But now that Madam Xiao Qiao had brought it up directly, Ren Yaohua found herself in a dilemma. If she said there was no such custom in Yanbei, she would inevitably give Madam Xiao Qiao a handle against her, especially in front of Lei Pan'er. Yet Ren Yaohua couldn't actually reopen the ancestral hall to perform the concubine's rites just because of Madam Xiao Qiao's words. As the current mistress of the Lei Family, she couldn't allow someone merely staying with the family to seize authority and cause others to look down on her.
Lei Ting frowned and was about to say something when Ren Yaohua glanced in his direction, stopping him from speaking. She knew she couldn't let Lei Ting rescue her at this moment.
Just then, Lei Pan'er asked innocently, "What are concubine's rites?"
"Pan'er, come here. Second Uncle will take you back to tidy up your little toys first?" Lei Zhen called to Lei Pan'er.
Lei Pan'er looked at the adults in the room. Though young, she sensed something was off and hesitated about leaving with Lei Zhen. But Madam Xiao Qiao pursed her lips and said coldly, "Why is Second Master Lei in such a hurry to take Pan'er away? Pan'er is the only flesh and blood left by my sister. She should be present at a time like this."
Even Lei Zhen, with his gentle temper, was displeased now. Lei Pan'er was just a child—how could such matters be brought up in front of her?
Without waiting for Lei Zhen or others to stop her, Madam Xiao Qiao directly explained to Lei Pan'er, "Concubine's rites mean the lady must kneel and pay respects before your mother's memorial tablet. Those who enter the household later must follow the rules of late entry, just as there is order between elder and younger, and distinction between legitimate and illegitimate."
As soon as Madam Xiao Qiao said this, the atmosphere in the room grew tense.
Lei Pan'er turned to look at Ren Yaohua and fell silent.
Madam Xiao Qiao couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth and was about to step forward to pull Lei Pan'er to her side when Lei Pan'er suddenly looked up and said, "My mother wouldn't do that."
Madam Xiao Qiao's face stiffened. "What?"
Lei Pan'er said seriously, "Although Pan'er has somewhat forgotten what Mother looked like, Pan'er knows she was a very kind and good person. Everyone in the household says so too. So Mother would never make things difficult for someone Pan'er likes. A few days ago, Pan'er even dreamed of her. Pan'er told Mother that Sister Yaohua was coming to be Pan'er's mother. Mother said she would watch over us from heaven and that Sister Yaohua is a good person, telling me to be obedient in the future." By the end, tears welled up in Lei Pan'er's eyes, and she began to sob softly.
A child like Lei Pan'er naturally couldn't have come up with such words on her own. It was just that her wet nurse often told her that her birth mother would watch over her from heaven, and Lei Zhen frequently taught his little niece to listen well to her new mother once she entered the household. That was why Lei Pan'er dreamed of Madam Qiao saying these things to her.
Seeing Lei Pan'er's state, Ren Yaohua felt heartache. She quickly pulled Lei Pan'er to her side, carefully hugged her, and gently comforted her. In her heart, she felt even more disgusted and repulsed by Madam Xiao Qiao. Adults scheming against each other but dragging a child into it—Ren Yaohua could no longer believe that Madam Xiao Qiao genuinely cared for Lei Pan'er. She secretly resolved never to let Madam Xiao Qiao near Lei Pan'er again.
Still, the words Lei Pan'er had just spoken warmed Ren Yaohua's heart. Though Lei Pan'er might not fully understand what she had said, she had timely rescued Ren Yaohua from the predicament.Lei Ting couldn't intervene for Ren Yaohua at this moment, but Lei Pan'er could.
Madam Xiao Qiao's face turned extremely unpleasant. She hadn't expected Lei Pan'er to say such things. Usually, Pan'er never contradicted whatever she said, yet now she was doing so for an outsider. Madam Xiao Qiao felt deeply hurt inside.
Lei Ting stood up and said calmly, "Pan'er, go back with your mother first. Second Brother, come with me to the outer courtyard to handle some matters." With that, Lei Ting strode out on his long legs, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger.
Seeing that Lei Pan'er had stopped crying, Ren Yaohua took her hand and led her out without even glancing at Madam Xiao Qiao.
Madam Xiao Qiao opened her mouth, looked at Lei Pan'er, and hesitated as she was about to follow, but Xiangqin stepped forward and blocked her path.
Xiangqin looked at Madam Xiao Qiao with a forced smile, though her demeanor remained respectful and polite: "Please stay, Madam. Our mistress is taking our young miss back to the main courtyard now. Given your status, it might not be appropriate for you to follow, right? After all, that place is still considered the bridal chamber! This servant will have someone escort you back. Oh, if you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. Since you are staying temporarily with the Lei Family, you are our honored guest, and we will naturally treat you well."
By this time, Ren Yaohua had already led Lei Pan'er ahead. Xiangqin glanced out of the corner of her eye, then curled her lips slightly and lowered her voice: "However, since you are a guest, as the saying goes, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do,' right? So, to avoid causing trouble for the host, could you please not be too casual during your stay with the Lei Family? Tsk, you're so overly familiar—it really puts us in a difficult position sometimes! Guests should behave like guests! Someone as well-versed in all those messy 'etiquettes' as you, Madam, surely understands this, don't you?"
Madam Xiao Qiao listened to this audacious maid's scolding, her face turning pale with anger: "You..."
