The two brothers arrived at the courtyard. Naturally, maids came to help them wash up. After eating something to fill their stomachs, the two collapsed into sleep—they couldn’t hold on anymore.

Because they were too tired, they both even snored.

After sleeping and waking up, as soon as they made a sound, maids came in to attend to them.

The capital wasn’t close to Anlin Prefecture.

The two brothers had rushed at full gallop all the way. Even though Jia Zhu felt physically unwell, they never stopped.

It was because they had to rush. If they were late, the Lin family would be calculating the days to escort the coffin back to Gusu.

Now that the two brothers had personally offered incense before their aunt’s memorial, they could finally relax.

They had made it in time.

Tomorrow, Chen Yu would set out to escort the coffin home.

After waking, the two brothers naturally had to go pay respects to the Lin residence’s old lady. This was proper etiquette.

Because they carried a mission, the two brothers observed while contemplating as they walked toward the old lady’s courtyard.

The Lin residence was busy but orderly from top to bottom. When it came down to it, there were only so many masters.

Excluding the cousins who hadn’t yet grown up, there were only the old lady and their uncle.

Thinking of the Lin clan members they saw when offering incense to their aunt, Jia Lian couldn’t help but feel somewhat complicated.

He had heard that previously, not only was their uncle’s blood relationship with the clan distant, but they also weren’t close. Now it seemed things had changed long ago.

The clan’s strength was undeniable.

He wondered if they had any thoughts about their uncle’s future marriage. If they did, then when the time came, how should their Jia family, as the first wife’s maiden family, conduct themselves.

Nowadays when a first wife passed away, remarriage generally required consulting the first wife’s maiden family’s opinion. This was mostly for the sake of the children left behind by the first wife.

If the first wife’s maiden family disagreed and things turned sour, incidents of taking away the first wife’s dowry had occurred before.

So remarriage would consider the first wife’s family’s opinion, especially when there were children who hadn’t yet grown up.

To maintain the marriage alliance between the two families, situations arose where the first wife’s younger sister, cousin, or maternal cousin would be married over as the second wife.

This had two benefits.

One was that the first wife’s children would have their maternal aunt to care for them, so they wouldn’t worry about the children being mistreated. The other was not having to worry about the marriage alliance being severed—the two families could continue to support each other.

After receiving the news of their aunt’s passing, beyond grief, they had to consider this realistic problem.

Their Jia family’s aunt had no biological children, and this uncle with a bright future was approaching forty years old.

At forty, one is free from doubts; at fifty, one knows the mandate of heaven.

Forty was already the age to be a grandfather, but looking at their uncle’s official position, even if he was older, many families would surely be willing to betroth their daughters in their prime to him.

Upon marriage, she would immediately be a third-rank lady with imperial mandate. Even better, he still had no legitimate son under his knee.

There would be no shortage of people wanting to take a gamble.

Jia Lian also thought so. The possibility of their uncle remarrying was very high. If he remarried and it had nothing to do with the Jia family, one didn’t need to think to know the second wife would only maintain surface relations with their first wife’s family. If there were legitimate sons, they would only be close to the second wife’s maternal grandmother’s family.

This naturally didn’t align with the Jia family’s interests.

For the Jia family, it would even be better to have a concubine-born son as head of household. That way, the Jia family would still be the Lin family’s only maternal grandmother’s family.

Before they left home, people from both residences were discussing who in the family was suitable.

In their aunt’s generation, neither the Rong nor Ning residences had suitable women. They could only look within the clan.

But accomplished families in the clan… weren’t presentable enough.

Sending them over as a second wife wasn’t quite appropriate—at most they could be concubines.

Should they send a concubine over, or find a woman of suitable age from among their marriage-allied families to be the second wife?

Such as the Shi family or the Wang family.

Jia Lian knew why they didn’t want to sever this connection.

The Rong residence and Ning residence’s most powerful marriage alliances currently were the Lin family where their aunt married, and the Wang family where Second Aunt Wang belonged. Wang Ziteng had inherited his grandfather’s connections in the military and was also developing very well.

But the Jia family’s positioning was to transition from military to civil service.

The Lin family represented civil service.

