Looking at his wife in his arms, who had a determined expression on her face, Lin Kun’s mind filled with the words Old Master Ren had said earlier.

“My Ren family is not an unreasonable household. Jia’er has been married into your Lin family for many years, but has remained childless. She’s already three years older than you and is now twenty-nine in nominal age. The physician said that even if she safely gives birth to this child, she’s unlikely to conceive again in the future. Our Ren family cannot watch your Lin family’s second branch end with your generation due to a lack of heirs… Once you have several children, the Ren family can also step forward to negotiate with the Lin family on your behalf. By then, the main branch of the Lin family won’t be able to make things difficult using the excuse that your branch has few heirs.”

Lin Kun’s lowered eyelids concealed his thoughtful expression.

Suddenly, Ren Shijia cried out in surprise. Lin Kun snapped back to attention and quickly looked down, asking: “What’s wrong? Where do you feel uncomfortable?”

But Ren Shijia grasped his hand and pressed it to her abdomen, saying joyfully: “Husband, he’s moving! The child is moving!”

Indeed, Lin Kun felt his palm pressed against Ren Shijia’s abdomen being gently kicked by something. He couldn’t help but smile: “Yes, he’s moving. He even kicked me.”

Ren Shijia was so moved that her eyes filled with tears. She urgently grasped her husband’s hand as if seeking confirmation: “This is a healthy child, isn’t it? He will be born safely, won’t he?”

Upon hearing this, Lin Kun’s open palm involuntarily contracted slightly. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they showed only gentle tranquility: “Yes, he will be born safely.”

Ren Shijia breathed a sigh of relief, placed her hand on top of Lin Kun’s against her abdomen, nestled into Lin Kun’s embrace, and showed a satisfied smile at the corner of her mouth.

After having a meal in Ren Shijia’s courtyard, Lin Kun planned to return to Yunyang City.

This time, he had come to the Ren family ostensibly to take his wife back to Yunyang City, but Ren Shijia was still angry and insisted on staying at her maternal home to give birth. After Lin Kun’s unsuccessful attempts at persuasion, he could only return to Yunyang City alone first.

Away from others, the couple had privately agreed that Lin Kun would come again in about two months when Ren Shijia was close to giving birth.

When Lin Kun came out of Warm Fragrance Pavilion, the servant woman skilled in medicinal cuisine happened to be walking past the door.

Lin Kun’s steps paused in front of her, and he said very coldly in a voice others couldn’t hear: “Leave after the child is born.”

Upon hearing this, the servant woman smiled and lowered her head, also speaking in an almost inaudible voice: “Sixth Master Lin can rest assured. This servant won’t overstay her welcome. This servant congratulates Sixth Master Lin on achieving his heart’s desires!”

Lin Kun looked at her one last time: “Tell your master to behave himself!” After saying this, he strode away.

After he left, the servant woman straightened up and curled her lips dismissively.

In the afternoon, Old Madam Ren came to Warm Fragrance Pavilion again, this time bringing four maids in their teens for Ren Shijia to inspect.

The four maids were all household servants born in the Ren family. Old Madam Ren planned that if suitable ones couldn’t be chosen from the household, she would purchase from outside, since maids born as household servants were generally more obedient and manageable.

All the maids had proper but not outstanding appearances and seemed very well-behaved in their words and actions. One called Jin Lian even served at Old Madam Ren’s side.

Although Ren Shijia still felt somewhat bitter, she had thought things through considerably, especially feeling more guilty after seeing her husband. So when she saw the old madam leading people over, she wasn’t as resistant.

She reluctantly examined the maids for a few moments. When Old Madam Ren dismissed them, she said, “Mother can choose whichever ones look good. It’s just that my husband said to wait until the child is born and I return to the residence before making arrangements, so it’s better to keep them and teach them proper behavior first.”

Old Madam Ren wasn’t forcing Ren Shijia to immediately send people to her son-in-law’s bed. Seeing that she had now thought things through was already satisfactory.

So hearing Ren Shijia say this, she only sighed lightly: “Then we’ll do as you both wish.”

The next day was the day arranged with Qiu Yun and Yun Wenfang to go to White Dragon Temple for vegetarian food.

Ren Yaohua had also received Li Shi’s instructions the previous day, so when she got up early to pay respects at Ronghua Garden, she was already dressed for going out.

It was the time when young green adorned the trees and flower news first spread. Most people had taken off their heavy fur garments and changed into lighter thin jackets, especially teenage girls who, driven by their love of beauty, had already put on newly made spring shirts.

Beautiful as they were, they would shiver like quails on tree branches during the cold morning and evening winds, yet this had somehow become a fashion trend among people—no one knew where it had originated.

Ren Yaoqi ultimately lacked the petty temperament that girls her age should have. Although she had taken off her fur garments, her jacket was much thicker than others’. The only thing that matched the beautiful spring scenery was probably the light jade-green fabric color and the light yellow silk apricot blossoms in her hair.

However, her skin was fair, her features beautiful, and her temperament ethereal. Though she didn’t dress like other girls in a graceful and slender manner, she still looked dignified and quiet.

Ren Yaohua wore a dress and jacket in yang fei color. She extremely loved red clothing, which perfectly matched her personality.

