Chapter 294: The old master and the third master, like a good father-in-law and son-in-law
"Uncle Lin, you're welcome!" Jia Cong dismounted and said to the leading steward.
At this time, Lin Ruhai also got off the carriage, and the housekeeper hurriedly said, "Master, everything in the mansion has been tidied up. The Marquis has arranged it very thoroughly before, so there is no need to add many more things."
Lin Ruhai nodded, and then the group entered the yard.
Walking through the main gate and stopping at the second courtyard, Lin Ruhai looked around and was obviously very satisfied with the layout and color of the courtyard.
"Greetings, sir! Greetings, Marquis of Champion!"
As soon as he entered the courtyard, two women came to greet him with their maids and servants. These two were Lin Ruhai's concubines, and Jia Cong had met them once in Yangzhou.
Lin Ruhai nodded and said, "This Cong brother is also one of our family, there is no need to be so polite!"
At the same time, Daiyu got off the carriage and stepped forward to salute, "Greetings, two ladies!"
"The young lady has become more and more beautiful. She is not inferior to your elder sister in any way!" The two concubines came forward and hugged Daiyu intimately and said.
The two of them had no children, so there was no conflict of interest between them and Daiyu. In fact, in the future, they might even have to rely on Daiyu for filial piety, so naturally they would not act like an elder. Besides, even in terms of status, how could a concubine's status compare to that of a legitimate daughter?
"You two aunts have taken care of father for many years, and it's hard work." Daiyu also said, "Now that our family is reunited, Yu'er can help you share some of the burden."
After chatting for a while, Lin Ruhai said to the two concubines, "You should go back to your rooms first. There has been a great funeral in the palace these days. Let the family be more stable and no trouble should occur."
The two men bowed again and then left with their men.
The old butler led the father, daughter and Jia Cong directly into the main hall.
After they sat down, Daiyu asked Xueyan to make tea, and she took care of Lin Ruhai and Jia Cong. Except for Zijuan, everyone else was sent out to clean up the room.
Jia Cong first told Lin Ruhai about the current situation in the court, and then asked, "Your Majesty, what position do you want to assign to my uncle?"
Lin Ruhai stroked his beard and said, "It should be the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, but he just let it slip and didn't say it explicitly."
"With your ability, it would be easy for you to get the position of a minister!"
"No matter what position you hold, you can only work diligently to repay the emperor's grace!" Lin Ruhai said with a smile.
Jia Cong nodded, and then said, "When uncle takes office, I'm afraid there will be a difficult problem waiting for him!"
"oh?"
"It's about the silver owed by various mansions!" Jia Cong said, facing Lin Ruhai's gaze.
"This debt has been a long time coming. In the past, the treasury was abundant, so the Emperor and His Majesty naturally didn't care. But things have been very different in recent years."
"Your Majesty has inherited a business from the Emperor, which was originally empty. In the past few years, there have been military campaigns, floods, and droughts that have almost never ceased. The treasury is empty. Your Majesty naturally cannot continue to let it go."
"Now, the annual tax is only 40 to 50 million, and the debts owed by each family add up to almost a year's tax, which is not a small amount."
Lin Ruhai also shook his head helplessly. He was a minister of Emperor Longxing, and this kind of thing could only fall on him.
"This is an offensive thing!" Lin Ruhai sighed.
"Uncle, don't worry. I have made plans. When you take on this task, the founding lineage will take the initiative to hand it over, giving you a good start. With the founding lineage taking the lead, it will be considered your achievement. The rest can only be considered slowly."
"I think the Yuanping family is doing well now. Although the emperor is still in power, he is obviously leaning towards Your Majesty. The most difficult one should be the Zhen family in Jiangnan."
"My uncle in Yangzhou knows that the Zhen family owns Jiangnan and has great power. Even Your Majesty cannot easily touch them. However, of all the debts, the Zhen family alone accounts for 30%!"
Lin Ruhai and Jia Cong were chatting like this, while Daiyu, who was standing aside, looked at the two men she cared about the most with her face full of joy.
Zijuan leaned over to Daiyu's ear and whispered, "Miss, look how much the master likes the third master! And they can chat with each other, just like a good father-in-law and son-in-law. If it was the second master Bao, it would definitely not be like this. The second master Bao hates economic worldly things the most, and he would be bored after chatting with the master for a few words."
"Besides, the old master has now returned to Beijing to serve as an official, and he and the Third Master can help each other. This is really the best."
Daiyu gave Zijuan a fierce look, but she was also very happy in her heart. Wasn't she thinking the same thing in her heart?
“Ahem!”
Looking at the empty teacup in front of him, Lin Ruhai coughed vigorously a few times. How come his little cotton-padded jacket had turned out to be made of black-hearted cotton?
Since entering the house, except for pouring a cup of tea for himself at the beginning, he has not poured any more. Looking at the boy opposite, his tea cup has never been empty. This double standard treatment really made him feel unhappy.
Even if the boy only needed to take a sip, his daughter would attentively pour him more. His throat was burning from talking so much, and the teacup had already dried up, but his daughter didn't even look at it?
Hearing her father's light cough, Daiyu also reacted, and with a blushing face, she hurriedly poured a bowl of tea for her father.
"This courtyard has caused a lot of trouble for Brother Cong!" Lin Ruhai said to Jia Cong with a raised eyebrow. If he didn't find a fault with this kid and give him a good lesson today, he would not be able to sleep well .
"How much did it cost in total? You can ask someone to bring the bill. I can't ask you to pay for it."
Jia Cong waved his hands quickly, "Uncle, aren't you being polite? We are a family after all, so what does a little money mean? As long as you and Miss Lin live comfortably, it doesn't matter if we spend a little more. Besides, I am not short of money now. If I am short of money, I will naturally ask you."
Daiyu, who was standing by, was anxious. How could this third brother be so honest? Her father had plenty of money, so why should she save it for him? However, Lin Ruhai was right in front of her, so she couldn't really remind him.
Lin Ruhai stroked his short beard with satisfaction, thinking to himself, "You are a good man! This house, including the furnishings and decorations, would cost more than 100,000 taels, and some of it is simply unsalable..."
However, Lin Ruhai rolled his eyes and said casually, "The old lady mentioned before that she wanted to strengthen the relationship. What do you think of me marrying Yu'er to Baoyu?"
Jia Cong said without hesitation, "Of course not. She must be betrothed to my nephew..."
Before she could finish her words, she saw Lin Ruhai's face gradually darkening. As for Daiyu, she was so embarrassed and angry that she pulled Zijuan and ran out.
