On the day before the third branch left White Crane Town, Old Master Ren summoned Third Master Ren. Ren Yaoqi knew that Old Master Ren calling her father at this time must be about Ren Yaohua's marriage, so she immediately went to find him after Third Master Ren returned from the front courtyard.
When she heard the contents of the letter from the capital from Ren Shimin, Ren Yaoqi took several deep breaths to temporarily suppress her anger.
"So Grandfather intends to agree to the Zeng family's marriage proposal?" Ren Yaoqi asked coldly, her expression blank.
Ren Shimin said, "Father said he would consider it seriously."
Ren Yaoqi remained silent for a long time before saying, "Father, can you go and tell Grandmother that you want to take Third Sister to Yunyang City this time? Once Third Sister's marriage is truly settled, she may no longer be able to leave the house freely, and it's uncertain whether she'll even be able to stay in Yan Prefecture in the future."
Ren Shimin thought these were minor matters and agreed. Seeing his younger daughter's sadness, he couldn't help but tease, "You and Yaohua have never gotten along since childhood. Why are you reluctant to part now?"
Ren Yaoqi smiled slightly and turned her head away. "No matter how much we disagree, she is still my sister. She's my only blood sister."
That evening, when paying respects at Glory and Splendor Courtyard, Ren Shimin indeed brought up taking Ren Yaohua to Yunyang City. Old Madam Ren was somewhat surprised, but she was still reluctant to let Ren Yaohua leave White Crane Town. In the end, it was Old Master Ren's agreement that left Old Madam Ren with nothing more to say.
Early the next morning, before dawn had fully broken, the maids and matrons of the Ren Family's third branch began loading the carriages. Fortunately, over the past few days, the larger and bulkier items had already been moved, so for six masters and twenty to thirty maids and matrons, their scattered belongings, along with seating for people, amounted to just over a dozen carriages.
When Ren Yaoqi left the Ren Family, just like the time she first woke up, she once again glanced back at the so-called ancestral home. Her expression showed no trace of nostalgia; instead, there was a sense of relief, as if a burden had been lifted.
She thought that this time, having stepped out of this household, apart from unavoidable occasions during festivals, she would not return unless absolutely necessary.
Madam Li also seemed very happy today. Since marrying into the Ren Family, apart from the first year or two, she had rarely left the house. The longest time she had been away was when she accompanied Ren Yaohua to stay at the manor. This time, going to Yunyang City meant, if nothing else, being closer to Xianwang Residence. Although, given Madam Li's temperament, she wouldn't visit her maiden home without reason even if she lived nearby, being closer to her family made her feel more at ease.
Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua shared a carriage. Along the way, Ren Yaohua seemed lost in thought, speaking very little. She didn't even stop Xiangqin from trying to scare Pingguo by telling ghost stories.
Halfway through the journey, Ren Yaoqi asked with a smile, "Third Sister, what have you been thinking about all this time?"
Xiangqin, who had been clowning around, finally quieted down and sat aside when she saw her masters talking.
Ren Yaohua glanced at Ren Yaoqi and said plainly without hesitation, "Nothing much. I was just wondering what kind of person that young master from the Zeng family is."
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi frowned. "In any case, he's not a good person."Ren Yaohua seemed to recall something and suddenly laughed upon hearing this: "Why is it that in your eyes, not a single one is a good person? You haven’t even seen this Young Master Zeng yet."
Ren Yaoqi remembered that from Han Yunqian to Qiu Yun and then to Zeng Pu, as long as they were potential marriage candidates for Ren Yaohua, she never seemed to approve of any of them. In truth, she also wanted to ask which deity Ren Yaohua had offended, that she couldn’t seem to meet a decent one.
"I’ve mentioned this to you before, haven’t I? Zeng Kui has some unfavorable rumors circulating in the capital. It’s just that he’s newly arrived in Yanbei, so those rumors haven’t spread here yet. It’s not because of his unattractive appearance that I dislike him," Ren Yaoqi patiently explained.
Ren Yaohua pondered thoughtfully: "That’s why I’ve been wondering what kind of person he is, and why the Zeng Family suddenly proposed marriage to me. Logically, I’ve only seen him once, and I wasn’t the only one present at the time. If, as you say, it’s simply because I didn’t pay much attention to his appearance, that reason is rather laughable." Ren Yaohua paused briefly, "From what I observed, Grandfather doesn’t seem particularly opposed to this marriage alliance."
Ren Yaoqi thought to herself that since they had already left the Ren Family, no matter the cost, she would not allow Ren Yaohua to obey the Ren Family’s arrangements and marry into the Zeng Family. If it came to it, she was prepared for a mutually destructive outcome. However, she did not voice these thoughts in front of Ren Yaohua, as such words would sound utterly rebellious to others.
Since they had set out early, the Ren Family’s carriage arrived in Yunyang City before noon.
