Chapter 324: Xue Sister Discerns the Subtle!

Baichai sat quietly beside him, listening to Jia Jing speak, and cast her clear, bright gaze onto Jia Jing's face.

She pondered how to speak next while observing Jia Jing's expression.

When Jia Jing finished, she continued:

"Third, the way to manage a household should take frugality as virtue; extravagance breeds arrogance."

"The *Yan* says: 'Extravagance leads to no descendants, frugality ensures stability. If one cannot have descendants, better to be stable.'"

"It also says: 'If one can give without extravagance, be frugal without stinginess, that is sufficient.'"

"Luxury easily gives rise to arrogance, while simplicity keeps a constant mind of preserving achievement."

"But frugality is not stinginess; give when one should give, save when one should save, and follow the middle way—that is the proper principle of household management."

Jia Jing's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, his clear eyes bearing meaning, and said, "Anything else?"

Baichai paused briefly, then said:

"The final point is that household management requires a distinction between men and women, each performing their own duties."

"The *Yan* asserts: 'Women oversee the inner provisions, female workers weave silk, while men handle external affairs, each fitting their role.'"

"When household affairs are clearly assigned, each settles into their place without encroaching, order naturally follows."

"If the inner and outer are not distinguished and duties are unclear, no amount of rules is more than empty talk."

After Baichai finished, her almond eyes, slightly nervous, looked at Jia Jing beside her, waiting silently for his reply.

These remarks on inner and outer distinctions are from the book, but she did not know whether Jia Jing agreed.

After all, Jia Mu had once said men handle external affairs and women handle the interior, yet Jia Jing replied to her with "old fool"!

Jia Jing fell silent for a moment; the moonlight outside the corridor grew brighter, casting their shadows on the ground, one long and one short.

From afar a drum sounded again, thud…

Long and low, as if coming from a very deep place.

Jia Jing finally spoke:

"You have read the book well! You have the intention! If you can implement it this way, how could the family fortunes not prosper?"

The points Baichai mentioned are essentially the core ideas of the *Yan* Family Instructions, and they align with Jia Jing's usual household practices and philosophy, clearly showing she put thought into it.

Including the notion of men handling external affairs and women internal ones, Jia Jing saw no major issue; the problems always lie with people, not with theoretical rules.

Of course, Jia Jing praised Baichai's literary insight; her actual ability to handle specific matters still depends on the situation.

Nevertheless, Baichai's household management skill is unquestionably outstanding among the sisters of Jia Mansion!

In Chapter 56 of the original, the clever Tan Chun sought profit and eliminated old evils; at that time Baichai, Xiao Hui, and the whole group clearly recorded the household management abilities of Baichai and Tan Chun.

Feng Jie fell ill after a miscarriage, and Lady Wang entrusted the household duties to Li Wan and Tan Chun, also specifically asking Baichai to "be careful everywhere".

Tan Chun proposed a "contract system" in the Grand View Garden, parceling the garden's flowers, trees, and fields to experienced matronly workers to cut costs and increase efficiency.

However, Tan Chun's plan focused on profit, while Baichai filled the gaps from the perspective of human relations and practical operation, compensating for Tan Chun's lack of experience.

For example, Tan Chun's reform only cared for the contractors; the uncontracted matronly workers inevitably felt discontent.

Baichai suggested that each contractor set aside a sum each year to distribute to all the garden's elder women, regardless of whether they manage affairs.

She then spoke insightfully:

"Although they do not handle these tasks, they watch over the guards day and night in the garden, closing doors, rising early, sleeping late, through rain and snow."

"The young ladies row boats, pull ice beds, and all the rough work are their duties."

"After a year of hard work in the garden, the garden not only yields results but also rightfully deserves some share within its duties."

Because she grasped the mindset of "not fearing scarcity but fearing inequality," the reform progressed smoothly without complaints.

Thus, in household governance, Tan Chun resembles the "designer," while Baichai is the "implementer and risk balancer."

Of course, the reason is that Baichai has long shouldered part of the household duties in the Xue Family, whereas Tan Chun is encountering practical affairs for the first time in the Jia Family.

It must be said that Daiyu also possesses household management ability.

In Chapter 55 of the original, Ping'er, when recounting Feng Jie's remarks, mentioned,

that among all the sisters in the mansion, Feng Jie believed only three could bear the household responsibility: Daiyu, Tan Chun, and Baichai.

Only Daiyu's temperament meant she disliked dealing with mundane affairs!

At this moment, Baichai by the pond felt a little embarrassed by Jia Jing's compliment, her almond eyes slightly lowered, and she whispered:

"Third Brother's praise is mistaken; it's merely reciting the text, hardly worthy of a good word!"

Yet, despite her shyness, she couldn't help but think, Third Brother says there's no worry about the family prospering, but where does she have a household to manage? Where is a business to prosper?

Could this be hinting that she will handle household affairs in the future?

Jia Jing's face showed contemplation, and he said gravely:

"Uphold righteousness, balance leniency and severity, esteem frugality and curb extravagance, distinguish inner from outer—these sixteen characters are the essence of household management, nothing beyond that."

"And to wield these sixteen characters, one must employ people. When people can act, the law stands; when they cannot, even a good law is futile."

"Since antiquity, rules are rigid, people are living. No matter how good a set of rules, faced with a group of schemers, they become waste paper."

"Just like the laws of the Great Han Court; at the founding they had good intentions, yet later they gradually became unenforceable."

"Now we speak of reform and new laws? There is no law immutable for ten thousand generations; ultimately it must suit the times, the land, and the people."

Baichai fixed her gaze on Jia Jing, meeting his warm eyes; her stare briefly drifted, as if reflecting a youthful figure, and she whispered:

"Third Brother's return to the capital this time, besides military duties, likely also involves contributing to the court's implementation of New Policies!"

Jia Jing was slightly startled, looking at Baichai's gently graceful face, and smiled lightly:

"Xue sister, you discern subtle signs; I merely mentioned reform, and you thought of New Policies—your mind is truly sharp!"

Baichai's almond eyes shimmered, and she said softly:

"I have been reading the court's reports; the New Policies keep hitting obstacles, yielding limited results—what they lack is a powerful minister to enforce them, right?"

"Third Brother just said laws without people cannot work; how could the court's new laws be implemented without the support of a meritorious martial minister like you!"

Even Third Brother seems to have a somewhat settled intention regarding the marriage matter; I'm afraid he's also considering the current unstable court situation.

Baichai said, as two red blushes quietly appeared on her smooth, snow‑white cheeks, and the hand hidden in her sleeve quietly clenched the handkerchief.

This was the first time she and Jia Jing had a private leisurely talk, an extremely rare opportunity.

All she wanted was to display her talents to the fullest, leave a good impression on Jia Jing, and also win more opportunities for herself.

Besides the taboo of Lin Meimei, which she dared not bring up again, she was willing to talk in depth about anything else, be it finances, career, or household matters.

Over the past few months, she has been reading books and newspapers every day at home, staying informed about current affairs—isn't it all for this moment?