Young widow in her boudoir

The Shen family had prepared several carriages early in the morning. Several servants and maids carried several chests onto the carriages, which were filled with the women's clothing, jewelry and other items.

Xie Rutang went to Dao'an Temple today to copy Buddhist scriptures for Shen Yuan. Since she would be staying on the mountain for two nights, she prepared three sets of clothes, which she thought should be enough.

Time was short, so after having the maids move the trunks and baskets, Xie Rutang went to the front gate to meet them.

This left her no time to inform Pei Zhiheng, as she went to Qingyin Mountain with the women. She wondered if he would not be able to find her at Cuiwu Courtyard when he returned to the mansion tonight.

Xie Rutang pondered for a while in the wind. She and Pei Zhiheng didn't have much of a relationship. They only met at night in the house, and otherwise kept to themselves. She didn't need to tell him where she was going, and she figured he wouldn't care anyway.

He is a young master from a prestigious family, and he values ​​rules above all else; he shouldn't have any involvement with her.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone was there.

Madam Shen and Ye Wanyu rode in one carriage, while Xie Rutang and Shen Xiaoxiao rode in another.

Having been reprimanded by the old lady last time, Shen Xiaoxiao looked rather uneasy when she saw her today.

Last time, it was the first time Xie Rutang had ever lost her temper with her since marrying into the Shen family. Shen Xiaoxiao was a little frightened because Xie Rutang had the authority of an elder sister-in-law, which made Shen Xiaoxiao somewhat afraid of her.

Xie Rutang merely glanced at her, and seeing Shen Xiaoxiao's awkward expression, he knew exactly what was going on.

That's human nature. If you treat her too well, she won't appreciate it. She might even bite back after receiving a favor. Only if you treat her coldly will she be wary of you and dare not act recklessly anymore.

She should have realized this sooner. Shen Xiaoxiao is Shen Yuan's sister, but she is not her sister after all. Being open and honest with her only makes people resent her.

When Shen Xiaoxiao, who was nearby, saw her, she did not bow to her, but got into the carriage alone, completely ignoring her.

Xie Rutang boarded the carriage one step behind.

Shen Xiaoxiao's face froze. Already harboring resentment towards her sister-in-law, a surge of anger welled up within her, and she retorted, "Who do you think you are, my sister-in-law?"

She scoffed lightly, "The person in charge of this household isn't you now, but my second sister-in-law from a prestigious family. Why do you need to use your status to intimidate me?"

Both humble and arrogant.

Xie Rutang subtly observed her reaction. She gently stroked the daffodil embroidery on the cuff, its silver thread as faint as mist on a lake. "You've been spoiled by your mother-in-law. It's not my place to educate you."

"But my sister-in-law is still unmarried and will have to find a husband sooner or later. If word gets out that you are disrespectful to your elder sister-in-law, what family will want a girl from this family in the future? Sister-in-law, do you think I'm right?"

Shen Xiaoxiao's face immediately turned pale.

She stared at her, trembling with anger. When did Xie Rutang change her gender? How dare she threaten her?

Shen Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth and reluctantly called out, "...Sister-in-law."

She practically tore my palms apart.

Seeing that Shen Xiaoxiao was quite angry and dared not utter a sound, Xie Rutang was satisfied.

That's right, from now on she won't have to consider other people's feelings in everything she does at the Shen family.

She had been married into the Shen family for a year when Shen Yuan suddenly abandoned martial arts for literature and died on the battlefield. If we really had to say, the Shen family owed her, their new daughter-in-law, a debt!

After that, Shen Xiaoxiao's relationship with her became extremely strained, and she never spoke a word to her again.

Xie Rutang sat in the carriage, feeling the swaying of the journey, and could hear the noise of the street outside through the curtain.

She gently stroked her lower abdomen, her brows furrowing slightly. She wondered if the fertility-enhancing medicine the old lady had given her these past few days had been effective. She had been taking it for two days in a row, taking it every time she had intercourse with Pei Zhiheng.

