After hearing Pingguo's words, Ren Yaoqi pondered for a moment: "Are you saying Concubine Kang deliberately provoked Eighth Sister?"
"This... this servant cannot judge... I just feel that if Concubine Kang had said nothing, today's conflict might have been avoided." Pingguo lowered her head and replied.
Ren Yaoqi nodded, leaning sideways against the kang table without speaking, lost in thought.
It was Pingguo who broke the silence, murmuring with some confusion: "Miss, why do you think she did that? She's pregnant, after all. What if she truly angered Eighth Miss and Eighth Miss resorted to violence? Concubine Kang never has more than two maids with her, and none of them dare to step forward to intervene..."
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi blinked and glanced at Pingguo with a smile, about to say something when there was a soft knock at the door.
Seeing Ren Yaoqi nod, Pingguo quickly went to open the door. She returned shortly after and said: "Miss, it's Xiangqin, Third Miss's maid. Third Miss asks if you are free now—she is waiting for you in the main room."
Ren Yaoqi nodded and slowly rose from the kang: "Let's go to the main room." Pingguo hurried forward to kneel and help Ren Yaoqi put on her shoes.
When Ren Yaoqi arrived at the main room, Ren Yaohua was sitting alone in the eastern side chamber, drinking tea.
Seeing Ren Yaoqi enter, Ren Yaohua glanced up: "When you looked for me earlier, was there nothing important?"
Ren Yaohua was referring to the earlier incident when Ren Yaoqi had sent Pingguo to invite her to catch butterflies.
Ren Yaoqi shook her head and sat down beside Ren Yaohua: "Nothing important. It was just that Seventh Sister suddenly felt like catching butterflies, so I asked if you and Fourth Sister wanted to join."
Ren Yaohua gave Ren Yaoqi a sidelong glance and snorted lightly: "So I could listen to you talking behind my back?"
She remembered the joke Ren Yaoqi had made last time. Ren Yaoqi merely smiled without replying, turning instead to instruct Xiangqin, who was standing nearby, to bring her some tea.
Ren Yaohua glanced at her and said: "I don't like her. If it's something like this in the future, there's no need to call me."
After refusing earlier, she had wondered if Ren Yaoqi had used that excuse to find her for some other reason. Now that Ren Yaoqi had returned, she had come to ask.
Ren Yaoqi reluctantly agreed and then brought up the conflict between Concubine Kang and Ren Yaoyu.
Unexpectedly, Ren Yaohua showed no surprise upon hearing this: "Eighth Sister was fine when she first returned from the Lin Family, but gradually her temper became harder to hide. Now, she can't feel comfortable unless she scolds Concubine Kang a few times whenever she sees her."
Ren Yaoyu must have received some warning while at her maternal grandparents' home, advising her not to clash directly with Concubine Kang. At first, Ren Yaoyu tried hard to restrain herself, but her nature ultimately couldn't endure it.
Ren Yaoqi also told Ren Yaohua what Pingguo had observed. Upon hearing this, Ren Yaohua frowned: "If that's the case, what exactly does this Concubine Kang want to do?"
Xiangqin entered, followed by a young maid carrying a red-lacquered garden-patterned tray with two small lidded bowls.
"Fifth Miss, the mistress has ordered almond milk prepared for you and Third Miss. Shall I serve your tea a little later?" Xiangqin took the lidded bowls from the tray and gently placed them on the kang table between Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua, smiling as she spoke.Ren Yaoqi lifted the lid of the covered bowl, and the rich, fragrant aroma of almonds and flowers wafted out. She couldn't help leaning in slightly to take a sniff, then smiled with delight, her eyes curving into crescents. "Mmm, I love almond milk the most."
Xiangqin covered her mouth and giggled, while Ren Yaohua cast a slightly disdainful glance at Ren Yaoqi before leisurely lifting the lid of her own bowl.
After the young maid carrying the tray withdrew, Ren Yaoqi picked up the almond milk, which was just the right temperature, and took a small sip, her expression relaxing. "Concubine Kang seems to be deliberately trying to provoke Eighth Sister."
Ren Yaohua paused, setting the bowl she had brought to her lips back down. "What good would that do her?"
Just as Pingguo had said earlier, Concubine Kang was still pregnant, and the fetus was not yet three months old. There was really no need for her to provoke the impulsive Ren Yaoyu at this time.
Ren Yaoqi also set her bowl down. Perhaps she was truly thirsty, as she had already drunk more than half of the almond milk.
"I'm not entirely sure what her specific goal is yet, but it seems she wants to target Eighth Sister," Ren Yaoqi said casually.
In truth, Ren Yaoqi had some speculations—for instance, that Concubine Kang might not actually care much about the child in her womb.
But this idea was rather far-fetched. When Concubine Kang had first entered the household, Ren Yaoqi had even doubted whether she was truly pregnant due to the suspicious timing.
Later, however, she learned that Old Madam Ren had called in several trusted midwives to examine Madam Kang shortly after she entered the Ren Family. The results confirmed that Madam Kang was indeed pregnant, and the timing roughly matched when she had met Ren Shimiao.
Since Concubine Kang's pregnancy was genuine, why would she not care about her child? If she was merely trying to help Concubine Fang, the price she was paying seemed far too high. What benefit had Concubine Fang offered her?
