After transmigrating, I became a stepmother.

Just as things were getting along well, a commotion could be faintly heard outside. Without waiting for orders, Yun Fei had already sent someone to investigate. A moment later, a maidservant rushed in, reporting that the Second Master and Second Madam had been arguing all the way here, and many servants had seen them. Before she finished speaking, Wang Shi entered, followed by a man in his early twenties. The man was thin, dressed in a blue robe and turban—a typical scholar's attire—presumably the Second Master of the household.

Lin Hao had heard a little about this second master. His birth mother was the old lady's dowry maid. Because the old lady was pregnant at the time, she harbored the desire to sleep with him. Taking advantage of the old master's drunkenness, she succeeded. However, this earned her the disdain of both the old master and the old lady. Unexpectedly, she was quite lucky, and in just one night, she became pregnant. Helplessly, the old lady could only endure the resentment and made her a concubine. Unfortunately, this concubine's good luck seemed to have run out that night. She unfortunately died of postpartum hemorrhage, leaving behind the second master, who was always weak due to the difficult childbirth.

Although the old lady didn't mistreat the child, she genuinely didn't like him. She simply instructed the servants to take good care of him and then neglected him, her attention entirely focused on little Gu Liunian, who was only half a year older than the second master. Logically, since the stepmother didn't care, the old master, as the father, should have paid more attention to the poor child. However, because he was angry at the second master's birth mother's scheming, he also disliked the child, simply entrusting him to servants and rarely inquiring about him.

At first, the servants around the Second Master, hoping for a windfall for their entire family, took good care of him and actively encouraged him to study to please his father. However, as time went on, the servants gradually saw through their masters' attitudes and their treatment of the Second Master deteriorated, even becoming somewhat neglectful. It was only after the Old Madam noticed and severely punished a group of servants that this unhealthy trend was stopped. But his long-standing living environment and his inherently weak health fostered a weak yet competitive, insecure, and sensitive personality in the Second Master. Coupled with the presence of Gu Liunian, the eldest son who excelled in everything, he felt even more inadequate! His mentality changed daily through comparison. In the household, those around him always felt that their master's possessions were inferior to the First Master's, and they constantly gossiped about it.

Upon reaching adulthood, the two men began to compete again in matters of marriage. Gu Liunian married the legitimate daughter of a farming and scholarly family, while he wanted to marry a young lady from a family of scholars. However, marriage was based on the principle of matching social status, and as a son of a concubine with little talent, he was unlikely to be favored by such families. In the end, it was by chance that he rescued Wang Shi from danger while on his way to offer incense, and the two developed feelings for each other, leading to their marriage. Wang Shi was the daughter of the county school teacher, and had been raised with a classical education since childhood, but unfortunately, she was born of a concubine and had remained unmarried. Now, having found a partner like Gu Liunian, who was of first-rate character and learning, she was naturally very satisfied!

The above information is based on what Fu Cui Liu Dan and the others said, combined with Lin Hao's own speculation, and it should be pretty close to the actual situation.

Just as Lin Hao was recalling the situation of this second master, he had already pulled Wang Shi to bow to the old lady and Lin Hao, "Greetings, Mother! Greetings, Sister-in-law!" The two of them moved in unison, as if they had rehearsed it.

"Get up!" The old lady's voice was unreadable as she slightly raised her hand towards the two of them.

After the old lady called him, the second master couldn't wait to speak: "Mother, your son is guilty, and I, along with my wife Wang, beg for forgiveness from you!" At the same time, he pulled Wang to bow deeply to the old lady, giving Lin Hao no time to react. She awkwardly withdrew her hand, touched her nose, and decided to become invisible for once.

"Oh? What have you done wrong?" the old lady asked expressionlessly, picking up her teacup and taking a sip. She then gave Yun Fei a wink, and Yun Fei understood. "Young Master, the flowers outside are so beautiful. Shall I take you out to pick a few for the Old Madam and Madam?"

"Really?" The little boy's eyes lit up; he wanted to pick flowers for his grandmother and mother.

"Of course, I'll take you to see it." With that, Yun Fei bent down and took the little bun's hand.

"Grandmother, Mother, Yu-ge'er will pick flowers for you, the prettiest ones!" The little boy reminded the two of them, and after receiving their smiling affirmation, he followed Yun Fei with firm little steps.

As soon as the little bun left, the second master spoke up again urgently: "Mother, Wang has told me what she did. It was my fault for not disciplining her properly, and I'm sorry for troubling you. I've already given her a good scolding, and she knows she was wrong. I hope you'll forgive her this time for the sake of me and Yi-ge'er. I promise there will never be a next time. If it does, I will not tolerate it even without your punishment!"

The second master spoke with righteous indignation, completely absolving himself of any wrongdoing! It was as if he truly knew nothing about what Wang Shi had done, and was completely kept in the dark. But how could that be? Not to mention the old lady, even Lin Hao herself found it hard to believe. How could the person beside her, who lived with her day and night, be completely unaware if even the children knew?

As the second master finished speaking, Madam Wang knelt down with a thud, her expression sorrowful. "Mother, it's all my fault. Last night, after Master found out about this, he severely reprimanded me. I truly know I was wrong. From now on, I will treat Yu'er as my own child and love him dearly. I will never talk nonsense again. I will accept whatever punishment you give me, I only beg you, Mother, not to upset yourself over such a scoundrel as me. That would be a great sin for me!" After saying this, she began to sob uncontrollably.

The old lady watched the two of them working together, her eyes narrowing, momentarily at a loss for words. She sighed inwardly: Sure enough, some things aren't so easy! These two, the second son and his wife, are the type who won't act until they see a clear benefit; just the fact that Yu-ge'er is injured makes it unlikely they'll shake her off. Sigh!

Lin Hao watched in stunned silence. She had never seen anyone so effortlessly skilled in singing, acting, and martial arts, as described in novels. Now, she had witnessed two such individuals at once—a real eye-opener! Such people, if they lived in modern times, would definitely make a name for themselves in the entertainment industry! Winning an Oscar would be a piece of cake, let alone an award! Alas, they were truly born at the wrong time!