Ren Yaoqi returned to the main room with a heavy heart. Madam Li was still sitting on the kang with Ren Yaohua, while Nanny Zhou stood nearby reporting on household matters. Perhaps because Madam Li had instructed her to teach Ren Yaohua about domestic affairs, she was reporting in greater detail today.
"...The summer clothes for the maids and older servants have also begun to be made, using the embroidery workshop within our own residence. The masters' and mistresses' clothes, however, have been entrusted to Tanji Tailor Shop in Yunyang City. Many of the masters' and mistresses' winter clothes from last year were made by Tanji, and Old Madam Ren praised their craftsmanship. Originally, these matters were overseen by Madam Lin, but recently Madam Lin has been unwell and unable to manage affairs, so First Madam has handed over the seasonal clothing arrangements to Eldest Young Madam. Coincidentally, in the autumn two years ago, the residence purchased a batch of summer cloth. The fabric is of excellent quality, but the patterns are likely no longer favored by the masters and mistresses, so it’s perfect for making summer clothes for the maids."
"Eldest Sister-in-law is truly capable. This must save the residence quite a bit of expense, right?" Ren Yaohua remarked, turning to Madam Li.
Unexpectedly, Nanny Zhou interjected, "Eldest Young Madam is indeed extremely capable, but... she is still young and has experienced little..."
Ren Yaohua sensed that Nanny Zhou seemed to imply something more and looked at her in confusion, waiting for her to continue.
Nanny Zhou lowered her voice and said, "Eldest Young Madam’s approach is acceptable to the older married women and servants in the residence, but the younger maids are used to selecting new seasonal fabrics alongside their mistresses for their clothes. Although the fabrics are far inferior to those used in the residence, the colors and patterns are fashionable for the season, which makes them happy. So, while Eldest Young Madam’s intentions are good, in the end, she may not earn their gratitude. People are like this—they take advantages for granted, but if they feel even slightly slighted, they blame the person responsible."
"If that’s the case, wouldn’t Eldest Aunt, who has managed the household for so many years, know this? Why didn’t she advise Eldest Sister-in-law instead of letting her proceed like this?" Ren Yaohua asked, puzzled.
Hearing this, Nanny Zhou glanced at Madam Li. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have said more, but Ren Yaohua was no longer young, and if certain things weren’t taught now, it would be too late. This was precisely why Madam Li had asked her to explain these household matters to Ren Yaohua.
So, she sighed and said, "No matter how good a mother-in-law is, she is still not one’s birth mother."
After a moment’s thought, Nanny Zhou continued, "First Madam may value Eldest Young Madam, but she also has her own considerations. In prominent families, it has always been the eldest legitimate son who inherits the family estate. The Ren Family will eventually be managed by Eldest Young Master. However, Eldest Master and First Madam are still in their prime, and Eldest Young Madam will have to live under First Madam’s authority for many years to come. If Eldest Young Madam’s initial foray into household management goes smoothly, the elders might favor the granddaughter-in-law over the daughter-in-law. This would diminish the mother-in-law’s authority when she eventually takes charge."
Seeing Ren Yaohua looking somewhat stunned, Nanny Zhou spoke earnestly, "That’s why a mother-in-law always needs to assert her authority over her daughter-in-law from the start. Think about it—if Eldest Young Madam fails in this task and faces criticism from Old Madam Ren down to the maids and servants, and then First Madam steps in to protect her and clean up the mess, how would Eldest Young Madam behave in the future?"Ren Yaohua frowned, "So in the future, Eldest Young Madam will show even more respect to First Madam and won’t dare to easily go against her wishes?"
Nanny Zhou nodded with satisfaction, "First Madam only needs Eldest Young Madam to be obedient to her as a mother-in-law and to stand united with her. She doesn’t need Eldest Young Madam to outshine her in front of Old Madam Ren. This way, she will naturally protect Eldest Young Madam and prevent her from suffering major losses."
After hearing this, Ren Yaohua fell silent for a moment and sighed, "There are so many twists and turns within these courtyards."
Madam Li covered her mouth with a light laugh, exchanged a glance with Nanny Zhou, and gently patted Ren Yaohua’s hand, "Take your time learning from Nanny Zhou. Learn a little every day, and by the time... you’ll be almost ready to graduate."
Ren Yaohua hadn’t paid much attention to Madam Li’s unusual behavior earlier, but upon hearing these words and seeing the expression on her face, she suddenly realized something and couldn’t help but blush.
She opened her mouth to ask but ultimately felt too embarrassed to voice the question.
Ren Yaoqi stood quietly to the side for a while. When Madam Li looked up and saw her, she beckoned her over, "Qi’er, what are you doing standing there? Come over here too."
Ren Yaoqi obediently walked over and sat down next to Ren Yaohua, listening as Nanny Zhou continued discussing household matters.
Later, when Madam Li and Nanny Zhou went out to handle matters in the courtyard, Ren Yaohua asked Ren Yaoqi, "When you went out earlier, did Father mention anything?"
Seeing Ren Yaohua’s forced composure, Ren Yaoqi knew she must have guessed something and nodded, "Yes."
Ren Yaohua lowered her head and remained silent for a long while before finally asking, "Which family?"
Though the question wasn’t explicit, Ren Yaoqi understood what she was asking.
"The Han Family. But the elders haven’t finalized the candidate yet," Ren Yaoqi said, observing Ren Yaohua’s expression.
