All the members are good people, only the host is a pervert

Time easily throws people away.

The Empress Dowager and the old lady of the Duke's Mansion passed away one after another. Lin Ruan submitted a memorial of mourning, but the emperor denied her request and only allowed her to observe the mourning period for one year.

The master of the entire Duke's Mansion returned to his ancestral home in Jinling again.

"Seventeen, it's time for you to have enough fun." Lin Ruan couldn't understand. It was just a system. Even if it was bound to the emotional system, it didn't have all the seven emotions and six desires. How could it not feel bored after playing outside for so many years?

"Well, anyway, my presence outside doesn't bother you, and I can even earn you money. What are you dissatisfied with?"

Lin Ruan said expressionlessly: "Because I still have to give you 500 points every month."

System: "It's impossible to go back, and I can't give up my points. (.?_?) Soft, soft, do you think I'm easy? I've taken you through so many worlds..."

"Shut up and get out!"

"Okay, my soft sister, you can tell me what to do."

Lin Ruan no longer paid attention to the system and concentrated on fishing in the small garden.

During the plum rain season in Jiangnan, the eaves of the Duke's ancestral home dripped with continuous drops of water. Lin Ruan sat in the pavilion beside the lotus pond, holding a green bamboo fishing rod.

"Mother is fine."

Five-year-old Lin Qu, wearing an apricot-colored skirt, bowed politely. The little girl's features resembled Lin Ruan's, but her demeanor was that of a prim and reserved person.

"Is school over?" Lin Ruan asked casually, but in her heart she was thinking that Xu Jinshu had raised his daughter too maturely.

The soft and sticky dumpling who would jump into her arms and ask for candy now has a stiff smile.

"Yes, mother." Xiao Lin Qu was a little afraid of her mother, even though Lin Ruan had never hit her or scolded her.

"How are you feeling? Is studying hard? Are you still keeping up?"

"To answer mother, I studied the third chapter of The Great Learning today." Lin Qu's voice was crisp, yet the tone was deliberately subdued. "Mr. Mu said that my daughter has a very good understanding."

The float suddenly sank.

Lin Ruan shook his wrist, and the fishing line drew a silver arc in the air - empty.

"Since she likes Mr. Mu," she put the bait on again, "I'll ask her if she's willing to go back to Beijing with us."

Xiao Linqu's eyes suddenly lit up, but he quickly regained his composure: "Thank you, mother, for your consideration."

Lin Ruan waved her hand and said, "Okay, go pay your respects to your father."

There is enough time for parenting today.

She wasn't worried about her daughters not being close to her; they were natural allies, they were women.

"Yes, my daughter is resigning."

After Xiao Lin Qu retreated obediently, Lin Ruan continued to concentrate on fishing, but his thoughts drifted away unconsciously.

Lin Qu is only five years old now, and she still has to work hard for more than ten years before Lin Qu can support the Duke's Mansion and she can retire safely.

Hey. . . .

After her daughter left, Lin Ruan stared at the pool in a trance. Seventeen's voice suddenly rang out in her mind: "Ruan, you acted like a loving mother quite convincingly."

"Shut up." Lin Ruan snorted in his heart, "If it weren't for retiring early..."

[Tsk tsk, using your own daughter to take over the business, you are worthy of it.]

The float moved again. This time, Lin Ruan didn't rush to lift the rod, but stared at the ripples in a trance.

From the Yangzhou Salt Administration to the ups and downs of the imperial court, she was indeed exhausted. Now she only hoped that Lin Qu would grow up quickly so that she could take over the heavy responsibility of the Duke's Mansion.

On the day he returned to the capital after his mourning period, Zhuque Street was packed with onlookers. As soon as the Duke's procession passed through Zhengyang Gate, a young eunuch came running in with the news: "His Majesty has commanded that the Duke's wife enter the palace immediately!"

