The autumn morning sun shone on the screen wall, casting long shadows from the imposing carriage. A group of guards and maids surrounded the vehicle as a woman with a protruding belly and delicate features, her long eyebrows reaching her temples, was helped down. She wore her hair in an elaborate style and mourning clothes, but her demeanor was extraordinary.
She glanced calmly at the area in front of the screen wall and asked after a moment’s thought, “Didn’t we send word to Mother? Why hasn’t she come yet?”
A nearby maid quickly responded, “Perhaps she hasn’t had time yet.”
“She’s always been slow and careless,” Luo Yihui said lightly. “Go to my sister’s place and have Xuezhi bring her to the mourning hall. I’ll go burn incense for Grandmother first.”
As the maid went to carry out her orders, Luo Yihui was supported by her head maid. She turned her head and asked, “We specifically had Uncle return first. Did Aunt leave with him after receiving him?”
The head maid replied, “Yes, she left after receiving him. They should be at the mourning hall by now.”
Luo Yihui sighed, “Aunt doesn’t even bother with appearances anymore. It seems the conflict runs deep. I wonder what happened while I was away for her to act so carelessly.”
The head maid supported her hand, cautioning Luo Yihui to watch her step. “…It’s fortunate you rushed back. Our young miss’s situation was quite precarious.”
Luo Yihui said nothing more, but her gaze turned cold.
Yi Ning was hurriedly led to the screen wall by Lin Hairu. Many servants were resting there, saying the Young Madam had waited briefly before going to the mourning hall.
Lin Hairu looked worried, realizing they were late.
She said to Yi Ning, “Your eldest sister might scold me. You’ll need to speak up for me later…”
Yi Ning was stunned. She’d only heard of mothers scolding daughters, never the reverse!
But Lin Hairu was genuinely anxious. This eldest daughter was truly formidable. Before Luo Yihui married, she often managed Lin Hairu, overseeing everything. Whenever Luo Yihui criticized her, Lin Hairu only performed worse. So before Luo Yihui’s marriage, she managed all of the second branch’s affairs.
Lin Hairu was left idle, as she couldn’t do anything right anyway. Luo Yihui lived up to her name, being a young version of Old Madam Luo.
The mourning hall was set up in the main hall.
People were still paying their respects in the main hall. White sails hung low, incense smoke filled the air, and Taoist priests were performing rituals.
Yi Ning immediately noticed a figure with a tall, slender frame and long neck. She knelt to offer incense to Old Madam Luo, and as she stood up, maids came to support her. Her belly was prominent, and her expression calm. When Yi Ning saw her, her heart skipped a beat, feeling a sense of familiarity.
Luo Yihui also noticed Yi Ning, led by Lin Hairu.
Her sister was looking up at her, her gaze curious but no longer as lively as before.
Lin Hairu led Yi Ning forward, smiling nervously, “Hui’er, you’ve finally returned! You’ve made it back from the capital in just two days, you must be exhausted. Since you’ve already offered incense, why don’t you rest for a bit…”
Luo Yihui said, “Perfect, I have some questions for you.” She then looked at Yi Ning, held by Lin Hairu, as if wanting to say something.
Lin Hairu sighed and explained, “After the Old Madam passed, Yi Ning hasn’t been as lively as before.”
Hearing Lin Hairu’s words, Luo Yihui felt a twinge in her heart. She reached out to Yi Ning, lowering herself and smiling gently, “Meimei, come to sister.”
Seeing Luo Yihui, Yi Ning felt an instinctive sense of attachment, even stronger than what she had felt for Old Madam Luo. She wanted to throw herself into her arms and cry her heart out. Hearing Luo Yihui call her nickname, she felt a sting in her nose. She took a few steps forward and fell into Luo Yihui’s embrace, hugging her neck and softly calling out “Eldest Sister.”
