Chapter 61: Yao Cun Mei Provokes Trouble

  Yao Cunhui smiled and said okay, so the master and servant began to select, finally selecting a pair of pink ceramic koi fish lotus pattern shoulder Mei bottle, a silver-gilt incense burner with double ears and three feet, a white jade chime stone, a purple sandalwood base red coral carved mountain landscape figurine, a palm-sized frozen agate Buddha's hand, and several other items to be arranged by Rong Ma. They also selected many pieces of jewelry to be worn on ordinary days.

  One of the jade pendants with a carved green jade lotus flower bud, connected to the gold pendant body by a pearl the size of a fish eye, was particularly liked by Yao Cun Hui. The green jade was as clear and pure as a spring morning, without any impurities, and the carving was smooth and flowing, lifelike, with the flower bud slightly open as if about to bloom. The pearl was lustrous and round, emitting a soft glow, and was especially eye-catching against the backdrop of the green jade and gold.

  Yao Cunhui then took the hairpin and inserted it into her hair, smiling and asking everyone if it looked good. This made Mother Rong repeatedly say that it was good, with a smile on her face full of wrinkles.

  "What's Second Sister looking at? She seems so happy!" The master and servant were chatting, when Yao Cunmei and Ma Qunfang lifted the curtain and came in.

  Yao Cunmei was never polite to her, what courtesy, what respect for her sister, it's not even worth thinking about. It's just that Yao Cunhui thought that when she wasn't around, her mother could stop Yao Cunmei from entering the house, which is really not easy!

  "Third sister, cousin, how did you come? Please sit down quickly!" Yao Cunhui smiled and stood up to greet.

  "Sister is finally back, come and see sister! What's wrong, Second Sister doesn't welcome her?" Yao Cunmei's mouth twitched slightly, her tone a bit sour, with a hint of resentment on her face. Her gaze swept lightly across the room, landing on the new decorations on the table, and the discontent in her eyes deepened.

  "Third sister is talking nonsense!" Yao Cunhui smiled tolerantly, but was actually speaking to Ma Qunfang.

  Ma Qunfang didn't know how to react, her mouth stiffened, and she awkwardly forced out a faint smile.

  "May I take a look at the hairpin on Second Sister's head? It looks quite exquisite." Yao Cunmei's gaze fell on her hair bun, and her hands involuntarily clenched tightly.

  Rong's mother glanced at her disdainfully, thinking to herself that fortunately the things had just been put away. If Third Miss had come a little earlier, she would have looked even more discomfited.

  Hong Lian's expression tightened, and she looked at Yao Cunhui with some unease. Whenever Yao Cunmei said "Let me take a look" at something belonging to Yao Cunhui, she would inevitably take it for herself. Hong Lian had a deep understanding of this, as in the past when the first wife had just passed away, there were many good things here in the second miss's quarters, but they were repeatedly taken by the third miss with impunity, and when the second miss refused to give them up, she would order people to seize them by force, until finally, the second miss was left with nothing.

  "Third sister wants to see, just let her see! What's the point of giving or not giving? This ornament is worn out, isn't it for people to see?" Yao Cunhui raised his hand to adjust the hairpin on his temple and smiled, but didn't take it off to give to Yao Cunmei.

  Yao Cunmei's face was stuck in her chest, and she forced a smile, saying: "Sister is so petty, can't you take it out and let me see? Are you afraid I won't return it to sister?"

  Yao Cunmei was already extremely unhappy when she missed the opportunity to attend Yun Lao Taijun's grand birthday banquet due to taking the wrong medicine. When she heard that Yun Lao Taijun had invited Yao Cunhui and her siblings to stay for a few more days, she became even more jealous and resentful. Yesterday, when Yao Cunhui and her siblings returned to their residence, Madam Ma sent someone to deliver the gifts that Yun Lao Taijun had specifically instructed Yun Jincheng to give to her. She was originally very pleased with herself, but then she heard from the maids that the gifts sent by the Yun household were piled up like a small mountain and five or six servant women couldn't even finish delivering them in one trip, which made her feel even more resentful.

  She didn't dare to provoke Yao Cun Jia easily, but she wasn't afraid of Yao Cun Hui at all. As soon as she heard that Yao Cun Jia had sent this gift over, she rushed over in a flurry. Although she hadn't seen the small mountain-like gifts being received, just looking at the extra decorations in the house and the hairpin on her head was enough to explain the situation.

  She always had to suppress Yu Cun Hui's lead in everything, and it was already difficult for her to bear with holding back from taking the lead now!

  "I naturally know that Sanmei is not such a petty and narrow-minded person, but the hairpin has just been put up, taking it down would mess it up again, and later I still need to go pay respects to mother, so sister can just make do with looking at me like this for now!" Yao Cunhui smiled warmly, but was unyielding.

  Can a single hairpin bring down the entire coiffure? Yao Cunmei's eyes blurred, her head spun, and she was choked with anger, momentarily speechless. Not to mention that Rong Mu was watching with piercing eyes from the side, even if Rong Mu wasn't there, she could feel that the current Yao Cunhui was no longer the Yao Cunhui who could be bullied and teased at will!

  Realizing this, Yao Cunmei felt even more frustrated and unwilling to accept it. How could she be afraid of her? What a joke! It seemed that if she didn't take advantage of Yao Cunhui today, it would be equivalent to announcing her own defeat and acknowledging her own incompetence.

