Among the maids Old Madam Ren had prepared, two were exceptionally beautiful. They were not born servants of the Ren Family but had been specially purchased from outside and trained in the art of pleasing men, all to secure the favor of the son-in-law, Lei Ting. Nanny Zhou, with her sharp eyes, immediately recognized their background from their behavior and was furious. She even became wary of the other maids Old Madam Ren had prepared, who were born servants of the Ren Family and of clean background, ultimately keeping none of them.
Although the deeds of the eight dowry maids were in Mai Dong’s wife’s possession, Mai Dong’s wife was herself a servant and, once in Yunyang City—Nanny Zhou’s territory—she had no authority to assert herself. Nanny Zhou, resentful of Old Madam Ren’s scheming against Ren Yaohua, disregarded Mai Dong’s wife’s connection to the old madam. She led people to search Mai Dong’s wife and retrieve the deeds, then promptly sold off the eight maids. Mai Dong’s wife was temporarily kept, but she was already terrified by Nanny Zhou’s decisive actions. Nanny Zhou silenced her with a single question: "Would you rather keep quiet willingly or never speak again?"
In her youth, Nanny Zhou had served by Princess Consort Rong Shi’s side, managing the affairs of Xianwang Residence. Her capabilities far surpassed those of ordinary stewardesses. Over the years in the Ren Family, she had watched Madam Li and her daughters endure much humiliation, forced to endure due to circumstances. But now, with Xianwang Residence on the verge of restoration, Ren Yaohua married into the Lei Family, and the third branch increasingly independent, Nanny Zhou saw no need to tolerate any longer.
Nanny Zhou was unafraid of the Ren Family invoking the principle of "not daring to refuse what elders bestow." If Old Madam Ren later discovered the maids had been replaced and made a fuss, Third Master Ren would take the blame. After all, it was Third Master Ren who had ordered the sale of the dowry maids, citing their "questionable origins." Such individuals of dubious background as dowry maids—if the Ren Family had no regard for face, Third Master Ren certainly did.
As for why the replacement was done discreetly without alerting the main residence, it was naturally to avoid making the matter public and becoming a laughingstock. Thus, Nanny Zhou had no fear of Old Madam Ren challenging their actions. How could a so-called "elder" who lacked integrity hold others accountable?
Of the dowry maids accompanying Ren Yaohua to the Lei Family, apart from Wujing, Xiangqin, and Shui Ai, the other five were personally selected and trained by Nanny Zhou. Ren Yaohua’s original chamber stewardess, Nanny Gao, also followed her to assist in managing the inner courtyard.
Once everything was arranged, the auspicious day arrived.
The night before Ren Yaohua’s wedding, Ren Yaoqi shared a bed with her, following a local custom in Yanbei where sisters accompany the bride-to-be on her last night as an unmarried woman. Although there were other unmarried sisters in the Ren Family, Ren Yaoyin and Ren Yaoying were on poor terms with Ren Yaohua. While Ren Yaoting from the second branch remained, the hostility between the first and second branches made it impossible to invite her.
However, Madam Li hoped Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoqi could grow closer during this time. After Ren Yaohua’s marriage, the sisters would no longer see each other as frequently as they had in their maiden days.Although Ren Yaohua was more decisive than most women, tomorrow was after all the most important day of her life, so she couldn't sleep well at night due to nervousness. However, she was too embarrassed to let Ren Yaoqi see she was nervous, so she lay there stiffly without moving.
Ren Yaoqi couldn't sleep either and asked, "Is it because I'm here that Third Sister can't sleep comfortably?"
Ren Yaohua didn't want to say she was nervous about getting married, so she just hummed in agreement.
Ren Yaoqi actually understood why Ren Yaohua couldn't sleep, but she mischievously teased, "Then Third Sister better get used to it, after all, you can't always make Third Brother-in-law sleep in the study."
Ren Yaohua blushed, turned her head, and glared fiercely at Ren Yaoqi. Seeing that Ren Yaoqi couldn't see her, she reached her hand from her own quilt into Ren Yaoqi's to pinch her waist. Ren Yaoqi quickly shrank toward the inner side of the bed, pushing her hand away while laughing and accusing, "Third Sister is bullying me again!"
Ren Yaohua snorted, "So what if I bully you!" and then tried to pinch Ren Yaoqi's face.
The two of them tussled, one giggling happily and the other pretending to be fierce. After their playful scuffle, the nervousness in Ren Yaohua's heart finally dissipated quite a bit, and she began to feel sleepy.
Just before falling asleep, Ren Yaohua suddenly asked, "Back then, did you really see me push Ren Yihong?"
Ren Yaohua was referring to the incident that led to her being sent to the manor. She had originally planned to keep this matter buried in her heart and never bring it up in her lifetime. Over the years of getting along, she had come to understand Ren Yaoqi's character and knew that Ren Yaoqi genuinely cared for her. So, she thought that no matter what the truth of the matter was, there was no need to ask anymore.
But for some reason, today she brought up this long-buried memory. After asking, she herself was taken aback, then immediately added, "Forget it, there's nothing more to say."
