Transmigration into a Book: My Lord, Your Wife Has Taken Another Concubine for You

Lin Yanran glanced calmly at Aunt Sun and said, "The Marquis often visits your courtyard, and it's really inconvenient to always have the front yard deliver meals. If you want to set up a small kitchen in your courtyard, then go ahead and do so!"

However, all expenses in your small kitchen will be covered by the Marquis's private treasury.

Aunt Sun didn't take Lin Yanran's last words to heart. After all, the Marquis had always been generous to the three of them, and it was just a small kitchen.

Aunt Sun got what she wanted. She smiled and stood up to bow to Lin Yanran, while not forgetting to give Aunt Jin and the other two a provocative look.

Aunt Shui and Aunt He both had gentle smiles on their faces; they really didn't care at all.

They had been in the manor for almost a year, and in their hearts, the Marquis was not a generous person at all. The meager rewards he gave them each time were far less than what the Madam gave them.

The two women really didn't think that the Marquis would be willing to let his concubine's small kitchen be registered under his name. What would it look like if word got out?

Aunt Shui and Aunt He didn't care, but Aunt Jin, who came from a poor background, did. She felt that Aunt Sun was targeting her.

Even from an angle where Lin Yanran couldn't see, Aunt Jin glared fiercely at Aunt Sun.

But the people serving Lin Yanran all saw through the little tricks of these concubines.

Lin Yanran didn't have much to talk about with her concubines. Seeing that everyone was alright, she calmly instructed, "If there's nothing else, you may leave."

Since Lin Yanran said so, all the concubines stood up and bowed. Even the original heroine, Concubine Sun, had learned her lesson.

He dared not confront Lin Yanran directly.

It took Aunt Sun more than a year to realize that Lin Yanran was different from her.

Lin Yanran's wealth and honor did not depend on the Marquis's favor at all, while she could only rely on the Marquis's favor.

If the Marquis tires of her, she will have no choice but to endure a difficult life in this secluded mansion.

Now, Aunt Sun often reminisces about her days as a mistress. Back then, her children were all around her, she managed a large house, lacked nothing, and could go out whenever she wanted.

Now, apart from the legitimate status of a concubine, it seems she has nothing left.

Aunt Sun's current arrogant behavior stems from the fact that she has children and cannot back down.

At this moment, Aunt Sun was sanely arrogant. She wanted to act like she was brainless so that Lin Yanran would lower her guard against her.

She had already witnessed the Madam's methods, and she had no means to confront the Madam head-on.

Aunt Sun could only focus on raising the child to adulthood before making plans for the future.

Lin Yanran didn't care what Aunt Sun was thinking; she was enjoying the show.

After the concubines left, Lin Yanran had someone tidy her up, and she went to pay her respects to Old Madam Hou with a refreshed expression.

Although Madam Hou kept her busy, she didn't need to pay her respects to her often.

But Lin Yanran would still visit Old Madam Hou every day or two; she wouldn't give her any leverage over her.

As for her going to pay her respects, whether it was who angered whom or not, Lin Yanran wasn't angry at all.

However, ever since Aunt Shui and Aunt He became pregnant, Old Madam Hou has been quite warm towards her.

Lin Yanran didn't understand at first, thinking that Old Madam Hou was satisfied with her because she had become a virtuous first wife.

However, as time went on, Lin Yanran gradually figured it out.

As a woman herself, Madam Hou certainly knew what it was like for a woman to truly love someone.

The original owner resolutely refused to allow Chu Mochen to take a concubine, which made Old Madam Hou feel that her son could control the original owner and therefore could hold his position as mother-in-law.

Anyway, the original owner wouldn't really hold it against her because of Chu Mochen.

Now that it's Lin Yanran who doesn't care about Chu Mochen, Old Madam Hou must have realized that she doesn't care about Chu Mochen at all. Of course, Old Madam Hou doesn't dare to show any disrespect to this true noblewoman.

Now that Lin Yanran doesn't even give her son face, this old woman has even less face to lose.

So the clever Old Madam Hou wouldn't make a fool of herself, and that's how she came to look kind and gentle.

However, this time, Lin Yanran bowed to Old Madam Hou and sat down. Looking at the young girl who was bowing gracefully to her, she wondered what was going on this time.

Madam Hou, Xie, warmly took the girl's hand and introduced her, "This is Xie Anyan, the illegitimate daughter of my eldest brother's family. She is also Chen'er's cousin."

Lin Yanran smiled and replied, "Oh, so you're my cousin. I haven't met you before. If Mother likes it, you can stay at the manor with her for a while."

"Ran'er, you're so thoughtful. But you and Chen'er are both so busy, and this old woman inevitably gets lonely sometimes. What do you think about leaving Yan'er at home to keep this old woman company?"

As she spoke, Madam Hou gestured to Ruyue beside her to give Lin Yanran the box she had prepared earlier.

Wen Zhu, who knew medicine, quickly stepped forward to take the box and stood respectfully beside Lin Yanran, holding it in his hands.

Since Madam Hou hadn't given it to her personally, and Lin Yanran wasn't accepting it herself, Madam Hou, though displeased, could only smile and avert her gaze, considering her plans for the day.

"Ran'er, shall we open it and take a look?"

Wen Zhu smiled and opened the box, presenting it to Lin Yanran. Lin Yanran saw that inside the box were two land deeds for shops in good locations on Cangming Main Street.

Lin Yanran took a careful look at them; both were quite large and belonged to the kind that were valuable but unavailable.

Lin Yanran gestured for Wenzhu to put it away, and then thanked her in a good mood, saying, "Thank you, Mother, your daughter-in-law likes it very much."

When Madam Hou saw that Lin Yanran had thanked her, she continued drinking her tea without saying anything further or declining, which made it difficult for Madam Hou to continue.

But since the gifts had already been given out, Old Madam Hou was unwilling to give up, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue:

"My niece has had a rough time, and she still hasn't found a husband. I, this old woman, really like her. Ran'er, do you think it's possible to let Yan'er become Chen'er's concubine?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yanran feigned surprise and looked at Old Madam Hou, "Mother, you're not joking, are you? My eldest uncle is the head of the Xie family, and now his daughter is going to be someone's concubine? Doesn't the Xie family have a family rule that daughters don't become concubines?"

Both Madam Hou and Xie Anyan felt their faces turn slightly red, but Xie Anyan couldn't bring herself to give up, thinking about her cousin's handsome appearance and the future promised by the old lady.

"Your eldest uncle really can't bear to let Yan'er become a concubine; it's just that this old woman likes Yan'er!"

In the past, Madam Hou would never have dared to say such a thing, but now that her eldest son has four concubines in his harem, one more would not make any difference to his eldest daughter-in-law.

"If Mother likes it, then the daughter-in-law can't disrespect her. But if she wants to become a concubine, what Mother gives her isn't enough."

As the matriarch of the household, the mother must have understood that the threat posed by a concubine and a high-ranking concubine to her daughter-in-law was not the same.

If a mother is willing to give half of her personal savings to her daughter-in-law as a sense of security, the daughter-in-law might accept it.

After Lin Yanran finished speaking, she looked at Old Madam Hou with expectant eyes.