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was watching, Xiangqin rolled her eyes inelegantly and whispered maliciously through gritted teeth: "That's right, this maid is indeed flattering the powerful and bullying the weak, relying on her master's influence! Who told you to act so arrogantly while living under someone else's roof? With no money and no backing, who else should we pick on if not you?"
Madam Xiao Qiao was nearly fainted from anger at these words. She raised her hand to slap Xiangqin's face. Xiangqin initially raised her hand to block it, but when she caught sight of some Lei Family maids and matrons approaching from the corner of her eye, she quickly put on a tearful expression: "Please don't be angry, Madam. Our mistress only took the young miss back first because she was worried about her and wanted to comfort her. It was absolutely not intentional neglect to have a lowly maid like me attend to you. Please don't scold our young miss for lacking manners. This servant apologizes to you."
The Lei Family maids and matrons who witnessed this turned their gazes toward Madam Xiao Qiao, who was still poised to strike, their eyes filled with disapproval. They already recognized Xiangqin as the head maid brought by the mistress. After all, even when beating a dog, one must consider its master. Moreover, judging by the maid's words, Madam Xiao Qiao's temper seemed rather excessive—did she really think she was the master of the Lei Family?
Without looking at Madam Xiao Qiao's expression, Xiangqin bowed to her and walked away with a sorrowful and distressed look. Left behind, Madam Xiao Qiao found herself unable to defend her actions.Xiangqin strutted off proudly to catch up with her mistress, and before long, she spotted Wujing waiting for her. Seeing Xiangqin’s smug expression, Wujing rapped her lightly on the head and warned, “Tone it down a bit! Don’t cause trouble for our mistress!”
Xiangqin practically stuck her nose in the air. “Hmph! How dare some random nobody come and bully our young lady! I’ll make sure she pays for it!”
Wujing shot Xiangqin a helpless glare but couldn’t help laughing. “Where did you learn all that?” Having grown up together, Wujing and Xiangqin understood each other perfectly. When she saw Xiangqin stop Madam Xiao Qiao earlier, she knew mischief was afoot, so she stood nearby to keep watch. Watching Madam Xiao Qiao tremble with rage had been deeply satisfying.
Xiangqin tugged Wujing toward the main courtyard, waving a hand dismissively. “It’s just the usual ‘flattering the powerful and stepping on the weak’ routine! What servant doesn’t know how to read the room? I’m just usually too kind-hearted to bother with such things!”
Wujing nearly choked on her shamelessness.
Ren Yaohua had no idea her fierce maid had secretly avenged her. She simply led Lei Pan’er back to the main quarters.
“Pan’er, would you like to live in the main courtyard with me and your father from now on?” Ren Yaohua asked softly as she sat with Lei Pan’er on the southern kang, looking down at her.
Lei Pan’er’s eyes were still red. She nodded and replied in a soft voice, “Yes.”
Ren Yaohua gently patted her head.
“Mother, is Auntie unhappy?” Lei Pan’er mumbled, fiddling with the tassels on Ren Yaohua’s skirt.
“Why would she be unhappy?” Ren Yaohua asked.
Lei Pan’er pouted. “Because Auntie always wanted me to move in with her, and I never did. And she seemed really angry when I said those things earlier.”
Ren Yaohua was curious. “Pan’er, don’t you like Auntie? Why didn’t you agree to live with her?”
Lei Pan’er frowned, thinking for a long moment before shaking her head. “I don’t know. Daddy didn’t agree either.”
Ren Yaohua sighed and patted her head again. Lei Pan’er’s maturity and obedience were heartbreaking.
In the afternoon, after having the west wing tidied up, Ren Yaohua ordered Lei Pan’er’s belongings to be moved back. Though Lei Pan’er was young, she had accumulated quite a lot over the years, mostly gifts from her second uncle, Lei Zhen. Just the carefully crafted cloth dolls from her maids filled two chests, a testament to Lei Zhen’s deep affection for his niece. No wonder Lei Pan’er felt closer to her second uncle than to her own father.
And so, on the second day of Ren Yaohua’s marriage into the Lei Family, Lei Pan’er returned to live in the main courtyard, thwarting Madam Xiao Qiao’s schemes. Whether Madam Xiao Qiao had been provoked by Xiangqin or not, she remained inactive for the next two days. She didn’t ask to see Lei Pan’er and didn’t even leave her room, claiming to be ill. Ren Yaohua even arranged for a doctor to examine her.
On the third day, it was time for Ren Yaohua’s traditional three-day return to her maiden home.
Early in the morning, Lei Ting took Ren Yaohua and Lei Pan’er to the Ren Family in Treasure Vase Alley.
As soon as Ren Yaohua entered the room, Ren Yaoqi studied her expression. Seeing her bright-eyed, rosy-cheeked, and exchanging glances with Lei Ting with a shy, sparkling gaze, Ren Yaoqi finally felt the last of her worries melt away.Afterwards, Lei Ting followed Third Master Ren to the study to play chess, while Lei Pan'er was carried by Shui Ai and Xiangqin to the backyard to pick pomegranates. Madam Li kept Ren Yaohua in the room for a private conversation. Ren Yaoqi also stayed, sitting to the side with a smile, listening to Madam Li's detailed inquiries without offering any opinions.
When the family gathered for a meal, Ren Yaoqi overheard Lei Ting casually mention to Third Master Ren that the Prince of Yanbei's consort would be celebrating her sixtieth birthday this year with a grand ceremony.
Well, a heads-up that another climax is coming...
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