Elder Brother Zhu was extraordinarily talented, having passed the xiucai examination at fourteen.

The old ancestress and others placed high hopes on Elder Brother Zhu, hoping that in the future their uncle could give Elder Brother Zhu a hand.

The final result of their discussion was that if their uncle remarried, the Jia family would broker and finalize the second wife candidate, to facilitate caring for Daiyu.

Cousin Daiyu was still so young. They couldn’t feel at ease entrusting her to anyone else.

Jia Zhu couldn’t help but weigh the letter in his sleeve. This letter was written by his father, roughly discussing these matters.

He didn’t know if their uncle would agree after reading it.

What the two brothers didn’t know was that Grandmother Jia didn’t hold much hope for this matter, but only she alone knew what sordid affairs had occurred between the Jia and Lin families.

During the discussion, she couldn’t directly say the possibility was very small, so she could only refrain from stating her position and let them proceed.

Success would be best; if it failed, she wouldn’t be disappointed.

——

This funeral was undoubtedly hosted by the old lady, but as an elder, she didn’t need to keep vigil before the memorial. She mostly stayed in her own courtyard.

Now that people from Jia Min’s maiden family had come, she certainly had to meet them.

In fact, before the Jia family people arrived, the old lady had already made corresponding preparations. Every time the Jia family sent people, things didn’t go smoothly for the Lin family.

Moreover, in the dream world she had seen, Daiyu was taken to the Rong residence by Grandmother Jia not long after her mother Jia Min passed away.

Now this was of course impossible.

Her son had been willing to relent at the time for two reasons. One was that the eldest daughter of a family in mourning for her mother not marrying would easily lead the world to suspect the daughter hadn’t received adequate upbringing in such an environment, her character was questionable, and she might be unable to fulfill a mistress’s responsibilities.

And regardless of anything else, Grandmother Jia was a Duke’s wife and also Daiyu’s maternal grandmother. Her son believed that going there, Daiyu would certainly receive very good care.

The other reason was that her son’s situation was precarious at the time.

The current emperor had sired too many accomplished princes. Although he had established a Crown Prince early on, the Crown Prince ultimately didn’t sit on that throne.

The early period was fine, but in the later period, as the emperor aged while the princes became increasingly vigorous, in such a great whirlpool, the path of being loyal only to the emperor was difficult, and the path of choosing one to bet on was also difficult.

No matter what you did, it would displease the other party.

At that time, her son was far from the capital, having served as an official away from home for many years. He couldn’t grasp the capital’s situation in the first instance, nor did he have anyone with status in the court to guide him closely. He fought alone outside.

Even with the emperor’s trust, it was still too easy for problems to arise.

It was also because her son had sat in that sensitive position for too long that later troubles occurred.

Without moving, he had already become a thorn in certain people’s eyes.

Her son discovered something was wrong and sensed danger. For this reason, he chose to send his only bloodline back to the capital.

Under the emperor’s feet, within a Duke’s residence, one could be far from the troubles of Yangzhou.

Thus came Daiyu’s trip to the Rong residence.

Now neither of these two problems existed.

Without her mother, Daiyu still had her, this maternal grandmother, to raise her.

The path her son was now taking was also different from the dream world—far less sensitive and dangerous. He didn’t need to worry about these things and send his bloodline away.

But she still had to be on guard against Jia Zhu and Jia Lian’s purpose in coming this time.

Besides offering incense to Jia Min, was there no other purpose?

The Grandmother Jia she knew was not someone who would swallow insults without resistance.

She didn’t believe Grandmother Jia would tell other Jia family members what she had done, or perhaps she was still dreaming that one day the Lin family could let bygones be bygones!

Now that Jia Min had passed away, the old lady believed this was also beyond the other party’s expectations.

Wanting to do something to maintain the relationship between the two families was very possible.

Those with a sense of shame might have self-awareness, but some people’s shame was long gone.

The two who came were both Jia Min’s nephew generation, not much different in age from the sisters Ying Yu and Luo Yu. Jia Zhu was reportedly discussing marriage arrangements, but that Jia Lian—she didn’t know if he was betrothed. He was fourteen this year, Ying Yu and Luo Yu were eleven—just three years difference.

