CH 109

Chapter 109: As It Turned Out

Ren Yaoqi told the maid to go down, and Ren Yaohua called Wujing to tell her to pay attention to that Servant Wen’s movements.

When everyone had gone back, Ren Yaoqi told Ren Yaohua about some of her speculations.

“What exactly do they want to do?” Ren Yaohua asked coldly.

Ren Yaohua thought about it and shook her head, “We can only wait and see.”

Based on these superficial clues, she could only guess that there is something wrong with that cook surnamed Wen. Most likely Concubine Fang had Fang Family arrange for that servant to come over in order to set up Lin. Now that Lin was already powerless, Ren Yaoqi really couldn’t guess for what purpose Concubine Fang will have that cook around. 

But now at least she has some clues, it’s better than being in the dark.

The two sisters were still speculating about Servant Wen, but what they didn’t expect was that after two days they heard that Servant Wen had requested Ren Shijia to return to Jiangnan.

Ren Yaoqi also couldn’t help but be a little surprised. Did Concubine Fang work hard to arrange for someone to go to Lin Family just for bringing down Madam Lin?

The child is three days old, so today is his bathing ceremony. Because Ren Shijia is getting through a confinement period in her mother’s house, the child’s bathing ceremony was also done there as well.

>> Bathing Ceremony

Early this morning, Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua followed Li to Ren Shijia’s Nuanxiang Pavilion.

When Ren Yaoqi went in to see her, Ren Shijia was leaning against the bed, looking spirited while holding her sleeping child in her arms. She was overflowing with joy and happiness, with a gaze that said her child is her everything.

Seeing Li bring Ren Yaoyi and Ren Yaohua to see her, she also took the initiative to pass the child to Ren Yaoyi and Ren Yaohua for them to hold. Seeing Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua are all at a loss for words, she was giggling.

Li said, “Why don’t you let the milkmaids hold it? How would they know how to hold a baby? They will bump him.”

Ren Shijia, however, bristled and complained to Li, “Don’t let his father hear this. Yesterday, Yu’er came over to see the child and said she wanted to hug him. I was worried that the child would bump into something and didn’t agree, but his father gave her a lecture. He said that a son should be raised roughly. If he was protected by me all the time, he will not be able to do anything when he grows up.”

Although her tone sounds complaining, everyone present can hear her happiness in it. The relationship between Ren Shijia and her uncle Lin Kun has always been very good.

Li looked at her from the side and smiled.

Ren Shijia looked at the child in her arms and suddenly sighed, “I don’t expect him to become something great. I just hope he grows up peacefully, marries a wife and has a child, and inherits the flame of the Lin Family’s Second Branch.”

Seeing her like this, Li knew that she was probably thinking of her previous miscarriage, and couldn’t help but sigh a little as well. Ren Shijia was one of the rare ones in the Ren Family who treated her nicely, so she also had a good feeling about Ren Shijia. She sincerely comforted her and said, ”You have been through a lot, but that period finally ends. Don’t worry, the child will grow up to be a happy man.”

Ren Shijia couldn’t help but smile at Li’s words, looked at her, and said, “A lot of people say that I am lucky. I have enjoyed good fortune after being married to the Lin Family for so many years. Only you, Third Sister-in-law, who feel how much suffering I had… Who understands my difficulties.” Although Ren Shijia was smiling, her eyes were red.

Li frantically said, “What am I doing, making you sad like this? Woman in confinement period can’t cry.”

Ren Yaoqi went over to look at the child in her nurse’s arms and saw him biting his thumb and sleeping soundly, his face was much better than yesterday. She deliberately muttered: “Uncle said that cousin will be able to open his eyes and look at us in a few days. This is already the third day, and yet he’s still sleeping so well.”

Ren Shijia heard it from there and couldn’t help but laugh, “Your uncle didn’t lie to you. He will open his eyes, he is sleeping because he just ate.”

Li glared at Ren Yaoqi and lightly scolded, “Naughty.”

