Chapter 012 Intentional Difficulty

As she looked at her father's somewhat aged face, Zhao Ruyi remembered that in her previous life, he had also said the same words to her.

But at that time, when she had just entered the Ningguo Mansion, Zhao Ruyi had been blinded by wealth and luxury, and had no intention of returning to the humble life of a commoner.

In this life, however, the more mature Zhao Ruyi knew that she could not go back.

She smiled and said to her father, "I'm not being wronged. I am now the senior maid by the side of the prince. Who would dare to mistreat me?"

With that, she opened the bundle she had brought back and took out the newly made clothes. "Look, the prince specially rewarded me with fabric. Although it's a pattern from a few years ago, it's genuine Shu brocade. I made clothes for the two of you."

"Child, you've only been there for a few months, but your way of speaking is different from before," Zhao Qinshi looked at her daughter with satisfaction.

Wearing a silver-red jacket and still without any jewelry, Zhao Ruyi's healthy complexion showed that she was doing well.

Zhao Qinshi finally felt relieved.

She had been regretting not being able to give the forty taels of silver to Madam Yan to help Ruyi find a good job. But her daughter had a good fortune, which put her mind at ease.

"In the future, you and your mother don't have to work too hard at home," Zhao Ruyi took out the money she had saved over these days and gave it to Zhao Qinshi. "Mother, go find Zhang the carpenter on the back street and have him make a prosthetic limb for father, so he doesn't have to sit at home all the time."

However, Zhao Qinshi refused to take the money. "You silly child, you will need money in the Duke's mansion. If your father needs a prosthetic limb, I will find a way. You should keep the money for yourself."

"Mother! I eat and wear the prince's things in the mansion. When do I need money?" Zhao Ruyi insisted that Zhao Qinshi keep the money. "And you always say it's not safe to keep money on me, it might get lost one day."

"If the child wants you to keep it, then keep it," seeing the two women arguing in front of him, Zhao Lao finally spoke up.

Zhao Qinshi looked at Zhao Lao and then smiled at Zhao Ruyi. "Alright, I'll keep it for you as your dowry!"

Hearing this, Zhao Ruyi blushed.

In her previous life, she had only wanted to become a concubine, but ended up with a tragic death.

In this life, if possible, she also wanted to experience the feeling of getting married in a bright red wedding dress.

So, she nodded shyly and, just like before, snuggled in Zhao Qinshi's arms.

After spending half a day at home, Zhao Ruyi finally prepared to return to the Ningguo Mansion when the sun had started to set and the heat had subsided.

Zhao Qinshi accompanied her for two miles and reminded her, "Since the prince treats you well, you must work diligently. Don't get involved in other matters! That's the Duke's mansion, not a place for people like us to meddle in."

Zhao Ruyi naturally understood the meaning behind Zhao Qinshi's words.

She hugged Zhao Qinshi, and tears of parting soaked her eyes. "Mother, rest assured, I understand everything in my heart."

Zhao Qinshi didn't say much more, but patted Zhao Ruyi's back and handed her a bundle of pickled vegetables. "Go on, it's getting late. It will be dark soon."

Zhao Ruyi took the bundle and walked away, constantly looking back. She saw Zhao Qinshi standing in the same place, watching her until she was far away.

Tears streamed down Zhao Ruyi's face uncontrollably.

She walked back, wiping her tears, and attracted the attention of many people on the road.

By the time she returned to the Ningguo Mansion, an hour had passed.

The rule of the Ningguo Mansion was to close the gates at dusk, and she had arrived just in time. However, the guards at the west gate refused to let her in.

"Why won't you let me in? I have a waist badge!" Zhao Ruyi took off the "Twilight Hall" waist badge and handed it over.

If she hadn't handed over the badge, the guards wouldn't have been so difficult. But when they saw that she was from the Twilight Hall, they became hostile.

"You are from the Twilight Hall?" one of them sneered. "I've never seen you before. And you should know the rules of this mansion, right? You're late. If you missed the gate-closing time, you'll have to come back tomorrow."

"Why are you like this? The bell tower hasn't started ringing the bell yet, it's clearly not dusk! You're deliberately not letting me in," Zhao Ruyi said indignantly.

In this situation, she knew that she could easily bribe these people to let her in. Unfortunately, she had given all her money to Zhao Qinshi today and didn't have a single coin on her, making it impossible to bribe the guards.

"Hehe, since you don't understand the rules, we'll teach you a lesson. It's good for you to remember," the guards laughed and prepared to close the gate.

Zhao Ruyi became even more anxious.

If she were really locked out of the Ningguo Mansion, she, without any money, would have to sleep on the streets. By curfew, she might even be caught by the patrolling officials.

"You can't do this!" Zhao Ruyi urgently pounded on the closed gate, but there was no response from inside. The guards had obviously left.

Watching the sun sinking in the west and hearing the first bell from the bell tower, Zhao Ruyi felt nothing but despair.

Does that mean I can only sit and wait for death?

Zhao Ruyi leaned weakly against the wall.

But the wall was two or three people high, and she couldn't possibly climb over it on her own. The only place she could go was the back street of Ningguo Mansion, to see if she could find a place to stay for the night.

Just as she was preparing to go to the back street with her tired body, the door behind her suddenly opened, and then she heard a voice saying displeasedly, "Where do you think you're going? Don't you know what time it is now? You're still thinking of wandering outside and not coming home?"

Is it the crown prince?

Thinking she was hearing things, Zhao Ruyi quickly turned around and saw Tianfu pushing the crown prince in a wheelchair at the corner gate, with the crown prince's face as cold as ice.

Zhao Ruyi was about to explain herself, but she saw Tianfu winking at her, urging her to come in quickly.

It was then that Zhao Ruyi realized and stepped into the west corner gate, only to find a row of people kneeling inside.

Looking at the way they were dressed, they were the ones who had just made things difficult for her.

"You guys are getting bolder and bolder," said Song Wuji, sitting in the wheelchair with a pale face, giving off a cold and stern feeling, "You dare to stop my people. Do you think I'm a sick cat just because the tiger doesn't show its teeth?"

The people kneeling on the ground looked at each other, all secretly thinking: Didn't they say the crown prince never leaves the evening sun hall? How did he suddenly appear here?