Father and daughter had finished speaking of the main matter, and now had no idea what else to say. They looked at each other in wordless silence, and there was a somewhat inexplicable awkwardness.
Ling Wuye coughed once, breaking the silence: “A’Shu, you are fourteen this year, are you not?”
At this age, it was precisely the time for matchmaking discussions. The implied hint Ling Shi had dropped the other day was still fresh in his ears. Ling Wuye had turned the matter over quietly in his mind afterwards, and the more he considered it, the more it seemed like an excellent match.
Ling Jingshu could hear the implication in Ling Wuye’s words perfectly well, and responded at once: “Father, my heart is entirely devoted to curing A’Xiao’s illness at present. I truly have no mind for anything else. As for the matter of my future — let us wait until A’Xiao and I return from the capital before discussing it.”
Looking at the unperturbed and composed Ling Jingshu, a peculiar feeling stirred in Ling Wuye’s heart.
An unmarried young lady, upon the subject of marriage being raised, ought to be blushing and shy, reluctant to speak — ought she not? Ling Jingshu was far too composed and calm about this…
Ling Jingshu raised her eyes, a flicker of entreaty surfacing in their beautiful, bright depths: “This concerns the happiness of my entire life. Your daughter earnestly begs Father — no matter who brings up the subject of a match, please do not agree to anything lightly. Wait for me to return before making any decision.”
Although in matters of their children’s marriages parents’ word was law, caring parents would always ask after their children’s wishes before making a final decision. Ling Jingshu’s request did not sound unreasonable, and after a brief moment’s consideration, Ling Wuye nodded in agreement.
At this moment, Ling Wuye could not have imagined that when Ling Jingshu led Ling Xiao away from Dingzhou for the capital, she had already firmly resolved never to return.
Just as they were speaking, there came a knock at the door.
Ling Wuye had always disliked being disturbed in his study, and asked in a measured tone: “Who is it?”
Li Shi’s smiling voice sounded from outside: “My lord, it is your concubine and A’Fou.”
It was Li Shi and her son who had come.
The expression on Ling Wuye’s face instantly softened, and he instructed Ling Jingshu to go open the door.
When Li Shi saw that it was Ling Jingshu who opened the door, she did not appear at all surprised. She smiled and called out: “So Shu Jie’er is here too. Coming over like this without sending word.”
It was obvious that she had known Ling Jingshu was here, and had deliberately brought Ling Fou along to disrupt things. Over all these years, the estrangement and coldness that had grown between Ling Jingshu and Ling Wuye — Li Shi had contributed greatly to that.
Ling Jingshu pulled the corners of her mouth into a thin semblance of a smile and replied: “I wanted to have a private conversation with Father, so I came over quietly. I did not expect to have disturbed Mother after all.”
Li Shi choked on that for a moment, suppressing a surge of private irritation. However, in front of Ling Wuye, she would absolutely not allow herself to have an open falling-out with Ling Jingshu. This, too, was precisely what made Li Shi formidable.
Li Shi immediately changed the subject, turning to Ling Wuye with a smile: “Because of the Old Madam’s birthday, the family school has had seven days off. Yet A’Fou cannot bear to idle away even a single day — he was making a fuss since early this morning demanding to study. I thought, since my lord has nothing pressing at the household anyway, I might bring A’Fou over so that my lord could personally guide him in his reading and writing practice.”
Ling Fou was young, but had inherited Li Shi’s quick-wittedness and charming manner. He walked forward with an earnest solemnity, bowed his head respectfully to Ling Wuye, and said: “I ask Father to give me much guidance.”
A child of six, putting on the bearing of a grown adult like this — both endearing and utterly winsome. Moreover, Ling Fou was Ling Wuye’s youngest son, and men generally held their eldest sons to strict standards while tending to lavish their youngest with a measure of extra indulgence.
Ling Wuye laughed in spite of himself and agreed without a second thought.
A flash of delight and pride crossed Li Shi’s eyes, and she shot a deliberate — or perhaps not so deliberate — glance at Ling Jingshu.
What had it mattered that Ling Xiao was so clever back then? Now his eyes were gone and he was nothing more than a useless person. Even if Ling Wuye felt some measure of pity for Ling Xiao, the child he loved best was his youngest son.
Ling Jingshu silently scoffed inwardly.
Let Li Shi have her moment of triumph for now. It would not be long before she made Li Shi taste a suffering too wretched to endure.
Ling Shi had been spending much of her time in Yonghe Hall until now, but ever since Lu An arrived, she needed to tend to her husband’s daily needs, and the amount of time she spent in Yonghe Hall had diminished greatly. Even so, Old Madam Ling never lacked for company. Sons, daughters-in-law, grandsons, granddaughters-in-law, and granddaughters — one after another they vied to wait upon Old Madam Ling.
Today, Yue Shi had come along with Ling Jingxian.
