The Marquis of Huaiyin's mansion was also busy preparing for winter, but with too many masters in the household, there were inevitable inequalities in winter provisions.
The young lords and ladies born to the main wife were fine; with the Marchioness personally overseeing them, no one dared to be negligent. However, some of the rooms belonging to the illegitimate daughters had insufficient charcoal.
"Second Miss, only this much charcoal was delivered for this winter," the maid said with a distressed expression.
"Isn't there more over there?" Feng Qiong pointed to the half-cart of charcoal that had been delivered.
"That's the inferior charcoal; it burns with a lot of smoke. If you burn this kind of charcoal all winter, your face will likely be blackened!"
"Wasn't there always enough charcoal in previous years? Why is it like this this year?" Feng Qiong was very confused.
Her own stepmother was someone who cared about appearances and would never do anything to invite criticism. Moreover, her elder sister was about to be married, and any bad reputation at this time would surely affect her elder sister's prospects.
"I heard that two carts of the finest Silver Silk charcoal were sent to the manor over there," the maid whispered, relaying information she had gathered.
Feng Qiong felt helpless. Was the entire Marquis of Huaiyin's mansion lacking those two carts of charcoal?
Her stepmother was usually quite intelligent, so why did she always act foolishly when dealing with her cousin?
Did she want them to resent the cousin who had taken their share? Otherwise, how could even her maid have gotten this information?
But had she considered that her cousin had already moved out of the Marquis's mansion? By doing this, didn't she appear even more relentless?
Her father openly favored her cousin. Whether this favoritism was real or fake, he would not allow his stepmother to do anything that would harm her.
But why couldn't his stepmother see through this? The more aggressive she was, the more pitiful and helpless her cousin would appear.
Furthermore, her cousin would soon be out of mourning. Every time she targeted her cousin, her father would notice, and it would only make him dislike her more.
Her father had not visited her stepmother's chambers for a long time in the past two years. Her own concubine had mentioned several times that her stepmother had truly angered her father this time. However, her stepmother was too proud to ever deign to apologize to her father.
"You can say this inside the room, but don't say it outside," Feng Qiong warned.
Her concubine was not favored, or rather, few of the concubines in the inner courtyard were favored. It was better not to stand out.
Someone would always step forward, but it would surely lead to another storm.
Tang Xin Yi was very frightened after arriving in this unfamiliar place. After all, not everyone could accept the reality of transmigration so calmly.
Moreover, she didn't have the original host's memories. To avoid being discovered as not being the original host, she pretended to be ill in bed for a few days and then learned about her identity from the maids around her.
She had tried many ways to go back, but none of them worked. Although she was now a young lady of a prominent family and had maids serving her, she truly missed the convenient life of modern times.
She missed her phone and computer, and she missed all sorts of junk food.
Tang Xin Yi had no relatives or friends in this era, and she was past the age for dreaming. She really wanted to go back.
Alas, it was all her parents' fault for giving her such a name; otherwise, she wouldn't have transmigrated into this person. But many people in her generation were called by this name; why was it only her who transmigrated?
Transmigrating was one thing, but why didn't she even get a cheat system? Minus points!
She had complained about not having a cheat system on the first day, and the cheat system arrived the next day. After waking up, Tang Xin Yi remembered the plot of this world.
It turned out she had transmigrated into a book she had read. The plot of the book was exactly the same as her experience. She was the protagonist of this book, using some modern knowledge and ancient poems she had memorized.
She became a renowned talented woman in the capital, later successfully transforming from an illegitimate daughter to the legitimate daughter of a Duke's mansion, and finally marrying the heir of the Marquis's mansion, becoming the future Marchioness.
And the Marquis she married was also a famous young talent in the capital, who later promised her a lifelong commitment to only one person.
What a beautiful life!
Tang Xin Yi suddenly felt that she could still be saved. Thinking of the handsome Marquis's heir described in the book, thinking of the grand wedding procession, and thinking of the promise of a lifelong commitment, she felt she could do it!
Tang Xin Yi's spirits lifted. She felt that transmigrating was nothing. As someone with the protagonist's halo, she could surely win over these ancient people!
Then what did she have to fear? She would be the protagonist of this world!
When Tang Le Yi learned that Tang Xin Yi was ill, she rushed over to see her with great concern. But upon seeing the person lying in bed pretending to be ill, she was filled with disappointment.
But then hatred welled up within her. She had finally arrived, this person who occupied her half-sister's body and had stepped on her in her previous life. She had finally arrived.
Although she didn't know who she was, Tang Le Yi knew that this was that person, the one she hated and resented.
In her previous life, she had fought wits and schemes with the women in her husband's harem, and she could tell at a glance that she was faking her illness. Her acting was too fake, not even as genuine as her husband's concubines.
But since she wanted to be sick, let her be truly sick. If she wanted to act, she might as well go all the way.
Tang Le Yi suppressed her resentment, forced a smile, and exchanged a few pleasantries with her. Observing her somewhat disjointed replies, Tang Le Yi realized that she likely didn't have Tang Xin Yi's memories.
So, her half-sister had truly disappeared, just when she had come to understand and like her half-sister.
Moreover, after her probing, she knew that the person in front of her was also called Tang Xin Yi.
After all, a normal person would react to their own name. If she wasn't called by this name upon her arrival, her reaction when called would be slower.
She had learned more about this person.
Neither of the two women in the room wanted to spend more time with each other. Tang Xin Yi was afraid of revealing her secret, while Tang Le Yi was afraid of doing something she might regret.
Therefore, Tang Le Yi soon took her leave.
After Tang Le Yi left, Tang Xin Yi breathed a sigh of relief. She had managed to get by again.
Ancient times were very superstitious. If they discovered she wasn't the original person, who knew how they would deal with her!
Tang Le Yi, who had left Tang Xin Yi's courtyard, took a detour to her mother's chambers. What the mother and daughter discussed is unknown, but soon Tang Xin Yi truly fell ill.
She only thought that her previous days of restlessness had caused her to fall ill. She never suspected that this illness might have been intentionally induced.
However, Tang Le Yi didn't intend to take her life, as leaving so easily would be too kind to her.
Tang Le Yi felt that complete annihilation would be more interesting. After all, she had seen through this person's tricks in her previous life.
If she was well-prepared this time, Tang Xin Yi wouldn't be able to stir up much trouble.
She just wondered if this Tang Xin Yi from another world was ready to face her challenge. She had come filled with hatred, determined to crush her completely!