I Became The Stepmother of My Ex-husband

Lin Wei Xi cheerfully enjoyed the treatment her former grandmother received. Gao Ran was an expert at this. Lin Wei Xi merely had to glance at a dish and Gao Ran would serve it to her in an instant. After a few times, Gao Ran got a feel for Lin Wei Xi’s appetite. The amount of food she served was just right. It wasn’t too much and it was enough to satisfy her.

Unconsciously, Lin Wei Xi ate a little more than she usually did. Being in a good mood made everything appetizing. She put down her chopsticks and rinsed her mouth with tea. Gao Ran had a silk handkerchief at the ready for her to wipe her lips, and was incredibly attentive from start to finish.

After Lin Wei Xi tidied up properly, she slowly stood up with the support of a servant. She looked at Gao Ran and smiled softly, “thank you for the trouble, Shizi Fei. You’ve been standing for so long. I’ll be seeing the estate manager in a bit. If you’re tired, you can go back first.”

Gao Ran had had only two mouthfuls of pastries that morning before leaving. It was very exhausting for her to observe someone’s reaction to predict their thoughts. After that breakfast, the two chestnut cakes in Gao Ran’s stomach had long since been completely digested. But after Lin Wei Xi said this, how could she go back? Was it too tiring to sit and honestly serve her mother-in-law? Gao Ran suppressed her exhaustion and said with a smile, “why would I go back? As long as Mother doesn’t feel bothered by me, I’m happy to serve Mother for a while longer. What would I even do if I return early?”

Since Gao Ran said so, Lin Wei Xi didn’t decline. She actually took her across the courtyard, through the main hall, and sat her in the room East of the main hall. A screen stood at the entrance of the room that hazily blocked Lin Wei Xi’s figure. The maids filed in and quietly arranged the incense burner, fruit plate, embroidered cushion, etc. After putting everything in order, Wan Yue helped Lin Wei Xi onto a couch in the centre of a plain five-panel folding screen.

Lin Wei Xi was the centre of attention of everyone in the room. Only after she sat down did Gao Ran walk to the side of the couch behind Lin Wei Xi and stand still.

The maid left to call for the estate manager. After a while, the manager of the residence’s estate in Daxing was brought in.

She was a solid woman in her forties and wore a short blue rough cotton coat. She was no stranger to the Prince Yan Residence. The husband and wife were the residence’s slaves and they managed the estate in Daxing. At the end of each year, they offered the poultry and fresh food produced from the property to the Prince Yan Residence. In previous years, she met Granny Bu directly. But this year, she learned that Prince Yan had married a new Princess Consort. With a mistress, Granny Bu was no longer in charge of the tribute offered by the estate, so the Granny from the estate had to visit the new Princess Consort and kowtow to her first.

Aside from the flowerbeds in the residence, everywhere else was paved with blue stone. The estate Granny followed the brightly dressed and pretty maid from the side gate to the centre of the residence, to Jingcheng Courtyard. After walking through the tall gateway, she saw the glazed spirit screen first, impressive and awe-inspiring. The coiled dragon on the wall stared at her, and her heart pounded. She was too scared to look at it again. She quickly lowered her head and followed the maid around the spirit screen, walking along the corridor under the eaves.

Even though the estate Granny was a farmer, she knew that Jingcheng Courtyard was the courtyard where the Prince and Princess Consort lived. Behind the spirit screen was a spacious and smooth courtyard, the side rooms incredibly tall and magnificent. The estate Granny couldn’t resist peeking at it. It was only a side room but it was more spacious and bright than three main rooms in the Daxing countryside. However, according to the maid, these side rooms weren’t occupied.

The estate granny felt distressed and in the time that her mind wandered, they arrived. In front of her was a five room building with raised corners on the roof. The room in the centre was cleared and used as an entrance hall. Chairs, vases and other objects were placed in the middle. This room was most likely used for hosting guests. A magnificent garden could be faintly seen beyond the hallway, the greenery lush and dense and the carvings were elaborate. The estate Granny had barely glanced around when she bumped into someone. She looked up to see the maid who’d led her here looking at her disapprovingly, “that’s the courtyard where the Princess Consort lives. Don’t do anything presumptuous.”

Only then did the estate Granny realize that the courtyard she was standing on, the one that had her sighing for so long, was only the surrounding building of where the Princess Consort lived. The building where she actually lived was even further inside. Strangers like them could only have an audience with her in the guest room outside her living quarters. Thinking about what kind of person the Princess Consort was, how could she allow others to step into her living quarters as and when they wanted to.

The estate Granny’s heart clenched when she was given the reminder. She stood in the hallway with the maid. On the other side of the screen, she could hazily make out several beautiful silhouettes, all of them surrounding one person. After the maid whispered to someone behind the screen, a voice sounded, “so this is the estate manager of the southern Daxing county suburb?”

