. She suddenly knelt down when she saw the extremely upset Qin Zhi. She was good at observing other’s emotions because she worked at this mansion for many years from a maidservant to the concubine. The more serious Qin Zhi was, the more anger he had in his mind.
“It’s my fault. It is I that do not manage those account books. My master, you believe me so much and let me do the management of the house together with Concubine Chang. But I….” She said while observing the change of Qin Zhi’s face.
Concubine Chang aside knelt too, “I have some mistakes too. I am willing to take responsibility with Concubine Liu.”
The account books recorded all kinds of financial incomes and expenses of Qin Family, ranging from land rents in the suburbs near the Royal City to the purchase of a little needle and silk thread. It was just after the Spring Festival, so those incomes and expenses were just recorded onto the books. Now if the books were burned out, the whole family would be upside down.
Qin Yuwan saw her mother kneeling, she did it as well to plead, “Father, my mother should not take the whole responsibilities. It is out of expectation of all people that the fire was burning. Look at my mother please. Her face was blackened due to the fire. It is obvious that she has tried her best to save those account books.”
Dou Qing’e now pleaded too, “Yes, it is not a big issue that those account books are burned out. Sister Liu, have you prepared a brief backup for the account books? If you had done it, it would not influence the following recording of incomes and expenses.”
Concubine Liu turned to be more serious, and she looked at Qin Zhi but just met the promising eyes of him. She kowtowed, “Please forgive my silliness. I have never used this method to do the backup. My master, I know I am wrong. I know I have made a big mistake.”
Qin Zhi turned to be upset, “You always do more harm than good.” The big fire was an unavoidable accident, but the unprepared backup was the problem of Concubine Liu.
Qin Yunuan sitting aside saw a flash arrogance on Dou Qing’e’s face. Yes, she made it. She had proved that she was indispensable for the Qin Family through the previous things and the fire today. As expected, before Qin Zhi was about to vent his anger, Dou Qing’e said with a smile, “Sister Liu is the first time to do the accounting management. It is normal for her to ignore some rules. But luckily, I have made backups of all accounts since I started to manage the accounting. All backups are specially stored in a room in Cui Xuan Courtyard. All can be moved in the counting house just for a rough arrangement.”
Concubine Liu was stunned and stared at Dou Qing’e. She had no idea if she should thank her or hate her.
Qin Zhi was delighted and bright. He now was not worried and sighed, “My wife, Qing’e, she is indispensable for this family.”
“Thanks,” The eyes of Dou Qing’e were gentle as if it almost dripped water, “It is my responsibility for the master to share the burdens.”
It was bright generally. Soft and gentle sunshine was shining into the room through windows, casting a shadow.
“Master, the origin of the fire is figured out,” The old steward came followed by a young servant holding a fire pan. The servant bowed at the door and came in a hurry. He put the pan down and bowed his fists, “This is the fire pan for raising room temperature.”
Qin Yunuan had let nurse Liao hold Baochuan and took him back. She together with others stared at the fire pan which had already been out of shape. The golden flower onto the pan for ornament could not be seen clearly, and even the stoutest pan bottle also was burned to be out of shape, only remaining some black residues inside in it.
“The charcoal?” Dou Qing’e said with an extending tone but stopped.
The mansion of Grand Commandant used to use the best silver charcoal in the market. It would create no fumes and raising-high sparks when it was burned but could make the room warmer. The inferior black residues in the fire pan looked like the black charcoal used in poorer families. However, the granted money from the counting house was used to purchase silver charcoals.
“Silver charcoals are warm but without flames. Black charcoals are smoky and choky with sparks. I think the big fire came from the sparks or flames. They origin from the burning black charcoal and then lighted the curtains.” Qin Yunzhuang made her conclusion slowly. She and Dou Qing’e looked at each other knowingly, which was perceived well by Qin Yunuan. Qin Yunuan sat backward and changed a more comfortable posture. She was waiting for a good show.
