The Plot of a Concubine's Revenge

Chapter 23: The Han Family's Visitors: The Storm Clouds Rise Again

“The intention is in the brush, the painting is in the intention.” Ren Shimin's footsteps were gentle and steady, he approached the painting that had been touched up by Ren Yaoyao's skillful hands, and gazed down, his eyes full of surprise and approval, “Yaoyao, your progress in the past half year has been unbelievable.”

Half a year? Ren Yaoyao sighed lightly in her heart, the years she spent with the brush were more than half a year, those days and nights of diligence and sweat, were all transformed into the painting's spirit and charm, she just pursed her lips and smiled, and silently hid this dedication in the bottom of her heart.

“Fifth sister's painting is really good.” Ren Yihong's gaze was filled with shyness and admiration, he was Ren Shimin's only son, Aunt Fang had high hopes for him and never allowed him to get involved in the inner courtyard's disputes. In Ren Yaoqi's memories, this concubine's younger brother was shy in nature and had a fairly cordial relationship with her. Nowadays, together with several other cousins of the Ren family, he was studying economics and history with an old teacher hired by the government, and his academic performance was not bad, and he was also interested in painting, only his talent was limited.

Ren Yaoqi greeted him with a polite smile, but in his mind, he was thinking about another matter. At this moment, the steward of the front yard hurriedly came and reported that the thank-you gift to the Han family had been prepared, and the fifth master asked the third master if he was free to go to the Han family together. Ren Yaoqi's heart stirred, tugging at Ren Shimin's sleeve, saying discontentedly: ''Father, you haven't told us about the painting meeting yet. In addition to Old Mr. Chen and Yan Bei Wang Shi Zi, what other famous artists participated in this painting meeting? Which school of painting style are they all from?”

Ren Shimin looked at the several children's faces full of curiosity, pondered for a moment, and said to the steward: “The Han family's people are also returning today, so I'm afraid that going to too many people will cause trouble for them instead. Today, let the fifth brother go first, I will go to pay a visit on another day.” The steward answered and retreated, Ren Yaoqi's heart was relieved.

This afternoon, Ren Shimin stayed in the study, talking with several children about the interesting events at the painting party. After the evening meal, all Ren family members went to Ronghua Courtyard to bid goodnight to Elder Master Ren and Elder Madam Ren, and Ren Yaoyu formally moved into Ronghua Courtyard. In order to appease Ren Yaohua, Old Madam Ren specially rewarded her with a pair of beaded flowers, and she was extraordinarily kind to her in her speech. The Fifth Mistress and the Fifth Master appeared together, I don't know how the Fifth Master pleaded for the Fifth Mistress, but Old Madam Ren didn't punish her to go to the Ancestral Hall to contemplate. When the husband and wife stood together, their brows were filled with exchanges of affection.

In the end, the fifth master had the cheek to plead for his daughter again, and Old Mrs. Ren reluctantly agreed to let Ren Yaoyu come out of the ancestral hall and be grounded in her room. After returning from the Ronghua Courtyard, Ren Yaoyu had someone sort out the box of clothes and jewelry that Ren Shimin brought back to her, and gave them to Ren Yaoyin, Ren Yaoying, and Ren Yaoting from the second house. Then, she took the portion for Ren Yaohua to the opposite east room.

When Ren Yaohua saw the clothes and jewelry sent by Ren Yaohua, she said expressionlessly, “This is what father bought for you, what are you doing bringing it to me?” Ren Yaohua laughed, “Fourth sister, seventh sister, eighth sister and ninth sister all have them, naturally you can't be left out of third sister's share. Father said it was bought for us sisters, how can I keep it all to myself?” Ren Yaohua sniffed, her face slightly slowed down.

Ren Yaohua asked Xi'er to give the things she brought to Ren Yaohua's eldest maid, Wuhua, to collect. At this time, a granny came in to look for Ren Yaohua to reply, Ren Yaohua saw that the ink and paper was spread out on the table inside, so she went over and casually glanced at it, only to find that it was a half-drawn picture of a snow scene. The ink on the painting was not yet dry, obviously Ren Yaohua was painting before she came in. Ren Yaohua's drawing was very ordinary, with some traces of alteration, but it was obvious that she was very attentive. Drawing and writing was not Ren Yaohua's specialty, Ren Yaohua knew that she was the least fond of these things.

Ren Yaohua used to think that someone as proud as Ren Yaohua should not care about her father's opinion of her. Her attitude towards Ren Shimin was also light on weekdays, and she rarely even opened her mouth to speak in front of him. At this moment, Ren Yaohua walked over, and after taking a glance at Ren Yaoyi, she ripped the snow scene picture on the table that was only half-drawn, crumpled it into a ball, and casually discarded it on the floor.

As Ren Yaoyi froze, Ren Yaohua said coldly, ''I drew it casually for nothing, and it's ruined. It's getting late, you go back.” Ren Yaoyi nodded and did not ask much, “Then I'll go back first.” She took two steps, but then paused and said, “Third sister might as well try brush painting, and if you can't determine the layout you can use charcoal to compose the picture first.”

Ren Yaohua looked at Ren Yaoyi for a long time, until Ren Yaoyi walked to the door, she then faintly said, “Thanks for your trouble.”

On the second day, after coming back from Ronghua courtyard to ask for peace, Ren Yaohua was talking in Li's main room, but a granny came in from the outer courtyard and said that Third Master asked Third Mistress to send someone to send the jar of Yunwu tea he brought back from the capital to the front courtyard. “But what guest has come?” Ren Shimin had always been precious to his own tea collection, and generally only used it to entertain his closest friends, which was why Ren Yaoqi had asked such a question.

“It's the Han family's arrival.” The stewardess replied.

Ren Yaoyi's face changed slightly, “The Han family came?” She could no longer remember if the Han family's people had come in her last life, she hadn't paid any attention to this family at all before the Han family withdrew from the marriage. But was this life going to follow the same path as the first?

Thinking of this, Ren Yaoqi stood up violently. “Yao-er?” Li called out in surprise.

Ren Yaoyi came back to her senses and realized that everyone was looking towards her, she tried to calm her breathing and smiled, “Yesterday, I heard my father praising the Han family's good family style, I'm very curious about what the Han family's young lady looks like, mother, I'll go to grandmother's yard to see the Han family's young lady.”