After transmigrating, I became a stepmother.

Some were happy while others were sad. Just as the Gu family was celebrating, their rival Zhu Gui was filled with hatred for them!

Gu Liunian delivered hot pot to their home for two consecutive days, making up an excuse for the young master to try it. The magistrate and his wife weren't stupid, so how could they really believe it?

The reason they didn't refuse was simply because they knew Gu Liunian's character and wouldn't ask them to do anything corrupt or illegal. As for their son's nagging, they could just go to a restaurant; it wasn't a big deal!

"Does Gu Liunian have something to ask of you?" Madam Xie, the county magistrate's wife, asked after taking a sip of tea.

Upon hearing this, the magistrate inwardly groaned, but could only answer truthfully: "After Zhu's younger brother reopened Gu Liunian's restaurant, he caused some trouble. I have already instructed someone to handle the matter impartially!"

"Oh? What kind of joke could make our usually aloof Scholar Gu put aside his pride and ask us for help?" Madam Xie asked calmly.

"On the day his Yue Lai Restaurant reopened, it was packed with people, making Zhu's brother's place seem particularly deserted. Zhu Gui was furious and ordered Constable Li and others to maintain order, speaking rather rudely."

The magistrate glanced at his wife's face, but found nothing amiss, and continued, "It seems that Gu Liunian took it to heart, which led to this incident."

Madam Xie glanced at him but didn't expose him. She simply said, "Gu Liunian is different from ordinary businessmen. He has official rank and titles. If he wants to advance further someday, it's not impossible for him with his talent from his youth. We don't need to offend such a person for no reason."

Xie's words were quite clear, and the magistrate naturally understood them. He said, "Of course, I will certainly handle this matter impartially!"

With that said, Zhu Gui's plan had obviously failed! The summer heat was nothing compared to the magistrate's burning anger.

"You scoundrel! Of all people to mess with, who do you think you can afford to offend? Gu Liunian!" The magistrate angrily threw down his teacup.

Zhu Gui, who was splashed with tea, didn't care about his newly made robe and immediately said with a smile, "Brother-in-law, don't be angry, it's all my fault!"

He then poured another cup of tea for the magistrate and offered it to him, saying, "Brother-in-law, calm down. No matter how capable Gu Liunian is, can he be more capable than you, the magistrate?"

The magistrate thought the same thing, but he still scolded him, "He's not someone you can mess with. He still has official rank! Even I have to show him respect!"

"Yes, yes, it was my oversight that caused trouble for my brother-in-law! Don't worry, I'll definitely avoid him from now on!" Zhu Gui quickly replied.

"It's about this matter, you see..." he said with a fawning smile.

"You've handled this matter poorly. Gu Liunian isn't stupid; he knows you're behind it all. Hand him over right now and settle this matter as soon as possible!"

“Brother-in-law, isn’t that unnecessary? If we just hand him over like this, how am I supposed to manage people in the future?” Zhu Gui was still trying to bargain. He didn’t think this was a big deal, otherwise his brother-in-law wouldn’t have taken it so seriously and then let it go so easily!

"Get out! If you don't want to hand over the person, then go and confess yourself." The magistrate was so angry that he smashed his teacup again.

Seeing that he was truly angry, Zhu Gui naturally dared not say anything more and immediately backed down: "I'll hand it over, I'll hand it over right now! I'll hand it over right now, don't get angry!"

He ran off and disappeared in a flash. Seeing him like this, the magistrate realized for the first time that he was truly not presentable.

When he returned to the backyard, Aunt Zhu was already waiting there. As soon as he appeared, she greeted him with a sweet smile: "Master, you're finally back!"

As she spoke, her soft, boneless body leaned against him, her fingers tracing subtle circles on his chest.

"Hmm." The magistrate's anger at Zhu Gui had subsided considerably after being soothed like this.

He put his arm around her waist and asked in a low voice, "Why were you waiting outside today? Don't you feel hot?"

"It's because I was worried about the hot weather and that you might get heatstroke, so I was looking forward to your return!" The two said, snuggling together as they walked into the inner room.

The magistrate was quite pleased with her tenderness and affection. He tightened his grip slightly and said, "You really know how to care for me!"

"Who told me that all my thoughts are on you!" Aunt Zhu knew exactly what the magistrate liked to hear, so she leaned against him and said coquettishly.

"Yes, you are a good one." The magistrate patted Aunt Zhu's hand and then stroked it, feeling the delicate texture.

Seeing his expression soften, Aunt Zhu tentatively spoke up: "Master, my younger brother is ignorant. If he makes any mistakes, you must help keep an eye on him. He is my only younger brother."

"Hmph, you still bring him up? Just mentioning his master makes me furious!" The magistrate paused, his tone becoming somewhat harsh.

"Oh dear! Master, why are you getting so angry with him? He's just a blockhead, only fit to run errands for you." As she spoke, she gently stroked the man's chest a few times, trying to calm him down, but the gesture looked rather provocative!

"Hmph, the magistrate is only letting him off the hook because of you. If it were anyone else, he would have been punished long ago!" The magistrate snorted heavily, but his voice softened unconsciously, and his hands resumed their movements.

"Yes, yes, I knew you were the best to me!" she said, wrapping her arms around the magistrate's neck and giving him a sweet kiss.

This immediately enraged the magistrate. He grabbed her head, which was about to leave, and his hands began to wander. He laughed and scolded, "You little vixen! You seduced me, and you think you can run away?"

"Even though I'm a vixen, you still managed to take me in!" Aunt Zhu winked coquettishly, her gaze so tender and gentle that it made one's body go weak!

The magistrate was no exception. Soon, intimate sounds rang out from inside the room, startling the cats inside and causing them to run out. The maids serving outside, however, remained calm, clearly unfazed by the situation.

Aunt Zhu calmed the magistrate's anger with just a few words, but her younger brother Zhu Gui didn't have her ability!

To settle this matter, the only option was to have the subordinate who handled the case confess. Naturally, the subordinate refused to take the blame and threatened to implicate him.

"Go ahead and see if anyone will believe you. The county magistrate is my brother-in-law. See if you can bring me down. If you can't, then see how I bring you down!" Zhu Gui was enraged by his subordinate's attitude and revealed his true colors.

The subordinate was just trying to make a living by following him, and now that he was being manipulated like this, he naturally couldn't resist, but he hated him to death in his heart!

Zhu Gui thought he had resolved the matter satisfactorily and went to find his lover with a happy expression. Little did he know the trouble this incident would bring him.