Rong Shu carefully examined the things Xie had given her.
It contains bird’s nest and donkey-hide gelatin.
She took out a little from each of them, carefully wrapped them up, and said softly, “No need to say anything else. Have someone send these things to your home tomorrow.”
Of course, she didn’t dare take all of what Xie gave her home; she only dared to set aside a little bit.
Even this little bit made her feel incredibly guilty.
When she married into the Song family, she shamelessly went to their door to ask for the marriage.
Her father had been gone for two years, and the family was almost penniless, so her dowry was extremely meager.
The Song family, however, did not skimp on her betrothal gifts.
But because of this, she always felt inferior to her other sisters-in-law.
In addition, she was never good with words, and sometimes Shen Ying and Qin Mingxiang from the second wife would use this matter to make sarcastic remarks about her.
Of course, she could ignore all of this, after all, she had only realized after experiencing poverty that without money, one is truly nothing.
But she insisted on considering her younger brother’s future success in the imperial examinations, the family’s reputation, and her deceased father’s reputation.
That’s why she always acted cautiously. Even when she wanted to help her family, she only dared to use her own allowance instead of asking Song Wenjing for more.
She even sometimes thought that she was just someone who was being paid by the Song family.
She received her monthly allowance and helped Song Wenjing with his daily affairs.
It just so happens that Song Wenjing doesn’t love her and is indifferent to her, so it feels even more fitting when you think about it.
Seeing Mei Yun’s aggrieved look, she went over and squeezed her hand: “I’m sorry you’ve suffered following me, but you know the situation at home now. A-Yu is young and has a strong sense of pride. If I directly ask Third Master for money, A-Yu will be sad and won’t ask me for money anymore.”
Mei Yun knew the reason behind it, of course; she just felt sorry for Rong Shu.
They could have had a better life.
Mei Yun said no more. Following her instructions, she carefully collected the separated bird’s nest and donkey-hide gelatin, and then registered the rest and sent them to the small storeroom.
Rong Shu continued to sit by the window, embroidering the brocade pouch that was almost finished last night.
As lunchtime approached, Songtao Garden was unusually visited by guests.
Shen Ying entered surrounded by several old women and maids.
The person who used to be arrogant and haughty was now walking in two steps and speaking very casually.
Rong Shu went to greet her, “What brings you here today, sister-in-law?”
The old woman beside Shen Ying stood silently in front of Rong Shu, preventing Rong Shu from touching her mistress.
Rong Shu knew this old woman was formidable, so she stopped and pretended not to know the old woman’s intentions.
“Someone, make some tea.”
After being helped to sit down by the old woman, Shen Ying stroked her still flat belly and said, “Third sister-in-law, there’s no need to trouble yourself. I can’t drink much tea these days.”
Rong Shu then sat down, smiling, “I haven’t had a chance to congratulate my sister-in-law yet.”
She didn’t bring up the undeserved misfortune she suffered yesterday, but Shen Ying did.
“To be honest, it was Fifth Master and I who were in the wrong yesterday, and it was my sister-in-law who got hurt instead.”
Rong Shu smiled magnanimously: “It’s just a minor injury. The harmony between you two as a couple is more important than anything else.”
Having witnessed Shen Ying’s relentless attacks on her in her previous life, Rong Shu knew that Shen Ying was not as easy to talk to as she appeared.
She wasn’t that stupid to think that Shen Ying wanted to befriend her.
She guessed that Shen Ying had come today probably because of Song Wenping’s matter.
Sure enough, upon hearing her words, Shen Yingcai feigned sorrow and said, “It was all because of that vile woman surnamed Huo who caused trouble, which led to me and Fifth Master always arguing…”
She touched her flat belly again and said, “But now that Huo has been sent to the estate by my mother, and I am pregnant again. I can’t be separated from someone. Fifth Master was sent to the family temple this morning. From now on, I will be all alone in the Fifth Branch. I feel so lonely.”
