Transmigrated as the Villain Boss's Mother

Xu Zhu suddenly felt lightheaded. Looking around in shock, she realized she was in a hospital. Had she... returned again?

"I told you not to marry her, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what's happened, the doctors can't find anything wrong with her, we can't get a divorce, and she's just lying in the hospital bed wasting money. My precious grandson is now an illegitimate child." The noise in the ward was completely unconcerned about Xu Zhu lying in bed.

It turns out that ever since Xu Zhu entered the book, his modern body has lost consciousness and fallen into a coma.

The mother-in-law was scolding Xu Zhu's husband, Liu Teng, by the hospital bedside. The thought of how much money Xu Zhu would have to spend on her hospital stay made her feel a pang of heartache.

In her soul form, Xu Zhu coldly stared at her mother-in-law's ugly face and Liu Teng's regretful expression. She almost doubted how she could have ever fallen for such a person. A moment later, Liu Teng's WeChat video call rang.

"Hey, honey, where are you?" a sweet, coquettish voice came from the phone.

"I...I'm at the hospital. That woman isn't..." Liu Teng immediately changed her expression and spoke gently to the woman. Even her mother-in-law looked at the caller with a flattering expression.

"Logically, I should also go see Sister Xu Zhu, but I'm too heavy to move around easily," the woman said "guiltyly."

"It's alright, you don't need to come. Just focus on your pregnancy and don't bother with her, she's bad luck. Once she wakes up, I'll have Teng'er divorce her immediately," her mother-in-law said eagerly before Liu Teng could even speak.

"Oh dear, I've been having terrible morning sickness these past few days. Honey, could you bring me some black chicken soup when you come?" Upon hearing this, the woman smiled even more brightly and coaxed Liu Teng.

After cuddling for a while, the two hung up the phone. Meanwhile, Liu Teng's mother rushed off to make black chicken soup for her future daughter-in-law.

Xu Zhu looked at the two of them, closed her eyes, and felt utterly exhausted. Because of her infertility, Xu Zhu always felt she had wronged Liu Teng. She got up at five in the morning to cook for them; Liu Teng liked spicy food, while his mother preferred sweet. Their meals had to be cooked separately, and she would nitpick about everything. She had never actually seen his mother cook before.

Xu Zhu still remembers the first time she argued with Liu Teng.

"Bang, bang, get out of here, get out!" Xu Zhu went berserk, knocking over the chair and thermos flask, her finger trembling as she pointed at Liu Teng.

"Xu Zhu, calm down and stop being unreasonable, okay?"

"Get out, get out!!" Xu Zhu shouted at Liu Teng with red eyes.

Looking at Xu Zhu's disheveled hair and unkempt appearance, Liu Teng felt increasingly regretful for marrying her. Back then, he had only married her because she was gentle, caring, good at housework, and willing to follow him without a house or car, despite his mother's wishes. Now, she couldn't have children, didn't care about dressing up, and went about her days without makeup. This made Xiao Zhao from his company seem even more attractive—young, considerate, and adept in bed.

"Think it over carefully yourself!" Liu Teng picked up his coat and phone, then turned and left.

"Hey, Xiao Zhao."

As Liu Teng's voice faded into the distance on the phone, Xu Zhu began to sob. They had been married for less than five years, and the man who had sworn eternal love and vowed to marry no one but her had changed his mind. Now, not only was he cheating on her, but he also wanted her to agree to let his mistress into the house so she could serve him. Ha! Did Liu Teng really think Xu Zhu was out of her mind?

…………………………………Divider……………………………………_

"Ah!" Xu Zhu sat up, his head throbbing. He got out of bed, still dressed, and propped the window shut. Outside, autumn had arrived; the wind whistled through the leaves, swirling them into the air before letting them fall again. He guessed it was drizzling outside. The tree beside the ancient well, its branches gnarled and strong, stretched upwards; raindrops rustled on its leaves, and the cicadas' chirping, though not as bright as in summer, sounded rather melancholic and desolate in the quiet night.

Xu Zhu stared blankly, gently raising her hand to wipe away the tears that had unknowingly streamed down her face, feeling a deep sense of loss.

