A grandmother and granddaughter swap souls, causing chaos throughout the entire court.

"Oh dear, this food is completely cold! The Fourth Young Master has just recovered from his injuries and is still weak. How can he eat such cold food?"

Granny Zhou and Granny Wu quickly cleared the dishes from the table and put them into the food box, their faces plastered with ingratiating smiles.

"This old servant will go to the kitchen and get some hot food for the Fourth Young Master! Old Wu, quickly go to the back and tell someone to boil a large tub of hot water so the Fourth Young Master can have a good bath and change into clean clothes!"

The two had a clear division of labor.

After eating and drinking his fill, Chung Shih-chu washed away the blood and mud from his body and changed into a soft, clean cotton undershirt.

He lay on the chaise longue covered with thick, soft cushions, feeling the long-lost warmth and fullness. His eyelids gradually drooped, and he soon fell into a deep sleep.

Zhong Tingyuan and Wen Jingxian stood by the bedside, watching their son's peaceful sleeping face. The couple held hands tightly, as if in a dream.

……

the other side.

As soon as Guoguo returned to the main bedroom, Granny Li and Haitang walked in one after the other, lifting the curtain.

Granny Li beamed with joy: "This old servant greets the old lady."

She stepped forward and pulled a thin ledger and a heavy money bag from her sleeve, presenting them with both hands.

"I have already taken care of the things that the old lady asked me to do. I have run around three streets overnight to hire the best bricklayers and carpenters in the capital. I have also ordered the blue bricks, logs and tiles for building the house as an expedited process."

"After this round of procurement, the one thousand taels of silver given by the old lady have been spent in total, amounting to nine hundred and fifty taels, leaving fifty taels remaining."

"I've already arranged for the craftsmen to rest in the back room of the front yard. Tomorrow at daybreak, we can start construction directly in the backyard!"

Haitang quickly stepped forward, holding a thick stack of receipts in her hands.

"This servant has also prepared all the clothes and accessories for the master, the madam, and the fourth young master. This servant went to the largest Jinxiu Pavilion and Zhenbao Pavilion in the capital and selected only the finest materials and colors."

"However... that five hundred taels of silver is really not enough for expenses. I have taken the liberty of putting it in our Marquis's public account. The clothes and jewelry have just been sent to the master."

Guoguo sat on the bed, looking at the densely filled account book the two handed her, feeling extremely resistant.

Although she had long been literate, she was still a five-year-old child at heart and hated looking at these tedious and boring numbers.

Moreover, with just a glance from her sharp eyes, she could tell that these two people were free of any trace of corruption, so she knew they wouldn't dare to tamper with this.

"Alright, no need for the ledgers. I trust you guys with your work."

Then, she took twenty taels of silver ingots from the fifty taels and casually tossed them into the arms of Granny Li and Haitang.

"Thank you for your hard work making this trip tonight. Here's twenty taels of silver, ten taels each."

When Granny Li and Haitang held the silver ingots, their eyes widened instantly, and they even held their breath for a moment.

Ten taels of silver!

You know, the old lady used to be known for being incredibly stingy.

Even if all the servants in Songhe Hall were paid a total of more than ten taels of silver throughout the year!

Now, having only run an errand, one person has received a reward of ten taels of silver!

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing undisguised elation and shock in each other's eyes.

The old lady's temperament has really changed drastically!

Not only have their methods become unpredictable, but their extravagance is also terrifying.

Most importantly, they no longer punish servants arbitrarily!

This change is fantastic!

Please don't let it turn back!

"Thank you so much for your kindness, Madam! Madam is so kind!" Granny Li and Haitang were so excited that their knees buckled and they knelt on the ground, kowtowing loudly. Their voices were filled with the utmost sincerity.

Guoguo secretly chuckled as she looked at their grateful expressions.

The people in this Marquis's mansion are really easy to bribe.

Guoguo then took out another money box containing five hundred taels of silver ingots and pushed it directly in front of Granny Li.

"You two can each take half of these five hundred taels. Tomorrow, continue shopping outside. First, go to the largest Taoist temple and incense shop in the city and buy plenty of the best cinnabar, yellow paper, and incense. Buy the finest materials that can be properly used to draw talismans."

"After buying these, go to the brokerage and pick twenty clever, sensible, and clean maids and twenty rough-working old women. Sign them up and bring them back."

"Also, for any daily necessities the eldest son's family is lacking, just take my token and go to the manor's storeroom to get them! If the storeroom doesn't have them, just buy them! Any fine ornaments, bedding, or tonics, just bring them to the eldest son's courtyard. Anyone who dares to stop them, come find me!"

Li Mama and Haitang held the heavy money box, their hearts pounding. They felt that this old lady was now doing things in a decisive and efficient manner, without any hesitation.

The two responded repeatedly and carefully withdrew.

Guoguo also dismissed all the other waiting servants.

The room fell completely quiet, with only the calming incense rising gently from the Boshan incense burner.

Once everyone was cleared out, Guoguo's tense old face instantly fell.

Pretending to be an adult is too mentally taxing!

The master arranges all the trivial matters in the Taoist temple on a daily basis.

I just took charge of the household today, and I had to consider everything. I'm afraid that if I make a mistake, I won't be able to take care of my parents and brother. I'm about to break down.

She lay sprawled on the large bed, hugging the soft pillows and burying her face in them.

"Waaaaah..."

A suppressed sob, born of unbearable frustration, escaped from under the pillow.

How can we get my bad grandmother back to her original body as soon as possible?

Today, in order to save her mother, her younger siblings, and to heal her third brother's injuries, she gave up all her Taoist magic and the golden light of merit she had painstakingly accumulated.

But the result?

Her father and mother still looked at her as if she were a monstrous demon who would devour people without spitting out the bones. They spoke to her with trepidation, as if they were afraid that she was plotting some deadly trap again.

She's their own daughter!

Her own daughter was right in front of her, yet she was being treated like the most vicious enemy. This feeling was a hundred times more painful than when her master whipped her palms with bamboo sticks!

Guoguo became increasingly upset as she thought about it, and her tears soaked a large patch of the soft pillow.

But this rare peace and quiet, this feeling of being wronged, didn't last long at all.

Suddenly, a noisy commotion broke out in the quiet night outside the window.

Granny Zhou rushed in from outside, her face pale and breathless: "Madam! Something terrible has happened! The Marquis... the Marquis has returned!"

Guoguo lifted her head from under the covers: "He's back, so why is he making such a racket outside?"

"The Marquis had just entered the manor when he heard that the Madam had been arrested by the Jingzhao Prefecture. Right now, he's leading a large group of servants, causing a scene outside our Songhe Hall courtyard!"

Granny Zhou's voice trembled. "The servants in our courtyard remembered your previous instructions and stubbornly refused to let him in. The Marquis is furious and is ordering men to bring a battering ram, ready to smash the door! This old servant rushed in to ask whether we should let the Marquis in?"

Breaking down the door?

Guoguo's eyes darted around, a glint of light flashing across them.

This third uncle arrived just in time!

She was just looking for an opportunity to put her bad third uncle in check!