The Laid-back Life of a Stepmother

After sending Yun Zhi to inform Madam Lu, Wen Ye said, "We'll head back later."

Going back now would likely result in being pulled in by Duke Xu and his son to serve as shields.

Xu Yuejia glanced at his elder brother from a distance and remained silent for a moment before saying, "Alright."

Only after Duke Xu and Xu Jingrong were led away by Madam Lu did Wen Ye reluctantly withdraw her gaze and remark, "It seems the deep-fried rice cakes sold by this shop are truly delicious."

Knowing full well that the eldest sister-in-law and she were returning today, he still risked coming to queue up to buy them – truly worthy of being both a veteran general and a future general.

Wen Ye genuinely admired them from the bottom of her heart, though she couldn't help but comment, "Once they leave, we should go and join the queue too."

She had to find out just how delicious they were.

*

In order to save some face for Duke Xu, the family wandered outside until almost the hour of Xū (7-9 pm), when the sky was almost completely dark, before returning to the mansion.

Xu Yuxuan was so tired from the wandering that he dozed off, leaning against Xu Yuejia's chest, his little mouth slightly open as he slept.

Occasionally, he even let out small snores.

The Duke Xu's Mansion was eerily quiet, likely indicating that the necessary punishments had already been meted out. Wen Ye breathed a sigh of relief but couldn't help feeling a bit regretful for missing out on the spectacle.

Xu Yuejia handed the sleeping child to Nanny Ji, who had come to take him, and then said to Wen Ye, "You should restrain yourself."

Wen Ye replied, "The eldest sister-in-law's eyes are only on the eldest brother now—how would she notice me?"

Xu Yuejia: "......"

She always managed to twist things into a different meaning with her words.@@novelbin@@

"Alright, alright," Wen Ye urged him forward, saying, "Let's go back and sleep."

As her hand accidentally brushed against his shoulder, she noticed it felt sticky, "What's this?"

Wen Ye instinctively rubbed her hand against his arm.

Xu Yuejia glanced sideways, his lips pressed together.

After rubbing, Wen Ye guessed with certainty, "Xu Yuxuan's drool?"

Xu Yuejia's reaction was the best proof.

Wen Ye coughed lightly, glancing towards the direction Nanny Ji had left in and said, "We could still catch up with her."

Xu Yuejia paused before saying, "Forget it."

Wen Ye deliberately spoke sternly, "How can we just forget it? Today he dares to drool on his father, tomorrow he’ll dare to draw a map on him."

She corrected herself, "No, I almost forgot, Xu Yuxuan has already drawn on his father before."

Xu Yuejia: "......"

The next day, when Wen Ye woke up, she couldn't resist sending someone to inquire about the news. Before long, Tao Zhi returned with the information, reporting, "Madam, Madam Lu didn’t do much to Duke Xu and Young Master yesterday. She just sent Duke Xu to stay at the military camp near the capital for half a month, and early this morning she packed a travel bag for Young Master, who is already on his way back to the academy."

Wen Ye: "Is she separating the father and son completely?"

One being sent out of the house, the other back to the academy—they wouldn't see each other until around New Year’s.

Tao Zhi nodded, "Probably."

Wen Ye asked again, "Has the eldest sister-in-law calmed down?"

Tao Zhi shook her head, "I don’t know that."

Not finding out clearly, Wen Ye didn't dare to go over at this time. She thought it over and decided to wait a few more days, until Madam Lu had completely cooled down.

Three days later, Wen Ye brought freshly baked pastries from the small kitchen to the main courtyard. When she arrived, Madam Lu was supervising Xu Jinglin practicing calligraphy. Seeing her, she wasn't surprised and pointed to a seat for her to sit.

Wen Ye sat down and asked, "Sister-in-law, where’s Jingrong?"

Madam Lu looked at her and said, "I sent him back to the academy."

Wen Ye asked, "Aren’t you worried that Jingrong might go out of control and stray from your guidance?"

Madam Lu replied, "I’m not worried. Before sending him back to the academy, I specifically asked my aunt to write a letter to Jiang Rui, asking him to keep an eye on Jingrong."

