Li Xiaohua was still a bit unnerved. She’d assumed Jin Qianqian was a hands-off boss who rarely came to oversee the workshop in person.

’She knew she was in a bad mood today, which was why she’d been a bit rough. But no matter what, she and Jin Qianqian were family. Surely she wouldn’t find fault with her own sister-in-law over a mere servant.’

Jin Qianqian said, "So, Third Sister-in-law, are you admitting that you broke all these templates?"

"I did accidentally drop them, but you can’t really blame me. You should just find another carpenter to make a new batch."

Jin Qianqian asked again, "And you hit her, too?"

"She didn’t know enough to get out of the way." To this moment, Li Xiaohua still believed Li Lianhua had done it on purpose. ’Who would be that stupid? To just stand there and let us throw things at her?’

"You will pay for the doctor’s consultation and medicine when he arrives. You will also compensate for these templates. Qingzhu, calculate the total for each of them later and deduct it from their wages."

"How can you do that? I’ll have worked for nothing!"

"This is so unfair!" Liu Liu cried out as well. "I was just trying to protect Third Sister-in-law, afraid she’d be bullied by these wicked servants. How did I get dragged into this?"

Jin Qianqian looked at Old Third and Fourth. "Do you two think so as well?"

"Um, Seventh Sister-in-law, how about we just let this go for now? I’ll definitely have a good talk with your sister-in-law when we get home." Gu Yuanhuo was fuming inwardly. ’This damned woman. She can’t just do her job; she has to make trouble for me.’

’Doesn’t she realize? Since we started helping out at Seventh’s place, our family’s finances haven’t been as tight. We even have a little extra.’

’All the nearby villages envy us. My wife had better not ruin these good days we’re having.’

Jin Qianqian shook her head. "Without rules, there can be no order. On the very first day this workshop opened, I had someone explain every single rule to you all.

I treat everyone equally. Since you’ve made a mistake, you must bear the consequences."

At this, Jin Qianqian turned her head to look directly at Li Lianhua. "Steward Li, what do you think the specific compensation and punishment should be?"

Li Lianhua replied, "According to our workshop’s rules, intentional damage requires compensation of three times the original price.

Troublemakers are to be expelled from the workshop and never rehired."

"You’re just getting personal revenge!" Li Xiaohua shrieked. "By your logic, I’ve been working for nothing these past few days! That’s completely unreasonable!"

Liu Liu added, "Jin Qianqian, this is our own family’s business. What do you mean by letting a servant order us around?"

Jin Qianqian stared straight at her. "Fourth Sister-in-law has a point. In that case, I’ll be the one to say it.

This humble place of mine isn’t big enough for the two of you. Please, leave."

The Gu Family Brothers were all stunned. ’How did this get even more serious?’

"Seventh Sister-in-law, we’re all family. There’s no need to make things so tense!" Gu Yuanshui took a step forward. "What your sisters-in-law did was indeed wrong. I’ll definitely have a good talk with her when we get back. It won’t happen again."

Jin Qianqian pointed at Li Lianhua. "They beat her until she looks like this, and you think it’s nothing, Fourth Brother?"

"She’s just a servant, isn’t she? Is she more important than our own family?" Gu Yuanhuo’s temper flared, feeling that Jin Qianqian was making a mountain out of a molehill.

Jin Qianqian smiled and shook her head. "Big Brother, what do you think?"

Gu Yuanjin’s face darkened, and he shot a fierce glare at his two younger brothers. "They were the ones in the wrong. Seventh Sister-in-law did nothing wrong." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Big Brother?" Gu Yuanhuo was about to argue but was pulled back by Gu Yuanshui beside him.

Gu Yuanjin continued, "Seventh Sister-in-law, we’re all family, no matter what. Give your two sisters-in-law another chance. If they dare to cause trouble again, you won’t even have to say a word. I’ll have these two rascals drag them home myself."

Jin Qianqian glanced at Gu Yuanjin. "Actually, Big Brother, you know better than anyone that they don’t really want to work here. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be stirring up trouble like this.

Furthermore, while I bought most of the people here, their indentures are in my hands. That makes them my people, in the truest sense. And your wives could very well be using them as a pretext to cause trouble for me."

Jin Qianqian glanced at Li Xiaohua and Liu Liu, who still wore resentful expressions. The jealousy in their eyes was practically a burning fire.

’This isn’t a case of the weaker party being in the right. If I don’t settle this today, their behavior will only escalate.’

"How about this: you brothers give me your guarantee. If they deliberately cause trouble again, will you cover all the losses?"

"Forget it, I quit!" Li Xiaohua untied her apron and threw it on the ground. "Just because you have a bit of stinking money, you let an indentured slave humiliate us. By what right?"

"Exactly," Liu Liu chimed in. "Our own family members are doing the hard and tiring work, while the servants get to sip tea and watch over us.

They eat better than us, live better than us, and even get paid more than us. Who can we complain to about this injustice?

It’s only because Seventh isn’t home. Otherwise, he would never let you humiliate us like this."

Jin Qianqian almost laughed out of sheer anger. "Humiliate? Did you all hear that, brothers? These are their true feelings.

I’m running a workshop here. I can’t just invite a few lords back to be waited on!

My silver doesn’t grow on trees. If they look down on this job, then they should just stay away for good."

"Seventh Sister-in-law, those are just words said in anger. Maybe they’re really just a bit tired. Why don’t you give them a different task?" Gu Yuanjin said, forcing himself. He wanted his younger brothers to have better lives; with an extra wage, their days would be a little easier.

"Can they read? Can they do delicate work?" Jin Qianqian shook her head. "Compared to the women doing the heavy lifting, Big Brother, do you still think their work is tiring?"

Gu Yuanjin, "..."

’How is this tiring? Countless people outside are envious. A full day’s wage here is even a bit higher than what hard laborers like us make.’

Jin Qianqian raised her hand and summoned Housekeeper Fu. "You and Qingzhu, calculate their wages for these past few days and the compensation they owe. Forget the triple compensation, just charge them the actual cost. After it’s settled, have them leave. They are not to step foot in here again."

"Jin Qianqian, are you really going to be so heartless?" Li Xiaohua gritted her teeth, feeling that everyone around was laughing at her—and it was all Jin Qianqian’s fault.

"I gave you your chance. I can’t let the moods of a few individuals ruin my workshop!" Jin Qianqian then glanced at the people still standing around watching the spectacle. "Don’t just stand there. If you don’t want to work, there’s a long line of people outside who do."

The area emptied out in an instant. Jin Qianqian decided to walk around the workshop to see if there was anything else that needed changing.

"Husband, what do we do now?" Li Xiaohua’s face paled. ’Am I really going to have to go back to farming?’