CH 119

Chapter 119: Revelation

At the end of April, Yanbei is slightly cooler in the morning and evening. The rudiments of summer are gradually taking shape in the daytime, but it is not so hot that it is unbearable.

This time the sun had already risen, and it was warm outside. Su and Ren Yaoting came in. Ren Yaoting’s face was a little red, and there seemed to be a little sweat on his forehead, but Su looked refreshed, with a gentle smile on his ordinary face as always, not impetuous nor frivolous.

Seeing Ren Yaoting take a few sips from the tea bowl, Old Madam Ren smiled, “Ting’er is still so afraid of the heat, summer is not here yet.”

Ren Yaoting put down the tea bowl in her hand, “I won’t go out at all when summer arrives, and I’ll set up two or three ice kettles in my room.” After saying that, she stuck out her tongue.

Old Madam Ren laughed, “That’s like your father, when your father was little he didn’t like to go out once summer arrived.”

Ren Yaoting spent very little time with her father, her feelings for her father were far less than her feelings for her mother. When she heard this, she just smiled and didn’t ask any further questions.

Old Madam Ren had already talked to Su about the dragon boat race at the Dragon Boat Festival.

Ren Yaoting whispered to Ren Yaoqi who was sitting closest to her, “Will you also go with us to Yunyang City to watch the dragon boat race this year?”

The Ren Family received invitations to the dragon boat race every year, so naturally, they had to go.  Every year in the past, when Old Madam Ren went to Yunyang City, she would bring two or three granddaughters with her. Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoyin had already been there a few times, but Ren Yaoqi, the unpopular granddaughter, had never had a part in it.

Ren Yaoqi smiled faintly and whispered back, “When the time comes, I’ll listen to the elders’ arrangement.”

Ren Yaoting directly asked Old Madam Ren, “Grandaunt, which sisters are you going to take to watch the dragon boat race this year?”

Su glanced at the several juniors present and gently chastised her daughter, “It’s still early, your grandaunt will naturally have her own plan when the time comes.”

Old Madam Ren didn’t seem to mind much, look around at the three granddaughters present, and said with a smile, “These few years Hua’er and Yin’er are the ones who followed me, and I got used to taking them by my side, so I will take them with me this year.”

Finally, Old Madam Ren’s line of sight landed on Ren Yaoqi again, slowly saying, “Qi’er hasn’t been there in the past few years, so this year Qi’er will follow along.” She did not mention Ren Yaoyu and Ren Yaoying.

Ren Yaoqi was stunned at her decision, then said with flattered, “Many thanks, Grandmother.”

Old Madam Ren talked about other things with Mrs. Su.

Ren Yaoting felt that it was because of her merit that Ren Yaoqi was able to go, and secretly winked at Ren Yaoqi.

Ren Yaoqi returned her a proper grateful smile as she wished.

On the other side, Old Madam Ren was asking Su about the Han Family’s participation in hosting this year’s dragon boat race. Su gave a plain answer and did not mention that the Su Family wanted to open a coal kiln together with the Han Family.

Ren Yaoqi whispered to Ren Yaoting and Ren Yaoyin while paying attention to the conversation between Old Madam Ren and Su. Until someone outside reported that the Eight Miss Ren Yaoyu had come.

Old Madam Ren didn’t stop chatting when she heard that, but only gently waved her hand towards the outside.

Not long after, Ren Yaoyu came in and greet Old Madam Ren.

Old Madam Ren and Su just finished talking. Her attitude towards Ren Yaoyu was indifferent, she just nodded and asked her to go talk with a few sisters, and then ignored her.

In the past, when the Fifth Madam, Lin, was still in favor, Old Madam Ren did not particularly like Ren Yaoyu this granddaughter of hers. After the last ‘swearing’ incident, Old Madam Ren’s dislike for Ren Yaoyu increased, and after what happened to Ren Shijia, the status of mother and daughter Lin fell even further.

Ren Yaoyu was also taciturn in front of Old Madam Ren, far less domineering and lively than when she was outside.

Seeing Ren Yaoshi and Ren Yaoting both whispering, Ren Yaoyu casually interrupted and asked, “What are you guys talking about?”

Ren Yaoting was in a good mood and said without hesitation, “I was talking to Fifth Sister that when we go to Yunyang City during the Dragon Boat Festival, I’ll take her to my grandparent’s house to see a set of shadow puppet theatre that my cousin’s wife brought from the capital.”

Ren Yaoyu immediately be interested, “Is shadow puppetry popular in the capital nowadays? Your cousin’s wife even brought this? I also want to see it, take me along too, Seventh Sister.”

Ren Yaoting perfunctorily replied to Ren Yaoyu, “If you also go to Yunyang City for Dragon Boat Festival, we can talk about it.”

Ren Yaoyu frowned at her, somewhat puzzled, “Of course I’ll go, I already made plans with my cousins when I came back last time.”

Ren Yaoting cast a sidelong look at Old Madam Ren and said to Ren Yaoting, “This is up to the elders, you can ask Grandaunt first. This year, Third Sister, Fourth Sister, and Fifth Sister will all go, plus a few brothers… The pergola of the Ren Family is only so big.”

Ren Yaoting didn’t intend anything else by saying this; it was simply that Old Madam Ren hadn’t indicated that Ren Yaoyu would be brought along this year, so it was a rare moment of kindness of her to remind others of this.

