Chapter 29: A Match Made in Heaven

As soon as Mother He spoke, the crowd around them erupted into a stir.

Even Shen Ruojin was taken aback. Perhaps it was because Mother He had always been so gentle, courteous, and smiling toward her within the Prince’s estate that she had never expected the woman to possess such a sharp, ferocious side. It was no wonder she was the Princess’s trusted confidante; with just a single outburst, she had silenced everyone at the gate. Truly, she was a formidable woman.

"You—what did you call me?" Mu Yunwei, feeling deeply humiliated, trembled with rage.

In her dreams, her life after marrying into the Prince of Zhenbei’s estate had been unbearable; her husband disliked her, and malicious servants bullied her. After the bride-swapping, she heard that Shen Ruojin had spent her wedding night alone, unable to even catch a glimpse of her new husband. Shen Ruojin was constantly chasing after him in theaters and gambling dens, and only yesterday, she had nearly been defiled by one of Qin Lang’s enemies. Now that she had returned home for the traditional visit, Qin Lang had not even appeared to accompany her.

Mu Yunwei had felt that Shen Ruojin’s life was even more miserable than her own, which was why she had been the first to approach her. She never imagined that Mother He—that wicked servant known for causing trouble—would become such a fierce protector the moment she stepped into Shen Ruojin’s service. This was nothing like what she had imagined!

Mother He was in high spirits for battle. "I called you exactly what you are: a little harlot who seduced her own brother-in-law and ran off! If I were you, I would have hanged myself with a rope long ago; how could I have the face to appear in public? Your lack of shame is your own business! But why are you provoking my Young Mistress for no reason? Just because you see that our Second Master didn't accompany her back home, you think you’ve regained your standing and can look down on her?"

Mu Yunwei’s hidden thoughts were laid bare, and her face flushed red and then turned deathly pale.

"Desperate to be scolded—what a piece of work!"

Mother He could have continued to berate her for another three hundred rounds, but mindful that today was Shen Ruojin’s homecoming, she refrained, not wanting to provide further amusement to the passersby.

"You, you..." Mu Yunwei wanted to retort, but she couldn't shed the dignity of a Marquis's daughter. She signaled to her maid, Lv Luo, with her eyes.

Lv Luo, hands on her hips, puffed out her chest and was about to charge forward, but one look from Mother He and a sharp "Scram, you little wench" sent her retreating in a hurry.

Mother He turned back, putting on a respectful face for her mistress. "Young Mistress, did my loud voice just now startle you?"

"No."

Shen Ruojin finally understood why the Princess had insisted she bring Mother He along for her homecoming. This woman alone could out-scold half the Marquis’s estate.

Impressive. Truly impressive.

"That is good." Mother He caught the appreciation in Shen Ruojin’s eyes and said respectfully, "Please, you go ahead. Leave this person to me."

"Then I shall proceed."

Shen Ruojin did not want to stand at the gate and be treated as public entertainment. Having someone else deal with an eyesore was ideal.

"Wait!" Mu Yunwei rushed up the steps, blocking Shen Ruojin’s path. "I merely haven't seen my second sister for several days and missed her dearly, which is why I came to greet her. Even if I was clumsy with my words and caused her displeasure, you could have simply ignored me. How could you allow a wicked servant to humiliate me like this?"

"You and Pei Jing truly are a match made in heaven—you both love blocking people’s paths so much." Shen Ruojin wore a mocking smile.

Pei Jing, lagging a few steps behind them, suddenly lifted his head to look at Shen Ruojin.

For the past two days, the two of them had been busy refuting rumors about the elopement. They had rushed through their weddings, so much so that the day Shen Ruojin married into the Prince of Zhenbei’s estate felt as if all four of them had been married at once. Today, Pei Jing wore a blue silk robe and a jade crown, looking scholarly and gentle.

This pair of scholars and young ladies was usually praised, but the moment the Prince of Zhenbei’s carriage appeared, the crowd had begun whispering about how the third daughter of the Marquis’s estate had eloped with her brother-in-law, causing the second daughter to switch brides on the spot. This event would likely remain a stain on Pei Jing’s life that he could never wash away.

Only Mu Yunwei and Pei Jing cared about this deeply. Shen Ruojin did not look at him.

"Brother Pei, look at her!" Mu Yunwei turned to call him, tears of grievance welling in her eyes. "Our matter has already been explained clearly. When Grandmother and Uncle sent people to ask the Second Sister to return home to discuss it, she refused. And now, she allows her wicked servant to humiliate me over baseless accusations. Regardless of everything, I am still the third daughter of the Marquis of Lin-yang... How can I suffer such an insult?"

Pei Jing stepped forward to support the trembling, swaying Mu Yunwei, his expression darkening. "A wicked servant bullying her betters is a heinous crime. I ask the Second Young Mistress to make your unruly servant apologize to my wife!"

Shen Ruojin’s voice turned colder. "Apologize? Apologize for what?"

Before Mu Yunwei could speak, Shen Ruojin continued, "Although Mother He works for the Prince’s estate, she is a free woman. Just because she calls herself an old servant, do you truly take her for a slave? Mother He is not a wicked servant, and you are certainly not her master. Where does this 'servant bullying their betters' come from?"

Shi Jian chimed in at the perfect moment: "Neither the Prince nor the Princess of Zhenbei treat Mother He as a mere servant, yet you two keep shouting 'wicked servant' and 'unruly slave'?"

Pei Jing frowned deeply. Though he was highly respected in literary circles, he was nothing in the eyes of the Prince of Zhenbei’s estate.

Mu Yunwei glanced at his face, immediately regretting her decision to provoke Shen Ruojin. But the situation was already at a stalemate. She was trapped, and no one was offering her a way down.

Mu Yunwei resorted to her fragile, tearful act. "Can a servant from the Prince’s estate just insult people as she pleases? She called me a harlot, and even a dog. Will the Second Sister really turn a blind eye? If I am a dog... then what does that make the Second Sister?"

Mother He slapped her thigh in regret. She had been too quick with her tongue; no matter how worthless Mu Yunwei was, she was still the Young Mistress’s cousin. She could scold her, but how could she drag the Young Mistress into it?

Shen Ruojin said indifferently, "I am, naturally, the one who beats the dog."

Every family has its ghosts and its dogs. One cannot expect everyone to behave like a proper human being.

The onlookers at the gate burst into laughter.

Mu Yunyi, the eldest son of the Marquis’s estate, stepped out with two attendants to smooth things over. "Why are my two sisters greeting each other at the gate? Grandmother and Uncle have been waiting in the hall for a long time. Please, come inside!"

Mu Yunyi was in his early twenties, the eldest son of the primary wife. Because he was a brilliant student, he was highly regarded by the Marquis’s estate. He was handsome and knew how to handle people; even as Mu Yunwei was about to get into a scuffle with Mother He, he could still smile and describe it as a mere greeting. At the same time, he did not forget to pay respects to Pei Jing. "Brother-in-law, please."

He was truly a smooth operator, masterfully diffusing the tension.

One doesn't strike a smiling face. Not wanting to bicker with Mu Yunwei at the gate, Shen Ruojin stepped inside first.

As Mu Yunyi walked with her, he didn't forget to mention the incident at Li Garden from the previous day.

"I only heard today that you had a falling out with the Prime Minister's son last night, Second Sister. I was very worried and even rushed to Li Garden to check, but the garden had caught fire, and by the time I arrived, it was mostly burned..."

Shen Ruojin looked at him with an enigmatic smile. "You went to Li Garden specifically for me? Then, on the day of the grand wedding, where were you?"