There are many people waiting in the small flower hall.
Several housekeepers and maids in the mansion came to Lu Lingjun to report on family affairs as usual. Aunt Qiu sat next to her and cried.
Lu Lingjun listened to the cry and drew the accounts with an abacus.
She paused with her fingertips and paused in front of an account.
"It costs one hundred taels to build a wall?"
"Yes, Madam, the price is based on the previous price of repairing this wall."
Lu Lingjun was even more excited. She waved to Aunt Qiu next to her and told her not to cry yet. "Has this wall been repaired before?"
Today, she received a report from the housekeeper that a wall on the west side of her home collapsed.
The steward came over to report to her about repairing the wall.
Originally, these matters were reported to Qin, but now that Qin is recuperating, Lu Lingyun will handle all matters that are not major.
She could tell at a glance that there was something fishy about building the wall.
"To tell you what to do, madam, it rained heavily three months ago and it was washed away. Once it was repaired, it only cost one hundred taels."
Lu Lingjun heard this and said, "Bring the person who was responsible for building the wall last time over here with the original account book!"
"yes!"
Grandma left, and Lu Lingjun told Shuang Hong, "Go to the west and take a look at this broken wall, and then bring back some broken bricks."
"yes!"
Soon, the eldest grandma first brought over the steward who was responsible for repairing the wall and the account books.
The steward's surname is Cui, and he is a son of the family in the mansion. His parents used to serve the old marquis, but now they go to Zhuangzi to take care of themselves. He is in charge of the purchasing business in the mansion, and everyone in the mansion calls him Cui Da.
Cui Da came over with a smile on his face, saw Lu Lingyun, and said to him, "Good luck to you, madam. May you be blessed and safe."
"Don't be sweet, Cui Da, let me ask you, were you responsible for repairing the west wall three months ago?" Lu Lingjun asked softly.
Lu Lingjun's voice was very gentle, and he seemed easy to talk to.
In addition, she had been in the house for almost a month, and she was always good-tempered. Even the prince in the prince's room danced in front of her, but she never punished him at all. She only told Cui Da to relax his vigilance and said, "It's me, young master." Madam, don't worry, I will definitely repair the wall this time to your satisfaction."
Lu Lingjun continued to speak softly, "Show me the ledger of the last time you built the wall."
Cui Da handed over a ledger without realizing it.
Lu Lingjun turned over the words "dog crawling" on it and read, "Blue and white bricks are five cents each, and you bought them for ten thousand yuan?"
"Yes, the young lady doesn't know something. The blue and white bricks are the best bricks, they are strong and durable."
"We hired ten workers, the construction period is one month, and the wages are thirty taels?"
"Yes, that wall is more than ten feet long. Repair it more slowly. Slow work will produce fine work."
"It cost twenty taels to make dust and mix ingredients?"
"Yes, madam, you don't know something. These miscellaneous materials are valuable."
Cui Da had a sincere face, his smiling eyes were full of shrewdness, and he didn't feel guilty at all when he lied.
Even an experienced mistress like Mrs. Qin couldn't see the fishiness of this kind of thing. How could Lu Lingjun, a young lady raised in a boudoir, know the price of walls and bricks?
For low-level purchases, special funds are the most greedy. No matter how much they quote, they can definitely approve it as long as they have a clear vision.
He dealt with it in such a playful manner, and the next second the account book fell on his face.
"You are so brave!"
Lu Lingjun stood up quickly. His usual gentle and good temper suddenly changed. He stared sharply at Cui Da who was kneeling below, "Give you a chance. How much money did you spend on building the wall last time?"
When Cui Da saw this, he immediately felt guilty, but he still couldn't grasp how much Lu Lingyun knew, "Young, Madam, I don't have it..."
With a "clang" sound, several rotten bricks were smashed over.
Lu Lingjun looked at him condescendingly, "Tell me, this is the best blue and white brick? Why does it look like the most ordinary clay brick to me?"
"Young Madam..." Cui Da's face turned pale.
Lu Lingjun continued, "The clay bricks on the market cost two cents each, and even the blue and white bricks only cost three cents a piece, let alone asking for more and getting discounts. How much money did you steal from me on the bricks!"
"There is also labor money. Ten people can build a yard for thirty taels a month. You just built a low wall of more than ten feet for me!"
"You dare to brag about the money for dusting and mixing materials. If you give me thirty taels of labor, no foreman would ask you for money for dusting and mixing!"
"For one hundred taels of silver, you can build such a rotten wall for me. Cui Da, you are so brave! If you didn't get ninety taels of silver in there, you would have to have eighty taels!"
How did he know that Lu Lingyun not only knew the prices of these basic things, but also had considerable life experience.
In her previous life, she followed Li Er to govern the West. She had to work her way up the ladder. Everything she saw and experienced she had to handle personally and be close to people's livelihood. Not only did she know the price of bricks, labor prices, and the prices of various crops, she also had to be familiar with the processes of some industries. Know it well.
It's simply ridiculous for such a little thing to want to trick her.
When Cui Da heard that Lu Lingjun picked out all the tricks in his wall repair one by one, and even accurately calculated how much money he had embezzled, Cui Da immediately broke out in a cold sweat, "Young madam, slave, slave really has nothing ?”
"No?" Lu Lingjun sneered, "Do you want to tell me that you are not greedy, or that you were deceived?"
"I was deceived! Those people deceived me! Our family has been working in the house for generations, how dare I deceive the master's family! They must have benefited from it!" Cui Da cried with tears streaming down his face, expressing his true feelings .
How could Lu Lingjun be so easy to deceive? She looked at Cui Da and said, "Okay, go and call me every worker in the shop where you built the wall and bought the bricks! I'll give you a chance to confront him on the spot. If there is any chance, If you come in or out, don’t blame me for being rude!”
Since you want him to die, let him die clearly!
When Cui Da heard this, he could no longer act. He knelt on the ground and admitted his mistake, "Young Madam, it was Cui Da who was wrong. Cui Da will never dare to do it again! You will remember that our whole family will serve the Hou Mansion with all our hearts." For your sake, please spare me this time! I will definitely pay back the money!"
Lu Lingjun looked at Cui Da coldly, "Come back? No way! Come here, drag Cui Da out, beat the 20 big boards, remove all affairs, and give you three days to collect all the stolen money that you have embezzled over the years. Spit it out, I'm missing a penny, just wait for me!"
When she finished speaking, Cui Da screamed in agony, and the servants in the courtyard immediately stepped forward and took her away.
Lu Lingjun dealt with Cui Da vigorously and resolutely, first shocking everyone else in the yard.
She had been gentle and gentle in the previous song, and she had no fight with others. After this, everyone else knew that their new mistress was not a popular lady at all. There was no way to fool her!
At the moment, everyone else's attitude towards Lu Lingyun was much more respectful.
