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Chapter 107: Suspicious Shadows
“Then what should we do now? Are we going to help her?” Ren Yaohua stood up, walked back and forth in the room, and asked Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi was silent for a long time, and finally shook her head, “It’s not the time yet.”
Ren Yaohua was taken aback, staring at Ren Yaoqi, and said, “What’s not the time? Then when is the time?”
Regarding Ren Yaohua’s tongue-in-cheek question, Ren Yaoqi didn’t answer and asked instead, “Then how do you want to help, Third Sister?”
Ren Yaohua was speechless. At this time, even if she didn’t want to admit it, she had to admit that Ren Yaoqi was smarter than her. No wonder their father liked Ren Yaoqi more. Although she knew she wanted to help Lin, she didn’t know how to start.
Ren Yaoqi said sternly, “What can we do now? No matter what we do now, we will only get involved in the muddy water of the dispute between wives and concubine in the Fifth Branch, which will not do us any good. Fifth Aunt may not appreciate it either. Don’t forget your own purpose in everything you do, or you will be led by the nose by your opponent.” Ren Yaoqi’s words unconsciously sounded like a lecture.
Ren Yaohua was silent for a moment when she heard that, then finally turned around and left without saying a word.
Ren Yaoqi looked at her back and smiled wryly, was she too impatient? Should she give Ren Yaohua more time to grow up?
Because of living one more life, her impression of Ren Yaohua in the previous life had been blurred, and now Ren Yaoqi actually treated Ren Yaohua as her own younger sister.
But Ren Yaohua had a strong temper since she was a child. Even in front of their mother, Li, she had always been used to calling the shots. Now that the roles between Ren Yaoqi and her had suddenly changed, Ren Yaohua may feel a little uncomfortable.
But how much time did she have for Ren Yaohua to adapt slowly?
Although Ren Yaohua left without saying a word, she didn’t act on her own. In the evening, Ren Yaoqi meet her again when they say good night to Li. Ren Yaohua no longer appeared like she was wronged.
When she came out of Li’s room, Ren Yaoqi said to Ren Yaohua, “Third Sister, I’m sorry. Next time, I’ll think things through before speaking. Don’t be angry with me.” Ren Yaoqi who had lived a new life was always a little more tolerant towards Ren Yaohua.
Ren Yaohua paused and said softly, “There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’ve thought about it, and you think farther than I do, and you have more ways than I do. I’ll just follow whatever you planned from now on.
Ren Yaoqi didn’t know if Ren Yaohua’s words meant that she was still angry or had calmed down. They remained silent for a minute, and when she tried to speak again, Ren Yaohua had already turned and walked away.
Ren Yaoqi sighed softly and returned to the west chamber.
The maidservants in the courtyard had noted that the mood between Third Miss and Fifth Miss had changed recently. Fifth Miss was more careful when talking to Third Miss, and Third Miss’ attitude towards Fifth Miss was much more polite than before.
Li was worried a lot about her two daughters, and asked Matron Zhou, “What happened between these two now? They won’t be fighting again, right?”
Matron Zhou comforted her, “This servant doesn’t think so. Don’t you know Third Miss? How could she put on a pleasant face if she was genuinely upset with Fifth Miss?”
Li thought about it and felt that it made sense. She surmised that she was feeling this way because Ren Yaohua had become steadier.
After a few days like this, the mansion finally got a rare peaceful day. Even in the Fifth Branch, the Fifth Madam, Lin, who had quarrels with Ren Shimao twice after he moved to Kang’s courtyard, seemed to be disheartened and became much quieter nowadays. The last time she left Ren Mansion and went back to her natal family, Lin wanted to hear reports about the affairs of the Ren Family three or four times a day. Now that she returned to Ren Mansion, she ordered not to give her any information regarding Kang.
This afternoon, Ren Yaoqi was still practicing calligraphy and reading in the study of the west courtyard, when she heard a few maids outside the study chattering happily.
Because Ren Shimin didn’t like maidservants entering the study, Ren Yaoqi didn’t invite anyone in for questioning. She put down her pen and walked out by herself.
“What happened?” Ren Yaoqi asked a few maids who were full of excitement.
