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  On the day of the Double Ninth Festival, the autumn was high and refreshing. Ding Ruo wore a silver-red pleated skirt, a same-colored underskirt, a braid on her head with a morning glory flower, bright silver earrings, and a white wrist with a jade bracelet. After dressing up neatly, she turned three times in front of the mirror, still relatively satisfied. Ding Ruo didnt like overly luxurious accessories, and even if she did, the current conditions couldnt afford her extravagant lifestyle.

  "Sixth Miss, your aunt is calling you."

  "Here comes, here comes."

  Ding Rou slightly lifted her skirt, which was a bit of a problem. The skirt was quite long, and although the Great Qin Dynasty didnt require women to bind their feet, it seemed that historical habits still lingered, making it unacceptable for women to expose their feet freely. As a result, skirts were generally longer. Ding Rou wasnt used to this and was always afraid of tripping over her hem and falling, which would be too embarrassing. According to the memories stored in her body, all the young ladies from good families had certain rules and etiquette when walking. In the Ding household, there were even people specifically tasked with teaching these manners to the young misses. Ding Rou once again felt grateful that she had been sent away to the countryside to fend for herself; otherwise, being trapped within the large mansion would have made her feel stifled, even if she wasnt afraid. A life of luxury and fine food couldnt compensate for the suffocating atmosphere, which would inevitably lead to mental distress.

  "Mother." Ting Ruo smiled and walked into the Lius residence, sizing up Mrs. Lius attire, a brand new sky blue cheongsam that made her look as gentle as a willow in the wind. At sixteen, she had given birth to Ting Ruo, and now at twenty-five or six, she was in her prime as a woman. Recently, her daughter had been filial and understanding, gradually erasing the worries that had accumulated on Mrs. Lius brow over the years. Usually, Ting Ruo would advise her mother to let go of her grievances and not bottle up her emotions inside. A faint smile hung on Mrs. Lius face, adding a touch of soft beauty to her features. A beautiful woman with a melancholic air was indeed pitiful, but which man could tolerate a beauty who always furrowed her brow?

  Ding Ruo had long expected that Liu Shis attire would be simple, and all the valuable things in her home had been sold. She asked a doctor to prescribe medicine, and apart from half of the jade pendant, even the red gold bangle that Ding Jia Lao Ye gave her was taken away by someone. Ding Ruo took out a golden hairpin and inserted it into Liu Shis temple, Liu Shi touched it and said, "This is... isnt this Xiao Ruos favorite Haitang Golden Hairpin?"

  Ding Ruo pressed down on the hand of Liu Shi who was about to put on the hairpin, "Mine is Mothers, Mother looks good with it." With the golden hairpin, Liu Shi had a bit more noble air than before, and her gentle and delicate temperament was highlighted. Ding Ruo praised, "Mother is a beauty."

  "Your daughter, Ding Xiang, will become a beautiful woman in the future." Mrs. Liu gently stroked Ding Xiangs cheek, and her daughter had a brighter and warmer smile than before, with sparkling eyes that shone brightly, all the previous madness and resentment had disappeared with the illness, and Mrs. Liu felt that her daughter would only get better with age.

  Ding Rou smiled and said, "What mother and daughter can praise each other?" Ding Rou supported Liu Shi out the door, saw that Lin Xin had re-decorated herself, although not as exaggerated as before, but after Lin Xin dressed up, her beauty immediately dropped two levels. Lin Xin was unwilling to add trouble for Ding Rou, beautiful women are reluctant to dress themselves in an unattractive way, ugly but at least better than being robbed by the lustful young master.

  Ding Ruo didnt say anything, but she remembered everything in her heart. As soon as Ding Ruo walked out of the gate, she faintly heard a scolding voice from a woman who looked like a shrew, "Youre so heartless, you deserve to be hacked to pieces... Youre going to find that shameless cheap woman again... Why am I so unlucky... Following him and suffering... Asking grandpa and grandma for help, but got nothing... Heartless!"

