roccoschili Chapter 396 (126 words added)
Chapter 396 (126 words added)
Xue Ruanruan entered the space and saw the mountain of grain. Her eyes instantly lit up like dazzling stars, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a wide smile. This grain was her lifeline! In this deep mansion, everyone fought tooth and nail for profit. With this grain, she had the capital to deal with any crisis.
Xue Ruanruan circled the grain pile several times, pondering how to best utilize these resources. She thought she could use the grain to win over some important servants in the mansion and make them work for her. Perhaps, during a famine, she could use the grain to cultivate an image of kindness and virtue, winning the favor of the master and mistress.
Just as she was engrossed in her plans, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the space. Startled, she quickly suppressed her joy and rushed out of the space. As soon as she stopped, her maid rushed in, panting, and said, "Miss, Madam sent someone to say that you must go to her courtyard immediately." Xue Ruanruan composed herself, secretly pondering the purpose of Madam's summons, straightened her clothes, and followed the maid.
As her father and brothers guarded the border, Xue Ruanruan's heart pounded, and various possibilities kept flashing through her mind. The lady of the house was usually indifferent to her; this sudden summons probably meant trouble.
Upon arriving at the madam's courtyard, Xue Ruanruan bowed respectfully. The madam sat upright in the main seat, looking at her sharply, "I heard that your father and brothers are guarding the border. You should also do your part for the family. Nowadays, the household expenses are high. Take out some of the money you have to supplement the household expenses."
Xue Ruanruan's heart tightened; she hadn't expected the madam to be after her money. But she remained outwardly calm and respectfully said, "Madam, I don't have much money on hand; my monthly allowance is barely enough to cover my expenses."
The lady snorted coldly, "Don't play dumb. Your father and brothers have made meritorious contributions abroad. Didn't they give you some benefits? Don't think I don't know you're hiding things."
Xue Ruanruan bit her lip, pondered for a moment, and said, "Madam, although my father and brothers receive subsidies, they mostly use them to purchase medicinal herbs for unforeseen circumstances. The border war hasn't ended yet, and we might need to support them again someday." Upon hearing this, the madam's face darkened, and she was about to retort when a servant interrupted her with a report…
"Madam, something terrible has happened! Master just sent word that the front lines are running low on supplies and urgently need reinforcements from the manor." The servant knelt on the ground in fear. The madam's face turned deathly pale instantly, her previous assertive demeanor vanishing completely. She stood up somewhat flusteredly and paced back and forth in the room. Xue Ruanruan was secretly delighted; this was truly a godsend. She stepped forward and said respectfully, "Madam, although I don't have much silver, I have a way to solve the food problem. I've stored some grain in my spatial storage, which can be used to support the front lines." The madam's eyes lit up, a hint of surprise appearing on her previously gloomy face, but she quickly regained her composure and asked suspiciously, "Do you really have such an ability?" Xue Ruanruan nodded firmly, "Madam, rest assured, I would never dare to joke about the safety of the soldiers at the front." The madam pondered for a moment and finally said, "If you can truly resolve this matter, the manor will certainly not treat you unfairly." Xue Ruanruan's lips curled up slightly, and she already had a new plan in mind. She knew that she had temporarily won this battle, and the next step was to see how to use this opportunity to gain a foothold in the manor.
Xue Ruanruan decided to personally escort grain supplies to the frontier. She proposed to her mistress that she would go herself to the frontier to transport the supplies. Although her mistress was somewhat surprised, she agreed, knowing that Xue Ruanruan could solve the grain supply problem. Xue Ruanruan quickly began preparations, knowing this was a good opportunity to establish her prestige within the household. Along the way, she and her team endured harsh weather and harassment from small groups of bandits, but thanks to the supplies in her spatial storage and her own ingenuity, they managed to overcome all dangers.
Just as they were nearing the frontier camp, they were stopped by a group of mysterious people. These people claimed they wanted to intercept supplies and deliver them to the enemy. Xue Ruanruan was unfazed. She told her men to hold their ground while she stepped forward to negotiate. Just as the atmosphere became tense, she noticed the leader's eyes flickering, as if he was hesitant. Xue Ruanruan quickly devised a plan, using persuasive words to reveal that they were being coerced by the enemy and promising to help them out of their predicament. The leader was moved and led his men to clear the way. Xue Ruanruan successfully delivered the supplies to the camp, earning the respect of her father, brothers, and soldiers. Her status within the household rose significantly as a result.