Ren Shijia’s mood is better, said to Li, “It’s not that Yaoqi is naughty. Husband has always had a good temper with children. In the Lin Family, his nephews and nieces relied on their Sixth Uncle for anything, whether for minor or large problems.”

“Auntie, I heard that your cook who can make Jiangnan-style dim sum is already going back to her hometown?” asked Ren Yaoqi next to Ren Shijia

Ren Shijia nodded, “She didn’t sign the deed of sale when came over. Just yesterday she said that her mother at home is seriously ill and she has to go back to take care of her. Initially I needed her to make medicinal food for my pregnancy. Now that the child has been born, she asked to leave to fulfill her filial piety, so I can’t stop her.”

Seeing Ren Yaoqi listening without saying anything, Ren Shijia suddenly remembered something and said with a smile, “Do you like eating Jiangnan’s pastries? In the future, I’ll ask your grandaunt to find another cook for me.”

Ren Shijia always thought that Ren Yaoqi was interested in Jiangnan’s pastries. During the past few months at Ren’s house, she would always let her small kitchen make some pastries and send them to various houses and courtyards. Ren Shijia would also take the initiative to send someone to ask Ren Yaoqi what kind of snacks she would like to eat.

Ren Yaoqi smiled bashfully, ”Her pastries are delicious. Didn’t Auntie say she would stay here before? Why did she suddenly propose to leave?”

When Li heard this, she gave Ren Yaoqi a strange look. Ren Yaoqi acted as if she liked the dim sum that Ren Shijia sent over, but she knew her daughter. Ren Yaoqi doesn’t like to eat too sweet pastries, but Jiangnan’s pastries are all on the sweet side.

However she didn’t expose Ren Yaoqi on the spot, instead just sat on the side drinking her tea.

“Yes. I asked her before, and she said she was willing to stay in Yanbei. But suddenly yesterday she came over and said she wanted to leave for Jiangnan.” Ren Shijia also sighed with some regret.

She was very satisfied with this cook. Both her medicinal meals and her snacks were well made, and she was also a capable person. With such a person who knows some medicine by her side, she will not be afraid that others will secretly play tricks on her and the child when she returns to the Lin Family.

However, Ren Yaoqi was wondering, was the reason for Wen’s sudden departure was related to the last time they bumped into her? Ren Shijia said that she initially hadn’t intended to leave so soon. Was her departure because of Concubine Fang, or someone else?

What Ren Yaoqi didn’t know was that at this time, Servant Wen, whom she had secretly inquired about was meeting Lin Kun.

Lin Kun looked at the woman who came in with a tray and secretly frowned: “What are you doing?”

Servant Wen put the pastel-colored Fushou lidded bowl in the tea tray in front of Lin Kun, smiled, and said, “This servant was ordered by Madam to send the lotus seed soup to Master, please enjoy it.”

>> Fushou lidded bowl

Lin Kun did not even look at the so-called lotus seed soup, only nodded coldly: “Put it down and go out.”

Servant Wen’s face also sank, “Sixth Master Lin, how did you promise my master in the first place? You abandoned us after helping you until this point?”

Lin Kun said in a faint voice: “This Master Lin doesn’t remember to who or what he had promised, he doesn’t understand what you are talking about. Who is your master? If I remember correctly, you are just a cook who was recommended to us by the Fang Family.”

Servant Wen smiled, “Since Sixth Master Lin doesn’t remember, this servant will kindly remind you. Back then, when the Lin Family’s Eldest Branch saw that both your grandfather and father had been killed, they coveted your second branch’s family property. They deliberately told your mother the bad news at so suddenly, causing your mother to die while delivering you. You, on the other hand, were adopted by someone from the Eldest Branch, and turned you from the Second Branch’s Eldest Master into the Sixth Master of the Lin Family’s Eldest Branch.