"Madam, why are you up? It's a chilly autumn night, be careful not to catch a cold." Ping'er heard rustling sounds coming from inside the room and came in to find that her mistress had gotten up sometime earlier. She quickly grabbed a cloak and draped it over her mistress.

"It's okay, go to sleep. I just went to bed a little early and I'm not sleepy anymore."

“But…” Ping’er hesitated.

To get Ping'er to sleep as soon as possible, Xu Zhu got into bed: "Alright, you can go to sleep now, don't worry about me."

Ping'er tucked the blankets into her mistress's bed before leaving, glancing back every few steps. She genuinely liked this unpretentious mistress. Since being sold off at the age of six or seven, she had encountered a fair number of masters, but rarely had she seen one who cared so much for her maid.

After Ping'er left, Xu Zhu tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Her mind kept replaying her moments in the modern world and her life after transmigrating into the book. It was like a movie playing frame by frame.

Early the next morning, Xu Zhu vaguely heard a commotion outside.

"Ping'er, Ping'er." Xu Zhu's voice was hoarse, lacking its usual clear and melodious quality, and her head was also dizzy. She knew in her heart that she had most likely caught a cold.

"Sister Ping'er, is Mother still not awake?" Li Baobao asked Ping'er, looking up at her.

"Yes, young master, is there anything you need?" Ping'er noticed that Li Baobao seemed less worried about his wife. After all, he was the master's legitimate son. As long as he was close to his wife, she probably wouldn't have to worry about the rest of her life.

If Li Qian knew what this girl was thinking, he would be speechless. Where did you get the idea that your wife's position was unstable?

"Of course I have something to do!" Li Baobao had her hair in two topknots, but the rest of her hair couldn't be combed and had to be left loose.

"Ping'er, is that Bao Bao? Let him in quickly!" Xu Zhu raised her voice after realizing it was Li Bao Bao outside.

"Mother." Li Baobao ran over, wearing little felt boots embroidered with clouds and seas.

"What's wrong, baby?" Xu Zhu looked at her son pouting, looking like he was about to cry.

"Mother, I don't want to go to the academy." Li Baobao was extremely aggrieved; he shouldn't have chosen that teacher who slept all day. "Mother, the teacher hit me. He forced me to practice calligraphy. He hit me when I didn't practice well. Mother, it hurts so much, look!" Li Baobao said, stretching out his soft, white hands for Xu Zhu to see. Xu Zhu was startled to hear that the teacher had hit someone. Forgetting that she wasn't feeling well, she sat up and quickly examined him carefully.

Xu Zhu and Ping'er looked at Li Baobao's hand from left to right, and even turned it over. After a while, Ping'er looked up at the aggrieved young master, her face full of frustration: "Young master, didn't you hold out the wrong hand? It's your right hand!"

“How could it be the right hand? It’s this hand.” Li Baobao looked at Ping’er with disdain. He still had to write with his right hand. The teacher was very clever and wouldn’t hit his right hand with a ruler.

Xu Zhu: "………………………"

Ping'er: "……………………" Hehe, forgive her for being blind, she really couldn't see any marks from being hit with a board.

"Mother...it hurts..." Li Baobao pouted, tears welling up in her eyes. She burrowed into Xu Zhu's arms.

Xu Zhu didn't expose the child; it's understandable! What child willingly wants to go to school? She patted her son's back and gently coaxed Li Baobao.

Even Ping'er couldn't stand how much Xu Zhu spoiled Li Baobao; look how her wife was spoiling the child.

"Li Baobao, what are you doing?" Li Qian was extremely annoyed to see his half-grown son snuggling in his mother's arms. He grabbed Li Baobao by the back of his shirt and lifted him up.

When Li Baobao saw Li Qian lift him up, he started squealing. His little legs weren't long enough, and he kicked wildly in mid-air. Li Qian pinched his son's bottom and threatened, "Behave yourself!"

"Mother, Mother, I'm scared..."

Xu Zhu felt a little embarrassed when she saw Li Qian coming over; it was already broad daylight and she hadn't gotten up yet.

"You don't...cough cough...cough cough..."

