Fang Yahui was the daughter of Concubine Fang's birth mother. Ren Yaoqi had never met her, but she had heard that this aunt had been very close with the Ren Family when she was still a young lady and had even stayed with the Ren Family several times.
Ren Yaohua waved the two matrons away, her expression shifting uncertainly.
"What's wrong?" Ren Yaoqi asked.
Ren Yaohua hesitated before saying, "When I used to live in Glory and Splendor Courtyard, I once overheard some matrons talking about something that happened over a decade ago."
Ren Yaoqi smiled. "Oh? Is it related to this aunt?"
Ren Yaohua nodded and whispered, "Grandmother once wanted Father to marry Fang Yahui. The Fang family also had this intention, so Fang Yahui came to Yanbei to escape the summer heat several times back then. Grandmother was also very close to her."
Ren Yaohua's gaze turned toward the direction of Fangfei Courtyard. "What is Concubine Fang doing by bringing in someone who looks like Fang Yahui? Could it be that back then, Fang Yahui and Father..." She trailed off here.
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment. Just now, Father's attitude toward that Sun Shiyi Niang was indeed much better than toward ordinary servants, but this might also be because Sun Shiyi Niang was not a servant of the Ren Family and could help Ren Shimin restore paintings. As for whether it was because Sun Shiyi Niang resembled someone from his youth, Ren Yaoqi didn't know.
At least in Ren Yaoqi's memory, Ren Shimin had never shown any unusual affection for any woman. He spent almost all his time writing and painting, and when he went out for social engagements, it was to discuss literature and poetry with like-minded friends.
He was a talented scholar, but not a romantic one.
However...
Thinking of this, Ren Yaoqi suddenly remembered that her father wasn't completely without romantic entanglements.
In her previous life, there had once been a rumor that Third Master of the Ren Family was keeping a mistress outside. The reason Ren Yaoqi knew about this was because once, when several sisters of the Ren Family went out visiting, they heard this rumor. Ren Yaoyu, who was at odds with Ren Yaohua at the time, secretly went to Ren Yaohua to annoy her with this matter.
At that time, Ren Yaohua had fallen somewhat out of favor with Old Madam Ren due to several schemes by Concubine Fang. Yet, incited by some people with ulterior motives, Ren Yaohua still took several matrons from Purple Magnolia Courtyard and went to smash up the house rumored to be where Ren Shimin kept his hidden beauty.
Only later did they hear that the woman in that house wasn't actually their father's mistress. Not only did that woman already have a husband, but she also had children. Ren Yaohua's indiscriminate vandalism completely ruined that woman's reputation, and in the end, it was said she hanged herself.
After that incident, Ren Yaohua's reputation for cruelty spread far and wide. Not just in White Crane Town, but throughout Yan Prefecture, whenever people heard of the Third Miss of the Ren Family, they would shake their heads. Ren Shimin was also greatly angered that time and disliked Ren Yaohua even more, with Madam Li suffering the consequences as well.
Not long after that incident, Ren Yaohua was also confined and rarely got to see Old Madam Ren. Coupled with Concubine Fang's constant instigations in front of the old madam, the bond between grandmother and granddaughter gradually faded. Old Madam Ren never lacked younger generations to dote on and please her.
And without Ren Yaohua as an opponent, Concubine Fang gradually took over the affairs of the third branch.At that time, Ren Yaoqi was under house arrest by the Ren Family for offending Yun Wenfang, so she only heard about these matters from the maids below.
Now thinking back, although Ren Yaohua had a fiery temperament, she wasn't without brains. How could she so easily believe that the woman outside was their father's mistress? What person or event influenced or guided her judgment?
Moreover, the timing of Ren Yaohua's incident wasn't far from when Ren Shimin obtained those two paintings of beauties by Jiang Yuanyi. Was there any connection between them?
She remembered that once when she mentioned the beauty paintings in front of her father, his expression turned very unpleasant. At the time, she thought it was because the two paintings had been ruined by the restoration master, as later there were no such paintings in Ren Shimin's study.
And was Sun Shiyi Niang the woman from her previous life who hanged herself after being humiliated by Ren Yaohua?
Ren Shimin didn't bring the paintings home for restoration back then, possibly because he found Sun Shiyi Niang at the painting shop. That so-called "golden house for keeping a mistress" was likely the place used for painting restoration, which led outsiders to mistakenly believe he was keeping a mistress.
Otherwise, given Ren Shimin's character, he wouldn't have gotten too close to a woman for romantic reasons.
Thinking this much, Ren Yaoqi increasingly felt that Ren Yaohua's eventual marriage into the Zeng Family in her previous life wasn't accidental. The schemes against her had never stopped from beginning to end.
Because the enemy clearly understood that as long as Ren Yaohua was destroyed, no one could stop them from controlling the third branch. If Ren Yaohua had maintained a good reputation and married a suitable husband, given her personality, even as a married daughter, she would return to support Madam Li whenever needed.
But wouldn't they worry even if Ren Yaohua married Zeng Kui? After all, Zeng Kui was the only son of the Ningxia Regional Commander. Despite his physical flaws, he wasn't someone the Ren Family could afford to offend.
Could it be that Ren Yaohua's death back then wasn't an accident either, but rather someone had set up an inescapable trap for her from the very beginning?
But what was this trap? And when did it begin? Had they ever considered that the situation might spiral out of control, leading to the complete destruction of the entire Ren Family?
The more Ren Yaoqi thought, the more alarmed she became.
She also sensed that perhaps the matter of Sun Shiyi Niang wasn't as simple as she thought. There must be something else she hadn't yet considered.
