Chapter 3: A Show of Power
Early the next morning, just as it was daybreak, Shu Wan was pulled out of bed by the servants.
"Madam, today is the first day of your marriage to the city lord. According to etiquette, you have to serve tea to the old lady."
Shu Wan sat in front of the diamond-shaped bronze mirror with her eyes closed, yawning continuously, allowing the servants to dress her up. It was still her first day of marriage and she hadn't even seen the groom. What kind of marriage was this? And the ancient people must have gotten up too early.
Shu Wan was really sleepy. Her soul had accepted too many memories of the original owner at once and she was extremely tired. Also, this body was too weak.
"Madam, take a look at this makeup and hairstyle. Are you satisfied with it?" The nanny who was combing her hair behind her asked for her opinion with just the right smile.
"Well, very good, very satisfied!" Shu Wan forced himself to open his eyes and took a look. He had to admit that the original owner was really beautiful. After just a little bit of dressing up, she became incredibly beautiful.
Shu Wan, who realized that she was the original owner now, quickly stopped thinking about it. It was really... embarrassing to praise herself like this! Even though Shu Wan felt that she had arrived very early, when she arrived at the hall, Zhao was already waiting there.
Next to her stood a young girl, about fourteen or fifteen years old, who looked somewhat like Zhao. She was staring at her with dissatisfaction.
According to the original owner's memory, Shu Wan knew that this was Rong Chen's only sister, Rong Yiyi.
Speaking of Rong Yiyi, she is Shu Wan's mortal enemy. The two of them are notoriously incompatible in Blackwater City and they always fight whenever they meet.
This time Shu Wan is marrying Rong Chen, and many people in the city are secretly betting on whether these two people will turn the City Lord's Mansion upside down.
Look, before Shu Wan even opened her mouth to speak, Rong Yiyi spoke first in a sarcastic tone.
"The City Lord's wife has made such a big fuss that she made mother wait for so long." Her words were intended to stir up Zhao's dissatisfaction.
"Yiyi, how can you talk like that?" Zhao scolded in a bland voice.
Rong Yiyi pouted and stopped talking, but her eyes were still fixed on Shu Wan, as if she wanted to stare a hole in Shu Wan's body.
Shu Wan simply ignored her, took the cup of tea that had been prepared by the servants, and walked forward to pay his respects to Zhao according to the way of greeting in this place as remembered by the original owner.
Her saluting posture was perfect, and there was nothing wrong with it.
"The daughter-in-law Shu Wan greets the mother-in-law. May the mother-in-law be well. Please have some tea." She raised the teacup and handed it to Zhao.
"Yeah." Zhao took the teacup and was quite satisfied with her performance. She thought that she was indeed a lady from a noble family and had learned the etiquette very well. Although her personality was a bit domineering, it could be tamed slowly.
Zhao took a sip of the tea in her hand and put it on the tray held by the servant next to her, then looked at Shu Wan.
"Wanwan, since you have married into the Rong family, you will be the daughter-in-law of the Rong family in the future. You must always remember that all your actions and words are related to the reputation of the Rong family and your husband. You must never do anything that will damage the reputation of the Rong family. You must do your best to help your husband and expand the Rong family as soon as possible so that he has no worries. Do you understand?" Zhao said to her.
"Yes, thank you for your teachings, I will keep it in mind." Shu Wan spoke softly, followed by a "Fuck you" in her heart.
This old man doesn't even look at the situation first, why is he spreading his branches and leaves? Your son needs to cooperate, right? Can I alone have the ability to give you a grandson? However, she can only think about these words in her heart. She must do a good job on the surface now, so as not to give people a reason to criticize her when she leaves Rongfu in the future.
"Well." Zhao was very satisfied with her performance. "Wanwan, this is the dowry my parents gave me when I married your father-in-law. Now, I will give it to you as a gift. I hope you will respect Chen'er and live a good life in the future." She pointed to a set of pearl and ruby headdress carried by the maid next to her.
"Mother-in-law, I cannot accept such a valuable item." Shu Wan declined politely. This set of headgear was very rare, but in the original owner's memory, she had seen so many good things that Shu Wan did not feel much emotional fluctuation in her heart. However, she looked flattered.