Yue Shi, eyes reddened and wearing an expression of aggrieved suffering, poured out her complaints: “…Second Master brought back his concubine and his concubine-born son. Your daughter-in-law has not mistreated them in the slightest. Yet merely because she said a few words yesterday, Second Master became displeased and lost his temper at your daughter-in-law. Xian Jie’er, protective of her mother, exchanged a few words with Second Master, and in a fit of anger, Second Master actually struck Xian Jie’er. Poor Xian Jie’er had not seen her father for years, longing for his return day and night — and who could have expected this to be the scene that greeted her? Old Madam, you must uphold justice for us, mother and daughter…”
With that, she pressed a handkerchief to her face and began to weep.
Ling Jingxian’s eyes also reddened, and she choked out a call of “Grandmother.”
Looking closely, one could indeed make out a redness and swelling on her smooth, delicate face — enough to show that Ling Erye, in his fury, had used considerable force.
Old Madam Ling had no wish to involve herself in the affairs of a concubine-born son’s household.
Yue Shi had a jealous nature and a sharp, bitter tongue. Seeing Ling Erye return with a concubine and a concubine-born son, how could she not cause a scene? Had Ling Erye not been driven to a boiling rage, he would not have lost his temper to such a degree.
Nevertheless, the sight of Ling Jingxian — finger marks not yet faded on her face, streaked with tears — was genuinely pitiful.
Old Madam Ling sighed and offered comfort: “All right, the two of you stop your weeping. When Second comes tomorrow, I will say a few words to him. No matter how angry one may be, one should not take it out on Xian Jie’er. A young lady’s face is most tender — how could it withstand being struck with such force?”
Yue Shi wiped her tears with her handkerchief and expressed her thanks.
Ling Jingxian pleaded: “Grandmother, the reason Father is cold toward me and Mother is because we have spent so little time together. In a few days, Father will be leaving Dingzhou again. Please, Grandmother, allow Mother and me to go along with Father…”
“Hold your tongue!” Yue Shi hastily cut Ling Jingxian off: “What nonsense you speak. If we all went with your father, would we not fail in our filial duty to your grandmother? Say nothing of the sort ever again — absolutely not.”
Ling Jingxian, aggrieved, did not dare make another sound.
Yue Shi looked toward Old Madam Ling apologetically: “Xian Jie’er is still young. Her words are often lacking in propriety — please do not take offense, Mother.”
Old Madam Ling had lived for seventy years and had long since become a seasoned judge of people. How could she fail to see through this little scheme of Yue Shi and her daughter? She said blandly: “What Xian Jie’er says makes sense. Husband and wife residing in separate places is, after all, no sustainable arrangement. Tomorrow I will have a proper talk with Second, and have him take you two along to his posting.”
Yue Shi felt a surge of joy inwardly, but said with her mouth: “How could that possibly do? Second Master has been toiling away from home all this time. As your daughter-in-law, I ought to remain here in the old residence in Second Master’s stead and attend to you. If one were to speak of leaving, Second Master would be the first to object.”
Ling Jingxian again seized the moment to murmur softly: “Mother, didn’t First Aunt not stay in the old residence either?”
Her voice was not loud — just enough to reach Old Madam Ling’s ears.
Old Madam Ling felt a flicker of displeasure. Listening to the tone of this — it would be strange if they had not worked it all out beforehand. It seemed Yue Shi had harbored this intention for quite some time.
The audacity of Yue Shi to invite comparison with the First Branch.
First Master Ling was a proper official of the fourth rank who had spent many years in the capital, established a residence and settled himself there. His official duties kept him busy, and the social obligations of the various households inevitably required Sun Shi to represent their family in person.
Ling Siye was nothing more than a mere county magistrate — having a concubine to attend to him at his posting was perfectly sufficient. For Yue Shi, his legal wife, to remain at the old residence attending to her mother-in-law was the proper order of things.
If Yue Shi truly wished to leave, she could have said so plainly. Old Madam Ling might have been privately displeased, but she would not have stood in the way. Yue Shi, however, chose to resort to this sort of scheming and maneuvering — and that was enough to make one feel quite uncomfortable.
Old Madam Ling’s face fell, a note of cool displeasure seeping into her voice: “If you two, mother and daughter, wish to follow Second along, that is only human nature — I have no intention of standing in your way. But what is the purpose of dragging the First Branch into this? If such words were to get out, would people not think that this old woman had been treating your Second Branch harshly these past years?”
Old Madam Ling had managed the household for many years and carried no small authority. Though in ordinary times she presented herself as affable and kind, once she was truly angered, a whole line of sons and daughters-in-law would quake with apprehension at her lecture. Now, her expression severe and completely without warmth, Yue Shi and her daughter both felt their hearts quail.
Yue Shi and Ling Jingxian opened their mouths at exactly the same moment: “Mother (Grandmother), please do not be angry…”
Old Madam Ling had no patience to listen to the mother and daughter ramble on, and waved them off irritably: “I am rather tired. You two may withdraw.”
Yue Shi had no choice but to lead Ling Jingxian in taking her leave with reluctant steps. Before the two had even made it out of the inner hall, Mo Kui came in with a smile to report: “Reporting to Old Madam, the Ninth Young Miss is here and requests an audience.”
The “rather tired” Old Madam Ling immediately said: “Quickly let Shu Jie’er in.”
Yue Shi and her daughter: “…”