“At first you were sickly since you were young. The people of the Lin Family’s Eldest Branch thought that you wouldn’t live to adulthood, so they didn’t want your life to be hard as well. But not only did you grow up to adulthood peacefully, but you also purposely married the grandniece of Old Matriarch Lin from her natal family. These years, the people of the Eldest Branch constantly drugged Sixth Madam to give her frequent miscarriages. They wanted you and Madam to stop thinking about the separation of the family and adopt children from Eldest Branch.

“When I first arrived at the Lin Family, I told you about this matter, but you scold me and told me that I am crazy. So the only thing I could do is directly told Sixth Madam about this.

“My master initially thought that you really were so grateful to the people of the Eldest Branch that you even forgot about your biological father and mother, but only later did I realize that it wasn’t a matter of gratuitousness. You were just waiting for a better time, and that time was the Ren Family’s meddling.”

Servant Wen glanced at Lin Kun, “Perhaps you were aware of the reason for the Sixth Madam’s miscarriage from the beginning, but deliberately held back. The reason for this is to try to secure the Ren Family as your backing. The Eldest Branch of the Lin Family and the Ren Family would be in conflict so that the Ren Family can blatantly stand on your side. Sixth Master Lin, what a good scheme, what a decisive tactic!”

Lin Kun looked at Servant Wen expressionlessly, his eyes were deep.

Servant Wen didn’t know why she felt a little flustered, but she still bit the bullet and continued without any change expression, “Sixth Master Lin, do you think that Old Master Ren will willingly help you? No matter how much Old Madam Ren loves her daughter, Sixth Madam, but she is just a daughter who is already married to the Lin Family.

Old Master Ren said that he is willing to help you, but he just wants to benefit from the separation of the Lin Family. Back then, the Ren Family and the Lin Family agreed that this marriage between you and Sixth Madam is nothing more than a scheme between the two families. Are you willing to transfer the things that belonged to you from Eldest Branch Lin’s hands to the Ren Family?”

After Sister Wen finished speaking, she carefully observed Lin Kun’s expression.

After finishing her speech, Servant Wen carefully observed Lin Kun’s expression. Lin Kun, to her surprise, remained calm and did not get upset or concerned after being exposed by her.

Servant Wen was a little uncertain of Lin Kun. Could it be that her master’s findings and hypothesis are wrong?

Lin Kun looked at Servant Wen for a moment. Without changing his expression, he slowly walked to the chair, sat down, and continued to sort out the account books on the table. Then softly, he said: ”Your master’s story is well made up. But I’m not interested, so you’d better leave now.”

Servant Wen gritted her teeth, unhappy with Lin Kun’s gentle firm refusal, “Sixth Master Lin, aren’t you afraid that I’ll spread the word about this?”

Lin Kun’s hand paused, then he began to lower his head and busy himself again without raising his head, “Be my guest.”

“Sixth Master Lin, you have to know that now this servant listening to you to leave Sixth Madam is not because this servant and Master are afraid of you, but rather because we want to show the sincerity of our side. Instead of letting the Ren Family plot against you, you might as well cooperate with my master. Wouldn’t it be easier to just take what you want at the right time than grovel to the Ren Family?” said Servant Wen unwillingly.

Only then did Lin Kun raise his head to look at Servant Wen, but he asked with some curiosity, “In fact, I would like to know, why is your master jumping up and down so much? How did he learn about my Lin Family’s affairs?”

Servant Wen frowned, “Sixth Master Lin, don’t treat other people’s good intentions as a donkey’s liver and lungs!”

>> donkey’s liver and lungs

Lin Kun smiled faintly, “I don’t need you to tell me whether it’s good intentions or the donkey’s liver and lung.  I don’t want an outsider who appears out of nowhere to intervene in the affairs of my Lin Family. As for you, at first, you agreed to leave soon, so I turned a blind eye to let you stay in the Lin Family and followed Madam to the Ren Family. But I don’t expect your master to go back on what he said and want you to stay in the Lin Family so that you can be her helper in the future. Your master has overestimated my patience!”

Seeing that Servant Wen still wanted to say something, Lin Kun hold up his hand and interrupted, “This time, your master and I do not owe each other anything, and I believe that we will not be involved in the future. I heard that you have already told Madam that you are going to leave. So in a couple of days when our Lin Family ready a ship to the capital city, sail in that ship.”

