The Laid-back Life of a Stepmother

"Of course," Wen Ye said, looking at the rounded back of the head that was facing away from her, and smiled. "Xuan'er gets one too."

After she finished speaking, Xu Yuxuan let out a very soft hum, much quieter than before, but this time it was a hum of delight. Wen Ye reached out to touch his head and thought to herself, he’s so easy to please. What a sweet little thing.

When they went to Xiquan Mountain before, since it was close and the estate belonged to Madam Lu's dowry, they mainly brought along clothing and daily necessities. But this time, they were going to Orchid City, truly leaving Sheng Jing for another state. Apart from clothing and daily necessities, every aspect had to be considered carefully.

The number of guards accompanying them was double that of the last time they went to Xiquan Mountain.

Although Madam Lu had agreed to let Wen Ye take her place, she was still very concerned. She specifically called Yun Zhi and Tao Zhi, the two maids serving Wen Ye, to the main courtyard and had Nanny Xi instruct them thoroughly.

Wen Ye had no objections to this. The more capable her maids were, the more useless she could be herself. Nanny Xi, being Madam Lu's right-hand woman, was undoubtedly skilled and resourceful. Yun Zhi and Tao Zhi learning from Nanny Xi would certainly benefit greatly.

The luggage and belongings needed for the trip to Orchid City took two full days to prepare. The day before they were set to leave, Wen Ye planned to return to the Wen Family home.

Wen Ran had two days off each month to return home, and she calculated that today was the first day of this month's break. If she didn't go today, she would have to wait another month.

When Madam Lu found out, she selected some ordinary tonics and asked Wen Ye to take them along, knowing that it's always better to bring gifts. In the Great Jin Dynasty, women who had been married off rarely visited their natal homes on ordinary days, but in the Duke's residence, Madam Lu frequently returned to Ding'an Marquis Manor to visit her parents.

Regarding Wen Ye's visit to her family, Madam Lu had no additional thoughts. Ever since Madam Lu married into the estate, she had taken charge, and all the rules were set by her. Her way of managing subordinates was effective, and when dealing with her family, as long as things were within her control, she rarely interfered.

Wen Ye also picked out some nice items to bring along. As she was packing, Xu Yuxuan ran over and asked, "Mother, why aren't you bringing Xuan'er?"

Wen Ye looked down at him and replied, "I didn't even bring your father."

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, and Xu Yuejia, who was in the western study handling official business, easily heard her. His brush paused on the xuan paper for a moment before continuing to write. Xu Yuxuan thought for a moment and then said, "Mother, bring something delicious for Xuan'er, okay?"

"Want chicken wings!" he exclaimed, his little lips pursed, clearly showing how long he had been craving them. Wen Ye couldn't help but chuckle.

It wasn't surprising that the boy was craving something delicious. After being nursed for over half a month with Madam Lu's daily, never-failing soup, the other dishes he could eat were even blander than what Xu Yuejia was used to. Having eaten so blandly for so long, suddenly getting a roasted chicken might upset his stomach.

So Wen Ye said, "At your grandmother's house, there's a chef who makes very good pastries. Would you like to try his date cake, Xuan'er?"

Xu Yuxuan, of course, wanted to, and he nodded vigorously, "Xuan'er wants to~"

Wen Ye suddenly frowned, "But mother's arms are weak, and I can only bring one thing at a time."

Hearing this, Xu Yuxuan's brows almost knitted together. After much hesitation, he said, "Then... then let's go with the date cake~" After saying that, he pursed his lips, looking both expectant and trying hard to suppress his excitement.

"Alright," Wen Ye agreed, "Mother will definitely bring it back for you."

Xu Yuxuan nodded eagerly, "Mm-hmm!"

Having resolved the issue with the little one, Wen Ye walked into the study and asked the bigger one, "Husband, is there anything you'd like to eat? I'll bring it back for you too."

Xu Yuejia raised his eyes and said, "I'm fine with anything, I'm not picky."

Wen Ye wasn't surprised by his response and simply said, "Alright," before turning and walking out of the study. In that instant after she turned, Xu Yuejia's otherwise straight lips curved slightly, though only for a brief moment.

The day before, Madam Shen had received a letter from Wen Ye, stating when she would arrive. So after waiting for Wen Ran to pay her respects, Madam Shen asked her to wait a bit.

Wen Ran didn't know her elder sister was coming today. She wondered, "Mother, is there something you want to tell me separately?"

Madam Shen replied, "It's nothing serious, it's just that your fourth sister wants to come back and see you today. She should be here in about an hour or so."

Wen Ran's eyes immediately filled with a strong joy, though her words remained composed. "Then I'll stay here a bit longer to accompany Mother."

