After transmigrating, I became a stepmother.

Under the bright sunshine, when there was very little ice left in the carriage, the group finally returned to the Gu residence.

"Grandma, we're back!"

A childish voice rang out, and the old lady who was talking to Yun Fei inside immediately beamed with joy. Yun Fei looked at her and smiled, "Young Master was thinking of you!"

Although the old lady didn't say anything, her smile deepened.

As soon as Gu Yu, the little dumpling, entered, he rushed straight to the old lady, "Grandma, look, I brought you something delicious!"

"Really? Let me see." The old lady caught her grandson and agreed with a smile.

Lin Hao bowed, and the people behind him followed suit, holding gifts and bowing as well.

The old lady took a look and saw that she had indeed made quite a haul! Five or six servants were carrying things in their hands.

"What did you buy?" the old lady asked curiously.

"They're all snacks, just something to try! And some little toys for kids!" Lin Hao explained.

"Grandma, this is for you!" the little dumpling said crisply, pointing to a bag of almond cookies.

"Good, did Yu-ge'er pick this out for his grandmother?"

"Yeah! Delicious!"

"Good, if Yu-ge'er says it's delicious, then it must be delicious. Grandmother must have a good taste!" The old lady was even happier when she heard him say that!

The little boy was also very happy, "I even brought one for my father!"

"Really? What did you bring for your father?" the old lady asked, following his lead.

"This!" The little boy pointed excitedly at a fan.

The old lady looked at it and saw that the fan was decorated with a bamboo pattern, which was quite elegant!

"Great! Your father will definitely like it!"

The little boy's eyes sparkled, but he still muttered a complaint in a low voice: "Mother says bamboo is good, but Yu-ge'er likes the red flowers!"

The old lady was stunned for a moment before she realized what he meant. He said that he had originally chosen a fan with a flower pattern, but his mother asked him to change it to one with a bamboo pattern.

She glanced at Lin Hao, and both of them saw relief in each other's eyes! Otherwise, Gu Liunian would never have used a fan painted with red flowers, and Yu-ge'er would have been disappointed.

"Quickly, Yunfei, send someone to the study to tell Yu-ge'er's father that he should have lunch here together!"

"Yes." Yun Fei quickly summoned a maid to deliver the message.

"Grandma, this is yours too." The little boy excitedly took the old lady's hand and showed off his achievement.

"Okay, Grandma, look!"

The grandfather and grandson looked at each item one by one, exchanging ideas as they went, creating a lively atmosphere!

When Gu Liunian arrived, he immediately spotted the two people in high spirits, laughing and chatting. Lin Hao was drinking tea on the side, occasionally adding a few words.

Upon seeing him arrive, the old lady quickly greeted him.

"Come and see, this is the fan that Brother Yu chose for you!"

Gu Liunian approached and examined it carefully. It was indeed quite good. Although the craftsmanship was a bit rough, it still had a rustic charm!

Looking into his son's expectant eyes, he said softly, "Very good!"

Just that one sentence made the little dumpling very happy, and he started giggling.

"Look at all these, our Yu-ge'er picked them all out!" The old lady couldn't wait to show off how capable her little grandson was!

Seeing that it was all food and trinkets, Gu Liunian knew that the mother and son must have had a good time shopping. He praised the little boy, which made the boy very happy.

"Why didn't you buy anything for yourself?" Seeing the happy faces of the grandmother and granddaughter, Gu Liunian sat down next to Lin Hao and asked.

"I don't lack anything, and I can't think of anything to buy!" Lin Hao shook her head. She really felt that her current life was very comfortable. The old lady had arranged everything for her, and she lacked nothing.

"Don't women all like things like rouge, powder, dresses, and hairpins?" Gu Liunian asked curiously.

“I have them all! My mother gave me so many, I can’t even wear them all! And today we’ve been browsing the stalls and vendors.”

Gu Liunian understood. She liked these things and valued quality. He thought to himself that he hadn't given her any gifts yet.

Suddenly, he felt that she was becoming more and more like a wife, while he, as a husband, seemed to be becoming more and more incompetent. He couldn't help but recall his behavior during this period.

Lin Hao noticed that he suddenly fell silent, but she didn't think much of it, assuming he had remembered something, and joined the conversation between the grandfather and grandson.

It was only when Liu Dan reminded everyone that it was time for lunch that Gu Liunian snapped out of her daze.

After lunch, the old lady and the little boy were both taking a nap. Even Lin Hao, who had spent the whole morning with the little boy, was feeling a bit tired, so everyone naturally went their separate ways.

Back at Qiyuan, Lin Hao wanted to take a short rest, but Gu Liunian stopped her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, puzzled.

What used to be easy to say has now become somewhat difficult to utter after this recent reflection.

Lin Hao became curious. What could possibly make someone like Gu Liunian hesitant to speak? It's no exaggeration to say that she was quite intrigued.

Despite her hesitation, Gu Liunian still spoke up: "I plan to study at the academy. Firstly, I can learn from the teachers at any time, and secondly, I can interact more with my classmates!"

Lin Hao didn't understand what was so embarrassing about it, and her expression betrayed it.

"But this means I'll have to travel back and forth between the academy and home every day, which will inevitably put me under a lot of time, and I'm afraid I won't have time to take care of my family." Gu Liunian said, feeling somewhat guilty towards her.

"Oh, is that so? It's alright. I know the imperial examinations are very difficult, and it's only right to spend more time and effort. I'll take care of things at home, and if all else fails, there's always Mother. Don't worry!"

Lin Hao thought, the imperial examination is just like the college entrance examination in later generations. Back then, her parents went to great lengths to ensure that she could pass the college entrance examination, including buying a house in a good school district and taking supplements to improve her health.

This was a taste of what it's like to have someone in your family preparing for exams. Thinking of this, she quickly asked, "Is the academy close by?"

"Fortunately, it only takes fifteen minutes by carriage!"

"That's alright." Lin Hao thought that the distance wasn't too far, otherwise she might have considered persuading Gu Liunian to buy a house in a good school district.

"When will you start going to the academy?"

"I'm just telling you this now. If you agree, I'll inform my mother, and it can be done the day after tomorrow. I've already spoken to the teacher."

"Of course I agree! The imperial examination is a good thing, why should we oppose it? It's not like our family can't afford to support us!" Lin Hao said matter-of-factly.

This kind of thing, where one person achieves enlightenment and the whole family benefits, should be supported with all our might, as long as our financial situation allows! She's not stupid!

"But it will be very hard for you!" Gu Liunian looked at her, afraid that she didn't know what this meant.