A Maid Dressed As A Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role (Transmigration) - Chapter 32

At ten in the morning, A’Zhi had a carriage prepared and set off. The estate was in the suburbs, so it would take some time to get there. A’Zhi didn’t like to do her audits during mealtimes. Not only would it interrupt everyone’s lunch, but the managers could also use it as an excuse to be dismissive. So she left a little earlier. If things went smoothly, A’Zhi thought she could audit at least three of the estates today.

“Miss A’Zhi, which estate should we go to first?” the young carriage driver, Chen Cheng, asked. Chen Cheng was one of the first servants to “defect” to Chao Mu after the rewards were given out. He was sixteen or seventeen, thin and lanky, but with a clever, likable face. He was also hardworking, quick, and had a sweet smile.

Normally, a smart and tactful person like Chen Cheng wouldn’t be a doorkeeper. It was just bad luck that he had started on the same day as Zhi Yuan. There was no question in Steward Qi’s mind about who to keep. Chen Cheng had been replaced by Zhi Yuan and had been working as a doorkeeper ever since. The young princess saw that he was smart and had a keen eye, so she told A’Zhi to take him along today to drive the carriage and get some experience. This was a common way to promote your trusted servants.

A’Zhi thought for a moment. “Let’s go to the east suburb.” The east suburb estate was the most profitable and the hardest to audit. So she wanted to catch them by surprise. If they went too late, the manager would have time to prepare. The news that she was coming had probably already spread.

Besides Chen Cheng, A’Zhi also brought four guards. She had specifically asked the little princess for a sum of money to hire them from a professional martial arts school. She made them wear servant clothes to pretend to be from the Qi manor. The little princess had looked at A’Zhi for a moment and approved one extra tael of silver. A’Zhi, with a straight face, pocketed the extra tael. Good, another day of adding to my coin purse, she thought.

When A’Zhi arrived, the manager of the east suburb estate was not there. The doorkeeper said, “The manager went to the city for a social gathering last night. He must have gotten drunk and stayed in the city. He’s not back yet.”

The manager of the east suburb estate was Steward Qi’s youngest son, Qi Bao, who was only fifteen. The estate was given to him last year, supposedly to give him some experience to serve the Qi family, but in reality, it was to give a family member another way to make money. Qi Bao was still young and loved to play. Whenever his friends invited him out, he would go. It was probably not the first time he wasn’t at the estate, or else the doorkeeper wouldn’t have known where he was.

“But Mama Rou is at the estate. You can talk to her instead,” the doorkeeper said. “Mama Rou is the nanny of the third manager. He trusts her a lot. She manages all the ledgers and everything, so she’s the right person for you to talk to.” Qi Bao was just the manager in name. The real accounts were handled by someone he trusted, and Mama Rou was a pro at it. It seemed that when Steward Qi and his wife, Madame Zhou, had sent Mama Rou to the east suburb with Qi Bao last year, it was for this reason. Their son could play all he wanted. Mama Rou would handle all the dirty work.

A’Zhi went straight to the main hall with her people, and the doorkeeper went to get Mama Rou. It took almost half an hour for Mama Rou to come. A’Zhi’s expression went from mild to very interested. How interesting. I like interesting people, she thought. 

Life in the Qi manor was too easy. So easy that A’Zhi had almost forgotten how she had climbed to the top. This was her true battlefield.

“An audit?” A voice from outside finally rang out. It was a middle-aged woman, about thirty or forty. “I’ve been in the capital for so long, and I’ve never heard of such a thing.” The woman’s words were ugly. “What kind of random people are pretending to be someone they’re not and trying to make money? Who’s at the door? Why did you let such dirty people into the estate? How am I supposed to explain this to Steward Qi and his wife?”

The doorkeeper felt wronged. He lowered his voice. “She said she’s the princess’s maid…”

“She says she is, so she is?” the woman said, standing on the steps outside the door, raising her voice on purpose. “I could say I’m the Empress, but I don’t see you kneeling to me.” She scoffed. “The princess is just a little girl. She just came back to the capital. Why would she come here to audit the accounts? I think these riffraff are just pretending to be the princess’s people to trick us out of money.” Mama Rou’s voice was loud and clear. Not only could A’Zhi in the main hall hear her, but even the doorkeeper outside could hear her.