And they were maternal cousins—she had to be on guard.

In the dream world, watching her Daiyu being disdained overtly and covertly by that Second Madam Wang, the old lady nearly died of anger. If Daiyu hadn’t become an orphan, would that Baoyu be worthy of their family’s Daiyu?

What a joke—a legitimate second son of a fifth or sixth rank official and a legitimate eldest daughter of a third-rank official?

His deceased elder brother still had a son. According to propriety, most of the Jia family second branch’s family estate should go to his nephew Jia Lan.

He himself wasn’t motivated, constantly saying he was mediocre, and was naturally born with a philanthropic heart. He loved young, beautiful girls and wives, finding old women dirty and filthy. Whoever married him in the future, the pile of women in the rear courtyard would exhaust one’s heart and energy.

Moreover, at eleven he had already gotten involved with his serving maids. The two who came this time—one seventeen, one fourteen—according to their family tradition, they should have already had people. Of course they needed to be kept separate from their family’s daughters, to avoid suspicion.

She would absolutely not allow the next generation of the Lin family to form marriage alliances with the Jia family.

Besides this possibility, there was also proposing to remarry another Jia family woman.

Regarding this, the old lady only wanted to sneer coldly. Dream on.

Furthermore… looking at her son’s manner, he still didn’t want to remarry. Now she didn’t want to force him either.

When Jia Zhu and Jia Lian met the old lady, they didn’t discover anything amiss. After exchanging pleasantries, expressing grief for their aunt, and showing heartfelt concern for Cousin Daiyu, they went to help out.

They saw their busy uncle.

And two very capable cousins.

Not very old, yet they commanded servants naturally, and the servants were very obedient. Clearly, these two cousins had authority.

Both Jia Zhu and Jia Lian couldn’t help but be stunned: “Cousins… are so capable.”

Hearing this, Lin Ruhai couldn’t help but smile.

But as usual, he was modest in words: “Just this little ability, not worth mentioning.”

Just looking at his expression, no one would truly believe his words.

This time at the funeral, these three children of the Lin family had truly made quite a showing.

If the timing weren’t inappropriate, people would have immediately sent feelers to probe about marriage alliances.

Especially Chen Yu. Externally, he attracted most people’s attention, which made Lin Ruhai feel proud when he saw it.

Jia Zhu could see this. He wasn’t as good at conversation as Jia Lian. After responding with a few sentences, he took out the letter.

Lin Ruhai didn’t even look at it. He smiled slightly and had someone take the letter away: “I’ll accept this letter. I’ll read it carefully later.”

Jia Zhu didn’t feel anything was wrong. Tomorrow they would escort the coffin back to Gusu. Their uncle being busy now was perfectly normal.

And who else was busy?

Yun Shuyao was also busy.

She was checking luggage for the journey.

As the only son, Chen Yu had an unshirkable duty to escort the coffin home. Although he was only eleven, at this time, eleven wasn’t considered very young.

Some who were early could even get married.

Moreover, he wasn’t going back alone.

Going along were tutors, as well as Lin Yong and others.

Returning to the clan, Chen Yu would also live in the clan for a while.

At first, Yun Shuyao was naturally worried.

But looking at the luggage and personnel the old lady and Lin Ruhai arranged for him, and then looking at her son who had shot up in height and was practicing martial arts, her worries decreased.

With such conditions for going out, if something still happened, the probability was too small.

He would return in a few months, and he would also build good relationships with people in the clan. This was beneficial and harmless for his future.

It was just that, although reason told her this, watching her son’s party’s figures grow more and more distant, Yun Shuyao still sighed, feeling reluctant to let him go.

Luo Yu linked arms with her: “Concubine Mother, younger brother won’t have any problems. Don’t worry.”

Luo Yu still felt somewhat regretful.

She couldn’t go.

She also wanted to go see the clan’s side.

Yun Shuyao understood her well: “After the matter is finished, go stay at the estate for a bit?”

If Gusu couldn’t be visited, the estate was still no problem.

Luo Yu’s spirits lifted: “Will everyone go?”

Yun Shuyao: “Ask the old lady. It should be no problem.”

