The last rain of autumn swept through the courtyard, sending yellow leaves from the camphor trees swirling to the ground.

Before dawn, the maidservant Qiao Xing stepped out of her quarters. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she stepped on a fallen leaf and almost tripped.

rushed to the courtyard and summoned a young maid.

"Please sweep up all these leaves. If someone steps on them and falls, it wouldn't be good."

After finishing, she went to the kitchen to boil water for tea and did not see the young maid behind her. Feeling resentful, she glared at her.

Qiao Xing skillfully boiled water and brought a kettle to the front of the main room door, gently calling out.

"My lady, are you awake?"

A hush fell, followed by a gentle, light voice.

"Awake, come in."

Qiao Xing pushed open the door and immediately saw Zi sitting by the window.

In this deserted room, there was no one else but him.

She was already dressed in a half-new, half-old apricot blossom embroidered gown. While not heavily painted, it perfectly highlighted her slender neck and fair cheeks.

Unlike delicate petals, her nose bridge is graceful without being overly prominent. Beneath her refined eyebrows, a pair of eyes as clear as a lake under the moon hang slightly downcast. Without glancing at the bronze mirror on her dressing table, she skillfully gathers and braids her jet-black hair into a neat and orderly bun.

Jo Xin doesn't like his wife's hairstyle.

Before she became Mrs. ..., when she was still the Miss Xiang, she had long braids at her temples and a thick cloud bun styled with dark blue hairpins. Just a few pearls adorned it, and one would forget everything else upon seeing her.

But ever since she married into the Tan family, Miss Xiang became the mistress of the Tan household. Don't even mention the cloud bun hairstyle; she doesn't even wear the fashionable hairstyles popular these days. Every day, she meticulously combs her hair into the most unassuming style and pins a single silver hairpin in it. That's all there is to it.

Things were fine when she was in the Xiang family, but after marrying into the Tan family, she lost her luster.

His husband went to the capital for the imperial examination just a month after their wedding, leaving her alone at home. He passed the exam and stayed in the capital to take up his post, returning home only after three years.

"Madam, why don't you let your hair down? I saw the eldest daughter comb her hair into a fashionable Jiangnan style yesterday. It looked really good. Let's change up that new hairstyle and try one like hers."

Gazing longingly at his own wife.

Xiang Yi chuckled, "A young lady is precious, naturally she should dress and groom herself beautifully. Could I possibly be like a young lady?"

"How come you're different? How many more years older are you than the young lady?"

But it's different for a young lady. Someone loves and cares for her, but here... no one cares for you....

Qiao Xing was Xiang Yi's son. The two had been together since they were young. Xiang Yi knew how to take care of himself and gave him a reassuring smile with his eyes.

"Well, we're here at the Tan family's place not to compare ourselves. We should just do our own thing."

Qiao Xing knew Madam would say that.

In the mistress's mind, coming to Tan's house was all about business, she didn't care about anything else.

No matter what, Madam is also married into the Tan family, marrying the Tan family's eldest son...

Before Qiao Xing could say anything else, Xiang Yi had already gotten up.

"Well, it's getting late. Time to check on the old madam."

Qiao Xin didn't want to say more, she could only sigh in dissatisfaction. She served Xiang Yiqing with water, helped him clean his face, and put on some rouge for Qianqian. Then, carrying a lantern, she escorted him towards the old lady's residence.

The Old Madam's residence, Qiuzhao Garden, was quite a distance from the main courtyard. The two of them braved the cold wind and didn't stop for a moment until they reached Qiuzhao Garden, by which time the sky had just begun to lighten. Fortunately, they hadn't arrived too late.

She was called the old mistress, but Zhao shi was not very old, she wasn't even forty yet.

That year, the Zhao family left behind two young sons, Tan Ting and Tan Jian, with no one to look after them. As the clan members of the Tan family were eyeing the position of the legitimate heir, the Tan family discussed with the Zhao family that a new wife should be found for the younger Zhao, to take care of the two sons.

