Young widow in her boudoir

As soon as Xie Rutang entered the house, she carefully served her mother-in-law soup.

Even when the old lady criticized her cooking, she simply smiled faintly.

After leaving the main room, Jin Yue looked at her thin and haggard figure, and her heart ached. "Which lady in the entire capital has ever cooked and served her mother-in-law like you, Madam?"

"The old lady didn't eat a single bite of the delicacy venison and fish crisps that Madam made for lunch. She really thinks she's some kind of empress dowager, manipulating people like that. She specifically asked for these venison and fish crisps yesterday. Isn't she just playing with people?"

"Madam is also a scholarly young lady. These hands were originally used for playing the zither and chess, but now they are used to wash hands and cook soup."

Xie Rutang gently pressed Jin Yue's hand, "It's normal for my mother-in-law to be picky about food after losing her beloved son in middle age. If this gets back to Shou'an Hall, it will only make me look like an unvirtuous person."

"I am a widow. If you and I can just swallow our anger, our lives in the mansion will be easier from now on."

But Jin Yue felt even more aggrieved for her after hearing this.

"But when the master was still in the Pei family, he would never have allowed his wife to suffer such grievances, much less have made her sit by the stove doing housework..."

Upon hearing this, Xie Rutang felt a stab to her heart, a pain that made her numb.

Yes, if Yuan Lang were still alive, she wouldn't have to compromise herself every day, nor would she be subjected to such humiliation and manipulation by the Second Master.

Xie Rutang sighed softly in the wind, "Never mind, my mother-in-law wants braised shark fin today, I'll make it for her."

However, the process is a bit complicated, involving soaking the wings, making broth, and simmering slowly, which takes up a whole day.

She finally finished cooking the braised shark fin and presented it to her mother-in-law.

The old lady only took one or two bites before putting down her chopsticks.

"The flavor is too bland. Are you deliberately trying to make me unable to eat?"

Xie Rutang remained silent and continued to serve her.

The old lady glanced at her. Although Xie was dignified, her appearance was too beautiful. She had disliked Shen Yuan's insistence on marrying her.

"Take it out and redo it."

Before Xie Rutang could respond, she coldly shut down her thoughts, "As for going back to your parents' home, don't even think about it."

"Now that you've entered the Shen family, you're a member. A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl; ties with her maternal family must be severed. Your brother's case isn't over yet; what can you do if you go back? Can you overturn his case? Or can you pay compensation for him?"

"Your status is different now, so stop thinking about running back and forth. Stay quietly in the manor."

Xie Rutang's heart grew colder and colder. She clenched her fist and said, "My daughter-in-law knows."

It was late into the night after all that work.

Xie Rutang returned to the main courtyard with aching hands. She took out the jewelry she had accumulated in her early years, carefully wiped it clean, and put it in a wooden box. She thought to herself that if she needed money to redeem her brother, she would pawn it all.

The only thing she kept carefully in her dressing case was the jade hairpin with red beans, a token of love that her late husband had given her as a token of their love.

To save her brother, she pawned her dowry and two shops.

……

When Xie Rutang visited Lin Yan again a couple of days later, he discovered that the leaky roof had been repaired and the tiles replaced, making it almost impossible to tell unless you looked closely.

When she arrived, Zhang Qingci was tutoring Cheng Ge'er in the courtyard, his profile showing patience and elegance.

"It was Scholar Zhang who came to fix it yesterday."

Lin Yan was doing embroidery with her sewing basket in hand. "She didn't make a sound. She carried a ladder by herself, climbed up and worked on it for almost half an hour. She left without even having a sip of water. I felt bad about it."

Xie Rutang's heart began to waver slightly.

Or perhaps she would have listened to her sister-in-law and remarried to just anyone.

It would be a lie to say that I haven't been lonely all these years of widowhood.

No young woman would willingly spend the rest of her life like this.

She also longed for a strong shoulder to lean on, to shelter her from the wind and rain, and to hold her as she slept when the wind blew at night. Xie Rutang was merely putting on a brave face and deceiving herself all the time.

