After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

When news of Lu Huai's awakening reached Fangfei Courtyard, Lu Zhiyuan was enjoying a royal meal with her mother. The Emperor was generous, bestowing 108 dishes, which were shared not only by Old Madam Lu and Ji Wanwan's Fulin Courtyard, but also by the gatekeepers of the mansion.

Upon hearing the news, Old Madam Lu stomped her feet in anger, wishing she could move all the vegetables to Fulin Courtyard. Ji Wanwan added fuel to the fire, saying that Xie Chaoyun and Lu Zhiyuan, mother and daughter, didn't care about the Old Madam and the Marquis at all, and were deliberately not sending them vegetables to embarrass them.

Madam Lu asked the nanny beside her to ask for it. The nanny smelled the aroma of the dish through the crack in the door and came back.

Old Madam Lu, furious, rubbed her forehead and ordered her servants to bring out the breakfast. The breakfast was served: a bowl of plain porridge, a dish of pickled vegetables, and a few multigrain steamed buns. Old Madam Lu grabbed a bun and threw it at the servant: "This is what you give me first thing in the morning? Is our Marquis's mansion out of food and money?"

The servant, holding a multigrain steamed bun, said with a wronged expression, "Madam, it's true that we have no food or money left in our household. What you're eating is made from scraps from the rice and grain containers."

Madam Lu's vision blurred: "You mean if we eat this meal, we won't have another one?"

The servant nodded: "If there is no new rice, we'll have to eat pickled vegetables for the next meal."

"Pickled vegetables? How could such a large manor not even have money to buy rice?" Ji Wanwan asked in astonishment. "Have you embezzled funds?"

The servants were displeased upon hearing this and said to Ji Wanwan, "Miss, you really think too highly of us. We are just cooks, in charge of preparing dishes, not in charge of managing money. On the contrary, Miss, you are in charge of the household's finances, yet you don't know that there is no rice left to cook in this house."

Ji Wanwan pursed her lips, about to retort, but the servants launched into a barrage of rebuttals.

"Speaking of which, we have to thank Miss Cousin for how the Marquis's mansion has become like this. If it weren't for Miss Cousin's younger brother accumulating gambling debts, how could those shops of the Marquis's mansion have fallen into the hands of others? And the money in the mansion treasury, part of it was used to buy medicine for the old lady, and part of it was taken away by Miss Cousin. Only Miss Cousin knows what she did with that money."

"No! Wanwan didn't take any money from the Marquis's mansion! Don't listen to her nonsense, Madam."

"Nonsense? Does Miss really think no one saw what she did?" The servant knelt on the ground: "Madam, this servant is reporting this under my real name. Miss has taken a total of ten thousand taels of silver from the Marquis's mansion. Of this, three thousand taels were cash taken from the treasury, three taels were exchanged for the painting 'Spring Mountains' left by the old Marquis, and the remaining four thousand taels were exchanged for gold artifacts from the treasury and gifts given to her by the Marquis. If Madam does not believe me, you may have your maid investigate."

Ji Wanwan panicked, wondering how a servant working in the kitchen could have known what she had done. It must be Xie Chaoyun; this servant must be Xie Chaoyun's person, trying to harm her! Forcing herself to calm down, she tried to shift the blame.

"You're just a servant, spouting nonsense and expecting the old lady to investigate? Where do you put her?" Ji Wanwan took the old lady's arm: "Wanwan's younger brother is indeed a bit useless, but he didn't lose the shop."

"If he didn't lose them, then how did they disappear?" Old Madam Lu shook off her arm. "Ji Wanwan, I'm not so easily fooled. You have to give me an explanation for what happened to these shops. Don't think that just because Huai'er isn't pursuing it, I won't either. Those four shops were left behind by the old Marquis."

"Madam, you are wise!" Ji Wanwan wiped away her tears. "Although the shop was given to Wanwan by the Marquis, Wanwan never intended to take it for herself. Wanwan understands the Marquis's intention; he was worried that after her sister moved into the mansion, she would take everything in her own name. The Marquis gave the shop to Wanwan to provide a way out for him and for the Marquis's mansion. Although Wanwan's younger brother is somewhat disappointing, he is a meticulous person."

While observing the old lady's expression, she forcefully pulled a cigarette: "Ever since that shop was handed over to Wanwan's younger brother, its business has been declining day by day. On the contrary, the shops under my sister's name are making a fortune. The shopkeepers and employees don't listen to her younger brother, saying that the shops belong to the Lu family and it's none of the Ji family's business to interfere. Old lady, think about it, if that shop is making money, what are a little gambling debt?"

Wiping away her tears, she continued, "Only you, sister, probably know what really happened with this shop. Also, it seems you know the gambling den owner. Wanwan's silly brother has probably been tricked."

"That wicked woman! I knew it! The Hou family has no good days because of her!" Old Madam Lu slammed her fist on the table, overturning the porridge and leaving only pickled vegetables.

The servant couldn't help but say, "Madam isn't a cousin; she wouldn't covet those few shops."

Despite her anger, Old Madam Lu reconsidered and realized the servants' words made sense. Ever since Xie Chaoyun entered the household, everything she ate, drank, and used came from her dowry. If she were truly greedy, she wouldn't be so generous. She knew about the family's shops; although they were in good locations and did decent business, they were nothing compared to Xie Chaoyun's dowry.

Xie Chaoyun wasn't as ignorant as Ji Wanwan; she would never have even considered those shops. This Ji Wanwan was using her as a pawn.

With a quick glance, she grasped Ji Wanwan's hand and said, "I don't know what Xie Chaoyun is thinking, but I know that Wanwan is wholeheartedly concerned for our Marquis's mansion. Let's not mention the treasury again. Since Wanwan is in charge of the household's finances, she has the right to allocate the treasury funds. Just explain where those funds went. I believe Wanwan has her own way of dealing with the mansion's lack of silver and grain."

Upon hearing this, Ji Wanwan felt that experience truly mattered. She said she wouldn't pursue the matter, but in reality, she would settle scores later. The vast Marquis's mansion was penniless and lacked provisions; how could she possibly find a solution? After much thought, she could only start with Xie Chaoyun.

Summon the steward, explain the current situation in the mansion, and instruct him to ask Xie Chaoyun for money and grain.

The steward said, "Madam has already given instructions on this matter. She said that all the account books in the manor have been handed over, and all affairs of the manor are no longer her concern. For matters related to money and provisions, please contact the Marquis or Miss Cousin."

Ji Wanwan pinched her fingers: "The Marquis has suffered and is still unconscious. What advice can a woman like me give? Sister can shirk responsibility for the money, but she must take responsibility for the grain. If she hadn't been negligent in her supervision, how could the grain on the estate in the neighboring county have been stolen? If that grain were still there, how could the Marquis's manor be lacking food and drink? I heard it with my own ears, sister, that the Xie family compensated for the grain lost in the neighboring county. Now that the trouble caused by the strange man has subsided, you take a few people to ask the Xie family for grain. If they really don't have any, they can exchange it for cash."

The steward handed over a document: "Master Xie has already made up for the grain lost in the neighboring county. This is the account book; please have the old lady and Miss Xie take a look."

Ji Wanwan snatched it away: "Such a big estate only produces this little? Didn't they say there's a granary? It should be able to store at least tens of thousands of catties, right?"