For several days after returning from White Dragon Temple, the skies had been clear and cloudless.
On this day, after paying their morning respects, Old Master Ren and Old Madam Ren kept their sons and daughters-in-law behind, sending the grandchildren away.
Ren Yaohua, who usually had breakfast in Old Madam Ren’s courtyard, returned to Purple Magnolia Courtyard with Ren Yaoqi.
“I wonder what Grandfather and Grandmother are discussing with Father and our uncles today?” Ren Yaohua remarked casually along the way.
Ren Yaoqi tilted her head in thought. “What was discussed the last time everyone was kept behind?”
Ren Yaohua replied, “Last year, at the end of the year, Granduncle wrote saying he wanted to open four new coal depots around the capital.”
“Has there been any major business in the family recently?”
Ren Yaohua thought for a moment. “The day before yesterday, Grandmother mentioned to Aunt that the Han Family had acquired several good salt wells and wanted to partner with our Ren Family.”
“The Han Family?” Ren Yaoqi frowned at the mention of the Han Family. She always felt there was something odd about them.
“What’s wrong with the Han Family?” Ren Yaohua raised an eyebrow, looking at Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi shook her head. “I just didn’t expect the Han Family to want to open a salt field. I’ve only heard that while this business yields immense profits, not everyone can succeed in it.”
“That’s exactly why the Han Family wants to partner with our Ren Family,” Ren Yaohua said dismissively.
Ren Yaoqi, however, was wondering whether this had happened in her previous life. But whether it was because she couldn’t remember or because she had never paid attention to such matters, she had no recollection of it. In the end, she could only let it go.
The two sisters waited for Ren Shimin and Madam Li to return so they could have breakfast together. It was over half an hour before Ren Shimin and Madam Li finally returned.
Ren Yaoqi noticed that while Ren Shimin showed no particular expression, Madam Li’s face was lit with a faint joy, though she occasionally furrowed her brows as if lost in thought.
After the family finished breakfast, Ren Yaoqi asked casually, “What important matters did Grandfather and Grandmother discuss today?”
Ren Shimin rinsed his mouth unhurriedly and replied indifferently, “It’s about the Ren Family partnering with the Han Family to open salt wells.”
Ren Yaoqi glanced at Madam Li and smiled. “Was that all? Then why were Mother and the aunts also kept behind?”
Seeing Ren Yaoqi pressing for details, Madam Li chided gently, “Why ask so many questions? You should focus on your needlework and learn household management and accounting from Nanny Zhou. Especially you, Yaohua—your needlework is passable, but you still need to learn more about managing accounts. Starting tomorrow, spend half an hour with Nanny Zhou after breakfast each day.”
Hearing Madam Li suddenly bring this up, Ren Yaoqi felt a stir in her heart. Could it be that Old Master Ren and Old Madam Ren had mentioned Ren Yaohua’s marriage today?
Ren Shimin was about to leave, and Madam Li pulled Ren Yaohua aside to whisper something to her. Ren Yaoqi excused herself from Madam Li and hurriedly followed Ren Shimin out.
After walking a few steps, Ren Shimin noticed Ren Yaoqi following him and turned around. “Why aren’t you listening to your mother’s instructions? Why are you following me?”
Ren Yaoqi quickened her pace with a smile, walking to Ren Shimin’s right side. “I’m here to see Father off.”
Ren Shimin chuckled at this, glancing sideways at Ren Yaoqi. “What is it really? Speak up—I’m in a hurry to leave.”
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment and whispered, “Did Grandfather and Grandmother mention anything else besides the salt wells today?”"Why are you asking all this?" Ren Shimin raised an eyebrow.
Ren Yaoqi smiled ingratiatingly. "Father, just tell me? Otherwise, I'll be thinking about it all day and won't be in the mood for anything."
Ren Shimin glanced at her, then turned back to continue walking on his own.
Ren Yaoqi moved closer, lowering her voice even further. "Father, did Grandfather and Grandmother mention Third Sister's marriage arrangement?"
Ren Shimin suddenly choked on his own saliva at her words, coughing lightly. Ren Yaoqi hurriedly stepped forward to pat his back.
"Yao Yao, how dare you ask such things? These matters are none of your concern," Ren Shimin scolded, glaring at Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi whispered, "I just thought of it when Mother mentioned having Third Sister learn household management, so I asked. Father, did Grandfather and Grandmother really bring this up?"
Ren Shimin sighed helplessly. Seeing Ren Yaoqi's determined expression that she wouldn't let it go without an answer, he vaguely replied, "They did mention something about it."
"Which family?" Ren Yaoqi pressed urgently.
Ren Shimin frowned, displeased. "Yao Yao! Don't ask about things you shouldn't."
Ren Yaoqi lowered her head but stubbornly continued following Ren Shimin.
