Chapter 8: Good Intentions Mistaken for Malice

Unable to win against Jing Niang's persistence, Su Xuanming could only bring her to the main courtyard to seek an audience.

At this moment, Gu Nanxi was preparing to eat fruit soup.

"You've come at just the right time. 'A year of fine scenery must be remembered, most beautiful when the oranges are yellow and the tangerines are green.' Whatever soup you want, feel free to order."

Perhaps due to excessive dieting in previous years, Gu Nanxi's body was so depleted that no matter how much she slept or ate now, she simply could not gain weight.

Lv Mei brought two stools for Su Xuanming and Jing Niang. "In late autumn, a bowl of soup is most suitable. We have orange soup, dried papaya soup, and smoked plum soup. Eldest Young Master, which would you like?"

Su Xuanming glanced at Jing Niang, noticing a red pimple appearing on her face, and decided for her: "Two bowls of smoked plum soup to clear the internal heat."

"Coming right up." Lv Mei led the maids away, leaving the three of them alone.

Outside the window, golden withered leaves swirled as they fell.

This autumnal scenery inevitably reminded Gu Nanxi of the middle school where she used to work, where the playground was lined with parasol trees. When autumn arrived and the wind blew, the leaves would cover the ground. The students on duty would get so angry they would swing their brooms like whirlwinds.

Gu Nanxi looked back at Su Xuanming and Jing Niang. They were only fifteen or sixteen years old; in her previous life, they should be sitting in a classroom, heads bowed in hard study.

Gu Nanxi's heart softened for a moment, and she took the initiative to speak: "Jing Niang, how about I adopt you as my foster daughter?"

Su Xuanming's eyes widened, and he blurted out, "Then what about me?"

Gu Nanxi, feeling a rare surge of kindness, explained, "Jing Niang, handling so many trivial matters in the household will lead to gossip from outsiders. If you have the title of a foster daughter, things will be much easier."

Tears instantly streamed down Jing Niang's face. "Madam, do you... do you disagree with my relationship with Master Su? I don't want the wealth and glory of the Marquis's manor; I only want to be with Master Su."

Deeply moved, Su Xuanming followed suit in his declaration: "Even if she is my foster sister, I will still marry Jing Niang!"

Gu Nanxi fell silent. Originally, she had simply felt that the Yongchang Marquis Manor was a sinking ship, and it was better to have one less person on board.

She had no choice regarding herself and her children; their identities were fixed. Even if she requested a divorce or expelled the children from the house, they would ultimately die along with her. As for Jing Niang, there was no need for her to jump into this fiery pit.

Since they did not appreciate her gesture, Gu Nanxi would not force it. She didn't even care to save her own life; her comment was merely a momentary reaction to the scenery.

"Mhm, I understand. So, Jing Niang, what is it you want?" Gu Nanxi lay back down on the bamboo chair.

The bamboo chair was well-crafted with a perfect curve, and Lv Mei had even laid a thick blanket over it, making it extremely comfortable to lie on.

Jing Niang looked left and right, appearing as resolute as if she had made an irrevocable decision. She said firmly, "I only want a straight answer from Madam. Once Master Su finishes his mourning period, will you allow him to marry me?"

The Benevolent Mother System screamed: "Of course you can't agree! The female lead belongs to the male lead! If she marries Su Xuanming, how can she be with the male lead? Host, hurry up and stop her! Scold her to death!"

Gu Nanxi gave a slight nudge with her toes, making the bamboo chair rock gently. "I agree. As long as your hearts remain unchanged when the time comes, of course I won't play the matchmaker to tear you apart."

*Respect others' destinies; do not meddle in things that don't concern you.*

If the female lead wanted to board this sinking ship of the Yongchang Marquis Manor, then let her.

Jing Niang and Su Xuanming were ecstatic, holding hands as they bid Gu Nanxi farewell.

Only Gu Nanxi and the Benevolent Mother System in her mind remained in the room.

