Young widow in her boudoir

A light drizzle fell last night and only stopped at dawn.

The air was still damp when I woke up in the morning, and the courtyard was filled with the earthy smell, mixed with the damp fragrance of the withered flowers in front of the steps.

The wind was strong last night, and somehow it knocked over the orchid plant that Xie Rutang had placed under the eaves.

The flowerpot was tilted to one side, with a fine crack, soil spilled on half the ground, and some leaves were broken.

Xie Rutang squatted down and tenderly lifted the orchid, carefully checking its roots for any damage.

She called Jin Yue over: "Let's put it in a different flowerpot, this one can't be used anymore."

Jin Yue quickly agreed and went to the storeroom to fetch a new basin.

Xie Rutang then ordered the other maids to sweep up the fallen leaves scattered by the wind in the courtyard before turning to paint by the window.

She enjoys painting, which helps her cultivate her mind and spirit. With just a few strokes of light ink, she can slowly calm her restless thoughts.

A widow cannot show her face in public. It is extremely difficult for her to go out and find Lin Yan. She always has to keep it a secret.

She had just painted an ink orchid on the rice paper, and the ink was not yet dry, when she heard footsteps outside.

It turned out to be my sister-in-law.

Shen Xiaoxiao walked around the pillars, lifting her skirt, and headed straight into the house.

She wore a dress embroidered with spring begonias and had a round and plump face, bright eyes and white teeth. Her hair was adorned with a newly made silver-gilt headdress, a new style from Yu Bao Tang, which was rare in the market.

"What is my sister-in-law doing?"

Shen Xiaoxiao came over and took a closer look, her tone somewhat dismissive: "Painting orchids again? Sister-in-law, don't you get bored painting these every day?"

Some people look down on Xie Rutang's air of a talented woman, thinking she's just a woman, what's with all the high-mindedness?

She paints in her boudoir, but no one appreciates her work.

Despite her words, Shen Xiaoxiao did not leave. Instead, she stood still by the table, as if she wanted to take a closer look at the unfinished painting.

But Xie Rutang covered it with a handkerchief.

Xie Rutang asked coldly, "What brings my sister-in-law here?"

Shen Xiaoxiao, however, did not notice at all that she had become somewhat distant today.

She came over and sat on the rose chair, picked up the jade rabbit paperweight on the table and looked at it again and again. It was made of Hetian jade, cool to the touch, and its color was like the thin layer of blue that shines through when the first snow melts, slightly translucent.

This was carved by Shen Yuan himself and given to Xie Rutang. At the time, Shen Xiaoxiao was jealous because he treated Xie Rutang better than his own sister, and she always sided with the outsider.

Shen Xiaoxiao was spoiled at the time, and she argued with him, demanding that he give her this rabbit paperweight.

To everyone's surprise, the usually gentle Shen Yuan's face darkened, and for the first time, he reprimanded her so sternly and without any mercy, "Nonsense!"

Shen Xiaoxiao looked at him in disbelief, feeling that he had changed.

In the end, Shen Yuan still gave the rabbit paperweight to Xie Rutang to please her.

But Shen Xiaoxiao ran to her mother and cried her heart out.

So Xie Rutang was summoned to the old lady's side and made to kneel in front of the house for an hour as punishment. It was a snowy day at the time, and Xie Rutang's knees were bruised from kneeling.

Xie Rutang was quiet and reserved, and she did not tell her husband Shen Yuan about this. She was afraid that he would argue with his mother because of her, so she decided to keep quiet and wait for things to calm down.

Seeing this paperweight now inevitably brings this matter back to mind.

Shen Xiaoxiao put down the paperweight, came over, and affectionately hugged Xie Rutang's arm. "Sister-in-law, is the phoenix-tail skirt I asked you to make for me last month finished?"

Xie Rutang silently lowered the curtain, "I forgot."

"Forgot?"

Shen Xiaoxiao raised her head in disbelief.

Forgot? How could that be?

Shen Xiaoxiao pouted, "I clearly saw you in the house two days ago, embroidering clothes!"

She continued to hug her affectionately, saying, "My eldest sister-in-law is like an elder mother to me; she always dotes on me the most."

Previously, whatever she wanted to do, as long as it was within Xie Rutang's capabilities, Xie Rutang would grant her request.

Little did she know, her words were like a fine needle, piercing Xie Rutang's heart.

Xie Rutang's gaze fell on her face. Shen Xiaoxiao was affectionately resting her face on her arm. Although the features were still familiar, they felt completely foreign to her, as if she had never known this sister-in-law before.

