Reborn of the Rightful

Ren Yaohua was startled, flusteredly blocking Lei Ting's mischievous hands, only to look up and meet his teasing eyes.

"Call me something nicer, and I'll let you off." Lei Ting lowered his head to kiss Ren Yaohua's lips, his voice hoarse.

Ren Yaohua was already exhausted, afraid that Lei Ting might truly act recklessly. In her panic, inspiration struck: "Hus... husband..."

Lei Ting thought for a moment, finally satisfied. He straightened Ren Yaohua's disheveled clothes, then held her in his arms, gently stroking her back as he closed his eyes and said, "Good girl."

Ren Yaohua: "..."

Cradled against Lei Ting's chest, Ren Yaohua glared at the man before her, unable to help but wonder: Had she boarded a pirate ship? What kind of judgment had she used back then to mistake this man for a gentleman?

That night, Ren Yaohua finally drifted into a hazy sleep in Lei Ting's embrace. Although she was unaccustomed to having someone beside her while sleeping, the scent of Lei Ting made her feel very much at ease.

The Lei Family no longer had any proper elders alive, so on the second day of their marriage, Ren Yaohua did not need to serve tea or perform rituals for anyone. Thus, when Lei Ting woke up first and saw Ren Yaohua still asleep, he did not rush to wake her. By the time Ren Yaohua gradually stirred awake, Lei Ting was sitting on the kang by the south-facing window opposite, reading a small booklet.

Hearing movement, Lei Ting set down the booklet and stood up, walking over to the bedside.

"Awake?" Lei Ting's tone remained as steady as usual, revealing little emotion.

Ren Yaohua fully woke up, staring at him in a daze before recalling their intimacy from the previous night and feeling a wave of shy embarrassment.

"Lei... husband..." Ren Yaohua started to greet him but immediately corrected herself, nearly biting her tongue. After calling out, she glanced warily at Lei Ting, fearing he might tease her as he had the night before.

Fortunately, Lei Ting only raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "I'll have the maids come in to help you freshen up. After breakfast, we'll go to the ancestral hall."

Although the Lei Family no longer had elders, Ren Yaohua still needed to visit the family's ancestral hall.

Hearing this, Ren Yaohua thought about how late it must be and grew uneasy. "Why... why didn't you wake me earlier? It wouldn't be proper if people found out we were late to the ancestral hall."

Lei Ting had been about to leave to call the maids for Ren Yaohua, but upon hearing this, he stopped and turned back. Under Ren Yaohua's surprised gaze, he reached out and gently patted her head, his words serious and earnest: "Starting from yesterday, you are the mistress of the Lei Family. Besides me, you hold the highest authority here, so you don't need to explain your actions to anyone. Remember that."

Ren Yaohua was taken aback, but seeing the firmness in Lei Ting's eyes, she nodded seriously. "I remember... husband."

Lei Ting was satisfied, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze before leaving to call for the maids.

After Ren Yaohua finished freshening up, Lei Pan'er arrived.Led by her maid, she came before Lei Ting and Ren Yaohua to pay her respects with utmost solemnity, her serious and earnest demeanor leaving Ren Yaohua stunned for quite a while. However, once Lei Pan'er stood up, she reverted to her old ways, rushing to Ren Yaohua's side: "Mother. Mother, why did I fall asleep yesterday? Why didn't you wake me? Didn't we agree I would stay with you?" By the end, she pouted in dissatisfaction.

Seeing her, Ren Yaohua's mood grew even brighter: "You were sleeping so soundly, I couldn't wake you." Noticing Lei Pan'er frown, she added with amusement, "But even though you were asleep, you still stayed with me until the very end. It was only after your father returned that he had someone take you back."

Hearing this, Lei Pan'er became happy again.

Lei Ting walked to the outer room and turned back, saying, "Come, let's have our meal."

Lei Pan'er, holding Ren Yaohua's hand, skipped out: "Mother, can Pan'er have every meal with you from now on?"

After breakfast, Lei Ting first had someone take Lei Pan'er to Lei Zhen's courtyard, then brought Ren Yaohua to the ancestral hall.

Though there were few living members left in the Lei Family, the ancestral hall held many memorial tablets. By the time all rituals were completed, it was already quite late.

"Second Brother and the others are in the flower hall. Let's go meet them," Lei Ting said to Ren Yaohua.

Ren Yaohua withdrew her gaze from surveying the surroundings and softly replied, "Alright."

"In the afternoon, if there's nothing to do, have Pan'er show you around the estate so you can familiarize yourself with the home." Ren Yaohua had never set foot in the Lei Family before, and Lei Ting was concerned she might feel out of place.

"Mmm."

Afterward, Lei Ting deliberately slowed his pace, occasionally pointing out the surrounding buildings and telling Ren Yaohua what each place was. Ren Yaohua felt deeply warmed by Lei Ting's thoughtfulness, a smile lingering on her lips without her even realizing it.

As they neared the flower hall, Lei Ting suddenly changed the subject: "In the afternoon, have Pan'er move to the main courtyard. Let her stay in the west wing. It's not quite proper for her to always be in Second Brother's courtyard. From now on, you should be the one to guide and teach her."

Ren Yaohua actually shared the same sentiment. As Lei Ting's wife, it was naturally her responsibility to raise and educate the children. However, having just married into the Lei Family, she hadn't yet found an opportunity to broach the subject with Lei Ting. So, when he brought it up, she nodded and said, "I was thinking the same."

