Chapter 575: Countess Jing’an Takes Over (2)
As for their farm holdings, they only collected rent from the tenants at the end of the year. The farms usually produced some fruits and vegetables, which were usually only sent to the estate for their own consumption. They wouldn’t be able to make much money even if they sold the produce from that.
The servants within the estate and their other properties, the shopkeepers and workers of the stores, as well as the monthly allowances of the masters of the estate… These were what their estate’s income had to support.
Their monthly expenses were approximately six to seven hundred taels. It was just a rough estimate that didn’t include the cost of maintaining friendships with other noble estates.
The monthly income of their estate was only five hundred taels. Their expenses were so much more than the profit collected from their assets…
She recalled the smirk on her sister-in-law’s face when the matriarch had handed the management rights of the household to her.
Countess Jing’an was now boiling with rage. Yet, at the same time, she felt frustrated and helpless.
She remembered clearly that House Jing’an hadn’t been in this shape twenty years ago. When she had been in charge of the shared accounts, the cash flow had been around five to six thousand taels.
They earned a lot of monthly profit from the stores, properties, and rural estates.
After so many years, how had House Jing’an ended up like this? They hadn’t accumulated any savings and their finances had instead withered away into poverty.
By the time the accounts had been handed to her, the estate was already struggling to make ends meet.
Countess Jing’an’s most trusted servant, Senior Servant Wang, was beside her. She asked worriedly, “Madam, what’s wrong? Great Doctor Miao instructed this old servant that you can’t stress yourself out since you’ve just gotten better.”
Countess Jing’an sighed and handed the paper with her rough calculations to Senior Servant Wang, “Suxin, take a look yourself.”
Suxin was Senior Servant Wang’s name when she had still been a maidservant. It was only Countess Jing’an who still called her that.
Senior Servant Wang took the paper and swiftly glanced over it. She was astounded, “Madam, how can this be!”
The senior servant had still been inwardly rejoicing for her madam since her health had gotten better. She thought that it was time for her madam to take control of the household affairs again. Countess Jing’an was the wife of the head of House Jing’an, so it was better that House Jing’an’s finances were in her control rather than in Eldest Madam’s hands. However, who knew that she had just been thrown a bomb instead? The countess had ended up in the losing end of this deal.
Countess Jing’an was extremely worried. The management of the household was in her hands now. Thus, she would have to use her personal funds to support the entire estate starting tomorrow. Most of her dowry had been used up on her medication in the past. She didn’t have the money to make up for the loss of the public accounts right now.
As Countess Jing’an most trusted servant, Senior Servant Wang was the one who understood her the most.
Looking at the expression on her face, she knew that Madam was trying to think of a way to make up the deficiency in funds! But how were they going to get that money?
They would need at least three to four thousand taels just to make the accounts even.
She hesitated for a moment, before steeling herself and speaking with determination, “Madam, you can’t just try to work this out by yourself. You must bring up this matter with the matriarch and Eldest Madam.”
Although Countess Jing’an was somewhat timid and soft-hearted, that didn’t mean that she was muddle-headed. After hearing Senior Servant Wang’s reminder, she decided to look for Eldest Madam.
She promptly went over to Eldest Madam’s living quarters within Qingxi Hall with her servants.
However, they were chased out by Eldest Madam in less than an hour.
While Countess Jing’an and her servants were walking back to their courtyard, Senior Servant Wang was huffing with rage, “How could Eldest Madam act that way? This old servant refuses to believe that she had nothing to do with the deficits in the public accounts!”
He Ying hadn’t been willing to contribute even one or two silver taels. Moreover, she had pushed all the blame onto Madam Zou, who had already divorced with He Dalang.
While Madam Zou was likely the main reason for the deficits, it was impossible to think that He Ying wasn’t part of the problem either!
Countess Jing’an shook her head, “Alright, don’t say anymore. People are going to gossip if this spreads.”