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

These words sounded extremely harsh to Chu Xiyao. "Big brother, are you not welcoming your little sister back? If you don't welcome us, we'll just go back to the General's Mansion."

Having spent years at the border, Ma Zhongzheng was surrounded by people who fawned over him. He had never seen the realities of the world, and immediately, displeased, he grabbed his mother Chu Xiyao's hand and tried to walk outside.

"Mother, let's go back to the General's Mansion. We don't need to be treated like this here."

Both children, Ma Mingzhen and Ma Zhongshuai, had faces full of anger.

While the conditions at the border were harsher than in Cangming, General Ma was the most powerful and prestigious there, practically a local tyrant.

The children were used to being pampered over there, and when they returned to Cangming, they were met with cold treatment from their so-called uncles. Their hearts were filled with resentment and humiliation.

Seeing the humiliated expressions on the faces of Chu Xiyao and her three children, Chu Mochen instantly felt that his good intentions had been wasted.

"If you've only grown older and not wiser all these years, I really wouldn't dare let you stay in the Marquis's mansion."

Chu Mochen felt that his Marquis's mansion was also a large and powerful family, and he was afraid that these arrogant fools would drag him down!

Chu Xiyao looked at Chu Mochen with even more disbelief. "Big brother, have you lost your mind because of lust?! I'm your own sister! Zhen'er and the others are your own nieces and nephews!"

Chu Mochen truly experienced the frustration of talking to a brick wall. If it weren't for the fact that she was his own sister, he wouldn't have bothered saying anything at all.

Chu Mochen isn't some saintly saint who meddles in everyone's business.

"At your age, you have no sense of the bigger picture, only concerned with trivial matters of men and women. Take it or leave it at the Marquis's mansion."

After pointing his finger at Chu Yunyao and cursing her, Chu Mochen simply turned and left.

Seeing her brothers' attitudes, Chu Xiyao couldn't stop crying. This was nothing like the scene she had expected. The Marquis's mansion was no longer the family that could protect her.

Chu Xiyao really wanted to take the children and leave, but she remembered her husband's instructions before they came back, so she didn't dare to leave.

Ma Zhongzheng felt that his uncle and aunt had made their dislike for him and his three children very obvious. He really didn't want to stay here shamelessly; he couldn't stay here for even a second longer.

"Mother, let's leave quickly! We can't stay in this dilapidated manor anymore."

Ma Zhongshuai didn't want to live here either. "Mother, what my uncles say is different from what you said. They don't care about us at all."

The only one who didn't want to leave was Ma Mingzhen.

Thinking of her cousin who had just stood next to her aunt, she couldn't help but blush. She had never seen such a handsome and refined person before, especially since she was stationed at the border.

Ma Mingzhen felt that if she could marry her cousin in the future, she would be willing to endure her aunt's difficult behavior.

That's why Ma Mingzhen remained silent.

After Chu Xiyao had finished crying, she comforted her two sons, "Have you two forgotten what your father said before he left? It's safest for us to stay in the Marquis's mansion."

Besides, we haven't been back for so many years, and we didn't send anyone to repair it in advance, so it's uninhabitable for the time being.

"We'll make do with staying at the Marquis's residence for now, and we'll deal with the rest later."

After speaking, Chu Xiyao looked at the old lady Hou who was lying on the bed, moaning incessantly, and couldn't help but scold her, "Mother, how did you become paralyzed!"

After Chu Xiyao finished speaking, she took the three children and left, leaving behind the aggrieved Old Madam Hou silently shedding tears.

As soon as Chu Xiyao and her three children stepped out of Deyuan Courtyard, they saw Mu Qing waiting outside.

"It's been so many years! Mu Qing has become the chief steward of the Marquis's mansion. Congratulations!"

Chu Xiyao hadn't said anything like this to curry favor in years. When she said something perfectly normal, it sounded sarcastic and unsettling.

Upon hearing this, Mu Qing's expression remained unchanged, still full of enthusiasm, "It's all thanks to the trust of the Marquis and his wife."

"The Marquis asked me to wait here to inquire about the General's wife's wishes so that I can make the necessary arrangements."

Chu Xiyao didn't understand the meaning behind Mu Qing's words. She thought that her older brother couldn't bear to kick them out in the end, and her expression did look much better. "Take us to where we live first."

Hearing Chu Xiyao's choice, Mu Qing felt a pang of regret that these people hadn't asked for a carriage to take them away.

Mu Qing could only dutifully lead Chu Xiyao and the others toward the guest courtyard.

Seeing that the path they were taking was getting increasingly wrong, Chu Xiyao said in a displeased tone, "Are you leading us to the guest courtyard?"

Mu Qing was also quite puzzled by this. If her married sister-in-law didn't stay at the guesthouse when she came back, where would she stay?

"Reporting to the General's wife, this is what the Marquis and his wife instructed."

Chu Xiyao knew the layout of the Marquis's mansion all too well. This guest courtyard was nowhere near as nice as the one she had before she got married. "I want to stay in the courtyard where I lived before I was married. Go and tell my sister-in-law."

"This... Madam General, please allow me to report that the courtyard you lived in before you got married has long been demolished and turned into a scenic lake."

Besides, it's not appropriate for you to live in the backyard with your two young masters."

Chu Xiyao was extremely agitated. "It was demolished? Whose idea was it? Was it Lin Yanran's idea? I knew she wasn't a good person, all she does is monopolize Big Brother all day long..."

Mu Qing quickly shook her head and explained, "It was the old lady's idea. That year, when the old marquis passed away, he sent you a letter, but you didn't come back. The old lady got angry and ordered it to be torn down."

When Chu Xiyao heard that it was her mother's idea, her anger was like a bucket of cold water had been poured on her, leaving her with no outlet for her rage.

Chu Xiyao didn't dare to make a scene over this matter now, since her father was gone and she hadn't returned, and making a scene would be bad for her reputation.

Chu Xiyao could only force a smile and say, "Chief Steward Mu, please continue leading the way!"

Mu Qing bowed to the group and then quickly led them back to the guest courtyard.

When Chu Xiyao and the others arrived at their accommodation, they only took a quick look around before settling in and resting.

The next morning, the Empress summoned Chu Xiyao and her three children to the palace. This was considered a royal favor to General Ma. Of course, Lin Yanran accompanied them.

Lin Yanran didn't volunteer to accompany him; the Empress summoned her.

When the group met at the place where they were mounting their horses, Chu Xiyao immediately greeted Lin Yanran with a beaming smile, leading her three children forward as if yesterday's farce had never happened.

Ma Zhongzheng and Ma Zhongshuai addressed their mothers as "Auntie" with great reluctance, while Ma Mingzhen did so quite affectionately.

Lin Yanran gave a curt reply and had Wenmei help her into the carriage, showing no intention of exchanging pleasantries with Chu Xiyao and the others.

Ma Zhongzheng was furious. The eight-year-old child turned around and got into another carriage. Ma Zhongshuai wanted to say something, but Chu Xiyao pulled him into the carriage.

They have other things to do today, and they'll need Lin Yanran to speak up for them later, so they can't afford to upset her and send her back.