121. He saved her life, and he also saved her mother's life.

The little dumpling's face was full of joy: "Big sister is alright, that's great..."

A smile finally appeared on Lin Lingrong's face, and she said softly, "Thank you, young lady..."

Her attitude was much gentler.

Of course, it wasn't because the little dumpling came to visit her.

It was because when she was about to be punished on the bench, she heard the little dumpling trying to speak up for her, clearing her name and saving her life.

Otherwise, Lin Lingrong had no doubt that the Duke of Anguo would have killed her and then found another way to deal with her mother.

The little dumpling was their savior.

Little Tuanzi, unaware of what Lin Lingrong was thinking, leaned close to her ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Sister Fufu told Yue'er that she made a mistake and that she will treat you well from now on..."

Lin Lingrong slowly opened her eyes wide, unable to believe what she was hearing.

How could Lin Fuman, who has always been arrogant and domineering, admit her mistake?

But soon, she shook her head: "Princess, you've been deceived by Lin Fuman. How could she possibly admit her mistake? She's just like her wicked mother, wishing my mother and me dead."

She was convinced that, as countless times before, Lin Fuman was deliberately lying to show her "kindness" in order to win the favor of others and to highlight her unreasonable and cold-hearted nature.

The little dumpling was stunned: "But...but Sister Fufu looks really..."

She felt that Sister Fu Fu from earlier did seem like a good person.

“The county princess is kind-hearted and unaware of their methods,” Lin Lingrong bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes. “Just last month, she deliberately put laxatives in my mother’s and my tea, causing us to vomit and have diarrhea, and she just stood there clapping and cheering…”

Jiang Xiyue frowned upon hearing this: "Madam, have you told Duke Anguo about these things?"

The first wife shook her head with a wry smile: "What's the point of telling him? Master just thinks I'm spreading rumors. Once, when Lingrong complained, Master made her kneel for two hours instead..."

Lin Lingrong sniffed: "I hate my father, I hate Lin Fuman."

The first wife couldn't stop her tears: "It's all my fault... I've made you suffer... If only I were more capable, it's all my fault..."

Jiang Xiyue sighed softly, looking at the appearance of the first wife and Lin Lingrong, she truly pitied their misfortune: "Does the madam still have any family members? Why not..."

The first wife shook her head with a bitter smile: "My father was originally a fourth-rank official, but he and his entire family were exiled for being involved in a cheating scandal in the imperial examinations. He died three years ago. I only escaped this fate because I was married out of the country. My brothers are too busy taking care of themselves to worry about me, who is already married..."

Her voice choked with emotion: "Besides, those brothers are not my own flesh and blood, nor are they close to me. Why would they offend the Duke of Anguo's mansion for my sake..."

These words made Jiang Xiyue's heart tighten.

A declining family certainly wouldn't dare to challenge the Duke's Mansion.

It wasn't that the legal wife was unwilling to fight for it, but rather that she lacked the ability and the right to do so.

Her only support was the Duke of Anguo. If she lost him and was kicked out of the house, she, a powerless woman and the daughter of a disgraced official, would be arrested and exiled at any time, and would indeed have nowhere to go.

"Then, what about that concubine? She's the one in charge of the household, right?" Jiang Xiyue asked again.

“Auntie is better,” Lin Lingrong said. “Lin Fuman will only tease me a little, but she won’t dare to lay a hand on me. If Lin Fuman bullies me, I will go to her to complain, and she will teach Lin Fuman a lesson.”

The legal wife also said, "My concubine is indeed several times better at managing the household than I am. She is ambitious, but she will only compete with me openly and honestly, and she will not do anything underhanded."

She recounted a past event: "I was forced into an arranged marriage with the Duke of Anguo. The Duke of Anguo never wanted to marry me, and later his family fell into ruin. The Duke of Anguo resented that I couldn't provide any help and instead dragged him down..."

"Later, my aunt entered the household, and they fell in love. My aunt wanted to take control of the household, but I let her go. She never mistreated me financially, and the Duke's mansion and the shops under her name were managed very well."

“One day, she came to me and asked if I could divorce Duke Anguo. She said she could give me all the property under her name and even persuade Duke Anguo to find a way to let me take Lingrong with me.”

