The next day, with the assistance of Xiao Li, Wufu selected a few menial servant girls and older maids, three in total, to handle the rough work, as well as one to attend to Madam Zhou personally.
After being persuaded by Wufu, Madam Zhou’s mood gradually lightened, and she joined Wufu in meeting these people.
"Wufu, it’s just you and me, the two legitimate mistresses of the house. Why do we need so many people to serve and take care of us?" Madam Zhou felt anxious at the sight of them.
She had never in her life enjoyed the luxury of being waited on by maids and servants like in a wealthy household, not to mention the arrival of Liu Jin and Hongyu, which had already turned her world upside down.
Now, not only was there no reduction, but even more servants were being hired. How much would the monthly wages amount to just for that?
It pained Madam Zhou to think about it. She wasn’t someone who indulged in luxury; she felt it was entirely unnecessary to waste money this way. What was there that they couldn’t do themselves?
"Mother, I’ve told you to just be the Madam and enjoy the comforts of home, handling the minor household affairs," Wufu said with a smile. "As for the rest, you don’t need to worry about it. I have it all under control, including the finances. I can earn the money."
Madam Zhou wanted to persuade her further. If she could earn it, it would still mean hard work for her.
"Mother, don’t say anymore. Let’s just employ them for now. If we truly don’t need them or can’t afford them in the future, then we’ll dismiss them at that point," Wufu insisted, leaving no room for refusal.
With that said, Madam Zhou had no choice but to agree with her.
The girl assigned to Madam Zhou, who Wufu had renamed Qiu Xiang, was also around sixteen or seventeen, reportedly having served in a grand house in the capital and had been sold only because she offended the lady of the house. She was highly experienced and capable, with a calm and cool demeanor.
Now that Madam Zhou had Qiu Xiang by her side, she sent Hongyu back to Wufu to attend to her daily needs.
Understanding her intention, Wufu didn’t object; having Hongyu come back was just like having a little sister.
After arranging everything, Xiao Li bid his farewell to return to Ah Jiu’s side for duties, and Wufu gave him a Red Envelope of fifty taels as thanks for his assistance over the past few days.
Once Xiao Li had left, Wufu looked over the account books he and Liu Jin had put together.
Wufu, looking at the blue and red account books, was a bit dazed.
"Master Li said that generally, in a wealthy household, the accounts of the gentlemen’s quarter and the ladies’ quarter should be kept separate for clarity in auditing," Liu Jin replied.
Wufu felt even more perplexed: "What gentlemen do we have in our family?"
Liu Jin glanced at her and said, "Miss, you are the head of the family." As for Madam, he conveniently overlooked her.
In this home, the person earning silver was Wufu, and the person who could take charge was also her. Madam was too soft and ineffectual, so Wufu was the rightful head of the family, without a doubt.
Wufu found some interest in this idea; well then, a woman managing the household wasn’t bad. Anyway, she had no intention of marrying. As for the future, if she changed her mind, she would just find someone to her liking and have a child, and that would be that.
Liu Jin meticulously explained to Wufu how to divide the accounts and how to record them in the ledger, all of which, of course, he had learned from Xiao Li.
"It seems you have studied very hard these past days," Wufu complimented with a smile.
Blushing, yet with sparkling eyes, Liu Jin said, "I want to be as useful as Master Li and Master Yuan, striving to be your most reliable assistant, Miss."
"Good ambition, keep it up."
Wufu began to take some interest in managing the household, but soon, after listening for a while, she felt an overwhelming headache.
Managing household affairs was proving to be even more trying than going out on missions.