Young widow in her boudoir

After two days of rain, the sky finally cleared up.

When Xie Rutang's carriage came to a stop in front of the Shen residence, the sunlight was just shining through the gaps in the clouds.

Because she stayed at Dao'an Temple for two days, Xie Rutang's skirt was more plain and simple than when she was at the mansion, the color of the sky after the rain, and her hair was loosely tied up with an ebony hairpin.

Even so, when she got off the carriage, the gatekeeper looked up and saw her face, which was as beautiful as a lotus emerging from the water, and was stunned.

Everyone in the mansion knew that the First Madam had an apricot-shaped face with peach-like cheeks and extremely beautiful features, making other ordinary beauties with makeup pale in comparison.

No wonder there were so many rumors circulating in the household; a widow's appearance was bound to arouse speculation.

It's said that a guard in the manor claimed Xie Rutang tried to seduce him with a handkerchief, but whether it's true or not is unknown...

The gatekeeper was still in a daze when Xie Rutang stepped into the mansion.

As soon as they returned to Cuiwu Courtyard, an unwilling figure appeared outside the gate. It was Shen Xiaoxiao, who hesitated to step inside.

Hearing Jin Yue come over to report.

Thinking about how Shen Xiaoxiao's eyebrows and eyes resembled Shen Yuan's by about 60%.

Xie Rutang sighed and then asked Jin Yue to invite her sister-in-law in.

After a long while, Shen Xiaoxiao, dressed in a sky-blue silk brocade dress with butterfly patterns, stepped into the room. A red jade bracelet adorned her slender white wrist. She looked extremely unwilling, and called out with a hint of resentment in her eyes, "...Sister-in-law."

There's still lingering resentment in my heart.

Last time Xie Rutang didn't make her clothes, so she deliberately treated Xie Rutang coldly.

Shen Xiaoxiao didn't expect that even though she deliberately ignored Xie Rutang for a few days, Xie Rutang continued to act as if nothing had happened and didn't try to be nice to her, let alone give her the phoenix tail dress she had been longing for!

Xie Rutang stared at the red jade bracelet on her hand, pursing her lips and remaining silent.

This was originally a gift that Shen Yuan wanted to leave for her before he died, but before he could give it to her, he died on the battlefield. So the old lady took it upon herself to give the red jade bracelet to Shen Xiaoxiao.

The jade bracelet that her deceased husband gave her was taken over by Shen Xiaoxiao.

Xie Rutang lowered her eyes, feeling uneasy.

Shen Xiaoxiao came here to ask her to appreciate her newly completed paintings.

Since marrying into the Shen family, Xie Rutang, with her exceptional talents, has acted as her teacher, personally guiding her sister-in-law in painting and calligraphy, taking care of everything.

Xie Rutang picked up her new work, "Begonia and Sparrow," and from the perfunctory brushstrokes, one could see Shen Xiaoxiao's current restless state of mind.

Ever since Shen Xiaoxiao stumbled upon Pei Zhiheng with a scantily clad woman in his arms, she has been crying her eyes out and suffering from insomnia every night, let alone being able to focus on her studies.

Xie Rutang noticed her perfunctory attitude and pursed her lips even tighter.

Shen Xiaoxiao, however, was playing with the jade pendant at her waist, watching her with her dark, darting eyes, as if spying on her. "Sister-in-law, will you remarry?"

Her eyes flickered slightly.

Recently, Shen Xiaoxiao had also heard rumors about Xie Rutang in the mansion, such as that she was restless and promiscuous.

A widow is always a topic of conversation, especially since Xie Rutang is extremely beautiful.

Xie Rutang unconsciously clenched her hand holding the painting, leaving a shallow mark on the thin silk from her fingertips.

Last time, she had planned to catch the guard who was spreading rumors in the front yard and confront him to clear his name.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. The man had just committed a mistake and was sent back to his hometown by the steward, disappearing without a trace.

Once she left, there was no way to investigate further. The rumors, unable to be disproven, only intensified, and everyone secretly assumed she had an affair with the guard. This left Xie Rutang with a stigma and unspeakable suffering.

Seeing that she remained silent, Shen Xiaoxiao grabbed her sleeve and continued to press her for answers.

"Sister-in-law, will you remarry?"

Mother said that Xie Rutang married into the Shen family to be their servant. The reason Mother refused to let her sister-in-law remarry was that she wanted her to continue serving her younger sister-in-law.

Shen Xiaoxiao was even more reluctant to let her go. She couldn't bear to part with Xie Rutang's embroidery skills. Wearing a dress made by Xie Rutang always made her stand out at aristocratic banquets!

Xie Rutang narrowed her eyes, suddenly grasping the key point: "What, you seem very unwilling for me to remarry."

