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

Xie Chaoyun left, leaving behind a chaotic mess in the Marquis's mansion. Old Madam Lu was both anxious and angry, and fainted several times. Without Xie Chaoyun and without Xie Chaoyun's dowry to rely on, she realized what true poverty meant. To make matters worse, she was hungry, but there wasn't a single thing to eat in the mansion.

The Xie family had returned the grain, but it was in a neighboring county and couldn't be transported over anytime soon. There were still some antiques and paintings in the storeroom; they could pawn them to get some money to buy rice, but both the pawnshop and the rice shop were closed, and it was uncertain whether they would reopen in three days. Desperate for food, Old Madam Lu disregarded her pride and ordered the offerings from the ancestral hall to be brought out. She spat out the hardened pastries and shriveled fruits after just one bite.

It's easy to go from simplicity to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to simplicity. The old lady, who had enjoyed a life of leisure for most of her life, could not bear such hardship.

As she sighed, Ji Wanwan ran in carrying a mahogany box: "Madam, it's all Wanwan's fault. If Wanwan hadn't been reluctant to part with Brother Huai, if Wanwan hadn't insisted on going back to the capital with Brother Huai, Sister wouldn't have divorced Brother Huai out of spite and ruined the Marquis's mansion like this."

"Good to know!" Old Madam Lu was looking for a place to vent her anger, and seeing Ji Wanwan was like seeing a punching bag. She pointed at Ji Wanwan's nose and said, "If it weren't for you, how could my Marquis's mansion have fallen to such a state?"

"These are the tokens Brother Huai has given to Wanwan over the years, as well as some of Wanwan's savings." Ji Wanwan looked at Lu Huai with red eyes: "Wanwan knows that she cannot compare with her sister, and she also knows that the Marquis's mansion is implicated by Wanwan. Consider these as Wanwan's forgiveness. Although they cannot solve the Marquis's mansion's predicament, they can be exchanged for some rice and grain so that the old lady and the servants in the mansion can temporarily fill their stomachs."

They opened the wooden box and took out its contents. Besides a thousand taels of silver notes, there were some jewelry pieces, probably worth several hundred taels as well.

The Marquis's mansion originally had daily expenses of sixty or seventy taels of silver. Now, with dozens of servants gone, they could manage for a while if they were frugal. However, a distant solution cannot quench an immediate thirst; the immediate priority is to ensure they have enough to eat.

After putting away the box, Madam Lu wondered where she could find something to eat. Seeing Madam Lu's gloomy expression, Ji Wanwan assumed that Madam Lu had not forgiven her and knelt down with a thud.

"Madam, Wanwan never intended to ruin Brother Huai's happiness, and she had no idea how things had turned out this way." Ji Wanwan pulled out her hairpin and pointed it at her heart: "Wanwan is willing to atone with her death, as long as my sister can come back."

Having said that, he suddenly plunged the hairpin into his heart.

Madam Lu was stunned, never expecting Ji Wanwan to do such a thing. After she recovered, she hurriedly sent her maid to fetch the royal physician. Ji Wanwan, head bowed, wore a smug expression. She knew her strength perfectly well; she wouldn't kill herself. Hearing hurried footsteps approaching, her face filled with deep emotion, she said, "My lord, please don't resent Wanwan! It was Wanwan who shouldn't have fallen in love with you, shouldn't have clung to you so persistently. If it weren't for Wanwan, my sister wouldn't have been so heartless as to take all the dowry away. My sister loves you, my lord; the deeper the love, the deeper the resentment. It was Wanwan's greed that made her forget her place. My lord, it is Wanwan who has wronged you."

“It has nothing to do with you. It’s Xie Chaoyun who’s narrow-minded.” Lu Huai picked her up. “Don’t speak. I’ll take you to the royal physician.”

As they exited Fulin Courtyard, they bumped into the old woman who had just gone to fetch the family physician. The old woman hesitated for a moment, but after repeated urging, she finally spoke: "The family physician has gone with Madam!"

"Xie Chaoyun, that physician belongs to my Marquis's residence!" Lu Huai was furious.

The old nanny whispered a reminder: "Your Highness is mistaken. The physician was hired by the Xie family to take care of Madam and Miss Yuan'er. Later, because Miss Yuan'er went to another residence and the old lady's health was not good, he stayed in the manor."

Lu Huai remembered, his face turning grim: "Go and fetch the doctor outside!"

