The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

The father frowned, about to say something, but Langhua lowered her eyes and obediently replied:

"Yes, my daughter has learned her lesson."

Her quick response and calm demeanor eased the father's mind.

Fortunately, Third Sister was exceptionally talented, but ultimately she was a mild-mannered person who didn't like to show off. He thought to himself, if she were like First Sister, always wanting to compete with each other, like two peas in a pod, would there ever be any peace in the house?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he heard Langhua speak softly again:

"It was Third Sister's oversight that she forgot that Eldest Sister is the legitimate daughter of the Wang family. She grew up under the care of her father and mother since childhood, and all the rules and etiquette were personally taught by her mother, so they must be the best. Even if she is wrong, it should be her mother who corrects her behind closed doors, not me who has to say it."

"From now on, my daughter will remember this and will never give it a second thought outside the home."

Wang Ruoyu was taken aback at first, then her face turned red.

The Queen Mother's expression also changed abruptly.

At first glance, these words sound respectful and full of apology, but upon closer examination, they clearly indicate that the old woman's rudeness and inappropriate remarks are a result of her failure as a mother to properly educate her daughter.

It's also saying that the old woman she raised and carefully taught couldn't compare to her, a wild girl who grew up in the countryside, in terms of manners and etiquette.

The Queen Mother was so angry that her chest heaved.

Even she was being criticized.

Langhua, however, seemed completely oblivious. She raised her head, a hint of confusion in her eyes, and asked softly:

"What? Perhaps I'm too slow to understand? Mother actually wants me to be able to guide and advise my elder sister when I'm out in the world?"

"you!"

The Queen Mother was truly furious this time.

"Who taught you to be so sharp-tongued, daring to talk back to your elders! You've only just entered the house and you're already so disrespectful; what will you be like in the future?"

That's enough.

Finally, the father spoke.

His voice wasn't loud, but with just that one sentence, the Queen Mother seemed to choke on something, and the rest of her words were stuck in her throat.

Wang Ruoyu, who had been expecting her mother to give this audacious country girl who dared to talk back to her elders a good scolding, felt a pang of anxiety when she saw her father's reaction. She quickly lowered her head, adopting a submissive demeanor, and dared not say another word.

The father withdrew his gaze and looked at Langhua again.

His gaze remained gentle, but the pure joy and appreciation he had shown earlier had faded somewhat.

"Third Sister must be tired from your long journey. Go and rest. The courtyard has been cleaned."

Langhua gave a curtsy.

"Yes, thank you, Father."

After saying that, he quietly stepped aside.

The family then went inside.

-

"I'm so angry!"

Wang Ruo had barely returned to the courtyard when she slammed a blue teacup onto the ground.

Porcelain shards scattered everywhere.

All the maids and servants in the room were so frightened that they lowered their heads and didn't dare to breathe.

Wang Ruo's chest heaved, her eyes red with anger. She paced back and forth a few steps, her hatred growing stronger with each thought. Gritting her teeth, she cursed:

"How dare a country bumpkin slap me in the face like that in public!"

Seeing how angry she was, a maidservant mustered her courage and stepped forward, wanting to say something to appease her: "Miss, please don't be angry. Third Miss is just... ah!"

Wang Ruo slapped him across the face: "You're my woman! She humiliated me like this, and you dare to call her respectful? You called her a bitch!"

The maid stumbled and hit her forehead on the edge of the table, drawing blood immediately.

She clutched her forehead, ignoring the pain, and quickly knelt down, begging for forgiveness repeatedly: "Please calm down, Miss! Please calm down, I was wrong!"

However, he dared not utter the word "despicable person."

"If so!"

Just then, the curtain outside the door was lifted, and the Queen Mother walked in, her expression not very pleasant.

"What are you doing?"

Wang Ruoyu was filled with grievances at this moment. When she saw her mother, she didn't get up. Instead, she looked up at her with red eyes and asked in a tearful voice:

"My mother is asking me? I should be the one asking my mother."