The Benevolent Mother System was going mad. "What kind of 'benevolent mother' is this? If Su Xuanming marries the female lead, the male lead will surely retaliate ruthlessly!"

Gu Nanxi replied, "Am I not kind enough? I even turned a blind eye when my son started dating early. Besides, how can he retaliate? By grinding their bones to ash?"

Gu Nanxi couldn't think of an end worse than a tragic death.

The Benevolent Mother System went into a frenzy. "Gu Nanxi, if it weren't for me, you would have died long ago! This life is a bonus you've earned! You must listen to me!"

Gu Nanxi countered, "Rejecting PUA starts with me. Yes, I will certainly live this life well."

To "let it rot" was, in itself, a way of living well.

The Benevolent Mother System was exasperated. "If the main plot collapses, we will both die."

Gu Nanxi felt drowsy. "I know, we'll deal with it when the time comes."

What was the rush? The sky hadn't fallen yet.

Gu Nanxi acted as if nothing were wrong, spending her days sleeping, ordering food, listening to Su Yunyan gossip, and occasionally, when the mood struck, sending someone to the market to buy some storybooks.

Su Yunyan handed *The Scholar's Night Encounter with the Vixen* to Lv Mei, asking her to continue reading.

"Mother, Jing Niang has been implementing radical reforms lately."

"Oh?"

Su Yunyan flipped through the pages of *The Thirty-Six Stratagems* with a rustling sound. "She says there is too much corruption among the servants. Eggs cost two coins on the market, but they are being sold in the manor for four."

Gu Nanxi moved the book away from her face. "And what else?"

"She also said that to prevent the servants from becoming too lazy, she will implement performance reviews. They will be assessed once a month and categorized as first, second, or third-class maids."

Gu Nanxi asked, "Is the whole manor like this?"

"Yes, it's the same at Grandmother's and Concubine Duan's places. Grandmother is used to having her own disciplinary matrons around, so she naturally disagrees."

Gu Nanxi glanced at the servants in the courtyard, who were standing as still as wooden statues, and said knowingly, "The Old Madam has been suppressed."

Su Yunyan frowned, unable to find a solution in her book. "Concubine Duan said Jing Niang is using the manor's money to win people's hearts. In response, Jing Niang declared that she will pay the servants' monthly wages herself."

Gu Nanxi was stunned, then immediately understood. Jing Niang wanted to seize power, so she was buying loyalty. However, she didn't realize that in the Yongchang Marquis Manor, managing the household was the most soul-crushing task of all; no one wanted to touch it.

"Mother, will it be effective if Jing Niang applies shop management methods to the Marquis's manor?" Su Yunyan asked迷茫ly.

"Don't ask me. Use your own eyes to see, your ears to listen, and your brain to think. What you figure out for yourself is yours. What I tell you is merely passing wind." Gu Nanxi stood up to stretch.

Even if she intended to "let it rot," she needed a strong body to do so; otherwise, it wouldn't be "letting it rot," it would be "lying there like a corpse."

After these days of recuperation, Gu Nanxi's body had finally regained some vitality and no longer looked like a flickering candle about to go out.

As Gu Nanxi slowly stretched her body, she broke into a light sweat after only a few movements. She didn't persist and went back to her room to wipe the sweat.

"Mother, what kind of movement was that just now?" Su Yunyan now viewed Gu Nanxi through a thick lens of admiration. She felt that every move Gu Nanxi made held deep meaning.

"Baduanjin. A woman nourishes herself with blood; Baduanjin can activate the circulation of Qi and blood and enhance essence. You should practice it too," Gu Nanxi instructed from inside the room.

This child was extremely bright in certain aspects, catching on instantly. It was just her emotional intelligence that was frustrating to watch.

"Cough, cough, cough! Mother, please go and deal with Jing Niang! This is going to kill your son!" Before Gu Nanxi could even see the person, she heard the sound of heart-wrenching coughing.

(End of Chapter)