Everyone in the Xiao household was stuffed, yet none could bear to put down their chopsticks—the food was simply too delicious.
Especially the half‑grown children, who ate every grain of rice in their bowls without leaving a single one.
Tonight’s dishes differed from the Marquis’s New Year feast; though New Year’s offered more variety, it never had this much meat.
Wen Qingwan looked at the man who could barely stand; she had clearly overthought—his fief was prosperous.
And he merely happened to own a few villages, with ten thousand households of wounded soldiers, that’s all!
In her previous life as empress, when she assisted Zhao Jue with memorials, she never saw any record of Xiao Jin as a Marquis of ten thousand households.
“No blame! Ever since marrying my wife, I’ve realized I can’t I can’t keep wasting my life anymore.” Xiao Jin’s low voice carried helplessness.
He had originally wanted to shut the door and live out the days peacefully with his little girl.
The life and death of others in the marquis’s household had nothing to do with him!
After entering the Crown Prince’s palace in her previous life, Wen Qingwan’s life hung by a thread; she was too preoccupied with survival to care about outside affairs.
The Marquis of Chengen had a poor reputation, and the Emperor openly shunned him. As a result, no person of standing or status in the capital city was willing to associate with the Marquis's estate.
Even after Wen Qingwan became Empress, she remained unaware that the Marquis of Cheng’en existed.
“Why do you have to check on me first?" the Marchioness asked in an unfriendly tone.
"You were the former mistress of the household, you should set an example." Jinque lifted an innocent smile.
“What if I am unwilling?" The Marchioness wanted to gain some time, letting her personal maid hide some items.
[Family estate? What estate does the Marquis’s house still have? Could it be that Jin’er didn’t dare tell his wife about the Marquis’s situation?]
[Fortunately I acted quickly and tossed the household authority to the heir’s wife. If the heir had told her the Marquis’s household situation, she absolutely wouldn’t have accepted it.]
An hour had not yet passed, so Wen Qingwan could hear the inner thoughts of Madam Xiao and Lady Xiao Wang.
When Wen Qingwan heard the inner thoughts of Madam Hou, her eyes widened, wanting to curse, and at that moment a voice sounded in her mind.
[Host, taking over the Marquis residence’s household authority will earn you one thousand merit points. Besides, saving a single life surpasses building a seven‑tier pagoda.]
Yo! What a good deal—one thousand merit points can buy lots of mind‑reading charms and gossip charms!
The Marchioness of Cheng'en took the teacup that Wen Qingwan handed over with both hands and a beaming smile, and immediately brought it to her lips for a sip.
“Mm, good tea. Yunqing, bring over my name-change gift.” Lady Xiao’s voice was soft—she used “my” instead of “this madam.”
“Yes, Madam.” The maid Yunqing, standing behind her, took out a small, delicate pouch from her sleeve.
“Wife, shouldn’t you help your husband change first?” The voice behind her was puzzled, yet soft and low, with a husky, seductive edge.
It truly made Wen Qingwan dazed for a moment—when that voice sounded, she nearly nodded in agreement by instinct.
“Hah! You lost—and you still expect me to wait on you? Get out of here. The farther, the better.” Wen Qingwan turned, her voice tinged with fury.
When Wen Qingwan saw two grown men kneeling on the ground, she flipped down and, striking a fighting pose, said: “Come at me if you dare!
Xiao Jin looked at the stern, murderous air flashing across her bright face, and a trace of excitement flickered in his eyes. His little girl was like a wild kitten.
Leng Yan really wanted to step forward and pull their madam away, but their master glared at them and said: “Who let you in? Get out at once.”
"Aren’t you… supposed to be toasting guests in the front hall, husband?" Wen Qingwan asked, noticing the domestic abuser’s face flush red with embarrassment.
She couldn’t help but wonder—he blushes just from speaking a few words, and he’s supposed to be abusive?
“I am going,” Xiao Jin said. “I’ll call your maid in to help you.” With that, he hobbled out—limping with each step, yet his back remained perfectly straight.
Xiao Jin felt extremely unhappy when he heard his little girl praising the Crown Prince, but he didn't know what to say.
Especially when he saw the Crown prince and Miss Wen openly embracing each other as if no one else was around, he didn't know whether to despise or envy them.
His gaze lingered on Wen Qingwan, heavy with things unsaid. In his eyes, a storm. Then he walked away, not turning back.
After Wen Mingzhu roared, Wen Qingwan heard a lifeless voice: [So what if I am the system? The host refuses to cooperate, causing me to be ashamed to face my fellows systems.]
"It was my fault in the past life, I shouldn't have wanted to take it easy and lie down. Now that I have been given a second chance, let's work together to reach the pinnacle of life. "
[The host will try harder? Don't be ridiculous!]
Xiao Jin saw that his future father-in-law had a flattering expression. He felt it was strange, but there was no emotion on his face.
After all, his Marquis father is worse than his future father-in-law. He is used to it!
He just didn't expect that besides his father, he could see such an expression on Minister Wen's face.
The Crown Prince smelled the fragrance emanating from Wen Mingzhu's body, and he couldn't help but be intoxicated. He wished he could marry her back to the Eastern Palace immediately.
He hugged Wen Mingzhu and asked happily: "Everyone, please sit down. Young Master Xiao is also here with me today to make propose and give betrothal gifts. Why haven't we seen him yet?"
“Welcome to His Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness’s presence really makes the walls of this humble house shine.” Deputy Minister Wen knelt down and said loudly.
He was looking at the gate early in the morning, and when he saw the figure appearing at the gate, he immediately knelt down with the sons of the Wen family.
The many guards and servants behind them also knelt down at the gate of Wen Mansion.
Because Wen Qingwan was well-behaved, during the meal, the Old Madam asked Wen Qingwan to sit beside her for the first time.
It may also be that Deputy Minister Wen was in a good mood and asked Wen Mingzhu to sit at the men's table, so the old lady could only settle with her.
Deputy Minister Wen and his wife kept praising the Young Master Xiao for his good character, and the sincerity in their faces almost made it seem like they really wanted to push their daughter into the fire pit.
The matchmaker standing in the middle of the hall had no room to maneuver. Before she arrived, she thought that the eldest Miss of the Wen family had some flaws.
Wen Qingwan thought that Wen Mingzhu would soon help her choose a good husband, but she never thought it would be this fast.
She went into the house to get dressed again, and then heard her father send someone to call her to the front hall.
When Wen Qingwan arrived with her two maids, the hall was already full of people, and everyone's eyes looking at her with complicated expressions.
As the three of them grew older, Wen Qingwan became increasingly comfortable being left alone.
She became more cautious in front of the Wen family, just like a lady from a noble family who was always measured with a ruler.
When she was ten years old, Wen Mingzhu asked her father and two biological brothers to search for good things for her.