  "Shut up, you stinky girls! Dont you see what she looks like? Lis wife is more gentle and knowledgeable than you. Im telling you the truth, in two days Ill have someone carry her into my house. Be obedient..."

  "Woe is me! This scoundrel has no conscience. Im done for, Miss. Let me tell you, with Miss around, that lowly woman surnamed Li will never set foot in this house."

  Ding Rou immediately heard the sound of a man and woman fighting, Lius family pulled Ding Rous wrist, afraid that Ding Rou would go up and intervene. Ding Rou comforted her with a smile, "Mother, she is not my person, I will not go up."

  Liu took a deep breath, wondering if Ding Rou used to be someone who liked to interfere in other peoples business. She said in a low voice, "The one who quarreled was the manager of the Zhuangzi, and I had spoken with Li Mama before." When Ding Rou first arrived at the Zhuangzi, she was eager to return to the Ding Mansion, so she was very friendly to Li Mama, hoping that Li Mama would pass on a message to her aunt, who was by Madames side, allowing Ding Rou to return. Therefore, Ding Rou used to not be someone who liked to interfere in other peoples business, but rather she had been trying to curry favor with Li Mama in order to return to the mansion.

  "Oh." Ding Rou supported Liu Shi out the door, "What about Zhuangzis steward?"

  "Her surname is Wang, and I heard that she has a lover outside..." Mrs. Liu stopped talking, these messy things are not suitable for Ding Rou to know, but looking at Ding Rous interested expression, it doesnt seem like the attitude of a 10-year-old girl. If it werent for believing what Ding Rou said about the ghost repaying kindness, Mrs. Liu might really go and ask monks and Taoist priests to catch the demon. Ding Rou has become somewhat casual in front of Mrs. Liu, always hiding and sneaking around is too tiring. Ding Rou plans to protect Mrs. Liu for a lifetime, being filial to her like a mother. Cant always not show Ding Rous true nature, slowly changing, Mrs. Liu will accept it."

  "Will the widow remarry? Daughter, tell me is it true?"

  Lius face was filled with shame and guilt, as if she were the one who had done something wrong. Ding Rou remembered that in the Great Qin dynasty, there was no taboo against widows remarrying, and the chastity arches had long been abolished, while the books of Cheng-Zhu Confucianism had also been burned. "Mother?"

  Lius wife was too ashamed to speak, but seeing her daughter urging her, she said: "I heard that the widow is a flirtatious person. She hooks up with one man today and another tomorrow. Its really shameful. I dont know what evil spirit possessed Wang, the steward, to take a liking to her. He not only gave her silver but also clothes, and now he wants to bring her into our household as his concubine. No wonder Lis mother is crying so much. Xiao Rou, although Lis mother looks plump now, she was actually quite pretty before marriage. She followed her aunt around, and there were even some masters in the Ding family who wanted to take her in as a concubine. However, her aunt refused, and after begging for mercy from the madam, she herself fell in love with Wang, the steward, and they got married. Lis mother is greedy, but she has always been faithful to Wang, the steward. Alas, most of the money that Lis mother saved up was given by Wang, the steward, to that widow."

  Another heartless and cruel man. Ding Ruo lowered her eyelashes, "Mother, lets not talk about this anymore, lets go pick osmanthus on the mountain."

  Ding Ruo was thinking to herself, was the red gold bangle that Li Mama took from Liu Shi still in her hands? Ding Ruo could see how much Liu Shi treasured the red gold bangle. In her memory, the master of the Ding household, Old Master Ding, was a handsome man. Its said that women will remember their first love for a lifetime. A traditional woman like Liu Shi would surely have feelings for him too. Although Liu Shi had always been mindful of her place as a concubine, she also had romantic notions about love. Ding Ruo looked down on men who had multiple wives and concubines, but Liu Shi came from an era where this was common, so it would be difficult for her to accept Ding Ruos views. Ding Ruo thought that taking back the bangle would at least serve as a memento for Liu Shi, reminding her of the time she was favored by Old Master Ding and received his praise.

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