Servant Wen was infuriated that Lin Kun accept neither the carrot nor the stick, so she couldn’t help but sneer, “Thank you, Sixth Master Lin, for taking the trouble!”

Lin Kun waved his hand, signaling for Servant Wen to leave. She turned around with a cold face and walked away.

Although Lin Kun was nominally her master, she had previously thought that she held Lin Kun’s secrets and did not take him seriously.

Before, Lin Kun’s attitude was ambiguous. Although he did not agree, he did not reject her either.  But she didn’t expect him to outright dismiss her after the child was born.

He did not take her threats seriously at all, even threatened her in turn, saying that if she did not leave on her own, he would find a way to make her leave.

No matter what considerations Lin Kun had previously made in not tearing his face off with Servant Wen and the people behind her, he was actually not afraid of them. The handle that Wen said was just their speculation, while her relationship with the Fang Family was well documented. If it was really to be made public, Lin Kun would not be the one to suffer.

After Servant Wen left, Lin Kun put down the account book in his hand, stretched out his right hand, and gently pinched the center of his eyebrows, looking somewhat absent-minded.

Although he was not afraid of Servant Wen’s threats, the words she had just said still reminded him of his own discoveries over the years. He had later checked, his grandfather and father’s deaths were indeed accidents. And it was also true that his mother gave birth prematurely because she couldn’t bear the sudden news of his father’s death, and in the end didn’t survive due to excessive blood loss.

He was suspecting the reason behind his mother’s death, but it had been many years, he checked for so long, and yet there was no conclusive evidence that it was deliberate murder made by Eldest Branch.

As for his wife Ren Shijia, Lin Kun’s feelings were complicated.

It was only after his wife had miscarried several times that he began to suspect the hand of the Eldest Branch Lin, but he didn’t know whether he would have used Ren Shijia to win the support of the Ren Family if he had known about this matter from the very beginning.

At least Wen was right about one thing: Lin Kun married Ren Shijia because he was desperate and could only take advantage of the Ren Family, which is related by marriage to the Old Matriarch Lin.

After Servant Wen came out of Lin Kun’s place, her face was very ugly. Although Concubine Fang wouldn’t blame her, she promised to give her a sum of money to go back to Jiangning. What can she do now after she goes back? Madam Fang has brought a lot of confidantes from her natal family, and she will never trust them wholeheartedly. It is also because she has seen this that she volunteers to come to Yanbei to help the Fang Family’s Grandniece.

As she turned out of the path at a quick pace, Servant Wen almost bumped into a group of people. Luckily, one of the little girls walking in front of her reacted very quickly and jumped out of the way.

Servant Wen was not in a good mood and was about to confront them. But after seeing the person behind the maid, her face stiffened. Then she quickly revealed a smiling face, bent her knees, and called, “Fifth Miss.”

Ren Yaoqi smiled at Servant Wen’s swift changing of the face and glanced at the path she had turned out of, “Where is Servant Wen coming from?”

Servant Wen thought that the person in front of her was just a young girl, so she felt calmer, and replied, “Madam ordered this servant to send some desserts to Sixth Master Lin who is reading the account books in the study at this time every day.”

Ren Yaoqi withdrew her gaze and nodded, “I heard that Servant Wen is returning to her hometown, is it true? Your desserts are delicious and I like them very much, so I’m afraid that  there won’t be a chance for me to eat them again in the future.”

Servant Wen was a woman with a lively and cheerful nature in front of people, and smiled at her words, “What does Fifth Miss like to eat? This servant will go back and make some. This servant will only leave the Ren Family in a couple of days, so there is still time to make some snacks.”

Ren Yaoqi was very happy to hear this, “Then I will inconvenience you, I’m afraid if Auntie finds out she will laugh at me for being greedy.”

“What are you talking about, Fifth Miss? Our Sixth Madam loves young ladies the most, if she knows that you love eating snacks from her courtyard she will be so happy.”

