Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 542 - 0504: Go and See for Yourself (1)

Old Lady Lou loves watching the younger generation eat.

Lou Chengye and Li Yu En are two little chubby ones, and both have great appetites.

The two sit together, like two lucky dolls from New Year’s paintings.

Watching the young couple eat so heartily, Old Lady Lou, who can’t eat greasy food due to poor teeth and a cold, feels as if she’s eating herself.

Her heart is filled with joy.

She laughed and said, "If you two enjoy eating here, come every day. I love the bustle."

Li Yu En gnawed on a roast chicken leg and nodded vaguely, "As long as grandmother doesn’t mind us eating too much, we’ll come every day."

At home, Princess Consort’s mother always reminded her to eat less and be refined, but her husband wasn’t refined either, and Old Lady was encouraging her to eat more. Li Yu En gradually abandoned refinement, eating as she did at home.

The maids knew that Old Lady loved watching the younger ones eat, and seeing this young couple wolf down their food, they not only didn’t mock but were quite pleased. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Because they had delighted the Old Lady.

When the Old Lady was happy, their days as servants became easier, and the master and mistress would reward them.

The maids stood by attentively, adding soup and dishes for Li Yu En and Lou Chengye.

At the end of the meal, Old Lady Lou called to the maids, "Let’s eat together, there’s plenty of food."

The maids were delighted, thanked her, and sat down to eat together.

However, they ate slowly, letting the young couple eat first.

Once Lou Chengye and Li Yu En were full and began rinsing their mouths, the maids finally began eating heartily.

Everyone ate, chatted, and made Old Lady Lou laugh continuously.

After the meal, Li Yu En and Lou Chengye stayed to converse with Old Lady Lou.

Old Lady Lou’s cough hadn’t gotten better, and she coughed after every few words.

Even while laughing, she would have bouts of coughing.

The maids in the room hurriedly brought medicine.

Li Yu En watched Old Lady Lou cough, furrowing her brow, she asked the maid beside her, "How long has the Old Lady been coughing like this?"

"Replying to the Fifth Young Madam, it’s been more than half a month. It started just as a cold tickling her throat, then it’s been on and off, never fully recovering," the maid eased Old Lady Lou’s breathing, replying to Li Yu En.

Li Yu En remembered that not long ago, Princess Consort also had a lingering cough, and Li Yuzhu had prescribed a medicinal dish for Princess Consort.

Along with taking medicine, after a few days, Princess Consort’s cough gradually improved.

Li Yu En recalled that recipe and decided to make a serving of medicinal dish when she returned.

After sitting for a while longer, as it began to get dark, Li Yu En and Lou Chengye returned to He Feng Courtyard together.

Today, there was charcoal available, knowing Li Yu En feared the cold, Lou Chengye ordered several braziers lit in the room.

Under Li Yu En’s bed was placed a large brazier, with a hand warmer tucked inside the covers.

With the bed frame covered, the brazier’s heat was retained, warming the bed above.

Under Lou Chengye’s small couch, there was only a small brazier.

There was another brazier in the room.

Their bedroom was as warm as spring.

In Er Niu and San Niu’s room, there were also two braziers boldly lit.

However, Lou Chengye did not distribute the charcoal to those arranged by Lady Lou.

The two nannies went home to live, without saying anything.

The two maids who lived in another side room of He Feng Courtyard didn’t receive any charcoal, daring to be angry but not speak up.

Because Lou Chengye didn’t indulge them, saying, "This charcoal was given by Lady to the Fifth Young Madam, there isn’t much, if you want charcoal, go get it from the mansion’s accounts, you can’t use the young mistress’s."

The two maids, having been rebuked, went away feeling humiliated, not daring to rebut.

With charcoal, everyone didn’t fetch bathing water from the kitchen. Second Lady Liu had gotten a pot for boiling water from the kitchen during the day.

At first, the kitchen didn’t want to give it, but Second Lady Liu seized the opportunity when no one was looking and took it.

The kitchen maids had never seen such boldness before, they were all stunned.

Someone tried to stop Second Lady Liu to reason, but being robust, Second Lady Liu pushed them aside in no time, leaving the kitchen maids helpless against her.

With a stove, charcoal, and a pot for water, in front of the house was a lotus pond over one person’s deep, with ready spring water.

Second Lady Liu filled two large buckets with fresh water from the pond to boil bathing water.

Dinner was delightful, the bath was enjoyable, and the room was warm.

Li Yu En, Lou Chengye, and Second Lady Liu went to bed early.

Nanny Jing, arranged by Lady Lou, routinely went to report the young couple’s affairs to Lady Lou before heading home.

Upon learning that the young couple didn’t take food from the main kitchen but went to Old Lady Lou’s for dinner instead, Lady Lou was surprised, "These two! Always finding loopholes." Truly cunning!

