The Laid-back Life of a Stepmother

Before Wen Ye could even lift the gauze curtain to see if the person speaking was the same as in her dream, the speaker had already lifted the curtain first. Wen Ye, with her face damp and pale from weakness, tried to feign energy as she smiled and called out, "Why is Sister-in-law here?" Madam Lu was no longer as gentle as usual, her brows furrowed as she said, "If I didn't come, your room would soon turn into an ice cellar." Her anger made her resemble Xu Yuejia, her younger brother, so much that Wen Ye lowered her head guiltily, mumbling, "It's not that bad, is it?"

"Not that bad?" Madam Lu sat on the edge of the bed, unable to restrain her anger as she said, "Look at you, all sweaty and listless." She reached out to touch Wen Ye's forehead but found her scalp ice-cold.

Wen Ye tried to mimic Xu Yuxuan's pitiful look, hoping to elicit Madam Lu's sympathy: "Sister-in-law~"

Madam Lu did feel sorry for her, but she said, "I’ve already instructed the maids and nannies in your courtyard. For the next few days, no ice basins are allowed in your room."

Wen Ye: "!!!"

This was a thunderbolt from a clear sky.

She quickly interjected, "That'll be so hot!"

Madam Lu replied, "Don’t worry, I’ll assign more maids to take turns fanning you during the day."

"If it weren't for Xu Yuejia informing me this morning, would you have kept this from me? I didn't know you’ve been consuming cold drinks with every meal. Watermelon is already cooling, and you've been having several cups of it as a cold drink. Are you trying to kill yourself?"@@novelbin@@

That tattletale Xu Yuejia.

Wen Ye glanced past Madam Lu, wanting to say more, but Madam Lu cut her off, "Stop looking around. Your two maids have already promised to strictly monitor you in my absence."

These two little traitors.

Wen Ye felt like a little helpless bird drenched in a sudden downpour, overwhelmed by Madam Lu's scolding. She felt like she had gained another mother. Madam Lu wasn’t done yet, "The doctor will be here soon. Stomach pains are not trivial; you must drink some medicine."

"Drink medicine?!" Wen Ye's voice shot up in alarm, then softened as she negotiated, "Sister-in-law, I won’t use ice; can I skip the medicine?"

The bitter herbal concoctions, like bitter melon, were her lifelong nemesis.

"No," Madam Lu refused decisively, "As long as I am your sister-in-law, I can oversee you." Wen Ye felt utterly defeated.

A while later, the doctor arrived and examined Wen Ye through the gauze curtain, listing out seven or eight conditions. Wen Ye suspected he had been bribed by Madam Lu in advance; she didn’t have that many issues. Even her habit of staying up late was mentioned.

After hearing the doctor's lengthy diagnosis, Madam Lu's delicate brows furrowed even tighter. She asked Nanny Xi to take the doctor out and get the prescription filled.

Wen Ye lay back in bed, staring at the canopy above, feeling her life was over.

Madam Lu didn’t leave but continued to sit by the bed. Tao Zhi brought in a basin of warm water, and Madam Lu personally wrung out a towel to wipe Wen Ye’s face, saying, "The meals in the western courtyard also need to be adjusted. The doctor said that for the next few days, no cold, spicy, or excessive food is allowed."

Wen Ye was already numb. To be as disciplined as Xu Yuejia? What joy would there be in that?

Madam Lu had been very angry, but seeing Wen Ye’s pitiful expression softened her voice: "Just endure for a few days; it'll get cooler soon."

Wen Ye looked at her in disbelief. Just a few days? The autumn and winter were still far away. Madam Lu added, "For today’s lunch, I’ll bring Xuan’er and Jinglin to have lunch with you."

Wen Ye raised her eyes, hopeful: "What about breakfast?"

Madam Lu: "Plain congee. I had the kitchen add a dish of stir-fried cabbage heart."

Wen Ye: Very well, no pickled cucumbers, beans, or radishes.

Before Wen Ye could finish mourning, Madam Lu added, "After the congee, remember to drink the medicine in half an hour."

