Although the marriage between the Qiu and Ren families was kept a low profile, known only to a few powerful members of the Ren family, Ren Yaoqi was keeping a close eye on it. Unable to inquire about it herself, she approached Ren Shimin, saying she wanted to inquire on behalf of her mother, and asked Third Master Ren to relay the information he had heard from Old Master Ren.
The Qiu family's marriage was related to Ren Yaohua, who was Ren Shimin's biological daughter. So even though Third Master Ren was always thinking about his unfinished ancient paintings, he would still be present whenever the Qiu family came. He also listened attentively when Old Master Ren summoned his sons for the serious conversations between men twice a day in the early morning and evening.
Master Ren San couldn't help but pay attention. Ren Yaoqi hounded him with questions daily, and when he couldn't answer, he would make a scene, threatening to chop up a sandalwood box hidden in a secret compartment in his study with an axe. That sandalwood box was the only thing in Ren Shimin's study that Ren Yaoqi wasn't allowed to touch. Unbeknownst to Ren Shimin, Ren Yaoqi had secretly opened it in his previous life. Inside was a scroll of erotic paintings by Jiang Yuanyi, a magnificent piece of erotic art. Master Ren San had acquired it in Kyoto during his youth, when he was fascinated by figure painting. This erotic painting held special significance for him.
Master Ren San was in a terrible state of mind. Even the servants and maids who served him were being taken care of. Whenever Master Ren San wanted to pee, they would cautiously remind him, "Master, Miss Fifth..."
Master Ren San, who was very afraid of trouble and his daughter making a fuss, had no choice but to accept his fate.
The old man of the Qiu family and the old lady of the Ren family were born of the same mother, so they had some brotherly affection between them. Therefore, the old man Qiu had no objection to the marriage with the Ren family. He even sent someone to negotiate with the Ren family after the Ren family sent the letter.
Compared to the old man of the Qiu family, the old lady and the first wife of the Qiu family were less enthusiastic. The old lady of the Qiu family had her eyes on the eldest daughter of the Guo family in Weizhou, Guo Yujiao, who had also been named the top prize winner at the Qianjin Banquet. Old lady Qiu's family also hails from Weizhou, and she and Old Lady Guo are close friends. Qiu Yun's mother, the first wife of the Qiu family, wanted her son to marry her niece, a cousin of the Qiu family who was rumored to be Qiu Yun's childhood sweetheart.
But no matter what, a family is still headed by men. Although Old Master Qiu was a bit cowardly in front of the previous patriarch of the Qiu family when he was young, his temper became worse as he got older, especially when it came to the Qiu family's family affairs. He could not stand anyone disobeying him.
It was precisely because Old Lady Qiu and Mrs. Qiu looked down on his sister's granddaughter that made him angry, and he felt that his wife and daughter-in-law looked down on his background, so he became more determined to marry into the Ren family.
The Ren family, on the other hand, was deliberating over the selection process. Even though Old Master Ren favored the eldest wife, the Ren Yaoyin incident had become a major issue. Furthermore, Old Madam Qiu and the first wife were struggling to find a reason to reject the Ren family's daughter, leaving Old Master Ren with no choice but to choose Ren Yaohua, which suited Old Madam Ren's wishes. Although Old Master Ren and First Wife Ren were somewhat concerned about their daughter, they didn't dare mention Ren Yaoyin at this time. Old Master Ren had already been giving the first wife's family a break by not having her become a nun.
These were all inferred by Ren Yaoqi from the information he had gathered from Ren Shimin. It had to be said that Master Ren San was not entirely useless; at least when he put his mind to it, he could also do things like gathering information meticulously.
Compared to Ren Yaoqi's concern, Ren Yaohua, the person involved, didn't pay much attention to the matter. When the Qiu family came, Old Madam Ren asked her to dress up and meet them. She obeyed, but she wasn't particularly enthusiastic. At most, she showed obedience to the orders of her elders.
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