Quick Transmigration: The Green Tea Mistress's Guide to Seduction - A Master's Handbook

Hongdou nodded, not daring to say anything more about the incense.

Xie Qingyu looked at the incense burner and then at Hongdou's expression. "Where did this incense come from?"

“I found it in the storeroom.” Hongdou lowered her head and did not look at Xie Qingyu.

"Hmm." Xie Qingyu withdrew her gaze, a faint thought swirling in her mind, but it was interrupted before it could be.

"Madam has arrived." Suddenly, a maidservant at the door spoke.

Xie Qingyu, Tingling, and Hongdou were all stunned for a moment and looked towards the door, thinking they had misheard.

The young maid looked at them with some confusion, then immediately realized, "Madam Xie is here."

Xie Qingyu hadn't yet realized who she was talking about, but Tingling beside her had already figured it out.

"Could it be that Master sent Madam over?" Tingling looked at Xie Qingyu, a hint of unease in her eyes.

Upon hearing Ling's words, Xie Qingyu immediately understood.

The maids in this courtyard were all bought by her stepmother before she got married.

The lady we're talking about now is her stepmother.

"Please come in." As soon as Xie Qingyu finished speaking, the maidservant went out.

It was quite a while before Madam Xie finally arrived in the courtyard.

The Marquis's residence is currently only being served by the gatekeepers, so they can't welcome the people in yet, which is why things are a bit slow.

When Madam Xie entered, she clearly had a hint of displeasure on her face, but she withdrew it after seeing Xie Qingyu and put on her usual smile.

"My son has suffered," Madam Xie said, waiting for Xie Qingyu to finish her bow.

"I didn't know Mother was coming today. I've been so disrespectful to her. Tingling, quickly serve some tea." Xie Qingyu said with a smile.

Xie Wei's smile faltered.

Xie Qingyu's words sounded like she was implying that she hadn't given prior notice before coming to visit.

If I didn't know that this stepdaughter was simple-minded, I would have suspected that she said that on purpose.

Suppressing her displeasure, she watched as Tingling served the tea before speaking, "I heard that everyone from the Marquis's mansion has been taken to prison. Your father was extremely worried, and when he learned that you had returned, he immediately sent me to visit you."

After Xie Wei finished speaking, she picked up her teacup, took a sip, and maintained a proper posture, waiting for Xie Qingyu's gratitude.

But after waiting for a long time, Xie Qingyu still didn't speak.

She looked up and saw that Xie Qingyu's face was expressionless; she was just looking at her.

Seeing her look over, Xie Qingyu blinked, as if asking, "And then what?"

Xie Weishi awkwardly put down her teacup. "How were you in prison? Did you suffer any injustice?"

Her concern was really unnecessary; anyone knows that there are no good conditions in prison.

But Xie Qingyu then began to answer in a serious tone, "Thank you for your concern, Mother. I did suffer injustice in prison. Can Father stand up for me?"

Madam Xie looked up in shock, only to see Xie Qingyu's expectant eyes. She swallowed back the words she was about to say, "Your father... your father can't help much now. This matter has alarmed quite a few..."

Under Xie Qingyu's gaze, Xie Weishi found it difficult to continue speaking.

I should have known better and wouldn’t have asked.

How come this child can't tell that it's just polite talk?

Xie Wei blamed herself inwardly and began to change the subject.

"His Majesty has shown mercy and spared no innocent people. You have been released and can return to the Marquis's residence," Xie Weishi said.

“Yes, the Emperor’s grace is boundless.” Xie Qingyu followed her words, which made her forget what she wanted to say. She thought for a moment before continuing.

"I saw on the way here that the Marquis's mansion is almost empty. What are your plans?"

Xie Qingyu maintained the same expression as before, looking at her. So this was the purpose of her visit today.

"I...I just got back. I just want to stay here for now. Anyway, anywhere is better than being in prison." Xie Qingyu's voice still sounded a little aggrieved. "Mother, don't you think so?"

Since she had asked that question, Xie Weishi could only say yes.

Then she immediately added, "There's no hope for the son-in-law. I heard that the Marquis's mansion will be given to that illegitimate son of the Marquis's family, and then there will be no place for you to live here."

As Xie Weishi spoke, she glanced at Xie Qingyu's expression and continued, "Although it is permissible for a married woman to return to her parents' home, you still have several younger sisters who are unmarried. If you go back, it will not be good for their marriages."

“How could it be bad? I went back because my husband did something wrong and saw the Emperor behead him, not because I did something wrong and was sent back to my parents’ home,” Xie Qingyu said, her tone very serious.

Madam Xie Wei was starting to lose her temper. She hadn't been married long, and her stepdaughter had become so sarcastic.

If Xie Qingyu had spoken to her like that back at the Minister's residence, she would have already lost her temper.

Considering that this was still in the Marquis's residence, she suppressed her anger.

“No matter the reason, it’s not good for you to go back. Besides, you’ve only been married for a little over two months and this has happened in the Marquis’s mansion. If word gets out, people will say that you’re a jinx to your husband’s family, which will naturally be bad for your sisters’ marriages,” Xie Wei said, suppressing her anger.

"What should we do?" Xie Qingyu said softly. "I was thinking of packing my things today and going back to the Minister's residence with my mother."

"..."

"I've already told you, you can't go back to the Minister's residence." Xie Wei had never been so humiliated in front of Xie Qingyu before. Her usual fake smile was long gone, replaced by impatience.

"Then, then I won't go back," Xie Qingyu said. "I'll stay at the Marquis's residence."

“No!” Xie Wei said quickly.

Xie Qingyu lives here, so isn't her trip today a waste?

It still doesn't do good for the Xie family's reputation.

What she wanted was for Xie Qingyu to set a good example and uphold her reputation for good manners.

"With your current status, how can you live in the Marquis's mansion? Don't worry, although you can't go back to the Minister's mansion, your mother won't leave you without a place to stay." Only now did Madam Xie truly reveal her intentions.

“Although this matter has nothing to do with you, the Hou family will be executed soon, and you should atone for their misdeeds,” Xie Wei said. “The nunnery in the north of the city is just right. You can stay there and reduce some of their sins, and it will also prevent outsiders from looking at you differently.”

"I don't want to go," Xie Qingyu said casually, her body relaxed.

"You—" Xie Wei had never seen Xie Qingyu speak to her like this before. Looking at her now, it seemed that what she had just said was not unintentional. "You have to go whether you want to or not. You can't stay in this Marquis's mansion. The Minister's mansion will never let you go back."

At this moment, Xie Weishi stopped pretending and spoke directly.

"Who says she can't live in this Marquis's mansion?"

A resolute voice came from outside the door, followed by Qin Shenzhi's broad figure appearing in the doorway.

"I didn't even know we had guests today, otherwise I would have come back earlier to entertain them." Qin Shenzhi entered and looked at Xie Weishi with a somewhat cold gaze, his tone polite but sarcastic.