"Zhenzhen, you will be marrying into the Duke's mansion in the future. You can't be completely ignorant of managing household affairs. And you, Nuan, it's the same for you. Teaching one is teaching, why not have the three of you learn together? You sisters should spend more time together. After you get married, you'll all be proper relatives," said the Old Madam.
So, the next morning, Qi Zhenzhen and Li Nuan went to Chaohui Hall together.
They had barely sat down when Qi Mingzhu arrived.
Seeing them, she furrowed her brow slightly, likely not expecting them to be there.
"So, Grandmother's intention is for my two younger sisters to learn household management with me from now on?" Qi Mingzhu asked after hearing the Old Madam.
The Old Madam nodded. "Your two younger sisters are also engaged. They are both to be the principal wives and will inevitably have to manage households in the future. If they know nothing, our Marquis's mansion will surely be laughed at. Learning together, if there's anything you sisters don't understand about managing affairs, you can discuss it together!"
Qi Zhenzhen and Li Nuan were indifferent. Qi Mingzhu appeared somewhat unwilling, but ultimately said nothing and agreed.
The matter of the three of them studying together was thus settled.
The most important aspect of managing a household is dealing with the subordinates.
Therefore, the first thing they learned was to master the list of household servants and each person's responsibilities.
The three of them sat in the warm pavilion, each at a table, holding a roster and looking at it carefully. The Old Madam leaned on a soft couch, speaking softly with Nanny Fang, occasionally sipping her tea.
The list was very detailed, clearly recording the stewards, supervisors, supervising nannies, and the servants below them.
The Marquis's mansion was like a large company. They, the masters, were the chairmen and shareholders. The head steward was the CEO. Below him were various departments, each with supervisors, each performing their duties, ensuring smooth operation.
Qi Zhenzhen, acting as the head steward, meticulously noted down the supervisors of the front and back courtyards, including their family members, leaving no detail overlooked. As for the working servants, she glanced at them broadly. The Marquis's mansion employed over two hundred servants. Merely looking at the list and memorizing names wouldn't be useful if she couldn't match them to the people.
"You girl, your two elder sisters are diligently studying the roster, why are you fooling around?" The Old Madam looked up and saw Qi Zhenzhen scribbling and drawing energetically on the paper with both hands.
Qi Zhenzhen chuckled. Seeing that Li Nuan and Qi Mingzhu were still studying, she felt embarrassed to say that she had already memorized everything.
"Grandmother, I'm just changing my mind. Your granddaughter is dull-witted. Staring at these names makes my head spin," Qi Zhenzhen said ingratiatingly. "I'll continue studying now."
Qi Mingzhu subtly glanced at Qi Zhenzhen's side, a hint of disdain appearing in her eyes. A concubine's daughter is still a concubine's daughter. Even if she can become the principal wife, so what? She's still not refined. She doesn't even know how to seize a rare opportunity to learn household management. She wanted to see what kind of life she could lead when she went to the Duke's mansion.
The Old Madam walked over to Qi Zhenzhen and saw the circles and dots drawn on the spread Xuan paper. They seemed to follow a pattern, but she couldn't quite figure it out.
"Tell Grandmother, what are you drawing?" The Old Madam asked, unable to discern the pattern.
"This is called Gomoku. It used to be boring, so I and Yi Ge figured it out to pass the time. The circles and dots represent each side. Look, whether it's horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, whichever side connects five pieces first wins," Qi Zhenzhen explained earnestly to the Old Madam. "Actually, it's a bit troublesome to play like this. It's better to play with Go stones, one side black, the other white."
"It sounds quite interesting. Nanny Fang, ask someone to bring a Go board. I'll play a game with Zhenzhen," the Old Madam said, her interest piqued.
"Second Miss is currently memorizing the roster!" Nanny Fang reminded her.
The Old Madam patted her forehead. "Look at my memory, I actually forgot about this. The important matter should come first."
Qi Zhenzhen really wanted to say she had memorized it, but seeing Qi Mingzhu and Li Nuan frowning, she swallowed her words and resignedly stared at the roster, continuing to study. Finally, it was time for lunch.
Qi Mingzhu went to Jinghua Courtyard to dine with Madam Xiao Qin, while Li Nuan went to eat with her parents. Qi Zhenzhen stayed to accompany the Old Madam.
While the meal was being served, Qi Zhenzhen quickly told the Old Madam that she had almost memorized everything.
"That's over two hundred people, and you've remembered them all?" the Old Madam asked in surprise.
"Not exactly. Your granddaughter only remembered the names of the supervisors and those close to them," Qi Zhenzhen said truthfully. "Household affairs are communicated step by step. Masters don't directly assign tasks to the workers. Those who reach the position of supervisor are trusted by the masters for their work, and their abilities are naturally unquestionable. The mansion has rules for its operations, and generally, there won't be any mishaps."
Qi Zhenzhen spoke logically. "I only need to remember the supervisors, and then clearly convey instructions when assigning tasks."
The Old Madam was silent for a moment, then instructed Nanny Fang, "After the meal, bring the Go board. I'll learn this Gomoku from this girl. In the afternoon, you go and keep an eye on Nuan and Mingzhu in the warm pavilion."
Isn't this what managing a household is all about? She hadn't even taught her, and this girl had already grasped it. Is this talent?
Because Gomoku captured the Old Madam's interest, lunch was eaten a bit faster than usual. They even skipped their post-meal stroll. The old and young sat on the couch, placing a low table with a Go board, and began to play Gomoku.
Compared to Go, Gomoku is very simple. Once you know the rules, anyone can play.
As long as you prevent the opponent from forming a line of five, and you are the first to form one yourself, you win.
At first, the Old Madam had to think, so she was slower. She lost the first two games. By the third game, her speed had increased significantly, and Qi Zhenzhen was only one move ahead of the Old Madam.
"It's indeed quite interesting. Come, come, let's play again," the Old Madam said enthusiastically.
They played for a full hour and a half. If Nanny Fang hadn't returned from the warm pavilion, they would have continued.
"Have they both memorized it?"
"Seeing that Second Miss didn't come this afternoon, the Eldest Miss asked the old servant a question. The old servant didn't hide anything. The Eldest Miss seemed to be working much harder this afternoon than in the morning. She's working hard, and the cousin is also very diligent," Nanny Fang replied truthfully.
Qi Zhenzhen was stunned. Had she inadvertently acted as a catalyst?
"Then tomorrow, we'll assign some tasks to the three sisters and see the results," the Old Madam said. "You must not make any mistakes tomorrow, or this old woman's face will have nowhere to go."
"Then Grandmother, the task you give me tomorrow should be simpler," Qi Zhenzhen replied cheekily.
"You girl!" The Old Madam chided her with a glare.
"Your granddaughter has prepared something to bribe you, old one," Qi Zhenzhen said seriously. "Wait for me, I'll go get you something good."
With that, she lifted her skirt and ran out.