Quick Transmigration: I Actually Became a System Bug

The carriage arrived at its destination quickly. The gatekeeper had received the news yesterday and was waiting at the gate with the steward early in the morning. When he saw the carriage of the top scholar approaching, the gatekeeper immediately opened the side gate of the mansion, and the carriage smoothly entered the front yard.

Ji Han and his group parked the car at the second gate. After getting out, they were quickly led by the butler to the largest courtyard in the backyard, where the Shi family patriarch, who had said he missed people yesterday, lived.

After the maid announced their arrival, Ji Han and the others were quickly led into the house. The house was already full of people on both sides. For some reason, Ji Han suddenly thought of the scene when Lin Daiyu entered the Jia Mansion.

"Grandson Minghao, along with his wife Zhou and their three children, met with the ancestors, father, mother, elder brother, and sister-in-law."

However, the matriarch, seated in the highest position, didn't seem to miss Shi Minghao as much as the messenger had claimed yesterday. She frowned deeply, scrutinizing Zhou Shi for a long time with a serious expression. Finally, it was only after the middle-aged man beside her coughed that she reluctantly shifted her gaze, remaining silent. The middle-aged man had no choice but to speak up himself.

"Okay, get up."

Shi Minghao helped Zhou Shi slowly straighten up, then without a word led his entourage to sit in the empty seats next to them. Seeing this, the old patriarch finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up.

"Now that you're back, study hard at home and try to get good results in next year's imperial examination. Don't just spend your days talking about love and ruining the reputation of the Shi family."

In response to these barbed and sarcastic remarks, Shi Minghao calmly stood up and said,

"Yes, grandson knows."

Then he calmly sat down again.

The old ancestor punched down, only to find it was cotton underneath. He was so choked up that his face turned red. Ji Han was afraid that the man would faint in a moment.

Perhaps Ji Han's spectatory gaze was too irritating, for the ancestor turned his attention from Shi Minghao and his wife to Ji Han.

"This is the servant you found for Yu-ge'er? I heard he's already showing off his talents at such a young age? He's utterly clueless!"

Ji Han... It's not that he offended anyone, he's just a bystander, how could he be slandered like this?

Upon hearing this, Shi Minghao's expression changed, a rare occurrence for him; his usually indifferent face showed a hint of anger.

“Grand Ancestor, Han-ge’er is not Yu-ge’er’s servant. He is my adopted son. Like Yu-ge’er, he is a child raised by my wife and me. In our eyes, they are equally important!”

The old woman was already unhappy about having to bow down to this grandson, and now that he'd been rebuffed, she was even more furious, her veins throbbing.

"You...you unfilial wretch! First you had a wife with whom you had an affair, and now you've produced this adopted son with no status or recognition. Are you trying to disgrace the Shi family and make me furious?"

Oh dear! A huge accusation of filial impiety has been slapped on Shi Minghao. If this gets out, his political career will be cut short before it even begins. Luckily, there's a sensible person by the old lady's side.

"Mother! Be careful what you say!"

"Third brother, don't take it to heart. Your grandmother was just talking nonsense because she was so angry. I think this child is quite good. I heard that he has a reputation as a child prodigy at such a young age. Since you have raised this child, you should nurture him well. Once he becomes successful, he will be a great help to Heng-ge and Yu-ge in the future."

The matriarch, humiliated by her own son in front of so many people, stood up abruptly, said she was feeling unwell, and turned to go back to her inner room.

As soon as the ancestor left, the atmosphere in the room instantly became much more relaxed. The beautiful woman who had been sitting next to Shi's father, with tears in her eyes, immediately walked towards Ji Han and the others.

"My son, you have suffered so much all these years away!"

Shi Minghao could retort to his sarcastic grandmother, but when faced with his mother who had always doted on him, all he felt was guilt.

"Mother, it is your unfilial son who has caused you worry."

Mother Shi shook her head and looked at Shi Minghao carefully again, as if to confirm whether he had suffered all these years. Although they had known about Shi Minghao all these years, the fact that he had eloped with Zhou Shi for so many years without sending a single letter had truly broken the hearts of his parents. Therefore, this was the first time Mother Shi had seen Shi Minghao in so many years.

After showing affection to Shi Minghao, Shi's mother also showed affection to Ji Han and the other two children, and gave each of them a gift. In the end, although she didn't like it, she still gave Zhou a bracelet, which was considered as acknowledging her status.

With Shi's mother taking the lead, the others followed suit, greeting him and giving him gifts. Of course, Shi Minghao and his wife also gave gifts to the children of his brothers. After the gift exchange, Ji Han and the others were taken to their courtyard by Shi's parents. Of course, Shi Minghao's older brother, Shi Mingqing, and his family also came along.

After they sat down again, Shi's mother carefully inquired about Shi Minghao's life in the countryside over the years. Shi Minghao also shared some interesting stories about the countryside. By the end, Shi's mother even had the idea of ​​visiting the village that Shi Minghao had mentioned.

That evening, Shi Minghao took his wife and children back to the courtyard where he lived in his youth. Although the courtyard was not very big, it was decorated quite exquisitely, with small bridges, flowing water, pavilions, and towers—it had everything one could need.

The courtyard was clearly well-maintained, and it must have been thoroughly cleaned yesterday. It looked very clean and tidy now. Because of the issue of the courtyard and the room, Ji Han gave up the right to sleep alone that he had finally gained, and once again lived with Shi Shaoyu.

Just when Ji Han thought they would stay for a while, on the fifth day, Shi Minghao took his leave, saying that he needed to go to Kyoto ahead of time so that he could prepare for the imperial examination in February next year.

As for the actual reason, it's quite simple. The servants in the large family all act according to the whims of others. They keenly sensed that from the patriarch to the Shi couple, no one in the family liked Zhou Shi. Therefore, they began to subtly reduce Zhou Shi's various treatments, from food to utensils. They always gave Zhou Shi the worst food, and they did this secretly behind Shi Minghao's back.

However, the truth eventually came out, and the day after Shi Minghao accidentally discovered the situation, he immediately took his leave.

The distance from Mengzhou Prefecture to the capital is neither too far nor too close. Fortunately, this time Shi Minghao didn't have to go to the escort agency alone. This time, they followed behind Young Master Zhang's carriage back to the capital. Young Master Zhang's convoy was followed by a large number of Zhang family guards. Ji Han looked at those people's skills, and they were much better than the escorts they had hired when they came to Mengzhou Prefecture last time.