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Despite living for so many years, this was the first time the estate Granny had heard such a nice voice. She didn’t know how to describe it. It was like spring water that had just melted in spring, like raindrops on lotus leaves in the summer. It was clear and delicate, without any fake charm and sweetness, it’s freshness naturally hit people in their senses. This voice distracted the estate Granny and after she processed what happened, she quickly responded, “It’s this old slave.”

There was a pause behind the screen and the estate granny grew apprehensive. The fairy-like voice sounded again, “since you’re all servants of the residence, you’re part of it. The entryway is cold. Let’s head inside and talk.”

The estate Granny felt like she was stepping on clouds and looked dazed, unable to react for the moment. It was the maid next to her who glanced at her and reminded, “quickly thank the Princess Consort.”

The estate Granny startled out of her trance, “Ah yes, thank you Princess Consort.”

The granny thought the Princess Consort’s voice was what stood out about her. Women in the imperial family all had their own speciality. Some had slender waists and some were good at seduction. The new Princess Consort’s speciality must be her beautiful voice. After the estate granny walked around the screen and kowtowed, she was caught off guard when she raised her eyes and stood up. She let out an “aiyo” and almost fell backward.

Wan Xing frowned and immediately shouted, “impudent! How dare you make a racket in front of the Princess Consort?”

The estate Granny saw the woman sitting in the centre raise her hand. Even though the maid who stood up to scold her continued to glare, she immediately bowed her head and stepped back. Then, the woman who caused the estate granny to forget her manners and almost caused her to choke on her breath turned around and lightly glanced at her, “the manager is unsteady. Quickly help her up.”

The estate granny was half supported and half lifted up by the maids on either side. When she looked at Lin Wei Xi, she was rendered speechless. She was stunned, and when she realized that she’d been rude, she promptly bowed and begged for forgiveness, “Princess Consort, please forgive me… this old slave was really shocked just now and did something rude. This old slave has lived for so many years and has seen women from all walks of life, from the city to the countryside. But this old slave has never seen someone as beautiful as the Princess Consort… No, they can’t even compare to the Princess Consort’s finger. As long as they have even a tenth of Princess Consort’s beauty, this old slave will still be unprepared and fall down out of shock.”

Lin Wei Xi had long since grown used to all kinds of reactions when strangers saw her. This old woman’s reaction was just a bit extreme and she merely fell on the ground. Such exaggerated praise went in one ear and out the other; she didn’t take it seriously. She saw that the Granny was finally standing properly, and flipped through the book in her hand before asking, “Are the animals used for the winter sacrifices and New Year celebration ready?”

The Daxing estate farming records were written in the book. The amount of land in the estate, the number of farmers hired that year, the number of fowl, fish, cattle, sheep and even wild deer raised in early spring were all clearly recorded in the book. Every spring, each farm submitted a register. At the end of the year, the better quality products that year were sent to the residence and the rest sold at the market. The money from the transaction would be sent to Prince Yan Residence at the end of the year. Calculating how much they made every year became a test of the mistress’s ability to discern the numbers. For the longest time, this was how the estates under the Prince Yan Residence operated.

Speaking of it, the Granny who was looking around not too long ago became at ease all of a sudden. She rubbed her hands and smiled in embarrassment, “Reporting to Princess Consort. To be honest, this old slave also wanted to offer more and better items to the residence. However, the harvest this year is really bad and this winter is too cold. Our son went to check the fish pond  every day. For the past few days, he basically lived next to the fish ponds. But the fish in the estate refused to show. This old slave knows that the residence’s fish feast at the end of the year can’t be cancelled, but there aren’t many fish in the pond. It’s almost the end of the year. This old slave is very anxious… “

The Daxing estate wasn’t small. There was more than a hundred acres of land surrounding the estate and the peasant households living there were all the property of the residence. While the Prince Yan Residence had many similar estates, the Daxing’s estate was special because it’s geographical location was rich in resources.

This estate was backed against hills with mountain springs running not too far away. The land was rich and fertile, suitable for digging fish ponds and raising fish. At the Prince Yan Residence’s annual feast, half of the dishes were freshwater seafood, so this estate became irreplaceable and even it’s manager had a lot of face. This Granny could only say that the fish in the estate weren’t active because she relied on the fact that the residence needed freshwater seafood. It was almost the twelfth month and it was obviously impossible to buy the seafood from the market in winter. That’s why they could be so confident and self-assured.

Lin Wei Xi had already seen the collusion between managers inside and outside the residence, and how they support each other, protecting their network. She wasn’t in a hurry and merely put down the produce book, her gaze was clear as she looked down from her seat, “manager, what do you mean?”

