CH 85

Chapter 85: The Pursuer Had Arrived

The matron sniffed and tried to persuade her again, but Su had already lowered her head to read the account book again.

Looking at Su’s unconcerned look, the matron felt heart just sank.

Su had been married to the Ren Family for more than ten years, but she only had one daughter, and it was not at all Su’s fault.

During the first few years when Su and the Second Master, Ren Shiyuan, got married, the Second Master was obsessed with Buddhism, pure-minded and ascetic. Su had never been pregnant because he seldom entered her room.

One day, the Second Master suddenly wanted to become a monk and convert to Buddhism.

He wasn’t just talking about it. When he saw his mother desperately trying to stop him from going out, he used scissors to cut his hair, causing the whole house to fly wild.

Compared to his mother-in-law, Liao, who was in a state of panic, Su, the wife of the Second Master, was much more calm. Unexpectedly she found a pair of twin sisters who are both excellent in art. One of the unique skills of the sisters is that they can sing Buddhist scriptures with popular tunes in the world. So that night the sisters were sent to exchange Buddhist teachings with the Second Master Ren.

After three days had passed, Second Master Ren stopped yelling about becoming a monk. Su raised the Yuan twin sisters as concubines and had them chant sutras with Second Master Ren every day.

It was not long before the Eldest Concubine Yuan became pregnant and gave birth to the Eldest Grandson of the Eastern Mansion, Ren Yilin. The Younger Concubine Yuan also gave birth two years later to the second son of Second Master Ren, Ren Yixin.

Originally, the Old Madam, Liao, had some strong opinions about Su. She said that her daughter-in-law could not hold on to her husband’s heart, made him feel that the world was unlovable, and wanted to become a monk.

However, after a few years, Su was generous and respectful to Liao as her mother-in-law, and she was always submissive in front of the Second Master, so Liao could not find anything wrong with her and gradually became closer to her.

After a few more years, Little Concubine Yuan died of illness. When she died, the Second Master left the house again. This time Su raised a concubine named Xia to the family. Although she was not as versatile as Concubine Yuan, she was soft and graceful and spoke like a soft yellow warbler. The Second Master Ren then stayed in the world again.

A while ago, Second Master Ren began to be disinterested in everything. When he came to Su, he opened and closed his mouth with Buddhist doctrine. This time Su did not wait for him to say that he wanted to become a monk before she brought him a beautiful 16-year-old concubine into the house.

The matron thought of this and was very unhappy for Su.

Su was intelligent and capable, not to mention being the madam of an ordinary merchant family, she could have been the wife of a nobleman. It was a pity that she was too ordinary in appearance and could not capture the heart of the Second Master.

When she first married into the Ren Family, Second Master Ren did not come to her courtyard. Later on, he had never been without a beautiful concubine, so it was even more difficult for him to come. If it wasn’t for the Old Madam’s pity for Su, she would have been knocked around by Ren Shiyuan from time to time. Ren Shiyuan wouldn’t even do his responsibility to show his face in the main courtyard twice a month.

At this time, another maid reported that Miss had come over.

Only then did Su raise her head again.

Ren Yaoting came in and saw Su looking at the books and complained, “Mother, you stay in the house every day to look at the books, but you let those who don’t know their status go around. I just saw that Concubine Lan has gone out with Father again, saying that she is going to a banquet of some kind. She is just a concubine of no importance. What right does she have to follow her master in and out?”

Su frowned and scolded, “Is that something you should say?”

Ren Yaoting glanced at Su and swallowed back the rest of her words.

When Su saw that her daughter was silent, she relaxed her expression and said with a smile, “I was just about to ask someone to call you over, but I heard that you had gone to the West Mansion again?”

What Ren Yaoting had wanted to say did not come out immediately, instead, she walked over to Su’s side and sat down. Following her words, she said, “This daughter has gone to speak to her sisters in the West Mansion. Is there something Mother wants to see me about?”

“The day after tomorrow your Eldest Cousin is getting married, we are going to Yunyang City tomorrow,” Su said gently.

Only then did Ren Yaoting remember this matter. Recently she had been so wound up about Han Yunqian and Ren Yaohua’s marriage that she had almost forgotten about it.

Su Yunyu, the eldest son of the Su Family, was the firstborn son of Su’s elder brother, Su Keqin, the Eldest Master of the Su Family. He had always been very fond of her as a cousin.

Ren Yaoting felt a little guilty about forgetting about her cousin’s marriage, so she poked fun, “The future Eldest Cousin’s wife is from the capital so I haven’t met her yet. I don’t know what kind of person she is.”

Su was in a very happy mood when she talked about her nephew’s marriage, so she replied with a smile, “I haven’t met her either, but I heard from your aunt that she has a very good temperament. You will know when you meet her the day after tomorrow.”

But Ren Yaoting’s heart was moved.

Since she was leaving for Yunyang City tomorrow. Then what she had originally planned to say to Su might as well be said to her uncle directly. Although Su was her mother, Ren Yaoting knew that Su was not a person to be fooled. Not as easy to talk to as her Eldest Uncle.

Moreover, since the matter she was talking about was beneficial to the Su Family, it would have a better chance of success if she spoke to her uncle directly.

With this in mind, Ren Yaoting swallowed the words she had wanted to say for the time being and only asked Su about her future Eldest Cousin-in-law, Zeng.

It was on this day that Ren Yaoqi remembered that the Su Family’s Eldest Young Master would soon be marrying the Zeng Family’s daughter. Not only was Su going to Yunyang City, but even the Eldest and Fifth Master of the Ren Family were going to Yunyang City to oversee the ceremony. Qiu Yun had already gone back from Yunyang Academy and should be present by then. Yun Wenfang was always missing, and although the Second Young Master of the Su Family made an invitation last time, it is not known whether he will go or not.

The Zeng Family is also going to make an appearance…

That night Ren Yaoqi was unable to sleep for a long time again.

The next day, Ren Yaoqi wanted to find someone to find out if there were any unusual movements in the various temples to determine how Xiao Jingxi had carried out that matter. Although she knew that the matter would not be carried out so quickly, Ren Yaoqi could not help but felt a little anxious.

The reason for this was that this matter must be arranged before Zeng Yu comes to Yanbei.

Originally it would be best to let Zhu Ruomei inquire about this matter, but she had never heard from him again. Ren Yaoqi could not help but feel a little worried.

In the afternoon, Ren Yaoqi was about to ask someone to call Mrs. Yuan into the house to ask some questions when Xiangqin ran over and said that Mrs. Yuan had come and brought a little girl about ten years old into the house.

Ren Yaoqi didn’t know why, but her heart sank.

From what Xiangqin had said, she had a vague suspicion that this little girl might be Zhu Ruomei’s sister, Zhu Ruoju.

But why would Zhu Ruoju come to the Ren Family to look for her?

Could it be that something had happened to Zhu Ruomei?

“Go and tell Matron Zhou, then bring the person in.” Ren Yaoqi calmed her mind and explained to Xiangqin.

Not long afterwards, Xiangqin led Mrs. Yuan and the little girl of about ten years old in and brought them to the south room where the maids and ladies rested.

When Ren Yaoqi went over, Mrs. Yuan pulled the little girl to salute her and said, “Fifth Miss, this is the Zhu Family’s daughter, Ruoju.”