"What's wrong with you?" Ren Yaohua noticed that Ren Yaoqi had stopped walking and looked unwell, asking in surprise.
Ren Yaoqi collected her troubled thoughts and shook her head: "It's nothing. I was just thinking that since Sun Shiyi Niang was brought by Concubine Fang and somewhat resembles our aunt, we should thoroughly investigate her background."
Ren Yaohua nodded: "Naturally. I'll have someone look into this matter and inform you when there are results."
Ren Yaohua acted swiftly. By evening, when they went together to Madam Li's room to pay their respects, news had already returned."Sun Shiyi Niang's grandfather and father were both mounting craftsmen at a painting and calligraphy shop in Yunyang City. That shop also took on some painting restoration work, so she learned the craft from an early age through constant exposure. Concubine Fang acquired those two beauty portraits through the shopkeeper of that painting and calligraphy shop. After learning that Sun Shiyi Niang was also a skilled mounter, Concubine Fang brought her back and recommended her to Father. Sun Shiyi Niang's husband was originally the manager of a medicine shop. Later, while entering the mountains to purchase herbs from the mountain villagers, he accidentally fell from a cliff and broke both legs. The medicine shop gave him a sum of silver and sent him home. Now he lives with their daughter in their hometown, Liujia Village in Jizhou, while Sun Shiyi Niang has to take on work to support the family." Ren Yaohua whispered to Ren Yaoqi the information she had gathered.
Married, with a daughter...
Ren Yaoqi was still pondering whether Sun Shiyi Niang was that woman. In her previous life, Sun Shiyi Niang hadn’t come to the Ren Family, or perhaps she had come once and Ren Yaohua saw her without her knowledge? Back then, she was confined indoors and rarely went out, with only Father occasionally visiting to teach her painting.
Could it be that because Sun Shiyi Niang happened to resemble Fang Yahui, and Ren Yaohua knew about the past between Fang Yahui and their father, she concluded that she was Father’s mistress when she saw Fang Yahui in that house?
"Concubine Fang treats Sun Shiyi Niang quite well, paying her twice the usual wage and even inviting her to tea twice and a meal once in the courtyard. Beyond that, there’s nothing particularly special." Ren Yaohua had finished sharing all she had learned that day.
Ren Yaoqi nodded thoughtfully, then instructed Ren Yaohua, "If anyone comes to you with gossip or nonsense, don’t act rashly. First, make sure you understand the situation clearly."
Ren Yaohua was puzzled. "Who would come to me with nonsense? What situation needs to be clarified?"
Ren Yaoqi smiled. "I just think it’s best to be cautious in everything, to avoid falling into someone else’s trap."
"Don’t worry, if anything comes up, I’ll discuss it with you." Ren Yaohua was now very careful when it came to matters involving Concubine Fang. She enjoyed occasionally causing Concubine Fang minor troubles and annoyances, but that didn’t mean she welcomed Concubine Fang’s retaliation.
The next day, Ren Yaoqi went to Fangzhi Courtyard as usual to find Ren Shimin. This time, Ren Yaohua did not accompany her.
However, when Ren Yaoqi arrived, Ren Shimin and Sun Shiyi Niang were not working on the painting restoration. Sun Shiyi Niang was discussing with Ren Shimin the idea of taking the paintings to Yunyang City for restoration. Ren Shimin didn’t mind; as long as the paintings were restored, he was fine with going anywhere.
Just as Ren Shimin was about to agree, Ren Yaoqi walked over and asked Sun Shiyi Niang with a smile, "How much longer will it take to restore these two paintings?"
Sun Shiyi Niang replied, "With the combined efforts of this humble woman and Third Master, it will likely take another month or two."
Ren Yaoqi nodded. Sun Shiyi Niang’s estimated time wasn’t particularly long. She had once seen Mr. Pei spend nearly a year restoring an ancient painting. Restoring ancient paintings is meticulous work, especially for those who love art, as even the slightest deviation causing damage is something they cannot tolerate."Why go to Yunyang City? Can't the restoration be done at the Ren residence?" Ren Yaoqi asked.
Sun Shiyi Niang explained softly, "Third Master wants the painting restored to be exactly the same as the original, which requires finding paper, pigments, and other materials identical to those used in these two paintings. Some of the pigments in Jiang Yuanyi's paintings have special components and even contain rare spices. I need to gather materials and slowly experiment with different blends. These materials aren’t available in the art supply shops of White Crane Town. If I were to travel back and forth between Yunyang City and White Crane Town, it would likely waste a lot of time..."
For those using the mobile app who can’t see Chapter 236, I asked the editor, and the solution is to refresh all chapters and then download Chapter 236 again... 〒_〒
I tested it once on my phone, and it worked, but some readers still say they can’t see it (whispering, could it be a matter of luck? Looks like the author’s luck is just so-so!).
The editor and the tech team have already clocked out for the day. If it still doesn’t work, please mention it in the comments section or the group chat, and I’ll ask again tomorrow...
Also, 248028719 is the fan group for "Di Mou." Feel free to join if you have any questions about updates or content.
Lastly, I originally said I’d update earlier today, but the author received an urgent notice to submit a manuscript and a preface, so it’s late... I’m really sorry.
The next chapter... will be posted tonight, but as for a specific time, the author doesn’t dare to promise, because it’s rarely accurate (the author has some pride too! Okay, okay!) 〒_〒...
If I must give a rough estimate, it’ll probably be around two o’clock.
Finally, dear readers, could you check if you still have any pink tickets in your pockets? Shy...
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