Luo Yu nodded, rallying her spirits: “Alright, I’ll ask later.”

These days she had seen too many people. She wanted to stay somewhere quieter. Originally they were supposed to observe mourning for the legitimate mother anyway. Going to the countryside was appropriate.

There was another reason—she hoped younger sister could change places and not be so sad.

Watching her tears surge forth, she really worried she would cry her eyes out.

She figured going to the estate for a walk, younger sister’s mood should improve somewhat.

“Speaking of which, Concubine Mother, you paint really well.”

Concubine Mother had given younger sister a portrait of the madam. This painting captured almost all of the madam’s spirit. Daiyu had to hold this painting at night to sleep more peacefully.

Yun Shuyao patted her hand: “Don’t put down your paintbrush. One day you can do it too.”

Luo Yu said nothing more, just clung closer.

After all, her age wasn’t very great either.

These days helping grandmother manage affairs, she had truly learned a lot, and her heart wasn’t without feelings.

If it were Concubine Mother who passed away, just thinking about it, Luo Yu felt she would probably cry her eyes swollen like younger sister Daiyu too.

Previously when busy, even if she wanted to stay by Concubine Mother’s side she couldn’t be idle. Now that matters had finally reached a pause, she didn’t want to be too far from Concubine Mother. She wished she could stick together with Concubine Mother all the time.

Managing funeral affairs was always exhausting, both mentally and physically. Many who were weak, before one funeral was finished, a second funeral would come.

The Lin residence was similar. Up and down, medicinal fragrance wafted everywhere. It wasn’t that everyone was sick—there were also medicines for fatigue relief and calming the spirit.

At the same time, they closed their doors to visitors and began recuperating.

Jia Zhu and Jia Lian stayed behind.

They had to obtain their uncle’s reply before returning.

If Lin Ruhai didn’t write a letter, they wouldn’t first mention returning.

They had just arrived not long ago anyway.

If they set out immediately, their bodies couldn’t handle it either.

After resting for two days, Yun Shuyao received a probe.

The old lady sent someone to relay a message, saying her energy was insufficient and asking Yun Shuyao to help manage some household trivial matters.

Hearing this, Yun Shuyao couldn’t help but fall silent.

Her current situation was equivalent to her direct superior above leaving, and then as the most capable person under that superior, although she hadn’t been promoted, she had hopes of obtaining part of the authority her superior held.

Faced with this pie from heaven, Yun Shuyao declined.

With the old lady above and Luo Yu and the others below, plus so many experienced nannies, why should she wade into these muddy waters?

No matter how well she did, what use was it?

As long as Lin Ruhai still wanted to be an official, he couldn’t possibly elevate a concubine to be his wife.

Even if she worked hard, she couldn’t get promoted. At most she would gain that limited bit of authority.

Wasn’t continuing to be a salted fish managing her own private property pleasant?

If the environment was bad and she had to fight for it, that would be one thing. Now the old lady clearly wanted to cultivate her two granddaughters. With Luo Yu on her side, she wouldn’t suffer losses. When Luo Yu married out in the future, Chen Yu would also be at the age to marry a wife. At that time, having the new daughter-in-law manage the household would be even more proper and justified.

Yun Shuyao also wasn’t worried that Luo Yu and the others couldn’t do well. From when they were eight years old, Yun Shuyao began teaching them to read account books and calculate accounts. If they encountered problems, they wouldn’t worry about having no one to teach them how to solve them.

This time with this incident, it was probably to see if she had “inflated.”

She declined. It seemed ungrateful, but this way it showed she knew proper bounds. The old lady would be satisfied, and when she was satisfied, she would also be more satisfied with and value the two children more.

Sure enough, later the old lady sent over a set of plain jewelry.

Afterward, when Concubine Mei learned of this matter, she blurted out: “Is Yun Shi stupid?! Not eating meat delivered to her door?”

It was so hard for them to get a bit of authority.

They could only get their hands on things when the family was handling major events and was too busy. Now finally the old lady relented, yet Yun Shi actually refused?

Concubine Mei looked longingly toward the old lady’s courtyard, waiting for someone to come.