But obviously Ren Yaoyu didn’t think so. She immediately became unhappy, her voice no longer deliberately lowered, “What do you mean by that, Seventh Sister? My mother and I have always gone before, how come we can’t squeeze in this year just because there’s one more person on pergola!”

Ren Yaoting was not a good-tempered person. The reason why she replied to Ren Yaoyu’s question today was that she was still in a good mood. So seeing Ren Yaoyu being ungrateful, she also got angry and her face turned cold, “What are you angry at me for? Grandaunt didn’t say that she wants to take you there this year, I’m just reminding you.”

On the other side of the room, Old Madam Ren and Su looked over when they heard a conflict started. Old Madam Ren frowned at Ren Yaoyu. Su saw that it was her daughter who had a conflict with Ren Yaoyu, and gently reprimanded her, “Ting’er, how can you be so unruly, making a racket in the elders’ house?”

Ren Yaoting twitched her lips but didn’t reply. On the contrary, it was Ren Yaoyu who asked Old Madam Ren with grievances, “Grandmother, she said that you won’t take me to see this year’s dragon boat race.”

Every year in the past, regardless of whether Ren Yaoyu was favored or not, because of Lin and the Lin Family, Old Madam Ren never treated her harshly, and would always bring her along to banquets. The treatment towards her was no different from that of Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoyin. So she thought it was inconceivable that Old Madam Ren would take Ren Yaoqi instead of her.

Old Madam Ren said in a soft voice, “I took you every year in the past, but this year you will stay at home with your mother. It doesn’t matter if you don’t go once.”

Once Ren Yaoyu heard this, her aggrieved tears immediately came down, “Grandmother.”

Old Madam Ren was unmoved and continued to talk to Su.

Ren Yaoyu met Ren Yaoting’s disdainful gaze. How could she bear this kind of anger? She stood up from the chair, and pushed Ren Yaoting hard with her hand.

Ren Yaoting didn’t expect her to strike. After being pushed, she slammed into the corner of the left side of the coffee table, hitting the tea bowl on the coffee table with loud clattering sounds, and couldn’t help but let out a single “ouch”.

Ren Yaoyu, who was sitting beside Ren Yaoting, frantically supported her.

Ren Yaoyu didn’t wait for Old Madam Ren to get angry, she turned around and ran out.

Old Madam Ren froze, after realizing it, her face turned white with anger, pointing and cursing at Ren Yaoyu’s back, ”You little devil! Who did you learn this shrewish behavior from?”

Su hurriedly came down to check if her daughter was injured. It was a good thing Ren Yaoting was sitting, because Ren Yaoyu didn’t push her too hard. There are minor bruises but nothing serious, Su immediately felt relieved.

Old Madam Ren did not care about Ren Yaoyu. She was nervously asking Su about Ren Yaoting’s condition. Instead, Su comforted Old Madam Ren, “It was nothing, how much strength can a child have? Don’t blame Yaoyu.”

After making sure Ren Yaoting was fine, she felt eased, but her face was still unsightly, “Outrageous! Each and every one of them doesn’t have me in their sights anymore!”

Su was busy persuading Old Madam Ren not to be angry.

Ren Yaoqi comforted Ren Yaoting while thoughtfully looking at the direction Ren Yaoyu disappeared.

She had always felt that Ren Yaoyu’s recent behavior was a bit strange, and Ren Yaoyu’s anger today at the Ronghua Courtyard made this strange feeling in her heart worsen.

Because Ren Yaoyu was not favored by Old Madam Ren, she had always been a little afraid of Old Madam Ren. She was very obedient when she comes to here and would never dare to speak loudly, no matter how domineering she was outside.

Ren Yaoyu would never do this kind of public seizure in the Ronghua Courtyard, but Ren Yaoqi had seen it happened twice. Each time, it was because she didn’t control her temper and had a fit in front of Old Madam Ren.

Ren Yaoyu’s temper seemed to be getting worse and worse, especially after Concubine Kang entered the house.

Initially, Ren Yaoqi thought that Ren Yaoyu had been provoked by Concubine Kang’s affair and her mother’s falling out of favor, but today she had a vague feeling that there was something weird going on.

She had read in the Pharmacopoeia that some medical plants can cause mania. The specific manifestation is that the temper is irritable, can’t bear the slightest bit of aggravation, and can’t stop attacking regardless of the consequences.

Although Ren Yaoyu’s behavior was not too serious, it was very different from her previous temperament.

Ren Yaoyu remembered that when she woke up after she came back, Concubine Fang had secretly changed her medicine to make her illness drag on and not heal quickly.

This meant that Concubine Fang herself or someone around her knew about pharmacology.

And with Ren Yaoqi’s understanding of Concubine Fang, to avenge the last time Ren Yaoying was bullied by mother and daughter Lin, she might not be incapable of doing such things.

Ren Yaoying hadn’t gone out for half a year because of what happened when she fell into the dung heap. Ren Yaoyu’s end would definitely not be better than Ren Yaoying’s.

Thinking of this, Ren Yaoqi could not help but feel a little cold in her heart.

This was the reason for Concubine Kang’s intentional and provocative behavior whenever she saw Ren Yaoyu.  No matter what reason Concubine Kang and Concubine Fang allied, there must be a tacit understanding between them.

However, these were all just her guesses and inferences.

If her guess is correct, Ren Yaoyu’s day of “causing a catastrophe” is approaching. Those mania drugs will make people crazy if they are used for a long time, and it will create traces for someone to follow. Concubine Fang will not take this kind of risk, so she will not really make Ren Yaoyu crazy.

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