The once prominent Lei Family in Yanbei now only has the two brothers, Lei Ting and Lei Zhen, remaining in the main lineage.
Twenty-six-year-old Lei Ting became the head of the Lei Family.
As there were no outsiders around, Rong Shi, seeing her granddaughter's curiosity about the Lei Family, began to tell her about their affairs.
This head of the Lei Family could be considered a talented young man. He began leading the family at eighteen and, within just a few years, accumulated considerable wealth for the Lei Family. Therefore, their return to Yunyang City was not as shabby as the Yun Family's had been over a decade ago. Of course, the Yun Family today is no longer what it used to be, but when they first moved back from the south, they had almost no financial resources.
When the Lei Family first returned to Yunyang City, re-establishing themselves here would have required a significant amount of time. However, the young head Lei Ting, with his exceptional skills and outstanding abilities, combined with the Lei Family's status as an old-established family, allowed them to quickly reintegrate into the inner circles of Yanbei's aristocratic families.
Rong Shi's words showed great optimism about the Lei Family's future prospects.
As Ren Yaoqi listened to Rong Shi's account, she couldn't help but feel that something was amiss, and she fell into deep thought.
Rong Shi went on to talk about the inner affairs of the Lei Family: "...The head of the Lei Family originally had a first wife, Qiao Shi, who passed away a few years ago, leaving behind only a daughter who is now four years old and is being raised by her great-grandmother. The old madam of the Lei Family is quite elderly and rarely socializes. It is said that she is a long-term vegetarian devotee. Recently, however, she has announced her intention to arrange a second marriage for the head of the Lei Family."
When others gossip about such matters, it often feels like idle chatter, but Rong Shi's gentle and unhurried narration made it feel comfortable and not at all abrupt.
Rong Shi shared so much because she wanted her granddaughter to better understand the situation in Yunyang City, so she wouldn't be at a disadvantage when dealing with others. The Lei Family had only recently arrived in Yanbei, and most families didn't know them well, which is why Rong Shi went into such detail about them.
In addition, Rong Shi gradually brought up matters concerning several other prominent families in Yunyang City, and they even refreshed their tea twice.
Ren Yaoqi understood her grandmother's good intentions and listened very attentively. In her memory, she had never been particularly close to her grandmother Rong Shi, but Rong Shi still cared for her deeply. Her affection wasn't shown through constant doting or fussing over her well-being but rather through imparting as much knowledge as she could.
Outside, the sound of drumbeats echoed again, and many pretty maids entered, each holding a shallow basket, going from one young lady and madam to another to collect stakes for the bets.
Just like the previous ice-skating competition, it was still about betting on which team would win.
However, the dragon boats participating were all sent by various families in Yunyang City, such as the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, the Yun Family, the Su Family, the Lin Family, and others. Generally, each family would support their own dragon boat while also casually rewarding others' boats.
On such occasions, dragon boat racing could be considered a sport where winning or losing wasn't taken too seriously—the true emphasis was on participation. No family was genuinely aiming for the championship because, barring any surprises, the winner every year was always the Yanbei Prince's Mansion.So despite the bustling excitement outside, few were truly focused on the dragon boat race; most were busy socializing. Ren Yaoqi wasn't particularly interested either, only taking out the silver she had prepared earlier to contribute as a prize when the maid collecting offerings came by.
Ren Yaoqi sat with Rong Shi for a while, chatting softly in a harmonious atmosphere.
Until Sangzhen, the maid waiting outside, rushed in and said, "Miss, Hongying from the Commandery Princess's side has come. She said the Commandery Princess has already boarded the large boat and asked that you join her there after you go out."
The large boat Xiao Jinglin mentioned was likely the one Yun Wenting had referred to when they encountered the Yun brothers earlier.
Ren Yaoqi nodded, signaling Sangzhen to reply that she understood. She didn't immediately take her leave, preferring to stay a while longer and listen to Rong Shi share anecdotes about the various families in Yunyang City.
Instead, Rong Shi asked, "Are you close with the Commandery Princess from the Yanbei Prince's Mansion?"
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment. In truth, she had only met Xiao Jinglin three times in total—hardly enough to be considered very familiar—yet their interactions had always been harmonious. Having experienced scheming and intrigue, Ren Yaoqi genuinely appreciated Xiao Jinglin's straightforward nature.
"I've only met the Commandery Princess a few times, but we get along well," Ren Yaoqi answered honestly.
Rong Shi nodded, unsurprised. "No wonder. Since the Commandery Princess has invited you, you should go. You'll be staying in Yunyang City for a few more days, right? If you have time, come visit your maternal grandfather and me." Rong Shi looked at Ren Yaoqi with a kind smile.
Just as Ren Yaoqi was about to respond, Sangzhen, who had left not long ago, returned again.
"Miss, the Commandery Princess has sent someone to invite you to the large boat."
Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but feel surprised. Hadn't Hongying just been here? And Hongying hadn't mentioned that Xiao Jinglin wanted her to come immediately. Why would someone else be sent right after Hongying left?
"Who came?" Ren Yaoqi asked.
