However, when Ren Yaoying thought about marrying into the Lei family and recalled the appearance and talents of the Lei family head, her heart wavered somewhat. At this moment, Ren Yaoying increasingly resented her concubine-born status. If she had been legitimately born, would there have been such trouble? With Ren Yaohua having fallen from favor in the Ren family, Old Madam Ren would surely let her replace Ren Yaohua in the marriage.

Nevertheless, Ren Yaoying also thought that since Ren Yaohua had already lost favor with the Ren family elders, given Ren Yaohua’s temperament, she would certainly develop grudges with Old Madam Ren in the future. Then between her and Ren Yaohua, the Ren family would choose to support the obedient and compliant her rather than the ill-tempered and difficult-to-control Ren Yaohua. She had her maternal family’s support while Ren Yaohua did not, and with the methods she had learned from her concubine mother, after marrying into the Lei family, Ren Yaohua might not necessarily be able to suppress her.

Ren Yaoying’s eyes flickered with an ambiguous expression as she looked toward Ren Yaohua, who stood together with Ren Yaoqi. As long as she gained Old Madam Ren’s favor, she could persuade Old Madam Ren to let her stay in the old residence until her marriage. The people around her could all be replaced through Old Madam Ren’s hands, substituted with her people. Then she would no longer need to fear Ren Yaohua’s revenge.

Thinking this way, Ren Yaoying became excited again. This excitement even overcame her recent fear of Ren Yaohua, carrying with it an exhilarating sense of satisfaction. She feared Ren Yaohua, but she hated Ren Yaohua even more. She dreamed of trampling Ren Yaohua underfoot and grinding her under her heels.

Neither Ren Yaoqi nor Ren Yaohua cast their gazes upon Ren Yaoying. Ren Yaoqi kept her eyes slightly lowered throughout, while Ren Yaohua fixed her gaze on the famille rose beauty vase across from them, her face showing no expression whatsoever.

Old Madam Ren also looked toward Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua. Her gaze swept across Ren Yaohua’s face before finally settling on Ren Yaoqi: “Qi’er, you’ve come at just the right time today. You should also learn how to select people—it might prove useful in the future.”

When Old Madam Ren spoke to Ren Yaoqi, her voice and manner were gentle and loving, yet her words carried the implicit meaning of making an example to warn others. She was using Ren Yaohua’s situation to warn Ren Yaoqi of the consequences of disobedience.

Ren Yaohua’s battlefield betrayal had thoroughly enraged Old Madam Ren and Old Master Ren. Old Master Ren realized that even if Ren Yaohua married into the Lei family, she might still escape the Ren family’s control, which was why he conceived the idea of having Ren Yaoying replace her. Compared to Ren Yaohua, Ren Yaoying was much easier to control. To gain any advantage over Ren Yaohua, she could only rely on her maternal family.

Old Madam Ren couldn’t help but think of Ren Yaoqi again. Ren Yaoqi’s prospects would certainly be no worse, so she must be kept under control. She had to make her understand that to live well, one must have the maternal family as a pillar of support.

How could Ren Yaoqi not understand the implication in Old Madam Ren’s words? If not for the inappropriate setting, she would have wanted to laugh.

Acting as if she completely failed to understand Old Madam Ren’s hint, she seriously examined those maids for a few moments before smiling: “Grandmother is indeed thoughtful. These maids are all beautiful—I like them at first sight. Why don’t I take the four in the front row, and Third Sister can have the four in the back row?”

The two most outstanding-looking maids stood in the front row, and Ren Yaoqi picked them like selecting radishes, casually claiming them as a group.

Old Madam Ren’s smile froze momentarily, and she frowned. She glanced at Ren Yaoqi, thinking this girl might be too young to understand such matters. Old Madam Ren had only intended to use this opportunity to admonish Ren Yaoqi and hadn’t planned to let Ren Yaoqi select her dowry maids. Moreover, these maids had all been specifically found by Old Master Ren’s orders, and two of them had even undergone special training, intended to be sent to the Lei family to win over Lei Ting.

The Ren family elders’ calculations were loud and clear—they wanted the Lei family’s inner quarters to be entirely under their control.

“This is just for you to practice selecting. Who said you could choose them now?” Old Madam Ren said.

Ren Yaoqi complied readily, smiling: “Then I’ll wait for Grandmother to select for me when the time comes.”

Seeing her speak so obediently and submissively, Old Madam Ren was very satisfied.

Ren Yaohua glanced at Ren Yaoqi, catching subtle mockery and teasing in her smile, which somewhat improved her previously devastated and furious mood.

In the end, Old Madam Ren made the selection herself, choosing four maids. The two most strikingly beautiful ones were prominently among the chosen. The Ren family had arranged eight dowry maids for Ren Yaoqi, with four more to be selected from the Ren family’s house-born servants. Today’s selection of four was specifically prepared as Lei Ting’s concubines.

