♂?，，

  After this commotion, the fourth wife's face was lost, and she couldn't bear to let the first wife stay in the mansion as a guest. The first wife took advantage of the situation to bid farewell, and before getting into the carriage, she gave Ding Yu a stern look in front of the fourth wife. Unlike when they arrived, she didn't let Ding Min accompany her, but instead held onto Li Mama's hand and got into the carriage.

  The second lady, seemingly lost in thought, bid a warm farewell to the fourth concubine. After spending half a day together, the second lady unexpectedly formed some connection with the fourth concubine. Following lunch, the second lady spoke of many fresh news from the capital, demonstrating her keen awareness of information. Perhaps she knew or was probing whether the fourth concubine had arranged a marriage for her son. The second lady mentioned many things, subtly reminding the fourth concubine that renowned ladies from noble families would not marry into the Zhou family, which was considered to be of lower status. Even if it were a concubine's daughter, she would rather marry a minor official than enter a merchant's household. Generally, someone who could match the Zhou family's status would not satisfy the fourth concubine either.

  A talent like Zhou Shi Xian, neither high nor low, is the most difficult to deal with. In the capital city, the Zhou family can't even be considered, unless Zhou Shi Xian gets a good grade, otherwise it's not the Zhou family's daughter-in-law. The second wife accompanied the first wife back to the mansion in a carriage. The first wife closed her eyes and rested, while the second wife turned her eyes several times, only then did she see things clearly, it wasn't Ding Rou's fault, but the first wife let Ding return to the mansion to kneel as punishment for her sister's face, whether it was true or not, who knows? Can the fourth wife still come to the mansion and watch?

  It can be seen that the old lady did not have the intention of marrying into the Zhou family, and when she came, she heard that Ding Min, who was of the right age, would not marry early due to the high monk's instructions in the temple. Ding Rou also had a bad relationship with Zhou Shi Xian. Given the degree of affection the old lady had for Ding Rou, there was no way she would marry her off to a merchant or to Zhou Shi Xian, who looked down on Ding Rou. She never thought that the old lady would marry off her eldest daughter, Ding Ju. The second lady may not have been very kind-hearted, but she could please the old lady and was clever. Her father and brothers were officials who had passed the imperial examination, and in her childhood, she saw her brother studying hard. Zhou Shi Xian heard from the fourth lady that she was quite talented, and today he actually said that Ding Rou was not inferior to her, wondering if she could pass the exam within the top five.

  Zhou Shi Xian was a refined and elegant man, but he had many concubines by his side, which made him not very reliable. However, there was one advantage: his family was wealthy. The second wife leaned in close to the first wife and smiled, saying "Elder sister?"

  The elder lady opened her eyes and said with a hint of apology: "Just now, I was bothered by Liu Yatou and neglected you two siblings."

  "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. Although Liu Yatou's words are a bit sharp, she is also considering the reputation of the Ding family. The daughters by her sister's side are all excellent, and as for her niece, who in the capital does not know that she is virtuous? Ding Min is also a filial and clever girl, with an air of elegance that has learned from Madame Lanlinghou five times. Ding Jiu is lovely and charming, and Ding Rou, who has never been very noticeable, I see today's momentum, indeed has some similarities with you, more sensible than before."

  The first wife smiled slightly, able to hear the second wife's two words of praise. She knew that she had something to ask for, and the first wife was pleased in her heart. When going out, they represented the face and dignity of the Ding family. The relationship between the wives was harmonious, and the second wife would often yield to the first wife in front of outsiders. Although they had some hidden struggles and friction within the household, outside they were a united family and couldn't let others see that the Ding family was not harmonious.

  The big wife patted the second wife's hand and said: "I think Ding Yun is also good."

  "Alas, Yun'er is still young, I'm not in a hurry, but Ding Yu... Eldest Sister, I won't hide it from you, Yu Niang's talent is only eight out of ten, and her natural endowment is good too. But can one always live life with poetic charm? Can holding onto poetry books achieve anything? Although she was born out of wedlock, sometimes when I lose my temper, I scold her a couple of times. In terms of food, clothing, and daily necessities, I haven't treated her unfairly in the least. Yu Niang's temperament is gentle, if I say something heavy-handed, she'll become teary-eyed, as if she's suffered a great injustice, making it difficult for me to speak. If Mother finds out that I've been unfair to the concubine-born daughter, won't I be punished by family law?"

