CH 103

Chapter 103: Arrived

Sister Zhou froze at her words, and Ren Yaoqi was also slightly stunned.

How could Fifth Master Ren Shimao have a mistress?

Ren Shimao and Lin were childhood sweethearts, and the two had been very close since childhood. After he became an adult, Ren Shimao asked to marry Lin, and both Ren and Lin Families were happy to see it happen.

In all these years, not only Ren Shimao didn’t have a concubine around him, but the people who served him during the few months in the capital were all the servants sent to him by the Lin Family, and he didn’t even have a personal maid.

The Old Madam Ren had always turned a blind eye to this matter. After all, the young couple were willing to fight and suffer for the other. Ren Shimao himself was not dissatisfied. For her daughter, Ren Shijia’s sake, she wouldn’t embarrass Lin because of this kind of thing.

So although Lin’s temperament and disposition were undesirable, it was undeniable that she was the most fortunate one among the several daughters-in-law of the Ren Family.

Ren Yaoqi remembered that in her last life, although the couple had some occasional small fights, their relationship was always good, and she had never heard of Ren Shimao having any outside family.

Matron Zhou couldn’t ask Xi’er in front of Ren Yaoqi, so she called her to the side to ask a few questions, and then seriously instructed, “Go and call back all the people from our courtyard who are watching the fun. This is a matter of the Fifth Branch, and it will be dealt with by the Fifth Madam and the Old Madam.”

Lin’s temper was known to everyone in the Ren Family. This time, there would be a commotion for a while. Matron Zhou didn’t want people from Ziwei Courtyard to get involved and be used as a punching bag.

Xi’er hurriedly responded and went down.

“Fifth Miss, this servant is going to discuss something with the madam.” Matron Zhou came over and said to Ren Yaoqi.

Ren Yaoqi nodded her head and got up, “I’ll trouble Matron with the matter of that servant at the village. If it’s not convenient these days, it’s okay to delay for a few days.”

Matron Zhou agreed and sent Ren Yaoqi out, and hurriedly went to find Li.

Ren Yaoqi went back to her room when she saw a few junior maids gathered around talking in a low voice. They should be talking about the Fifth Master’s matter. Seeing Ren Yaoqi come back, a few maids were hurriedly stopping their mouths.

People are curious creatures. Even Ren Yaoqi herself was interested to know as to who the so-called outsider who came to their door was, so she was very tolerant of the maids’ behavior, only reminding them, “Matron Zhou ordered not to go out and pry for information, so don’t you dare to break the taboo.”

The junior maids hurriedly answered and retreated in a disciplined manner.

Ren Yaoqi wondered, was the Fifth Madam Lin’s successive bad luck happened because of her fate, or was it designed by someone?

As for the person who would scheme against the Fifth Madam… could it be Concubine Fang?

If it was Concubine Fang, Ren Yaoqi unconsciously shake her head. That woman really did have great tactics!

She had already inquired quite a bit about Ren Shijia’s return to wait for her delivery. The Lin Family’s property dispute and Ren Shijia’s successive miscarriage were the real reasons for Lin’s falling out of favor in front of Old Madam Ren.

The first was to use the Lin Family’s contradiction to make Lin out of favor, then provoke the Fifth Master and Lin to have a domestic dispute, and give Lin the most fatal blow.

Of course, these were still speculative theories Ren Yaoqi had come up with based on the comparisons made between the events of the two lives. She also hoped that these were not Concubine Fang’s handiwork.

After all, there was an uncompromising conflict of interests between Concubine Fang and Li, and to be watched intently by such an enemy was a very scary thing.

The Fifth Madam Lin’s place was in an uproar.

Lin pointed at Ren Shimao’s nose and cursed him. Ren Shimao let her scold him with his head down and a shameful face.

Ren Shimao’s appearance made Lin’s anger grow even more. She jumped up and slapped Ren Shimao twice. When she saw Ren Shimao trying to hide, she reached out to grab his face and neck, with a look of fighting for her life.

“Ren Shimao, you heartless man! How did you agree to me back then? It turns out that what you said was all fart!” Lin screamed, and the last scream was so hoarse that her voice broke.

The maidservants on the side had never seen this kind of fight before, and everyone was scared silly.

Normally , if this couple fought, Ren Shimao would come up and gently coaxed with a couple of sentences, Lin would break into tears, and then the two of them were as good as new as if nothing had happened.

Even if Lin was angry, she never wanted to take action against Ren Shimao.

But Lin’s behavior just now was not like a madam of a big family. Even those shrews outside are not as bold as her, daring to injure her husband’s face.

Ren Shimao, who had been beaten, did not say a word.

The big commotion here finally attracted the Old Madam Ren. She was helped into the room by the Eldest Madam. The first thing she saw was Lin struggling to get free from being pulled back by the reacting servants.