She could hardly believe that her naive and innocent sister-in-law had said such vicious things yesterday, which were chilling.

What is the true nature of the human heart? She didn't even dare to think about it too much.

Xie Rutang lowered her eyes, becoming even more beautiful and serene.

She gently freed her arm and silently took a step back.

Xie Rutang remained expressionless. "You've mistaken me for someone else."

"That day I was mending a plain shirt for myself."

Shen Xiaoxiao was stunned.

Seeing that Xie Rutang really hadn't done it, Shen Xiaoxiao was a little embarrassed.

It should be noted that Xie Rutang's needlework skills were even better than those of the most skilled embroiderers in the capital, so she always bossed Xie Rutang around to make clothes for her, as if it were a matter of course.

She had clearly promised the other noble ladies that she would wear that phoenix-tail dress to the banquet, but Xie Rutang really didn't make it for her!

Shen Xiaoxiao got angry. She saw that Xie Rutang's expression was indifferent. He neither took the initiative to speak to her nor showed any sign of accommodation or goodwill.

She felt increasingly aggrieved, her eyes suddenly reddened, she stomped her foot angrily, and without lingering, turned around, pushed open the door, and left the house.

With Shen Xiaoxiao gone, Xie Rutang felt a sense of relief.

Shen Xiaoxiao ran back to her Zhenxi Residence in a fit of anger.

She broke a vase, and the maidservant dared not utter a sound. Accustomed to her temperament, she simply fetched a broom and silently cleaned up the shards of porcelain scattered on the floor.

A moment later, Shen Xiaoxiao started clamoring for afternoon tea.

The maid quickly brought the food into the room. The chilled lotus seed soup was served in a white porcelain cup with ice-patterned decorations, along with almond cream cheese and osmanthus cake with crispy crust. Everything was exquisite, and even the tea was served in a set of crystal teacups.

Shen Xiaoxiao leaned lazily against the soft couch, then suddenly frowned and asked, "Why isn't there any hibiscus cake today?"

Shen Xiaoxiao has always been a picky eater, and most of the pastries from the kitchens in the mansion don't meet her standards.

Only this hibiscus cake was personally prepared by Madam Xie Rutang in her own kitchen every day, and delivered to Zhenxi Residence on time every day.

only……

The maid hesitated before explaining, "Miss, this morning someone from the First Madam's courtyard came to say that she hasn't been feeling well lately and plans to spend her time in the courtyard practicing vegetarianism and Buddhism. She won't have any extra time to personally cook pastries for you anymore..."

Shen Xiaoxiao was stunned. Why did she feel that Xie Rutang had been acting strangely lately?

……

Just as the dishes were cleared away after dinner, a maid from Shou'an Hall came to invite Xie Rutang over, saying that the old lady wanted to see her.

Xie Rutang lifted the beaded curtain and went in, then gave a slight curtsy.

The jade beads clinked together, producing a clear and melodious sound.

"My mother-in-law called me over. What is it about?"

The old lady was sitting on the daybed, dressed in a dark blue robe, with her hair neatly styled in a round bun, and holding a string of Canaan incense prayer beads in her hand.

When she saw her daughter-in-law coming over, she didn't beat around the bush and laid everything out on the table.

The old lady glanced at the indifferent Xie Rutang.

"Rutang, I've made up my mind. I'll find a member of the Shen family in the next couple of days and have you consummate your marriage with him. Once you're pregnant, we'll announce to the outside world that you and Yuan'er are having an unborn child."

"This is a decision made by your father-in-law and me."

This was the old lady's solution: no matter what, Xie Rutang had to give birth to the eldest son's child to settle her debt to Shen Yuan.

Xie Rutang suddenly looked up; she hadn't expected her mother-in-law to still be so persistent.

The old lady did not give her the right to refuse, but closed her eyes and said, "The day after tomorrow, you will meet with that clansman."

"I'll find a nanny to guide you beforehand."

Xie Rutang was pale and ashamed. She felt that she had no dignity, like livestock without the right to reproduce, and that the old lady could make her mate however she wanted.

She knelt down on her own, about to ask the old lady to retract her decision.

At this moment, the curtain of the adjacent porch swayed gently, and the row of jade beads trembled slightly like a fine rain curtain, with light and shadow passing through the gaps.

Xie Rutang was stunned. She slowly turned her gentle face to the side, her gaze passing over the row of delicate beads.

Then I saw a cold and abstinent figure sitting in the inner room, the hem of the man's official robe hanging to the ground.