After transmigrating, I became a stepmother.

Feeling relieved that she had put one less thing on her mind, Lin Hao felt much lighter and her mood brightened.

Seeing her like this, Gu Liunian wondered if he should admire her for her carefree attitude and her fear that he was lying to her. She was so innocent that it was hard to believe that she was sent by someone with ulterior motives!

Of course, he didn't think there was anything in his home that needed to be watched!

The couple were each lost in their own thoughts and remained silent for a while. After a while, Lin Hao remembered the question she wanted to ask.

"Do you know what's going on with this cousin You Ran?" Lin Hao blinked at Gu Liunian.

"My mother didn't inform me beforehand that my cousin was coming to visit." Gu Liunian shook his head slightly. Normally, if a relative like this is coming to visit or stay at home, they would inform us in advance so that the host can make arrangements. This time, things are indeed a bit strange!

"What about her family background?" Lin Hao asked curiously. Although her cousin was polite and courteous, she could still sense her subtle disdain for her, as if she were someone who was completely insignificant!

"My cousin's father fell in love with my aunt at first sight while traveling and studying. After their elders met, they felt they were a good match, and their marriage was arranged. Later, my uncle passed the imperial examination and became a county magistrate." Gu Liunian's tone was flat and not very enthusiastic.

Lin Hao found his attitude strange. The ancients always valued kinship, especially between two families with such close blood ties. Given his always polite nature, he shouldn't have reacted like this!

Perhaps her gaze was too direct, so Gu Liunian spoke up to explain: "After my aunt got married, she didn't have much contact with my mother, and there were some conflicts over the dowry back then."

Lin Hao understood; it seemed that money was the root of all the trouble!

However, she noticed that the old lady treated her cousin very warmly, and it didn't seem like there was any discord between the sisters!

"My mother always wanted a daughter, but unfortunately, she damaged her body when she gave birth to me and could no longer conceive!" It turned out that Lin Hao had inadvertently voiced her doubts, so Gu Liunian explained.

"Ah, I see!" So it wasn't a case of loving the house because of the house, but simply liking the young girl! Lin Hao felt a little relieved. This way, she wouldn't have to worry too much about the old lady playing matchmaker!

"I've always called her 'cousin,' but I don't even know her last name!" Lin Hao pouted.

"My uncle's surname is Qian."

"Qian Youran!" Lin Hao murmured to herself. What a good name! Money would come to her leisurely, bringing great wealth and prosperity!

"Has someone in this cousin Qian's family passed away? My mother only said that there had been some changes in her family, but she didn't say what it was."

Gu Liunian understood that she had made this guess because of her cousin's clothes. He said, "No, if someone had passed away, Mother wouldn't have stopped me from going to the funeral."

"What else could it be?" Lin Hao asked, puzzled.

"Why don't you go and find out? Just in case something happens, tell me not to say anything inappropriate!"

Lin Hao encouraged Gu Liunian. She was still very curious. A cousin she didn't know much about suddenly came to visit without any prior notice. It was really unusual!

Seeing her gossip, Gu Liunian didn't stop her. He also felt that this matter needed to be clarified, and they couldn't just let her stay at home in such a muddled way.

The couple has reached a consensus!

The next day, before Gu Liunian could bring back any news, Lin Hao encountered another troublesome matter.

Wang, from the second wife's family, came to pay her respects to the old lady. Lin Hao and Qian Youran were also there at the time.

Wang hesitated to speak, hoping the old lady would give the order for the two to step aside, but the old lady did not comply with her wishes.

He simply said, "We're all family here, so just say what you want to say!"

Seeing that the two were not going to back down, Madam Wang gritted her teeth and said, "Mother, please do something about Second Master!"

As she spoke, her eyes reddened. This time, it was much more real than what Lin Hao had seen before.

"What's wrong with him?" The old lady was taken aback by her question.

"Ever since the family split up, the second master has been spending his days reciting poetry and enjoying music with his friends, indulging in a refined lifestyle. He's also very generous, treating everyone eight out of ten times. In just half a month, over a hundred taels of silver have been withdrawn from the account."

Wang didn't care about saving face anymore; all she knew was that if things continued like this, the second branch of the family would soon be struggling to make ends meet.

Moreover, what she didn't say was that she suspected the second master might have become addicted to gambling. On several occasions, the names he mentioned were not his usual pedantic friends at all, clearly a way of setting him up.

The group was surprised to hear her say this, as the Second Master was not like this before!

But then I thought about it again. After all, I had been living under the care of my stepmother and elder brother, so it was normal to be careful.

This sudden division of the family property, with him now in charge, has understandably led to some arrogance. However, his behavior has gone too far. While the assets he received were substantial, such extravagant spending is hardly justifiable!

The old lady and Lin Hao exchanged a glance and nodded almost imperceptibly. Turning to Wang Shi, she said, "We have already separated our families, so there's really no reason for us to interfere in your affairs anymore!"

When Wang heard the old lady say this, she panicked and hurriedly said, "Mother, you can't abandon us to our fate! We are also members of the Gu family! Besides, there's Yi-ge'er, who is a member of the Gu family."

“Sister-in-law, you’re wrong. You agreed to the division of the family property back then. Now you want Mother to manage the affairs of your household. Isn’t that making things difficult for Mother?” Lin Hao stepped forward to speak up.

"Sister-in-law, don't hold a grudge against me for what happened to Yu-ge'er and then abandon us, the second branch of the family! Besides, we already apologized for what happened back then and were even kicked out of the old house. What else could you possibly be unhappy about?"

Wang looked at Lin Hao with a wronged expression, but none of the people present bought into it.

Wang's eyes darted around, and she stepped forward to grab Qian Youran's hand, crying out, "My cousin seems like a reasonable person. You must speak up for your sister-in-law! What mother in this world would abandon her son?"

Qian Youran was caught off guard and felt extremely embarrassed. She could only say, "Second Sister-in-law, I just arrived and don't know anything yet, so I'm afraid it's inconvenient for me to speak." As she spoke, she tried to pull her hand away.

Wang Shi, however, was not about to let her off so easily. She grabbed her hand tightly and said, "There's no need to know anything. Cousin, just tell me. Isn't it a matter of course for a mother to discipline her son?"

Qian Youran could only look helplessly at the old lady. She wasn't stupid; of course, she knew that the old lady wouldn't be happy to see her helping the second branch of the family.