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

Lin Yanran chuckled and waved at Chu Yunheng's retreating figure, raising her voice to reply, "I'll remember that. Next time you're on vacation, I'll bring people to pick you up."

Upon hearing Lin Yanran's words, Chu Yunheng paused for a moment, but without turning around, he simply waved his hand and quickly walked into the academy.

He was afraid that if he turned around, he would want to go back with his mother.

No matter how good Zhi Ren Academy was, Chu Yunheng still missed the days when he studied at the clan school and could return home for lunch.

After seeing Chu Yunheng off to the academy, Lin Yanran stayed at home.

Mainly, it was the time of year, and with the outside world covered in snow and ice, Lin Yanran didn't want to go out. Besides, Old Madam Hou was still ill! Since Lin Yanran had earned a reputation for filial piety outside, she really had no choice but to stay at home.

However, Lin Yanran was also surprised to see the snow falling outside. There was still a flood in the south at this time of year. She wondered if Chu Mochen could get this great credit.

But this was just a fleeting thought that Lin Yanran occasionally had when she was bored.

The end of the year was fast approaching, and she would have to review the accounts and meet with the head of the estate and the manager, so she wouldn't have time to care about Chu Mochen's life or death.

Fortunately, Lin Yanran had a son who planned to take leave to return home and help her with the accounts.

Of course, Chu Yunxuan was looking at the account books of Zhonggong in Lin Yanran's hands. As for Lin Yanran's private treasury, she personally calculated and managed it.

Chu Yunxuan only took three days off to help Lin Yanran settle the accounts of Zhonggong before returning to the palace to serve as her study companion.

However, Chu Yunxuan felt much more at ease when he entered the palace this time.

When he was in the palace, he often worried about whether his crybaby mother could handle the pack of wolves and tigers in the mansion.

When he returned this time, good heavens, his mother hadn't even made a move yet. In his previous life, relying on being the only daughter of the Marquis's family and becoming the favored concubine's half-sister in the palace, her grave was already overgrown with weeds.

That half-brother who dared to argue with him because he had his father and sister backing him up—he'd never get a punch from him again, and if the weather changed, he'd be bedridden.

Chu Yunxuan thought about his past life and couldn't help but sigh, "Indeed, some people, as long as they live, are insurmountable mountains for others."

After Lin Yanran finished handling all the year-end settlements, she started preparing New Year's gifts. As the year draws to a close, it's time for social interactions again.

Although there were precedents from previous years, Lin Yanran still had to carefully review and adjust the system each year, depending on the changes in the Cangming Xun Noble Ministers and the Emperor's attitude.

After arranging the New Year's gifts, Lin Yanran had to prepare for the ancestral worship ceremony. In this era, the annual ancestral worship ceremony was of paramount importance, and no mistakes could be tolerated.

This is also why people in this era choose marriage partners who are well-matched in terms of social status and background.

If you were to marry a commoner woman, not to mention the intricacies of social interactions, just the arrangements for ancestral worship alone would leave most people clueless about where to begin.

By the time Lin Yanran finished making these arrangements, it would almost be Chinese New Year.

If we're talking about who's been the happiest these past few days, it has to be Chu Yunheng.

Since the Lunar New Year was approaching and both brothers Chu Yunxuan and Chu Yunheng had taken a holiday, Lin Yanran spent her days at the mansion.

Chu Yunheng never went anywhere else; without fail, he would have lunch and dinner at Lin Yanran's courtyard.

Sometimes when Chu Yunxuan wanted to take him out to stroll around Cangming City or visit friends, Chu Yunheng would refuse.

Chu Yunheng was happy just spending his days reading books and keeping his mother company at home. He also enjoyed watching the plays performed at the manor.

As the Lunar New Year drew ever closer, the women in the backyard couldn't sit still any longer and started finding all sorts of ways to inquire about Chu Mochen from Lin Yanran.

Lin Yanran found it annoying, so when they all came to pay their respects again, she announced in unison, "Chu Mochen won't be coming back for the New Year."

All of that was fine, but what made Lin Yanran speechless the most was that her mother-in-law was now acting like a thief in the family, wanting to snatch any meat she could get her second brother's family.

After learning that Chu Mochen wouldn't be returning for the New Year, Madam Hou summoned Lin Yanran and Chu Yunxuan over again.

This time, Madam Hou didn't mince words; after Lin Yanran and Chu Yunxuan sat down, she went straight to the point:

"I heard that the Marquis won't be able to return in time for the New Year, so let your second brother take over the ancestral worship this year!"

Madam Hou said this to Lin Yanran, knowing that if Lin Yanran disagreed, it wouldn't matter who agreed.

When Lin Yanran arrived, she really didn't expect that Old Madam Hou had this idea. Now that she heard this...

It's just that people can really laugh when they're speechless. "Those who know will know that the Marquis isn't coming back for the New Year this year, but those who don't will think that the Marquis will never come back again."

Even if the Marquis never comes back, he still has a bunch of sons!

"It's not like it's the second brother from the collateral branch who's saying this; it's true what they say, a barking dog doesn't bite."

After saying this, Lin Yanran didn't care whether Old Madam Hou was furious or not, and immediately ordered someone to call over Second Master Chu Mode.

Old Madam Hou pointed at Lin Yanran for a long time, thinking that this eldest daughter-in-law had a high status, and if she was scolded, Lin Yanran would talk back. If she was hit, Lin Yanran would fight back.

Madam Hou thought for a long time but still couldn't figure out what to do. In the end, she decided to faint first.

Lin Yanran threatened with a smile, "Mother, if you faint today because of this, I guarantee that when you wake up, your beloved son will have a leg broken."

Old Madam Hou glared at Lin Yanran with her teeth bared, "How dare you!"

Lin Yanran felt her patience with this biased fool was dwindling, and today she was determined to teach him a lesson he wouldn't forget.

"Mother can try. I warned you long ago that it's best not to mess with me, or the entire Marquis's mansion will be destroyed along with me."

Actually, it wasn't that serious; it was just that my second brother lost a leg.

"If word gets out, it's just that the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother, disciplining her unfilial younger brother; it's not a big deal."

At this moment, the old lady felt that she was really going to be driven crazy by this crazy woman. Just because she was a princess, she wanted to teach this person or that person a lesson in the mansion, and even dared to say that De'er was unfilial.

If it weren't for the servants holding her back, Old Madam Hou would have loved to personally rush forward and fight Lin Yanran to the death.

"Lin Yanran, how dare you! That is the Marquis, your husband's own brother. How could you be so cruel? And you even said your brother was unfilial."

If we're talking about unfilial piety, who in this entire household is more unfilial than you, Lin Yanran?

Chu Yunxuan was furious upon hearing this and immediately stood up to argue with Old Madam Hou.

Lin Yanran quickly grabbed Chu Yunxuan. In this era, filial piety and brotherly love are highly valued. She could stand up to the old lady Hou, but Chu Yunxuan, as a junior, could not.

Just as Lin Yanran was about to say something, she caught a glimpse of Chu Mod entering out of the corner of her eye.

Lin Yanran swiftly grabbed the teacup next to her and threw it at Chu Mode's head.

Chu Mode was a military general, and even if he was unprepared at first, his body reacted to danger very quickly.

So the teacup eventually flew past Chu Mode and shattered on the ground.