Right now Servant Wen looked like a gentle and loyal servant, with no trace of the cold face she had before.

Ren Yaoqi then casually said the names of the two snacks. After remembering them, Servant Wen respectfully retreated.

After walking out from the corridor, Ren Yaoqi glanced back and saw that Servant Wen had already left through another road branch. Looking at the path she walked out from before, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but ponder.

What was the connection between Concubine Fang and Lin Kun?

And what was the reason for Servant Wen’s ugly face before? Was it possible that her leaving the Ren Family was not of her own volition? According to Concubine Fang’s nature, even if she was just a pawn, she wouldn’t be discarded before she played a big role. This wasn’t Concubine Fang’s style.

Ren Yaoqi felt that there must be something wrong with this. All of the mysteries fogging around it made her feel uncomfortable.

Knowing the enemy and knowing yourself is the only way to fight a hundred battles without danger. What method should she use to figure out this matter?

Walking in the garden, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but rapidly turned her brain.

That day passed very quickly. The next morning Ren Yaoqi was in Li’s room with Ren Yaohua listening to Matron Zhou teaching them about household matters, when a person that Ren Yaoqi did not expect suddenly visited.

Ren Yaohua is surprised when she hears the concierge rushing over, panting, saying that the County Princess of the Yanbei Royal Family is here, and she is looking for her. Looking at Li, as Ren Yaohua and Sister Zhou all looked towards her in confusion, Ren Yaoqi retracted her surprised expression and laughed, “Last time when the County Princess said she wanted to come to Baihe Town to play, I only thought she was joking. I didn’t expect that she would really come today.”

Li thought for a moment and smiled, “It seems that this County Princess is a good friend for you. She is a guest, quickly go meet her.”

Xiao Jinglin did so, naturally startling everyone up and down the Ren Family. The Old Madam reacted first, and hurriedly took the Eldest Madam out of the Ronghua Courtyard to greet her personally.

It is not surprising that the Old Madam was so serious. Although Xiao Jinglin was only a county princess, but with the status of the Xiao Family in Yanbei, Xiao Jinglin’s status was actually equivalent to that of a princess from the palace. All the women in Yanbei wanted to befriend her. It is unfortunate that Xiao Jinglin was not in the residence all year round, and basically did not participate in the various gatherings of the famous ladies. That is why when she took the initiative to come to the Ren Family, every woman of the Ren Family could not help but be surprised and a little flattered.

So at the time Ren Yaoqi learned the news, Xiao Jinglin had already been respectfully invited to the Ronghua Courtyard by the servants of the Ren Family.

When Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua went over there, they saw Xiao Jinglin sitting quietly at the head of the table, and Old Madam Ren was sitting at the lower place.

The Eldest Madam from Eldest Branch, the Eldest Young Madam, and the Fourth Miss Ren Yaoyin all stood behind Old Madam Ren. Even the Fifth Madam Lin who was in a cold war with Ren Shimao and looked at no one in the eye, brought Ren Yaoyu over. She was the only one who was talking to Xiao Jinglin familiarly. Although Xiao Jinglin just nodded briefly, it did not dispel her enthusiasm.

Seeing Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua came in, the Fifth Madam said to Xiao Jinglin, “County Princess, our family’s Yaoqi is here.”

Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua went up to bow to Xiao Jinglin. the Old Madam frowned and looked behind them, “Where is your mother? Why didn’t she come over to see the County Princess?” Even she had gone out to welcome Xiao Jinglin, so for the Third Madam Li to not even show her face, it was really a bit unseemly.

Ren Yaoqi knew of her mother. Although the title Xian Royal Family was no longer there, she did not have the consciousness of groveling to the daughter of a vassal king. Li didn’t mean to put on airs, but her pride was cultivated since childhood and integrated into her bones. So she didn’t intend not to attend, but she didn’t realise she had to.

Ren Yaoqi also did not remind Li, she knew that some things would touch a certain string in her mother’s heart and make her sad.