Ren Yaoqi sighed, recalling the events of that year. She couldn't quite remember clearly, but she still said, "At the time, I saw a figure that looked like you, wearing your clothes. Later, I thought it might have been someone deliberately leading me there to mislead me." Back then, the two sisters had been at odds, allowing others to take advantage. Both sides bore some responsibility, but fortunately, in this lifetime, they could still make amends.
Ren Yaohua hummed in acknowledgment, then reached out to take Ren Yaoqi's hand.
Ren Yaohua thought that the reason she had asked was perhaps because this incident was the root cause of her complete falling out with Ren Yaoqi, something that had weighed on her mind for a long time. Deep down, Ren Yaohua didn't want to believe that Ren Yaoqi would hate her so much as to frame her.
Ren Yaoqi also held Ren Yaohua's hand in return, and in the end, the two sisters fell asleep hand in hand.
The next day, when Lei Ting came to fetch the bride, Ren Yaohua was already dressed and waiting in her boudoir.
Even the heavy, intense bridal makeup couldn't conceal Ren Yaohua's stunning beauty in her bright red wedding dress. The bridal attendant who helped her dress and apply makeup repeatedly praised her as the most beautiful bride she had ever served. Whether the attendant's words were true or not was unknown, but Madam Li and Ren Yaoqi were quite satisfied with Ren Yaohua's appearance.When the bride leaves her natal home to board the bridal sedan chair, her feet must not touch the ground. Thus, the task of carrying Ren Yaohua out fell upon the eldest young master, Ren Yiyan.
Ren Yaoqi could not accompany Ren Yaohua as part of the wedding procession. She stood to the side, watching as Ren Yaohua’s red veil was lowered, as Ren Yiyan lifted her onto his back, and as they step by step walked out of the courtyard.
The Ren Family was bustling with excitement today, with the sounds of firecrackers and suona horns never ceasing. Madam Li could not hold back her tears, and many gathered around to console her. Ren Yaoqi, who quietly observed all this, felt far more joy than sorrow in her heart.
For from this day onward, Ren Yaohua had completely escaped the tragedy of her previous life, and from now on, things would only get better and better. And since Ren Yaohua could change her fate, naturally their father and mother could also change theirs, living long and healthy lives. From the moment she opened her eyes in this life, her greatest wish had been to protect her blood relatives and ensure their peace and well-being. Now, that wish was already more than half fulfilled.
Hearing Madam Li’s sobs, Ren Yaohua felt deeply distressed. Once she stepped out of this door today, her status would change upon her return; this home would henceforth only be her natal family. As a child, seeing her mother constantly bullied, Ren Yaohua had thought she would never marry when she grew up, so she could stay by her mother’s side and protect her forever. Fortunately, now neither her mother nor her younger sister needed her protection anymore; otherwise, she would not have been able to marry with peace of mind.
This reluctance to part with her family eased much of the nervousness Ren Yaohua felt as she boarded the bridal sedan chair. It was not until the sedan chair stopped at the Lei Family’s residence and someone outside invited her to alight that her focus shifted.
As Ren Yaohua stepped down, she momentarily lost her balance. A pair of strong hands reached out from beside her, discreetly steadying her.
“Be careful,” Lei Ting’s deep voice sounded nearby.
Ren Yaohua’s face flushed, but her heart settled.
Ren Yaohua entered the Lei Family’s home steadily and, following the rituals she had learned earlier, completed the wedding ceremony with Lei Ting before being escorted to the bridal chamber.
When Lei Ting lifted Ren Yaohua’s red veil with the ceremonial scale rod, everyone in the room couldn’t help but inhale softly. Ren Yaohua, with her head slightly lowered, was breathtakingly beautiful. Few ordinary women could wear such heavy makeup so exquisitely. Even Lei Ting, who never indulged in feminine charms, was momentarily stunned before regaining his composure.
After the two drank the ceremonial wine and completed the rituals, Lei Ting had to go out to attend to the guests. Considerately, he dismissed all the Lei Family servants, leaving only the maids Ren Yaohua had brought with her. Then, he asked her softly, “You’ve been through so much today. Are you hungry?”
Ren Yaohua shook her head. Looking at Lei Ting’s gentle eyes, she blushed and whispered, “Before leaving, Fifth Sister prepared some small pastries for me to eat if I got hungry.”
Ren Yaoqi was thoughtful and attentive. Though she herself had never married, she had heard Ren Shijia recount the embarrassing story of how she had been so hungry on her own wedding day that her stomach growled loudly. Thus, she had prepared portable snacks for Ren Yaohua, which her maid kept.
Lei Ting said, “I’ll have the kitchen bring you some hot food.”
Just as Ren Yaohua was about to decline, Lei Ting gently squeezed her hand, then stood up and left.
Ren Yaohua’s heart raced wildly. She didn’t know where to put her hands, feeling both joy and bashful annoyance. By the time she collected herself and looked up, Lei Ting was already gone from the room.Not long after Lei Ting left, the curtain outside moved, and a small head cautiously peeked in.
Ren Yaohua turned around and saw Lei Pan'er stretching her neck and widening her eyes, secretly looking in this direction.
Lei Pan'er felt that Ren Yaohua looked somewhat unfamiliar today, but she still recognized her. So when Ren Yaohua beckoned to her, she ran over without hesitation, threw herself into Ren Yaohua's arms, and smiled with her eyes squinted.
"Mother, you're so beautiful!"
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