My whole family time-traveled! I became a god during my exile in a famine.

Chapter 348 Unable to Overcome the Hurdle in My Heart

Speaking of regret, Madam Lu of the Marquis of Lin'an's mansion was truly filled with deep remorse.

Who would have thought that fortunes would turn around, and the Xin State Duke's Mansion, which was almost destroyed by imperial decree, would be able to make a comeback in such a short time?
Since her youngest son recovered from his illness, he has been living like he's in a supply depot, taking care of Xin Liu's base every day and revolving around him.

As a mother, Madam Lu felt pained seeing this and complained every day on behalf of her youngest son.

However, everyone in the family, from the old man to the eldest son, the second son, and the youngest daughter, all thought that Lu Jingxian was incredibly smart.

Isn't this the right company to latch onto?
Since Lu Jingxian went to the base's material reserve center building, the family's life has improved significantly.

Now that his nephews and nieces are all well-fed, his sisters-in-law praise him in every way imaginable.

Only Madam Lu had a stern face all day long, as if the base owed her a hundred thousand taels of silver.

Lu Zhilan pushed open the door and entered. Seeing her mother's demeanor, her heart sank.

When Madam Lu saw her daughter, she was furious. "Where have you been so early in the morning?"

"Go and deliver some clothes to Third Brother. The temperature has started to drop again these past few days, and there's a rumor that a strong cold wave is coming. Mother, should we go and exchange for a few more thick cotton quilts?"

"Quite a few people went to the trading building to exchange for the new type of coal. It's said that it burns quickly and uses very little material; a small lump can burn for quite a while."

“But it seems the house can’t be completely sealed off; it needs to be ventilated from time to time,” Lu Zhilan rambled on, not noticing her mother’s increasingly worse complexion.

"Send them all over there." Madam Lu stood up angrily. "Don't ever come back again. You're like you live with that woman all the time, running around doing her bidding, so attentive. You don't care about home at all."

Lu Dalang and Lu Erlang had just entered the house carrying firewood when they heard their mother yelling and shouting in anger again.

The two of them frowned simultaneously.

Lu Dalang sighed, "Mother, what are you angry about again? My third brother is busy with the base's affairs all day long. Can't you be a little more understanding of him?"

"That's right. Third Brother isn't idle, so don't be so rude. What's with all this talk about women? She's the base chief's daughter. Besides, Third Brother said long ago that Miss Xin Liu made it clear that their relationship was over long ago and there's no possibility of it rekindling. They're just sworn siblings now, so why are you being so harsh?"

Lu Dalang was halfway through his sentence when he noticed the unpleasant look on his mother's face and couldn't help but sigh.

A hint of resentment flashed across Madam Lu's harsh face. "Fine, you're all blaming me! It's my fault? I knew it. You all think I'm the one who's wrong now."

"But your father approved of Sanlang's annulment of the engagement back then. Why is everyone blaming me now?"

"Mother! No one in the family blames you!" Lu Dalang was utterly speechless.

Lu Zhilan spoke even more directly, "Mother, no one really blames you. It's just that you regret it now and can't get over that hurdle in your heart, so you feel that others are always secretly blaming you."

"But didn't Third Brother say before that the past is the past, don't think too much about it, isn't it better to just live a good life now?"

“Yes, Mother. Look at our home now, it’s spacious and bright, much better than those homeless people outside. Our food and daily necessities are also gradually improving. What else could you possibly be dissatisfied with?” Lu Erlang felt that his mother had become increasingly unreasonable over the past year.

Even though our family's life is getting better and better, why is my mother becoming more and more unhappy?

He and his wife are incredibly satisfied with their current life! They have enough to eat and wear, and their child can study and practice writing at a desk—it's like living in paradise. "Most of the points in the family are earned by my third brother. If it weren't for his success, kindness, and filial piety, and his ability to help our whole family, with just my and my eldest brother's meager odd jobs, the whole family wouldn't be able to live in such a nice house; we'd be starving!"

"My second brother is right. Mother, please stop complaining all the time. Our family is really doing quite well now!"

Lu Zhilan glanced at Madam Lu's unpleasant expression, then turned and walked out without a word.

"Where have you been again!" Mrs. Lu yelled at her little daughter as if she had nowhere to vent her frustration.

Lu Zhilan stopped in her tracks, turned around and looked at Madam Lu expressionlessly. "I'm going to the kitchen to prepare the vegetables. My third brother just gave me a big piece of mutton. I'll make mutton soup for lunch so my nephew and niece can have something good to eat and nourish themselves."

Suddenly, Madam Lu burst into tears, crying so bitterly that she beat her chest and stamped her feet.

She regretted it deeply, and felt extremely ashamed.

She hurt her youngest son so badly, yet he still didn't hold a grudge and helped the whole family through the crisis, bringing them whatever good things he could find.

She regretted it; she really regretted it.

Granny Chun stepped forward and helped her mistress up with heartache, wiping away tears in front of the young masters and ladies, "Young Master, Second Young Master, Miss, please don't blame Madam. Actually, Madam is very distressed, she really regrets it so much."

"If she hadn't discussed with the Marquis about canceling the marriage with the Xin family, fearing that she would be implicated by the Xin family, the Third Young Master wouldn't be suffering so much now."

Lu Zhilan looked at her mother, who was wailing loudly.

Her strong-willed mother was now crying uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.

The little girl immediately softened, sighed, stepped forward, took her mother's hand, and whispered, "Mother, Third Brother didn't blame you, and neither did we. What's past is past, don't think too much about it."

"Actually, the Sixth Miss is a very good person. She won't hold it against you too much."

Lu Zhilan wiped away her mother's tears, "Can't you see? There was no annulment of the engagement, and my brother and the sixth young lady were never meant to be together anyway."

"How could the Sixth Miss be bound by a marriage contract? She lives a carefree and unrestrained life. She seems indifferent to everyone, but she is actually kind and gentle to His Highness the Crown Prince. She smiles whenever she sees him. You'll understand if you observe her more closely in the future."

Lu Dalang and Lu Erlang also stepped forward to comfort her, "Mother, please don't be sad. It's better for our family to work together and make a good life. Let's try to earn more points in the future and not always rely on our third brother and drag him down, don't you think?"

Madam Lu cried for a while, but she didn't seem as upset as before.

She nodded, looking quite dejected. "I'll do whatever you say. I won't bring this up again."

"Stew half of the mutton, and braise the rest. We can still eat it in a couple of days."

Lu Zhilan looked at her mother and felt relieved, a smile appearing on her face. "I'll listen to you, Mother."

Lu Dalang said, "Today the base issued a new decree that starting tomorrow, base personnel will not be allowed to cut down trees by the lake at will."

"However, everyone will be able to get number plates in the future and log within the designated forest area of ​​the base."