However, the old lady always talked about her son, asking Shu Wan to live a good life with him.
Shu Wan thought to herself, if your son avoided meeting me, then our lives would definitely be easier.
"Just take it. It's a gift from the mother-in-law to the daughter-in-law." Zhao continued. This was the rule. Besides, Shu Wan couldn't just be polite. She would just take the thing back. There was no such thing.
"Then I, your daughter-in-law, will respectfully obey your command." Shu Wan didn't say anything more polite and accepted it directly.
"Hmph, mother is just partial to me." At this time, Rong Yiyi said with an unhappy look on her face, "I have liked this set of headgear for a long time. I have been pestering mother for a long time but still couldn't get it. Now I give it to you." She was so angry that she was about to cry. Why? She was mother's biological daughter, but mother was partial to Shu Wan, an outsider.
"Yiyi, you are so ignorant." Zhao scolded Rong Yiyi, "This is your sister-in-law, why are you fighting with her? When you get married, won't it be fine if your mother prepares a set for you?" There was a hint of doting in her scolding tone.
"I just like this one!" Rong Yiyi refused to give in. She wanted to snatch it from Shu Wan.
"So it's me who has taken Yiyi's favorite!" Shu Wan smiled generously, "Then tomorrow, I'll send you my set of hollow jade headdress. Although my set of headdress is not as valuable as my mother-in-law's, it is also quite exquisite. Just consider it as an apology to my sister-in-law." Shu Wan was really unwilling to spend time and energy on things that could be solved with money. After all, she was the daughter of the richest man, and she was so poor that she only had money left.
But there was no reason to give away the thing that Zhao gave her in front of her. That would be a slap in Zhao's face. Otherwise, Shu Wan could give this set of ruby head ornaments to Rong Yiyi right now.
However, the original owner and this person didn't get along, so it would be good to piss her off!
"Hmph!" Rong Yiyi snorted coldly, which was considered as her agreement. At the same time, she did not forget to add in her heart, "You've got some sense."
Shu Wan heard all this, but she didn't say much.
As for this sister-in-law, it is best for her to be well-behaved. If she provokes him, Shu Wan will not let her bully her.
"Yiyi has been corrupted by me. Don't bother with her Wanwan. I will teach her a lesson later." Zhao spoke well of Rong Yiyi.
"Yes, mother-in-law, my sister-in-law is still young, and I understand." Shu Wan said with a smile, "By the way, mother-in-law, I just got married and I don’t have any expensive gifts to give. I only brought a few pieces of cloth to make two sets of clothes for you and your sister-in-law. I hope you won’t mind." Reciprocity is the rule, so Shu Wan naturally had to bring gifts for Zhao and Rong Yiyi.
But she couldn't bring anything too expensive, at least nothing more valuable than what Zhao gave her.
The servants immediately brought up the silks and satins. Shu Wan brought six pieces of silk, four pieces of Shu brocade, and two pieces of Yun brocade.
She gave Zhao three pieces of Shu brocade and one piece of Yun brocade, and gave Rong Yiyi one piece of Shu brocade and one piece of Yun brocade.
"Okay, okay, you are thoughtful!" Zhao said with satisfaction.
In general, she was actually not satisfied with this daughter-in-law. Before she got married, her reputation could be said to be very bad, especially after what happened in the wedding hall yesterday, she was quite dissatisfied in her heart, but after all, it was her son who was in the wrong, and she couldn't say anything. Besides, she arranged this marriage for Rong Chen so that the Shu family's business and connections could help Rong Chen. Today Shu Wan behaved well, and she couldn't find any fault with her, so she didn't think about other things for the time being. At least for now, this daughter-in-law was quite pleasing to the eye.
Shu Wan, who understood her thoughts clearly, smiled knowingly and said, "Well, you did a good job today. Keep it up."
While they were talking, they suddenly heard Xiao Sitong outside saying that Rong Chen had arrived.
Hmm? Her legendary husband? Shu Wan turned her head to look.
I saw someone coming——
(End of this chapter)
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