"No need, no need!" Ren Zhixian said indifferently: "He thinks the clever ones are not necessarily suitable to serve in the study!"
Shi Yumei looked deeply at Ren Zhixian and said, "Who do you think is suitable? Just say it!"
Not quite to the point of complete foolishness, Ren Zhixian thought to himself.
"A maid, I find her quite clever, but I’m afraid your younger brother would be reluctant to part with her!" Ren Zhixian said lightly, but his tone was unabashedly direct.
Shi Yumei’s heart immediately surged with anger. So, he prefers a maid instead of a Xiaosi, and she understood her husband’s intentions without much thought! He must have taken a fancy to some maid and wants to take her in as a maid and concubine!
Shi Yumei almost felt suffocated and wanted to have a big argument with him but then thought better of it; after all, there was no cat that didn’t eat fish and no man that didn’t covet beauty! Although her husband was lustful, he had never crossed the line and was not so bewitched by vixens as to dote on his wife and dismiss his concubine. Even in the past years, the household had, at most, maids serving as concubines, and there wasn’t even a formal concubine. It was evident that what he valued most was her, his official and legitimate wife!
A man who could do this much was already good enough. If it were like the sister-in-law of the second house, that would truly be misery!
With these thoughts, Shi Yumei’s anger dissipated by more than half, and she said with a pleasant smile, "Whichever maid you speak of is fine! It’s just a maid, isn’t it? My younger brother isn’t so petty!"
"That’s great! Then I’ll be awaiting your request," Ren Zhixian said, "It’s the maid called Xingzhi who serves beside your sister-in-law!"
Shi Yumei’s eyes narrowed slightly, "Xingzhi? Xingzhi, huh!"
Upon hearing it was someone from Sang Wan’s side, Shi Yumei was initially displeased, but then she remembered what Gu Fangzi had said. Recalling that Xingzhi was a servant born in the house, she expected no mishaps and nodded with a smile, "You really have an eye for talent; she is the head maid by my sister-in-law’s side and has been serving in Ningyuan all along! Alright, I’ll ask him when my younger brother returns!"
Ren Zhixian could not contain his happiness, finally showing a smile, profusely expressing his thanks, stating how having a clever person to serve by his side would mean less worry for himself. He would review his studies twice as effectively and expect to be successful in the imperial examination very soon. By then, he would certainly not treat her unfairly, flattering Shi Yumei until she was overjoyed. She assured him not to worry and sighed, "If it really enables you to calm your mind and concentrate entirely on your studies, not just one maid, even ten, I would go and ask for you!"
"My virtuous wife!" Ren Zhixian said with a cheerful bow, pretending to salute. Then he furrowed his brows and said, "You understand me, but will your younger brother think I’m asking for too much and being picky about his choices, and hold a grudge against me? If it causes unpleasantness between us, then forget it! After all, we are living under someone else’s roof. It’s best to just make do with what we can!"
Although Shi Yumei shared this concern, she couldn’t stand to hear others say it. It almost sounded like she wasn’t part of this family anymore, as if she was no longer her mother’s precious daughter, nor her brother’s sister!
"How could that be!" Shi Yumei huffed: "My brother is certainly not that kind of person! He’s nothing but good to me as his sister! I’m just afraid of someone stirring trouble behind the scenes! Forget it, I won’t wait for him to return. I will go and talk to my dear sister-in-law right now! Don’t worry, I have my own plan!"
Saying so, Shi Yumei didn’t wait any longer; she immediately got up, took her maid, and headed to Ningyuan.
Seeing her arrival, Sang Wan’s scalp tingled. She had clearly seen what sort of characters this couple were in the past days. Ren Zhixian couldn’t find fault with her, but Shi Yumei was different; this ancestor was untouchable and more difficult to serve than a mother-in-law.
"Big sister, you’re here! Please come in and have a seat!" Sang Wan said with a smile as she ushered her into the warm pavilion, while instructing the maids to serve tea, fruit, and snacks.
To her surprise, Shi Yumei did not find fault with her today, and there were no unpleasant or indifferent remarks. In fact, her face even showed some smiles, "Sister-in-law, you’re being too courteous! I hope I didn’t disturb you!"
"Not at all, not at all, what are you saying!" Sang Wan responded with a smile.
After a bit of small talk, Shi Yumei chuckled and urged her, "I was just strolling around with nothing to do, and I ended up here! Don’t mind me, just go about your business! I’ll just sit here for a while and then leave! Go ahead, really! We’re family, no need for formalities! Oh, just leave this maid to chat with me!" Saying this, Shi Yumei pointed at Xingzhi.