According to the customs of Yanbei, on the second day after moving into a new residence, a banquet would be held to invite some close friends and relatives to the new home, which was also considered a way to bring some liveliness to the new dwelling.
However, the Ren Family had not yet divided the household, and strictly speaking, Ren Shimin’s branch could not be considered to have moved into a new home. Therefore, Ren Shimin did not instruct Madam Li to prepare a banquet. Instead, some acquaintances from Yunyang Academy who had heard the news sent their family members over with some food or small gifts.
Madam Li then suggested that Ren Shimin invite his friends from Yunyang Academy over and set up a few tables in the outer courtyard. After some thought, Ren Shimin agreed. The scholars from the academy shared similar interests with him, and such social engagements were not something Third Master Ren disliked.
Ren Yaoqi observed this and felt pleased. Their branch now needed some social connections unrelated to the Ren Family, so that even if they were to fall out with the family one day, they would not find themselves in an awkward situation of being isolated and abandoned.
Ren Yaoqi also discussed with Madam Li and Ren Yaohua that after settling in, they should find an excuse to invite the wives and daughters of Ren Shimin’s friends from the academy to their home, so they could maintain social interactions in the future.
Having received education from a prominent family, Madam Li naturally understood that for Ren Shimin, who had just entered Yunyang Academy and was still relatively inexperienced, these social interactions among the women of the inner courtyard would be beneficial rather than harmful. Therefore, she happily agreed and even began discussing with the two sisters in advance the dishes to be prepared and the arrangements needed for the occasion. For Madam Li, hosting guests as the mistress of the household was a first since her marriage.
However, what Madam Li and her daughters did not expect was that before they could send out their invitations, an invitation from Ouyang Shi, the wife of Headmaster Xu, arrived first.
Lady Xu invited Madam Li and her daughters to visit White Dragon Temple to worship Buddha, listen to Buddhist teachings, and enjoy vegetarian meals. Lady Xu did not only invite them but also the wives and daughters of several other scholars teaching at Yunyang Academy.
Lady Xu’s gesture was like offering a pillow to someone who was sleepy—it was both kind and considerate. Ren Yaoqi had been worrying about how to help Madam Li socialize with other ladies, so upon receiving the invitation, she was overjoyed.
With Lady Xu as a bridge, it would be much easier for Madam Li to enter the social circle of the wives of Yunyang Academy.
Thus, Ren Yaoqi immediately had Madam Li send a reply to Lady Xu, confirming their attendance.
On the day agreed upon with Lady Xu and the others, Madam Li rose early to dress up. She did not intend to dress flamboyantly; on the contrary, her attire was modest and simple. However, Madam Li attached great importance to this outing and put considerable thought into her appearance, ensuring she looked elegant without bringing shame to Ren Shimin.
When Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua went to the main room to find Madam Li, they nodded approvingly at her attire.
Just as they were about to leave, Ren Yaoying’s maid came running over to say that Ninth Miss was feeling unwell and would not be joining them on the trip to White Dragon Temple that day.
Madam Li knew that this stepdaughter had many petty schemes. She did not expect harmony between them as mother and daughter, only hoping that Ren Yaoying would behave and not cause trouble. Although Ren Yaoying’s excuse was clearly a ploy to avoid going, Madam Li did not say anything. She sent Xier to check on her, asking if a physician needed to be called to examine Ren Yaoying, and did not force her to go out.Ren Yaoying's absence did not affect Madam Li and her daughters' mood for going out. Seeing that it was about time, Madam Li took Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua out.
Not long after Madam Li and the others left, Ren Yaoying, who had been pretending to be sick in bed, got up. She instructed her maid, "Go to the Zhou family and tell Miss Zhou to send a carriage to pick me up."
The maid had followed Ren Yaoying later and had been won over by Concubine Fang with money, so she was relatively loyal. Upon receiving the order and a reward, she immediately went out.
Ren Yaoying sneered, "I won’t go with you just to be a decoration!"
Later, the Zhou family indeed sent a carriage to pick her up. Since the Zhou family claimed they were following Madam Zhou’s orders to fetch Ren Yaoying to meet Miss Zhou, and also mentioned that Madam Zhou and Concubine Fang’s sister-in-law were close friends, and that the Zhou family had already sent someone to White Dragon Temple to inform Madam Li, the steward left behind by Madam Li couldn’t stop the Zhou family’s people. Ren Yaoying dressed herself up nicely and left in the Zhou family’s carriage.
Madam Li and the others had arranged to meet Lady Xu outside the city gate. When the Ren Family’s carriage exited the gates of Yunyang City, they indeed saw several other carriages. They weren’t late, but two ladies had already arrived.
The ones who arrived first were Lady Liu and Lady Chen, both around the same age as Madam Li and relatively young among the wives of Yunyang Academy. Lady Liu brought her second daughter, Liu Menghan, as her eldest daughter had already married last year. Lady Chen brought her eldest daughter, Chen Zhiyi, and a three-year-old son.
