Chapter 4: Benevolence and Mercy-Após renascer e mudar meu destino, minha irmã mais nova legítima se apressa em se casar com uma família humilde no meu lugar(Corvo)

Furious, Madam Liu began to shout abuse. "When have I ever mistreated you? Whatever Qing'er has, you have had the exact same. Do not spout such nonsense, or watch out that your tongue doesn't rot!"

"Mother, please do not be angry. These are not my words, but those of the outsiders," Shen Mengli said. "They do not know the truth, but I do. You have always treated me well, showing no favoritism between my sister and me. I have always kept your care for me since childhood close to my heart, and I am deeply grateful."

Shen Mengqing rubbed Madam Liu's back to soothe her breathing, then spoke coldly, "Now that Sister is about to marry into the Prince of Duan's household, she has become so arrogant and domineering that she no longer respects even Mother. Do not forget that without your maiden family to support you, I would like to see how you survive in the Prince's estate. Shen Mengli, do not gloat too soon. The Prince of Duan's household will teach you how to behave. When that time comes, do not come back crying to us for help."

"Sister, you are overthinking. I meant no such thing."

In truth, what Shen Mengli really wanted to say was: *Shen Mengqing, it is Zhuo Hua and his family who will truly teach you a lesson in how to behave. Don't come back crying then.* Of course, Shen Mengli would never tell her that. This legitimate younger sister of hers had competed with her since childhood and framed her countless times. Even after Shen Mengli's rebirth, her sister's malice toward her had not lessened in the slightest. She had no intention of returning good for evil.

After exchanging a few more words with Madam Liu, Shen Mengli returned to her own courtyard with Magpie.

Not long after she sat down, Nanny Wu, one of Madam Liu's trusted servants, hurried in. Holding a sandalwood box, she tossed it onto the table without a second glance. With a sneer, she said, "Eldest Miss, this is the wedding gift Madam has specially prepared for you. You had better keep it safe. Inside are newly crafted gold and silver hairpins. Do not lose them and waste Madam's kind intentions."

Shen Mengli picked up the wooden box and opened it. Inside lay several hairpins. They were indeed newly made, but the craftsmanship was extremely crude. One glance was enough to tell they were cheap goods. It figured; Madam Liu was the sort of person who would take anything but a loss. Yet, Shen Mengli did not mind much. After all, obtaining anything at all from Madam Liu was a victory; it would be foolish to refuse.

Shen Mengli handed the box to Magpie and smiled at Nanny Wu. "Please convey my deepest thanks to Mother, Nanny. I shall cherish her gift. Once I marry into the Prince of Duan's household, I will be sure to speak highly of Mother, so everyone knows how kind and benevolent she is, treating her stepdaughter no differently from her own."

Nanny Wu let out a cold snort upon hearing this. Saying nothing more, she turned and walked straight out the door.

Magpie held the wooden box, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the jewelry inside. "Miss, you are truly amazing! You actually managed to squeeze something out of that miserly Madam."

Shen Mengli picked up a gold hairpin and slid it into Magpie's hair. "This one suits you well, so I shall give it to you. Put the rest away safely. Once we arrive at the Prince's estate, we will inevitably need to command others to run errands. The remaining ones can be kept to reward the servants."

The servants in the Prince's estate were not like those in the Shen household; they had seen all kinds of treasures, and could not be bought with a few copper coins. Without offering something of value, she feared they would not do their duties diligently. While Shen Mengli would not be foolishly extravagant, she would not be stingy with necessary tips. She could not afford to lose people's loyalty, or she would have no one to run errands for her in the future.

A month later, it was the day of Shen Mengqing's wedding. By the time Shen Mengli arrived at her sister's room, Shen Mengqing was already fully dressed and made up. The wedding attire she wore this time was quite different from what she had worn in her previous life.