Listening to her daughter's heartfelt words, the pregnant Lady Hou went on a killing spree.

If the old woman hadn't come, Marquis Anshun would have almost forgotten about the trouble his younger sister had caused that hadn't been resolved.

"How's the guy surnamed Yang doing?"

"My lord, you ordered that the man be locked up and not given any food or drink. It looks like he's not going to make it."

"Have someone send some food over first."

Lin Yuxue was a coward. When she learned that Ji Yueru was leading people to raid the old lady's courtyard, she quietly ran away.

She only came back after Ji Yueru and her people had left.

At first, she didn't pay much attention. She knew that her mother had buried gold and silver in the yard. Even if they confiscated the things on the surface, there would still be a box of gold and a box of silver as a safety net. They couldn't possibly go hungry.

But when she returned and saw the yard that had been dug up and was in complete disarray, Lin Yuxue felt as if her world was about to collapse.

That wasn't all. The next day, after Ji Yueru had copied the belongings of her two nephews and nieces, she came and copied hers as well, and none of her things were saved.

She had to start planning for herself.

Staying in the Marquis of Anshun's mansion any longer wouldn't be a good life, so it would be better to get married.

Although the woman surnamed Yang is poor, she can manage the household herself with her own dowry after marriage, so her life will definitely be better than in the Marquis's mansion.

Thinking of this, Lin Yuxue remembered Yang Xiao, who was locked in the woodshed. When she went to check, she was shocked to find that he was almost starving to death, and the old woman guarding the door wouldn't let her bring him any food or water.

After the incident of catching her in adultery, Lin Yuxue's treatment at the Marquis of Anshun's residence took a sharp turn for the worse.

Now that Marquis Anshun doesn't like her, the servants in the mansion don't say anything to her face, but they also look down on her behind her back.

I don't know how she still has the face to live. Now, even when they go out, they keep their heads down so that no one can recognize them as members of the Marquis of Anshun's household. Otherwise, they will be pulled aside and questioned. As a result, the people of the Marquis of Anshun's household don't like to go out much anymore.

Of all the people in the manor, the only one who seems to like Lin Yuxue right now is the old lady, who is paralyzed on one side and unable to move.

I waited and waited at Anju Courtyard, and finally my elder brother arrived.

Lin Yuxue pitifully stepped forward and called out.

"Brother, I was wrong, I'll never do it again, but please help me. If I don't marry that man surnamed Yang, no one will want me in this lifetime."

He was quite angry when he first found out, but now his anger has subsided. The woman in front of him is his younger sister whom he has doted on since childhood, and Marquis Anshun feels sorry for her.

"Fine, if you want to get married, then get married. I'll have your sister-in-law prepare your dowry."

The sixteenth of next month is an auspicious day. During this time, you should stay in the courtyard and prepare your wedding dress.

It's already the end of October, and the 16th of next month is only about half a month away.

In the past, Lin Yuxue would definitely have been dissatisfied; what could she have prepared in half a month?

But now she had no choice but to agree to whatever conditions she couldn't meet.

"Thank you, brother."

The old lady lying on the bed made a series of groans, and Marquis Anshun came to sit down by the bedside.

The old lady raised her hand and gestured around the room, and Marquis Anshun naturally understood what she meant.

"Mother, please bear with it a little longer. I guarantee she won't live past next month. I'll have someone take her down after my little sister gets married."

After hearing this, the old lady stopped moving and looked at her son with teary eyes.

Looking at his elderly mother, Marquis Anshun felt a pang of heartache. How could his family have been driven to such a state by such a vicious woman as Lady Ji?

"By the way, where are Tianci and Wanwan? I haven't seen them at the manor for the past two days."

The father and his two sons used to eat together every day to strengthen their relationship, but now he suddenly realized that he hadn't seen his two children for two days.

"Don't worry, brother. Tianci and Wanwan went to the Yu residence. Just now, Granny Yu said that Old Madam Yu felt sorry for them and asked them to stay at the Yu residence for a while."