"The money she gave me was enough for us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives. She said that whether I remarry or travel around, it would be better than being confined to the courtyard. When the money runs out, I can just ask her for more, and she can support us for the rest of our lives."

“I want to too. I don’t want to be trapped here, growing to hate Duke Anguo. But what can I do? I am the daughter of a disgraced official. If I don’t divorce him, I can still survive. But if I do divorce him, my family will be a sword hanging over my head, ready to kill my daughter and me at any moment.”

“I told her about my background. I said to her: I admire you. I know you are a capable woman. You are good at everything, whether it is studying or doing business. But, just like you had to become the concubine of the Duke of Anguo to protect your property and your life, I can only stay in the Duke of Anguo’s mansion to protect my life.”

"After listening, she remained silent for a long time, and then left without saying a word. The days that followed were the same as usual. She was busy with endless work all day long. Duke Anguo glared at me coldly, and Lin Fuman would target my mother and me from time to time, but in the end, they were all minor tricks that could not kill us."

"The only difference is that she never mentioned wanting me to divorce her again, and life just went on peacefully like that..."

"Actually... I'm quite grateful to her. If it weren't for her, Duke Anguo would probably have kicked me out long ago. Given how much Duke Anguo dislikes me, I don't believe he hasn't divorced me yet without her mediation."

"I don't have anything to repay her with, so I can only live a peaceful life in my little corner of the world, not compete with her, and give way to Lin Fuman. Anyway, she won't treat me badly."

“I’m sorry, I’ve said a bit too much,” the wife said, wiping away her tears with a handkerchief. “I’m weak, aren’t I? But I really don’t know what to do.”

“It’s not Mother’s fault, Mother couldn’t do anything about it,” Lin Lingrong shook her head. “I also think Aunt is alright. My mother and I don’t have enough of the monthly allowances stipulated by the manor, so Aunt allocates some from her own private treasury to us every month. When she buys things for Lin Fuman, she also buys me something. When I want to study, she will inquire everywhere to find the best schools and teachers for me, and pay my tuition out of her own pocket. When I want to learn housekeeping, she is willing to teach me step by step. The only drawback is that she has a daughter like Lin Fuman.”

Jiang Xiyue also found it very complicated.

The principal wife has no way to fight back. If she does, the concubine will no longer protect her, and the Duke of Anguo will definitely divorce her.

The separation of mother and daughter is a minor matter; the real issue is whether the legal wife can survive.

Although that concubine usurped the power of household management and liked to be in charge, she couldn't really be called a bad person...

Ultimately, the problem lies with Duke Anguo and Lin Fuman.

Jiang Xiyue had a headache: "I've heard that although my aunt is competitive and sometimes oversteps the bounds, her character isn't bad. How did she raise a daughter like Lin Fuman?"

The principal wife said, "My aunt manages dozens of shops and the vast Anguo Duke's mansion. She's the kind of person who wants to do everything herself and is unwilling to delegate authority. Back when she had just given birth to Lin Fuman, she had to look at the account books as soon as she recovered... Sigh, you can imagine how busy she was. Lin Fuman was practically raised by Anguo Duke himself. Apart from the wet nurse who was responsible for breastfeeding, Anguo Duke personally took care of everything, from putting her to sleep and changing her diapers to feeding her porridge, teaching her to speak and walk when she got older. Naturally, Anguo Duke doted on the child he raised with such hard work, protecting her like the apple of his eye."

Jiang Xiyue was at a loss: "So it turns out that it's actually Auntie who's out there working hard to earn money, while Duke Anguo is the good wife who stays at home taking care of the children?"

"The Duke of Anguo also holds an official position and attends court regularly, but his salary... half of the income and expenditure of the manor comes from the Duke of Anguo's ancestral property, and the other half comes from his concubine's shops."

Jiang Xiyue really didn't know what to say. So the Duke of Anguo's mansion would be in chaos without his concubine?

However, the Anguo Duke's family's ancestral foundation must be considerable, and the fact that the concubine's shop income could rival it shows that her abilities are indeed extraordinary.

If only I could have become an official back then...

What a pity.

Jiang Xiyue sighed.