Ren Yaoqi had originally thought this spring outing would just be them younger generation, but when it was time to depart, she discovered that Eldest Madam Wang Shi and Eldest Young Madam Zhao Shi were also going with them.

Ren Yaoqi didn’t mind this. Instead, she felt that if elders were present, those who liked to jump around wildly would also behave themselves.

Besides the Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua sisters, Eldest Madam and her daughter-in-law, Qiu Yun and Yun Wenfang, there were also Third Young Master Ren Yijun, Fifth Young Master Ren Yijian, Sixth Young Master Ren Yihong, as well as Ren Yaoyu and Ren Yaoting.

In the carriage, Ren Yaoqi glanced at the young men riding horses outside. Third Brother Ren Yijun wasn’t on horseback but had been pulled into the front carriage to sit with Eldest Madam.

Ren Yaoqi chatted casually with Ren Yaohua: “I previously thought that when Third Brother said he would come, he was just casually agreeing. I didn’t expect he would come. He used to dislike going out to play with everyone the most.”

Because all the other Ren family boys could ride horses, only he had to sit in carriages with his sisters.

Ren Yaohua glanced at Ren Yaoqi, paused, then said: “He originally didn’t want to come, but Eldest Aunt got angry and gave a death order, so he had no choice but to come.”

Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi knew Ren Yaohua had more to say.

Although Ren Yaohua no longer lived in Ronghua Garden, because she was favored by the old madam, she spent more time in Ronghua Garden daily than in Ziwei Courtyard. She could also command the maids and servant women in Ronghua Garden, so she could learn about most things that happened there.

Ren Yaoqi leaned over with great interest and asked: “Could there be something I don’t know about?”

Ren Yaohua had recently gotten used to Ren Yaoqi being familiar with her, so when asked, she didn’t hide anything: “Yesterday I heard Eldest Aunt and Grandmother say that today, Second Madam Liu of the Liu family from Yunyang City will bring her twin daughters to White Dragon Temple for vegetarian food.”

“Second Madam Liu?” Ren Yaoqi was slightly confused and momentarily didn’t understand who this was.

The Liu family that runs oil mills in Yunyang City. Our residence buys all its oil from their workshops.” Seeing Ren Yaoqi’s confusion, Ren Yaohua tactfully added: “Both Miss Liu’s daughters are dignified and virtuous.”

Ren Yaoqi understood—today was about matchmaking for Third Brother Ren Yijun.

Ren Yaoqi remembered that in her previous life, Ren Yijun never found a suitable marriage match. Either Eldest Madam looked down on other families’ daughters as crude, or other families’ daughters’ mothers despised Ren Yijun’s weak constitution.

Ren Yijun himself had a difficult personality, and after several such incidents, he became impatient.

Especially once when he accidentally overheard a family’s daughter quietly gossiping behind his back that he would fall over in the wind, had a short-lived appearance, and marrying him would mean preparing to be a living widow.

Ren Yijun was furious and ordered servants to set fire to the horse tails of the horses pulling that family’s carriage, causing the horses to go mad.

Although there were no people in those carriages at the time, because the mountain road where the carriages were parked was narrow, a servant woman dozing beside the carriages was trampled to death by the horses.

That family went back and widely spread the word that Ren Yijun not only had poor health but also a violent temperament—if he fancied any family’s daughter and they looked down on him, he would resort to violence and even cause deaths.

Finally, the Ren family spent considerable money to settle the matter, but Ren Yijun’s reputation was completely ruined. After that, even fewer daughters from good families were willing to marry him.

Ren Yijun also began deliberately driving away prospective brides during matchmaking meetings. Eldest Madam worried greatly about this, but when Ren Yijun’s stubborn temper flared, he would say: “I’ll never marry in this lifetime!”

Before Ren Yaoqi left the Ren family, Ren Yijun had indeed never married. When the Ren family finally fell, she heard he had become a monk.

Recalling Ren Yijun’s past, Ren Yaoqi could only sigh.

She just didn’t know which matchmaking attempt involved Ren Yijun setting fire to the horse tails. Looking at the current situation, that incident probably hasn’t happened yet. The current Ren Yijun, though somewhat awkward about his marriage prospects, hadn’t reached the point of being terrified by talk of marriage.

If it hadn’t happened yet, could it be prevented?

However, in her previous life before that upheaval, she hadn’t interacted much with Ren Yijun and hadn’t paid particular attention to his affairs. She had heard about these things from servant women in the courtyard, so she wasn’t clear about when and with which family’s daughter the incident occurred. Was it this time?

Throughout the journey, Ren Yaoqi was troubled by this matter. Even when the carriage was almost at White Dragon Temple, she was still leaning against the carriage wall, lost in thought.

The carriage wheel hit a large stone, and Ren Yaoqi, caught off guard, was about to crash into the tea bowls in front of her when Ren Yaohua grabbed her.

“What are you doing?” Ren Yaohua glared at her and scolded in a low voice.

The two senior maids serving in the carriage suppressed their laughter and turned their heads away.

Ren Yaoqi touched her forehead and silently pushed the tea bowls and teapot toward Ren Yaohua’s side.

Ren Yaohua: “…”