  The elder lady advised: "Mother knows about Second Brother and Sister's affection for Fourth Maiden."

  "I originally wanted her to do some needlework, calm down and get rid of that bookish air. She's talented and has a good family background, why can't she be married off to a noble family? Fourth Miss doesn't understand my good intentions, she just... Ah, our household is supporting a seamstress, am I short on shoes and socks? Isn't it all for her own good? After Yu Miss came of age, I also looked at several families with her, often taking her out, all for the sake of her marriage."

  "Have you two made up your minds?"

  She was matched with Zhou Shixian, who was good at poetry and painting outside of his nephew. He could talk to Ding Yu about a place, and Ding Yu's personality was gentle and obedient. She couldn't suppress her husband, but the fourth wife could handle him well. The Zhou family was wealthy and didn't treat Ding Yu unfairly.

  "To be honest with you, sister, if you don't mind, I was thinking of marrying Yú Niáng to the Zhou family. At least that way, she'll have food and clothing without worries, and I can consider myself having done right by her and her late mother."

  The second wife secretly observed the first wife's reaction, whether Ding Yu could keep her husband, but the second wife didn't have the mood to consider it for her. Although it was for Ding Yu's good, the second wife also had some personal motives. When a married woman returns to her parents' home on festivals, she has to bring gifts, and the Zhou family is wealthy, so they won't be too stingy with the gifts. The second wife thought that marrying off her illegitimate daughter to the Zhou family, to a scholar, would also improve their reputation. The more she thought about it, the more she felt it was a good marriage.

  The first wife couldn't wait to get rid of the four concubines. Looking at Zhou Shixian's behavior today, regardless of whether he was a high school graduate or not, the first wife would never marry her daughter off to him. Ding Min still had to keep an eye on Ding Yi's situation. Although Ding Yi was recovering well now, she was worried that something might go wrong. As for Ding Rou, the first wife was very clear about it - Old Madam could make most of the decisions, and Old Master was getting older and more cunning. In recent years, although he didn't often leave the house, there were many elder sisters around, so the first wife didn't need to worry about Ding Rou anymore. Old Madam would definitely choose the most suitable one for Ding Rou.

  "I also see that it's a good thing, Yu Niang and my nephew standing together, truly a perfect match, only..."

  The old lady first stated that she had no intention of marrying her daughter to the Zhou family, and sighed: "My fourth sister from my mother's side is a strong-willed person. In her early years, she was ruined by her proud heart and high spirits. Since my fourth brother-in-law passed away, I've seen that she has become more even-tempered. My second younger brother's wife also saw it today, and she treats my nephew like a precious egg. I'm afraid she doesn't know how good Yu Niang is."

  The elder lady didn't show any disdain, instead she used a good word. The second lady's eyebrows and eyes were relaxed with a smile, "Elder sister, as long as you don't mind, I'll have an 80% chance of succeeding in this marriage arrangement. Zhou family's nephew is also sympathetic to Yu Niang. Yu Niang can't see it yet, but I think she will eventually appreciate Zhou family's nephew's talent."

  "Second brother and sister, don't worry, I've already made arrangements for Min'er and Ju'er. As for Liu Yatou, it depends on Mother's opinion. Mother is kind and loves her granddaughters, she won't let Liu Yatou suffer. Liu Yatou has a strong personality that doesn't allow others to bully her, my nephew looks down on Liu Yatou."

  The big wife expressed again that no matter whether Zhou Shixian was a high school student or not, she would not compete with the second wife for him. As long as the second wife could make the fourth concubine nod her head in agreement, she would not interfere and ruin the second wife's good deed.

  The second lady smiled and asked, "Sister-in-law, have you prepared the gift for Yu Niang's dowry?"

  "Sharp tongue but a soft heart, this is all for Yú's sake, I won't let her down."

  The two of them chatted and laughed, the horse carriage returned to the Ding residence. The courtyard was lit up with lanterns, and the first and second madams bid each other farewell. Ding Rou sent the first madam back to her room before returning to stand beside Madame Tao. The more Madame Tao valued her, the more careful Yao became.