At this point, Madam Lu suddenly smiled, "You don’t know Jiang Rui’s character—he’s quite rigid, similar to Xu Yuejia when he was young. Jingrong won’t have an easy time under his watch."

Wen Ye nodded understandingly. No wonder Madam Lu could let Xu Jingrong return to the academy so easily; she had already found a helper in nurturing there.

However, regarding Madam Lu’s description of Xu Yuejia as rigid, Wen Ye had reservations.

Whether he was rigid in his youth, Wen Ye didn’t know, but she only knew that the current Xu Yuejia was a very 'ambitious' and highly 'adaptable' 'good student'.

"What about the eldest brother?" Wen Ye blinked and asked again.

Madam Lu paused upon hearing this, seeing through her and said, "You didn’t get the full details from your servants, so you came here to inquire personally?"

Having been exposed, Wen Ye didn’t plan to retreat, because Madam Lu's tone didn't contain even a hint of anger.

"I’m just worried about the eldest sister-in-law," she said.

Madam Lu put down the calligraphy Xu Jinglin had written and said, "I sent my eldest brother to the military camp to reflect for half a month. My younger brother is also there, and my eldest brother has always been a bit scared of him."

Wen Ye instantly understood—it was like the brother-in-law fearing his wife’s younger brother.

"Jinglin’s reading seems to have improved quite a bit lately," Wen Ye’s gaze fell on Xu Jinglin, who was quietly practicing calligraphy.

Madam Lu stroked her younger son’s head and chuckled, "After eating so many roast chickens, ducks, and geese, if he didn’t improve, he wouldn’t need to eat anymore."

Xu Jinglin immediately looked up and obediently said, "Mother, I only had a few bites."

Fortunately, that day his father and elder brother hid it from him, otherwise, he would have been caught too.

Madam Lu gently tapped his head, "Don’t argue, your father and brother have confessed everything."

Madam Lu's words were like a bolt from the blue, and Xu Jinglin, his face filled with disbelief, exclaimed, "Impossible!"

On the night they were discovered by their mother, he had even brought them meat buns!

His father and brother had promised him.

"Traitors~" Xu Jinglin muttered resentfully in a low voice, no wonder his mother had called him over early this morning to practice calligraphy—this was a punishment for him.

"I’m going to report!" Xu Jinglin revealed all the outrageous things his father and brother had done during the days his mother was away.

Madam Lu listened quietly, occasionally filling in the gaps. Combining the confessions from both sides, she managed to piece together the full picture of the events.

Wen Ye, listening to this, barely kept her breathing steady. Indeed, the older ginger is always spicier.

"This time, your mother won’t punish you," Madam Lu called over the maids who usually served Xu Jinglin and had them remove the writing tools and papers. "However, if your mother goes out again, you must keep an eye on your father and brother for her. If anything unusual happens, come and tell your mother immediately."

"The benefit is that I allow you to have street food from outside the manor once every half month."

Xu Jinglin was both tempted and conflicted, "Can I share some with father and elder brother when I eat?"

Although his father and elder brother had 'betrayed' him, they were still his father and elder brother.

Madam Lu smiled, "Since I’ve allowed you, you can share with whomever you like—your mother won’t stop you."

Xu Jinglin happily agreed, "Then Jinglin agrees!"

Madam Lu indeed didn’t like the idea of the father and sons frequently eating from street vendors, and over the years, she had engaged in many mental and physical battles with the trio over this.

It was only in the past two years that she had gradually come to understand many things, especially after Wen Ye married into the family.

Even though she still disliked those street snacks, she decided to start making an effort to understand the preferences of the father and sons.

They would each take a step back, but not this time—the father and sons had conspired to deceive her, and they had to receive the appropriate 'punishment'.

Wen Ye, observing the faint smile on Madam Lu’s lips, suddenly understood her intentions.

Wen Ye smiled along, feeling that life was indeed very good.

Days passed one after another, and soon it was almost New Year.

Yesterday’s first snowfall prompted Wen Ye to wake up early and instruct the small kitchen to prepare a braised goose in a cast iron pot for lunch. Today was the first of the month, the customary day to have lunch at the main courtyard.