Sangzhen replied, "Another maid from the Commandery Princess's side, named Hongxiao."
Rong Shi smiled and said, "Go ahead. The view from the boat is lovely, and since it's your first time watching the dragon boat race, it's good to go out and see."
After a moment's thought, Ren Yaoqi obediently rose to take her leave.
"By the way, Xia Sheng will be back soon. Your uncle received a letter from him yesterday," Rong Shi told her before she left.
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi felt a surge of joy. Xia Sheng had gone south this time to investigate Old Master Han for her—she wondered if he had any news. Originally, according to the schedule, Xia Sheng should have returned already, but he had sent a message saying he would be delayed, so his return to Yunyang City had been postponed.
After bidding farewell to Rong Shi, Ren Yaoqi saw Hongxiao waiting outside. Upon seeing Ren Yaoqi, Hongxiao bowed and, without another word, led her toward the riverbank.
Moored not far from where the painted boat had been earlier was a brightly decorated vessel draped with colorful silk ribbons, resembling the official boats in the capital. It was sizable, with two decks. Ren Yaoqi had ridden on such a boat in her previous life.
When they reached the boat, someone onboard extended a gangplank. Hongxiao helped Ren Yaoqi board. Xiao Jinglin's maids must have all been trained in martial arts, as Hongxiao had a very steady stance. Since the gangplank was narrow, she walked backward while guiding Ren Yaoqi up.
As soon as Ren Yaoqi stepped onto the deck, she heard a familiar voice.
"Fifth Miss."Ren Yaoqi soon noticed that the person who had lowered the gangplank for them was Dongsheng.
Ren Yaoqi nodded and smiled at him. "Where is the Commandery Princess?"
Since Dongsheng was here, Second Young Master Xiao must have arrived as well.
"Fifth Miss Ren, please follow me," Dongsheng promptly led the way for Ren Yaoqi.
The central cabin of the ship was originally divided into separate rooms, but now the partitions had been removed, turning the entire cabin into a large, open hall.
As Ren Yaoqi walked along, she could hear laughter, chatter, and the sound of string and wind instruments coming from inside, creating a lively atmosphere.
However, Dongsheng did not take Ren Yaoqi to the main hall. Instead, after making a half-circle, he led her to the upper deck.
"Fifth Miss, I’ve been looking through the local records in the prince’s residence these past few days," Dongsheng suddenly said softly.
Ren Yaoqi paused briefly before continuing forward. "Did you find any clues?"
Dongsheng shook his head, looking puzzled. "I went through nearly a century’s worth of county records. I did find some families in Yanbei with the surname Qu, but none of them seemed to match the one you mentioned."
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi felt disappointed but still nodded. "Thank you for your hard work."
Noticing Ren Yaoqi’s expression, Dongsheng felt a pang of guilt, thinking he hadn’t been of much help.
But now wasn’t the time to say more, as they had arrived at their destination.
The upper deck was not as spacious as the lower one. The cabin walls were carved with intricate latticework, allowing plenty of ventilation. Compared to the lower deck, it was much quieter here.
Dongsheng stepped forward and lifted the beaded curtain for Ren Yaoqi. The sound of beads clinking together was pleasant to the ear.
As soon as Ren Yaoqi entered, she saw Xiao Jingxi and Yun Wenting sitting opposite each other by the window, engaged in a game of chess.
Xiao Jinglin sat by a low table in the corner, sipping tea while gazing out the window, completely indifferent to the chess match between the two men.
Unlike the liveliness below, it was quiet here, as if cut off from all the noise outside, forming a world of its own.
As if sensing something, Xiao Jingxi, who was holding a chess piece, looked up first. Since half his face was backlit, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t clearly see his expression but felt him nod in her direction. This also drew the attention of Young Master Yun, who turned his head slightly.
"Yaoqi," Xiao Jinglin called out softly to Ren Yaoqi, gesturing for her to come sit with her.
Ren Yaoqi curtsied toward Xiao Jingxi and Yun Wenting before walking over to the low table where Xiao Jinglin was seated.
Noticing Ren Yaoqi looking around after sitting down, Xiao Jinglin said, "We arrived early. More people will likely come up here soon. When that happens, we’ll go down to the lower deck."
As soon as Xiao Jinglin finished speaking, Young Master Yun’s gentle voice came from the other side. "If the Commandery Princess prefers, I can ask others not to come up."
"No need," Xiao Jinglin replied, as concise as ever.
Young Master Yun said nothing more and returned his focus to the chess game.
Shortly after Ren Yaoqi sat down, someone entered and whispered a few words into Young Master Yun’s ear. Since there were few people here, even hushed voices could be heard faintly, so Ren Yaoqi caught the words "Miss Wu."
Young Master Yun’s expression remained unchanged as he waved the person away. He calmly played a few more moves with Xiao Jingxi before saying, "A few guests have arrived. I’ll go down and make arrangements."
Yun Wenting stood up and left.Before long, Ren Yaoqi heard the sound of someone rising, and then Xiao Jingxi walked over.
***************************************************(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian () to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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