Zhaoshi's daughter-in-law had been doing menial work at the Tan family for several years and was quite exhausted. When Xiang Yi married into the family, she immediately pushed all her responsibilities onto her.

At this moment, Zhao was just getting up, propping her face with one arm and having the midwife attend to her washing. When she saw Yi coming, she roused herself a little.

Please accept my regards.

At this time, a gust of wind swept outside, making the window panes rattle.

It would be appropriate to say, "Mother, please put on another layer of clothing."

Zhao said that she didn't mind too much, she could just stay home, but she thought of the servants around her.

"Tell the Second Master and Miss that they don't need to come pay their respects today. Don't catch a cold."

The young maid went after hearing the instruction, and Zhao shi continued to chatter and add more.

"Tell them to build up the fire and wear warm clothes. Don't let them go out, they mustn't catch a cold.... They aren't strong enough to withstand the cold... "

All the maidservants serving nearby smiled and said, "The Old Madam is so caring towards the Second Master and the young lady."

xiang yi was smiling beside her, took the tea from the maid's hand, and personally poured some for zhao shi, bringing it to her side.

Then Zhao realized Item Yi, who had been quietly sitting beside her,

"By the way, it's less than a month until Jian Ge'er's wedding. You have to put in more effort and make sure this happy event goes smoothly. Although it's cold outside, there are many things happening this year. You can't be careless; you need to handle everything inside and out."

He should respond in unison.

Zhao then took another sip of hot tea, suddenly thought of something, put down the teacup, and frowned with worry.

"As for Chu Xinggu's matter, this cannot be dragged on any longer. Today, we need to settle it. You go and take care of it."

Then, he also mentioned a few things, all for Xiang Yi.

No matter what, just make sure it's done and nothing else causes trouble.

He answered each item one by one, and as he left Zhao's room, the wind from the corridor wrapped in the chill of winter came over him, creeping down his neck into his clothes.

Qiao Xin hurriedly smoothed the cloak for Xiang Yi.

"The wind is too strong this morning, Madam, perhaps you should return to your room first. We can attend to business once the wind dies down."

The sky is overcast, and the wind doesn't seem to know how long it will last.

xiang yi tai tou kan liao yi hui, tan qi shuo suan le, ding zhe feng, zhuan wang tan jia shan tang de fang xiang qu le. Xiang Yi raised his head and looked for a while, sighed and said it was alright, facing the wind, he turned towards Tan's ancestral hall.

The old madam's instructions must not be neglected. Let's take care of Aunt Xing's affairs first and then talk about other things.

It's difficult to handle Chu Xinggu's affairs.

Chu Xinggu was a young woman from the family of a scholar in Qing'an County.

Father Chu, a scholar, had studied hard in his cold window for twenty years and only passed the examination to become a scholar.

Although he did not pass the imperial examinations, his scholarship was excellent, even surpassing some of those who had passed. He was subsequently introduced to the Tan family academy and became a teacher for young children.

Master Chu had been teaching at the Tan family for fifteen years. Two months ago, a sudden cold took his life.

Chu Xinggu had a weak constitution since childhood, and her personal affairs were full of ups and downs. Chu Xiucai suddenly disappeared, leaving her with even less hope.

Despite the constant blows, Xinggu remained unfazed. However, her only remaining family member, her mother, fell ill. Both mother and daughter depended on medicine to prolong their lives. Relatives and friends, upon seeing their predicament, kept a safe distance.

It's freezing cold, the roof leaks and there's no money to repair it. Medicines are unaffordable, and our food supply is running out.

Aunt Xing and her mother-in-law's situation had become unbearable. They went to Tan Shi's door, pleading for her help.

When Chu, the scholar, had been a teacher at the Tan family for fifteen years, Xiang came to know about it. He immediately placed his mother in the Tan family's ancestral hall and consulted doctors to treat her illness.

These two were simply too excited to contain themselves.

Before three or five days had passed, the news spread, and the members of Tan's clan were in an uproar.

