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墨書 Inktalez
In the following days, Liu Ruyi devoted herself entirely to managing the household affairs. She woke up early each day to check the kitchen's meal arrangements, oversee the accounts in the storeroom, and handle disputes among the servants. Although it was hard work, she found joy in it, knowing that only by mastering these responsibilities could she truly establish her footing in the Duke's Residence.
One afternoon, while Liu Ruyi was organizing accounts in her study, Zhang Yue rushed in, breathless. "Miss, something terrible has happened! Twenty bolts of silk are missing from the storeroom, and several boxes of jewelry have disappeared as well!"
Liu Ruyi stood up abruptly. "What happened? Wasn't there supposed to be someone guarding the storeroom?"
Zhang Yue replied anxiously, "The person guarding the storeroom said that the key has always been with Lady Mei Xin, and they didn't open the door without permission. But just now, Lady Mei Xin sent someone to fetch the silk and discovered that items were missing."
Liu Ruyi's expression turned cold. "Let's go check the storeroom."
Upon arriving at the storeroom, they found Mei Xin counting items with several maids. Seeing Liu Ruyi approach, she immediately put on a sorrowful face and said, "Sister Two, you’re here! The items in this storeroom have inexplicably gone missing. If this gets out, I won’t know where to hide my face!"
Liu Ruyi surveyed the room and asked, "Where's the key? Let me see it."
Mei Xin quickly handed over the key to Liu Ruyi. As Liu Ruyi examined it closely, she noticed that one of the keys appeared worn down and different from the others. A thought crossed her mind as she turned to Zhang Yue and instructed, "Go fetch Niu Peng and have him bring a locksmith."
Before long, Niu Peng arrived with a locksmith in tow. The locksmith took the key and examined it carefully before saying, "Madam, this key seems to have been tampered with; it has likely been copied."
Liu Ruyi turned her gaze sharply towards Mei Xin. "Sister-in-law, what’s going on here?"
Mei Xin's face turned pale as she stepped back repeatedly. "I... I don’t know! I've always kept this key; how could it have been copied?"
Liu Ruyi sneered. "Is that so? Then why is it only the key to the storeroom with missing items that has been copied while all other keys remain intact? Sister-in-law, you’d better come clean; otherwise, I will have to ask Grandmother to intervene."
Upon hearing "Grandmother," Mei Xin panicked. She fell to her knees and cried out, "Sister Two, I was wrong! Please don’t tell Grandmother! I was just momentarily tempted and thought about taking some items to sell for money..."
It turned out that seeing Liu Ruyi gain power had filled Mei Xin with jealousy. She planned to take advantage of the handover of the storeroom to steal some valuable items for sale—hoping not only to gain some wealth but also to undermine Liu Ruyi's authority. Little did she expect Liu Ruyi’s keen insight would lead her to discover the issue so quickly.
Looking at Mei Xin kneeling on the ground without an ounce of pity in her heart, Liu Ruyi stated coldly, "Sister-in-law, managing household affairs is no trivial matter; it allows no room for personal greed. If you can steal from the storeroom today, who knows what more egregious acts you might commit tomorrow? You will never retain this authority over household management."
Mei Xin raised her head, despair evident in her eyes. "Sister Two, I realize my mistake now; please give me another chance! I promise I won’t dare do this again..."
Liu Ruyi turned and left Mei Xin sobbing in the storeroom. She knew she had won the first battle in this struggle for control over household affairs, but this was just the beginning; there was still a long road ahead.
Back in her room, just as Liu Ruyi sat down, Yuan Yingwu walked in. "I heard something happened in the storeroom? Was it that wretched Mei Xin's doing?"
Liu Ruyi nodded. "She tried to intimidate me but ended up shooting herself in the foot. She has already admitted to stealing from the storeroom; it seems she can no longer hold onto her authority."
Yuan Yingwu approached Liu Ruyi and took her hand gently. "You did well. This Duke's Residence should be managed by someone capable and responsible like you."
Looking at Yuan Yingwu filled Liu Ruyi with mixed emotions. She had once thought all men were unreliable—like her father Liu Jianmin who showed indifference towards her mother Bai Jieqiong—but Yuan Yingwu made her realize that there were indeed men who genuinely cared for her.
"Thank you for always believing in me and supporting me," Liu Ruyi said softly.
Yuan Yingwu lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Foolish girl, you are my wife; if I don't believe in you or support you, who else can I trust? From now on, we will work together as husband and wife to manage this Duke's Residence so well that those who look down on you will regret their actions."
Liu Ruyi nodded, a glimmer of determination flashing in her eyes. She knew that with Yuan Yingwu by her side, she had nothing to fear. From this day forward, she would be the mistress of the Duke's Residence, taking control of her own destiny and no longer allowing anyone to bully her or those she cared about.
The next day, upon learning about the situation in the storeroom, Old Madam was furious. She immediately issued an order to dismiss Mei Xin from her position as the housekeeper and officially transferred the authority to Liu Ruyi. As Liu Ruyi took the housekeeper's key, her heart was filled with countless emotions; she had waited far too long for this day.
With the authority in hand, Liu Ruyi began to reorganize the affairs of the residence. She reestablished the management system for the storeroom, strengthened discipline among the servants, and specifically set up an accounting review team to ensure that every transaction was clear and transparent. Under her governance, the atmosphere in the Duke's Residence gradually improved, and the servants began to respect her more.
As for Mei Xin, after this lesson, she no longer dared to provoke Liu Ruyi easily. She spent her days hiding in her courtyard, not daring to step outside, filled with regret and unwillingness. But now that things had come to this point, she could only accept reality.
On an autumn evening, Liu Ruyi stood atop the high building of the Duke's Residence, gazing at the distant sunset, feeling a sense of tranquility within. She knew that many challenges awaited her in the future, but she was ready. She believed that as long as she and Yuan Yingwu worked together, there would be no obstacle they could not overcome.
"Liu Ruyi, what are you thinking about?" Yuan Yingwu's voice came from behind her.
Liu Ruyi turned around and saw Yuan Yingwu approaching her. A smile appeared on her face as she replied, "I was thinking that our future will only get better."
Yuan Yingwu reached out and pulled Liu Ruyi into his embrace, looking at the distant sunset as he softly said, "It will definitely be better. With you by my side, my future is filled with hope."
The last rays of sunlight bathed them both, intertwining their silhouettes tightly together. On that deep autumn evening atop the Duke's Residence, a couple stood hand in hand looking toward their future, filled with anticipation and dreams.
As winter snow began to clear, a thin layer of ice covered the glazed tiles of the Duke's Residence, reflecting a cold light. Liu Ruyi sat in the warm pavilion holding a copy of "Shang Jun Shu," yet her fingers unconsciously stroked a stack of yellowed old account books on her desk.
Having taken over the household authority for more than half a month now, she rose at dawn every day to check the accounts. However, last night she accidentally discovered a torn page marked "military supplies," with faint but discernible words like "Three thousand pounds of Iron Tools" and "One hundred warhorses." The date at the bottom coincided with when Ning Guo Gong Fu faced charges in her previous life.
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