After she was done, Mama Rou walked into the room. When she saw A’Zhi, her expression immediately changed. She forced a smile on her plump, white face, looking as kind as an aunt from next door. It was as if the woman who had just been yelling outside was someone else entirely.

“Miss A’Zhi, what brings you to the estate?” Mama Rou said with a smile. “It’s cold in the winter, and it’s even colder here in the suburbs. A delicate and beautiful girl like you should be in the capital, keeping warm by the fire.” She turned and snapped at the servant outside. “What are you staring at? Don’t you see Miss A’Zhi has arrived? Go and brew a pot of the best tea for her.”

Chen Cheng was an experienced servant, but he had never met a woman like Mama Rou. Her two-faced act was so seamless, so natural, it was a sight to behold. No wonder she was in charge of the estate’s money.

A’Zhi got up and bowed slightly. “Hello, Mama Rou.”

Mama Rou waved her hand and walked over to sit in the chair next to A’Zhi. “I’m just a simple woman. Please don’t mind my lack of manners, Miss A’Zhi.” Her words poured out. She sounded warm and friendly. “This is your first time here, right, Miss A’Zhi? Why don’t you try our pickled cabbage and radish? I’m not tooting my own horn, but they’re delicious. Even Steward Qi can’t say a word against them.”

“Someone, get some pickled radish for Miss A’Zhi,” Mama Rou said. “Since you’re here, Miss A’Zhi, why don’t you stay for lunch? We’ll have a meal together, and after that, I’ll pack some pickled radish for you to take back.” This, combined with her earlier words about “freeloaders” and “tricking people for money,” made it sound like they were so worthless that they could be sent away with a few pickled radishes.

“I don’t go into the city much, so I don’t get to see Steward Qi. How are he and Madame Zhou doing? Since you’re here, Miss A’Zhi, can you take some of my things back for me? It’s just some pickles. They’re not worth much. It’s just a token of my regard.”

Mama Rou kept mentioning “Steward Qi” and “Madame Zhou.” Chen Cheng, standing next to A’Zhi, asked with a smile, “Does Mama Rou know what the surname of this estate is?”

Mama Rou blurted out, her voice full of pride, “Of course it’s Qi.”

Chen Cheng smiled. “That’s too general, Mama Rou. To be precise, this estate’s surname is Qi, as in General Qi, not Steward Qi.”

The words were like a slap in the face. The smile on Mama Rou’s face instantly disappeared. She glared at Chen Cheng. “Where did this boy come from? He has no manners. Don’t tell me he’s from the general’s manor. It would be a disgrace. If this were my estate, I would have had him beaten to death.”

Chen Cheng was not intimidated. A’Zhi also said softly, “Chen Cheng is just a bit too talkative. Mama Rou, since you’re in charge of the estate, you must know who it belongs to better than us. You don’t need him to remind you.”

Chen Cheng nodded. “Miss A’Zhi is right.”

Mama Rou forced a smile again. “What are you talking about, Miss A’Zhi? I don’t understand. What do you mean, ‘in charge’? What do I know about these things? I’m just a woman.” She knew they were trying to set her up.

“The servants in the manor said you’re in charge of the ledgers here,” A’Zhi said, adjusting her sleeves. She looked at Mama Rou directly, not beating around the bush. “I’m not going to lie. I’m here to audit the accounts. It’s fine that the third manager isn’t here, as long as you’re here.”

“As for lunch and the pickled radish, we can talk about that after the audit.”

“I don’t know anything about that,” Mama Rou said, pretending to be naive. “If you want to stay for lunch, you can. If not, I won’t force you. As for anything else, it’s useless to tell me. You’ll have to wait for the manager to come back.” She got up, dusted off her clothes, and said with a sarcastic tone, looking at A’Zhi, “As for when the manager will be back, I don’t know. You can wait if you want.” She was directly showing her hand. She wasn’t even going to pretend anymore.

