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

Xue Qingwan was immediately displeased; Gu Huaizhou was clearly just giving her the runaround.

She tried so hard to please him, but this was the result she got in the end.

“Since you have no intention of helping me, why say such things to fob me off? Although I am not the legitimate daughter, I am still the daughter of a prefect. I have already made a concession by marrying you as your concubine. How can you treat me like this? You have really disappointed me.”

After saying that, Xue Qingwan ran away crying.

Gu Huaizhou called her a few times from behind, but she didn't listen and instead ran even faster.

At this moment, he felt utterly exhausted. None of the women in the manor were easy to deal with. Gu Huaizhou gave a cold snort and did not chase after them.

In the afternoon, news came that the old Marquis was returning from the manor with several of his concubines.

Song Wenjun had already received the news and had the mansion cleaned until it was sparkling clean.

We're just waiting for the old Marquis to return to his residence.

In this mansion, the old Marquis's word is law.

His sudden return to the manor startled Madam Zhou, as the household was severely depleted of funds, and Gu Huaizhou had been demoted.

And what about Jiang Miaoyin and Gu Huaizhou? If the old Marquis finds out, wouldn't he beat her to death?

Standing at the gate of the Marquis's mansion, the cold wind felt like knives cutting Zhou Shi's face, but what was even colder was her heart.

In contrast, Song Wenjun looked relaxed, even full of anticipation.

With my father-in-law back, this mansion is going to be very lively from now on.

The group waited at the door for a full quarter of an hour before the old marquis's carriage appeared at the end of the alley.

"They're here, they're here," someone muttered quietly.

Zhou's heart clenched. She glanced at her son beside her and nudged him, instructing him, "Your father has a terrible temper, so you must never talk back to him. Just listen to whatever he says, understand?"

Gu Huaizhou frowned and said in a low voice, "I understand, Mother."

He had spent his childhood being beaten and scolded by the old Marquis. Even now that he has been granted the title of Marquis, he still trembles at the mere mention of his father's name.

That was a fear etched into my very bones.

Besides the Zhou family, even the second branch of the family came.

Madam Min stood at the back of the crowd with Gu Qinghe, and her husband, Gu Siqi, also made a rare appearance today.

He looks somewhat like Gu Huaizhou, with a full beard on his chin. Although he is Gu Huaizhou's older brother, he looks more like an uncle because of the age difference.

This second master of the Gu family has always been idle and never participates in the affairs of the mansion, making him extremely inconspicuous in the household.

Song Wenjun's impression of him was that of a nobody.

Next was the widowed sister-in-law, Jiang Miaoyin. She stood beside the second wife, dressed in plain clothes and without any hairpins or ornaments, looking pitiful, which was very fitting for her status as a widow.

The carriage stopped at the gate of the mansion. The curtain was lifted, and a servant hurriedly moved a low stool to the front of the carriage. An old man with a frail appearance walked out from inside.

The old Marquis was fifteen years older than Zhou Shi. They didn't look like a couple, but rather like father and daughter.

Now nearly 66 years old, he still exudes an air of authority and has a sharp gaze.

He swept his gaze across the crowd with a stern face, and everyone lowered their heads in fear.

Madam Zhou hurriedly went to greet him, saying ingratiatingly, "Husband, you're back."

She reached out to help him up, but the old Marquis glanced at her indifferently. He then turned and reached into the carriage, calling out, "Hurry up and come out to greet the First Madam."

"Yes." A sweet, delicate female voice came from inside the car, a voice so mesmerizing it could melt your bones.

Zhou's face immediately turned ugly, and she wondered if he had taken another concubine.

Sure enough, a delicate white hand was placed in the old marquis's palm.

The next second, a woman with a seductive appearance stepped out of the carriage with a son and a daughter.

The old marquis personally helped her down from the carriage. As soon as the woman's feet touched the ground, she swayed and fell into the old marquis's arms.

Then, like a startled rabbit, it quickly regained its footing.

She gave a perfunctory bow to Madam Zhou, saying apologetic words but showing little respect on her face: "This concubine is Madam Shen, greetings to the First Madam. I am exhausted from the long journey, and I hope the First Madam will not take offense."

Zhou was seething with anger, but to appear magnanimous, she said calmly, "It's alright."

The two children of the Shen family were about three years old.

He followed beside her, laughing and jumping around.

Despite their lack of manners, the old Marquis couldn't bear to scold them, coaxing them with loving words like "my darling," saying, "Mingzhu, Mingyan, go and see your mother."

The two children listened to him and both called out to Zhou Shi in their clear voices, "Mother."

Zhou was struck dumb, her vision went black, and she almost fainted from anger.

She never expected that the old Marquis would be so absurd as to have two more children.

Gu Huaizhou's face twitched, his hands hanging by his sides slowly tightened, and the anger in his eyes was almost overflowing.

Several more concubines emerged one after another from the carriages behind.

They all rushed to Zhou Shi to pay their respects and exchange courtesies. Among them was a concubine named Liu, who was older and had come to the villa with the old Marquis from the manor.

Beside her followed a young and handsome man.

He looked younger than Gu Huaizhou. This person was born to Consort Liu and was the old Marquis's illegitimate son. His name was Gu Huai'an.

Song Wenjun had no good impression of this man; he was just a good-for-nothing playboy.

His words were extremely frivolous, but because he had a clever tongue, he could make the old marquis smile from ear to ear, and thus he was closer to him than the other children.

The old Marquis looked up at the gate of the Marquis's mansion, his eyes filled with satisfaction: "I've been away from home for a year, and I've missed it terribly."

Shen took his arm and said sweetly, "Husband, let me help you."

"Fine, fine." The old Marquis was actually helped by her to walk into the courtyard, and Madam Zhou was so angry that her nose almost twisted out of shape.

She, the legal wife, had become invisible.

But there was nothing they could do, no matter how angry they were; after all, this Marquis's mansion belonged to the old man.

He owns shops, farmland, and forests. The money he earns from his shops every year is more than he can spend.

Although Zhou was angry, she could only force a smile and dared not utter a single complaint.

The group walked into the mansion in a grand procession, with two children surrounding the old marquis and a delicate concubine by his side, looking utterly smug.

After entering the hall, all the daughters of the family paid their respects to the old Marquis.

The old lord gave rewards to everyone, and each person received a large red envelope.

Song Wenjun also brought her child along. The little guy was chubby and fair-skinned, and the old Marquis was delighted at first sight.

He even asked for a hug.

Song Wenjun handed the child to the old Marquis. The little guy was quite good at coaxing people, and he started giggling as soon as he was in his hands.

He even reached out his chubby little hand to grab the old man's beard, which made him very happy.

He kept calling him "little rascal" and wouldn't let go for a long time.

Finally, the little guy received the biggest and thickest red envelope, making everyone in the room extremely envious.

But what can you do if you're jealous? You can't fight with a baby who's still nursing.