Ren Yaohua was stunned once more.
Ren Yaoqi fell silent again, and the two sisters sat in quiet contemplation.
Finally, after a long while, Ren Yaohua snapped out of her daze. She noticed Ren Yaoqi’s somewhat strange expression and couldn’t help but ponder thoughtfully.
Two days later, the Han Family visited again. This time, it was Master Han, Madam Han, and the Han siblings. Master Han and Master Ren the Elder went to the outer courtyard, while Han Yunqian was invited by the eldest young master for tea.
The purpose of this visit from the Han Family was clear to everyone in the Ren Family, and they greeted them with even greater enthusiasm.
Old Madam Ren sent someone to summon Madam Li and Ren Yaohua to Glory and Splendor Courtyard. Madam Li hurriedly sent Ren Yaohua back to freshen up.
Ren Yaohua glanced at her outfit, "This dress is suitable for receiving guests."
"This green color doesn’t look lively. You should wear red instead. The silver-red dress embroidered with silver thread and scattered flowers from last time was perfect. Go back and change into that. Since the dress is a deep color, replace the gold hairpin with that pair of pearl-studded tassel ones." Madam Li gave detailed instructions but still felt uneasy. She turned to Nanny Zhou and said, "You should go and keep an eye on her."
Ren Yaohua glanced at Ren Yaoqi before turning and leaving with Nanny Zhou.
Madam Li also called the maids in the room to help her tidy up.
Ren Yaoqi watched as Madam Li sat down to have her hair styled and walked over to help her select hairpins.
Madam Li patted her head and instructed, "Your sister and I are going to Grandmother’s place. You stay in the courtyard and focus on your needlework."
Ren Yaoqi nodded and handed a pair of dignified gold filigree peach and cricket hairpins inlaid with jade and coral to Xier, who was styling Madam Li’s hair.Not long after, Ren Yaohua returned.
She wore a silver-red jacket embroidered with silver thread and floral patterns, paired with a silver moonlit skirt. Her hair was styled into lively double buns resembling ingots, adorned with a pearl-studded tasseled hairpin, making her look charming and delightful.
Madam Li looked her over, nodded, and led her toward Glory and Splendor Courtyard.
Ren Yaoqi watched them leave, and after a moment, she too stepped out of the courtyard.
She still felt uneasy and wanted to check on Glory and Splendor Courtyard.
As she approached the covered walkway near the garden, a casual glance revealed what seemed to be a person standing by the rockery in the garden.
Ren Yaoqi paused, hesitated briefly, and then walked slowly into the garden.
In early spring, the Ren Family garden was gradually coming to life, with green sprouts emerging everywhere. Even among the Taihu stones piled into the rockery, patches of green grass had begun to grow. The maids responsible for tidying the garden had intended to pull out the grass, but Ren Shimin stopped them, saying it was better this way, adding a touch of rustic charm.
No one dared to question Third Master’s taste, so the grass was left to grow freely.
Ren Yaoqi walked with light, unhurried steps. She had left casually, accompanied only by her two personal maids, Pingguo and Sangshen. Neither maid dared to speak, silently following behind Ren Yaoqi with their heads bowed.
The person standing by the rockery was quite alert, noticing Ren Yaoqi and her maids before they drew near, and turned to look.
With refined features and calm, profound eyes, he carried a quiet maturity uncommon among young men—it was Han Yunqian.
Han Yunqian looked at her quietly.
Ren Yaoqi wore a plain goose-yellow jacket, with the long hem of her similarly plain skirt revealing a deep purple embroidered border. The pale golden sunlight of early spring fell evenly upon her, soft and warm, making the young lady’s fair skin appear delicate and flawless.
“Young Master Han.” Ren Yaoqi stopped five steps away, curtsying politely.
Han Yunqian withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes, and returned the greeting, addressing her as Third Miss.
“Why are you here alone, Young Master Han?” Ren Yaoqi glanced around and saw that aside from Han Yunqian, there was only a young pageboy with his hair tied in two knots not far away, who hurried over to bow upon seeing her.
“Brother Yiyan asked me to wait for him here. He had something to attend to and stepped away for a moment,” Han Yunqian replied gently and politely.
Ren Yaoqi’s gaze shifted past his shoulder to the rockery he had been observing.
It was said that because the feng shui layout of this residence was exceptionally favorable, the Ren Family had made almost no major changes to the property after moving in.
This Taihu stone rockery must have been here for many years, with its rugged stones piled into shapes resembling various birds and beasts. However, Ren Yaoqi noticed that a stone resembling an eagle on the upper right side of the rockery seemed to have a broken wing. A one-winged eagle standing there felt somewhat peculiar.
“The feng shui here is excellent, don’t you think?” Han Yunqian also turned to look at the rockery, smiling as he spoke. “Brother Yiyan said this rockery happens to be positioned on a key point of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams formation. If it were to be repaired, it would require the expertise of a master.”
Since the two of them had navigated the lantern maze together last time, Han Yunqian knew that Ren Yaoqi understood such matters.
Thank you to wingblue, Yan Songzi, Jinxin Daxiaojie, Xueyu Wawa,
Shuijing Lan, q Qingqing Hebian Cao q, Zangqingse de Hu, Liangli, 77842962,
for your pink votes～^^(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian () to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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