The mistress has no feelings, why do you provoke her?

Ma Zhi couldn't quite describe his feelings; they were a mix of emotions.

He should be ridiculed, abandoned, and unwanted.

But now, his parched heart seems to be irrigated by rain, and an oasis is gradually growing.

So, he was still useful after all.

Looking at her disheveled reflection in the mirror, Ma Zhi picked up a comb and straightened her hair.

However, because it was knotted, it couldn't be combed out.

He called out to the outside world, "Someone come here, I need to wash up."

For lunch, the old lady asked the kitchen to prepare a few simple dishes, without any big fish or meat dishes.

It was just a regular home-cooked meal: three dishes and a soup, served with rice.

The old lady looked apologetic; this was the best she could offer.

Song Wenjun sat there without touching her chopsticks, her heart aching as she looked at the dishes.

So this is how the General's Mansion has fallen into such a state of disrepair.

But the old lady still tried her best to give herself the best.

She was touched.

The old lady looked at Song Wenjun somewhat embarrassed: "Is it because you're not used to the food?"

She knew that Song Wenjun was born into a life of luxury, first being adopted by a wealthy merchant and then marrying into a noble family.

She had never suffered in her life; her skin was fair and delicate, her eyes were clear, and every word and action exuded the elegance of a lady from a prominent family.

Now she has been granted the title of Princess, and will become the future Queen Consort of Chu.

She shone brightly like a pearl in the sky, while the General's Mansion had long since become mud beneath people's feet.

It's a general's mansion, not good enough for her.

“Grandmother, I can eat it.” Song Wenjun picked up her rice bowl and started eating, savoring every bite.

She ate with great relish, as if she wanted to imprint the flavor deep into her very bones.

There's no other reason; it's simply because it's the flavor my mother loved when she was little.

The old lady breathed a sigh of relief; she had thought Song Wenjun would be disgusted.

Seeing her sincerity, she felt both happy and sad.

If the General's Mansion were still at its peak, it would never have allowed Song Wenjun and her child to suffer such injustice.

If her son could support the General's Mansion, Song Wenjun would have more confidence.

Unfortunately, it was just wishful thinking on her part.

"Mother, why didn't you call me for dinner?" The voice coming from the doorway made the old lady look somewhat dazed.

She looked in surprise at her son who appeared at the door, his clothes newly changed.

His hair was neatly combed, and even his beard was clean-shaven.

She still smelled of fresh scent after her bath.

If he hadn't been in a wheelchair, she would have thought it was all a dream.

Song Wenjun was not surprised at all. She smiled and instructed the maid, "Go and serve your uncle more rice."

The maid's face was full of fear. Only when she heard Song Wenjun's order did she wake up from her dream and hurriedly go to add more bowls.

Ma Zhi was pushed to the table, where Yan Yan was eating noodles.

He didn't know how to use chopsticks yet, but he reached into the bowl with his little hand, grabbed a handful of noodles, and held them to Ma Zhi's mouth: "Eat, eat noodles..."

I thought Ma Zhi would change his expression, but to my surprise, he took the noodles reverently, put them in his mouth, and ate them with relish.

This scene was a huge shock to the old lady, but she was afraid of ruining the atmosphere, so she could only suppress her excitement and pretend to be nonchalant.

"Uncle, have some food." Song Wenjun happily served food to Ma Zhi, without any awkwardness.

She felt completely at ease, as if she had grown up in this family.

The meal was very relaxed, and the old lady ate an extra bowl of rice because she was in a good mood.

With the addition of the lively little Yan Yan, laughter, which had been absent from the General's Mansion for a long time, filled the air.

Before long, Xiao Tao led a group of people into the courtyard.

The place was filled with all sorts of furniture and decorations.

The old lady looked surprised: "This, this is?"

“Grandmother, Yan Yan and I will inevitably be coming back to live here permanently from now on. The General's Mansion will never be as dilapidated as before. I want to restore the General's Mansion to its former glory, so…”

She looked at the devastated courtyard and chuckled softly, "The General's Mansion should stand up again."

Ma Zhi looked at Song Wenjun as if he had a sudden realization, but his hands on his knees tightened.

Will he be able to stand up again?

The old lady did not refuse Song Wenjun's help. The General's Mansion could not be laughed at by the world, and she could not hold Song Wenjun back.

She nodded slowly: "Everything is up to you."

With the old lady's words, Song Wenjun felt at ease.

At a command, the craftsmen and bricklayers entered the general's mansion.

Dozens of maids, servants, and boys also stepped forward and knelt down: "Greetings, Madam; greetings, Young General."

"From now on, you will serve in the General's Mansion. You must be careful and not be negligent. Anyone who is lazy, shirks responsibility, or tries to cheat will be sold off. Anyone who performs their duties well will be rewarded. Do you understand?" Song Wenjun's expression was stern, and she was authoritative without being angry.

Her single glance sent shivers down the spines of the servants.

They all responded in unison, "Yes."

"Go down."

Xiao Tao dismissed the servants, and the steward assigned them tasks.

Since the mansion is being renovated, this place is mostly uninhabitable. Song Wenjun suggested, "Why don't you and your maternal grandmother move to my old courtyard, and then move back after the general's mansion is renovated?"

Madam Ma didn't care; she was only worried about her youngest son.

She looked at Ma Zhi questioningly, but the latter looked somewhat embarrassed. Having not left the house for many years, he did not want to see strangers.

But Song Wenjun's words dispelled his doubts: "Uncle, Yan Yan gets along well with you. I will be very busy these days, so please take good care of him for a while. There are no outsiders in my household, so you and Grandmother can rest assured."

He wouldn't interact with outsiders unless there were outsiders present, and besides, he genuinely loved this little bundle of joy.

He nodded and said, "I'll listen to you."

Everything was within Song Wenjun's expectations.

She has achieved her goal of coming to the general's mansion today.

More importantly, she needed Qin Qing to give her uncle a proper check-up on his legs.

If it can be saved, that would be the best outcome.

The carriage carried the old lady and Ma Zhi back to Song Wenjun's residence.

As Song Wenjun had instructed before leaving, Ma Zhi disliked contact with people, so only Xu Mama and a few maids from the courtyard came to greet him.

The mansion was magnificent and the environment was serene.

Most importantly, there were no strangers around, which satisfied Ma Zhi.

Song Wenjun specially arranged for him to stay in a courtyard near the backyard, where fruits, vegetables, and poultry were grown.

It's down-to-earth and full of everyday life, which Ma Zhi really likes.

His heart, which had been dormant for many years, finally felt a glimmer of joy.

Song Wenjun didn't dare to call Qin Qing over to examine his leg rashly, for fear that he would feel resistant.

After a couple of days, seeing that Ma Zhi was more relaxed, Song Wenjun spoke up while he was in a good mood: "Uncle, we have a physician in our household who is quite skilled. I'd like her to examine your leg."

Song Wenjun was very careful when she said these words, for fear of offending Ma Zhi.

His legs were his Achilles' heel; no one could mention them.

When Song Wenjun said these words, her heart was pounding.

If Ma Zhi resists, then all her efforts over the past few days will be in vain.