Ren Yaoqi didn't worry too much about whether to go to the ice skating competition.
These were just excuses for her to seldom leave Ziwei Courtyard. Qiu Yun mentioned this to her in front of everyone. If she deliberately avoided Yun Wenfang and Qiu Yun, it would attract attention.
Ice skating is an activity that people in Yanbei often do in winter. Although Ren Yaoqi has never played it himself, he has seen it several times.
The women simply sat in a makeshift shed on the bank and watched while the men, divided into several teams, competed on ice skates on the river's ice, which was about a foot thick.
Of course, the spectators also placed bets on which team would win or lose, but they only paid small amounts of silver. Even if they won, the money was used to reward the servants who took to the field. No one was gambling for real money. To do so would be unrefined and disrespectful.
Before going out that day, Ren Yaoqi went to Li's place first. He originally planned to greet Ren Yaohua and then take the car, but he didn't expect that Ren Yaohua had already gone to Ronghuayuan first.
Li asked Madam Zhou to bring out an embroidered money bag and handed it to Ren Yaoqi, saying, "Here are some small change for you as prizes and rewards. Please give it to the maid to keep."
Ren Yaoqi took it in her hand, looked up at Li and smiled, "I understand, mother."
When he came out, Ren Yaoqi handed the purse back to Madam Zhou: "My monthly allowance has been sitting in the box, and with the New Year gifts I received, I have at least two hundred taels. A few days ago, my father gave me two hundred-tael silver notes so I could buy some books and writing brushes. Madam, keep this money."
Nanny Zhou said hurriedly, "This is what Madam asked me to prepare for you. Third sister also has it, so you should accept it."
Ren Yaoqi handed the bag back and said gently, "I know Mother didn't want to wrong me and my third sister, and I didn't want to disappoint her, so I accepted it in front of her. But Ma'am, you've been managing Mother's accounts. You know the situation at Ziwei Courtyard better than I do. Mother still has many other needs for money."
When Li married into the Ren family, she had almost no dowry and only received a monthly allowance of thirty taels from the Ren family.
Fortunately, after Li returned home, Ren Shimin received the thirty taels of silver as monthly allowance. Ren Shimin did not care about this little bit of money and he never asked Li for it.
The Ren family was not short of money. Each year, the several masters of the Ren family could withdraw up to two thousand taels of silver from the outer courtyard account office for entertainment expenses. The eldest son, Ren Yiyan, who was already married, could also withdraw one thousand taels of silver each year.
However, if the amount exceeded two thousand taels, it was necessary to obtain an approval note from Old Master Ren with his seal. Except for the Second and Fourth Masters in the capital, the other masters rarely needed an approval note from Old Master Ren. After all, two thousand taels of silver was not a large amount.
Mrs. Li received sixty taels of silver every month, which she had to use to reward her servants and to subsidize her parents' home from time to time, so she was often short of money.
"Fifth sister..." Nanny Zhou stared at Ren Yaoqi blankly, her eyes turning slightly red.
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