The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

"Mother!"

Sheng Hong called out to her urgently.

Xu didn't even turn her head.

Soon, only Sheng Hong, Wang Ruoyu, and Song Ge'er, who was still sobbing, remained in the room.

Sheng Hong's chest heaved for a long time before he suddenly grabbed Wang Ruoyu and led her to his own courtyard.

Wang Ruo stumbled, nearly falling, and immediately snapped, "Sheng Hong! What are you doing? Are you crazy? I'm pregnant!"

Sheng Hong paused, finally loosening his grip a bit, but continued walking forward without saying a word.

Once inside the courtyard and the gate was closed, he finally managed to suppress his anger and say, "What a fine son you've raised!"

Wang Ruoyu, who had initially tried to maintain a facade, immediately flared up upon hearing this: "How can you say he's someone I raised? Isn't he your son? Haven't you been in Dengzhou all these years?"

Sheng Hong's face darkened: "If no one says that normally, how would a two-year-old child know what an 'old hag' is?"

Wang Ruoyu was also furious: "Am I wrong to say that? In all these years in Dengzhou, has anyone ever taken care of us? Other people who are sent out to take up their posts bring their families with them, but the two of us, apart from your Dongrong and my Liuyun, have no one else to help us. It is supposed to be a posting, but it is like an exile. We have lost all face. We even have to buy our servants locally."

"My family is alright, but my mother couldn't bear it. I wrote several letters and at least sent some money over."

Where is your partner?

Her face was full of sarcasm: "As the legal mother, what has she ever given me over the years besides the perfunctory New Year's gifts? When I was pregnant, heavily pregnant, and giving birth, did she ever show any appreciation? She has no money and no connections."

"By doing this, she's not treating you like her own son!"

Wang Ruo stared at Sheng Hong and said, word by word, "You'd better wake up soon."

Sheng Hong's face darkened: "How dare you say that? Mother didn't treat me like this before! She must be angry with me, otherwise why hasn't she replied to my letters all these years?"

Thinking of Lin Qinshuang, Sheng Hong felt even more troubled.

During his years in Dengzhou, his mother even had an adopted daughter.

His mother didn't tell him a single word about such a big thing.

This shows how estranged the mother and son had become.

The thought of this gave Sheng Hong a headache.

"If you're angry, then you're angry."

Wang Ruoyu, however, remained unconvinced: "What can she do now? The Xu family has long since fallen from grace and can no longer offer her any support. She has no biological son, and she's getting old. If she doesn't rely on you in the future, who else can she rely on?"

In other words, the old woman still had some money and dowry that were useful.

Upon hearing these words, Sheng Hong's tension was strangely relieved.

Yes, he's all my mother has left.

Even if I'm angry, so what? Can I really sever my mother-son relationship with him?

When she gets old, won't she still need him to take care of her? Even after she passes away, he'll still be needed to break the coffin and carry her spirit.

Seeing that his expression had softened, Wang Ruoyu also softened her voice: "Alright, let's wash up first. I'm very tired from the journey back. Let's have something to eat first, and then get a good night's sleep. Once you're well-rested, you can come home with me tomorrow."

"My brother has now returned from his post in a remote area, so you can discuss your experiences in local government with him. My father is now a high-ranking official, and if he is willing to give you some pointers, it will benefit you for a lifetime."

She listed the benefits one by one, and Sheng Hong's eyes lit up as he listened.

The slight dissatisfaction he felt towards Wang Ruo was subsequently suppressed.

He softened his expression again and helped Wang Ruoyu up, saying, "My wife is absolutely right. Since you are tired, I will help you wash up first."

Wang Ruoyu gave him a reproachful look.

"Virtue".

No one realized that a figure had quietly left outside the window.

Inside the Xu family's room.

After Mrs. Fang recounted everything she had heard, there was silence in the room for a long time.

Xu sat under the lamp, her hands twirling Buddhist prayer beads, her expression calm to the point of being almost vacant.

Mother Fang couldn't help but tear up, and said in a low voice, "I told you long ago that he was a wolf cub, unreliable. It's a wonder you've kept bribing him all these years. If it weren't for you, with his meager political achievements and a troublemaker like Wang Shi by his side, how could he have returned to the capital so smoothly? With the people she's offended, she might have had to endure three more years in Dengzhou."

Xu remained silent.

She wasn't surprised by what Wang Ruoyu said about her.

From the very first meeting, she felt that he was dishonest.

What about Sheng Hong?

Wang Ruoyu spoke ill of his stepmother, who had raised him and taught him to be successful, openly and subtly belittling her.

Sheng Hong listened without uttering a single rebuttal.

When Wang Ruoyu told him that her family had fallen on hard times and that she was now old and had no choice but to continue relying on him, Sheng Hong actually acquiesced.

She felt that her heart had truly turned cold.

She raised him for nearly fifteen years, fifteen years!

So much effort!

What they got in return was nothing but having no choice but to rely on it!

"What they said wasn't wrong."

Xu spoke after a long while.

Her voice was soft, yet tinged with deep weariness: "This mansion, after all, belongs to the Sheng family. If I weren't his mother, I shouldn't be living here. But where can I go if I leave?"

She slowly closed her eyes.

It's too late, it's all too late.

Wrong, all wrong!

Mrs. Fang quickly said, "What's so late? It's just a house; surely we can afford it ourselves?"

Xu was startled and opened her eyes to look at her.

With a serious expression, Mrs. Fang said, "If the young lady is truly afraid of being alone and helpless in the future, isn't there still another option right now?"

Xu's eyes flickered slightly.

"You mean... Qinshuang?"

His tone was full of hesitation.

Madam Fang nodded: "Shuang'er is indeed cunning and will not act without self-interest. Although you have treated her well out of pity over the years, you have also been wary of her, which is the right thing to do. This old servant is also afraid that she will become another Hong'er."

"Now that we've come this far, this old servant would like to add something. In this old servant's opinion, Shuang-jie and Hong-ge are ultimately different."

"The former is a young woman, all alone and destitute. Without her wife, she truly has nothing left."

"Hong-ge'er is indeed a young man. Now he has achieved official rank and married the eldest daughter of Master Wang. It was all because of Third Madam Wang back then... Look at my mouth, I should be calling her Empress now."

Madam Fang gently patted her mouth before continuing, "It was because of that incident that he was put on the official's list of names, and he is unlikely to have much of a future. But you should also know that no matter what, the official cannot demote him back to commoner status based on his own likes and dislikes."

The court officials would not agree to it.

"Even in this mediocre position, he's still an official. If the Wang family can't help him with his future prospects, what chance does the lady have?"

Xu's eyelashes trembled slightly.

Mother Fang added, "Comparing the two, Shuang'er might be more filial in the future."