Yun Shi refused—she wouldn’t! But how could the old lady forget about her?

She eagerly anticipated, yet never saw anyone come.

Luo Yu brought up going to the estate. The old lady agreed, but it would be after a while.

After the Jia family people left, it wouldn’t be too late to go to the estate.

And Jia Zhu and Jia Lian, staying at the Lin family, discovered more differences between the Lin family and the Jia family.

After their aunt passed away, the Lin family’s grief from top to bottom couldn’t be faked.

Their uncle had official duties and was soon busy with official business. They rarely saw him.

They also rarely encountered the cousins at home, but the servants at home spoke with “eldest miss’s arrangements” and “second miss’s arrangements.” The old lady stayed behind the scenes, yet the household wasn’t disordered at all.

Daiyu was kept by the old lady’s side, chanting sutras together, and gradually recovered.

——It looked as if whether there was a madam or not didn’t seem to matter.

Moreover, their uncle never brought up the letter, making the two brothers increasingly anxious. Could it be… their uncle didn’t plan to remarry?

Even though their information wasn’t very well-informed here, they knew many people wanted to betroth their daughters to their uncle. Had he read the letter? What was he thinking?

In fact, while Jia Zhu and Jia Lian were observing the Lin family’s situation, the Lin family people were also sizing up these two people.

Yun Shuyao even assigned Luo Yu homework, having her observe these two people and then write a reflection.

To see what she could discern.

This homework was interesting.

Luo Yu perked up.

What was different about these two maternal cousins?

There was.

Quite a lot.

One was the eldest son of the second branch, holding the position of eldest in the overall ranking.

One was the eldest son of the first branch, second in the overall ranking, but was the heir to the title.

By rights, the eldest son of the first branch should have higher status, but what she saw was the younger maternal cousin listening more to the elder maternal cousin’s words.

This wasn’t just because of the elder maternal cousin’s xiucai degree.

There was also their scholarship—a world of difference.

The elder maternal cousin had hopes of passing the juren examination. The younger maternal cousin… couldn’t even completely recite elementary texts, let alone participate in the imperial examinations.

Another point that made Luo Yu unhappy.

The elder maternal cousin was fine. He was worthy of being a xiucai at a young age. Most of the time he never put down his books, studying diligently. Even when sick he held books. But that younger maternal cousin was restless, didn’t love reading, and couldn’t sit still. If he weren’t still young in years, he would probably go out to play. Those eyes of his always looked at pretty maids.

Did he think he was hiding it well? She had already noticed.

Luo Yu organized these things and wrote them down to submit to Yun Shuyao.

Luo Yu didn’t understand: “Concubine Mother, why? Isn’t the one to inherit the title from the first branch?”

How was it that the first branch’s heir was raised like this? It wasn’t that he lacked this ability—just look at the second branch’s eldest son.

Did the Jia family’s First Rank General have no objections?

Yun Shuyao: “His birth mother died early, General Jia remarried, and the couple don’t manage affairs. Currently the Jia residence is managed by Second Madam. He also grew up following the second branch since childhood.”

Perhaps for a period he even thought he was the second branch’s son.

Luo Yu: “…”

She understood.

Both grew up in the second branch, yet one was a talented youth, the other a wastrel son of a wealthy family.

These things, Lin Ruhai saw even more clearly. He had even personally tested them.

Jia Zhu was indeed promising material, just his body was somewhat weak.

As for Jia Lian… Chen Yu at five years old could surpass him!

Lin Ruhai was also clearer about the Jia family’s situation.

Now seeing this comparison, he couldn’t help but think: if Jia Lian’s birth mother were still alive, and the stepmother weren’t this temperament, would the result be completely different from now?

This made him think of his own situation, once again firming his resolve not to remarry.

Then he opened his second brother-in-law’s letter.

The letter’s contents were within his expectations.

He indeed didn’t know.

Thinking of that infant son who died young, Lin Ruhai’s heart ached. Even Min’er’s passing was inseparable from the severe loss of vitality from that childbirth.

Since his mother-in-law didn’t mention it, so be it. Let him be the villain.

Given his second brother-in-law’s temperament, in the future he would presumably be too ashamed to bring up this matter.