The Qi Dynasty is known for its open-mindedness; many people no longer observe the three-year mourning period, and widows can remarry within a few months of their husbands' deaths. This is because the Qi Dynasty was founded only a few decades ago, and many people died in the chaos that led to a dwindling population, prompting the government to relax its laws.

Shen Xiaoxiao frowned, her words sharp and aggressive: "Sister-in-law! How could you even consider remarrying? My brother treats you with such sincerity; your thoughts are utterly heartless! No, no matter what, I will not allow you to remarry!"

Xie Rutang did not respond immediately.

Seeing that she remained silent, Shen Xiaoxiao assumed that the other woman had tacitly agreed to her thoughts, and her arrogance grew even stronger. "If you remarry, what will others think of you? What will they think of the Shen family? And what will they think of me?"

Xie Rutang stared silently at her stern-faced sister-in-law, speechless for a moment, a chill running through her heart. Shen Xiaoxiao only cared about the prestige of the Shen family, failing to understand the hardships Xie Rutang faced living alone.

Shen Xiaoxiao thought she had compromised, so she smiled smugly.

She knew that Xie Rutang was devoted to her brother, so how could she possibly remarry another man?

Her own brother was an exceptionally handsome man, one in a million. Xie Rutang came from a humble background and was willing to forgo any dowry, even having to pay extra for herself, before the old lady finally agreed to let her marry into the family.

Xie Rutang did not want to argue with her.

Moreover, she was truly devoted to Shen Yuan and only wished to quietly stay by his side for the rest of her life, and to be buried with him when she died. She herself did not want to remarry, but Shen Xiaoxiao's self-righteous attitude still made her feel deeply uncomfortable.

After looking at her sister-in-law's new painting, Xie Rutang was utterly disappointed. She gently placed the thin silk on the table and said, "Sister, you don't need to come to Cuiwu Courtyard anymore."

"I do not wish to restrict your nature. From now on, you will not need my guidance or constraints when playing chess, painting, or playing the zither. I know that you will not be happy if I supervise and control you for a long time. Forcing us to be together will be torture for both of us."

"From now on, let your mother choose a female tutor for you outside the mansion. Everything is up to you."

Although Xie Rutang's words were distant, they came from good intentions.

Shen Xiaoxiao was taken aback upon hearing this, and annoyance immediately welled up on her face. She assumed that Xie Rutang thought she was dull-witted.

She shoved Xie Rutang aside and stormed out of the house. What's so great about her?

Xie Rutang was already physically weak, and when she was bumped into, she fell to the ground, her shoulder hitting the edge of the table behind her hard.

Jin Yue hurriedly stepped forward to help her up, a purplish bruise already appearing on her shoulder.

Jin Yue was heartbroken: "How did it get so bad? Let me go get some oil for you, Madam..."

……

Xie Rutang applied oil to the bruises, and carrying the Buddhist scriptures she had copied for the old lady at Dao'an Temple, she bumped into Shen Shuming under a Taihu rock just as she reached the front yard.

Shen Shuming remained slender, dressed in an ivory-colored long robe, looking elegant and handsome under the moonlight.

Only Xie Rutang knew how strong and muscular his body was when he took off his clothes in Cuiwu Courtyard. Xie Rutang dared not recall it, for fear of blushing in front of him.

The men of the Shen family are generally good-looking.

Xie Rutang felt that he and her deceased husband Shen Yuan were actually the same type.

When Shen Shuming saw her, he smiled elegantly.

"Madam Shen."

He immediately drew her into an ambiguous and unspoken atmosphere.

Xie Rutang clutched the handkerchief tightly.

He hadn't seen her at the Shen residence for several days, and Xie Rutang hadn't paid any attention to him either. After she had been sick for many days last time, she hadn't invited him to Cuiwu Courtyard again.

Shen Shuming mustered his courage and stepped forward, his gaze fixed intently on her. "That night, Mrs. Shen, were you dissatisfied with me?"

Otherwise, why wouldn't she invite him over again?

"What?" Xie Rutang was stunned.

Wait until you understand the meaning behind his words.

Xie Rutang's face flushed red instantly; she hadn't expected Shen Shuming to be so straightforward and energetic.

……

Pei Zhiheng dealt with the backlog of cases from last year until dusk, before finally returning home.

Upon returning to the manor, Pei Zhiheng saw Xie Rutang chatting with her clansmen in the pine garden in the front yard.

Xie Rutang, with her bright, sparkling eyes and soft, delicate features, shyly and affectionately handed her handkerchief to Shen Shuming, inviting him to her courtyard that night.

So daring.

So delicate and timid.

Less than a month later, she couldn't wait to find another sperm donor.