The Laid-back Life of a Stepmother

Wen Ye woke up shortly before noon.

It turned out that staying up late to study was not a good idea.

She even felt like retreating to a monastery and avoiding all gourmet food, living without desire or cravings.

After lying in bed for a while, she finally called for someone to come in.

After washing up, Tao Zhi asked, "Madam, what would you like for lunch?"

Wen Ye sighed and said slowly, "Let's have an all-vegetarian feast. From today, I'm going to cultivate a more disciplined and peaceful lifestyle."

There was a hint of tranquility in her expression, as if she were truly seeking enlightenment.

Tao Zhi was taken aback and asked, "All vegetarian?"

What was Madam up to this time?

Wen Ye nodded seriously, "Yes."

Seeing that she wasn't joking, Tao Zhi asked again, "Should we also change the soup?"

Recently, Wen Ye had been particularly fond of shredded pork and egg soup, which she had the kitchen prepare every other day. Today, the kitchen had already prepared it.

Hearing Tao Zhi's question, Wen Ye hesitated but eventually decided to give it up. "Change it."

"By the way," Wen Ye suddenly remembered and asked her, "Didn't I buy a pair of wooden fish in the West Market before?"

Tao Zhi nodded, "Yes, I've stored them in a box in the storeroom."

Wen Ye said, "Go get them."

Tao Zhi was puzzled, "Madam, what do you want the wooden fish for?"

Wen Ye replied, "To calm my mind."

Tao Zhi looked at Wen Ye with some apprehension. What was going on? Why would she suddenly want to play with wooden fish?

As far as she knew, only monks in temples and nuns in nunneries played wooden fish.

But since Madam had requested it, Tao Zhi couldn't resist, so she resignedly went to search the storeroom.

Wen Ye loved browsing the West Market and always came back with a bunch of strange trinkets, slowly accumulating several boxes.

It took Tao Zhi quite a while to find the wooden fish and, on her way back, she ran into Xu Yuejia, who was coming from the front courtyard.

Wen Ye emerged from the inner chamber, and the food had already been laid out on the table.

Seeing the man sitting at the dining table, Wen Ye was slightly surprised. "Didn't you have lunch, Husband?"

Her meal, though called lunch, was actually much later than their usual lunchtime.

Xu Yuejia glanced at her and then looked up. "Not feeling well today?"

Wen Ye sat down and explained, "That's right, Husband. I've decided to go vegetarian for a while. I've been eating too much rich food lately, and it feels a bit overwhelming."

Xu Yuejia asked, "And the wooden fish?"

Wen Ye replied, "I suddenly realized I might have a bit of affinity with Buddhism."

Xu Yuejia paused and asked, "When did you have this sudden realization?"

Wen Ye answered honestly, "After I woke up this morning."

Wen Ye's gaze towards the man was now free of any desire or interest. "Husband, you could try playing with them too. It might help with mental and physical well-being."

Not only was she uninterested in Xu Yuejia now, but she had also lost interest in other pleasures like storybooks and card games.

Xu Yuejia remained silent.

After lunch, Wen Ye took the wooden fish to the west study to play with them.

Xu Yuejia left briefly.

Wen Ye sat on a soft couch, legs crossed, playing with the wooden fish.

When Xu Yuejia returned, he continued to write notes on legal texts.

After an unknown amount of time, Wen Ye stopped playing with the wooden fish, opened her eyes, and gazed at the man writing at his desk. The dazzling sunlight seemed to cast a golden glow on his shoulders, making him look bright and attractive.@@novelbin@@

Wen Ye had always thought that the temperature difference between morning and evening was the only significant change, but today she realized that Xu Yuejia's differences between day and night were even more pronounced.

It was as if a wolf's skin had given way to a tender rabbit.

A moment later, Wen Ye sighed deeply and finally spoke, "Husband."

Xu Yuejia looked up at her, "Yes?"

After eating a lunch full of grass and playing with wooden fish for nearly an hour, Wen Ye was hungry.

Young people recover quickly.

Wen Ye stared at Xu Yuejia's face and decided to take back her previous words. "I think I can still have some meat soup."

Xu Yuejia didn't respond.

Wen Ye asked again, "Husband, haven't you gotten to this part yet?"

Xu Yuejia: "......No."

Wen Ye sighed. It seemed she couldn't shake off her role as a teacher.

*

As the invitations to the west courtyard gradually decreased, Wen Ye's 'illness' also started to recover.