Madam Shen quietly observed this youngest daughter of hers. Ever since she became the Crown Prince's companion, her personality had become more steady, her speech and actions perfectly proper. On days when she could return to the manor, she always came to pay her respects, her attitude just right, never making anyone uncomfortable. Just like now, when she said she was willing to "accompany Mother a bit more," it was sincere, yet the underlying thought of waiting for Wen Ye wasn't hidden.

Madam Shen suddenly remembered Wen Ye from years ago. Back then, when she still considered Wen Ye the most trouble-free among her daughters, she too, like today's Wen Ran, had behaved in such a way. After all, they were sisters. Even though their true natures were worlds apart, having lived together for so long, some similarities were bound to emerge.

Not long after Madam Shen finished speaking, Yin Shuang came to report that the fourth daughter-in-law had arrived.

Wen Ye arrived quickly. As soon as she entered, she first paid her respects to Madam Shen. Even the strictest palace officials would find no fault in her etiquette. Madam Shen let her get up and pointed to a seat above Wen Ran for her to sit.

Wen Ye sat down and first shared a silent glance with her younger sister, then turned to Madam Shen and asked, "How has Mother been lately?"

It was a formality that needed to be observed. Both she and Madam Shen understood this.

Madam Shen nodded slightly, "Well, everyone in the family is well."

Wen Ye immediately revealed a look of relief and said, "I brought some tonics for Mother."

At this, she turned her head to her maid and said, "Yun Zhi, you go and check them, don't leave anything out."

Yun Zhi slightly bent her knees, "Yes."

Madam Shen remembered the imperial bird's nest she had received last time and felt somewhat uneasy. "Why bring tonics for no reason?"

Wen Ye smiled and said, "I didn't plan to bring them originally, but Madam Lu learned I was coming back to visit Mother and my sister, so she told me to move these from the storehouse."

After two lines of half-hearted courtesy, the act couldn't continue.@@novelbin@@

Madam Shen said emotionlessly, "Hasn't Madam Lu seen through your tricks yet?"

Wen Ye thought for a moment and replied, "Probably. But she likes me now, and whether she sees through it or not isn't that important anymore."

Madam Shen: "..."

After so long, her way of speaking remained the same.

Wen Ye continued, "Oh right, Mother, I'm going to Orchid City tomorrow. I might be gone for ten days to half a month."

She hadn't mentioned it in her letter, so Madam Shen wasn't aware. "What are you going to Orchid City for?" she asked.

Wen Ye explained, "The young marquis is studying at the Pine Mountain Academy in Orchid City. He hasn't written home in quite some time, so Madam Lu is worried. But she can't find time to go check on him, so I thought I'd help her with that and go on her behalf."

Madam Shen on the surface: "I see."

In reality, she only believed half of what Wen Ye said. Her daughter wasn't the type to take on responsibilities voluntarily. There must be some harder task placed before her that led to this.

After finishing her performance with Madam Shen, Wen Ye successfully took her younger sister back to Xicui Courtyard.

Before leaving, Wen Ye said one last thing, "Oh, by the way, Mother, when I left, Xuan'er was clamoring to eat the date cake from his grandmother's house. What do you think?"

Madam Shen: "…I'll have someone prepare a box for you later."

Wen Ye smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you, Mother."

Madam Shen urged her, "Go now."

On the way back to Xicui Courtyard, Wen Ye asked her about her life in the palace. The last time they talked was during Madam Liu's daughter's full-moon banquet, and it was too hurried to have a proper conversation.

Wen Ran replied, "The princess treats me very well, and I've made some good friends!"

Before, in the manor, Wen Ran could only interact with her peers, such as the eldest son of Madam Yang and the students at the Shen Family Academy, where she learned to read and write. Apart from her, there were no other girls. Now that she was a princess's companion, although most of her time was spent in the palace, she wasn't unhappy at all.

Wen Ye recalled and asked, "Are these the other two companions?"

Wen Ran nodded, "They treat me very well and even praise me for being smart."

Wen Ye smiled and asked again, "Is there any pressure studying in the palace?"

Wen Ran honestly said, "There doesn't seem to be much. I can always complete the tasks the teacher assigns on time. But the princess and Xiuxiu, Yanhao, they don't like the teacher giving too much homework."

Wen Ye understood. The "Xiuxiu" she mentioned should be Meng Xiuxiu, the granddaughter of Grand Scholar Meng and the niece of Madam Liu.

Another ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‍one is the youngest daughter of the fourth branch of the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial's family, Chen Yanhao.

"Xiuxiu likes delicious food, Yanhao loves beautiful clothes and jewelry, and the princess seems to want to try everything." Talking about her new friends, Wen Ran seems to have an endless stream of words.

Wen Ye listened patiently, and when she heard Wen Ran mention that the princess had failed to climb over the wall several times and was caught every time by the empress, her eyebrows raised slightly. Wen Ran spoke a lot, and finally said, "Oh right, Elder Sister, I also brought something nice for my nephew." Wen Ye raised an eyebrow and asked, "What nice thing?"