Luo Yihui held Yi Ning tightly, stroking her back and saying, “It’s alright, sister is back.” Seeing how Yi Ning, once a little tyrant feared by all, now seemed weak and pitiful, she felt even more heartache and pressed her cheek against Yi Ning’s small face.
“Sister is back, you have support now. Don’t be afraid,” Luo Yihui said softly.
Although it was Yi Ning’s first time meeting her, this unfamiliar eldest sister had a familiar aura. Looking closely, she saw that she and her eldest sister shared some facial features, though her sister was more striking while she still had a childish roundness.
After their mother’s death, eleven-year-old Luo Yihui had taken care of her sister. She watched her learn to walk and talk, babbling “sister” and toddling after her on short legs, always wanting to be held. Luo Yihui’s feelings for this sister were extraordinary.
When she married into the Ningyuan Marquis’s family, she wished she could pack her sister along with her belongings, to prevent her from being bullied in the Luo family.
At the Marquis’s estate, when she heard that her sister had fallen into the water, she was incredibly anxious. If she hadn’t been less than three months pregnant, she would have rushed back immediately. Fortunately, her sister had been unharmed. Then she heard about Luo Shenyuan becoming the top scholar, followed by Old Madam Luo’s death.
Luo Yihui couldn’t wait any longer and returned despite being six months pregnant. The Ningyuan Marquis’s heir, Fu Zhengqing, had advised her not to rush, to be careful of the child in her womb. She had glared at Fu Zhengqing and left on her own. Worried about her safety, Fu Zhengqing hurriedly wrapped up his affairs to follow her.
Back at Lin Hairu’s quarters, a maid brought tea. After taking a sip, Luo Yihui asked, “Grandmother’s health had always been poor, but there were no major issues. How did she suddenly pass away?”
Setting down her teacup and thinking of Old Madam Luo’s kindness towards her, Luo Yihui felt a pang of sadness. However, she knew that besides mourning her grandmother, she had more important matters to attend to. She had returned to handle these affairs.
“I’m not entirely sure,” Lin Hairu said, lowering her voice.
Yi Ning was leaning against Luo Yihui, who had a faint scent of gardenia, which was pleasant. She noticed that her eldest sister remained composed throughout, whether paying respects to Old Madam Luo or when they encountered Chen Shi on the way. Chen Shi’s expression had changed slightly upon seeing her, but Luo Yihui had curtseyed respectfully.
Looking outside, Yi Ning saw maids under the corridor eaves unpacking boxes that Luo Yihui had brought back.
She must be planning to stay for a while, Yi Ning thought, feeling inexplicably reassured.
“The Old Madam had called back the former Nanny Zheng to treat her illness. On the day Nanny Zheng was about to leave, the Old Madam had an attack…” Lin Hairu said. “She didn’t last long after that. Yi Ning was supposed to stay with her, but your eldest sister-in-law insisted on sending Yi Ning away. As soon as Yi Ning left, the Old Madam passed…”
Recalling the scene from that day, Lin Hairu’s tone grew heavier: “Your eldest sister-in-law immediately had Yi Ning move out of the main hall… The Old Madam left all her belongings to Yi Ning. If it weren’t for Shenyuan helping Yi Ning, your eldest sister-in-law would surely have objected. Now, all of Yi Ning’s things are managed by Shenyuan.”
All these dramatic events had occurred while she wasn’t by her side.
Luo Yihui slowly stroked Yi Ning’s head.
She looked up and said, “I was just about to ask about Luo Shenyuan. But I suppose you can’t explain clearly. Where is he now?”
The capital’s bulletin had repeatedly reported Luo Shenyuan’s top scholar status, and his identity as a young provincial graduate was known throughout the capital. When Luo Yihui heard about it, she wasn’t surprised; Old Madam Luo had long told her about her third brother’s capabilities. What she wanted to know was what Luo Shenyuan was thinking.
Yi Ning sensed from her eldest sister’s tone that she didn’t have a good impression of Third Brother.