Ren Shimao also had two very obvious five-finger marks on his face and four neat nail marks from half his face to his neck.

“What is this!” Old Madam Ren was enraged at her son’s wretched appearance.

She was angry at Lin for being a shrew and hated her son for being too much of a wimp.

Seeing that Old Madam Ren had come, Lin didn’t restrain herself, but instead broke down and cried, “Mother, he raised a concubine outside, and now that bitch has come to my door! What is this if not bullying me? Is the next step to make me honestly give up my position as the main wife so that he can marry that bitch?”

The Old Madam held back her anger and snorted coldly, “What are you talking about? You are the one that my Ren Family married in a palanquin, who dares to let you take the position? Our Ren Family is not that kind of family without rules!”

Lin thought that the Old Madam was still on her side, and her heart felt better. Unexpectedly, Old Madam continued, “Other women can only be concubines even if they enter the house! Is she also worthy of the position of the main wife?”

Lin was stunned when she heard her sentences and even forgot to cry. She raised her head and stared blankly at Old Madam Ren and said, “Mother? What are you talking about? Who wants to come in and be a concubine?”

The Eldest Madam, who followed behind the Old Madam, looked up and winked at a group of maidservants in the room. The maidservants who had prevented the fight before rushed out.

The Eldest Madam helped the Old Madam to sit down on the first seat in the main room, and stood behind her with her head down, her eyes and nose stuck to her chest, not inserting even half a word.

“Mother? What did you just say?” Lin couldn’t help but ask again, a look of disbelief in her eyes.

Old Madam Ren was calm and peaceful at this moment, restoring the image of the loving and kind mother-in-law in Lin’s mind, but the words that came out of her mouth sent a chill down Lin’s spine.

“After all, it’s the Ren Family’s domestic affairs, letting outsiders see the joke is a loss of face for our Ren Family. That’s why I’ve just ordered people to carry that woman’s palanquin in first. I was also very angry when this happened. I thought that woman must have been born in some dirty place. So I sent a servant to scold her, thinking of giving her a sum of money to let her go.  I just found out that she came from an ordinary family, she was a decent person, and her family background is also clear.”

Old Madam Ren paused and sighed, “She came to the door this time because she is pregnant with Mao’er’s flesh and blood.”

“What?” Ren Shimao jumped first.

Lin’s eyes went black and she almost couldn’t stand up. Ren Shimao subconsciously went forward to help her, and was pushed away by her, but fell to the ground herself because of the excessive force.

Ren Shimao saw her face pale and full of despair, and wanted to help her.

Lin suddenly cried out in a shrill voice, “Get out! Get the hell out of here! Don’t touch me!”

Old Madam Ren looked at Lin’s spilling her guts and advised in a gentle tone, “I’ve already invited a doctor into the house. If what she said is true, regardless of how wrong your lordship is, our Ren Family can’t afford to have their children and grandchildren live outside. But don’t worry, your aggravation, Mother is aware of it. Even if she gives birth to a child, she will at most be a concubine.”

“At most a concubine?” Lin repeated Old Madam Ren’s words and pointedly said, “What do you mean at most a concubine?”

Ren Shimao glanced at his wife and was about to say something to Old Madam Ren when Old Madam Ren had already spoken, “Mao’er, come with me, I have a few more words to ask you.”

Then she instructed Eldest Madam Wang, “Go help your sister get up, and ask someone to wipe her face. Don’t let others see the joke. What can’t be discussed properly? Don’t make the whole world know about it!”

The Eldest Madam answered in a low voice and went to Lin’s side to advise her. The Old Madam has gone straight to the inner room.

Ren Shimao looked at the sobbing Lin, lowered his head, and followed the Old Madam.

After the mother and son went to the inner room, the Old Madam scolded him strictly, ”What in the world is going on? I don’t believe of what that woman said, Mother knows you do not have a frivolous nature, how could you do such a thing?”

Ren Shimao stammered, “Previously, I returned to console Huijun after you chastised her in public, only to be scolded by her. I became enraged at the moment and ran out to find companions to drink with. Later, somehow I slept in the guest room of the restaurant… I got too drunk and went to the wrong room, and mistaking her… for Huijun.”

Old Madam Ren frowned, “Are you sure you went to the wrong room on your own? And not caught in someone’s trap?”

Ren Shimao thought for a moment, “I don’t think so? She was going to Jizhou to visit relatives and temporarily borrowed the inn behind the restaurant. After I woke up, I found that I was in trouble. So for fear of being designed, I ordered someone to check her background. She was coming from Qizhou, and went with her father to her uncle’s house in Jizhou to attend a birthday banquet. She didn’t want her father to fall ill halfway, so she sent someone to Jizhou to ask her uncle to pick them up. Then she and her father waited in the inn. Her family seems just ordinary farmer in Qizhou. I also checked on her uncle’s house, and there is nothing wrong with opening a small southern goods shop.”