Lady Liu and Lady Chen were very friendly toward Madam Li, taking the initiative to greet her. They seemed gentle, kind, and easy to get along with in daily life. Liu Menghan and Chen Zhiyi were both around Ren Yaoqi’s age and had gentle, graceful temperaments.
Since their husbands all taught at Yunyang Academy, Madam Li, Lady Liu, and Lady Chen quickly found common ground. All three were well-educated ladies from respectable families, speaking softly and carrying themselves with grace, so they left a good first impression on each other.
At this moment, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but feel grateful for Lady Xu’s thoughtfulness. With Lady Liu and Lady Chen, who shared similar temperaments with Madam Li, it would be easier for Madam Li to integrate into this circle. Often, social interactions require someone to extend the olive branch first, and Lady Xu had arranged for Lady Liu and Lady Chen to be exactly those people.
Later, several other ladies arrived one after another, all of whom appeared to be well-mannered and refined. Lady Xu was the last to arrive. Although she wasn’t late, she still apologized to those waiting for her.
When she saw Ren Yaoqi, Lady Xu acted very affectionately, beckoning her over, holding her hand, and kindly saying, "Why do you look thinner than last time? Have you been practicing the qin and painting diligently at home? Today, you’ll ride in my carriage. I want to test whether you’ve been slacking off."
As she spoke, Lady Xu joked with Madam Li, "You don’t mind if I borrow your daughter to chat in my carriage, do you?"
Madam Li sensed Lady Xu’s goodwill and smiled, shaking her head. "It’s an honor for her."The ladies nearby also joined in with a few lighthearted remarks. Lady Liu smiled and said, “I had heard earlier that you had taken on a new young disciple. Menghan kept insisting at home that she wanted to meet her, and I never thought we’d actually have the chance to see her today. She looks like a clever and fortunate child.”
Lady Xu smiled in return. “They are all good children.” Then, turning to Liu Menghan and Chen Zhiyi, she added, “I had thought before that your temperaments would likely be compatible, and indeed, I saw you chatting happily together in the carriage earlier. That’s wonderful! From now on, you should spend more time together. After all, you live close by, so it’s convenient to visit one another.”
Liu Menghan and Chen Zhiyi both held Lady Xu in high regard and nodded in agreement.
Once the pleasantries were exchanged, Lady Xu led the way to her carriage, and the other ladies and young misses boarded their own. Ren Yaoqi took a seat in Lady Xu’s carriage.
As the carriage began to move, Ren Yaoqi expressed her gratitude, saying, “Thank you, Madam.”
Lady Xu looked at her with a gentle smile. “It was just a small matter. After all, you were once my savior. Lending you a hand is nothing in comparison. There’s no need to thank me. Just live your life well from now on. The ladies and young misses we met today all have good temperaments. It would be beneficial for you to spend more time with them in the future.”
Ren Yaoqi quickly agreed.
Lady Xu was a woman of profound learning, but Ren Yaoqi, having studied under esteemed teachers and read extensively, was able to engage in meaningful conversation with her during the journey. They found common ground and conversed pleasantly.
Ren Yaoqi’s insight surprised Lady Xu, who grew even more appreciative of her. After all, at Ren Yaoqi’s age, there were few in the world who could keep up with Lady Xu’s train of thought and eloquence.
The carriage soon arrived at White Dragon Temple, where Ren Yaoqi personally helped Lady Xu alight.
Ren Yaoqi was no stranger to White Dragon Temple, and it seemed the other ladies and young misses were also frequent visitors. The group navigated the temple grounds with familiarity.
Lady Xu led the ladies to offer incense and make donations, then took them to listen to a master’s lecture on Buddhist scriptures. Being open-minded, Lady Xu did not require the younger girls like Ren Yaoqi to accompany her and instead encouraged them to go enjoy themselves.
Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua then left with Liu Menghan and Chen Zhiyi.
The young misses strolled around White Dragon Temple, chatting about local customs and culture along the way. Though not all of them came from prominent families, their upbringing and education lent them an air of refinement and elegance. Even Ren Yaohua found their conversation engaging and far from dull.
After tiring from their walk, they asked a temple attendant to arrange a small courtyard for them, where they drank tea, chatted, and played chess, enjoying a leisurely and carefree time.
After winning a game against Liu Menghan, Ren Yaoqi stood up to give her seat to Chen Zhiyi, only to notice that Ren Yaohua, who had been sitting behind her, was no longer there.
Ren Yaoqi asked Pingguo, “Where is Third Sister?”
Pingguo replied, “Third Miss went to freshen up and took Xiangqin and the others with her. You were in the middle of a game, so she didn’t want to disturb you.”
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi nodded and said nothing more.
Ren Yaohua had indeed stepped out because she had drunk too much tea and needed to freshen up. However, she did not expect to encounter Zeng Kui on her way back.
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