Thinking carefully, she remembered that in her memories, Luo Yihui’s attitude towards Luo Shenyuan was similar to Old Madam Luo’s – she disliked this half-brother.
But these two couldn’t be at odds!
She tugged at Luo Yihui’s hand and said, “Eldest Sister, Third Brother is very good to me. He teaches me calligraphy and helps me manage the shops and estates.”
Her sister was still young and couldn’t discern people’s true nature. Luo Yihui simply stroked her face and said, “Alright, Meimei. Let’s wait until I’ve met your Third Brother before we discuss this further. Okay?”
Yi Ning sighed inwardly but realized that with Luo Yihui’s intellect, she naturally wouldn’t just listen to a child’s words.
“Is Concubine Qiao well?” Luo Yihui asked Lin Hairu.
Lin Hairu hesitated, not knowing what to say. She stammered for a while. Luo Yihui looked at Ruixiang, who could only say, “The master often goes to Concubine Qiao’s quarters. She uses this as an excuse to frequently avoid paying respects to the Second Madam. Other than that, she’s been quiet.”
Hearing Ruixiang’s words, Luo Yihui understood Concubine Qiao’s current situation.
She said calmly, “Concubine Qiao has indeed grown bolder, but I didn’t come back for her. I returned for a specific reason…” She could deal with Concubine Qiao later. Looking at Lin Hairu, she continued slowly, “With Grandmother gone, the family will inevitably have to be divided. Rather than dragging it out, it’s better to do it now.”
Lin Hairu was stunned by the eldest daughter’s words.
She wanted to divide the family too, but Luo Chengzhang didn’t agree.
And why was sooner better? The Old Madam had just passed; this seemed disrespectful.
Luo Yihui didn’t explain. She simply said, “I’ll talk to Father tonight. For now, having just returned, I need to burn some paper money for Grandmother.”
She took Yi Ning to the mourning hall, knelt and burned paper money for half an hour, then took Yi Ning to pay respects to the newly returned eldest uncle.
The eldest uncle, Luo Daye, calmly told Luo Yihui not to be too formal. Though he looked weary from travel, he didn’t appear overly grief-stricken.
As expected of a high-ranking official, his composure was something Luo Chengzhang couldn’t match.
Yi Ning, however, was thinking that after their grandmother’s death, both Luo Daye and her father would have to observe a three-year mourning period. During these three years, Luo Daye could only stay at home, which would be detrimental to his career, while the impact on her father would be minimal. Not only would Luo Daye’s career be affected, but Luo Huaiyuan’s marriage prospects would also be influenced.
She suddenly understood why Luo Yihui wanted to divide the family now – this was the best opportunity. If proposed later, after the first branch’s affairs were settled, the second branch would surely be at a disadvantage. Moreover, given Lin Hairu’s capabilities, she would certainly be outmatched by Chen Shi if the two families continued living together.
The issue of filial piety remained a concern, and Yi Ning wondered how Luo Yihui would resolve it.
With Luo Yihui’s return, all her younger siblings had to come to see her.
This was not only because she was the eldest legitimate daughter of the family but also because of her status as the wife of the Dingbei Marquis’s heir.
When Chen Shi saw Yi Ning standing beside Luo Yihui, she was reminded of Old Madam Luo’s will, which had infuriated her.
She had previously looked down on Luo Yining, a child without a birth mother, believing she couldn’t compare to her own Yiyu and Yixiu. She also didn’t believe Lin Hairu would truly treat Luo Yining as her own. But thinking of what Old Madam Luo had left to Luo Yining, and seeing Luo Yihui and Luo Shenyuan standing protectively beside her, Chen Shi realized that Luo Yining would not be at a disadvantage.
After all, she had two excellent older siblings.
Moreover, Luo Yining was no simple child. She appeared innocent and adorable but was quite intelligent. The day she discovered Yiyu exchanging secret glances with Cheng Lang showed a level of perception that an ordinary child couldn’t possess. She simply didn’t let others see it.