Zhang Qingci had taken the rare opportunity to come over today, and Lin Yan was hoping that she and he could spend some quality time together.

To his surprise, he saw her coming over dressed in a plain white shirt, with no earrings or jewelry, not even a single pearl or jade earring. He felt a surge of anger and immediately scolded her in a stern voice, "Why are you dressed so plainly? Scholar Zhang is still sitting in the courtyard right now."

Lin Yan was exasperated. "Do you know how many girls are vying to marry him these days? You used to be the most beautiful woman in the county, your beauty was known far and wide. Back then, Zhang Qingci was penniless and had nothing. I don't believe he never had feelings for you."

Xie Rutang remained silent for a long time, unable to express his suffering.

She didn't want her to know about her relationship with Pei Zhiheng, and she certainly wouldn't mention that it was Pei Zhiheng's request. She just vaguely brushed it off, feeling a slight pang in her heart.

Seeing that she seemed moved, Lin Yan sighed and said, "I insisted on inviting him into the house for some tea and snacks because of the strong sun, but he refused, saying that he didn't want to be alone with you and cause gossip, which would damage your reputation."

Xie Rutang subconsciously looked at the tall and slender figure in the courtyard.

Zhang Qingci happened to look up, and their eyes met suddenly.

Zhang Qingci smiled at her, then looked away. She seemed like a kind person, like a gentle breeze and a bright moon.

Xie Rutang pursed her lips, feeling somewhat guilty and embarrassed. In her opinion, Zhang Qingci might not have such feelings for her; now that his status and position were different, he would soon be promoted and granted a title.

Lin Yan softened her tone: "I think you should really consider it."

Xie Rutang's eyelashes drooped slightly, and her voice was soft and gentle, "Sister-in-law, I will think about it carefully."

The image of her deceased husband, Shen Yuan, clearly appeared before her eyes. He was as handsome as Pan An, and after their marriage, he treated her with utmost care.

But Zhang Qingci's consideration for her reputation and his refusal to enter the house to avoid suspicion had gently stirred a ripple in her heart, which had been dormant for many years.

After teaching Cheng Ge'er an ancient poem, Zhang Qingci said apologetically, "I have to go back early. My mother is the only one left at home. She has always been in poor health and can't be left alone. I'm really worried about her."

"My family was poor when I was young. When I was six, there was a severe drought and there was no harvest. I survived only because my mother breastfed me."

"My mother made a living by embroidery when she was young. She saved up her embroidery stitch by stitch and took it to town to sell so that she could support my studies and the imperial examinations. If she saw that I came home late, she would sit under the lamp and wait for me, ruining her health for nothing."

Xie Rutang felt really bad after hearing this, so he and his sister-in-law made some food and packed it in a food box to nourish his sick mother who was bedridden at home, as a way of repaying the favor.

She and Lin Yan had just seen Zhang Qingci off at the door.

Because it was near the Dali Temple, just as they stepped out of the alley, they saw Pei Zhiheng escorting a death row inmate back home in the twilight.

He looked up and saw a man in a red official robe with a calm and deep gaze. His black boots were spotless. He stood out from the crowd, making everyone else on the street look like mere background figures. The world seemed to fall silent as a result.

I heard that he killed several noble families and officials this morning, purging the court of corrupt officials for the emperor, trampling on the bones of the powerful and wealthy, and even seizing their chickens and dogs when confiscating their property.

Not a single high-ranking official or courtier involved in the case of the old prince was spared; even women and children were not spared.

The rumors about him were so horrifying that she had nightmares all night.

Pei Zhiheng only glanced at her briefly, from a distance, yet he seemed to smell that haunting orchid fragrance emanating from her again.

Xie Rutang blushed subconsciously. Today she was wearing a plain white dress without any embroidery, and she was completely covered up. She had even put away her earrings.

Now, Pei Zhiheng probably won't say anything.

It probably won't arouse his desire anymore...