Sangshen hurriedly replied, “Miss, the news came from Nuanxiang Pavillion just now. They said that Madam has started to have a contraction. Old Madam has ordered the midwives to go to the Madam’s courtyard to wait for orders. She and Eldest Madam has already come over. Third Madam is also going there now.”
Ren Shijia is about to give birth?
Ren Yaoqi thought for a while, “Isn’t it a few days early?”
“They said it is two days early,” Xueli stated. “I heard Madam went to see Fifth Madam in the morning, and she came out a little upset,” Xueli said, looking around. “Then, about lunchtime, she began to have stomach pains. Her maid checked it and discovered that she would give birth sooner.”
Lin was involved again? Ren Yaoqi shook her head.
Only now that Ren Yaoqi saw a group of people run past outside of the west courtyard. It seemed that her mother was in a hurry to go out. She should have gone to Ren Shijia’s place.
Ren Yaoqi still lived in the boudoir and could not enter the delivery room. She couldn’t even enter the courtyard where the delivery room was located. But she was not curious. In her previous life, she had seen people give birth, and it was not pretty.
Ren Shijia’s husband came here in the evening. When he came, Ren Shijia had been in pain for almost two hours, and the child hadn’t been born yet.
The Third Madam also stayed there and did not come back, so Ren Yaoqi had dinner by herself. Ren Yaohua didn’t come back from Old Madam’s courtyard, and Ren Shimin went out to drink and eat with others.
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t sleep at first, but when she finally did, she heard the entrance to the courtyard open and someone come in. Ren Yaoqi recognized Li’s voice and realized it was her mother.
Putting on her shoes and getting off the bed, Ren Yaoqi quickly put on her overlay blouse and ran out. She come right when Li had almost reached the main room.
“Mother, is Aunt okay? Is the child okay?” Ren Yaoqi asked.
Li turned around and saw Ren Yaoqi who ran out, a gentle smile on her lips. She nodded, “Well, you get another brother cousin. You can go over to see him tomorrow.” Ren Shijia gave birth to a son.
Ren Yaoqi’s impression of Ren Shijia as an aunt was quite good, and was happy for her when she heard this.
On the second day, Ren Yaoqi was about to go out, but she heard a few maids quietly discussing something. Ren Yaoqi walked over to hear a servant said, “They said it will be Qingliu. When Madam leaves, she will bring Qingliu together to Yunyang City, and the Fifth Madam will arrange for her in the future…”
“So it is Qingliu, after all? That girl’s looks are ordinary, and she’s not very smart, how did the Old Madam and Madam pick her?” A maid asked in a slightly sour tone.
Another maid glared at her and said, “This is a concubine for the son-in-law, not for the son! Of course, the requirements to choose is very different.”
Somehow, everyone in the Ren household was aware that Ren Shijia was planning to find a concubine for her husband. The speculation has been rampant in recent days, with bets on who would win in the end, “She is a lucky one, I didn’t think she actually won.” Someone sighed.
“Didn’t I say that this is for choosing a concubine for the daughter’s husband, not the son?” said the maid who spoke earlier. “How many benefits may she receive? That Jinlian who serves Old Madam is useful, however she herself hoped she wouldn’t be picked. She was overjoyed to learn that it will be Qingliu!”
Ren Yaoqi turned around and walked away as if she didn’t hear this.
Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua went over to see the baby together.
Ren Shijia’s delivery went smoothly this time with no risk, therefore there was nothing wrong with her body except exhaustion. Old Madam Ren was finally relieved.
Because Ren Shijia just started the confinement period and couldn’t safely go out with her baby, she rightfully stay at her mother’s home for another month.
>> Confinement Period
This time, Auntie’s husband, Lin Kun, also stayed behind.
Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua took a path that was usually deserted because it was closer to Ren Shijia’s yard.
When they walked to a narrow path behind the bamboo grove in Ren Shijia’s yard, they weren’t expecting to see two people hiding aside and chatting. Hearing that someone was approaching from here, the two split off in a panic, with one running east and the other disappearing in the bamboo forest in the blink of an eye.
“Who is there!” Matron Xu behind Ren Yaoqi had sharp eyes and was the first to call out.
Everyone looked up in time to see two figures, one wearing yellow and another wearing green.
“Miss, this servant will bring a few people to take a look. These two people are talking here secretly. If they run away when they hear someone coming, they must be discussing something bad.”