  Today, this matter must be brought back, otherwise, I will lose face in front of myself! Yao Cunmei secretly clenched her fists.

  "I'm just short of a vase for flower arrangement, Second Sister's plum vase is quite good, it would be perfect for chrysanthemum flowers. Can I borrow it for a few days? You won't mind, will you?" Yao Cunmei stood up straight and walked towards the desk, determined to pick a fight.

  "Third sister, you're laughing!" Yao Cunhui's eyebrows rose slightly as she quickly stepped in front of Yao Cunmei, her eyes shining with a fearless gaze. "If third sister's room lacks vases for flowers, just ask mother and it will be given to you. Mother is the one who manages the storage rooms in the estate. I only have these two here, and I need them too. Besides, they were just gifted by our grandmother, and as her elder, I dare not decline or lend them out - that would also be disrespecting our grandmother! Third sister is a reasonable person, you must understand!"

  Is she still the Yao Cunhui who couldn't fight back or retort in the past? Yao Cunhui's mouth curled up, some people are so stupid, after hitting the wall so many times, they still don't know how to retreat and must challenge others' bottom line!

  "Are you just not going to lend it to me?" Yao Cunmei's face suddenly changed, and in front of the maids, she felt even more embarrassed, coldly saying: "I must have it today, what can you do to me?"

  "What can you do if I don't give it to you?"

  "You——" Yao Cunmei was furious, her face red with rage as she shouted: "Since it's a gift from our great-grandmother, I should have gotten a share too! How could you take mine away? You, big sister and little brother all got one, but not me, is this bullying? Are you trying to cheat me?"

  Yao Cunhui really wanted to give a big thumbs up in her heart to her great aunt, who had specially instructed to prepare a gift and asked Yun Jinzhong to hand it over to Ma Shi alone, which was intended for Yao Cunmei. Perhaps she had already anticipated that something like this would happen. Yao Cunhui originally thought that her great aunt had already given gifts to Ma Shi to bring back, so there was no need to prepare again this time, but it turned out that they were waiting here!

  Yao Cunhui didn't need to waste any more words, and immediately said: "Didn't your eldest brother hand over the gift to mother yesterday and ask her to pass it on to you? What are you still making a fuss about? You say that I and elder sister cheated you, let's go clarify things in front of father and mother!"

  "Don't drag your father into this! Don't think that just because you've pleased him, you can be smug! In this household, my mother is the one in charge. Everything you eat, wear and use was given to you by my mother!" Yao Cunmei shouted angrily.

  Yao Cunhui grasped her wrist tightly and said coldly, "So you're saying that Mother shouldn't have given me food to eat, clothes to wear, or things to use? Should she have starved me to death?"

  She was stunned by the sudden chill in her eyes, and Yao Cunmei was stunned for a moment, suddenly realizing what she had said, and for a moment she was speechless.

  She would certainly say "yes, yes, yes" in her heart without any hesitation, but if she were to say it out loud, even Ma Shi couldn't bear the consequences!

  "What's wrong with you? Speak!" Yao Cunhui glared at her coldly for a moment, then pushed her away with a cold laugh. Turning to stare at the stunned Xiurong and Qiaojiao, he barked: "Aren't you going to take your mistress back? What are you staring blankly for?"

  Xiū Róng, a slender and agile figure, rushed forward to support Yáo Cún Měi, repeatedly blaming herself " Slave should die". Yáo Cún Měi still had an unyielding spirit, glaring at Yáo Cún Huì with hatred, saying: "You wait for me!"

  "I'm waiting for you to explain that sentence!"

  Yao Cunmei hummed and turned away, letting Xiurong and Xianqiao support her out. Ma Qunfang then came back to his senses, also hastily smiling and bidding farewell, following Yao Cunmei out.

  "Second Miss..." Hong Lian couldn't help but step forward and grasp Yao Cun Hui's arm, her eyes shining brightly, her expression turbulent, feeling that all the suppressed emotions of so many years had been completely cleared away.

  Yao Cunhui gently patted her hand, and they exchanged a smile.

  She is no longer the former Yao Cunhui, and it's best that Yao Cunmei remembers this too!

  After the excitement and relief, Honglian couldn't help but worry a little, worrying that Ma Shi would intentionally find fault, worrying that Yao Cunmei would use some sinister means to retaliate. However, several days passed, and life went on quietly without any waves. It seemed as if this matter had never happened before. Not only did the things Honglian worried about not happen, but even among the lower-ranking servants, no one mentioned it again. Only then did Honglian gradually put her mind at ease.

  Yao Cunhui knew in his heart that this matter could not be brought to the surface, and if Ma wanted to keep her last shred of dignity, she had to endure it. As for Yao Cunmei, she also swallowed her anger, mostly thanks to Ma's efforts.

  The explosive news finally arrived, this afternoon, Rong's mother hastily came in from outside, lowering her voice to say: "Second Miss, Mingxia, the maid in the mistress' room, has become a concubine! The master wants to call her Fourth Concubine! He also told the mistress to clean up the courtyard and let her move in. For the past two days before she moves in, she's been living with the master in the outer study!"

  "Ming Xia is indeed a lucky one, our household is lively again!" Yao Cun Hui smiled slightly, Ming Xia succeeded, but who knows what kind of mood Ma Shi is in at this moment!

  "It's not that, it's all spread outside, it's all said that Xia has good fortune and the lady is virtuous!" Yung Ma's mouth twitched with a hint of sarcasm, and both master and servant laughed.