When Ye Xiangwan arrived at Rongxi Hall, he didn’t have to wait long this time. A young maid came out from inside and said politely, “Greetings, Second Young Madam. The Old Madam is waiting for you. Please come in.”

As she spoke, she lifted the curtain and invited Ye Xiangwan inside.

Once inside, Ye Xiangwan saw an elderly lady seated at the head of the room. Though her hair was completely silver, her complexion was rosy and healthy. Her gaze upon Ye Xiangwan was kindly, yet deep in her eyes there was still a sharp glint.

A maid brought over a prayer cushion. Ye Xiangwan lifted his robe slightly and knelt on the cushion, kowtowing to the elderly lady. “Greetings, Old Madam.”

Lady Jia nodded slightly and smiled gently. “Come closer and let me have a look at you.”

A girl with some freckles on her face stepped forward to help Ye Xiangwan up. Only after Ye Xiangwan was standing steadily did she retreat back to the old lady’s side.

Wearing a docile smile, Ye Xiangwan stepped closer. “Old Madam.”

Lady Jia studied Ye Xiangwan closely, occasionally nodding with a faint smile. “What a good child.” His lips were red, teeth white, and though he had the face of a beautiful girl, there wasn’t a trace of femininity about him. His eyes were clear, and his features upright—not the look of someone with ill intentions.

Old people often had a soft spot for obedient children.

“This is your Second Aunt. Go pay your respects.”

Following Lady Jia’s gaze, Ye Xiangwan saw a middle-aged woman seated below her on the right. The woman wore a smile and had gentle eyes, but for some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that her kindness was only skin-deep—as if even her smile was a bit stiff.

“Xiangwan greets Second Aunt.”

Ye Xiangwan bent deeply in a bow to Lady Wang.

Lady Wang, holding a string of prayer beads, smiled and said, “Good child, no need to be so formal. Please, rise.”

Lady Jia gestured for Ye Xiangwan to sit. “I know it’s a grievance to ask a man like you to marry into the family just to ward off ill fortune for Lian’er. But he is gravely ill, and your birth charts are the only match for him. That’s why we brought you here. Don’t worry—no matter whether Lian’er recovers or not, the Jia family will not treat you unfairly.”

Lady Jia gave a meaningful glance to Yuanyang, who nodded and turned around to carry a tray to Ye Xiangwan’s side, placing it on the table.

Ye Xiangwan glanced at the tray. On it was a red envelope, thin but ornate. Lian’er? That name… it sounded familiar.

“When a new bride enters the household, she should be given a red envelope as a welcome gift,” Lady Jia said warmly. “You’re new here and may not know everything. If there’s anything you need, just speak to your Second Aunt.”

Lady Wang quickly followed up, “Indeed, if there’s anything you need, just speak up. We won’t let you go without food or comfort in this household.”

“Thank you, Old Madam. Thank you, Second Aunt.” Knowing that flattery worked in everyone’s favor, Ye Xiangwan smiled and added, “With such caring elders around him, Second Master is sure to wake up soon.”

“Let’s hope so,” Lady Jia sighed. “Lian’er’s care will be in your hands from now on.”

“Please don’t worry, Old Madam. I will take good care of Second Master,” Ye Xiangwan replied, rising to bow once again.

Lady Jia waved her hand. “We’re all family. No need to be so formal. I’m tired now, so I won’t keep you any longer.”

Ye Xiangwan bowed to take his leave. “I shall take my leave, then. Please take care of your health, Old Madam. As for Second Master, Heaven protects the kind-hearted—he’ll be fine.”

Lady Jia nodded and motioned for Yuanyang to escort Ye Xiangwan out.

The moment he left, the smile on Lady Jia’s face disappeared completely. Her expression turned stormy as she snapped, “That shameless scoundrel of a firstborn! His son lies unconscious, and he doesn’t even care—only knows how to waste his time on women!”

Lady Wang kept her head lowered and said nothing. Lady Jia glanced at her and added coldly, “You can forget about that marriage proposal with the Wang family.”

“Old Madam, is there truly no room for reconsideration?” Lady Wang asked unwillingly. She had worked so hard to make this marriage happen, all to bring the two families closer. Once Feng’er married in, she’d have an ally in the household, and could help her brother secure what little influence remained in the Jia family.

“If Lian’er wakes up, do you really expect him to live the rest of his life with a man who can’t bear children?” Lady Wang frowned. “Even if they divorce later and he remarries, wouldn’t that be acceptable?”

But Lady Jia shot her a piercing look, and Lady Wang immediately lowered her head, unable to meet those still-sharp eyes, feeling as though every hidden thought had been laid bare.

“This is no longer your concern,” Lady Jia said slowly. “Lian’er has fallen into a grave illness and remains unconscious. According to Master Tianquan’s reading, we needed someone whose birth characters perfectly matched his—to suppress the bad fortune. And once married, the two must never be separated.”

“Both the Wang and Jia families are of noble rank, closely tied by blood. I’ve always liked that Feng girl. But it’s exactly for that reason that I can’t keep embarrassing myself by pushing for that marriage. Lian is destined to live out his life with Ye Xiangwan—what do you expect Feng’er to be, his concubine?”

Even if she loved her own grandson dearly, in Lady Jia’s eyes, Jia Lian was far from good enough for Feng.

Lady Wang fell silent at that. How could a girl from the Wang family ever become someone’s concubine? And for Jia Lian, no less? Absolutely out of the question!

Qinghe took the tray from Yuanyang’s hands. “Sister Yuanyang.”