After the maids were selected, the Ren family would train them well. None of this concerned Ren Yaohua anymore. From the moment Ren Yaohua spoke the word “annulment” to Lei Ting, the Ren family had lost trust in her. Even Old Madam Ren, who had originally doted on Ren Yaohua, wished she could remold her entirely. What use was a daughter who wouldn’t obey and would drag down her maternal family at crucial moments? If it weren’t impossible to change the bride at the last minute, the Ren family would refuse to let Ren Yaohua marry into the Lei family.

Old Madam Ren was also very busy. After selecting the maids, she dismissed the three sisters, completely ignoring Ren Yaohua from beginning to end. This deliberate neglect and contempt were so similar to how they had once treated Ren Yaoying.

Since Old Madam Ren hadn’t ordered Ren Yaohua to return to the ancestral hall, Ren Yaoqi took Ren Yaohua to Ziwei Courtyard. Along the way, Ren Yaoying deliberately lagged several steps behind them, her eyes flickering, whether from fear that Ren Yaohua would take her anger out on her or from plotting some scheme.

However, neither Ren Yaohua nor Ren Yaoqi spared her even a glance. Only when they were about to part did Ren Yaoying step forward with a guilt-ridden expression: “Third Sister, I—I didn’t know Grandmother would make such a decision. I know you must be unwilling. I’ll go find Grandmother later and tell her I’m not willing.”

Ren Yaoqi said nothing, but Ren Yaohua finally turned her gaze to Ren Yaoying. She looked at Ren Yaoying carefully and seriously for a long while, discovering that she could see pride and excitement beneath that face full of guilt and sorrow, emotions completely contrary to what was displayed.

Ren Yaoying’s face finally stiffened under Ren Yaohua’s calm and unfathomable gaze.

Ren Yaohua withdrew her gaze and, taking Ren Yaoqi’s hand, walked past Ren Yaoying. Though Ren Yaohua said nothing, Ren Yaoying inexplicably felt a threatening pressure that made her involuntarily step back. After coming to her senses, she stared at Ren Yaohua’s retreating figure in surprise, feeling somewhat humiliated and unconvinced. She vaguely sensed that something about Ren Yaohua had changed, though she couldn’t pinpoint what.

Ren Yaoqi also glanced at Ren Yaohua, then smiled.

Ren Yaohua caught Ren Yaoqi’s glance: “What is it?”

Ren Yaoqi shook her head: “Nothing. I thought you might make a scene earlier.”

Ren Yaohua remained silent for a long time before saying: “Even if I turned everything upside down, could it change Grandfather and Grandmother’s decision by half a degree? Since I’m unwilling to be used by them, they’ll naturally find a way to find someone who can be used to replace me.”

Ren Yaoqi sighed, though her heart held faint joy and comfort. She felt that Ren Yaohua had truly grown up and matured considerably after this incident. Though she didn’t know what Ren Yaohua had thought about during those two days confined in the ancestral hall, she knew the taste of rapid growth couldn’t be pleasant. And all of this had to be credited to Old Madam Ren, who had once occupied an important place in Ren Yaohua’s heart.

Ren Yaohua didn’t mention Ren Yaoying becoming a replacement wife or those beautiful maids. These were all arranged by the maternal family, and her opposition at this point couldn’t change anything. Thinking of Lei Ting’s words, “wait for me to marry you,” her expression softened involuntarily, though her eyes revealed a trace of determination.

Ren Yaoqi also didn’t bring up those matters, because in her view, they simply weren’t problems. Since the Ren family elders enjoyed creating trouble, let them create it.

Since Old Madam Ren hadn’t ordered Ren Yaohua to return, Ren Yaoqi stayed with Ren Yaohua in Baihezhen. The Ren family had been quite lively recently. External affairs hadn’t settled down, and the Ren family stubbornly refused to act according to Lei Ting’s wishes, causing their business to suffer greatly.

Old Madam Ren and Ren Yaoying were also very busy. Ren Yaoying now spent almost every day in Ronghua Garden, and Old Madam Ren had even let her move into the warm pavilion, planning to personally nurture and educate Ren Yaoying during this opportunity.

Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoqi, however, were quite leisurely. Apart from morning and evening greetings, Ren Yaohua spent her time doing embroidery in her room, while Ren Yaoqi read books, practiced calligraphy, and painted.

One day, when Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua went to pay their respects to Old Madam Ren, Ren Yaoying subtly and smugly informed Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoqi that Old Madam Ren had already handed her the indenture contracts of those dowry maids intended for Ren Yaohua.

After hearing this, Ren Yaohua showed no expression on her face, but only Ren Yaoqi knew that Ren Yaohua’s heart must not be calm. The Ren family’s recent actions were all intended to completely marginalize Ren Yaohua in the future, supporting Ren Yaoying, who had grievances with Ren Yaohua, to suppress her. Without her maternal family’s support and with no one reliable around her, Ren Yaohua’s future situation was predictable.

If Ren Yaohua had originally harbored any fantasies about Old Madam Ren’s affection, at this moment she was thoroughly disappointed.

Ren Yaoqi saw that the timing was about right, the Ren family’s drama had concluded, and thought it was time to take Ren Yaohua back to Yunyang City.