"Just keep indulging him. Spoiling a child is like killing a child." Li Qian interrupted her in a deep voice. "I can hear something wrong with your voice. Lie down for a while longer. Ping'er, find a doctor to examine your wife and get her medicine."

Before Xu Zhu could say anything, Li Qian grabbed Li Baobao and went out.

"Hey, hey... that..."

Xu Zhu saw Li Qian strut out, carrying the dejected Li Baobao with him. She had originally planned to follow him to see how he would handle Li Baobao, but then she thought that since it was a man disciplining a child, a woman shouldn't interfere too much. After all, it was his child, and he knew what to do. With that in mind, Xu Zhu didn't chase after them.

After all that fuss, Xu Zhu slept soundly for the rest of the morning.

Li Baobao couldn't fight off Li Qian, who was her powerful backer, and was dragged to the academy by him.

"Father, I don't want to go to the academy." Li Baobao tried to struggle a little longer, looking at Li Qian pitifully with her eyes raised.

Li Qian looked at Li Baobao and said to him earnestly, "Only by studying will your mother like you."

"Why?" Li Baobao asked curiously.

Li Qian's face darkened instantly at the thought of Xu Zhu's affections for that poor scholar. Wasn't it simply because that man was literate that Xu Zhu thought he was amazing, admired him as a child, and then developed feelings for him? Li Qian hadn't thought anything of it before, but now he felt a strange unease. And rightly so, she was the mother of his child; she couldn't possibly be thinking about someone else!

"Oh, our young master Li is back again? Yesterday you told me so confidently that you weren't coming tomorrow..." Ye Ze sat in the rocking chair, blowing on the tea leaves floating on the tea, mimicking Li Baobao's tone from yesterday.

As soon as Li Baobao entered, she saw the person she loathed. Her little face tightened, and she didn't want to talk to him. But she still awkwardly gave a curtsy: "Master..."

"Oh dear, get up, get up! It's not easy for you to bow to me..." Ye Ze was surprised that this kid had taken the wrong medicine and was bowing to him.

"Didn't Li Baobao used to bow to the teacher?"

Ye Ze looked toward the source of the sound, and in just one glance he knew who it was! It was none other than Li Baobao's father, Li Qian. The two had almost identical facial features; Li Baobao was simply a smaller version of Li Qian.

"No, Li Baobao is smart and quick-witted." Ye Ze praised Li Baobao, and this was no exaggeration. Li Baobao was indeed intelligent, "It's just... too lazy...!"

Li Baobao was satisfied with the first half of the sentence, but when she heard the second half…

"It's my fault; I didn't discipline my son properly. I will discipline him properly from now on."

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Qian got straight to the point, standing up and bowing to Ye Ze: "I have another matter to trouble you with today, Master. I am a rough man, and I hope you can change Li Baobao's name."

Li Qian adopted a very humble attitude, showing respect for scholars. He believed that one could know the affairs of the world without leaving home, and orchestrate the world's affairs from a mere observation platform. Although he wasn't highly educated, he hoped his teacher could give his son a respectable name.

Ye Ze didn't push him away but instead thought of a name very seriously. After pondering for a while, he said, "How about Weizhen?"

Li Qian bowed: "I would like to hear the details."

“The poem ‘Wen Wang’ in the ‘Greater Odes of the Kingdom’ says, ‘The kingdom was able to thrive.’ ‘Wei’ means to maintain; ‘Zhen’ means pillar or beam. Later in the ‘Odes of Zhou’, there is also ‘Wei Zhou’s auspiciousness,’ where ‘Zhen’ means good fortune.” Ye Ze explained in detail.

Li Qian patted Li Baobao on the back and urged, "Hurry up and thank your teacher!"

Li Baobao respectfully knelt down and kowtowed three times to Ye Ze: "Thank you for bestowing this name upon me, Master." He wasn't ungrateful; he could hear the Master's expectations and blessings for him in the name.

When Xu Zhu woke up, the sun had already set. She had just sat up when Ping'er immediately came over, showing that she had been watching over her bedside at all times. She pursed her lips, feeling that she was troubling Ping'er a little.

