Late April in Yanbei was slightly cool in the mornings and evenings, while during the day it gradually took on the beginnings of summer, yet not so hot as to be unbearable.

It was just past the hour of Chen, and the sun had already risen with warm sunlight shining outside. When Su Shi and Ren Yaoting entered, Ren Yaoting’s face was somewhat flushed with what appeared to be fine perspiration on her forehead. Su Shi, on the other hand, looked completely refreshed, her plain face bearing its usual gentle smile, calm and unruffled.

Watching Ren Yaoting pick up her tea bowl and drink several mouthfuls, Old Madam Ren smiled: “Ting’er is still so afraid of heat, and summer hasn’t even arrived yet.”

Ren Yaoting put down her tea bowl: “When summer comes, I won’t leave my room – I’ll have two or three ice braziers set up inside.” After saying this, she stuck out her tongue.

Old Madam Ren laughed heartily: “Just like your father. When your father was young, he never liked going out once summer arrived.”

Ren Yaoting spent very little time with her father, and her feelings for him were far from what she felt for her mother. Hearing this, she only smiled without asking further questions.

Old Madam Ren had already begun discussing the Dragon Boat Festival races with Su Shi.

Ren Yaoting spoke quietly with Ren Yaoqi, who was sitting closest to her: “Will you come with us to Yunyang City to watch the dragon boat races this year?”

The Ren family received invitations to the dragon boat races every year and naturally attended. In previous years, when Old Madam Ren went to Yunyang City, she would bring two or three granddaughters with her. Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoyin had both gone several times, but Ren Yaoqi, the unfavored granddaughter, had never been included.

Ren Yaoqi smiled slightly and replied quietly: “I’ll follow the elders’ arrangements when the time comes.”

Ren Yaoting directly turned to ask Old Madam Ren: “Great-grandmother, which sisters are you planning to take to watch the dragon boat races this year?”

Su Shi glanced at the several younger generation members present and gently reproached her daughter: “It’s still early. Your great-grandmother will naturally make her considerations when the time comes.”

Old Madam Ren didn’t seem to mind much. Her gaze swept over the three granddaughters present as she smiled: “In previous years, Hua’er and Yin’er both went with me. I’m used to having them by my side, so I’ll take them again this year.”

Finally, Old Madam Ren’s gaze fell on Ren Yaoqi as she said slowly: “Qi’er hasn’t gone these past few years. This year, Qi’er will come along with us.” She made no mention of Ren Yaoyu or Ren Yaoying.

Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi was startled, then said with some pleasant surprise: “Thank you, Grandmother.”

Old Madam Ren began discussing other matters with Su Shi.

Ren Yaoting felt that Ren Yaoqi being able to go was her achievement and secretly winked at Ren Yaoqi.

Ren Yaoqi, as she wished, returned an appropriately grateful smile.

Over there, Old Madam Ren was asking Su Shi about the Han family’s participation in hosting this year’s dragon boat races. Su Shi’s response was bland and flat, making no mention of the Su family’s desire to jointly open coal mines with the Han family.

Ren Yaoqi chatted quietly with Ren Yaoting and Ren Yaoyin while paying attention to the conversation between Old Madam Ren and Su Shi, until someone outside reported that Eighth Miss Ren Yaoyu had arrived.

Old Madam Ren was in the middle of speaking and didn’t stop her conversation, only lightly waving her hand toward the outside.

Soon, Ren Yaoyu entered and came forward to pay respects to Old Madam Ren.

Old Madam Ren and Su Shi had just finished their conversation. Her attitude toward Ren Yaoyu was indifferent – she only nodded, telling her to go talk with her sisters, then paid her no further attention.

Even when Fifth Madam Lin Shi had not yet fallen from favor, Old Madam Ren had never particularly liked this granddaughter, Ren Yaoyu. After the “curse” incident last time, Old Madam Ren disliked Ren Yaoyu even more. After the incident with Ren Shijia, the status of the Lin mother and daughter had fallen even further.

Ren Yaoyu was also silent and withdrawn in front of Old Madam Ren, nothing like the domineering and lively person she was outside.

Seeing Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaoting speaking quietly together, Ren Yaoyu casually interjected: “What are you talking about?”

Ren Yaoting was in a good mood and didn’t avoid the topic: “I was just telling Fifth Sister that when we go to Yunyang City for the Dragon Boat Festival, I’ll take her to my maternal grandmother’s house to see a set of shadow puppets my sister-in-law brought from the capital.”

Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoyu became somewhat interested: “The shadow puppet shows that are popular in the capital now? Your sister-in-law brought those? I’d like to see them too. Seventh Sister, take me along as well.”

Ren Yaoting gave Ren Yaoyu a perfunctory response: “We’ll see if you’re also going to Yunyang City for the Dragon Boat Festival.”

Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoyu frowned, somewhat bewildered: “Of course I’m going. I already made plans with my cousins when I returned last time.”

Ren Yaoting glanced at Old Madam Ren and said to Ren Yaoyu: “That’s for the elders to decide. You should ask Great-grandmother first. This year, Third Sister, Fourth Sister, and Fifth Sister are all going, plus several brothers… the Ren family’s pavilion is only so big…”

Ren Yaoting didn’t mean anything particular by these words. It was just that Old Madam Ren hadn’t mentioned taking Ren Yaoyu along this year, so she was being kind enough to remind her.

However, Ren Yaoyu didn’t think so. She immediately became unhappy, no longer deliberately keeping her voice low: “Seventh Sister, what do you mean by that? My mother and I have gone every year in the past. How could the pavilion suddenly not have room just because there’s one more of me this year!”