Yuanyang smiled at her, then turned to Ye Xiangwan. “Take care, Second Young Madam. I won’t walk you out.”

Ye Xiangwan gave her a slight nod, though his heart was full of surprise. Second Aunt? Eldest Master? Eldest Madam? Old Madam? Lian’er? Yuanyang? It all sounded way too familiar… could this really be just a coincidence?

Though his thoughts were churning, not a trace of it showed on his face.

He returned to his small courtyard, bringing Qinghe and Ningbi with him.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw Hongzhu changing the sleeping Jia Lian’s bedclothes. Ye Xiangwan sat down at the table. “When will the food be served?”

Hongzhu replied, “Xing’er has gone to fetch it. He should be back any moment now.”

Just as she finished speaking, a boy of about fifteen or sixteen walked in carrying a food container. “Greetings, Second Young Madam.”

Looking at the boy’s handsome face and cheerful expression, Ye Xiangwan smiled. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Xing’er,” the boy said with a grin, setting the dishes from the container onto the table. “I’ve always followed the Second Master and taken care of his errands. If Second Young Madam needs anything, feel free to order me.”

Ye Xiangwan gave a small nod, then said to the others, “I don’t need anyone to wait on me. You can go eat now.”

“But…” Hongzhu and Xing’er hesitated. Usually, servants remained nearby while their master ate.

Ningbi’s lips curled slightly in a sneer. A crow perched on a branch still isn’t a phoenix.

“Well, since Second Young Madam insists, then I’ll take my leave.” She gave a perfunctory curtsy and left.

Seeing that the rest of them were still exchanging uncertain glances, Ye Xiangwan said, “Go on. I’m not used to being served while I eat.”

Seeing that he meant it, they all left.

Only when they were gone did Ye Xiangwan finally breathe a sigh of relief. He crossed his legs, rolled up his sleeves, and picked up his chopsticks to dig in heartily.

The life of the rich is really something—everything is so refined and delicious.

After finishing his meal, Ye Xiangwan waited for Xing’er to clear the table before casually asking, “How long have you been serving your Second Master?”

Xing’er answered, “I’ve been with the Second Master since I was eight. So, it’s been about eight or nine years now.”

Ye Xiangwan continued, “And what did the doctor say about the Second Master’s illness?”

Xing’er didn’t think much of the question and assumed it was out of concern. “At first it was just a cold, but then he developed a high fever that wouldn’t go away. So the Old Madam asked a fortune-teller to read his birth chart.”

At this point, Xing’er’s face lit up with excitement. “And wouldn’t you know it—right after the engagement was set, Second Master’s fever broke! But he hasn’t woken up yet. That’s why the wedding was moved up.”

Ye Xiangwan gave a slight nod. So that’s how it was.

Seeing Xing’er had quickly finished cleaning up, Ye Xiangwan used the excuse of needing some rest to dismiss them all.

Ye Xiangwan lay on the small couch, hands tucked behind his head, staring blankly at the ceiling and sighing from time to time. He’d never heard of Jia Lian having a high fever or needing a wedding to dispel bad luck—let alone marrying a man to do it.

He turned his head to look at the unconscious man on the bed, then got up and walked over to sit beside him, studying Jia Lian’s features closely.

Even with his eyes closed, Jia Lian’s looks were clearly above average. His slightly sharp, sword-like eyebrows framed his tightly shut eyes. His lashes were long and thick, nose straight, lips full and red. Judging by the shape of his eyes, they were probably quite large—he just didn’t know what they looked like when opened.

Ye Xiangwan had never read Dream of the Red Chamber, only heard a little about the characters in it. As for Jia Lian, all he could recall was that the man was known for being lecherous and flirtatious, and good at managing household affairs. Beyond that, he knew nothing.

[Congratulations, Host! You’ve unlocked the “Time-Travel Achievement.” A Newbie Gift Pack has been awarded.]

A mechanical voice suddenly rang in his head, startling Ye Xiangwan. Though he had always fantasized about a system falling from the sky to rescue him from his mediocre life, he had known all too well it was just a dream.

But who knew that dream might actually come true one day?

Suppressing his inner excitement, he asked, [Who—or what—are you?]

The system was a bit surprised by how calm the host was. Shouldn’t he be more excited? Still, it replied dutifully:

[I’m the Wool-Scraping General Store.]

Ye Xiangwan waited a moment for more information, but none came. He couldn’t help but ask, [That’s it?]

[That’s it. Host, do you have any questions?]

This name sounds… incredibly unreliable, Ye Xiangwan thought. Then he asked, [Why did you choose me? What’s your purpose?]

[You were chosen because your soul is highly compatible with this system. More importantly, your personality aligns perfectly with the mission of the Wool-Scraping General Store.]

Wool-scraping? Ye Xiangwan’s lips twitched slightly. What did they mean by “wool-scraping”? What he did was called using rules wisely and saving money within the bounds of law and reason. That was called good household management!

How else would he have saved up tens of thousands at such a young age? At barely twenty, how many people could boast of that?

Thinking of the money he hadn’t had the chance to spend before he died—and who would benefit from it now?—Ye Xiangwan felt a deep pang of grief. His money!

Now he truly understood what it meant to “die with money unspent.”

[······Host, there’s no need to be so heartbroken,] the system said. [I’ve already transferred your 50,000 yuan into the General Store’s backend, converting it into store currency. You can keep spending it.]

Ye Xiangwan’s grief vanished instantly. That’s good, huh?

Following the system’s prompt, he opened the General Store and checked the backend. But the moment he saw the wallet balance, the smile on his face instantly disappeared.