Wen Ran looked around, then had all the maids following them disperse before whispering in Wen Ye's ear, "It's the notes the Crown Prince used during his enlightenment period." Wen Ye's expression suddenly became more serious and she asked, "How do you have these?"

Wen Ran explained, "Elder Sister, don't worry. These were given to me by the princess. I initially felt it wasn't right to accept them, so the princess took me to see the empress, and then the emperor knew about it too. He said since these books were just gathering dust in the storeroom, and since I wanted to give them to my nephew, he let me choose a few."

Although life in the palace was good, it was still different from home. Wen Ran was beginning to understand some of the differences. Wen Ye's expression softened a bit. She was mainly worried that her younger sister might have fallen into someone's trap. When she heard it was done with proper protocol, she stopped worrying.

"That's good. The palace isn't like home; since the princess treats you well, you should also treat her sincerely." Wen Ye wanted to tell her, "Don't think too much about the future, just focus on the present." She was only seven years old, and Wen Ye didn't want to say too much that would make her cautious or careful. Wen Ye understood her sister; she was more mature than her peers, though this maturity was still somewhat immature.

Wen Ran nodded, "I will!"

Wen Ye then became curious, "But how did the Crown Prince's notes end up with the princess?"

Wen Ran shared what she knew, "The princess said the Crown Prince gives her all kinds of problems every day, and she doesn't know how to solve them, so the Crown Prince gave her those notes for reference." "The princess also said the Crown Prince never seems to get tired, and he's busier than her father the emperor every day."

Wen Ye understood; this Crown Prince was likely a little workaholic.

She then asked, "So by bringing them back, the princess doesn't have the notes for reference anymore, right?"

Wen Ran smiled slightly and said, "The princess said that with me, she doesn't need those notes anymore." Wen Ye gently patted her head and smiled, "She's complimenting you for being clever, isn't she?"

Wen Ran nodded shyly and continued, "Xiuxiu and Yanhao also said that I should eat more meat every day so that no problem will ever be too difficult for me." There was something else she didn't tell Wen Ye; Xiuxiu and Yanhao had also told her that as long as she learned, they wouldn't have to suffer through it every day.

Wen Ran used to not understand why studying was painful. But since making friends in the palace, she understood that everyone liked different things. Just like how Xiuxiu loved researching delicious food, and she herself loved eating, always cheerful and carefree.

There was also Yanhao, who always handed in her homework late, but the jewelry and clothing designs she drew on paper were the most beautiful Wen Ran had ever seen.

She also said that when she grew older, she could start using rouge and powder like her mother and sisters-in-law, and she wanted to research them further. They loved delicious food, beautiful jewelry, and clothes, just as she loved studying—it wasn't any different.

Wen Ye was very happy that Wen Ran had made good friends. No matter what the future holds, at least for now, they were sincere with each other. Wen Ye didn't stay at the Wen residence for lunch.

After spending over an hour with her younger sister and her mother at the Xicui Courtyard, Wen Ye left, filled with their heartfelt feelings.

Returning to the National Duke's manor just in time for lunch, Wen Ye entered the main hall. A little "cannonball" charged over from the left, stopping just before her. The child looked up expectantly and said, "Mother, Xu Yuxuan's jujube cake~"

Wen Ye smirked and said, "Not just the jujube cake."

Xu Yuxuan's eyes lit up even more, "Chicken wings?"

He also wanted to eat chicken wings.

Wen Ye shook her head and, as Xu Yuejia approached, had Tao Zhi open the wooden box, and said, "It's your aunt's advanced education notes."

Xu Yuxuan's eyes widened in shock.

Xu Yuejia picked up a book and scanned the handwriting, finding it somewhat familiar. After a moment of recollection, he asked, "The Crown Prince?" Wen Ye nodded and briefly explained the situation.

After hearing it, Xu Yuejia said, "You don't need to worry; nothing will happen."

Wen Ye replied, "I was a little concerned at first, but after my sister explained the process, I wasn't worried anymore." With his assurance, she felt even more at ease.

With that, she looked down at the stunned child and teased, "Xu Yuxuan, do you really like the gift your aunt gave you?"

Xu Yuxuan expressed his refusal through action, turning and running away.

As if that could get rid of the troublesome notes. A quarter of an hour later, Xu Yuxuan held the notes in one hand and the jujube cake in the other, experiencing a bittersweet existence.

Xu Yuejia glanced inside the food box and, seeing only the jujube cake, asked, "What about mine?"

Wen Ye sipped her soup and said, "You said anything would be fine, didn't you?"

Xu Yuejia pursed his lips.

Wen Ye suppressed her laughter with the soup, teasing Xu Yuejia for a while before finally bursting into laughter, "I was just kidding. Since you said anything would do, of course, I'll make the decision. Wait until tonight."

Xu Yuejia: "……"

Xu Yuejia: Can't win against her…

Xu Yuxuan: I agree.