  Ding Ruo's situation was only slightly better than when she had just returned to the manor, and far from being carefree. Even if Old Madame was fond of Ding Ruo, she wouldn't dare be careless because of her argument with Eldest Mistress, who held the position of legitimate mother.

  Ding Ruo's cautious and respectful attitude made the old lady look at her with a new eye, resting on the couch, narrowing her eyes to gaze at her three daughters in front of her. The second lady could see that Ding Min had learned five parts from Yi Er, how could she not see it? Seeing that Ding Min always wore pearl hairpins, the old lady put half of her heart at ease. She scattered more incense money and begged the Buddha for blessings, Yi Er's current condition might not be able to hold on, and there was no need to worry about leaving behind any aftereffects, in this regard, there was a bit of Ding Ruo's credit involved.

  The big wife is ruthless and astute, but also a person who distinguishes between kindness and resentment. For those who have been kind to her, she will remember, such as Liu Shi, and now Ding Rou. In the past, people said that Ding Rou's facial features were most similar to Ding Yi's, but now it seems that Ding Rou has taken on some of her appearance. Perhaps it was because Liu Shi had stayed by her side for a long time, and even when she was pregnant with Ding Rou, she didn't forget to serve her, so Ding Rou took on some of her aura.

  "Sixth Sister, go back and take good care of Madame Tao in Songyuan. From now on, when speaking outside, do not use favoritism to get things done."

  "Yes."

  Ding Rou bent her knees slightly, and the mistress did not mention the punishment of kneeling. Ding Rou was delighted to avoid suffering, and the matter of kneeling punishment was lightly passed over.

  "Mother, if it weren't for Six's sister speaking up first, I might have also taken it to heart."

  Ding Min smiled brightly as she handed the tea cup to the elder lady, and softly sighed: "Eldest Brother Zhou is always the only son of Fourth Aunt, and he's also Fifth Sister's legitimate older cousin. I wanted to speak up, but was afraid of losing face in front of Mother, so I got angry instead, and couldn't catch up with Sixth Sister's quick and reckless words."

  Ding Ruo lowered her head to avoid the mocking gaze, Ding Min was not willing to miss any opportunity, and she wanted to mock Ding Min with a few words. However, she thought that today she had already caused trouble, and it wasn't a good idea to compete with Ding Min in front of the main mistress. The main mistress obviously favored Ding Min, and doted on her, while Ding Ruo stood aside watching Ding Min's performance. Why was she so certain that Ding Yi would die young? She had been reborn and made many changes to the details, how could she be sure that Ding Yi wouldn't live on?

  "I'm fine with anything, as long as I won't let others misunderstand that my elder sister is not virtuous."

  Ding Min's eyes were brimming with tears, kneeling on the footboard, said: "Please mother allow me to go to Ci'an Temple tomorrow to pray for my sister's safety."

  "Why go to Ni Ci An to pray for blessings?"

  "My daughter heard that the incense of Niang Ci An is very effective, although it's a bit far away. But my daughter doesn't mind the hardship, everything is worth it for her sister. Mother, please let me do something for my sister."

  Ding Min bowed her head, Ding Ruo and the old lady were frowning, Nian Ci An had never received any incense from the Ding family before, nor was it as famous as Ding Min said. She suddenly suggested going to Nian Ci An, which seemed a bit strange. The old lady pretended to be unable to persuade Ding Min, "Alright, I'll let Li Mama go with you tomorrow, Li Mama, prepare more money for incense oil, Min'er says Nian Ci An is efficacious, and the incense oil money must be given."

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "Take good care of Min'er, she lost a single strand of hair, I won't forgive you."

  "Don't worry, madam, I'll be following Third Miss at all times."

  Ding Ruo's eyes widened as she saw Ding Min's face turn pale, with Li Mama, the loyal and devoted maid of the second mistress, following closely behind. Ding Min had a thoughtful expression, but it was hard to put into words. On the way back to Songyuan, Ding Ruo thought about how Ding Min had comforted Wang Gongzi when he saw the Qian sisters for the first time... Wasn't it... wasn't it... who did Ding Min go to see at Ci'an Temple? Ding Ruo looked up at the snowflakes gently falling from the sky, unable to see the stars. Rebirth, indeed a great golden finger, but others aren't all fools either. Tomorrow will be very cold, can Ding Min hold on? The peak of Ci'an Temple is very cold.

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