Traveling to the ancient harem

The next day

Lian Zhen woke up from her sleep. It was already daybreak. She lay in bed and did not get up immediately. Listening to the faint sound of Yan Ge'er reading outside, she felt more satisfied than ever before. From now on, she was the owner of this yard. She could stay with her child until he got married and had children. She could also enjoy her grandchildren and live a peaceful old age.

Xiaohong knocked on the door outside: "Madam, breakfast is ready."

"Okay, I'll get up right away." Lian Zhen agreed, got up and put on her clothes. Here were her clothes for all four seasons. She had bought a lot of them when she had money.

When Lian Zhen arrived at the dining room, Yan Ge'er was already sitting at the table waiting for her. When he saw her come in, he stood up, bowed respectfully, and called out, "Mom."

Lian was very relieved. This was the life she wanted.

"After dinner, find a chance to tell your cousin that I'm here and have something to discuss with him," she said to Xiaohong.

"Yes, ma'am." Xiaohong replied respectfully.

Zhang Sheng was a little bit unbelievable when he heard Xiaohong say that Lianzhen had come. She had come so many times in recent period of time. How could she be so free in the nunnery?

Looking at her handsome cousin standing in front of her, Lian Zhen felt that her life was perfect. She had to work harder to drive away the legal wife. She could only be her cousin's legal wife.

After Zhang Sheng and Yan Ge'er were seated, Lian Zhen slowly told them how she had emptied Ciyuen Temple, how she was expelled from the temple, and how she was driven off the mountain. As for the matter of hiring a killer to kill someone, she didn't want to tell it in front of Yan Ge'er, as she still had to establish her image as a mother in front of her child.

Seeing that both the father and son were silent, she had no choice but to tell them that she had returned to secular life and was planning to live here from now on.

The expected excited scene between father and son did not occur. Yan Ge'er's face suddenly turned red. He stood up, stamped his feet, snorted, and ran into the bedroom without even looking at her. Lian was really dumbfounded.

"What's wrong with this child?" she asked her cousin, who also remained silent and had a grim expression on his face.

"In the future...you plan to live here. How are you going to get money? Do you have any connections?" Zhang Sheng asked.

"This..." Lian was dumbfounded. She had thought of everything from the time the accident happened until now, except this problem.

"I have sent several thousand taels of silver in the past. There should be a lot left, right?" Lian Zhen asked. You know, in this dynasty, one tael of silver could be exchanged for six hundred big coins, which was enough for an average family to live on for a month.

"I have spent all the money you gave me." Zhang Sheng said frankly. He and Yan Ge'er each took half of the fifty taels of silver he gave to him last time, and he had almost spent all of it.

"What should we do now?" Lian Zhen opened her mouth, not knowing who to ask. She no longer had any way to make money, and she and her son had to rely on their cousin for support.

"Without money, what will happen to Brother Yan'er's studies and how can he pass the imperial examination? Cousin, you can't ignore us." Lian Zhen looked excited.

"Take the top spot in the imperial examination?" Yan Ge'er rushed out of the house, speaking in a sharp voice, "Mother, you are not awake yet. For a son born out of wedlock like me, even if I take the top spot in the imperial examination, the court would not investigate my background and would use a son born out of wedlock as an official because of you." She pointed at Lian Zhen.

"It's all because you're unfaithful to your husband. Why did you give birth to me and let me live in such pain? I have no friends, everyone looks down on me, no one wants to play with me, and no one from my neighbors comes to visit me. I'm already at the age to get married, but no one even mentions it or asks about it. It's as if I don't exist in this world." His tears flowed down.

"It's all your fault. It's all your fault." Yan Ge'er's eyes were red, and the boy, whose voice was changing, shouted at the top of his lungs.

Lian Zhen burst into tears: "I'm sorry, Yan'er, I didn't know. I thought you should be very happy with your father's protection... I'm sorry..."

"Father, hehe..." Yan Ge'er laughed.

"You know, that nun carried me down the mountain and gave me to my father. He didn't want me, he didn't want me! He was afraid that I would bring trouble to him. Yes, who would respect a mother like that?"

"It was the kindness of that nun who used her connections to register my household registration with an elderly couple named Zhang. At least I didn't lose my surname. That family has no children. Until now, I have to burn paper at their graves every New Year and other festivals."

"The house you live in now was bought by the nun back then. When I was a child, she sent people to send money here and find someone to raise me. Haha, father..."

"Ask him if he has fulfilled his responsibilities as a father. Apart from visiting me occasionally, he has never spent a penny on me."

"Is what Yan Ge'er said true?" Lian Zhen couldn't believe it and questioned her cousin. She always thought that her cousin regarded Yan Ge'er as his top student just like her.

"Why are you looking at me?" Zhang Sheng was angry and said, "You know that my family has always had a hard life. After your accident, my aunt cut off all contact with our family. If it weren't for the butcher's daughter's wealth, I don't know what the situation would be like for our family."