According to Yanbei’s customs, a banquet would be held on the second day after moving into a new home to invite some relatives and friends to the new home, which could be considered as adding some popularity to the new home.
However, the Ren family hadn't split up, and Ren Shimin's branch wasn't strictly speaking celebrating a housewarming, so Ren Shimin didn't instruct Li to host a banquet. Instead, some of the scholars at Yunyang Academy who were familiar with Ren Shimin got the news and sent their families to bring some food or small gifts.
Li suggested that Ren Shimin invite his friends from Yunyang Academy to come over and set up a few tables in the outer courtyard. Ren Shimin thought about it and agreed. The teachers from the academy had similar interests to Ren Shimin, and this kind of socializing was not objectionable to Master Ren San.
Ren Yaoqi saw this and was happy. Their family needed some social interactions that were not related to the Ren family. That way, even if they fell out with the Ren family one day, they wouldn't be in the embarrassing situation of being abandoned by everyone.
Ren Yaoqi also discussed with Li and Ren Yaohua that after some time, when everything at home was arranged, they would find a reason to invite the wives and daughters of Ren Shimin's friends in the academy to their home so that they could interact with each other in the future.
Li, also educated in an aristocratic family, understood that for Ren Shimin, a recent arrival at Yunyang Academy, socializing with the inner court ladies would be beneficial rather than harmful. So, Li happily agreed, even discussing with the two sisters the dishes to be prepared and what preparations would be needed. For Li, this was the first time since her marriage that she had hosted a dinner herself.
However, what the Lis didn't expect was that before their invitation was sent out, the invitation from Xu Shanzhang's wife, Ouyang, arrived first.
Mrs. Xu invited the Li mother and daughter to go to Bailong Temple to worship Buddha, listen to Zen and eat vegetarian food. Mrs. Xu not only invited the mother and daughter, but also the wives and daughters of several teachers who taught at Yunyang Academy.
Mrs. Xu's gesture was a gesture of kindness and thoughtfulness, offering pillows to them when they were sleepy. Ren Yaoqi was struggling to figure out how to help Li socialize with other ladies, and when she received the invitation, she was overjoyed.
With Madam Xu's help, it was much easier for Li to enter the small circle of ladies in Yunyang Academy.
So Ren Yaoqi immediately asked Li to reply to Madam Xu, saying that they would definitely go.
On the day she had agreed to meet with Madam Xu and the others, Li woke up early and dressed. It wasn't that she wanted to dress up in a flashy way. On the contrary, her attire was very understated and simple. However, Li was very particular about this outing, so she put some thought into making herself look simple and elegant without embarrassing Ren Shimin.
When Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua went to the main house to find Li, they nodded when they saw what she was wearing.
Just before leaving, Ren Yaoying's maid ran over and said that Miss Nine was feeling a little unwell and would not go to Bailong Temple with them today.
Mrs. Li knew that this concubine's daughter was full of thoughts and thoughts, and she didn't expect her to get along with her mother. She just hoped that she would be well-behaved and not cause trouble. Although Ren Yaoying's words sounded like an excuse not to go, Mrs. Li didn't say anything. She sent Xi'er to check on her and asked if a doctor was needed to see Ren Yaoying, but she didn't force her to go out.
Ren Yaoying's absence did not affect Li's mother and daughter's mood to go out. Seeing that the time was almost up, Li took the sisters Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua out.
Not long after Li and the others left, Ren Yaoying, who had been lying in bed pretending to be sick, got up and told her maid, "Go to the Zhou family and tell Miss Zhou to send a car to pick me up."
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