Inside the Purple Palace, the emperor was reviewing memorials. Seeing Lin Ruan come in, she put down her red brush and sighed, "You've lost weight."

"minister..."

"Okay, stop doing this in private." The emperor pointed to the chair and motioned her to sit down.

"I heard you want Sister Qu to take the imperial examination?"

Lin Ruan sat down calmly: "Your Majesty is wise, Qu'er is very talented..."

"Nonsense!" The emperor slammed the table and stood up. "Sister Qu is only eight years old! Don't you understand that excessive wisdom will lead to harm?"

"Cousin~" Lin Ruan said coquettishly: "Don't just feel sorry for Sister Qu, feel sorry for me~"

"I knew you were a heartless wretch!" the emperor gritted his teeth and said angrily, "If it weren't for the fact that Sister Qu is your child, why would I have stopped such a good thing that would enhance my political achievements?"

"Okay, okay, I'll let her study for a few more years, okay?" Lin Ruan waved her hand in compromise.

The emperor couldn't bear to watch and scolded: "Get out of here now! You can do whatever you want. I can't control you. Remember to come to court tomorrow morning!"

Lin Ruan smiled at the emperor and said, "Okay, I will follow your orders~"

"Fuquan, kick her out!"

"No, no, how can I trouble you, Aunt Fuquan? I will take my leave now. Bye."

When these words were spoken, both the emperor and Lin Ruan were stunned.

Outside the palace, the spring rain gradually deepened, soaking the white marble railings. The two women smiled at each other, just as they had done then.

The days passed by peacefully yet fulfillingly. Lin Qu lived up to Xu Jinshu's expectations and Mu Fengchun's teachings. He passed all the hurdles in the imperial examination and finally won the third place in the imperial examination.

On the day the results were announced, the entire Duke's Mansion held its breath.

When the officer who brought the good news rushed into the mansion shouting "Lin Shinu passed the imperial examination and became the third place in the imperial examination", the teacup in Xu Jinshu's hand fell to the ground with a "bang".

"Really...did it really work?" His voice trembled, and Old Duke Lin couldn't stop laughing.

Lin Ruan was calm and composed. He stuffed a heavy purse into the person who brought the good news and said, "Congratulations."

When Lin Qu returned wearing his brand new imperial scholar robes, the servants in the mansion knelt on the ground, all saying, "Congratulations, grandma Tanhua."

Lin Ruan patted her daughter's shoulder: "Not bad, you didn't embarrass your mother."

Lin Qu entered the Hanlin Academy. After staying there for a year, Lin Qu packed his bags and embarked on the journey of being sent out.

It's been six years since I left.

During these six years, Xiaolin Qu achieved remarkable political achievements and gained widespread fame in the local area with his talents and abilities.

The reason why I didn't come back was because of Lin Ruan.

There was a rule in the Daqian Dynasty: mother and daughter could not serve as officials in Beijing at the same time.

That night, Lin Ruan was alone in his study, writing a memorial. Seventeen suddenly spoke up: "Are you really going to resign?"

"What else?" Lin Ruan dipped his finger in ink and said, "Mother and daughter cannot serve in the same court. This is the ancestral rule."

[But you are only forty-three years old, Ruanruan.]

The tip of the brush spread an ink flower on the rice paper. Lin Ruan looked out the window at the moonlight and said softly, "That's enough."

When she gets older, she won't have enough energy to travel around.

On the third day after Lin Qu submitted his resignation letter, the emperor summoned him.

No one knew what they talked about. All they knew was that when Lin Qu left the palace, her eyes were red and she was holding an imperial edict tightly in her hand.

Another half month passed before Lin Ruan formally handed the Duke's seal to his daughter. On the day of her departure from Beijing, Xu Jinshu and his entire family bid her farewell at the Changting.

"My dear wife, you really don't want to bring a servant to serve you?" Xu Jinshu asked softly.

After twenty years of marriage, this was the first time he showed such an expression in front of Lin Ruan.

