GBP Chapter 734: Visit
Chapter 734: Visit
After reaching a consensus and determining the strategic direction of the Qionghai Army, everyone dispersed with their respective tasks, and Duan Mengrou also returned to the backyard of Nanyuan while pondering the situation.
The tasks Liu Ye assigned, while seemingly demanding, weren't actually too difficult for a professional. Preventing subordinates from tampering with funds was no challenge for Duan Mengrou, who had grown up in a money exchange. As for balancing budgets and expenditures, ensuring funds flowed to where they were most needed, while sounding sophisticated, it was simply a matter of prioritizing fund (silver) allocation. Cutting non-essential or dispensable expenses to ensure military supplies was also familiar to Duan Mengrou. After becoming the female manager, she handled all the expenses of the money exchange and the household herself, accumulating considerable experience. Under the current circumstances, she was the most suitable candidate for the position.
However, Duan Mengrou was a very strong-willed woman. If she was assigned a task, she would either not do it at all, or she would do it to the best of her ability. After much thought, she decided it would be better to ask the master for some specific guidance. After all, she had a dual identity—both a steward and a concubine—giving her an advantage over others due to her proximity to the master.
She was always decisive and efficient, acting on her thoughts immediately, and went straight to the study. In the few months she had been in Nanyuan, she had figured out the master's habits: no matter which concubine's room he spent the night in, he would always stay in the study before dinner. Sometimes he would discuss and exchange ideas with Master Liang and others, and sometimes he would ponder things by himself, often staying there for one or two hours.
No one else was visiting today, only Liu Ye. Seeing her, Liu Ye was somewhat surprised. "What brings you here? You wouldn't come here without a reason, would you?"
Duan Mengrou felt a surge of bitterness. The atmosphere was tense; she was clearly his concubine, yet it felt like she was a distant relative who hadn't visited in a long time. But now was not the time to dwell on this. She respectfully said, "In order to do my job well, I have some things I would like to ask you, Master."
"Hehe, I admire your earnestness. What is it? Just ask."
"The task the master assigned is neither particularly difficult nor easy, but there are some things I'm unsure how to handle. I understand that we need to concentrate our funds for important matters now that we're going to war. But what about other places where we need to spend money?"
"Hmm, for example?"
Duan Mengrou had an excellent memory and recounted the story in detail: "For example, General Wei sent someone a few days ago to say that many warships need regular maintenance, and damaged parts need to be repaired. The cost of timber and craftsmen is considerable. Also, he wants to recruit new sailors and build new old locks for training purposes. In addition, Mr. Wang from Baicao Academy has made a list, saying that the number of students has increased, and paper, pens, desks, and chairs need to be added, and the school and living quarters need to be expanded. Master Liang also wants to allocate some money, saying that it is for testing firearms... What they all said makes a lot of sense, but I don't understand many things, and I don't know whether I should refuse or allocate the money?"
Liu Ye replied earnestly, “I’ll be dealing with these kinds of things almost every day. I won’t tell you how to do everything, because I can’t possibly handle every little detail. I’ll just tell you a few principles: First, for routine expenses, unless there are special circumstances, just allocate funds as usual. For example, the purchase and expansion of stationery for Baicao Academy. With more and more students there, it’s normal for expenses to increase. We can’t skimp on education, no matter how poor we are! The same goes for the regular maintenance and repair of warships; this money cannot be saved. Second, any new or large expenditures involving the military must be approved by me before funds can be allocated. For example, the construction of a new training ship that Gao Jie mentioned. The navy doesn’t have any heavy combat missions recently, so this expenditure can be postponed, and the funds should be allocated to the army. Even with Master Liang, despite his special status, we must follow the rules to prevent others from following suit. If Master Liang is unhappy, just have him come to me. Third, for small expenditures under five thousand taels, you can make the decisions. Just summarize them each month and let me review them.”
In fact, similar rules are already well-established in companies in later generations. The larger the company, the more standardized its financial management. Duan Mengrou's role is equivalent to that of a company's financial director. Once the rules are set, it is not difficult to implement them.
“My lord has made it very clear, and I know what to do.”
Duan Mengrou nodded repeatedly. The master was clear-headed, organized, and willing to delegate authority, which made her feel very comfortable and accomplished. Five thousand taels was no small sum; even ordinary gentry in Guangdong would never see so much silver in their entire lives.
She broke into a rare smile, a blush rising on her previously solemn face, which made Liu Ye's heart flutter. This girl was actually quite pretty, with red lips and white teeth, and being young, her face was full of collagen, and she had a decent figure. As long as she didn't have that businesslike expression, she was quite attractive.
A certain thought crossed his mind, and he reached out to pull Duan Mengrou's arm. Duan Mengrou didn't expect the situation to change so suddenly. Before she could react, she was pulled down and lay sideways in the old man's arms. She didn't know what to do, her face flushed, her body stiff, and she didn't know how to move.
Liu Ye sighed: "This isn't the first time. You still don't understand the pleasures of a young lady's life. Let me teach you a lesson, so you'll know that there are more interesting things than work, and life won't be so boring..." He then leaned down to kiss her.
Duan Mengrou felt as if she had been electrocuted, her whole body trembling. A tingling sensation flowed from her lips throughout her body, and her hands and feet stiffened, not knowing where to put them.
"Interesting, interesting!" Liu Ye's eyes lit up. Compared to the alluring and charming, this kind of virginity had a unique flavor, each with its own beauty. He hadn't expected Duan Mengrou to still retain this innocence even though she was no longer a virgin.
He swept the dazed Duan Mengrou into his arms, carried her out of the study, and strode towards her room. The maids along the way, knowing what their master was about to do, quickly stepped aside, afraid of disturbing his enjoyment. The more astute ones tiptoed behind, closing the door behind them.
Shortly after, a suppressed cry came from the bedroom, sounding like both pain and satisfaction.
The cries gradually turned into moans, soft whispers that made listeners blush.
Lin Shiyue, heavily pregnant and being supported by a group of maids, passed by and frowned, asking, "Isn't that Mengrou's room? What's going on?"
A maid who knew the details whispered in Lin Shiyue's ear what had happened.
"I see." Lin Shiyue smiled. Duan Mengrou, as her "direct descendant," being favored by the master was a good thing for both of them. She instructed her attendants, "Be smart, everyone in the manor, take a detour. Anyone who dares to disturb the master's mood will be punished according to family rules!"