My wife wants a divorce; if she ruins my life, I'll leave.

Hearing her repeatedly say that she couldn't wear it, Song Tian got angry and took the bracelet off, raising her arm as if to throw it away.

"We can't throw away Third Sister!"

"Why can't I throw it? I'm going to throw it anyway!" She pretended to throw it at Meng Ruohua's face.

But seeing Meng Ruohua's cold expression and her eyes staring straight at her made her feel uneasy.

“I advise Third Sister to be careful!” Meng Ruohua said calmly, “This gold-inlaid jade bracelet and gold butterfly hairpin were gifts from Princess Pingyang. If Third Sister damages them without cause, what will happen if the Princess finds out…”

Princess Pingyang was not a member of the royal family. She was the only child of Marquis Pingjin. Years ago, Marquis Pingjin defeated Chacha'er's 50,000 troops with 20,000 men. Later, he defended Yuqing Pass for a month with only 10,000 men left, finally waiting for reinforcements. However, he was seriously wounded and died. The emperor, moved by the fact that he only had a frail young daughter left behind, whose birth mother had died early, bestowed upon her the title of Princess Pingyang and brought her into the palace to be raised until she reached the age of fifteen and came of age.

Rumor has it that Princess Pingyang is violent and will whip people at the slightest provocation. It is said that maids and servants in her household are beaten to death every day. Thinking of this, Song Tian was so frightened that she hurriedly threw the bracelet on the table.

"Fine, I won't wear it then, who cares!"

Meng Ruohua gestured with her eyes, lifting her chin, "And the gold hairpin."

Song Tian pulled out the gold hairpin, her rough handling pulling out a strand of hair. She angrily slammed the hairpin onto the table, yelling, "You broken hairpin! I won't wear it even if you make me!"

"Third sister, be careful what you say. Princess Pingyang also has one of these gold butterfly hairpins."

Song Tian pouted, "Who are you trying to fool? Would Princess Pingyang wear such a simple hairpin?"

Who are you trying to fool? You, of course!

Meng Ruohua was certain they wouldn't ask about Princess Pingyang, so she said it that way on purpose. She had known the princess for over ten years, and even if they did ask, the princess would cover for her.

Upon hearing that it was a gift from Princess Pingyang, the Second Madam's anger subsided considerably. "Alright, Tian'er, don't be angry. I'll take you out to buy a new one when I have time today." She patted Song Tian's back to comfort her. "We'll go after dinner, and I'll buy you an even better one."

Meng Ruohua gestured for Linglong to put away the bracelet and gold hairpin, and said calmly, "If there's nothing else, I'll head back now and prepare my clothes for the banquet."

Upon hearing this, the second wife abandoned her intention to set rules for her.

The most useful thing about this Meng family member is her identity.

Knowing her low social status and that her husband was only a minor official of the fifth rank, the second wife, Song Tian, ​​wanted to marry into a good family, so she inevitably had to ask Meng to take her out to meet people more often.

I just don't understand how they could possibly believe Meng Ruohua would genuinely care for them when they're constantly picking fights and bullying her!

The next day, as the morning light shone, red leaves hung low by the window, and a cool west wind blew.

Meng Ruohua sat on the veranda, holding a cup of tea and admiring the fiery red maple leaves in the courtyard.

These days, she hasn't been sleeping well at night, and she's listless and lacks energy during the day.

She didn't bother with the useless act of filial piety; whenever she felt unwell, she would have someone inform the Second Madam, and she would no longer force herself to go and pay her respects.

At this moment, Jixiang, who was by the Second Madam's side, arrived and said, "Second Young Madam, Madam requests your presence at Rongxi Courtyard."

Jixiang was eighteen or nineteen years old, with a long face and a slender, tall figure. She wore a light blue jacket and a dark pleated skirt with subtle patterns, making her look more mature than her age.

Meng Ruohua raised an eyebrow and smiled as she gestured for Jixiang to sit down and speak, "Did they say what it was about?"

Jixiang declined to sit. Although she was the second madam's head maid, she always kept her status in mind and never dared to overstep her bounds.

Even though the second young mistress was being gentle, she only smiled and replied more respectfully, "She didn't say anything, she only said to let the second young mistress go over."

I looked up at the sun; it was almost dawn.

Meng Ruohua stood up, smoothing out the stains on her clothes, and said, "Let's go."

Linglong Yuye hurriedly followed, but after taking only two steps, she heard Meng Ruohua instruct: "With the wet nurse not here, Yuye, watch the house, and Shanhu, follow along. Don't let the little maids go into the house and cause trouble."

Yu Ye responded in a muffled voice, but glared at Shanhu resentfully when no one was around.

Speechless all the way.

When they arrived at Rongxi Courtyard, the stewards finished their replies and led the way out one after another, greeting Meng Ruohua as they met her.

The Song family mansion was quite large, with many servants and men in various places. It would take one or two hours each day to handle all the big and small matters.

When Meng Ruohua entered the room, the second madam was resting with her eyes half-closed.

She only opened her eyes to look when she heard footsteps.

"lady."

Meng Ruohua bowed and greeted the Second Madam, but the Second Madam kept her eyes closed and ignored her. Meng Ruohua didn't dwell on it and simply found a chair next to her and sat down.

After a moment of silence, the second wife finally spoke slowly, "You're quite clever."

Life is short, so be good to yourself. Don't make things difficult for yourself if you can make things difficult for others.

"Meng, you've rested for half a month now, are you feeling better?"

Looking at the Second Madam's slightly tired face, Meng Ruohua said without hesitation, "She's not well. She's been feeling weak and listless lately."

Didn't they say that Brother Chen wouldn't stay overnight at Qingfeng Courtyard?

She's so useless; she can't even keep her own man in check!