Two ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‍days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Madam Lu sent someone to the west courtyard early in the morning, asking Wen Ye to come to the main courtyard after breakfast.

When Wen Ye arrived, Madam Lu was reviewing a list of gifts.

Even though the Guo Gong Mansion was wealthy, preparations for festivals were still necessary to maintain relationships.

Madam Lu called Wen Ye over to ask more carefully if there were any dietary restrictions in the Wen family.

The gifts for the Mid-Autumn Festival were mainly mooncakes and wine, with the only concern being the fillings of the mooncakes. For instance, walnuts could not be served in the Guo Gong Mansion, as both Xu Jingrong and Xu Yuxuan couldn't eat them.

As a precaution, Madam Lu forbade the servants from purchasing walnuts. If they wanted to eat them, they had to do so outside and return home after.

Wen Ye had only encountered this issue once before because no one had told her, and it was purely by accident.

"No dietary restrictions," Wen Ye replied. "I think the gifts Madam prepared are perfect."

Madam Lu was relieved. "As long as you think so."

Because she cared, she paid attention.

Madam Lu closed the gift list, looked up, and noticed Wen Ye's face, suddenly frowning. "Did you really fall ill these past few days?"

With the approaching Mid-Autumn Festival, Madam Lu had been extremely busy, coordinating family visits and managing stores and estates. Since the autumn harvest, the ledgers had been arriving non-stop.

When dealing with the managers of the Guo Gong Mansion's accounts and estates, gifts during festivals were necessary to ensure their loyalty.

Appreciation and benefits were crucial for maintaining their dedication.

Madam Lu not only managed the Guo Gong Mansion's affairs but also her own dowry, which included numerous stores and estates, keeping her busy until late at night every day.

After calculating it carefully, she realized she hadn't seen Wen Ye for about five or six days.

How had she become so tired in just five or six days?

"Have you been looking at the ledgers?" Madam Lu speculated.

Accustomed to seeing herself in the mirror daily, Wen Ye didn't notice any changes. Hearing Madam Lu's second question, she instinctively denied, "Not at all."

Although the sound of abacuses in the west courtyard hadn't stopped lately, it hadn't affected Wen Ye much.

Three times the regular pay plus performance bonuses weren't for nothing.

Nearly a year had passed, and the abacus skills of Liuya and Liuxin had significantly improved. Wen Ye was quite pleased with this.

Madam Lu, hearing this, glanced at the abacus beside her, at a loss for words.

After a long pause, she resumed, "Then why do I see that you look so tired, as if you haven't had a good night's sleep in ages?"

Wen Ye paused.

She had indeed stayed up late quite often lately.

The spiritual satisfaction couldn't compensate for the physical fatigue.

Madam Lu continued, "Don't always stay indoors. Even if you can't leave the mansion, you can still stroll around the grounds."

The scenery inside the mansion was no less beautiful than outside.

Madam Lu didn't think of anything untoward; she believed that Wen Ye had been staying indoors too long.

Wen Ye agreed immediately.

It was time to rest. Being a teacher didn't mean she could exploit her students.

Xu Yuejia couldn't always be on leave, either.

Wen Ye also thought that once her 'illness' was resolved, she should meet her hot spring estate again.

Of course, not right now. She planned to do it after the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the weather cooled down. Before the end of the year, she intended to take Madam Lu to the hot springs, relaxing and nourishing their bodies.

Having decided to take a break, in the evening, Wen Ye naturally refused Xu Yuejia's 'study session'.

She moved slightly away from him and said, "Husband, don't be overly indulgent."

Xu Yuejia's gaze moved from her face down to her neck, where it lingered for a moment before he looked up and said, "Tonight, what role am I playing?"

Wen Ye: "......"

Was he getting addicted to this?

"I went to the main courtyard today, and Madam Lu asked me if I hadn't been sleeping well lately, as I looked so tired."

Wen Ye looked at the man with a serious expression. "So, today, no new knowledge, no revision."

Xu Yuejia watched her silently for a long time, as if finally convinced she wasn't lying, before he almost calmly lay down beside her.

"By the way," Wen Ye remembered something, "I plan to take Madam Lu to the hot springs a few days later."

Before Xu Yuejia could process this, Wen Ye added, "Madam Lu has already agreed."

After a while, Wen Ye looked up, "Husband, why are you so indifferent?"

Xu Yuejia: "I see."

Wen Ye: "......"

