Han Yunqian glanced at Han You. Although he didn't say anything, his calm and gentle eyes made Han You gradually calm down.
Ren Yaoqi pretended not to notice Han You's abnormality and just looked at the red lacquered wooden door without any carvings.
"I heard that this used to be a study?" Ren Yaoqi asked casually.
"The original owner of the house built this study here. When we moved in, we found that the bookshelves inside were damp and infested with insects and ants. Worried that the books would get moldy if left here, they abandoned it." Han Yunqian nodded and said calmly.
At this moment, the red-painted wooden door creaked open, and Shan'er came out from inside, followed by a short, hunched figure.
Ren Yaoqi took a closer look and saw that it was a rather old woman. She looked old and frail, at least in her sixties. Seeing her master standing outside, she walked over and saluted, her movements a little slow.
"Young Master, the mute woman was...cleaning the main hall, so she didn't see anyone. I also looked around, but didn't see the seventh sister of the Ren family." Shan'er came forward and replied to Han Yunqian.
The mute woman should not be deaf. After hearing what Shan'er said, she quickly gestured a few words with her hands.
Although the mute woman was standing with her back to Ren Yaoqi, he still noticed a few of her movements. In his previous life, when he lived in the capital, the Pei family had a cook who was a skilled cook but was both deaf and mute. Ren Yaoqi had come into contact with her before, so he could guess some of her gestures.
The mute woman seemed to have mentioned that she was burning incense before?
Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but feel moved.
She originally thought that there might be someone hidden in this courtyard who was related to the Han family's secret. Because she was afraid that the secret would be leaked, she only found a mute woman who could not talk to serve her and only delivered meals to her every day.
But the mute woman didn't seem to mention anyone, but mentioned burning incense.
Where should we burn incense? A Buddhist temple? An ancestral hall?
Ren Yaoqi felt that the truth seemed to be getting closer, but she couldn't grasp it for a while.
If the person she just saw was Ren Yaoting, then Ren Yaoting would still be in this yard and had avoided Shan'er and the mute woman.
Han Yunqian was very gentle to the mute woman and even used gestures to speak a few words to her, as if to comfort her.
At this moment, a strange old woman hurried out: "Master. Sister, the old man is coming this way."
Upon hearing this, Han You subconsciously glanced at the yard and his face became tense again.
Han Yunqian lowered his head and said to her, "Let's go greet Grandfather." Then he said to the mute woman, "There's nothing to do here. You go in first."
Shan'er said, "Master, I'd better continue looking for Seventh Sister Ren. This garden is not very big. No, it would be bad if Seventh Sister Ren got lost."
Han Yunqian nodded lightly, nothing.
The mute woman bowed and retreated. Shan'er hurried after her and whispered a few words in her ear. The mute woman nodded and entered the courtyard. Shan'er did not follow her.
The red-painted wooden door closed again, and Ren Yaoqi even heard the sound of the key falling.
"Sister Yaoqi, please come with us." Han You hurriedly said to Ren Yaoqi. She seemed to be afraid of something and didn't want Ren Yaoqi to stay here.
Ren Yaoqi nodded and followed Han Yunqian with Han You.
Han You was still muttering, "Where on earth did Sister Ting go? Why can't I find her?"
Ren Yaoqi looked back and found that Shan'er was going to find Ren Yaoting but did not go far. She just wandered around the door.
Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but worry about how Ren Yaoting would get out. If he came out through the main gate, even if the sound of the gate wouldn't alarm the old mute woman, he'd probably be caught by Fan'er blocking the door. And if the mute woman entered the yard, she'd probably search everywhere.
They hadn't walked far when they heard footsteps coming hurriedly towards them.
After a while, Han Dongshan appeared at the corner.
Ren Yaoqi looked up and was slightly startled. Han Dongshan was walking hurriedly. His expression was gloomy and cold, a stark contrast to the cheerful and kind elder Ren Yaoqi had seen in the Ren family garden the last time. It was hard to believe that the same person could have such two faces.
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