The mountain road was so bumpy that Xie Rutang felt dizzy and disoriented. They didn't arrive at Dao'an Temple until noon.

The Shen family donates incense to Dao'an Temple every year. When they learned that the old lady was coming, the abbot cleaned the temple in advance for them.

Ye Wanyu had already helped the old lady out of the car. The temperature on the mountain would be lower at night, so the coral red floral patterned jacket she was wearing was a bit thicker than her summer clothes. She was wearing a gold-inlaid jade headdress, which made her look bright and flamboyant. At this moment, she was exchanging pleasantries with the abbot.

To outsiders, Ye Wanyu was shrewd and capable, praised by everyone, and earned a great reputation.

The temple sent two young nuns over to invite them inside, while the old lady was supported by her maid.

The temple is surrounded by ancient trees, and the air is filled with the rich scent of sandalwood. There aren't many worshippers at this hour.

The abbot has already arranged meditation rooms for them. Several rooms are located in the same monastery, and several nuns have also been assigned there.

However, when choosing a meditation room, the old lady was assigned to a meditation room facing west, which was the largest room and just right for the elders to rest.

Then Ye Wanyu and Shen Xiaoxiao picked out the remaining good rooms, and Xie Rutang was the last to choose.

All that was left for her was the meditation room facing north, which was chilly at night, with cold, dark corners, and poor lighting during the day. The ancient cypress tree planted at the entrance blocked half of the window.

When Jin Yue arrived with her mistress, she was so angry at the sight of the environment that her hands trembled. "They've taken all the good meditation rooms! It's outrageous! They're just taking advantage of the mistress's good nature."

"The meditation room that the eldest daughter occupied was originally a room for two people, with two beds. But just now, the eldest daughter went to the old lady and said that she was not used to sleeping with others, so she took the room all to herself!"

Xie Rutang frowned as she entered the meditation room. Indeed, there was not much light. Before Shen Yuan passed away, he had never made her suffer. His last words were that the Shen family should treat her, the widow, well.

But what did the Shen family do?

Xie Rutang couldn't swallow her anger any longer. She walked out of the room, intending to confront the old lady about why Shen Xiaoxiao was allowed to occupy the two-person room all to herself.

As soon as she arrived in the courtyard, the abbot noticed her. Upon learning of her situation, he clasped his hands together and said, "Madam Shen is truly a pitiful person."

Xie Rutang also sought his guidance, wondering if her deceased husband had been reincarnated. So she came to the Mahavira Hall with the abbot.

The Buddha statue sitting on a lotus pedestal is solemn and dignified. The corridors are high and spacious, and the sounds of wooden fish and chanting of Buddhist scriptures can be heard all around.

Madam Shen asked her to copy Buddhist scriptures for Shen Yuan in the main hall before she was allowed to go back and rest. After she finished copying the scriptures devoutly, she went to ask the abbot for advice.

The abbot remained silent with his eyes closed. When he opened them, he answered her questions, telling her that her karmic ties with Shen Yuan had ended and that Shen Yuan had been reincarnated into a wealthy and prosperous family.

Xie Rutang silently shed tears after hearing this, recalling all the sweet words Shen Yuan had said to her after their marriage.

Seeing that she turned her face away, not wanting others to see her loss of composure, and secretly wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, the abbot took the initiative to arrange for her to stay in the same quiet and elegant meditation room where she had last visited the mountain to worship Buddha.

That meditation room is located on the west side of the temple, surrounded by bamboo groves, far from the hustle and bustle, making it the perfect place for quiet solitude.

Xie Rutang was somewhat surprised and assumed that the meditation room was unoccupied and had been vacant for years, so he let a young novice monk lead him there.

After she left, a yellow hem of robes swept past beneath the dark red banners hanging in the hall, and a man with a dignified and imposing appearance slowly stepped out from behind the Buddha statue, his feet clad in dark gold leather boots.