Mahua Alley was located in Ruyi Ward, not far from the General’s Mansion at all.

The more the Old Madam thought about this, the angrier she became.

Calculating by time, that bastard had taken a mistress shortly after marrying Wanqing, and even installed her nearby—it was truly too much to bear!

“Do those three stay home all day?” Inside the carriage, the Old Madam asked in a heavy voice.

Wen Chan replied, “Madam Chang and her daughter spend most of their time at home. Chang Hui goes to school during the day and returns in the evening.”

The Old Madam gripped her walking stick and fell silent.

In this oppressive atmosphere, the carriage finally came to a stop.

Wen Chan and Wen Hao stepped down from the carriage and reached out to help the Old Madam.

The Old Madam jumped down directly: “Let’s go.”

Watching their grandmother stride forward vigorously, then looking at their outstretched hands, the two sisters exchanged glances, their earlier tension inexplicably easing.

“It’s the third household in that alley?”

Wen Chan confirmed it was.

“What time does your father usually come?”

“I’ve been watching for several days and only saw Father come once.”

The Old Madam’s expression turned peculiar: “If that’s the case, our luck is quite good today.”

Wen Chan looked over and couldn’t help but be startled.

Wen Rugui, dressed in ordinary scholar’s robes, was hurrying into Mahua Alley.

What a coincidence—Grandmother had arrived just as Father was coming!

The Old Madam remained quite composed, staring in that direction without moving.

After some time had passed, she spoke: “I see that wall isn’t very high. Cuixiang, go climb the wall and observe what’s happening inside, then come report to me.”

The one called Cuixiang was actually already a matron in her forties. Hearing the order, she responded affirmatively and walked over.

However, before she could climb the wall to investigate, she turned back.

“Old Madam, the son-in-law is coming out with the mother and her two children.”

“Did you see clearly what those three look like?”

“The woman appears to be in her thirties. The son looks about the same age as the eldest young miss, and the daughter is roughly the same age as the second young miss.”

The Old Madam stared fixedly at the alley entrance, her voice extremely cold: “I said our luck was good today—this family of four is all together and complete.”

If Wen Rugui had only taken a mistress in recent years, considering the daughter had chosen the man herself, and the two granddaughters were of marriageable age, there might still be room for compromise.

But confirming the mistress’s son’s age, only one path remained: separation, they must separate!

Just thinking that when that bastard married her daughter, his heart was entirely on another woman—she was about to explode with rage.

Her daughter could not suffer such grievances!

Under several watchful gazes, Wen Rugui led the mother and two children out of Mahua Alley, walking toward a carriage parked by the roadside.

The moment Wen Chan noticed that carriage, her expression changed completely.

That was actually the Wen Mansion’s carriage!

Was Father planning to bring them home today?

The Old Madam grabbed her walking stick and charged out.

“Grandmother—” Wen Chan froze for a moment, then saw her younger sister also rush out.

The Old Madam strode swiftly before Wen Rugui and raised her walking stick to strike.

“You bastard, carrying on with a mistress behind my daughter’s back—today I’ll beat you to death!”

Wen Rugui never anticipated this. Even if he had, a civil official with no strength to truss a chicken was no match for the Old Madam who had once been a bandit wife and been to battlefields.

The walking stick struck him solidly, eliciting a miserable cry.

This cry seemed to sound some kind of clarion call—people in the shops poked their heads out, and those walking on the street immediately stopped.

In just an instant, the surroundings filled with people watching the commotion.

“Who are you? Don’t hurt my father!” The young man at Wen Rugui’s side reached out to grab the Old Madam’s walking stick.

Wen Hao, standing quietly to the side, lifted her foot and kicked toward the back of the young man’s knee.

The young man’s leg gave way, and he fell to the ground.

“Hui’er!”

“Brother!”

Madam Chang and Chang Qing turned pale with shock and went to help Chang Hui up.

Wen Hao glanced at Wen Rugui, who was being grabbed by Grandmother and beaten fiercely with the walking stick, and only wanted to sneer coldly.

Father treated this mother and two children as treasures, but at the critical moment, he didn’t seem that important to them.

If it were Mother, seeing Father beaten by someone who suddenly rushed over, she would definitely fight desperately.

The more this was the case, the more furious and desolate Wen Hao felt.

“Lord Taishui, quickly stop!” Wen Rugui shouted while dodging.

The Old Madam struck two more times with her walking stick before stopping, her face full of fury as she demanded: “Wen Rugui, treating my daughter like this, where do you get the face to call me Lord Taishui?”

By now, the onlooking crowd had somewhat understood: this was a son-in-law who kept a mistress being discovered by his mother-in-law.

Tsk tsk, seeing that mistress’s pair of children were no younger than the old lady’s two granddaughters, no wonder the old lady was so angry.

Regarding keeping a mistress itself, the women in the crowd all looked indignant, while most of the men had a subtle attitude of tolerance.

With some spare money in hand and a tigress at home, quietly keeping a gentle and compliant mistress was also normal.

“You came from a humble family, even your wedding residence was bought by my family, yet you took my daughter’s money to keep a mistress! Wen Rugui, was your conscience eaten by dogs?” The Old Madam’s eyes widened with anger as she raised her walking stick.

The old lady was originally from bandit origins—when enraged, she couldn’t learn the subtle implications of noble ladies and specifically chose to speak of Wen Rugui’s sore spots.

With these words, the crowd immediately buzzed with discussion.

“Keeping a mistress is nothing, but using your wife’s dowry to keep her is unethical.”

“Didn’t you hear? Even the wedding house was bought by the wife’s family.”

“There’s such good fortune? Why don’t we encounter this?”

Someone in the crowd exclaimed “Ah”: “Isn’t this person an official from the Ministry of War? Once I saw him leaving the government office, and the bailiff called him Lord Wen!”

“He’s actually an official lord?”

People were even more shocked.

An official lord actually needed to use his wife’s dowry to keep a mistress?

Various discussions drilled into Wen Rugui’s ears, making his handsome face flush the color of pig’s liver.

“Lord Taishui, if we have something to discuss, let’s return to the mansion and speak clearly.”

“This old one has nothing to discuss with you.” The Old Madam heavily thumped her walking stick on the ground. “This old one will enter the palace right now to consult the Empress Dowager whether someone of your character is worthy of being the Son of Heaven’s student!”

Hearing the Old Madam wanted to enter the palace to complain to the Empress Dowager, Wen Rugui’s expression changed drastically. The words he had prepared to say after returning to the mansion came out directly: “Lord Taishui, Madam Chang is not a mistress.”

The scene instantly fell silent.

A somewhat shrill voice suddenly rang out: “Wen Rugui, who is she?”

Everyone looked toward the sound and saw a beautiful woman in elegant robes with an elaborate coiffure striding over.

“Mother—” Wen Chan instinctively moved to greet her but was pulled back by Wen Hao.

She looked at her younger sister in confusion.

Wen Hao said in a low voice: “Elder Sister, Mother must face this.”

Mother wasn’t the type of dodder flower who couldn’t survive discovering a man’s betrayal. As long as Grandmother was safe and sound, that was Mother’s greatest support.

Lin Shi walked before Wen Rugui and gazed steadily at him: “Wen Rugui, tell me who she is?”

Wen Rugui looked at the woman biting her lip and demanding answers. Years of suppression exploded in this instant, making him speak out with satisfaction: “She is my cousin, my original wife.”