When the two arrived at the flower hall, Lei Zhen was already there. Besides Lei Zhen, Lei Pan'er and Madam Xiao Qiao were also present. Lei Zhen was sitting on a chair drinking tea, while Madam Xiao Qiao was speaking softly to Lei Pan'er about something.

Lei Zhen looked up and saw Lei Ting and Ren Yaohua. He quickly stood up to bow and greeted with a smile, "Elder Brother, Sister-in-law."

Lei Ting nodded, while Ren Yaohua returned the courtesy.

Madam Xiao Qiao also rose, bowed her head in a slight curtsy, then subtly took Lei Pan'er's hand, preventing the girl from stepping forward. Lei Pan'er glanced at Madam Xiao Qiao, blinked, and in the end did not pull her hand away, simply offering Ren Yaohua a sweet smile.

This was Ren Yaohua's first time seeing Madam Xiao Qiao. Noting her silence, Ren Yaohua took the initiative to exchange a few polite words as a greeting, ensuring her manners were impeccable.After everyone was seated, they chatted casually about everyday matters. However, from start to finish, it was mostly Lei Ting, Lei Zhen, and Ren Yaohua who spoke, while Madam Xiao Qiao remained silent throughout. Lei Zhen was more gentle and cheerful in temperament compared to Lei Ting, always wearing a smile when he spoke. When talking to Ren Yaohua, he showed no restraint but maintained a respectful attitude.

It wasn’t until Lei Ting suddenly said, “I’ve already discussed it with your sister-in-law. Pan’er will move back to the west wing of the main courtyard this afternoon. Thank you for taking care of her these past few years, Second Brother.”

Lei Zhen showed no surprise upon hearing this and replied with a smile, “What are you saying, Elder Brother? Honestly, if you hadn’t brought it up, I would have been happy to pretend not to know and let Pan’er stay with me. But now that Sister-in-Law has entered the family, it’s only right for Pan’er to return.” As he spoke, he turned and winked at Lei Pan’er. “Just don’t cry and say you’ll miss your Second Uncle, Pan’er.”

Lei Pan’er stuck her tongue out at Lei Ting and, somewhat unusually, glanced shyly at Ren Yaohua. Though she didn’t speak, it was clear she didn’t object.

However, upon hearing this, Madam Xiao Qiao’s face turned pale. She suddenly looked up at Lei Ting and Ren Yaohua, opening her mouth as if to speak, but she had no grounds to insist that Lei Pan’er move in with her. Moreover, no one in the Lei Family thought to ask for her opinion.

Just then, Lei Pan’er suddenly frowned and instinctively tried to pull her hand away from Madam Xiao Qiao’s grasp. Madam Xiao Qiao had tightened her grip abruptly, causing Lei Pan’er’s hand to ache. Fortunately, Madam Xiao Qiao quickly realized and loosened her hold. Lei Pan’er looked up at her but said nothing.

Ren Yaohua, however, noticed this detail. Setting down her teacup, she beckoned to Lei Pan’er. “Pan’er, come here. Your hairpin is crooked. Let Xiangqin fix it for you.”

Lei Pan’er instinctively tried to release Madam Xiao Qiao’s hand and walk over, but Madam Xiao Qiao held on tightly. Lei Pan’er paused, turning to look at her. Madam Xiao Qiao pursed her lips and finally let go. Lei Pan’er then walked over to Ren Yaohua and was taken by Xiangqin, who had stepped forward from behind Ren Yaohua.

Madam Xiao Qiao took a deep breath and suddenly spoke up. “I heard that Madam just visited the ancestral hall?”

Ren Yaohua glanced at her. Though unsure of what Madam Xiao Qiao was getting at, she nodded with a smile.

Madam Xiao Qiao looked at Lei Pan’er, then turned back to Ren Yaohua with a forced smile. “Then I suppose Madam must have seen my elder sister’s memorial tablet?”

Lei Ting couldn’t help but frown, glancing at Lei Zhen.

Lei Zhen immediately interjected with a smile, “Speaking of ancestral halls, I was reminded of a strange incident. Earlier this year, during the first month, the Li Family ancestral hall in Lijiazhuang outside the city suddenly caught fire in the middle of the night. In the end, no cause was found, but some people claimed they saw a fire qilin hovering over the village when they got up at night.”

Ren Yaohua understood Lei Zhen’s good intentions and was about to continue the topic he had raised, but Madam Xiao Qiao remained undeterred and pressed on. “Logically, I shouldn’t bring this up today and spoil the mood, but the Qiao family has few descendants. My elder sister and I have no brothers, and now, aside from me, there’s no one left to speak up for my sister. Though Madam has entered the family as the principal wife, according to the rules, you should perform the concubine’s ritual when paying respects to my sister’s memorial tablet. I wonder if this ritual was observed?”Ren Yaohua's expression changed as she looked at Madam Xiao Qiao without speaking.

Although Madam Xiao Qiao was not wrong about this rule, Yanbei was, after all, not like Jiangnan. There were not so many formalities and rituals, nor did any family insist on making things difficult for a newly married stepmother by clinging to such matters. Just now in the Lei Family ancestral hall, Lei Ting had not mentioned this matter either. Ren Yaohua had simply paid respects to the tablets of the Lei Family ancestors and, out of courtesy, offered three sticks of incense to Madam Qiao. This was not impolite.

For Madam Xiao Qiao to bring this up at this moment was clearly an attempt to pick a fight. Moreover, she deliberately mentioned it in front of Lei Pan'er—her intentions were truly malicious!