CH 23

November 19, 2022

“The brush stroke is advanced, and the painting is full of meaning.” Ren Shimin approached a little closer, looked down carefully at the painting that had been touched up by Ren Yaoqi, and praised with surprise on his face, “Yaoyao, your progress in the past half year is really unbelievable.”

Half a year? She has been painting for more than half a year…

Ren Yaoqi sighed inwardly, but just pursed her lips and smiled.

”Fifth Sister paints really well.” Ren Yihong looked at Ren Yaoqi and said shyly.

Ren Yihong is Ren Shimin's only son.

Concubine Fang had high expectations for her son, so she never let him interfere with the affairs of the inner court. In Ren Yaoqi’s memory, this younger brother was shy and had a pretty good relationship with her.

Now he and several other cousins ​​in the Ren family are studying classics and history with a senior teacher hired by the estate. His learning is not bad and he likes painting, but his talent is not high.

Ren Yaoqi remembered that in her past life, after Ren Shimin’s death, Ren Yihong went to the Fang Estate to study with the Fang family’s children under the arrangement of Concubine Fang. Anyway, she had never heard of Ren Yihong’s name in the capital during her lifetime.

Ren Yaoqi smiled politely at him.

At this time, the steward of the front yard came to say that the thank-you gift to the Han family had been prepared, and Fifth Master asked Third Master if he was free to go to the Han family with him.

Ren Yaoqi tugged at Ren Shimin’s sleeve and said dissatisfiedly: “Daddy, you haven’t told us about the painting fair. Apart from Senior Chen and Yanbei's Heir, who are the famous artists who participated? What style of painting do they all have?”

Ren Shimin glanced at the children looking at him curiously. After thinking for a while, he said to the steward: “The people from the Han family only returned today. Too many people may cause trouble for them. Let Fifth Brother go alone, I will visit another day.”

The steward stepped back.

Ren Yaoqi breathed a sigh of relief.

Ren Shimin stayed in the study this afternoon to discuss the painting fair with the children.

After dinner, all the Ren family members went to Ronghua Courtyard to say good night to Old Master Ren and Old Madam Ren. Ren Yaoyu officially moved into Ronghua Courtyard.

In order to appease Ren Yaohua, Old Madam Ren gave her a pair of beaded flowers, and she was affectionate when she spoke.

Fifth Madam appeared with Fifth Master. Don’t know how Fifth Master pleaded for the Fifth Madam, Old Madam Ren didn’t punish her to go to the ancestral hall to think. When the husband and wife were standing together, they kept exchanging eyes.

Finally, Fifth Master also begged for mercy on his daughter, and Old Madam Ren reluctantly agreed to let Ren Yaoyu come out of the ancestral hall and be grounded in her room.

After returning from Ronghua Courtyard, Ren Yaoqi had someone sort out the boxes of clothing and jewelry that Ren Shimin brought back to her, and sent them to Ren Yaoyin, Ren Yaoying, as well as Ren Yaoting from the Second House respectively. Then she took Ren Yaohua's share and went to the opposite east wing.

Seeing the clothes and jewelry sent by Ren Yaoqi, Ren Yaohua asked expressionlessly: “Father bought this for you, why did you bring it here?”

Ren Yaoqi smiled and said: “Fourth Sister, Seventh Sister, Eighth Sister, and Ninth Sister, all of them have it, so naturally I can’t miss Third Sister. Father said that he bought it for us sisters, how can I take it all by myself?”

Ren Yaohua’s complexion softened slightly upon hearing this.

Ren Yaoqi let Xi’er hand over the things she brought to Ren Yaohua’s maidservant, Wujing.

A woman came in to talk to Ren Yaohua. Ren Yaoqi saw that the table inside was spread out with a brush, ink, and rice paper, so she walked over and took a casual look, only to find that it was a half-painted painting of a snow scenery.

The ink on the painting is still wet, obviously, Ren Yaohua was painting before she came in.

Ren Yaohua’s paintings are just average. There are some traces of smearing and alteration, but it can be seen that she is very careful. Painting and writing are not Ren Yaohua’s specialties, and Ren Yaoqi knows that she dislikes these things the most.

Ren Yaoqi used to think that a person as proud as Ren Yaohua should not care about her father’s opinion of her.

Her attitude towards Ren Shimin was also indifferent usually, and she seldom even spoke in front of him.

At this time, Ren Yaohua came over, glanced at Ren Yaoqi then pulled the half-drawn painting of a snow scenery on the table, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it on the ground casually.

Ren Yaoqi was taken aback, and Ren Yaohua said coldly: “I just casually painted for no reason, but it's useless. It’s getting late, you should go back.”

Ren Yaoqi nodded, and didn’t ask much: “Then I’ll go back first.” After taking two steps, she paused and said, “Third Sister, you might as well try meticulous painting, and if you are not sure about the layout, you can use a charcoal pencil to form the painting first.”

Ren Yaohua looked at Ren Yaoqi for a long time, until Ren Yaoqi walked to the door, she said in a low voice: “Thank you for bothering.”

On the second day, after the greetings in the Ronghua Courtyard, Ren Yaoqi was talking in née Li’s main room, but a woman from the outer courtyard came in and said that Third Master asked Third Madam to let someone send a pot of Yunwu tea he brought back from the capital to the front yard. 

”But what kind of guests are here?” Ren Shimin always treasured the tea leaves in his collection, and generally only used them to entertain his close friends, so Ren Yaoqi asked such a question.

”It’s from the Han family.” The woman replied.

Ren Yaoqi’s expression changed slightly: “Is someone from the Han family here?”

”Yes, Old Madam Han brought Young Master Han and Young Lady Han here.” The woman didn’t notice Ren Yaoqi’s expression, and replied with a smile, “Fifth Master said that he would let Young Master Han taste the good tea he recently brought back.”

Ren Yaoqi no longer remembers whether the members of the Han family visited in the past life, and she never paid attention to the Han family before they broke off the engagement.

But is this life going to follow the old path of the past life?

Thinking of this, Ren Yaoqi stood up abruptly.

”Qi’er?” Née Li called out in surprise.

Ren Yaoqi came back to her senses and found that everyone was looking at her. She tried to calm her breathing, smiled, and said: “Yesterday, I heard father praise the Han family, and I am very curious about the young lady of the Han family. Mother, I’ll go to Grandmother’s yard to see Young Lady Han.”