Why did Aunt seem a bit strange today?
Her posture was rather stiff, and there was a faint, peculiar uneasiness behind her smile…
Ling Jingshu mused privately, but on the surface smiled as though nothing were amiss. “My brother and I are both used to sleeping early and rising early. Coming to pay our respects to you has become a habit too — and we even get to scrounge a breakfast out of it!”
Sun Shi was amused, and her face brightened. “I can’t tell you how happy it makes me that you’re willing to keep me company over breakfast. It’s already been prepared — we’ll head to the dining hall once your cousin and his wife arrive.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than Ling Ji and Jiang Shi arrived.
Ling Ji hadn’t been home in a full half month.
Seeing her son come to pay his respects, Sun Shi felt a surge of joy and instinctively moved to stand. But the instant she shifted, the letter on the chair rustled… and she sat right back down again.
Everyone: “…”
What was the meaning of that gesture?
Ling Jingshu’s eyes were sharp, and in that brief instant she caught sight of something on the chair… it had to be a letter. Aunt must have been reading it before the two of them arrived, and not wanting them to notice, had hastily hidden it beneath herself on the chair.
Who had sent this letter? And why was Sun Shi being so secretive about it?
Thoughts flashing through her mind, Ling Jingshu had already guessed a fair part of it.
Ling Ji, puzzled, teased with a smile. “What’s the matter with you today, Mother? You’re sitting so stiffly — didn’t sleep well last night, and your back’s acting up again?”
Sun Shi coughed once and went along with what Ling Ji had said. “Yes, I didn’t sleep well last night, and my back’s been aching ever since I got up this morning.”
Jiang Shi spoke up at once. “Let me send for a doctor right away, Mother.”
“No need!” Sun Shi refused without a moment’s thought. “It’s nothing serious — a bit more rest today and I’ll be fine. There’s no need to call for a doctor.”
Seeing how unusually insistent Sun Shi was, Jiang Shi had no choice but to hold her tongue.
Sun Shi smiled again. “Since you’re all here now, why don’t you go ahead to the dining hall for breakfast?”
Ling Ji raised an eyebrow reflexively. “Aren’t you coming, Mother?”
In that momentary fluster earlier, of all the places she could have put the letter, she’d chosen the chair. If she stood up now, everything would be exposed!
Inwardly, Sun Shi groaned, though none of it showed on her face. She forced a smile. “My back’s still a little sore — I’ll sit here a while longer before coming. You all go on ahead, no need to wait for me.”
“Aunt, let me help you over there!” Ling Jingshu leaned in with a look of concern, making as if to help Sun Shi up.
Sun Shi dared not rise. She sat there as immovable as a boulder, saying over and over, “No need to help me up, I’ll just sit a bit longer myself. Besides, I should wait a little for A’Yan, too.”
Fortunately, Ling Jingyan was late to come every single day. If she were to show up right now, it would be a disaster!
Ling Jingshu didn’t back down, and went on with a beaming smile. “Cousin Yan does love to sleep in. There’s no telling when she’ll show up. How could the rest of us bear to leave you waiting here all alone, Aunt? Why don’t we all stay and wait with you?”
Sun Shi: “…”
Sun Shi suppressed the urge to grind her teeth and forced out a smile. “I appreciate the thoughtful gesture, truly. But we can’t have everyone go hungry just on account of A’Yan. Best you all go eat first!”
By this point, even Ling Xiao had begun to sense something was off.
Aunt was usually so easygoing — what on earth was going on with her today?
A flicker passed through Ling Jingshu’s eyes, and she pressed her lips into a smile. “It really is sweltering today — and so early in the morning, too. Aunt, you’ve already broken out in a sweat.”
Everyone looked, and sure enough, fine beads of sweat had appeared on Sun Shi’s forehead. But it was still so early — the sun hadn’t even fully risen yet. How could it be this hot already…
Jiang Shi, ever perceptive, guessed that Sun Shi must have some difficult-to-explain trouble of her own, and stepped in to smooth things over without a hint of fuss. “A’Shu, since Mother would like to rest alone for a while, why don’t we go wait in the dining hall first.”
As she spoke, she affectionately looped her arm through Ling Jingshu’s.
Ling Jingshu had never intended to push things to an open breach with Sun Shi — she had simply been teasing her on purpose. With Jiang Shi smoothing things over now, she was glad enough to go along with it, and agreed readily.
At last, they were all gone!
Sun Shi wiped the cold sweat from her brow with her sleeve and quickly stood, snatching up the letter from the chair.
“Hm? Mother, what’s that you’re holding?” Ling Jingyan’s voice rang out unexpectedly from behind her.
Sun Shi jumped in fright, and only when she turned and saw it was Ling Jingyan did her wildly pounding heart settle a little. “You little troublemaker, what do you mean shouting like that out of nowhere — you nearly scared me half to death.”
Ling Jingyan pursed her lips. “I haven’t done anything wrong — what’s there to be scared of?”
Sun Shi was momentarily at a loss for words.
Ling Jingyan’s gaze fell back to what was in her mother’s hand. “Mother, is that a letter from Dingzhou?”
Sun Shi denied it without a moment’s thought. “No, it isn’t!”
Ling Jingyan rolled her eyes. “It’s written right there on the envelope! I do know how to read!” If her mother was going to make up a lie, couldn’t she at least come up with a more convincing one?
Sun Shi: “…”
Caught out so directly, Sun Shi grew rather flustered and irritated. She set her face sternly. “Enough — don’t ask about things that aren’t yours to ask about. Just look at you, always the last one to come pay respects every morning, hardly behaving like a proper young lady at all. Once you’re married off, being this lazy and undisciplined — how could any mother-in-law possibly put up with it…”
On and on she scolded, sparing nothing.
Ling Jingyan’s head was practically spinning by the time it ended, and she begged for mercy again and again. “All right, Mother, if you don’t want to talk about the letter, I won’t ask. It’s too early in the morning for all this nagging. You may not get tired of saying it, but I’m tired just listening.”
Having her real motive seen through yet again, Sun Shi grew even more flustered and angry, and shot Ling Jingyan a glare. “Is that any way to talk to your own mother? Where have all your manners gone? All day long you only think about running off somewhere, getting wilder by the day…”
Ling Jingyan endured the scolding with a long, miserable face.
Where had Sun Shi gotten so much temper this early in the morning! And here she was, stuck taking the brunt of it.
Having scolded Ling Jingyan thoroughly, Sun Shi felt much of her own frustration and irritation dissipate. She handed the letter to her personal maid, instructing her to take it back to her bedroom, then turned to Ling Jingyan with a warning. “As for this letter — you are absolutely not to mention it in front of your eldest brother or A’Shu and the others later. Do you hear me?”
“Why can’t I mention it?” Ling Jingyan asked reflexively.
Sun Shi glared at her again. “I said you’re not to mention it, so you’re not to mention it — what’s all this asking why!”
Ling Jingyan shrank back, agreeing with a pained expression. Sure enough, throughout breakfast, she didn’t say a single word about it.
Only then did Sun Shi breathe a sigh of relief.
After breakfast, everyone sat chatting idly in the inner hall for a while.
A young servant from the gatehouse came running in to report. “Reporting to my lady, an attendant from Princess Changping’s mansion has come to deliver an invitation, and is waiting at the gate.”
Everyone was taken aback. Why was Princess Changping sending another invitation? She’d only just held a lotus-viewing banquet not long ago — was she hosting another gathering already?
Sun Shi dared not be careless, and hastily ordered, “Show the messenger in at once.”