While Ren Yaoqi and Xiangqin were talking, they saw Nanny Xin from beside the Princess Consort walking out of the Lei residence’s main gate together with an elderly woman who appeared to be around sixty or seventy years old and looked quite frail.

Ren Yaoqi instinctively looked toward where Xiao Jingxi had been standing, but there was no trace of him. He had already left at some unknown time. This made Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but wonder – had Xiao Jingxi really appeared just now, or had she imagined it due to her anxiety?

Seeing Ren Yaoqi’s dazed expression, Xiangqin thought she was looking at Nanny Xin and the elderly woman, and quickly whispered: “Nanny Xin from the Prince’s Manor and Nanny Gong have come out.”

Nanny Xin happened to notice Ren Yaoqi’s carriage and whispered something into Nanny Gong’s ear. Nanny Gong seemed not to hear clearly, so Nanny Xin spoke louder and pointed toward Ren Yaoqi’s carriage. Nanny Gong then looked over. Ren Yaoqi discovered that this Nanny Gong was not only very thin and withered in appearance, but her eyesight and hearing also seemed poor, making her wonder how this Nanny Gong had managed to deliver Ren Yaohua’s baby.

Nanny Xin and Nanny Gong walked over together.

Ren Yaoqi spoke first: “Today has truly been hard work for both nannies.”

Nanny Xin smiled: “We were just following orders. Miss Ren is too kind.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Nanny Xin leaned close to Nanny Gong’s ear and said loudly: “It’s getting late. Let me accompany you back to the manor.”

Nanny Gong nodded: “Mm, Osmanthus-filled tangyuan are good. I love eating those.”

The maids couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing this. Nanny Xin looked helpless as she coaxed: “Alright, we’ll have someone prepare them for you when we return.”

Nanny Gong seemed to have dim eyesight. She squinted at Ren Yaoqi for a while, then leaned over to ask Nanny Xin: “Is this the young master’s wife? She’s really beautiful, but among all the babies I’ve delivered, our young master is still the most handsome.” She seemed somewhat hard of hearing, so although she wanted to whisper to Nanny Xin, her voice was still loud enough for everyone around to hear.

Nanny Xin felt both embarrassed and helpless, saying quietly to Ren Yaoqi: “Miss Ren, please don’t take offense. This old woman rarely goes out and has forgotten most etiquette.”

But just as her words fell, Nanny Gong said unhappily: “Who are you saying doesn’t understand etiquette? Your etiquette was taught by this old woman back in the day!”

Nanny Xin: “…”

Now, even Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but laugh. She said to Nanny Gong: “My aunt’s residence has a cook who makes delicious pastries, especially osmanthus tangyuan and osmanthus cake. Tomorrow I’ll have someone send you some tangyuan and osmanthus cake.”

Nanny Gong smiled until her face was full of wrinkles: “Ah! Thank you, young madam! This old woman will take good care of your health then, guaranteeing you’ll hold a son in three years, each one as handsome as our young master.”

Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi blushed deeply and couldn’t continue the conversation.

Nanny Xin suppressed her laughter and forcibly dragged Nanny Gong away. Before leaving, she didn’t forget to tell Ren Yaoqi, “This servant will take her back first. Miss Ren, you should also return home. The blood qi in the delivery room hasn’t dispersed yet. Madam Lei also needs rest and won’t wake up for a while. You might as well come visit her and the child tomorrow.”

Ren Yaoqi nodded in agreement. Knowing that both Ren Yaohua and the child were safe put her at ease, and she wasn’t anxious to visit immediately.

Shortly after, Ren Shimin also came out of the Lei residence. Li Shi was still somewhat worried about Ren Yaohua and the child and planned to stay at the Lei family to care for them tonight, so Ren Yaoqi returned home with Third Master Ren.

Third Master Ren looked to be in quite good spirits. Ren Yaoqi smiled and asked him: “Did father see the child? Who does the child resemble? Is she pretty?”

Ren Shimin thought for a moment, shook his head, and said seriously: “Your mother showed me the child, saying she looks like your sister did as a baby. But I thought the child looked like a little monkey, red and wrinkled all over. Really can’t say she’s pretty.”

Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but laugh: “All children look like that when they’re just born. After a while, when they grow out, they’ll become pretty. Father must have forgotten what sister and I looked like as babies?”

Upon hearing this, Ren Shimin rolled his eyes, then coughed lightly and lowered his head to drink tea.

Speaking of which, Third Master Ren really couldn’t be considered a good father. When Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoqi were just born, he wasn’t psychologically prepared to be a father. He was even afraid of hearing children cry and slept in the study every night, let alone actively getting close to them. So Third Master Ren had never held a child in his life. When Li Shi brought the child to show him just now, he only dared to look twice and didn’t dare take her. It was only when Ren Yaoqi was slightly older and began showing her intelligence that Third Master Ren noticed her, keeping her by his side to personally teach her music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Seeing her father’s expression, Ren Yaoqi understood but didn’t point it out.