As they approached the Inner Gate, Ren Shimin sighed softly. "The Han Family."
His voice wasn't loud, but the two words he uttered left Ren Yaoqi stunned in place.
The Han Family?
The Han Family again?
Could it be that even in this lifetime, she still couldn't escape the fate of the previous one?
Seeing Ren Yaoqi had stopped walking and was standing there dazed, Ren Shimin also halted, frowning. "What's wrong with you today?"
Ren Yaoqi pursed her lips and suddenly declared, "Third Sister cannot be engaged to Han Yunqian!"
Ren Shimin was taken aback, then his frown deepened. He studied Ren Yaoqi for a moment, as if suddenly realizing something.
He sighed softly, his expression stern. "Come with me to the study."
With that, Ren Shimin turned back and headed toward the study in the western courtyard.
Ren Yaoqi followed silently behind him to the study.
Once in the study, with only the father and daughter present, Ren Shimin asked Ren Yaoqi seriously, "Yao Yao, are you asking all these inappropriate questions today because of Han Yunqian?"
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi looked up, realizing from Ren Shimin's expression that he had misunderstood something.
But Ren Yaoqi couldn't explain it to Ren Shimin. How could she say that Han Yunqian would break off the engagement with Ren Yaohua before the wedding? No one would believe something that hadn't happened yet.
And from every perspective, the Han Family and Han Yunqian were considered an excellent match.
So Ren Yaoqi pursed her lips and remained silent.
Ren Shimin, however, took her silence as confirmation and sighed heavily again. "Yao Yao, you're still young... Although the Han Family has proposed marriage to our Ren Family, and your grandfather, grandmother, and uncle are all pleased about it, according to age, they have their eyes on Yaohua and Yaoyin."
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi realized the candidate hadn't been finalized yet? It was only between Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoyin?
Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoyin were originally the candidates Old Madam Ren wanted to marry into the Qiu Family. Now, with the Han Family added, the most likely outcome would be one marrying into the Han Family while the other became Qiu Yun's fiancée.Seeing his daughter's poor complexion, Ren Shimin could only awkwardly console her, "Although Han Yunqian seems excellent in every aspect, didn't you dislike his poor chess character? And... and you even beat him twice in a row! Any man would feel upset about that!"
Ren Yaoqi, who had been racking her brains beside them, couldn't help but laugh and cry at Ren Shimin's sudden remark.
"Father! Don't think nonsense, that's not what I meant!"
Ren Shimin glanced at his daughter, somewhat unconvinced.
Who hasn't had their youthful days? He remembered how he once silently wished to find a beauty who could always be painted into his artwork.
Back then, Old Madam Ren had been determined to arrange a marriage with the Fang family, where his aunt lived, wanting to secure Fang Yahui, the legitimate daughter of the Fang family, for him.
He had seen that cousin a few times and thought her profile was suitable for painting, but her full face—with that somewhat broad nose—wasn't quite attractive enough.
At the time, he had been somewhat troubled, thinking, "I can't just paint her profile forever, can I?" That had been the most troubling matter of his youth.
Ren Shimin felt his own youthful sentiments back then were probably similar to his younger daughter's current feelings.
However, Third Master Ren forgot that later, when the marriage arrangement between the Ren and Fang families fell through, and Old Master Ren arranged for him to marry the daughter of Prince Xian, who had just been demoted to Yanbei, he didn't feel much about the resolution of the nose problem that had troubled him for years. Although Madam Li's appearance was outstanding, with hardly any flaws to pick, making her perfect material for painting.
By then, Ren Shimin had already lost interest in portrait painting. He had become fascinated with landscape painting and remained captivated by it to this day.
So, in truth, his so-called youthful sentiments back then were quite different from his daughter's.
Seeing Ren Shimin lost in inexplicable nostalgia, Ren Yaoqi quickly interrupted, "Father, isn't it said that chess character reflects one's character? If Han Yunqian has poor chess character, his character can't be much better either! It's better not to proceed with this marriage!"
Ren Shimin snapped back to reality and shook his head. "This is your grandfather and grandmother's decision. I have no say in it."
Although major matters in the Ren Family were discussed with the adult male members, the final decisions were never theirs but Old Master Ren's. The same applied to their children's marriages.
Ren Yaoqi also realized this.
In her previous life, the marriage between the Ren and Han families happened not only because Ren Shimin agreed but, more importantly, because the Ren Family intended to ally with the Han Family. Ren Shimin had merely stumbled into it by chance. If he had taken a fancy to some ordinary scholar, the Ren Family would never have agreed.
Ren Yaoqi sighed.
Ren Shimin comforted his daughter in his own way once more before heading out.
When Ren Yaoqi left the western courtyard, she had only one thought in mind: how to prevent the marriage arrangement between Ren Yaohua and Han Yunqian.
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