Quick Transmigration: Survive to the End

To find out how much genuine affection the old lady still had for her eldest daughter, and also to avoid causing her to harbor resentment towards the household as she was about to be selected for the imperial concubine selection, the old lady quickly approached the Earl of Zhongxin and brought up his excessive favoritism.

After hearing his mother's scolding, Zhongxin felt a little wronged.

He felt that he was only slightly biased towards his concubine and her daughter, so why did it become like this, where, apart from his concubine and her daughter, his mother, wife, and even his other children and servants all felt that he was biased to an extreme degree?

After leaving the old lady's courtyard, Uncle Zhongxin looked at the second steward who had served him for many years and asked, "Tell me, do you really think I'm that biased towards the second girl?"

The second steward glanced at Earl Zhongxin in surprise, then, remembering the madam's instructions and his wife's whispered words, a thought struck him. "Master, would you like to hear the truth or something nice?"

Earl Zhongxin pretended to be angry and kicked him in the butt, saying, "If you're not going to tell the truth, what else do you want to say!"

"Ouch," the second steward pretended to be kicked and took two steps to the side, then quickly moved back to Lord Zhongxin's side. "Master usually goes to Aunt Xu's and the second young lady's places. Now that you have doubts, why don't you go and take a look at the third young lady's room?"

Zhongxinbo glanced at him, but his steps had already deviated from the original route.

Shen Ruyin had no idea of ​​the arrival of the Earl of Zhongxin, and naturally had no time to pack anything. What was presented to him was the most authentic version of herself.

Recalling the luxury in the second daughter's room, although the third daughter's room was also quite exquisitely decorated, it was difficult to find many valuable items.

The Earl of Zhongxin frowned as he looked at his third daughter, who had finished her greetings and stood silently to the side. “I remember that on your birthday last year, your wife sent you a pair of official kiln pink plum vases. Why haven’t you put them out?”

"How dare you bring that up?" Shen Ruyin barely managed to keep her face from changing. "Father, have you forgotten? Last winter, when you and Aunt Xu were admiring the plum blossoms, you mentioned that it would be a rare and elegant thing to use a plum vase to hold white plum blossoms. That afternoon, Second Sister came to borrow the plum vase from me, saying she wanted to give it to you to enjoy the flowers, and she still hasn't returned it."

Seeing the embarrassed look on Zhongxinbo's face, Shen Ruyin gave Qingzhi a wink.

Qingzhi quickly spoke up, "Miss is still speaking up for the Second Miss even now. It's not that she hasn't returned it yet. Aunt Xu has already put that plum vase in the Second Miss's dowry. How could she possibly return it!"

Upon hearing this, the Earl of Zhongxin felt somewhat embarrassed and incredulous. "What nonsense are you spouting, you maid?"

Qingzhi knelt down in front of Lord Zhongxin with a thud. "Whether I'm talking nonsense or not, Master can just ask anyone. Besides, it's not just those plum vases. Even with Madam's protection, who knows how many things in our dowry were taken away by Concubine Xu?"

"If you don't believe me, sir, have someone get the list and check it. Then you'll know that, apart from the dowry money, our young lady probably doesn't have many valuable items left."

"Qingzhi," Shen Ruyin thought to herself, but quickly stepped forward and stood in front of Qingzhi. "Qingzhi has always been straightforward but clumsy with words. I hope Father won't hold it against her."

Seeing how protective she was of the maid, the Earl of Zhongxin couldn't help but feel displeased. "Third girl, do you think this maid is right?"

Shen Ruyin turned her face away, refusing to look at Uncle Zhongxin. "Father has always been clear-headed. He knows right from wrong."

Are you blaming me?

“Your daughter wouldn’t dare,” Shen Ruyin said. “Fingers are of different lengths, and people’s hearts are biased. I’ve understood this principle since I was a child, so how could I blame my father?”

Doesn't this statement implicitly or explicitly accuse him of favoritism?

The Earl of Zhongxin stood up angrily and walked out, but then turned back, still furious, and said, "You really are unlike my daughter. You suffer injustice and just endure it like this?"

Shen Ruyin was almost amused by these words.

“What can I do?” Shen Ruyin stubbornly looked at Uncle Zhongxin. “Aunt Xu and Second Sister have your favor, Father, and they even dare to go against Mother. With just one word from her, she can take away things from my dowry. When Mother spoke up for me, she was criticized by you, Father.”

“My father told me that marriages are arranged by parents and matchmakers, but for my second sister, it’s up to her to decide who she wants to marry. She can change her mind whenever she wants, and someone will always be there to make up for it.”

As Shen Ruyin spoke, her emotions surged, and her eyes reddened, but she stubbornly refused to shed tears.

“I, Shen Ruyin, am destined to be someone else’s leftovers, someone who picks what others don’t want. You say I don’t seem like your daughter, so tell me, what am I supposed to do?”

"Father, tell me, who is it that has caused me this grievance?"

If Shen Ruyin had continued to express her dissatisfaction with Aunt Xu and her daughter, the Earl of Zhongxin could have stayed. But now that he had said this, he dared not stay a moment longer.

The reason why Aunt Xu and her daughter dared to be so arrogant in the mansion, bullying their sisters, and even the Madam Bo could only turn a blind eye, was because of his favoritism as the head of the family.

Only then did Zhongxin Bo understand why Ruyin had never complained and why she didn't have a deep-seated hatred for Er Yatou.

The root of the problem lies with him.

Seeing that Lord Zhongxin had turned and left, Qingzhi and Qingluo were both quite frightened.

"Young lady, weren't you being too offensive to the master with what you just said? Your affairs aren't completely settled yet, what if..."

“What ifs?” Shen Ruyin poured herself a cup of tea, completely unconcerned, not taking the angry Earl Zhongxin to heart at all. “Unless our household can immediately find another girl my age.”

"Alright, alright, doesn't your leg hurt? I asked you to put on an act earlier, why did you use so much force? Hurry up and get some medicated oil to rub it in, or you'll be in pain all over for the next few days."

Qingzhi was still a little confused, but after hearing this, she finally felt her knees start to hurt and cried out in pain.

Unable to bear it any longer, Qingluo, at Shen Ruyin's prompting, led her back into the house.

When only the two of them were in the room, Qingzhi couldn't help but ask, "Qingluo, you've always been smarter than me, tell me quickly, what does the young lady mean?"

Qingluo rolled her eyes, took the medicated oil, and sat down next to her. "Why is your brain sometimes sharp and sometimes not?"

"Oh dear, look at me, I'm injured, it's perfectly normal that I don't want to think. Stop criticizing me and just tell me what happened!"

Qingluo sighed and slowly explained to her, "Of the three young ladies in the manor, the eldest is already arranged to enter the palace for the imperial concubine selection, and the second young lady gave up the marriage with the Marquis of Anping's family and begged the master to replace her with Liu, the scholar. However, the marriage alliance between the manor and the Marquis of Anping's family has also been arranged."

"Even if Master is angry with Miss, it won't have a big impact on this marriage. Otherwise, should we try to win back Second Miss's heart, or have Eldest Miss fill this gap?"

“That will definitely not work,” Qingzhi’s eyes lit up, and she was less worried. “No wonder you dared to speak your mind in front of the master today. It turns out that even if the master is angry, he can’t do anything to you!”