Xu Yuxuan trotted over, gripping the bed frame, his little brows knitted together as he whispered, "Medicine is so bitter."

Wen Ye lazily replied, "Then should Xuan’er help Mother drink it?"

Xu Yuxuan immediately took a half-step back, his escape as swift as ever.

Wen Ye:

"

With Madam Lu around, Wen Ye behaved perfectly, not daring to cause any trouble. Breakfast was congee, lunch was congee. Others ate meat; she drank congee.

When Madam Lu was finally gone, Wen Ye tried to sneak a bite of food, but Tao Zhi quickly took the dish away, ordering the servants to remove it. Wen Ye pretended to be angry: "Tao Zhi, your monthly allowance comes from me." Her maid usually cared deeply about her salary.

But this time, it didn’t work.

Though Tao Zhi usually enjoyed teasing along with Wen Ye, this time, Wen Ye’s illness and stomach pains had caught her off guard. Tao Zhi spent the morning reflecting, feeling some responsibility for her mistress’s condition.

So she said, "You can deduct my allowance if you want, but you can’t eat this red-cooked meat. The doctor said you need to eat light for a few days."

Yun Zhi was even more direct, taking away the remaining dishes and leaving only a bowl of hot vegetable and egg soup.

Wen Ye:

"

An hour later, Madam Lu came to check on her, seeing that Wen Ye's expression was still melancholic but obedient. Satisfied, she left after giving another stern reminder to the servants in the western courtyard.

After two meals of congee, Wen Ye was listless all day. Two fans blowing on her brought wind but couldn’t dispel the stuffiness.

At dinner time, Wen Ye stared at her bowl of congee and medicine, unsure which to drink first; they both seemed equally unpleasant. Xu Yuxuan sat beside her, his little cheeks stuffed with meatballs.

After a while, he asked, "Why isn’t Mother eating?"

Wen Ye gently stirred her congee, replying, "Mother has no appetite."

Xu Yuxuan immediately put down his spoon, reaching out to touch Wen Ye's forehead, mimicking Madam Lu's gesture, and said with a serious expression, "If you’re sick, you need to take medicine to get better."

Wen Ye sighed, looking up: "But Xuan’er didn’t help Mother drink it."

Xu Yuxuan glanced at the blackish medicine, shaking his head: "It’s so bitter." Wen Ye continued to look sad: "Xuan’er doesn’t care about Mother anymore."

Xu Yuxuan piped up innocently, "Xuan’er does care, but Auntie said that Mother has to drink the medicine herself for the sickness to go away." Wen Ye retorted, "Then who was the one who bolted so quickly in the morning?"

Xu Yuxuan lowered his head guiltily, continuing to chew on his meatballs, and only after a long while looked up and said, "It was Father!" The teacher said, when in doubt, blame Father.

Wen Ye turned her gaze toward Xu Yuejia, asking, "Husband, don’t you have anything to say?"

Xu Yuejia placed his chopsticks down, his gaze meeting hers as he said, "The medicine is getting cold."

Wen Ye: ".…"

What a cold-hearted tattletale.

Xu Yuxuan mimicked, "It’s getting cold!"

The father and son stared intently at her, leaving Wen Ye no choice but to drink the entire bowl of medicine.

The process was agony.

"There, happy now?" She set the bowl down.

Xu Yuejia, as if by magic, produced a small bag of candied plums, "Eat one to take the edge off." Xu Yuxuan, seeing his mother get candied plums, immediately looked at his father: "Xuan’er doesn’t have any." Xu Yuejia turned his gaze to him: "Do you want to drink medicine too?" Xu Yuxuan shook his head: "No."

Xu Yuejia: "Only those who drink medicine get candied plums."

Xu Yuxuan still looked longingly but said, "Then Xuan’er won’t have any." Wen Ye, munching on the candied plum, thought Xu Yuejia’s choice was quite sweet.

The medicine the doctor prescribed had a sedative effect, but after washing up and lying in bed, Wen Ye felt too hot to sleep. She fanned herself with a silk fan, sighing countless times in the brief span of time.

Xu Yuejia was staying the night.

