Ren Yaoqi didn’t struggle much over whether to go to the ice sports competition.

These days, she had rarely left Ziwei Courtyard, using the cold weather as an excuse, but Qiu Yun had mentioned her in front of everyone. If she deliberately avoided both Yun Wenfang and Qiu Yun, it would instead draw attention.

Ice sports were a common winter activity among the people of Yan Bei. Although Ren Yaoqi had never participated herself, she had watched several times before.

These women would just sit in temporarily erected warm pavilions on the shore to watch. The men would divide into teams wearing ice skates and compete on the river surface covered with ice over a foot thick.

Of course, the spectators would also place small bets on which team would win or lose, but these were just small amounts of silver. Even if they guessed correctly, the money would be used to reward the servants and attendants who participated, not for actual gambling. Otherwise, it would be vulgar rather than elegant.

Before going out that day, Ren Yaoqi first went to Li Shi’s place. She had originally planned to pay her respects together with Ren Yaohua and then take the carriage together, but Ren Yaohua had already gone to Ronghua Garden first.

Li Shi had Nanny Zhou bring out an embroidered money pouch and handed it to Ren Yaoqi: “This contains some small silver pieces for you to use as betting money and tips. Give it to your maid to keep safe.”

Ren Yaoqi took it in her hands and looked up at Li Shi with a smile: “I understand, Mother.”

When coming out, however, Ren Yaoqi gave the money pouch back to Nanny Zhou: “My monthly allowance has been sitting untouched in the chest, plus the tips I received during New Year—there’s at least two hundred taels. A few days ago, Father also gave me two hundred-tael banknotes to buy books and writing materials I like. Nanny, please keep this silver.”

Nanny Zhou quickly said, “This was prepared by Madam for you, Miss. Third Miss also has one. Please keep it.”

Ren Yaoqi still handed the pouch back, saying gently: “I know Mother doesn’t want to shortchange Third Sister and me, and I don’t want to disappoint her intentions, which is why I accepted it in front of her earlier. But Nanny, you’ve always managed the accounts for Mother—you understand Ziwei Courtyard’s situation better than I do. Mother has many places where she needs money.”

When Li Shi married into the Ren family, she brought almost no dowry and only received taels monthly allowance from the Ren family.

Fortunately, after Li Shi returned to the manor, Ren Shimin’s thirty taels monthly allowance was also given to her, and since Ren Shimin didn’t care about this amount of money, he had never asked Li Shi for it.

The Ren family wasn’t short of money. Each of the Ren family masters could withdraw up to two thousand taels annually from the outer courtyard’s accounting office for social expenses. The married eldest son, Ren Yiyan, could also withdraw one thousand taels annually.

However, amounts exceeding two thousand taels required a signed authorization from Old Master Ren. Except for Second Master and Fourth Master, who were in the capital, the other masters rarely needed Old Master Ren’s authorization, as two thousand taels was already a considerable sum.

Li Shi’s sixty taels per month had to cover servant tips and occasional support for her maternal family, often leaving her financially stretched.

“Fifth Miss…” Nanny Zhou stared at Ren Yaoqi in a daze, her eyes involuntarily reddening.

Ren Yaoqi’s behavior since returning had exceeded all her expectations. Ren Yaoqi smiled and turned to leave.

After leaving the main room, when passing the west wing courtyard, Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment and still went to the study.

Ren Shimin was sitting behind his large desk, drinking tea while appreciating several newly purchased inkstones.

Seeing Ren Yaoqi push the door open, he put down his teacup and beckoned with a smile: “Yaoyao, come quickly and look. These Chengni inkstones are newly acquired by Father, all made by famous craftsmen.”

Ren Shimin’s smile carried the pure joy of a child. Every time he acquired something good, he would display his happiness so openly.

Previously, Ren Yaoqi would secretly criticize her father for being too carefree and detached, not understanding worldly matters, but now she wouldn’t think so.

After Ren Yaoqi came forward and properly admired the inkstones with Ren Shimin, she asked: “There’s an ice sports competition at our manor today. Won’t Father go?”

Ren Shimin showed little interest: “What’s good about ice sports? A bunch of roughnecks pushing and shoving each other! How vulgar! Are you going?”