At this moment, Mei Yun brought up tea.
Rong Shu picked up her teacup and took a sip, feigning distress: “Sister-in-law is right. Without Aunt Huo interfering, you and Fifth Brother will naturally live in harmony.”
Shen Ying thought that Rong Shu wasn’t stupid enough not to understand the unspoken meaning behind her words, and she thought that Rong Shu would continue to say what she was saying.
Unexpectedly, after Rong Shu put down her teacup, she looked around at the old women and maids who were firmly protecting Shen Ying, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
“But to say that the fifth branch has no one is a joke. Your sister-in-law has more nannies and maids than we do in Songtao Garden.”
Shen Ying’s smile froze.
She felt that Rong Shu seemed prickly today.
But she remembered why she had come today, so she could only continue with the words she had prepared earlier.
“They’re all servants, how can they compare to the person beside you in bed?”
Rong Shu remained attentively listening to her, but did not initiate the conversation.
Shen Ying’s rare patience had worn thin, so she had no choice but to get straight to the point and explain her purpose.
“Third sister-in-law, we were indeed wrong yesterday, but since you’re doing well now, please don’t let Third Brother punish our master, okay?”
Her words made Rong Shu’s brow twitch.
“Fifth Brother was punished on Father’s orders. What does it have to do with Third Master?”
She was genuinely puzzled. Yesterday, Song Wenping was punished by Master Song to kneel in the ancestral hall, so the decision to go to the family temple must have been made by Master Song as well.
What does this have to do with Song Wenjing?
Shen Ying thought she was faking madness, and half of the gentleness on her face disappeared.
“Third sister-in-law, stop pretending. Father originally didn’t intend to severely punish our Fifth Master. It was your Third Master who reprimanded him for a long time in front of Father, saying that he was unambitious and disrespectful to his elder brother and sister-in-law. But our Fifth Master has always been very respectful to Third Brother…”
Shen Ying didn’t finish her sentence, but Rong Shu understood.
That is to say, Song Wenjing reprimanded Song Wenping on her behalf, which led to Song Wenping being sent to the family temple.
But Rong Shu didn’t think Song Wenjing was doing it for her.
Song Wenping was always eccentric. His mother-in-law had said before that she was worried that this illegitimate son would cause trouble in the future and affect the Song family’s reputation.
Moreover, in his previous life, Song Wenping did indeed get into quite a mess.
She lowered her brows slightly and said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but besides my father and mother, no one else can make the decision to send my fifth brother to the family temple, right?”
Shen Ying paused for a moment.
That’s true, but if Song Wenjing hadn’t stirred things up, given his father-in-law’s affection for his youngest son, how could he have sent him to the family temple to be confined for so long?
They even said they were praying for Aunt Huo’s child.
Is a lowly bastard really worth all this?
Rong Shu, who was usually honest and unassuming, suddenly became sharp-tongued, which Shen Ying, with her volatile temper, could not tolerate.
“Is my third sister-in-law unwilling to help me?”
Her sharp tongue actually made Rong Shu more accustomed to it.
She knew that Shen Ying would never come to her without a reason.
She said awkwardly, “I didn’t know about this because my sister-in-law didn’t tell me, but since it was Father who made the decision, it would be more effective for my sister-in-law to talk to Father or Mother.”
She looked at Shen Ying: “I have little influence and am not good with words. I might just anger my father instead…”
Shen Ying sneered, “I don’t think Third Sister-in-law is bad at speaking.”
Since Jiang Rongshu isn’t going to help, she doesn’t need to fawn over her anymore.
“That’s true. My third sister-in-law is often alone in her room, so naturally she doesn’t understand the loving relationship between my husband and me. Besides…”
She deliberately glanced at Rong Shu’s stomach.
“Besides, my third sister-in-law has been married for a year and has not gotten pregnant, so she can’t understand why I want my husband to be with me while I’m pregnant.”