Reborn in Each Other’s Bodies: A Mother and Daughter’s Deadly Revenge - Chapter 39

Not only had the madam’s attitude toward her children changed, but her demeanor toward the master of the house had also shifted dramatically.

A couple of days prior, the master had once again sent lavish gifts to the concubines in the rear courtyard—Hong and Bai. In the past, such behavior had been commonplace, and the madam had always turned a blind eye, preferring to avoid the irritation.

But this time, as soon as the master sent the gifts, the madam’s face darkened. She ordered servants to carry several large chests of account books to the main hall.

The moment the master arrived, she began lamenting their financial struggles.

She tearfully recounted how, over the ten years since her marriage, the 300,000 taels of silver from her dowry had been completely depleted. Moreover, the annual income of nearly 400,000 taels from her shops and estates had all been funneled into household expenses, leaving her with not a single coin to spare…

The madam made no effort to conceal this scene from the servants, so many witnessed and overheard everything.

The servants were stunned, their jaws nearly dropping. They had known the madam used her dowry to cover the household’s deficits, but they never imagined the amount was so staggering.

This wasn’t the master supporting the family—it was the madam who had been footing the bill all along…

The madam then tearfully explained that now that the children were older, she needed to save for her three sons’ betrothal gifts and her daughter’s dowry. From now on, household expenses would be cut back, and the master’s privilege to freely withdraw money from the shops would be revoked.

The master’s face twisted as if he had eaten something vile.

The servants thought to themselves that the madam must have been truly heartbroken this time.

The master had been living off the madam’s wealth, enjoying her resources, yet never treating her with respect—instead, he doted endlessly on those two concubines.

Some of the maids even mused that if they were in the madam’s place, they would have rebelled against the master long ago.

The madam stood firm, and since her reasoning was for the sake of the young masters and miss, no one could fault her.

In the end, the master, his face dark with anger, spat out, “Do as you please,” before storming off in a huff…

The servants grew even more cautious, and the sharper ones quickly grasped the situation.

Their contracts were held by the madam. It was she who clothed and fed them, and she who paid their monthly wages.

The madam—she was their true master!

Thus, the servants regarded her with a mix of reverence and fear, serving her with renewed diligence. Even the servants of Peony Courtyard were treated with deference.

Sheng Minmin observed the shift in the servants’ attitudes with satisfaction.

She had deliberately made it seem as though she had lashed out at Sheng Yong out of jealousy and heartbreak, cutting off his access to her dowry shops.

After all, this was the only way to stay true to Huang Yaning’s lovestruck, emotional character.

In truth, a wife’s dowry was her own property, and the husband had no right to interfere.

Relying on a wife’s dowry was a shameful thing, and Sheng Yong, unwilling to let the matter escalate, had no choice but to swallow his pride and accept it.

Once Sheng Yong gave his reluctant consent, she immediately sent word to the ten shopkeepers in the capital: Sheng Yong was no longer permitted to withdraw money, and no one from the Sheng family—aside from her—was allowed to take goods on credit.

If anyone dared to disobey, she would drag them straight to the authorities.

Over the years, the shopkeepers of these ten capital shops had refrained from embezzlement largely thanks to Sheng Yong’s influence. Some might have even secretly pledged allegiance to him.

But she wasn’t afraid. If she caught anyone misusing her private assets again, she would raise hell.

For the sake of his own reputation, Sheng Yong would have no choice but to keep those shopkeepers in line.

With Sheng Yong no longer able to siphon money from her dowry shops, the shopkeepers obediently following her orders, the estate managers firmly under her thumb, and the servants treating her with utmost respect, the situation was increasingly in her favor.

Now, the most pressing task was to draft a new budget for household expenses.

Sheng Minmin planned to use the excuse of saving for the young masters’ marriages and the young miss’s dowry to make life harder for everyone in the household.