“This old servant would like to go, but His Majesty has decreed that no one is allowed to leave the manor. Besides, this old servant has no money.” The old woman clenched her hands, her eyes darting around. “I’ve heard that Miss Zhiyuan knows medicine. Why don’t you take Madam Ji to Fangfei Courtyard to have a look, Your Excellency?”

An eight-year-old child, even if she understands a little about headaches and fevers, would only have a superficial understanding due to long-term illness. However, Fangfei Courtyard does have medicine, so even if it can't cure the illness, it can buy her some time to go and plead with that Captain Ma.

A dignified captain was bowing and scraping before a little girl. The reason for this was none other than the fact that she had the Xie family's backing.

Having watched the drama unfold for most of the day, Lu Zhiyuan was in a good mood, nestled in her chair looking at the account books. Hearing a knock at the door, she frowned slightly, but before she could ask anything, the courtyard gate was kicked open with a bang.

Lu Huai carried Ji Wanwan past her and into the room. Lu Yun subconsciously stepped forward, but was stopped by Lu Zhiyuan: "No rush, let's see what they're going to do."

Lu Huai placed Ji Wanwan on Lu Zhiyuan's bed and instructed her as if she were a maid: "You idiot, what are you standing there for? Quickly find some medicine for your Aunt Ji!"

Lu Yun drew his sword, but Lu Zhiyuan held it down, though a murderous intent flickered in her cold eyes.

Lu Huai glanced at them and said, "Have the kitchen prepare some more food. Your grandmother and your Aunt Ji are both hungry."

Her gaze fell on Ji Wanwan's chest: "Aunt Ji is injured? Where is she injured? Let Yuan'er take a look."

"What are you looking at? Hurry up and get the medicine." Lu Huai pushed her: "I need the best wound medicine to stop the bleeding quickly and leave no scars."

"One hundred taels!" After regaining her balance, Lu Zhiyuan patted the dirt off her clothes.

"One hundred taels? You're asking me for money?" Lu Huai looked at her as if she were a monster. "Do you even know who I am?"

“Even if you are Yuan’er’s father, you can’t just take it for free, can you? Yuan’er’s medicine was carefully prepared by Physician Jiang, especially the hemostatic white medicine, which is extracted from dozens of precious medicinal herbs. Outside, it would sell for at least a thousand taels. I’m only charging one hundred taels because you are my father. Don’t you think Yuan’er is being unreasonable?”

"I'm your father, and you're asking me for money just because I need some medicine?" Lu Huai was furious. "You unfilial daughter, I'll beat you to death!"

Lu Zhiyuan gave a cold smile and did not dodge: "Well, the Marquis divorced his wife and then beat his own daughter to death. Who wouldn't praise you for your deep affection and righteousness? In order to help his mistress rise in rank, he not only favored his concubine but also killed his wife and beat his daughter to death."

Ji Wanwan, who had been lying in bed watching the drama unfold, quickly got up upon hearing this. It wasn't that she cared about Lu Zhiyuan's life, but rather about the Marquis's mansion and her own future. She deliberately rolled off the bed, grabbed Lu Huai's sleeve, and pleaded, "Brother Huai, you mustn't! Yuan'er is your own daughter. Even if she said something she shouldn't have, you can't kill her! If the Xie family finds out, they'll likely cause trouble for our Pingnan Marquis's mansion."

"Aunt Ji really knows how to brew a good pot of tea and burn a good bundle of firewood." Lu Zhiyuan clapped her hands.

Ji Wanwan's lips twitched, and she said softly, "Auntie is worried about you and your father. Your mother is gone, and she even asked the Emperor to issue an edict for a divorce. Where does she think she is putting this Marquis's mansion? Look at the state she has made of this mansion. Ten years of marriage, and she treats you and Brother Huai like this. How can Brother Huai not be sad? Yuan'er, be good and don't talk back to your father anymore."

"What are you up to, Aunt Ji, speaking ill of your mother in front of your daughter?" She squatted down and pried open Ji Wanwan's hand: "It was a hairpin that pierced you. Your grip was unsteady, and it slanted downwards by half an inch. Aunt's injury is at most a superficial wound. Is it really worth Father going to such lengths to ask for wound medicine? Aunt's self-inflicted injury is a very good performance. I just don't know what Aunt is after."

"You're talking nonsense!" Seeing Lu Huai's gaze sweep over, Ji Wanwan quickly covered her chest.