Ren Yaoqi couldn’t see what was inside the walnut’s center. She lifted it to her ear and shook it—very lightly.

After carefully examining it against the window, she discovered there was indeed a very fine circular line in the middle, so she tried to pry it open.

After a very soft “crack,” the walnut indeed split into two halves. Fortunately, due to its hard texture, it didn’t shatter.

Inside one half of the walnut shell was a paper ball folded to the size of two adult fingernails. When Ren Yaoqi unfolded it, the familiar handwriting made her pause.

The note contained only a few words: Tomorrow at 9 AM, Tan’s Roast Duck.

Ren Yaoqi: “…”

Last time, Xiao Jinglin had said she wanted to go eat roast duck with her, but unfortunately was called away by people from the Prince’s residence midway. However, the familiar handwriting on this paper reminded her of the handwriting on the note where Xiao Jingxi had her guess riddles when Zhu Ruomei went missing last time.

Looking down at the exquisite walnut carving she had placed on the kang table, was the person inviting her, Xiao Jinglin or Xiao Jingxi? If it were Xiao Jingxi, then seeking her out might not be as simple as eating roast duck.

Ren Yaoqi recalled that Dong Sheng said his investigation into the Zhai family came from Xiao Jingxi’s guidance, and thought of Grand Madam Lei’s sudden death. Both matters were related to the Han family.

After lunch, the light rain finally gradually stopped.

Ren Shijia was going with Eldest Madam Lin and Old Madam Lin to the Lei residence to pay condolences. Before leaving, she called both Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaoyin over.

Ren Shijia couldn’t take Lin Cen with her, but wasn’t comfortable leaving him in the Lin residence, so she entrusted her two nieces to help watch the child.

“Don’t let Cen’er leave your sight. Though the wet nurse and several maids were carefully selected by Mother and me, I’m still somewhat uneasy, afraid they might be careless.” Holding her sleeping son, Ren Shijia’s gaze was gentle but worried.

Simple as Ren Shijia was, when facing her son’s safety, she had also become shrewd. The lessons she’d learned forced her to be vigilant—this child was her life.

Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaoyin seriously agreed. Ren Yaoyin said, “Don’t worry, Aunt. Fifth Sister and I are here.”

Ren Shijia handed the child to her head maid to hold, touched both nieces’ heads, and smiled gently: “Aunt will return as soon as possible.”

Ren Shijia chose to keep Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaoyin by her side because, in her eyes, these two nieces had the gentlest temperaments and were very well-behaved and sensible. Even though they weren’t very old, she could trust them. So, leaving the child in her two nieces’ care gave her peace of mind, especially with the wet nurse and maids present.

“You stay home, too. Nanny Lu needs to handle courtyard affairs, so I’ll leave the indoor matters to you. I’ll just take Dujuan and a few others.” Ren Shijia also instructed Chunlan, the head maid, to hold the child.

Only when there was truly nothing left to instruct did Ren Shijia change clothes and arrange her hair to prepare for going out.

Ren Yaoqi followed Ren Shijia to the inner room. While helping select earrings to match the plain hairpins, she said: “Aunt, the Princess previously sent word asking me to go out tomorrow.”

Ren Shijia glanced at Ren Yaoqi in the mirror and smiled: “Good, then go. I was originally thinking of taking you and Yin’er around Yunyang City. But I’m afraid I won’t have time these few days.”

Ren Yaoqi selected a pair of pearl earrings for Ren Shijia, who nodded and had the maid put them on.

“I also want to visit my maternal grandfather and grandmother.”

Hearing this, Ren Shijia wasn’t concerned and nodded: “Fine, when do you want to go? I’ll have Nanny Lu arrange a carriage for you.”

In her previous life, Ren Yaoqi hadn’t had much contact with Ren Shijia. Though she felt Ren Shijia shouldn’t be too formidable, her easy-going nature still made Ren Yaoqi breathe a sigh of relief.

“The day after tomorrow, then,” Ren Yaoqi said.

Ren Shijia nodded and instructed a maid to inform Nanny Lu.

After Ren Shijia finished preparing, someone from Old Madam’s side came over. Ren Shijia gave thorough instructions to all the maids and old women in the room before leaving.

Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaoyin remained in Shijia’s room, watching little Lin Cen with the wet nurse and maids.

The child was just over a month old. Usually very well-behaved, he would sleep after eating without crying or fussing, just sleeping most of the time.

Lin Cen slept in the large cradle placed in the east side room, while Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaoyin sat on the kang in the east side room. Ren Yaoyin was working on her tiger-head shoes, while Ren Yaoqi read a book that Ren Shijia had a maid fetch from the Lin family study—a somewhat dry Daoist classic, better than nothing.

Soon, Lin Cen woke up, making soft crying sounds. The wet nurse immediately went to the cradle to check, smiling: “Oh, the young master has wet himself.”

Several maids then busied themselves in an orderly fashion. Though Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaoyin had been instructed to watch the child, they just watched—they couldn’t help and weren’t needed to help. The maids had been carefully trained and were skilled at caring for children.

After the child’s diaper and bedding were changed, he began sleeping soundly again.

Ren Yaoyin put down her needlework and said with interest: “Cen’er is well-behaved.”

The wet nurse smiled: “Indeed, the young master is the easiest child this servant has ever cared for. He doesn’t cry at night either.”

Ren Yaoyin asked curiously: “But he sleeps so much—are all small children like this?” The Ren family siblings were all grown up, and though Eldest Young Master Ren Yiyan was married, he had no children, so Ren Yaoyin had never seen a child as small as Lin Cen.

The wet nurse said, “Children need to grow, so they sleep longer.” She also felt this young master slept more hours daily than others, but sleeping wasn’t a bad thing—at least the child was always healthy, so the wet nurse didn’t mind.

Soon, a maid entered carrying a red lacquered tray with a large blue and white covered bowl in the center, from which food aromas could faintly be detected.

The wet nurse sniffed and smiled: “I guess today it’s pig’s trotters and peanut soup?”

To ensure sufficient milk, the wet nurse needed additional meals beyond the three regular ones daily. When Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaoyin first witnessed the wet nurse’s appetite at Ren Shijia’s place, they were both startled. The wet nurse ate more in one meal than they consumed in an entire day.

The maid entering placed her tray on the table, bowed to Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaoyin, then smiled: “Your nose is sharp.”

The wet nurse smiled and rose: “Thank you for personally bringing it, Miss.”

The maid carrying the tray was Qingliu, who had previously served in Old Madam Ren’s courtyard. Ren Shijia had brought her back when returning to Yunyang City. Everyone in the courtyard knew that Qingliu was prepared by Ren Shijia’s natal family as a concubine for the son-in-law. Though she hadn’t been formally taken into Lin Kun’s household yet, everyone in the Lin residence addressed her as “Miss.”