Ren Yaoqi nodded: “I haven’t been out for a long time, and all the sisters are going.”

Ren Shimin rummaged through a drawer under his desk and pulled out a sandalwood box. From inside, he took out two hundred-tael bank notes and handed them to Ren Yaoqi: “Go ask your mother to exchange these for silver pieces to use as betting money, and randomly pick a team for Father.”

Ren Yaoqi accepted them with a smile and put them in her purse: “Should I bet on the team with red sashes?”

Ren Shimin tilted his head and thought seriously: “Red is too vulgar. Choose the white team instead.”

Ren Yaoqi looked at him with disdain: “New Year is coming soon—who wears white sashes? Isn’t that inauspicious!”

“Then the blue team?”

Ren Yaoqi made a face: “I insist on betting on the red team! I love red!” After saying this, she smugly got up and left.

“Children are just willful. She’ll cry when she loses,” Ren Shimin shook his head and sighed helplessly.

When going out, Ren Yaoqi shared a carriage with Fourth Miss Ren Yaoyin.

The several carriages before and after all carried the Ren family’s young ladies. Ren Yaoqi could still hear Ren Yaoyu’s chattering voice from the carriage behind, along with a nanny’s soft voice trying to persuade her to lower the curtain.

In comparison, Ren Yaoqi’s carriage was much quieter.

Ren Yaoyin sat behind a small table in the carriage, making tea. Her movements were skilled and elegant, her smile serene, and even the swaying carriage didn’t make her hands unsteady in the slightest.

Ren Yaoqi sat opposite her with her chin propped up, admiring her movements.

“Earlier, Cousin specifically asked whether Fifth Sister would be coming,” Ren Yaoyin poured a small cup of tea in a purple clay cup and handed it to Ren Yaoqi with a smile.

Ren Yaoqi steadily accepted it and smiled her thanks.

Ren Yaoyin’s expression was gentle and no different from usual. Ren Yaoqi couldn’t sense any displeasure in her words.

Ren Yaoqi didn’t know whether Ren Yaoyin knew that the Ren family was considering her as a candidate for marriage alliance with the Qiu family, nor did she know her attitude toward this matter.

In her previous life, she hadn’t been particularly close to any of her sisters at home. Ren Yaoyin was much easier to get along with compared to the other Ren family sisters. Although she was favored by Old Madam, she didn’t put on airs in front of other sisters and was good-tempered with everyone. Therefore, Ren Yaoqi had been relatively close to her.

However, precisely because of this, Ren Yaoyin didn’t have any particularly close sisters in the Ren family.

“Oh? That’s quite rare and makes me feel somewhat flattered,” Ren Yaoqi winked at Ren Yaoyin and joked.

Ren Yaoyin burst out laughing and said teasingly, “You always love to be mischievous. Cousin probably rarely sees you out and about, so he specifically asked out of concern, thinking you might be unwell. This shows his caring intentions—when you see him later, you should thank him.”

Ren Yaoqi pouted: “I know.”

Ren Yaoyin shook her head, composed herself, and said quietly: “Fifth Sister, not to mention Third Cousin’s noble status in the Qiu family, even in our Ren family, he’s highly regarded by the elders, and Grandmother treats him like her own grandson. If you’re on good terms with him and he treats you kindly, should anything happen in the future, one good word from him to Grandmother would be worth ten words from others.”

Ren Yaoqi smiled somewhat sheepishly: “Thank you for Fourth Sister’s guidance. I understand.”

Ren Yaoyin smiled and nodded, took back the teacup in front of Ren Yaoqi, poured out the lukewarm water into a small jar, and replaced it with a hot cup.

Ren Yaoqi picked up the teacup and took a sip, but in her heart, she was pondering the meaning behind Ren Yaoyin’s words.

Was Ren Yaoyin encouraging her to interact more with Qiu Yun to gain favor from Old Madam Ren or the Ren family’s attention?

In her previous life at this age, she had indeed spent every day thinking about how to make Old Madam Ren like her as a granddaughter, and like other family members of her generation, she had wanted to maintain good relations with Qiu Yun.

Ren Yaoyin’s words had hit the mark.

But for Ren Yaoyin to say these things to her at this time…

Was it because she truly cared about her sister, or did she have some other motive?