Ren Yaoting wasn’t good-tempered to begin with. She had been responding to Ren Yaoyu today only because she was in a decent mood. Seeing Ren Yaoyu being so ungrateful, she also became angry, her expression turning cold: “Why are you taking your anger out on me? Great-grandmother didn’t say she was taking you this year. I was just reminding you.”

Old Madam Ren and Su Shi over there saw that a conflict had started here for no good reason and looked over. Old Madam Ren frowned as she looked at Ren Yaoyu, while Su Shi, seeing that it was her daughter who had gotten into conflict with Ren Yaoyu, gently scolded her daughter: “Ting’er, how can you be so ill-mannered, making noise in the elders’ room?”

Ren Yaoting pursed her lips but ultimately didn’t talk back. However, Ren Yaoyu asked Old Madam Ren somewhat aggrievedly: “Grandmother, she says you’re not taking me to watch this year’s dragon boat races.”

Every year in the past, regardless of whether Ren Yaoyu was favored or not, because of the Lin family and Lin Shi, Old Madam Ren had never been harsh to her. She would take her along when going out or attending banquets, treating her no differently from Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoyin. So she found it somewhat incredible that Old Madam Ren wouldn’t take her but would bring Ren Yaoqi instead.

Old Madam Ren said flatly, “I’ve taken you every year in the past. This year, you can stay home with your mother. Missing one time won’t matter.”

Upon hearing this, tears of grievance immediately came to Ren Yaoyu’s eyes: “Grandmother—”

Old Madam Ren remained unmoved and continued talking with Su Shi.

Meeting Ren Yaoting’s disdainful gaze, Ren Yaoyu could no longer bear such treatment. She immediately stood up from her chair and violently pushed Ren Yaoting.

Ren Yaoting hadn’t expected her to resort to violence. The push caused her to fall sideways and hit the corner of the tea table on her left. The tea bowls on the table clattered loudly, and she couldn’t help but cry out, “Ouch!”

Ren Yaoqi, who was sitting beside Ren Yaoting, quickly supported her.

Before Old Madam Ren above could get angry, Ren Yaoyu turned and ran out.

Old Madam Ren was also stunned. After recovering, she was so angry her face turned white, pointing at Ren Yaoyu’s retreating figure and scolding: “You little wretch! Who taught you to behave like a shrew!”

Su Shi quickly came down to check if her daughter was injured. Fortunately, Ren Yaoting had been sitting, and Ren Yaoyu’s push had limited force – she was only hurt, not injured. Su Shi couldn’t help but feel relieved.

Old Madam Ren, unable to concern herself with Ren Yaoyu, quickly asked Su Shi about Ren Yaoting’s condition. Su Shi instead comforted Old Madam Ren: “It’s nothing. How much strength could a child have in a tantrum? Please don’t blame Yaoyu either.”

Seeing that Ren Yaoting was fine, Old Madam Ren felt somewhat relieved, but her expression remained unpleasant: “Outrageous! One by one, they’re all refusing to show me any respect now!”

Su Shi busied herself with persuading Old Madam Ren not to be angry.

While Ren Yaoqi comforted Ren Yaoting, she looked thoughtfully in the direction where Ren Yaoyu had disappeared.

She had always felt that Ren Yaoyu’s recent behavior was somewhat strange, and today’s outburst in Ronghua Garden made this strange feeling even stronger.

Because Ren Yaoyu wasn’t favored by Old Madam Ren, she had always been somewhat afraid of her. No matter how domineering she was outside, she was very docile here and never dared speak loudly.

This kind of public outburst in Ronghua Garden originally would never have happened with Ren Yaoyu, yet Ren Yaoqi had now witnessed it twice. Each time, Ren Yaoyu had failed to control her temper and had an outburst in front of Old Madam Ren.

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

Originally, Ren Yaoqi had thought Ren Yaoyu was behaving this way because she was stimulated by Concubine Kang’s situation and her own mother’s fall from favor. But today she vaguely wondered if there might be something suspicious about all this.

She had once seen records in medical texts that some medicinal herbs, when combined, could cause people to become manic. The specific manifestations were explosive anger, inability to tolerate any grievance, and uncontrollable outbursts with no regard for consequences.

Although Ren Yaoyu’s behavior wasn’t too severe yet, it was vastly different from her previous temperament.

Ren Yaoqi also remembered that when she had first awakened after returning, Concubine Fang had secretly switched her medicine to prevent her illness from healing quickly.

This indicated that either Concubine Fang herself or someone around her understood pharmacology.

Based on Ren Yaoqi’s understanding of Concubine Fang, to avenge the last incident where Ren Yaoying had been pranked by the Lin mother and daughter, she might not be above doing such a thing.

Because of the incident of falling into the manure pit, Ren Yaoying hadn’t left home for half a year. Ren Yaoyu’s fate would be no better than Ren Yaoying’s.

Thinking of this, Ren Yaoqi felt somewhat cold inside.

Concubine Kang’s intentionally or unintentionally provocative behavior every time she encountered Ren Yaoyu now had an explanation. Whatever had caused Concubine Kang and Concubine Fang to form an alliance, there was an understanding between them.

But all of this was merely her speculation and deduction.

If her guess was correct, Ren Yaoyu’s day of “causing great trouble” was approaching. This was because drugs that made people manic would eventually turn them into madmen if used for too long or in large quantities. This would leave traces, and Concubine Fang wouldn’t take such risks, so she wouldn’t let Ren Yaoyu go insane.