Lin Ruan smiled and shook her head, "Are you willing to give up your little grandson?"

Lin Qu is already married. Her husband gave birth to a daughter for her last year. Xu Jinshu loves her so much that she wishes she could hold her in his arms for a few hours every day.

She turned to her daughter and said, "Do your best and don't bring disgrace to the reputation of the Duke's Mansion."

The carriage went farther and farther away. Lin Ruan lifted the curtain and took one last look at the towering city gate.

Seventeen suddenly materialized and appeared in the carriage, handing her a map. "Where's the first stop?"

"Mobei, right?" Lin Ruan's fingertips traced across the map. "I've only been back to the south in my entire life..."

Five years have passed in the blink of an eye. Linruan's footprints have spread across the country, from the misty south of the Yangtze River to the deserts of the north, from the shores of the East China Sea to the mountains of the southwest.

Wherever they went, Seventeen would arrange everything in advance so that she could have a great time.

The accident happened on the passenger ship returning to Beijing. That day, the Yangtze River was hit by a sudden storm, and the ship was shaking violently. Lin Ruan was leaning on the railing watching the sunset.

[Drowning isn't pretty.] The system muttered, "I don't know why you like water so much."

"Tsk, it's this body that died, not you or me. Why are you more particular than me now?" Lin Ruan rolled his eyes impatiently.

[I just suddenly remembered that I haven't seen you off for a long time.] The system said: [Tell me, Ruanruan, what kind of ceremony do you want?]

"Me?" Lin Ruan thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Xu Jinshu is best at fiddling with his flowers and plants. I'm a kind person, so I won't let him be buried with me, so I'll let the flower room accompany me."

【Okay~】

"Be careful!" Seventeen's warning came too late. A wave hit, and Lin Ruan felt dizzy, and the cold river water instantly submerged his mouth and nose.

The greenhouse in the backyard of the Duke's Mansion collapsed. After cleaning, it was discovered that all the flowers and plants in the greenhouse had died.

Xu Jinshu suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart.

When the tragic news reached the capital, the Duke's wife and Duke Lin were grief-stricken. The pain of seeing their loved ones die made them seem much older overnight.

Lin Qu was in the middle of a cabinet meeting when the memorials in her hands tumbled to the floor. She staggered, only to be supported by a colleague.

After receiving the news, the emperor sat in the Yangxin Palace all night.

At dawn, she took out a brocade box, which contained more than 30 letters neatly stacked inside - all sent by Lin Ruan during his travels.

The ink on the top letter was still fresh: "...Don't worry, cousin, this fish is extremely delicious, but it's a pity that you can only eat dried fish..."

For some reason, she suddenly thought of Lin Ruan's words, "I must die before Your Majesty."

I thought it was just a joke, but it turned out to be a prophecy.

Inside the Duke's Mansion, Xu Jinshu stood alone in the courtyard where they once lived.

The crabapple blossoms were in full bloom in spring, but the people who came to enjoy them were no longer around. He reached out to catch a falling petal, and suddenly felt a sense of relief.

His wife, once the pillar of the family, also brought him many constraints and oppressions.

His departure was like the calm after a long storm.

Xu Jinshu stood in the courtyard, looking at the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar surroundings, and a feeling of relief suddenly surged in his heart.

Now, with two children, a bright future and a happy marriage, he no longer needs to worry about meeting his wife's various demands.

Xu Jinshu felt like a bird that had been imprisoned in a cage for a long time. Now that the cage was open, although he was getting older, he could live the rest of his life in his own little world according to his own ideas.

It was a kind of relief after being liberated.

That's what it should be.

The tears fell on Xu Jinshu's hands, startling him.

He told himself that he was crying tears of joy.

Perhaps he had found a sufficient excuse for himself, he suddenly forgot his age, his identity, and all the pain and suffering, and burst into tears.

He really lost his wife.