Chapter 792: Chapter 600 Is the Husband Having an Affair?
That day, he arrived at Yang Zhenshan’s courtyard and found the chief steward Qingxia.
Lu Shou had aged, and the stewardship of Yang Zhenshan’s courtyard had been passed to Qingxia and Red Cloud.
The members of the Yang family now did not live in the same courtyard; there wasn’t a courtyard large enough on the island to accommodate so many people of the Yang family. Yang Zhenshan was too lazy to build one, so he had smaller courtyards with three entryways constructed instead.
The courtyards of Yang Mingcheng and his three brothers were on either side of Yang Zhenshan’s courtyard. Other younger family members would receive a small courtyard of their own upon marriage to lead their own modest lives.
"Sister Qingxia, give me one hundred thousand taels of Silver!" Yang Mingzhao said with unabashed audacity.
Qingxia looked at him puzzled, "Mr. Si, what do you need so much Silver for?"
"I have a use for it. Besides Silver, get me some liquor and tea leaves—three hundred jin of liquor first, and ten jin of tea leaves!" said Yang Mingzhao.
"Mr. Si, each household’s allocation is fixed. You only get four jars of liquor and one jin of Dongling Spring tea leaves each year, and your monthly silver allowance is only 500 taels!" Qingxia said.
With so many people in the Yang family, they naturally couldn’t spend Silver recklessly. Each household and courtyard had established norms.
Spirit Fruits, liquor, and tea leaves were allocated based on the island’s salary system, which provided four jars of liquor and one jin of Dongling Spring tea leaves for Martial Artists who had reached the Postnatal Sixth Layer.
As for Silver, each household was allotted 500 taels. This sum covered not only food and daily necessities but also included the monthly payments for servants and maids.
For instance, Yang Mingzhao had six attendants; the monthly payments for his two servants had to be provided by him personally, while the guard’s monthly payments were covered by the Yang family’s accounts department.
If a servant’s cultivation reached the Postnatal Sixth Layer, they too could receive liquor and tea leaves, with the expenses covered by the Yang family’s storeroom.
In short, the cultivation salary was distributed by Yang Zhenshan, and each household’s fixed monthly allowance was 500 taels.
So, in reality, Yang Mingzhao was rather poor; besides his monthly allowance, he had no other income.
Unlike Yang Mingzhi and Yang Minghao, who had positions in the Yang Family Trading Company or the Navy and could draw additional Silver, Yang Mingzhao didn’t have any positions and could only collect his monthly stipend of 500 taels.
taels was already quite a bit, and Yang Mingzhao’s courtyard didn’t even need that much money.
"My dad isn’t home, Sister Qingxia, please give me a little more!" Yang Mingzhao actually said in a coquettish tone.
Qingxia chuckled and replied, "Mr. Si, it’s not that I don’t want to give it to you, but I really can’t. The keys to the cellar and the storeroom are with the eldest brother, and as for Silver, ten thousand taels is too much—the finance department doesn’t have that much cash on hand!"
"Sister~ I really need it, please think of a way for me," Yang Mingzhao pleaded.
Qingxia said softly, "Mr. Si, I truly can’t help. Maybe you can ask your eldest brother."
"My big brother certainly won’t give it to me!" Yang Mingzhao felt somewhat helpless.
Yang Mingcheng was the most honest; it was easy to fool him, but to make him break the rules set by Yang Zhenshan was practically impossible.
Seeing his downcast expression, Qingxia could only suggest, "If Mr. Si needs Silver, you may borrow some from Second Young Master. As for the liquor and tea leaves, you can only ask the eldest brother!"
Yang Mingzhao thought about it, and it seemed that was the only option.
However, his eyes then lit up, "Sister, lend me some liquor and tea leaves, I will definitely repay you later!"
"Then tell me, Mr. Si, what you need it for!" Qingxia did not refuse.
She and Red Cloud had watched Yang Mingzhao grow up and were closest to him.
"Well, I’ve made a few friends and want to give them some gifts!" Yang Mingzhao said, blinking his eyes.
"Mr. Si, you’re lying!" Qingxia bluntly called him out.
Her look of ’you can’t fool me’ deflated Yang Mingzhao.
"Sister Qingxia!" Yang Mingzhao could only say in a pleading tone.
Qingxia really had no choice with him; in the end, she compromised, "Alright, alright, I’ll give you some, Mr. Si. But you should know that the master and the madam will not indulge you in any mischief."
Yang Mingzhao grew a bit sheepish upon hearing this, but he still brazenly said, "Don’t worry, Sister, I definitely won’t cause any trouble!"
Afterward, Qingxia lent Yang Mingzhao ten jars of liquor and five jin of tea leaves.
"That’s all I can give; I need to keep some for myself to drink!" said Qingxia.
Both she and Red Cloud had reached Half-step Innate cultivation, entitling them to ten jars of liquor and ten jin of tea leaves each year. Qingxia drank less, so she had more liquor left over.
Yang Mingzhao chuckled slyly, then, getting more brazen, said, "Thank you, Sister Qingxia, hehe, Sister Qingxia, can you lend me some Silver as well?"
Resigned, Qingxia pulled out a silver note worth three thousand taels and handed it to him, "This is all I have!"
Her own monthly allowance was meager, just fifty taels, so these three thousand taels had taken her many years to save.
As for the silver note, it was from the bank owned by the Yang Family Trading Company and was only circulated in Star Moon Island and a few coastal cities in Da Rong; it was mainly used within Star Moon Island and by the Yang Family Trading Company.
Yang Mingzhao swiftly pocketed the silver note and then had someone move the liquor and tea leaves.
Once there’s a first, there will be a second.
Naturally, the second victim was Red Cloud.
After having accompanied Yang Wanqing in Southern Border Town for five years and ensuring her safety, Red Cloud returned to Star Moon Island.
Since they had both been closely following Yu Qingyi around, their status on Star Moon Island went without saying.
When Yang Mingzhao came to borrow, Red Cloud was even softer-hearted than Qingxia. Without asking any questions, she directly handed everything over to Yang Mingzhao.
Next up was Yang Mingzhi. While Yang Mingzhi didn’t have any liquor or tea leaves, he certainly had Silver; having been the Assistant General of Fuzhou Guard and Vice General of Beiyuan Town, he had accumulated quite a savings.