The benefits would land in her pocket, while the blame would fall squarely on the four siblings…

She couldn’t wait to see the expressions on Sheng Mingjian and his siblings’ faces when that happened.

As soon as she stepped into Peony Courtyard, Sheng Minmin was ready to sit down and draft the new budget. Unfortunately, fate had other plans—she was met with the unwelcome sight of Sheng Mingjian and his two brothers waiting to dine with her.

And to make matters worse, Sheng Yong was there too…

One Hour Earlier, Hibiscus Courtyard

“Eldest Brother, this jade rabbit is so beautiful. Zhu’er loves it—thank you, Eldest Brother.”

Sheng Mingzhu reclined on the daybed, forcing a smile as she thanked Sheng Mingjian.

But her smile lacked its usual sweetness, appearing strained instead.

Seeing how much thinner their little sister’s face had become, the three brothers’ hearts ached. Yet they had no idea how to comfort her.

At this moment, they deeply resented Tao Niang—for deceiving their sister’s trust and affection.

Their sister was so kind, yet Tao Niang had first embezzled funds, then deliberately caused her to fall and injure her leg.

A servant with such impure intentions and malicious schemes had ensnared their sister’s heart, driving a wedge between her and their mother…

How could the Sheng brothers not hate her?

If not for fear of breaking their sister’s heart, Sheng Mingjian would have already disposed of Tao Niang.

But what was done was done. All they could do now was try to cheer their sister up while attempting to mend the rift between her and their mother.

As soon as their studies ended for the day, the three rushed home to keep her company.

Naturally, Sheng Mingjian, ever the schemer, had bought a jade rabbit to delight Sheng Mingzhu.

Sheng Mingyi and Sheng Mingbo, caught off guard, hastily promised to bring gifts the next day. Sheng Mingbo even shot Sheng Mingjian a glare.

After spending some time with Sheng Mingzhu, the brothers inquired about her dinner arrangements.

“The kitchen has prepared tianma pigeon soup, braised pork tongue, crispy silverfish, stuffed tofu, a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a sweet tremella dessert,” Qingtian answered with a smile.

The Sheng brothers nodded approvingly. When they dined alone, they were served only three dishes and a soup. Their sister, however, had six dishes—the same treatment as their father and mother.

Moreover, these past few days, the three brothers had been eating at Peony Courtyard, where their mother’s meals were far simpler than what their sister was served.

So the brothers saw nothing amiss with Sheng Mingzhu’s dinner.

But Sheng Mingzhu’s small hands clenched tightly, her anger barely contained, her expression on the verge of cracking.

When their mother had first discontinued her fine, expensive dishes, she had endured it.

Now, with so many servants sold off and her mother’s attention and affection waning, the kitchen was short-handed, and her meals had deteriorated day by day.

Even dishes like silver sprouts and stuffed yellow fish—neither particularly luxurious, just labor-intensive—had disappeared from her table.

Now, she was served only two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, one soup, and one dessert per meal—and the portions were pitifully small.

Her wet nurse had told her that to keep servants obedient, one had to reward them occasionally.

In the past, she had dozens of dishes per meal, and she would generously bestow many upon the servants in her courtyard.

But now, with only these meager servings, how could she possibly win anyone’s loyalty?

Sheng Mingzhu believed the servants’ recent lack of deference was due to the absence of rewards, making her all the more determined to restore her former lavish lifestyle.

What she hadn’t yet realized was that the servants’ change in attitude stemmed from her failure to plead for them during the recent purge—a betrayal that had chilled their hearts.

When her brothers visited today, she had expected them to be outraged on her behalf upon hearing about her dinner. Instead, they said nothing, staying only briefly before leaving to dine with their mother.

Furious, Sheng Mingzhu burst into tears.

As for the three Sheng brothers, of course they would have loved to dine at Hibiscus Courtyard with Sheng Mingzhu.

But their mother’s recent temperamental shifts had left them uneasy. They wanted to spend more time at Peony Courtyard, strengthening their bond with her.