After purchasing this three-courtyard residence, Ren Shimin personally oversaw the layout and arrangement of the compound. Knowing that Third Master Ren was notoriously particular, the steward had meticulously renovated the courtyard without cutting corners. Thus, when Ren Yaoqi and the others entered, the courtyard appeared completely refreshed.
The residence consisted of three courtyards. Ren Shimin and his wife, along with Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua, resided in the second courtyard. Ren Shimin and Madam Li occupied the main rooms of the second courtyard, while Ren Yaoqi stayed in the west wing as before, and Ren Yaohua resided in the east wing.
Ren Yaoying was assigned to the small west wing in the third courtyard, while Ren Yihong moved into the side courtyard of the outer first courtyard.
Aside from Ren Yaoying, everyone else was satisfied with the living arrangements made by Nanny Zhou.
Although Ren Yaoying’s accommodation in the third courtyard was also a wing, compared to Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua, who each occupied three rooms in the east and west wings, Ren Yaoying’s rear west wing had only two rooms. Moreover, apart from her as the sole master, the third courtyard also housed several prominent stewardesses and maidservants.
When paying respects to Madam Li in the evening, Ren Yaoying tactfully expressed her willingness to give up the rear west wing and move in with either Ren Yaohua or Ren Yaoqi.
Nanny Zhou frowned and said, "Ninth Miss, while you may be willing to squeeze in and endure the inconvenience, Third Miss and Fifth Miss may not be so inclined. Both our Third Miss and Fifth Miss require a study and a small parlor for receiving guests. As a concubine-born daughter, your allotted space should be halved according to the rules, but considering the circumstances, I still arranged two rooms for you. This is Yunyang City, not White Crane Town. Now that we’re here, we must uphold certain proprieties to preserve Third Master’s dignity and avoid being ridiculed by the rule-conscious families of Yunyang City. Ninth Miss, don’t you agree that this makes sense?"Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoying's face paled. She glanced at Ren Shimin, but he showed no displeasure at Nanny Zhou's words. Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoqi, meanwhile, sat chatting without even sparing her a glance.
Ren Yaoying now understood: this was Yunyang City. Her birth mother hadn't come, and there were no grandparents to pressure Madam Li. This was the domain of Madam Li and her daughters. Even a lowly servant like Nanny Zhou could openly insult her.
Ren Yaoying felt deeply humiliated, her eyes reddening. Yet here, even if she suffered grievances, no one would take her seriously. For Ren Yaoying, the joy of coming to Yunyang City was completely shattered in that moment. She realized that if Madam Li wanted to mistreat her, a mere concubine-born daughter, this was only the beginning.
Ren Yaoying couldn't help but think how much better it would be if her birth mother's face hadn't been injured. With their grandmother's protection, her mother would surely have come to Yunyang City instead of Madam Li, and this place would have been their territory.
After paying respects in the main room, Ren Yaoying stopped Ren Yihong, who was heading to the outer courtyard. Forgetting her mother's warning not to involve Ren Yihong in inner courtyard matters, she said with reddened eyes and a pitiful tone, "Brother, Mother isn't here. From now on, it's just the two of us relying on each other. We must support one another."
Ren Yihong frowned, somewhat baffled. "Isn't Father, Mother, Third Sister, and Fifth Sister here too? How is it just the two of us relying on each other?"
Nanny Zhou hadn't mistreated Ren Yihong. After all, Third Master Ren had only one son, even if he was concubine-born. The quarters and provisions arranged for him were good. The side courtyard he lived in was spacious, with a small study and a reception room, so he couldn't comprehend Ren Yaoying's grievances and resentment.
Ren Yaoying was so angered by his words she nearly choked. Glancing around, she whispered sharply, "You fool! Third Sister and Fifth Sister are the legitimate wife's daughters. We two are concubine-born! They're on one side; we're on the other!"
Ren Yihong's frown deepened. "Where did you hear such talk? If Father heard, he'd scold you for lacking propriety. Mother has never mistreated us."
In Ren Yihong's upbringing, one must respect and revere the legitimate mother; speaking ill of her was unfilial. Besides, although Madam Li hadn't taken much hand in raising him, she had genuinely never treated him poorly.
Ren Yaoying sneered, "She hasn't mistreated you, so you've forgotten our own mother. But she has mistreated me!" With that, she stamped her foot and stormed off.
Ren Yihong watched his sister's sudden outburst and retreating back, shook his head, and sighed softly, "Women and petty men are indeed difficult to deal with!"
Ren Yihong, who never concerned himself with inner courtyard affairs, paid no further mind to Ren Yaoying and returned to the outer courtyard to review his studies. Ren Shimin was going to teach at Yunyang Academy, and Ren Yihong would also study there—this was why Ren Shimin had brought him to Yunyang City. However, compared to the academy's prodigies, if Ren Yihong didn't put in effort now, he would only end up at the bottom and embarrass Ren Shimin.
Next chapter around before 11 p.m. ~o(∩_∩)o.
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