The dish about to be made was one that Xu Jinglin chose, ever since Madam Lu allowed him to indulge once every half month. Whenever Duke Xu was in the mansion, Xu Jinglin was always by his side, nearly impossible to shake off.

Xu Yuxuan and Xu Jinglin were playing with snow in the courtyard of the western wing. Xu Jingrong wouldn’t be back for another ten days, and since Xu Jinglin lived in the eastern wing, he had no playmates. Over the past two months, either Xu Yuxuan went to the eastern wing to keep him company or he came over here to accompany Xu Yuxuan.

Wen Ye’s gaze returned from the window to the man beside the stove where tea was being brewed, "Husband?"

Xu Yuejia still lowered his eyes, "Almost done."

The tea in the celadon teacup was of a deep color, exuding a fragrant aroma. After finally pouring a cup, Xu Yuejia handed it over, "Try it."

Wen Ye accepted it quickly, took a sip, and then revealed an approving look, saying with ease: "After drinking so much tea, it’s still the tea you brew that’s the best."

The first time Wen Ye said those words was more than a month ago, and Xu Yuejia took her seriously from that moment on.

In recent days, whenever he had some free time, he would sit there, meticulously brewing tea.

Fortunately, his tea-making skills were truly exceptional; otherwise, Wen Ye wasn't sure how much longer she could endure it.

At that moment, Xu Yuxuan, who had been outside happily building a snowman, suddenly rushed in, dressed in a blue padded jacket and wrapped in a thick, soft cloak.

A year had passed, and he had grown taller, no longer as round as he was the previous year, though his cheeks were still plump.

Xu Yuxuan tugged at Wen Ye, saying, "Mother, come and see the snowman Xuan'er made~"

Children on holiday really do have boundless energy.

Didn't ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‍Xu Jingrong say he had prepared a lot of holiday assignments for Xu Yuxuan before leaving? How come this boy doesn't seem to have any sense of urgency at all.

Wen Ye lazily leaned back on the soft couch, shaking her head, "Mother doesn't feel like moving."

Xu Yuxuan, slightly disappointed, thought for a moment and then shouted, "Ask Father to carry you?"

After saying that, he looked expectantly at Xu Yuejia, who was nearby.

With so many people in the courtyard, it would be quite improper for Xu Yuejia to carry her now.

It would be better to save it for tonight.

Therefore, Wen Ye gave Xu Yuejia a meaningful look.

Xu Yuejia set down his teacup without haste, rearranged the coals in the brazier with a pair of tongs, and after making sure everything was in order, he stood up, circled around the brazier, and walked over to Xu Yuxuan, bending down to pick him up.

Xu Yuxuan instinctively wrapped his arms around Xu Yuejia's neck, looking puzzled, "Father?"

Xu Yuejia glanced at him and said, "Aren't you asking to be carried?"

Xu Yuxuan opened his little mouth, taking a while to respond, "Not Xuan'er, it's Mother."

Xu Yuejia calmly replied with an "Mm," "Your mother agreed."

Then, he started walking outside.

Wen Ye curved her lips into a smile and turned back to look out the window. Before long, she saw Xu Yuejia carrying Xu Yuxuan standing in front of several snowmen of varying sizes, with thin snowflakes drifting lazily in the air.

Sitting in Xu Yuejia's arms, Xu Yuxuan pointed to the one in the middle and said, "This one is Mother~"

The snowman's head was covered with a sheet of his own practice writing that he had messed up, probably representing the novels Wen Ye usually read.

Then he moved to the smallest one on the side, saying, "This is me, Xuan'er!"

He pointed at himself.

The small snowman's head was adorned with a piece of jujube cake that had been half-eaten.

Finally, there was a snowman slightly farther away, covered in dirt and the least rounded of the three.

Its head was also decorated with many pine branches.

The pine branches were all fresh and green, likely freshly picked.

Then, Xu Yuxuan, using his tender voice, declared with great confidence, "That one is Father!"

Xu Yuejia stared at the green atop the snowman's head, remaining silent for a long time before asking, "Who taught you to put that there?"

Xu Yuxuan pointed to his chest, speaking with certainty, "Xuan'er did! I thought it looked nice!"

"Father wears a hat every day when he goes out, so this is a hat."

Xu Yuejia: "... "