During Chu Xiucai's lifetime, it was the Tan family who provided him with food and paid him every month, allowing him to live a good life. Otherwise, how could this commoner scholar have stayed at the Tan family teaching for a lifetime?

"Since he wasn't grateful, how come he died now and his wife is still clinging onto the Tan family?"

They all want to drive away the mother of this impoverished family.

Originally, there was little interaction between prominent families and commoner clans. If a commoner child excelled in the civil service examinations, they might even have the chance to marry into a prestigious family.

But in recent years, the relationship between aristocratic and commoner families has grown cold.

Aristocratic families look down on those from humble backgrounds, deeming them vulgar. They say that even among descendants of commoners who have studied, most are driven by ambition and lost the noble spirit of scholars.

Even the poorest families scorned those wealthy families who took advantage of their power, believing they controlled everything: even the imperial exams, making life harder for poor students.

Members of humble backgrounds outnumbered those from noble families, yet the latter held positions of power. This created an invisible atmosphere of tension, whether in the court or in the countryside.

In the past, it was common for wealthy families to help those in poverty. Now, unless someone writes a letter of appeal and comes seeking assistance, wealthy families rarely offer any support to those struggling.

The matter of Aunt Chu Xing's marriage was met with resistance from the Tan family. They argued that the year was unfavorable and that it was inappropriate for the clan to spend money on an outsider, making a fuss about driving Aunt Chu Xing away.

These troublemaking members of the Tan clan are all those who don't have a good life and can't make money outside. They can only get some money from the clan. Now that the clan spends money on others, they feel like it's their own money being spent and are very concerned about it.

Item originally wasn't planning to pay them any mind, but they still caused a ruckus all the way to Zhao Shi in Qiuzhao Garden.

The Zhao family was most averse to meddling in such matters. Besides, driving away Aunt Xing was too much. And taking care of Aunt Xing, those relatives would have nothing but bad things to say about it.

I won't take charge of this. Let Xiang Yi handle it.

At present, these clanspeople gathered together at the ancestral hall early in the morning to chat and gossip.

It's not that we won't let you off the hook, it's just that everyone's having a tough time this year. It's not just you guys who are struggling.

To put it bluntly, you're not from our Tan family. Behave yourselves and leave.

There was also a woman in her forties, thin-faced and with disdainful eyes, scrutinizing the sickly-looking An'gu.

"As an unmarried commoner, how could you possibly stay at our Tan family's home? Are you trying to take advantage of the situation and marry in?"

"He said, tsk-ing, "It'd better not be counting on that."

Upon hearing these words, Chu Xinggu's already pale face lost even the slightest trace of color.

When she heard this, her mother almost choked.

"Tan Youliang's family, don't talk nonsense about others!"

Things were about to get heated when a little girl shouted out.

"The mistress of the clan has arrived!"

Everyone was a distant relative of the Tan family. When they saw the mistress of the main branch arrive, they all fell silent and looked at Xiang Yi.

Then the gaunt-faced Mrs. Tan Youliang, known for her quick wit and sharp tongue, who had stirred up the trouble with Zhao's family before, spoke up.

"Madam Zong, this Chu family's mother has been staying at our Tan family's ancestral hall for three to four days. Our Tan family is a prominent clan, so we don't mind covering her lodging, meals, and medicine costs. But she can't just stay here indefinitely, right?"

Tan Youliang spoke with conviction, and after finishing his words, he quickly glanced at Xinggu. Seeing her dressed in mourning and looking pale, she resembled a frail beauty afflicted by illness.

That's why even the son, who was not very promising, started to take it seriously.

It's ridiculous, a son from a humble family, even if he looks like an immortal, can't enter their noble clan's gate.

Tan Youliang spoke up, and everyone else chimed in, demanding that Xiang Yi drive the person away today.

Aunt Xing's face was pale and she nervously clutched the bundle in her hand.

Xiang Yi glanced over the crowd lightly, then slowly opened his mouth.

