Quick Transmigration: Reversing the Life of a Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character

"Okay, don't have any more silly thoughts. Your brother was really scared just now."

"No more."

When he returned to his mother's courtyard, he found that Granny Gui, who had been kneeling in the middle of the courtyard, was gone. His mother was watching Xiao Ning play with the maids.

"Where have you been?"

"To see my brother."

"What about the two girls?"

"I gave it to my brother."

"Your sister-in-law is strange. It's not okay for her son to accept it, but it's fine for her husband to accept it?"

Lu Zhiyao: Logically speaking, my mother's family wasn't exactly without a background, so how did they raise her to be like this? Two seductive maids, one for my adult and cunning husband, and one for my ten-year-old son—is it really that hard to choose? Anyway, my husband has more than one concubine.

"Mother, please stop making a fuss. Those two maids are obviously specially trained and not from respectable families. The real question is how they were even sent here."

"How could that be? It's all from Mother's dowry."

Lu Zhiyao knew that further persuasion would be futile. The old lady trusted her dowry servants implicitly, and wouldn't believe her even if her beloved youngest daughter spoke up.

"Mother, don't get involved in those things anymore. Eldest brother is cunning; who can fool him? Neither can sister-in-law. If there are any unresolved issues, discuss them with Father and eldest brother first."

"Your father, humph, he's keeping another little vixen in his study. He has no time to listen to me!"

Lu Zhiyao didn't know what to say. In this ancient environment, her mother was already old. Why should she care whether the old man supported one child or not? Even if he had ten or eight, it wouldn't shake the status of the legal wife or the children's property. Wouldn't it be better to let him be?

"Mother, Father is almost sixty years old. How could he possibly have a son or daughter born out of wedlock? It's not worth getting angry with those people. If you want to get rid of them, it's just a matter of a few words."

"I can't be bothered with it, but I was annoyed by what that guy surnamed Miao said last time," the old lady said indignantly.

Lu Zhiyao wanted to slap her forehead. If she had to pick out a prominent protagonist in this story, it would be the Miao family mother and daughter that her mother had mentioned. Let's start with the older one. Back then, her romance with the heir of the Jian Marquis's mansion caused quite a stir in the capital. In the meantime, the Miao family was demoted from the capital, the Jian Marquis's mansion was demoted and its title was passed down, and so on. The two star-crossed lovers went through countless hardships to finally become a couple. The story of the man who became the Jian Marquis and never took a concubine for the sake of the Miao family is still being told on the stage of various teahouses.

Back then, when Yunying was still unmarried, Lady Fan was also captivated by the prince's handsome appearance. Unfortunately, the Fan family's social standing was slightly inferior, and she was ridiculed by Lady Miao several times. Later, the Marquis's mansion was demoted, and the Miao family left the capital. Lady Fan thought her opportunity had come, but the elders of the Fan family believed that the prince was too expressive and had only average literary and martial talents, making him an unsuitable match. They arranged for Lady Fan to marry into the Lu family.

Later, Lady Miao returned to the capital with only a few servants. The heir had already become a marquis, and the only elder left in the mansion was an old princess who was terminally ill and powerless to stop it. So Marquis Jian married Lady Miao.

This "heroine among women" gave birth to an even more "heroic" daughter, Xie Xuanzhi, who is one year younger than Lu Zhiyao and is currently unmarried. This is because she has her eye on the heir of the Prince of Zhongyi's Mansion. Since she was thirteen or fourteen, she has made a big fuss about it, which is known throughout the capital. After the heir married, she quieted down for a while. However, after the heir's wife became pregnant and suffered a miscarriage, her health deteriorated, and this young lady from the Earl's Mansion rekindled her hopes.

If you ask Lu Zhiyao, that prince isn't a good person either. He's always passively enjoying other people's adulation and stringing them along.

In the original owner's life, the Crown Princess lived on until the end. Unable to have children herself, she arranged for her husband to take a concubine to bear children. The elders of the royal family were all present and made it clear that even if she became a concubine, they would not allow a Xie family girl to enter the family. Xie Xuanzhi was heartbroken and married at the age of 23 as a second wife. That's right, she took over the original owner's position and raised her to be a useless person.

Thinking of this, Lu Zhiyao shook her head and said, "Mother, why are you comparing yourself to her? Who knows what's going on inside the Jianbo Mansion? There are so many intricacies in wealthy families. The Earl just doesn't hold banquets, take concubines, or have maids to serve him. What's the difference between that and the maids Father keeps in his study? Besides, how would Madam Miao know what's going on in Father's study?"

"They said it was your father who said it while he was out drinking."

Lu Zhiyao didn't want to comment. Her father, who was away on business recently, was a shrewd old fox; he wasn't the type to casually talk about his romantic affairs.

"Mother, if Miao talks nonsense to you again, just compare your children with hers. Your children are more successful than hers. Her eldest son has failed the imperial examinations repeatedly, her second son is a notorious playboy, and her youngest daughter can't get married," Lu Zhiyao advised her mother.

"Let's leave the first two aside. We can't talk about what her daughter said. Even if it's true, it's not appropriate to gossip about a young lady's reputation."

Although her mother was muddle-headed, she wasn't a bad person at heart. It was the servants who instigated her, especially that Granny Xinrong, who clung to the power around her mother and didn't know how to advise her at all, and she put on quite a high-and-mighty attitude.

"Okay, Mom. I'm tired after a long day, so I'll head back now."

"How about we stay home for the night?"

"No need, I'll come again in a few days. Tell Granny Gui to come out, I'm taking her with me."

"Let her out now. I've told her to go back and pack her things."

The head maid went to the back and returned shortly with a troubled expression: "Reporting to the Old Madam, Sixth Aunt, Granny Gui has accidentally fallen down the steps, and her left foot is so swollen that she can't get out of bed."

Lu Zhiyao spoke up before her mother could: "Then let a palanquin carry her out. Mother, don't worry, I have a doctor there who is extremely skilled in treating sprains and bruises. He'll definitely heal Granny Gui."

"Alright then," Old Madam Lu finally couldn't bear to refuse her daughter's idea and took the lead in agreeing.

Granny Gui was eventually carried onto the Zhou family's carriage. When they reached the fork in the road, the servants of the Zhou family were all in one carriage, while another carriage headed straight for the city gate.

Her body was too weak. She had been holding on at her parents' home, but once she got into the carriage, she could barely keep her eyes open. She managed to give instructions to Granny Gui about where to go and how to be treated, and then leaned on Tao Shi, breathing weakly.

"Mommy~" Xiao Zining was looking at the street scene outside when he turned around and saw her condition. His little voice was filled with fear.

"It's okay, Mom is sleepy, I'll take a nap. You and Dongxue have fun." Lu Zhiyao comforted her gently.

"Stay with Mom." Xiao Zining broke free from Dongxue and moved to his mother's side, pulling on her sleeve with his little hand.

"Okay, stay with Mom, be good, Mom will sleep for a while," Lu Zhiyao said softly, her mind buzzing and her head spinning.

Tao was even more anxious. She reached out and hugged her mistress, hoping to get home quickly. During the process of getting off the carriage at the second gate and onto the palanquin, Lu Zhiyao was in a daze. When they arrived at the courtyard, she went straight into the inner room and fell asleep.

While ordering people to remove her headdress and clothes, Tao summoned the doctor who was employed in the front courtyard. She was relieved to learn that the woman was just asleep.