From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 664: Chapter 666: Humiliation

Mu Xianglan felt a wave of humiliation. ’After today, what authority will I have left in this estate?’

Before she could even think of a solution, Zhang Guihong added, "And don’t forget that indenture."

"This household needs a good tidying up, lest some people forget whose rice bowl they’re eating from."

Mu Xianglan couldn’t bear to stay a moment longer. She stopped pleading, got up from the floor, and walked straight out.

Zhang Guihong shook her head. "Look at what’s happened in the years I haven’t been managing things. People have gotten too bold."

"They don’t even know their place. If this were the old family estate, they’d be sent back to be beaten and taught the rules all over again."

"That’s enough. Say a little less," Cen Gaosong shouted to stop her. "You’ve just arrived and you’re already turning the house upside down! Can’t you just give it a rest?"

With her daughter tugging at her sleeve, Zhang Guihong suppressed her anger and pointed at the steward, who was still standing aside in a daze. "You, help me move my things to the main courtyard."

"My maids know how to arrange everything. You just need to lead them over."

Cen Gaosong’s face fell. "Choose another courtyard. I’m living in the main one."

Zhang Guihong’s heart had grown cold by now. "I am the matriarch of this house. Naturally, I have authority over the main courtyard. Master, that is the rule."

From Mu Xianglan’s behavior just now, and the way people addressed her when they entered the estate, Zhang Guihong could already guess who was truly living in the main courtyard.

"Do whatever you want!" Cen Gaosong knew this was an unchangeable fact. He shouldn’t have said anything just now.

He stood up to leave, but stopped at the doorway of the hall. "Where is Nanny Cen?"

"After such a long journey, I couldn’t bear to have her stand here waiting. She’s in the rear courtyard right now. If you want to see her, I’ll take you."

Cen Gaosong said, "Then lead the way."

"Your father is really something else. He knows this estate far better than I do, yet he’s asking me, a newcomer, to lead the way," Zhang Guihong muttered to her daughter, rolling her eyes.

"Mother, now isn’t the time for that," Cen Yueqin said, holding her arm. "Let’s take Father to see Nanny Cen first."

Their success today was only possible because of the element of surprise.

If they had waited until tomorrow, or tried to handle this a few days later, they probably wouldn’t have been able to reclaim control of the household so quickly.

It was a good thing they had deceived the family back home, claiming they had written a letter, which allowed them to execute this plan.

Otherwise, with Aunt Lan having managed the household’s finances for all these years, she would have long since gathered a large number of loyal servants. Trying to take back control as they did today would have been fraught with difficulty.

The steward, left behind in the hall, turned pale. He understood that his time as steward had come to an end.

’But they were all brought in by Madam—no, by Aunt Lan. Even if this hadn’t happened, it was impossible to curry favor with both sides.’

The head maid who had stayed behind saw his expression shifting and chuckled contemptuously. "Well now, Head Steward, would you please lead us to the main courtyard to tidy up?"

Madam had already given her orders: everything in the main courtyard was to be moved to the storeroom and replaced with her own belongings.

"This way, miss, please follow me." His attitude was a world of difference from before.

"So, you’re not calling our Madam a fraud now, are you?"

"The one you’ve all been fawning over is just a concubine under our Madam. Aunt Lan’s indenture is still held in our Madam’s hands."

This was a lot to take in. ’So she wasn’t even a concubine from a respectable family, but a lowly one with an indenture? Have we been serving such a creature all these years?’

The servants who overheard this couldn’t keep their composure. ’What in the world is going on? We’ve been calling her "Madam" all this time, and she had the nerve to accept it?’

As soon as Mu Xianglan returned to the main courtyard, she threw herself onto the canopy bed and sobbed. She had lost all face and dignity today.

And now she was being forced to give up control of the household. It was utterly outrageous.

The few maids who followed her stood by helplessly. They didn’t know how to comfort her, and their own futures seemed bleak.

They had followed who they thought was the true mistress of the house, never expecting such a dramatic reversal.

Now that the real Madam had arrived, those who had allied themselves with the concubine would surely be the first to be dealt with.

Just then, the steward walked in with a group of maids and older female servants. The leading maid paid them no mind upon entering, instead surveying the surroundings.

"Are these all people from the Master’s chambers? Good, you can lend a hand. Get all of this removed. Our Madam is accustomed to using her own favorite things."

"You, move all these cabinets and the bed out. The Madam has already sent someone to order a new set, and everything will be replaced shortly."

"And you, take down all these curtains. The Madam would never like such a tacky color."

"You, go find some servants in the estate and have them clean this place from top to bottom several times. Scrub the floors a few times as well."

"You, go get the gardener. Have all these flowers replaced. They’re planted all over the place, making the courtyard look a mess."

Mu Xianglan clutched her chest, unsure how to even begin to object, as everyone in the courtyard sprang into action.

Seeing her own cabinets and jewelry boxes being carried out, she grew frantic. "What are you doing? Those are my things! Put them down, put them all down!"

The head maid held her chin high, looking down at her. "Aunt Lan, after all these years away from the main estate, you seem to have forgotten the rules."

"You are a lowly concubine who signed an indenture. You are not supposed to have personal property. Every single thing in this estate, down to the last blade of grass, is to be allocated by the Madam. Look at this box of hair ornaments—do you think it’s appropriate for you to possess them?"

"How dare you! No matter what, I am still the Master’s concubine, and these were all gifts from him. Have your people put my things back right now, or else..."

"Or else what?" Zhang Guihong had left Cen Gaosong to catch up with Nanny Cen and now arrived with her maids at the courtyard that was to be her new home.

"Madam," Mu Xianglan stood up and curtsied obediently, no matter how much hatred she felt in her heart. "Xianglan greets Madam."

"Aunt Lan, it truly is difficult to get a meeting with you."

"It seems that being by the Master’s side all these years has made you bold and forget the rules of the household."

"Just looking at the decor in this main courtyard shows how carried away you’ve gotten. You even dared to live here. Tell me, what crime should I punish you for?"

Humiliated, Mu Xianglan knelt on the ground. "This servant is guilty, but the Master approved of all this. As a concubine, how could I not obey?"

"Since you are guilty, go kneel in the courtyard."

"The rest of you, be quick about it. Clear everything out immediately. I am tired."

"Madam, what about these things?" the head maid asked cautiously.

"Put all those hair ornaments and jewelry into the storeroom. One day, I’ll have someone melt them down and remake them to be given as rewards in the future."

"As for things that someone else has used, I have no interest in them. You all can divide them among yourselves as you see fit."

Mu Xianglan’s nails dug into her palms, and blood dripped to the floor from between her fingers.

But no one present dared to help her, or even to spare her a second glance.