*

As soon as the Mid-Autumn Festival passed, Wen Ye put her hot spring trip on the agenda. The hot spring that the emperor had bestowed, one of which was said to be medicinal, would be where she took Madam Lu.

This medicinal hot spring not only soothed the mind but also had health-enhancing properties.

Madam Lu suggested, "Such a large hot spring for just the two of us would be quite a waste. Why don't we invite your mother to join us?"

Wen Ye pondered for a moment before replying, "Shall I send her a letter then?"

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Wen Wu, her younger sister, had also returned from the palace to the Wen Mansion. Wen Ye was confident that if Madam Shen agreed to come, she would surely bring Wen Wu along.

Madam Lu had long wished to sit down with Madam Shen and get to know her better. Their previous interactions had all been centered around the marriage of Xu Yuejia and Wen Ye. At the time, both women had been somewhat reserved, and Madam Lu's understanding of Madam Shen was not very deep. In her impression, Madam Shen seemed much like any other noblewoman.

The letter reached the Wen Mansion the next afternoon.

Madam Shen had been quite busy lately. Although the Wen family was not as powerful as the Duke's estate, they had cultivated a web of intricate relations over the years, and Madam Shen's responsibilities were no less demanding than Madam Lu's.

The one thing that was better than the past was that currently, there were no weddings or funerals within the family. The children were still young, which temporarily spared them from these complications.

To be honest, Madam Shen had some instinctive resistance towards Wen Ye's letter. In the past, when she was still at home, Madam Shen could still assert her authority as a mother and manage Wen Ye. But now, it was clear that Wen Ye had found a new support.

However, Madam Shen couldn't very well let Nanny Han keep holding the letter. After a sigh, she finally took it.

The letter was brief, and Madam Shen quickly finished reading it. At the end, her eyes clearly showed her surprise.

"A hot spring?" Madam Shen murmured, then instinctively examined both sides of the letter and envelope carefully.

Satisfied that there were no hidden messages, she murmured again, "What is Wen Si planning?"

Nanny Han stood beside Madam Shen, and since Madam Shen hadn't kept her from reading the letter, Nanny Han had also caught a glimpse of its contents.

She speculated, "Madam, Young Lady Wen Wu returned from the palace yesterday."

Madam Shen, so busy she had nearly forgotten this, now looked at the letter with a sense of calm: "Wen Si wants me to bring Wen Wu along."

Nanny Han nodded, "In my humble opinion, since Fourth Lady wishes to show respect, you should agree. After all, this is a manor granted by the Emperor himself."

Madam Shen clutched the letter, considering for a moment, then said, "Send someone to the Eldest Daughter-in-law's courtyard, tell her I need to speak with her."

Before heading to the hot spring, they first needed to arrange everything at home.

Fortunately, both of her daughters-in-law were married in, so Madam Shen wasn't worried.

Madam Lu's side would be more complicated. Despite only being gone for three to four days, there were many matters that needed to be addressed.

Meanwhile, Wen Ye, using her newly-earned "salary," bought some things for Xu Yuejia.

Wen Ye had only recently discovered that individuals like her, with noble titles, also received a salary.

It was as if she had just started receiving a monthly pension.

Tomorrow they were set to leave for the hot springs in the outskirts of the capital, so Wen Ye decided to go out today.

Upon returning, she happened to meet Xu Yuejia as he was sorting through some books for her to take to the manor.

They were only going for a few days, so he hadn't packed many—just two or three books would suffice.

Hearing the sound from behind him, Xu Yuejia said to her, still turned away, "I've picked out a few for you, you can choose from them later."

Wen Ye responded, "Husband, turn around."

Puzzled, Xu Yuejia obediently turned to face her.

Wen Ye brought the lunchbox she had hidden behind her and held it up to him, saying, "I bought this specially for you—delicious pastries."

Xu Yuejia looked at her quietly. "Do you think I'm as easily pleased as Xuan'er?"

Wen Ye peeked out from above the box, "I didn't buy any for Xuan'er."

Xu Yuejia remained silent, but Wen Ye could feel that his mood was improving.

So, she continued, "This is my very first salary. I spent it all on pastries for you."

Xu Yuejia opened the box, staring at the osmanthus cakes inside for a few moments before lifting his eyes to ask, "Did you get scammed?"

Wen Ye was confused. "What?"

Xu Yuejia took one out and handed it to her naturally, saying, "Which shop sells osmanthus cakes for twenty taels of silver?"

Wen Ye: "..."

So unromantic.