Because these connections remained unclear to Ren Yaoqi, she did not elaborate on them with Ren Yaohua.
But she could sense that Concubine Kang truly intended to target the impulsive Ren Yaoyu.
Ren Yaoqi slowly finished the almond milk in her bowl, while Ren Yaohua remained deep in thought, her brows furrowed. The worry and seriousness in her eyes made her appear more mature than others her age.
Ren Yaoqi looked at Ren Yaohua and sighed inwardly, deliberately interrupting her thoughts. "Third Sister, are you going to drink yours?"
Ren Yaoqi pointed cheerfully at Ren Yaohua's untouched bowl of almond milk, her expression one of lingering enjoyment.
Xiangqin, standing to the side, covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
Ren Yaohua snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Ren Yaoqi. One glance at her expression told her that Ren Yaoqi was craving more. She shot Ren Yaoqi a glare and, under her disappointed gaze, picked up her own bowl and took two sips. The smooth, sweet flavor filled her mouth, lifting her spirits considerably.
Ren Yaoqi deliberately put on a disappointed look and muttered softly, "I thought you didn't want to drink it and was going to help you finish it."
Ren Yaohua glanced at her. "Thank you for your kindness! No need to trouble yourself!"
Ren Yaohua finished the almond milk, and Xiangqin collected their bowls before quietly withdrawing.
"What do you plan to do?" Ren Yaohua asked after a moment of thought, as if forgetting the unpleasantness between them the last time.Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment before answering this time: "We can't confront Concubine Fang's side head-on just yet." Seeing Ren Yaohua about to speak, Ren Yaoqi quickly continued, "It's not that we're afraid of her. I've learned that Concubine Fang's brother's wife will come to Yanbei soon to attend Cen Ge'er's full-month banquet. By then, there might be other unexpected developments that catch us off guard. So for now, it's better to maintain this situation where the enemy is in the open while we remain hidden."
"Will the Fang family send Fang Yacun's wife?" Ren Yaohua asked, taken aback.
Ren Yaoqi nodded and said thoughtfully, "Although Fang Yacun's official rank isn't high, he's skilled at maneuvering and handles affairs steadily, so he's highly valued by his superiors. You know the situation of the Fang family—right now, Fang Yacun is likely the one upholding the family's reputation... Even though Old Madam Fang is our grandmother's own sister, given Grandfather's temperament, he would never fall out with Fang Yacun. So our real trouble is yet to come."
Ren Yaohua listened quietly without refuting Ren Yaoqi's words, though a faint frown creased her brow.
Seeing Ren Yaohua's expression, Ren Yaoqi knew she must feel deeply frustrated and added, "However... just because we don't take action ourselves doesn't mean we'll stand by and watch the enemy's schemes succeed."
Upon hearing this, Ren Yaohua immediately looked up. Though she didn't press urgently for details, her expression showed she was eager to hear more.
Ren Yaoqi beckoned Ren Yaohua over, and after a moment's hesitation, Ren Yaohua leaned in.
The two sisters whispered across the kang table. After listening, Ren Yaohua was momentarily stunned, then frowned and asked, "Will this work?"
Ren Yaoqi didn't make any promises, only smiling as she replied, "Whether it works or not, we'll have to try and see. No plan can guarantee success. And what I just told you is merely based on my own speculations."
Ren Yaohua wasn't angered by this; instead, after a moment of thought, she said, "Hmm, you're right. Nothing can be guaranteed to succeed—we do our best and leave the rest to fate. If it really doesn't work out, we can always confront them head-on. I'm not afraid of her anyway, no matter what Fang family, round family, or flat family stands behind her!" Though Ren Yaohua's words still carried a fierce edge, there was a subtle hint of reassurance in them.
Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but smile.
A few days later, Second Madam Su Shi from the East Mansion arrived with Ren Yaoting.
With less than ten days until the Dragon Boat Festival, Su Shi had come to deliver the Su family's invitations to the West Mansion.
Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, Yunyang City would host a dragon boat race, and the Su family was the organizer and planner of the event.
Thus, as the Dragon Boat Festival approached each year, the Su family would send invitations to prominent households in Yunyang City and the surrounding towns.
Typically, invitations for areas outside Yunyang City were sent out in early May, but because of Su Shi's connection, the Ren Family received theirs in April.
When Su Shi arrived, Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua happened to be in Glory and Splendor Courtyard.Since the last visit of the Commandery Princess to the Ren Family, Ren Yaoqi had often been summoned by Old Madam Ren for conversations, and her visits to the Glory and Splendor Courtyard had noticeably increased. Ren Yaoqi had always maintained a meek and obedient demeanor, appearing whenever called. However, unlike Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoyin, Ren Yaoqi rarely spoke in front of Old Madam Ren and seldom tried to ingratiate herself, typically answering only when asked, appearing somewhat dull and timid.
Thus, although Old Madam Ren always remembered to include her in matters and treated her more kindly, it was still different from the way she treated Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoyin, who had grown up by her side.
For this reason, her sudden "favor" did not draw much attention from First Madam or Madam Lin, and Ren Yaoyin’s attitude toward her remained as friendly as ever, sparing her much trouble. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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