"You always say you love me the most, but that was all a lie. My third sister just arrived today, and before I could say a word, she beat me up and humiliated me in front of everyone. Mother neither stood up for me and punished her, nor did she protect me. Instead, she politely welcomed her in and gave her the best courtyard to live in."

At this point, she became even more heartbroken.

"What, does Mother also think I'm inferior to her?"

The Queen Mother was initially somewhat annoyed, but upon hearing these words, her heart immediately softened.

She was, after all, her daughter whom she had cherished since childhood.

Seeing her looking so aggrieved, he couldn't bear to blame her. He could only sigh deeply and walk over to sit down next to her.

"My son, your words have truly pierced my heart."

She reached out and took Wang Ruoyu's hand, her tone softening.

"Heaven and earth bear witness, if I didn't care about you, why would I have said those words? I originally wanted to save face for you and settle things peacefully. I never imagined that that wretched child, relying on your father's favor, would even disregard me."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ruoyu's eyes immediately lit up, and she quickly added fuel to the fire:

"Then why did Mother bring her to the capital? Wouldn't it have been better to let her stay in Sichuan?"

The Queen Mother listened, but did not answer her immediately.

She first glanced at the maid who was still kneeling on the ground.

Fresh blood was trickling down between the maid's fingers as she covered her forehead, a rather horrifying sight.

The Queen Mother frowned slightly:

"If you're injured, go and get treatment. I'm keeping you by the young lady's side so that you can take care of her, not so that you can risk your life for her. My Wang family is a family of high moral character; we are not the kind of family that treats servants like pigs and dogs and has no compassion whatsoever."

The maid was as if she had been granted a pardon.

"Thank you, madam. Thank you, madam. I will remember this."

After saying that, he covered his wound and retreated.

After everyone left, the Queen Mother said calmly:

"This one is dull, ignorant, and inflexible. Starting tomorrow, he won't need to serve you anymore. I'll find you someone more clever."

Wang Ruoyu didn't care at all about the fate of a maid, no matter how useful she was to him.

Her mind was preoccupied with what her younger sister from the countryside and her mother had just said, so she grabbed the Queen Mother's hand and eagerly pressed her for answers:

"Mother, tell me quickly, why do you insist on bringing her back?"

The Queen Mother sighed softly, raised her hand and tapped her forehead with a finger, her tone full of doting affection:

"If we don't bring her back, are you going to let people gossip and say that your father is favoring one of his children over the other?"

She said earnestly to Wang Ruoyu, "From now on, you, as the eldest sister, will find a good match and marry in style; while she, as the younger sister, will remain in that poor, remote place, unable to find a decent family. What will people say about your father? What will they think of our Wang family?"

That's how it should be!

This sentence immediately came to Wang Ruoyu's mind.

She wished that girl would stay in Sichuan forever, never to return, and never be as good as herself!

But she couldn't say these words aloud. She merely pouted, tugged at the Queen Mother's sleeve, and feigned a coquettish tone:

"I don't care. Father can be the rightful head of the family, but Mother can't like her more than me. No matter how good her manners are, you can't favor her more than me."

In the future, the marriage arranged for that country girl must not bypass her, her older sister.

The Queen Mother reached out and tapped the tip of her nose, scolding her playfully:

"You're just a debt collector."

But in his heart, he was quite pleased with his daughter's jealous and possessive manner, which made her cling to him and unwilling to let go.

But that youngest daughter…

A hint of coldness flashed in the Queen Mother's eyes.

On her very first day back, she showed no mercy even to her own sister, openly and secretly, and even dared to drag her, her mother, into it.

She really inherited her second sister-in-law's crude and vulgar temperament, and lacked any sense of propriety.

But then she remembered the child's overall demeanor.

That's really intimidating.

If you take her out to meet more people in the future, she might just have other good fortune.

Thinking of this, she didn't completely rule out the possibility of a fight. She simply comforted Wang Ruoyu, telling her not to overthink it and to rest well.