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

The mother and her children ate for a long time, so long that no one wanted to leave.

In the end, Lin Yanran suggested, "Let's stop here! I'd like to meet Chu Shijianhui and the others."

"Mother, where do you want to meet? Do you want me to come with you?" Chu Yunxuan looked intently at Lin Yanran; clearly, he didn't want to leave.

Lin Yanran looked out the window. It seemed the sun was out. She hadn't been in the sun for a while. She might die soon, so she decided to get some sun.

"Let's meet on the veranda outside! Let's find a sunny spot! You four don't need to come with us, go ahead and do what you need to do!"

Lin Yanran looked at the sunlight outside, her eyes filled with joy. Having been trapped in this sick body for so long, she was starting to long for a new life. Why was that?

Chu Yunheng wanted to say something, but Chu Yunxuan stopped him.

"Mother, let my brother and I help you out," Chu Yunxuan said, already placing his hand on Lin Yanran's arm.

This time, Lin Yanran didn't refuse and let Chu Yunxuan hold her arm.

Seeing this, Chu Yunheng quickly ran over and supported Lin Yanran's other arm.

Lin Yanran let Chu Yunxuan and Chu Yunheng help her out, with Le An holding a cushion and Kong Lingyi holding a cloak to drape her legs.

When Lin Yanran sat in the sun under the eaves, she felt so comfortable that she wanted to close her eyes immediately.

But since we're already here, let's meet the children!

On the table next to her were a pile of boxes, each labeled. These were probably her blessings for each of the younger generation.

But that's all she can do for her grandchildren; she can't take care of the rest.

After Chu Yunxuan and the other three went out, they went their separate ways. Then Chu Yunxuan went back alone, walked up the wall next to him in a few steps, and sat down on the wall.

From this position, Lin Yanran's back was to him, so he couldn't see her from her position, but she could see him.

Chu Yunxuan had just sat down for a while when Chu Yunheng, who couldn't climb up the wall, came down to him and whispered, "Big brother, can you pull me up?"

Chu Yunxuan took a deep breath, feeling utterly speechless. He was older than Chu Yunheng, yet his younger brother couldn't climb up, while he, the old man, managed to do it all by himself. Was this any way to make sense?

Despite his internal grumbling, he still reached out and tried to pull his now-chubby younger brother up. "Can't you watch your figure? Aren't you afraid your wife will dislike you?"

Chu Yunheng handed one of the two jars of wine to Chu Yunxuan, saying, "I knew my brother would come back here."

After Chu Yunheng finished speaking, he opened the wine jar in his hand and started drinking. Chu Yunxuan only took a small sip and then put it aside. He didn't want to get drunk at a time like this.

Le'an and Kong Lingyi did not return; they went to make arrangements. Le'an felt uneasy and sent someone with the Marquis's nameplate to the palace to summon the imperial physician.

Lin Yanran had assumed Chu Shihui would be the first to enter, but when she saw who it was, her expression turned slightly surprised. "Nian'er, you're here too!"

Chu Yunnian immediately knelt before Lin Yanran, "Mother, your son has arrived."

Upon hearing Chu Yunnian's words, tears immediately welled up in his eyes. Although he was only a son of a concubine, he had been protected by his stepmother since childhood. If it weren't for his stepmother's protection, he would have been in trouble.

Given his aptitude, even passing the imperial examination would have been difficult, let alone being able to study at Zhiren Academy and receive care from his two elder brothers.

He knew that his two elder brothers took care of him because of their stepmother. His two elder brothers had no feelings for any of the children born out of wedlock, but they still took care of him.

And what did he give in return? Just some ordinary things.

Lin Yanran reached out and pulled him up. Looking at the frail-looking man, she teased, "Don't cry. You should take better care of yourself. We might not be able to be apart for long."

Chu Yunnian grinned, "My son will copy the storybooks for you down there."

Lin Yanran patted his hand. "Can't you be a little more ambitious and say you'll earn money down there to buy it for me?"

Chu Yunnian touched his head. "I wanted to buy it for you, but look at my son. Even with your and my two older brothers' protection, he's still doing so poorly. He's a bit slow and probably won't be able to earn the money."

Chu Yunnian is now a fourth-rank official in Cangming, and this is still the case because he was only a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level), which limited his potential. He certainly has no shortage of ability.

During the years he was sent to remote, impoverished, and riotous areas, he emerged from those places and even achieved genuinely good political results.

Having experienced so much, endured so much mental strain, and lived such a difficult life, I now appear old and frail.

Thinking about Chu Yunnian's achievements as an official who had served in various positions, Lin Yanran felt admiration for the child.

"You're not stupid, you just lacked luck. If you had passed the imperial examination back then, you might have become a high-ranking official of the second rank."

During his years of service in the provinces, Chu Yunnian saw and thought a lot, and now he is very content. Whether he is doing well or not depends on who he compares himself to. Compared to those below him, he is already considered extremely successful.

"It's not bad now. I'm a fourth-rank official, and a fourth-rank official in Cangming. That's better than many families. Besides, my son thinks I'm very lucky. Otherwise, how could I have met my mother?"

"You are a good child." After Lin Yanran finished praising him, Huixiang took out a box from the many boxes next to her and handed it to Chu Yunnian.

Chu Yunnian guessed what it was at a glance, but he didn't answer. "Mother, this is inappropriate."

Lin Yanran smiled and said a few words of advice: "Take it! You've been filial to me for so many years and called me mother, so you deserve a share. Even if you don't have as much as your older brothers, just consider it a memento."

From now on, I'll live a good life with my family.

"Thank you, Mother, son..." Chu Yunnian hugged the box and was about to cry again. He knew that his stepmother had always been good to him, but he had never thought that his stepmother really treated him as her son.

"Alright, alright, please don't cry, or you'll make everyone else cry. You can go now! I'm going to see the others."

After Lin Yanran finished speaking, she smiled and waved to Chu Yunnian. Chu Yunnian felt that his mother was seeing him off with a smile. He put the box in his hand aside and solemnly bowed to Lin Yanran, saying, "Mother, please take care."

After Chu Yunnian finished speaking, he took out a copy of a book of ghost stories he had handwritten from his pocket and placed it on the table next to him. This was a book he had specially found in the countryside, but it was too old, so he copied it again. He thought his stepmother would like it.

Chu Yunnian put down the book and respectfully withdrew.

Huixiang picked up the book of ghost stories and placed it in Lin Yanran's hands. Lin Yanran looked at the big words on the cover and realized that it was indeed something she would be interested in.

She flipped through it casually and noticed that the words were much larger than before. "She's a thoughtful child."

Lin Yanran touched the manuscript, feeling happy that her efforts were remembered. She was happy that Chu Yunnian hadn't taken it out as soon as he entered the room, and happy that Chu Yunnian still had genuine feelings for her.