She wanted to shoo him away—the bed was only so big, and Xu Yuejia sleeping next to her would be like adding a furnace beside her. Yet, after waiting for what seemed like ages, Xu Yuejia never came over, and drowsiness suddenly surged. She drifted off to sleep without realizing it.

The next morning, when Wen Ye awoke, Xu Yuejia was already gone. She sat up, touching her forehead, realizing with surprise that she hadn’t woken up hot during the night.

★

After drinking medicinal soup for seven to eight straight days, Wen Ye felt like she was turning into a walking herbal concoction.

Today, she was finally done with the medicine, and for lunch, there was braised pork – albeit sweet-flavored. But after the recent days of merely eating stir-fried meat, this was already a lavish meal for Wen Ye.

After her nap, the kitchen prepared a sweet soup, which Wen Ye found tasty, though if it had been chilled, she would have liked it even better.

Xu Yuxuan also slowly slurped down a little bowl with his tiny spoon, then said, "Mother, Xuan’er is going to class." Starting that day, Xu Yuxuan was to attend classes every afternoon. From the ninth hour, he would attend for half an hour. The little boy, upon learning this, was quite discouraged for a while.

Wen Ye held a bowl in her hands and casually said, "Go ahead."

Xu Yuxuan, like a little adult, let out an almost inaudible sigh, shouldered his small satchel, and walked out with slightly heavy steps. Meanwhile, Wen Ye, having finished her sweet soup, began to eagerly anticipate what dinner would bring.

When Xu Yuxuan arrived at the place where classes were held, Xu Baili had just gotten up not long ago.

As one grows older, one sleeps less at night but feels sleepy during the day.

After using cold water to refresh himself, Xu Baili noticed the disciplined sitting posture of his student not far away and asked, "What did you do to provoke your father? We had agreed to add classes after the New Year, so why the advance?"

Xu Yuejia had directly sent someone to notify him, leaving Xu Baili no chance to ask. Xu Yuxuan shook his head, equally puzzled: "Xuan'er doesn't know." Xu Baili couldn't figure it out; he even considered whether Xu Yuejia didn't want to take care of his son and that's why he added this class.

However, upon further thought, it didn't make sense. The Duke's household wasn't short of servants, so there was no need for him to personally take care of the child. Moreover, Xu Yuejia wouldn't be so heartless as to dump his child on him, a mere Enlightenment teacher, just because he didn't want to raise the child.

Unable to find an answer, Xu Baili told Xu Yuxuan, "When you return home today and see your father, ask him."

At present, Xu Baili was still a good teacher in Xu Yuxuan's heart, and Xu Yuxuan always listened to his words.

So, after finishing class, Xu Yuxuan suddenly stopped at a fork in the road leading back to the West Courtyard.

Nanny Ji thought he was tired and was about to bend down to carry him.

Xu Yuxuan, however, dodged and said, "Nanny, wait a moment."

Nanny Ji was puzzled: "Young Master, who are you waiting for?"

Xu Yuxuan replied, "Father."

Hearing this, Nanny Ji smiled and said, "Young Master, Lord Xu's return time is irregular. Why don't I take you back to the West Courtyard first to wait?"

Xu Yuxuan shook his head, "No, I'll wait here."

Nanny Ji still wanted to persuade him, but then saw Xu Yuxuan's eyes suddenly brighten as he called out to her from behind: "Father!"

She quickly turned back and, upon seeing the person clearly, hastily bowed.

Xu Yuejia approached and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Nanny Ji explained, "It's Young Master who wanted to wait here for Lord Xu."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuejia's gaze shifted downwards.

Xu Yuxuan remembered what his teacher had asked him to inquire about and was just about to speak when his gaze caught sight of the oil paper bag in Xu Yuejia's hand.

Thus, his question changed to: "Father, what is that?"

As he spoke, his eyes fixed intently on the oil paper bag.

Xu Yuejia silently moved his hand behind his back, blocking his view, and said, "Nothing."

Seeing his father hide something delicious from him, Xu Yuxuan muttered softly, "Xuan'er saw it!"