As expected, Qin Zhi waved his hands and ask the old steward, “Go to find the manager of the counting house and the nanny responsible for purchasing. I will ask them how those inferior charcoal came into my house.” And then he turned back to look at upset Li Qiqi, asking in a gentle voice, “Are you tired? If you are tired, come back to have a rest.”
Li Qiqi was speechless. She just lowered and shook her head. She did not stare at Su Chenghai inexplicitly, but her hesitance was exactly perceived by Qin Yunuan.
Qin Yunuan turned back to look at Su Chenghai. He was sipping the cold tea leisurely. He held the tea board with her slender fingers, which was very elegant. It could be vaguely seen that there were some calluses on his hands, which was yellow and had existed for a long time on his hands.
“Master, here they are.” Just for a while, the old steward led the Yesan and Nanny Qiao responsible for purchasing to come in.
“Nanny Qiao?” Concubine Chang turned nervous when she saw the calm Nanny Qiao, “You said you needed half month’s rest at home due to your waist and leg disease. Why are you here?”
“Humph, Concubine Chang hopes me to rest.” Nanny Qiao said, and her words were like a bomb. She knelt and said to Qin Zhi straightly, “My master, I have worked in Qin Family for 30 years, and I have done the purchasing for 8 years. When madam Dou managed the family, she would give me a list for purchasing, and I would do the purchasing according to the list. During the last half month, Concubine Chang and Liu managed the family, but they handled things without any rule and regulation. They let me use ordinary wooden charcoals instead of silver charcoals. I did not want to do those bad things any longer and I still wanted to remain in this position, so I had an idea that I would come back home for curing my disease.”
“Nonsense!” Concubine Liu turned outrageous, “I did not let you replace the silver charcoals with inferior wooden charcoals, and I just asked you to save more money when purchasing by careful comparison. Am I wrong?”
Nanny Qiao was brave and asked straightly to Concubine Liu, “You are not wrong. But You let me use inferior charcoals to replace superior charcoals. That money saved is caught by you.”
Concubine Liu frowned and was about to vent her anger but pulled back by Concubine Chang aside. She looked at Qin Zhi and found his extremely gloomy face. She did not argue more and just said to Qin Zhi with tears, “My master, I have accompanied you for many years. Don’t you believe me?” Concubine Liu had served closely Qin Zhi since he was 12 years old. They had s.e.x when he was 14. Now they had been together for over 20 years. That’s why Concubine Liu believed that she was one qualified and elder member of family Qin.
“Go ahead,” Qin Zhi ignored teary Concubine Liu and pointed at Yesan, “You are in charge of the accounting. In recent days, you must know the specific incomes and expenses of Qin Family.”
He knew that definitely, but Yesan was in Dou Qing’e’s side. Qin Yunuan sipped the strong tea. The sun rose and she felt exhausted due to the lack of sleep for the whole night.
Yesan knelt down. His thin check increased his honesty, “Master, the expense that Concubine Liu recorded down on the account was sufficient, and even she drew more money than madam did when madam was in charge. But I had no idea that what she used that money for.”
“Bah,” Concubine Liu cried, “That’s because you made a mistake in bottom drawer….” She planned to say that Yesan deliberately made a mistake about the color of the bottom drawer and she had to use more money to handle it. But she calmed down and thought clearly that it was the secret she should make to the master.
“No evidence? Yesan, show me the evidence.” Concubine Chang had less relationship with Concubine Liu, but now they were sitting on one same boat. She had to help her.
“Fine,” Yesan said with little scorn, “All of the account books have been burned out in that big fire. So, I have no evidence.”
“Since you have no evidence,” Qin Yunuan said slowly, “You said the two concubines used inferior goods to replace the superior goods; and the other said the two concubines misused the money drawn from the counting house. This is not a small thing. Why don’t you two report to my father and mother earlier? Why do you stand out exactly after the fire is burning and all is burned out?”