As the matriarch of the Wuqing Marquis's mansion, Zhang Jingxian's life was not as leisurely as ordinary people might imagine.
My imagined life in a noble household: I would get up in the morning to dress my husband, order the kitchen to prepare breakfast, help him wash up, see him off to court, pay my respects to my mother-in-law, and then have free time to arrange flowers, drink tea, and go shopping with my girlfriends...
Actual life in the Marquis's mansion: getting up in the morning to dress her husband, ordering the kitchen to prepare breakfast, serving her husband to wash up, sending her husband off to court, not having to pay respects to her mother-in-law, but having to start doing accounts... resolving conflicts between servants... dealing with all sorts of strange visitors... and keeping a firm grasp of the various factions in the capital city.
Families of the same faction are expected to exchange gifts for both funerals and celebrations, while those of different factions should be cautious in their interactions to avoid unnecessary trouble. Furthermore, the hierarchy of the relationship must be considered when giving gifts; there are specific rules regarding what to give to a baron, a viscount, an earl, and so on.
At noon, they still had to prepare lunch, and in the afternoon they would continue with accounting and managing the Marquis's properties, such as shops, farms, and fields...
The reason why the position of the legal wife is so coveted in some families is not only because it represents recognition of status, but more importantly, because this position means wielding considerable power within the household.
If a family patriarch like He Yuanhao only cares about eating, sleeping, attending court, and even dozing off, the power of the principal wife is practically limitless. Therefore, the principal wife is also called the matriarch.
The term "mother" refers to both the mother of all the children in the family and the actual controller of the family's resources.
In the morning at the Marquis's residence, Zhang Jingxian was doing accounts, while He Yunxiao quietly slipped away to his aunt's side.
Aunt was her mother's younger sister, and she had always treated her very well since childhood, a fact that He Yunxiao always remembered.
Perhaps because of his mother's death, even He Yunxiao himself felt that his aunt's care for him was not concern, but spoiling.
Perhaps that's why the original owner was an arrogant and domineering playboy.
Spoiling the original owner of the body would mold him into a villainous young nobleman, but it wouldn't change the current He Yunxiao. The current He Yunxiao is a transmigrator who experienced an era lacking love and knows how to cherish it more than anyone else.
He Yunxiao saw Zhang Jingxian writing diligently.
So he offered, "Auntie, let me grind the ink for you."
Zhang Jingxian was startled by He Yunxiao's sudden appearance. Her pen slipped, and a slanted ink mark appeared on the paper, ruining her beautiful handwriting. Despite the destruction of her work, she had no intention of blaming He Yunxiao. She simply patted her chest with her left hand and said, "Xiao'er, you scared your aunt to death!"
He Yunxiao laughed and said, "It's because Auntie is taking it too seriously. I didn't even notice when I came."
Zhang Jingxian unfolded a new sheet of paper and rewrote, "I don't blame Aunt for being serious, it's just that Aunt didn't expect you to come at this time."
The morning is a strange time of day; it feels long to some and short to others.
Although his aunt didn't say it explicitly, He Yunxiao understood what she meant.
Although the Marquis of Wuqing's mansion was large, covering a hundred acres, and had more than a hundred servants and guards, the only people who could truly accompany his concubine were his father and himself.
“Auntie, I will come to grind ink for you often in the future,” He Yunxiao said as she ground the ink.
Hearing He Yunxiao say that, Zhang Jingxian stopped writing.
"Xiao'er, a real man shouldn't be doing things like grinding ink all the time. You leave it, your aunt will do it herself."
He Yunxiao quickly ground the inkstone even more diligently, saying, "I will come to my aunt's place every day to do chores for her from now on, otherwise I'm afraid my aunt will abandon me one day."
Having managed the Marquis's residence for a long time and seen many people, Zhang Jingxian naturally developed a keen eye for talent.
She put down her pen and said to He Yunxiao, "Xiao'er, move a chair and sit next to your aunt."
He Yunxiao stiffened and did as instructed.
After He Yunxiao was seated, Zhang Jingxian said, "Xiao'er, tell your aunt honestly, have you gotten into trouble again?"
He Yunxiao attempted to deny it, saying, "No."
"To be honest, your aunt won't tell your father."
He Yunxiao scratched his head.
"I need to tell my dad about this."
Zhang Jingxian asked in surprise, "You hit Huang Buren again?"
"No, I didn't."
Gulu
"Who were they hitting?"
"I didn't hit anyone. Recently, cough cough, I visited Chunfeng Tower."
Zhang Jingxian caught her breath and said, "Is that all? Auntie thought it was something serious and was quite startled."
He Yunxiao said shyly, "Auntie, actually, it wasn't just a stroll."
When Zhang Jingxian heard He Yunxiao say this to her, her face flushed slightly, and she said, "Of course Aunt knows what he's going there for. Do you think Aunt is stupid? Xiao'er is an adult now, not married, so it's nothing for him to go once or twice. Aunt understands."
"Auntie..."
"What's wrong?"
"I think, cough cough, I'd like to redeem a girl."
Zhang Jingxian's first reaction was, "Does Xiao'er need money?"
He Yunxiao said, "No need."
Zhang Jingxian frowned, not understanding what He Yunxiao meant. "Xiao'er, are you afraid your father will scold you for wasting money? At worst, your aunt will keep it a secret for you."
He Yunxiao tentatively said, "Auntie, what I mean is to redeem a girl and then bring her to live in the Marquis's mansion."
Zhang Jingxian was taken aback at first, then immediately said seriously, "No."
"Auntie~" He Yunxiao tried to get away with it by acting cute.
Zhang Jingxian remained unmoved.
“Xiao’er, listen to your aunt. You are the eldest son of a marquis, of noble status. It was a blessing for them that you took their bodies at Chunfeng Tower. Now you are even redeeming them, which is more than enough. They are greedy, trying to trick you into giving them a title. They are insatiable and greedy.”
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