“Mama Rou,” A’Zhi said, slowly standing up. She looked at Mama Rou’s plump back. “I’m giving you one last chance to be civil.” She smiled. “Don’t take kindness for granted.”

Mama Rou was furious. She immediately turned around and pointed at A’Zhi. “You little brat! Who are you calling disrespectful? I’m old enough to be your mother! How dare you talk to me like that?” She fumed. “Don’t say you were sent by the princess. Even when the general and his wife were here, they never spoke to me like that. Who do you think you are to yell at me?”

Chen Cheng’s job was to protect A’Zhi. Seeing Mama Rou’s angry face, he immediately spread his arms like a mother hen protecting her chick. In reality, his slender body was no match for Mama Rou’s wide waist. He was no match in terms of size, age, or attitude. But Chen Cheng held his head high. “Miss A’Zhi is the princess’s head maid. The princess herself has never yelled at her. Who are you to point at her and curse her?” This was true. The princess was kind, especially to A’Zhi, and the other servants weren’t blind.

“You dare!” Mama Rou was so angry she rolled up her sleeves, revealing a large gold bangle. She pushed Chen Cheng, her fingers like pliers, pinching the skin on his chest. It was a good thing it wasn’t summer. Otherwise, his skin would have been bruised already.

Chen Cheng was stubborn. “We are the princess’s people!”

“The princess’s people? You might as well say you’re the empress’s people!” Mama Rou’s temper flared. “Go and ask around. What kind of young lady would personally audit accounts? If anyone would, it would be her dead mother. It’s not a young girl’s place to do these things. It’s disgraceful!”

A’Zhi’s face darkened. She reached out and pulled the “frail” Chen Cheng away. She raised her hand and slapped Mama Rou hard across the face. SLAP! The main hall fell silent. You could even hear breathing.

Mama Rou was stunned. She never expected a young maid like A’Zhi to lay a hand on her. “Do you think you’re worthy of mentioning the late Grand Princess?” A’Zhi said coldly. “Who do you think you are to talk about the masters’ decisions?”

“You… you little btch! You hit me?” Mama Rou covered her face, her lips trembling. Her eyes widened, and her voice became shrill. “Someone! Beat her to death!” Mama Rou spat. “Btch! I was in charge of things before you were even born. Now you’re in my estate trying to use your master’s name to push me around?” She sneered. “Don’t even mention the princess. Even if Chao Mu herself came here, the fact that I’m even giving her a smile shows that I see her. If I’m not happy, none of you are going to get out of this estate unscathed!”

After Mama Rou’s outburst, the servants in the courtyard began to move towards the main hall. But then, the four “servants” A’Zhi had brought with her began to move. They had been standing outside, two on each side, their heads lowered and with no presence at all. Now that there was a conflict, they straightened their backs, flexed their arms, and stood in front of the open door, blocking it completely.

Only then did the other servants realize that the Qi manor’s “servants” were different from the ones on the estate. They looked at the men’s broad chests and muscular arms, then at their own skinny arms and legs. The contrast was like a meat-eating Tibetan mastiff facing a little mutt guarding the door. They were not on the same level. It was true that the servants from the city were different. Even the servants from the city were stronger than the others. The estate servants were blocked at the door, and no one dared to enter.

Mama Rou turned and looked at them. The words were stuck in her throat. She was dumbfounded and angry. She stomped her feet and cursed them for being useless. “I raise you on the estate for nothing! Even a dog would be more useful than you!” Mama Rou turned to glare at A’Zhi. A’Zhi smiled faintly and slapped her again. Now both sides of her face were red.

Mama Rou took a sharp breath. She didn’t bother to cover her face this time. She lunged at A’Zhi. “You b*tch! I’m going to tear you to pieces! How dare you hit me!”

A’Zhi stopped Chen Cheng, who was about to cause trouble, with a look. At the same time, she kicked Mama Rou in the chest, sending her flying to the ground. Chen Cheng, who had been about to “help,” just stood there. I’m sorry, I’m useless. A girl’s fighting skills are better than mine.

