Early the next morning, Pei Zheng was woken by a servant.
“What time is it?” he asked, opening his eyes and staring at the canopy above. His voice was deep, slightly hoarse from sleep.
The maid replied, “Reporting to the Marquis, it is now the third quarter of the Mao hour.”
The third quarter of the Mao hour.
Pei Zheng paused in mild astonishment, realizing he had slept two quarters longer than usual today.
He lowered his gaze and looked at Jiang Yao’s peaceful sleeping face, soft and flushed. His expression softened slightly. Holding such warmth in his arms, he even found himself feeling a faint reluctance to let go.
Carefully, he removed the arm she had draped across his chest. His eyes gradually cleared.
As expected, overly comfortable bedding easily dulled one’s willpower.
After washing and dressing in an orderly manner, Pei Zheng prepared to leave. Before going, he instructed, “If Madam asks where I have gone, tell her I have gone to court. I will have lunch at the office.”
Lü Fei nodded. “This servant will remember.”
A few hours later, Jiang Yao woke groggily. Just then, someone from Madam Luo arrived to invite her to choose fabrics for summer clothing.
The moment Jiang Yao heard this, she instantly became alert. As she left, she vaguely felt she had forgotten something—but no matter how hard she tried, she could not recall it, so she simply let it go.
In Madam Luo’s residence hall, laughter filled the room when Jiang Yao arrived. Luo Fuqu’s voice, in particular, rang out the loudest.
Xue Jiao, as always, was gentle and quiet. To Jiang Yao’s surprise, Pei Mingrong was also present, wearing a veil to cover the marks left by her healing sores.
Seeing Jiang Yao, Luo Fuqu raised her brows and smiled brightly. “Eldest Sister-in-law is here. We’ve all been waiting for you.”
Her tone was warm and enthusiastic, showing no trace of their previous conflict.
Jiang Yao raised her delicate brows slightly, unsure what she was plotting.
Seeing that Jiang Yao did not respond, Luo Fuqu did not mind. She simply returned to Madam Luo’s side and acted intimately with her.
After learning yesterday that Madam Luo had exempted Jiang Yao from morning greetings, she was not only unbothered but delighted.
Since Xue Jiao, being pregnant, no longer needed to come daily, and now Jiang Yao was also excused, that meant the opportunity to serve Madam Luo personally belonged to her alone.
So early that morning, she had come to Madam Luo’s residence hall, personally helping her mother-in-law wash, dress, and eat, refusing any assistance from others.
Even now, she felt no fatigue. Instead, she was full of energy—especially at the thought that she could outshine Jiang Yao and gain the reputation of being more virtuous.
However, Madam Luo merely lifted her eyelids, glanced at Jiang Yao, and said somewhat listlessly, “Since you are here, start dividing these things.”
She gestured for the servants to bring items in. On the carved trays were sets of jewelry—each piece exquisite, elegant, and inlaid with dazzling gemstones. There were also several bolts of fabric, woven with gold thread, smooth and richly patterned—fine Song brocade.
After studying Madam Luo’s face for a moment, Jiang Yao asked directly, “Mother, you do not look very well. Are you ill?”
At this, Xue Jiao and Pei Mingrong both stepped forward in concern.
But Luo Fuqu immediately frowned in anger. “Eldest Sister-in-law, what do you mean by that? I have been personally serving Mother all morning. If she were ill, how could I not know?”
She deliberately emphasized the words “personally serving,” clearly showing off.
Madam Luo pressed her temples and glanced at her overly proud daughter-in-law before saying flatly, “I am fine. Just a little tired. Hurry up and divide them.”
So she could go back and rest.
But Luo Fuqu remained oblivious and leaned in eagerly. “It is almost your noon rest time. Shall this daughter-in-law help you back to your room later?”
The moment she heard this, Madam Luo shivered and quickly waved her hand. “No need.”
“You have worked hard today. You do not need to come so early in the future. Spend more time caring for Mingxue and Yan’er’s father. Do not worry about me.”
She could not afford this kind of “filial devotion.”
Luo Fuqu froze, finally realizing she had overdone it—and that she had been rejected.
Seeing this, Jiang Yao and Xue Jiao exchanged a glance, both amused.
After the small interlude, Madam Luo sighed and asked, “Who will choose first?”
“I…” Luo Fuqu began immediately, but quickly held back, rolling her eyes as she pretended generosity. “Eldest Sister-in-law should go first. Everything here is good anyway—I like all of them.”
She even pulled back Pei Mingrong, who had been about to step forward.
Jiang Yao could not be bothered with their scheming. With a sweeping gesture, she selected what she liked.
“This bracelet is nice. I’ll take it!”
“This set of head ornaments, this hairpin, this necklace, this crown, these bracelets—I want them all!”
“And these bolts of fabric too. I like the colors and patterns. I’ll use them for new clothes. I’ll take them all!”
“…!”
Both Luo Fuqu and Pei Mingrong stared at her in shock. “Y-you’re taking so many?”
Jiang Yao glanced at them, puzzled. “Didn’t you tell me to choose? I like them all, so I’m taking them all.”
Luo Fuqu pointed at the fabrics in her hands, voice trembling. “That one—I like that pattern too!”
“Oh?” Jiang Yao lifted the bolt of brocade and smiled faintly. “Then you should have chosen earlier.”
“You did it on purpose!”
Watching her favorite items being taken away, Luo Fuqu finally lost her composure.
Jiang Yao’s eyes glimmered, half-smiling. “And if I did? If you were truly generous, then so be it. But you were only pretending. If you wanted to act generous, you should have expected this outcome.”
She picked up another hairpin and examined it as if she liked it very much.
Pei Mingrong stared at it anxiously. “I like that hairpin! Give it to me!”
Jiang Yao replied calmly, “No.”
“Do you even understand what it means to yield?” Pei Mingrong demanded angrily.
Jiang Yao chuckled softly. “I do. You yield to me.”
Yield? That depended entirely on who the other party was—and whether she was willing.
If neither condition was met, why should she yield? On what grounds?
In the Jiang family, the best things were always chosen by her first, before being passed down to younger siblings.
So faced with Pei Mingrong’s righteous demands, she only became more righteous.
“I am the new daughter-in-law. What’s wrong with you yielding to me?”
Pei Mingrong was stunned. “But you are older than me—and I even call you Eldest Sister-in-law!”
Jiang Yao sat down and casually sipped her tea. “Exactly. I am your elder sister-in-law. I am your senior. Shouldn’t you yield to me?”
“You are being unreasonable!” Pei Mingrong cried in anger, turning to Madam Luo. “Mother, look at her!”
Madam Luo closed her eyes briefly, silently repeating three times: It is better to distribute fairly than to lack equally.
Then she opened her eyes and chose to comfort her daughter instead.
“Your sister-in-law is right. You should let her have this one time. Besides, that hairpin is not suitable for an unmarried girl.”
Her instinct told her clearly: letting her daughter take a step back would lead to peace, but letting Jiang Yao take a step back would lead to chaos.
At that moment, Jiang Yao noticed the hairpin was carved with pomegranate motifs—symbolizing fertility and many children. Without hesitation, she stuffed it into Pei Mingrong’s hands.
“Since you like it, take it,” she said lightly. “May you have many children in the future.”
Pei Mingrong: “……”
For some reason, she suddenly did not want it anymore.
Ignoring her reaction, Jiang Yao picked a few suitable items for Xue Jiao, then happily left with her people and her spoils.
Watching her slender figure leave, Xue Jiao shook her head helplessly.
Such a free-spirited personality… truly enviable.