The Granny smiled more cheerfully, “It’s almost the twelfth lunar month. The annual offering and New Year greetings are major events. This old slave also knows that it’s extremely important, so this old slave rushed our family’s brat to quickly manage the fish pond these past few days. Don’t worry Princess Consort, my family has tended to the estate for a long time and we’re the most experienced. The fresh fish will definitely be delivered before the twentieth of the twelfth month. However Princess Consort, you also know that this happened too suddenly. Animals like fish and shrimp are different from seeds and are really difficult to care for. The estate doesn’t have enough silver. If the management of the fish pond is rushed, I’m afraid the resources aren’t enough… “

In a nutshell, it was all about money. Lin Wei Xi smiled slightly. She looked at the other managers in the room and found that everyone had their heads bowed. No one intended to say anything. As the people in charge of a vast estate that produced an extremely important speciality, it was obvious that this manager couple had many connections within the residence. They must have bribed the other servants when they came to the capital to ask for money this time.

These servants may have been in the residence for twenty or thirty years and became as slippery as a loach long ago. Everyone made money together, breathed together, and supported each other. This was how they survived by sharing money. As for the silver they extorted from their master… Anyway, the Residence had many people and ran a large business. It was nothing to throw one or two thousand taels into a pond. Why would they care about an insignificant hundred taels? As long as the produce didn’t run out and no major trouble happened, this was nothing.

Lin Wei Xi said, “it’s near the end of the year. The offering and New Year’s celebration are both major events. There can’t be any delay. Then in Manager’s opinion, how much silver is needed to cover the operation?”

Sure enough, the estate granny rubbed her hands and smiled. This new Princess Consort was as beautiful as a fairy, but she looked young and wouldn’t know anything about managing the estate. This was also the first time the Princess Consort was dealing with the year ends offering, celebrations, etc. The moment she heard something was wrong, she’d definitely be very scared. As long as it could be solved with money, then she should quickly bring out the money.

As she thought of that, the granny smiled more sincerely, “Reporting to Princess Consort. Time is running out. If you want to make it for the New Year’s festival, more money is needed to call in experienced people to tend to it. This old slave thinks that one to two hundred taels is enough for an advance payment.”

One hundred taels… Lin Wei Xi couldn’t help laughing to herself. She actually dared to ask for it. A family of five spent no more than ten taels a year and a hundred and fifty taels could buy an estate, including the land it stood on. This old woman had asked for one hundred taels right off the bat. It was clear how unbridled these wicked slaves were at lining their pockets with their master’s money.

Seeing Lin Wei Xi’s face turn cold, the estate Granny quickly added, “It’s been cold these few days and the fish haven’t been active. If we don’t remedy it, I’m afraid we’ll have to delay the annual feast. Princess Consort, you also know that more than half of the Prince Yan Residence’s annual feast comprises of freshwater fish and the like. The capital is located inland and it isn’t easy to obtain fresh seafood. Everyone in our estate is constantly watching the ponds. This one hundred taels is nothing to the Princess Consort, but the fish in the pond won’t wait. Furthermore, this winter has been cold and it’s extremely difficult to reorganize the fish pond during the coldest part of winter. I’m afraid my family will have to pull all nighters for two weeks after I return… “

Gao Ran also heard that this Granny used the New Year as an excuse to covet more money, but when she heard that she only wanted one hundred taels, she felt that it was nothing. Prince Yan Residence earned several tens of thousands of taels a year. One hundred taels was nothing for Gao Ran. Although these old slaves were greedy, a hundred taels wasn’t much. As long as they did a good job, she could overlook these flaws.

Not just Gao Ran, but the other servants in the room felt that one hundred taels wasn’t much. The outfit Lin Wei Xi was wearing cost far more than a hundred taels. Prince Yan liked freshwater fish and the dishes for the annual banquet couldn’t be delayed. Since it could be solved with a hundred taels, then she should just give it.

Lin Wei Xi picked up the tea cup and took a sip. After putting down the celadon cup, she said very casually, “since it’s so troublesome, don’t send the fish. Just raise it this winter and wait until next spring when it’s fattened up to sell it at the market. This’ll save you from having to pull all nighters for the next two weeks to fix the fish pond. Don’t do it since it’s so exhausting.”

The estate granny was thoroughly shocked. She never expected Lin Wei Xi to say this. Her smile looked a little stiff, “thank you for your compassion, Princess Consort. This old slave is the residence’s slave. It’s only right to work hard for the residence. It’s just that the New Year’s feast is a major event. The New Year’s feast needs to have seafood. If this is delayed, it can’t be bought anywhere… “

She even dared to threaten her with this. Lin Wei Xi said, her voice as light as a feather, “since the manager can’t deliver the food on time, we can just cut a few of the seafood dishes from the menu. Wan Xing, bring the menu.”

Wan Xing froze for a moment. Wan Yue had to poke her from behind before she hurried to get the New Year feast menu. The estate granny started panicking a little and she looked to Granny Zhao, who she’d bribed, for help. Granny Zhao was Granny Bu’s right-hand man. Now that Lin Wei Xi truly wanted to remove the fish from the menu, she hurried forward and said, “Princess Consort, the New Year feast menu was set by Princess Consort Shen back then. It has been used for many years since then. I’m afraid it’s inappropriate to change it so rashly.”