The incident happened so fast that Mama Rou, who was on the ground, didn’t even know what had happened. She just kept groaning, not knowing whether to cover her bottom or her chest. A’Zhi placed her hands on her stomach, took a small step forward, and her foot landed on Mama Rou’s clean, expensive skirt. She looked down at her, her eyes condescending.

Mama Rou finally felt fear. She didn’t dare to say a word, only cowering and looking up at her with fear in her eyes. A’Zhi smiled slightly. “It seems the food at the estate is too good. It’s made you so bold that you dare to call the princess by her name.”

Mama Rou’s head was bowed. She had lost all her arrogance. A’Zhi’s face hardened. “By the princess’s order, I am here to audit the accounts of the east suburb estate. Those who disobey will be beaten twenty times with a stick!” She smiled, her eyes still on Mama Rou. “I’ll take responsibility for the death.”

The four men and Chen Cheng all responded, “Yes!” The other servants didn’t dare to say a word.

It was impossible for Mama Rou to hand over the ledgers herself, so A’Zhi had Chen Cheng and the others search for them. She sat in the main hall, sipping the warm tea that had been brought to her. There were also pastries and fruits. A’Zhi let out a satisfied sigh. She felt comfortable and at ease. This was how she was meant to be treated. This was what she was best at. It was boring to live a life that was too easy. A’Zhi sat in her chair, while Mama Rou was tied up and kneeling on the floor. As she struggled, her large gold earring fell off. A’Zhi picked it up and put it in her sleeve. She found it on the floor, so it was hers to keep.

Mama Rou was furious. Her face was as red as a pig’s liver. She wanted to curse A’Zhi but held it back. Just you wait, she thought. When the young master returns, I’ll deal with this little brat! Mama Rou’s confidant had already gone to find the young master and report to Steward Qi.

The real ledgers of the estate were quickly found. Mama Rou had never expected anyone to come and audit the accounts, so she had left them in her room. No one would have dared to break into her room and look for them. Chen Cheng and the others brought the ledgers over, along with the accountant. A’Zhi looked at them for a moment, had a table brought over, and personally watched the accountant audit the accounts.

The accountant was under a lot of pressure, especially with Mama Rou on her knees, bruised and her hair a mess. She was a warning to him. If he didn’t do a good job, he would be next. The accountant never would have thought that a young and delicate-looking girl like A’Zhi would be so ruthless. She had even beaten Mama Rou.

“What are you looking at?” Chen Cheng urged him. “Hurry up. If your report doesn’t match ours, you’re done for.”

The accountant’s hands trembled as he quickly looked away. “I’m working on it, I’m working on it.”

******

After about an hour, it was almost lunchtime. A servant ran in to report. He looked at Mama Rou and then at A’Zhi, not knowing who to speak to. He lowered his head and said, “Reporting… the third manager has returned.”

Qi Bao had returned. Mama Rou’s eyes lit up. She shook her head like a rooster, tossing the hair out of her face. She looked at A’Zhi viciously. “You little brat. Just you wait.”

A’Zhi laughed softly. She would wait.

Just as Mama Rou finished her threat, the servant returned. This time, he spoke to A’Zhi. “Miss A’Zhi, the princess is here, too.”

Mama Rou’s eyes widened.

Qi Bao had returned, and Chao Mu had also arrived.

A’Zhi’s hand, which was holding the teacup, stopped. She slowly blinked. The coldness on her face disappeared, replaced by a look of confusion. “Why did the little princess come?” A’Zhi wondered. Is the exam over already? So soon? Did she fail? Considering her two-day studying and three-day fishing routine, failing seemed normal. The little princess didn’t look like she wanted to study at all.

A’Zhi completely forgot who Qi Bao was. She immediately instructed a servant, “Go get the princess some pickled radish and dried sweet potatoes. She’s probably never seen these things before. Let her have a taste.” At least if she had something to eat, she would feel better about failing the exam.

A’Zhi stood at the door, waiting quietly and respectfully. Chen Cheng was used to her devotion to the princess, but the people on the estate were not. The accountant could clearly feel the change in A’Zhi’s demeanor. She was like a vicious dog that would eat people at any moment, but now she had become a well-behaved little dog guarding the door.