The Innocent Question
Another story from the Mistress’s Child series.
The Young Master seldom sends letters addressed directly to Alfred, and he found himself a bit troubled as he broke the seal and opened the envelope. He heaved a sigh of relief. He simply wanted to know how the water supply in the cotton mill was being tapped. They have been faithfully following the procedures handed down by Old Master in the past, and Alfred wrote back, detailing exactly the procedures they have followed all these while. He noted with pleasure how Young Master would be glad that the cotton mill was being managed well, and placed an entry on this against his work log. Little Mistress reads the work log every night without fail.
The Mistress’s Child was a bit worried when she read the log that night. Why would her brother be concerned about a cotton mill that did not contribute much to the family business? He was running a big business empire and would one day take over her father’s business. She tossed and she turned, unable to sleep during the night.
Sure enough the carriage came the next day. Her father was summoning her to the Mansion. The Mistress’s Child bit her lips. Something must be wrong. She did not hear Alfred calling out to her, until she almost reached the carriage and a panting old man came to her, to deliver two hard-boiled eggs and a glass of milk. She had forgotten her breakfast. Alfred always makes sure she eats in the morning.
The journey in the carriage took so long, and the journey to the doorsteps took even longer. The longest journey yet was the one to the study, where her father and her brother awaited her. She could tell that her father was not happy, and neither was her brother.
“I hear that you are using the bamboo train system to deliver the water for the cotton mill? Do you know that it is such a wasteful system? It was a good thing that your brother told me about it. Why aren’t you following the direct pump system that we are now using on all our factories? How much more money are you going to waste?”
Her father was almost shouting at her.
The Mistress's Child, fighting back her tears, could only reply, “I will change the system, father. As long as you are happy, I will change.”
The journey to the carriage was the longest ever, and the journey back home was like an eternity. The Mistress’s Child sobbed and sobbed. She knew her father would not listen to her, if she were to tell him that she had faithfully followed his instructions given to her many years ago. His ears were for her brother only.
Nobody had told her of the change.
The Young Master seldom sends letters addressed directly to Alfred, and he found himself a bit troubled as he broke the seal and opened the envelope. He heaved a sigh of relief. He simply wanted to know how the water supply in the cotton mill was being tapped. They have been faithfully following the procedures handed down by Old Master in the past, and Alfred wrote back, detailing exactly the procedures they have followed all these while. He noted with pleasure how Young Master would be glad that the cotton mill was being managed well, and placed an entry on this against his work log. Little Mistress reads the work log every night without fail.
The Mistress’s Child was a bit worried when she read the log that night. Why would her brother be concerned about a cotton mill that did not contribute much to the family business? He was running a big business empire and would one day take over her father’s business. She tossed and she turned, unable to sleep during the night.
Sure enough the carriage came the next day. Her father was summoning her to the Mansion. The Mistress’s Child bit her lips. Something must be wrong. She did not hear Alfred calling out to her, until she almost reached the carriage and a panting old man came to her, to deliver two hard-boiled eggs and a glass of milk. She had forgotten her breakfast. Alfred always makes sure she eats in the morning.
The journey in the carriage took so long, and the journey to the doorsteps took even longer. The longest journey yet was the one to the study, where her father and her brother awaited her. She could tell that her father was not happy, and neither was her brother.
“I hear that you are using the bamboo train system to deliver the water for the cotton mill? Do you know that it is such a wasteful system? It was a good thing that your brother told me about it. Why aren’t you following the direct pump system that we are now using on all our factories? How much more money are you going to waste?”
Her father was almost shouting at her.
The Mistress's Child, fighting back her tears, could only reply, “I will change the system, father. As long as you are happy, I will change.”
The journey to the carriage was the longest ever, and the journey back home was like an eternity. The Mistress’s Child sobbed and sobbed. She knew her father would not listen to her, if she were to tell him that she had faithfully followed his instructions given to her many years ago. His ears were for her brother only.
Nobody had told her of the change.
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