After returning that day, perhaps because she had worried too much during the day, Ren Yaoqi slept very soundly that night. Early the next morning, Ren Yaoqi sent Pingguo to Ren Shijia’s residence, asking their cook to make a box of osmanthus tangyuan and osmanthus cake, then sent them to the Yanbei Prince’s Manor for Nanny Gong.

Although the Yanbei Prince’s Manor certainly wouldn’t lack such food, especially since this Nanny Gong seemed to have quite high status in the manor, this was still a token of appreciation. Ren Yaoqi was genuinely grateful that she had saved the lives of both Ren Yaohua and the child.

After sending out the tangyuan, Ren Yaoqi took a carriage to the Lei family.

Ren Yaohua was still sleeping. Li Shi and Nanny Zhou were watching over the child, and Lei Pan’er was also there.

As soon as Ren Yaoqi entered, she heard Lei Pan’er quietly saying seriously to Li Shi: “…I’ll find time to ask my wet nurse what I ate growing up, then give the same things to little sister, so she’ll grow up pretty too.”

Li Shi was amused: “Isn’t Pan’er afraid that little sister will grow prettier than you?”

Pan’er looked at the baby sleeping peacefully in the cradle with a sympathetic expression, her thoughts quite obvious. However, she still comforted Li Shi: “I’m not afraid. She’s my little sister.”

Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but giggle.

Pan’er turned and saw Ren Yaoqi, happily rushing over: “Little aunt, you haven’t come to see Pan’er in so long.”

Ren Yaoqi bent down to hug her, rubbing her face and pulling her to the cradle to look at the sleeping child, commenting: “Mm, she isn’t as pretty as Pan’er.”

Upon hearing this, Pan’er smiled with her eyes crinkled, but then began looking worried: “Little aunt, don’t dislike little sister. Pan’er will find a way to make little sister pretty too.”

Ren Yaoqi pinched her little nose: “Oh? What method do you have?”

Pan’er blinked and whispered, “I just thought of a method. I heard that if babies often see someone, they’ll grow to look like that person. Pan’er will come to see little sister every day and let her grow to look like Pan’er.”

Lei Pan’er’s serious expression made everyone laugh.

Ren Yaoqi asked Li Shi, “Sister hasn’t woken up yet?”

“She woke up once early this morning, looked at the child a few times, and I had her eat something. Then she fell asleep again. Giving birth is exhausting – let her rest well and recover what she’s lost. With Nanny Zhou and me here to help watch over things, no one can cause any trouble.” Li Shi said.

Ren Yaoqi raised her eyebrows and glanced at Lei Pan’er, but didn’t ask.

Only after Lei Pan’er was taken by a maid to the study to practice calligraphy did Ren Yaoqi ask Li Shi: “What happened?”

Li Shi sighed and took Ren Yaoqi to another room to talk, to avoid disturbing Ren Yaohua resting in the inner room.

“What could have happened? It’s all because of that person on the estate!” Li Shi normally had a gentle temperament, but speaking of this, her face couldn’t hide her angry expression.

Ren Yaoqi raised her eyebrows: “You mean Pan’er’s aunt? What did she do now?”

Nanny Zhou on the side said indignantly, “If not for her, how would the eldest young lady have given birth several days earlier than expected? Simply doesn’t know her place and is disgusting!”

Li Shi hesitated for a while before saying quietly, “You don’t know that previously many people took advantage of your sister’s discomfort during pregnancy to try to place people in the son-in-law’s room.”

Ren Yaoqi nodded. Even if she hadn’t seen this situation, she could guess it.

Ever since the Lei family made a big splash at the dragon boat race, many families in Yanbei began to take the Lei family’s status seriously. Lei Ting was young and capable, and with only one legitimate wife, no concubines, and no sons, naturally, many people had their eyes on him.

Li Shi sighed: “Fortunately, the son-in-law is an upright person who values relationships and loyalty. He refused those people before they could make trouble in front of your sister, so her ears stayed clear. Then, once, when the son-in-law was out on business and passed by that estate, he took shelter from the rain there. Afterward, people spread rumors that the son-in-law went to the estate to meet that woman, and that the reason he refused to take concubines was because he had someone outside.”

“Sister got angry because of this and so…” Ren Yaoqi frowned.

Li Shi shook her head: “Your sister isn’t so petty. How could she believe whatever people said? This was just idle speculation by bored people. If ignored, these baseless rumors would be forgotten after a while. But at this very moment, that woman jumped out of herself! Because outsiders had ruined her reputation, she made a fuss about committing suicide, found a white silk rope to hang herself, and was finally discovered and saved by a maid, nearly losing half her life. Your sister was about to give birth in just these few days, and being disturbed, frightened, and angered by her like this…”

Nanny Zhou said disdainfully, “If she wanted to die, why not choose the dead of night instead of precisely when a maid was bringing food? This kind of trick isn’t particularly clever – it’s just disgusting!”

Xiangqin, who had been listening silently, muttered quietly: “Did she think this would make our son-in-law pity her and let her enter the residence? Simply dreaming!”

Even Xiangqin knew that Little Qiao Shi’s intentions were not what they seemed.