As Zhen Zhen was about to stand up, Rong Rong pulled her back.

They exchanged glances and immediately understood each other’s intentions, staying kneeling and only looking at Wang Yilan.

Wang Yilan, irritated by Rong Rong’s defiance, tried to control her anger and said, “The Old Lady is knowledgeable and lenient. It’s your good fortune to receive her grace. Hurry up and stand.”

Only after Wang Yilan spoke did Zhen Zhen and Rong Rong stand up from the ground.

Madam Zhai’s gaze moved over Zhen Zhen and Rong Rong before settling on Rong Rong.

This was the second time Madam Zhai had closely examined Rong Rong, and she was still struck by her beauty.

Rong Rong’s expressive eyes, delicate face, and slightly pale lips made her appear like an ethereal beauty.

It was no wonder the Crown Prince and her son were smitten.

“Zhen Zhen and Rong Rong have broken the house rules. Each will have their monthly allowance halved as punishment.”

“Yes,” Zhen Zhen and Rong Rong replied in unison.

Rong Rong had been punished with a reduction in her allowance before, and with Madam Zhai’s additional penalty, she would have to make up the missing amount when redeeming herself.

Rong Rong felt numb while kneeling, and as she stood, her knees throbbed painfully and itched unbearably.

Her knees had already been damaged from kneeling in the snow previously, and even a short time of kneeling now felt unbearable.

Although she lacked money, she would prefer a reduction in her allowance over enduring such physical pain.

“Leave now,” Wang Yilan waved her hand dismissively.

As soon as Zhen Zhen and Rong Rong left the Rong Kang Courtyard, they saw Luo Mei approaching and quickly helping Rong Rong, who looked pale.

“Luo Mei, thank you,” Zhen Zhen realized that Madam Zhai had been sent by Luo Mei to help them.

Luo Mei smiled proudly and then lowered her head, “I was at my wit’s end, so I asked the Marquis’s wife to intervene. I didn’t expect her to come personally after hearing about it. I feel…” Luo Mei didn’t finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.

Zhen Zhen and Rong Rong were likely candidates for the Young Master’s favored concubines, which was why the usually indifferent Marquis’s wife took such an interest.

Zhen Zhen quickly understood this implication and her eyes lit up.

“We were intercepted by Xin Rong as soon as we entered the residence. How did you know we were at Rong Kang Courtyard?” Rong Rong asked.

“Your brother and sister-in-law have arrived and they seem quite anxious. I stayed at the gate to wait for you. Since Xinrong was there, I didn’t dare come too close. I didn’t expect Xinrong to be waiting for you as well.”

“My brother and sister-in-law are here?” The thought of the greedy siblings of the original owner made Rongrong feel a headache, but she knew she couldn’t avoid meeting them.

Ignoring them might cause more trouble.

“Yes, they arrived early this morning. Your brother can’t enter the estate, so my mother has taken your sister-in-law to the kitchen to sit. It’s too cold outside.”

Auntie Han and Luomei were genuinely kind.

Rongrong sighed internally. “Thank you. My knees are bothering me a bit. Could you please take my sister-in-law to the back door? I’ll go there to speak with them.”

“Okay.” Luomei agreed and hurried off to the kitchen.

Zhenzhen noticed Rongrong was walking unsteadily and asked with concern, “Can you still walk? Do you need me to come with you?”

“I’m not that fragile. You go back first, help me get a hot water bottle, and make some ginger tea for us to drink.”

“Alright.” Zhenzhen nodded and adjusted the collar of Rongrong’s coat.

After kneeling on the stone slabs for a while, Rongrong’s knees felt worse—aching and numb.

She walked slowly, and by the time she reached the back door of the Houfu, her brother and sister-in-law were already waiting.

“Rongrong!” Her brother Xue Dacheng, seeing her, approached happily. Noticing her pale face, he asked, “What’s wrong? Are you sick again?”

It was rare for him to show concern.

Rongrong’s face relaxed a little, and she patiently replied, “It’s just a bit of wind chill. Why are you here again? I told you before that I need to save money to buy my freedom and can’t give any money to the family.”

“It’s because you said you want to buy your freedom that we came to find you,” her sister-in-law Cuihe said with a forced smile, pulling out a dark handkerchief from her waist and handing it to Rongrong. “We thought of a way and managed to gather this money.”

To Rongrong’s surprise, it was a bag of broken silver.

Rongrong lightly weighed it and found there were three to four taels. “How did you manage to get this money?”

Xue Dacheng hesitated, but Cuihe explained with a smile, “I’ve been saving this money for your two nephews to use for marriage. When we sold you, it was because the family was struggling. Since you say you want to come back, you can use this money for now. When your nephews get married, you won’t ignore them, right?”

Rongrong had some doubts at first, but hearing her sister-in-law’s insistent words, she felt much more at ease.

Rong Rong was indeed short of money.

Her older brother and sister-in-law had exploited her in the past, and now, as they were paying her ransom, she felt it was only fair.

She would use the money to get through her current difficulties and plan to repay it once she found a way to earn a living in the future.

“I’ll take the money for now and will repay you when I can,” Rong Rong said.

“Of course, we’re family. We don’t need to be formal about it. Rong Rong, how much more do you need?” her sister-in-law asked.

“Did you already gather the full amount?” Her sister-in-law’s eyes darted, seemingly plotting something. “I thought you needed thirty taels for your ransom?”

“There are some borrowed funds that I’ll need to repay later,” Rong Rong replied calmly.

Cui He nodded repeatedly, saying, “Yes, yes, don’t worry. You have your brother and sister-in-law here. The money will be paid back sooner or later. When will you come home? My husband and I will come to pick you up.”

Her brother, Xue Dacheng, added dryly, “Sister, you’re so beautiful. It’s not safe for a young woman to leave the capital.”

Rong Rong found their excessive enthusiasm a bit strange.

She frowned and said, “I won’t be leaving the capital for now. I’ve already rented a place here, so I’ll move there as soon as I leave the residence.”

“Rented a place? You’re not coming home?” Her brother’s eyes widened in surprise.

Cui He was anxious too. “Rong Rong, we’re family. If you don’t come home after your ransom, how heartbroken will Grandmother be?”

In the memories of her past life, her grandmother had been very kind to her, and Rong Rong had often given money to her brother and sister-in-law out of concern for her grandmother.

Therefore, she didn’t want to be too harsh, “I’m just not planning to live at home for now. I’m not abandoning you. Once I get settled in the capital, I’ll bring Grandmother to live with me. I still have work to attend to, so I won’t stay to chat. Thank you for the money.”

Without waiting for her brother and sister-in-law to respond, Rong Rong went back to the Marquis’s residence and had the back door closed.

Xue Dacheng and his wife were startled by the loud “bang” of the door closing.

Although it was just the back door of the Marquis’s residence, it was made of heavy nanmu wood.

“What now? She’s not coming home. What are we going to do?” Xue Dacheng said dejectedly. “We’ve already spent the money. How can we pay back Sun Laocai?”

“Don’t worry. Sun Laocai isn’t pressing us for the payment. She said she’s cutting ties with us. As long as she still carries the surname Xue, I don’t believe she won’t come home eventually!”