"Madam, you're awake?" Ping'er asked happily. "Are you hungry? Would you like some food from the kitchen?"

"Hmm." Xu Zhu had barely eaten anything all day, and now she was actually quite hungry.

Xu Zhu finished dressing and came out of the inner room, only to find the room covered with slips of paper. She looked at Ping'er in surprise.

"Master said this room was too spacious, so he added some things for you. These were all written by Master himself!" Ping'er jumped for joy; this was good news. It showed how much Master valued his wife.

Xu Zhu stepped closer and was speechless. The papers were covered in large characters. Was Li Qian too idle? His brushstrokes were swift and agile, slender yet powerful, lean yet full, especially evident in his large characters, which displayed a graceful elegance. Because the strokes were relatively thin and firm, the brushwork was exposed, clearly showing traces of movement and pauses, resulting in a unique style that revealed his own distinctive writing style. It was clear he had put in considerable effort.

Xu Zhu admired each character one by one, while Ping'er stared intently at the madam's expression and then turned to describe them carefully to the master.

"Madam, the dishes are ready, please come and eat!" Ping'er reminded Xu Zhu when she saw the maids bringing in the dishes.

"What is this?" Xu Zhu asked, pointing to the golden-yellow dish in front of him.

“Reporting to Madam, these are crispy milk puddings,” a maidservant stepped forward. “The ingredients are: milk, cornstarch, wheat starch, sesame seeds, and seasonings. The filling is made by simmering milk with sugar, cornstarch, sesame seeds, and vanilla powder until thickened. The wheat starch is scalded, then mixed with lard and butter and kneaded until smooth. The dough is then used to wrap the filling, shaped into horns, and deep-fried until golden brown. Garnished with broccoli, cucumber, and red cherries, it’s done!”

Xu Zhu was greatly surprised. Why did such a simple appetizer require so much effort? She had always enjoyed studying these dishes and wanted to learn how to make one.

“Madam, you can’t rush things now. You have to take it slow. Eat first and get well before you can do anything!” Ping’er advised, looking at the eager Xu Zhu. “These dishes were all ordered by the master to be made by the kitchen.”

Even at this moment, Ping'er didn't forget to make Li Qian's presence known.

Xu Zhu: "…………I…………" I feel that Ping'er is like an old woman.

"Madam, the Marquis of Ningguo's residence has sent an invitation... saying that you are invited to a polo banquet in three days." A maidservant entered, bowed to Xu Zhu, and handed her the invitation.

"A polo banquet?" Ping'er had never heard of a woman from a high-ranking family inviting people to such a banquet before, and for a moment she found it hard to understand...

Xu Zhu stared at the gilded invitation, pondered deeply, and suddenly realized the truth. This wasn't a polo match; it was clearly a trap!

Putting aside whether she knows how to play polo, the fact that someone sent such an invitation only a few days after she and Li Qian moved into the mansion speaks volumes: there are only two possibilities. One is that Li Qian has offended someone, and that person is using this woman to embarrass the Li family. The other possibility is... well, some of these aristocratic women have taken a liking to Li Qian! They can't help but feel sorry for Li Qian and look down on his first wife!

No matter which method she chooses, Xu Zhu will not let her succeed!

That evening, Li Baobao excitedly ran to Xu Zhu's room to tell her that her name had been changed...

"What did you change the baby's name to?" Xu Zhu asked, looking at her son.

"Weizhen, Li Weizhen. Mother, do you know what it means?" Li Baobao was clearly very satisfied with the name and showed it off to Xu Zhu.

"I don't know, does the baby know?" Xu Zhu felt that her son needed some support at this time.

“Wei Zhen, the king of what, the kingdom of Zhou, Wei means to maintain; Zhen means pillar and beam…” Li Baobao continued to speak fluently.

Xu Zhu: "!...!"...I don't understand...

She watched her son's excitement, gently resting her head against his narrow chest, and silently murmured in her heart, "Son, whatever your name is, whether it's Wei, Zhen, or a pillar of the nation, your mother doesn't care. It's always better than the name you chose in the book. I only wish you peace and happiness."