"The Fifth Young Madam’s dowry maid, Aunt Liu, is quite a tough character. She dared to snatch the water jug from the cook’s hands," Nanny Jing added.

"Why did she snatch the jug?" Lady Lou asked puzzledly.

"She said the kitchen’s water wasn’t hot. She wanted to boil water herself for the Fifth Young Madam in the He Feng Courtyard. They had charcoal and an old stove there, just missing a jug. So Aunt Liu took one," Nanny Jing replied.

Lady Lou was so angry her chest ached, "What? They’re using silver thread charcoal to boil bathwater? Just for a few people’s bath water, they’d use at least twenty pounds of silver thread charcoal per time. Including warming the place, they’d use about thirty pounds daily! In three days, that’s an ounce of silver! These wastrels!"

Lady Lou felt she wouldn’t live much longer.

Yesterday they chopped the plum trees for hot water, today they’re using fine silver thread charcoal for bathwater, what will they do next?

"Why didn’t you stop them?" Lady Lou asked angrily.

Nanny Jing looked troubled, "Madam, they are the young master and young mistress, after all."

As servants, how could they manage the masters’ affairs?

Lady Lou rubbed her forehead, "I understand, you may leave."

After sending Nanny Jing away, Lady Lou immediately called for Mrs. Qin, the housekeeper, "Tomorrow morning, tell Lou Da to buy some black charcoal for the He Feng Courtyard. Also, let Wulang and his wife know that silver thread charcoal is for heating. For hot water, use black wood charcoal instead. Black wood charcoal is cheap, silver thread charcoal is expensive; if they use silver thread charcoal for bathwater, no matter how much money the household has, it won’t withstand such a waste!"

The white silver thread charcoal, smokeless, is suitable for indoor heating. When charcoal was in short supply, it sold for fifteen wén per pound. This year’s price is eleven wén per pound, quite a reasonable price.

Black wood charcoal, which emits smoke, is used by poorer households for heating or in kitchens.

It goes for just two or three wén per pound, even the priciest is only five wén per pound.

When Mrs. Qin heard from Nanny Jing that Lou Chengye’s couple used silver thread charcoal for heating water, she was dumbfounded.

Truly, those not running a household have no idea of daily expenses.

"Understood, Madam," Mrs. Qin responded.

"Additionally," Lady Lou continued, "tomorrow is Li Family’s third-day return visit. Her brother rented a house in the alley in front of the mansion. I want you to go personally and see what items are there, whether any belong to Lou Mansion."

Mrs. Qin glanced at her, "Yes, Madam."

.

Early the next morning, as Li Yu En and Lou Chengye got up, they heard quite a bit of chatter outside.

Second Lady Liu went outside to look and saw the housekeeper from Lady Lou’s side bringing a few servants with charcoal.

This was black wood charcoal, cheaper than what Li Xingsheng and Lou Chengye bought yesterday.

Second Lady Liu returned inside to report, "Second Young Lady, Second Young Master, it’s the housekeeper from Madam’s side. They’ve sent over black wood charcoal."

"Don’t we already have charcoal? Why send more?" Li Yu En went outside to look, smiling at Mrs. Qin, "Thank Mother for her concern, but we do have plenty of charcoal."

Mrs. Qin laughed internally, Plenty? You must be wealthy, using silver thread charcoal to heat bathwater!

"Fifth Young Madam, the charcoal from yesterday was silver thread charcoal, very pricey. It’s not practical for boiling water. This black charcoal has some smoke, good for boiling water," Mrs. Qin said with a smile, "Madam gave special instructions to Chief Steward Lou to purchase it."

Li Yu En smiled, "Thank Mother so much, I will go over and express my gratitude later."

Mrs. Qin thought to herself, Fifth Young Madam, better not thank her; once Madam sees you, she may lose a few years off her life.

She then said, "Fifth Young Madam, aren’t you visiting your second brother today? You should go earlier."

Li Yu En suddenly remembered, "Oh, I need to see my second brother, thank you for the reminder, Mrs. Qin."

Mrs. Qin waved her hand and left with the servants.

Second Lady Liu, with Nanny Jing and another servant for manual tasks, carried the charcoal to an empty room.

In this room, there were also silver thread charcoal and a water-boiling stove.

Nanny Jing was surprised, was the madam displeased with the Fifth Young Madam, or did she like her?

Why send more charcoal?

Mrs. Qin and her entourage had not left long when Chang Sui, from the Prefect’s side, arrived at He Feng Courtyard.

Lou Chengye felt tense seeing his father’s man, "Uncle Shuixing, does Father have business for me?"

Chang Sui from Prefect Lou smiled, "Not at all."

"Then what is it?" Lou Chengye was surprised. A good day without scolding?