I came today just to tell you all that Aunt Xing can stay at the Tan family's charity hall to recover, there is no need to leave.

As soon as the words left his mouth, there was an uproar among the crowd.

Even Lian Xing's aunt couldn't have imagined it.

Tan Youliang's family immediately panicked.

"What does this mean?" Look at Xiang Yi, "Could it not be the old lady's meaning?"

When Zhao was brought in, Xiang Yi merely smiled faintly.

"The old mistress is unwell, so I must act according to the family rules."

After he finished speaking, his gaze swept across the faces of the crowd once more.

According to Tan family rules, all descendants of the clan and friendly neighbors of the clan should help each other in poverty and distress, support each other in illness. This is the way to prolong the family line. ①

Mr. Chu had been a teacher at the Tan clan school for fifteen years, wasn't he a good neighbor? Mr. Chu passed away less than a hundred days ago, and his wife is in trouble, why shouldn't the Tan clan come to her aid?

"Aunt Xing can continue to live in the Good Hall. All expenses for medical treatment and medicine will be covered by the family. She will move out once her health improves."

Although Xiang Yi and Aunt Xing don't get along, Mr. Chu has worked for the Tan family for so many years, he shouldn't hurt his wife's feelings.

In the face of these clan rules, everyone was momentarily speechless, unable to refute. Only Tan Youliang's family dared to voice their dissent, trying to argue against them.

But before that, Youyou reminded us of something.

Anyone who obstructs this matter is defying clan rules and will be punished.

The autumn wind swept all the foul air out of the hall.

Tan Youliang's words were stuck in his throat.

Aunt Xing's tears flowed uncontrollably, and they supported each other as they wanted to kowtow to Xiang Yi in gratitude.

Item hurriedly signaled Qiao Xin to carry the two of them up.

"I was just following tribal rules."

After finishing the arrangements, I instructed Mr. and Mrs. Tan Qingshan, who were in charge of looking after Shantang, to record all expenses related to Aunt Xing in the accounts for easy clarification.

After giving all the instructions, Xiang Yi didn't stay any longer. He nodded to everyone and left.

A cold wind whirled up the fallen leaves on the ground.

Before they had even gone far, the members of the Tan clan who were causing trouble started glaring at each other, unable to hold back any longer.

Than You-liang's words came directly.

"Well, Grandmother never once used the clan rules against us when she was a concubine. What right does the Xiang family have to?"

"Yes, why is that? None of us from the clan have anyone to look after us, yet you're so eager to help out those from lower-ranking families and common folk."

Someone said that, and suddenly someone remembered something.

"I understand, isn't he also from a humble background? No wonder he doesn't associate with us and only sees us as enemies to be guarded against!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the discontent among the crowd towards Xiang Yi immediately surged like boiling water.

"Isn't that right? Every time we cooperate with the government to set up a shelter and distribute porridge, we have to keep track of everything. If we want to make some money from it, we need to keep meticulous records."

"It's our Tan family's money that we used to help our fellow clan members."

"Tsk tsk, it's not necessarily that he spent the money, maybe he moved back to his mother's house. After all, the Xiang family was raided and they might have taken our money to make up for his family."

The raid on the Xiang family was once a shocking event that shook the entire court and people. Everyone knew about it.

Everyone in Tan Youliang's family said so, and he directly ridiculed them sarcastically.

The daughter of a corrupt official, who married in under the pretense of an old engagement, has no shame. She claims to keep meticulous records, but I suspect she's only worried about her own accounts being investigated!

Everyone agreed.

But the matter should concern the head of the family, the wife of the head of the family. It's not something that these distant relatives can simply investigate and find out about.

Not many people are qualified to check accounts, and respected elders wouldn't bother looking into the accounts of a humble housewife. Madam Zhao, being idle and having nothing better to do, wouldn't make a fuss about this either.

Unless, Tan's eldest son, Master Tan Tinghui, returned.

(Editor in charge:solo leveling novel)