As for the matter of Lin Tianci being slapped by Madam Ji, she didn't mention it at all, so as to avoid the couple arguing about it again. She was still counting on Madam Ji to prepare a dowry for her.

Marquis Anshun did not pay attention.

In the past, the Yu family would always invite their two children to stay at the Yu residence for a short time, and I believe it will be the same this time.

Thinking that Ji wanted a divorce, he would have to get his dowry back. If things didn't work out, he would get some money from the Yu family to divorce Ji and then have someone deal with her.

Anyway, after the divorce, Ji's dowry will be brought back to the Ji family mansion. With her father-in-law's help, this dowry will eventually belong to Tianci and Wanwan. There's no need for him to fight her to the death.

At first, he felt that such a big fuss was unnecessary, but now he has no choice but to consider it.

The date was set, but Marquis Anshun did not go to see Lady Ji. He only sent Steward Zhao to deliver a message. Steward Zhao went to Qinghe Courtyard with a conflicted expression.

When he arrived, Ji Yueru was preparing dinner, and the old woman guarding the courtyard gate didn't give him a friendly look either.

"Madam is having dinner. Please wait here. I will go in and inform you after she finishes her meal."

Butler Zhao dared not speak out in anger and could only wait sullenly at the courtyard gate.

Five dishes and a soup were laid out on the table, all of which were Ji Yueru's favorite dishes.

One of the old women that Manager Xu found could cook southern cuisine, and the small kitchen in Qinghe Courtyard, which had been unused for a long time, was reopened.

Granny Liu is now in charge of Ji Yueru's three meals a day, and she cooks authentic Jiangnan cuisine, which Ji Yueru is very satisfied with.

Since returning home at the age of twelve, she had never eaten the cuisine of Jiangnan. No one in the Ji family ate it, and the cooks were not allowed to make it, so she had no choice but to eat it even if she wanted to.

After marrying into the Marquis of Anshun's household, all the meals prepared in the main kitchen were made according to the tastes of the Marquis of Anshun's family of three, and she could only endure the strong flavors of the food.

Now it's all good; she doesn't have to endure anything for anyone, and she can eat whatever she wants.

[Mom, that braised lion's head meatball looks delicious.]

She ate a few more bites of whatever An'an said, since it was all her favorite cuisine, and Ji Yueru wasn't picky.

The mother and daughter ate and talked, and the meal went quite well.

After the meal was finished and the maids cleared away the dishes, Zhiyi came in to report.

"Madam, Butler Zhao has arrived and is waiting at the door."

"Let him in."

"Yes, madam."

Previously, Butler Zhao would look down on Ji Yueru, but now he doesn't dare to be disrespectful and bows respectfully.

"This old servant greets Madam."

Ji Yueru picked up the flower tea and took a sip.

"Speak, what is it?"

"The Marquis has personally set the wedding date for the eldest daughter. It will be on the sixteenth of next month. The Marquis sent this old servant to tell you, Madam, that he would like to ask you to prepare the eldest daughter's dowry in the coming days."

"Has Your Excellency stated how much silver you intend to prepare?"

"The Marquis didn't say, so I suppose he's just following the previous preparations."

Lin Yuxue is seventeen years old this year. The old lady prepared her dowry early on, and ninety percent of the dowry was prepared using her own dowry.

In her previous life, Lin Yuxue's wedding was no less grand than the ten-mile-long red bridal procession that Lin Yuxue had when she married into the Marquis of Anshun's mansion, making her quite the sensation in the capital.

She shouldn't even think about it in this life.

"Okay, you can go now."

Seeing that the lady did not make things difficult for him, Steward Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and left Qinghe Courtyard to report back to the Marquis.

The scene at the Fang residence was quite different at this time.

Fang Qian held the information her subordinates had gathered in her hands. As she looked at the contents, her hands trembled slightly, and she almost couldn't hold the paper.