The next day, Yining fed Lin Hairu several bowls of nourishing soup. With daily supplements, Lin Hairu’s complexion gradually improved.
Luo Chengzhang visited Lin Hairu daily, but she refused to see him, making him increasingly anxious.
Meanwhile, Concubine Qiao heard Xuan’er crying every day. His knees were bruised from kneeling in the ancestral hall, and he cried out for his mother in pain. Heartbroken for her son, Concubine Qiao couldn’t eat or sleep, quickly becoming haggard.
When Concubine Qiao went to the study to see Luo Chengzhang, she wanted to bring Xuan’er back.
However, Luo Chengzhang coldly told her, “Xuan’er is no longer under your care. Whatever happens to him is none of your business.”
Concubine Qiao was devastated upon hearing this. She soon fell seriously ill, and Luo Yiliang tended to her for several days without rest.
When Luo Shengyuan heard about this, he merely said, “There’s a servant named Zhao attending to Sixth Sister. The other day, she sent a young maid to the flower hall. Beat her and drive her out of the mansion.”
After saying this, he dipped his brush in ink and continued writing.
The steward complied, and the next day, Zhao was dragged out of Luo Yiliang’s room, her cries never ceasing.
Zhao was Concubine Qiao’s confidante, helping her with many matters.
Luo Yiliang stood straight at the doorway, watching Zhao being dragged away. Zhao’s pleading gaze remained fixed on her, but what could she do? She simply turned her head away, refusing to look. After Zhao was dragged away, the maids in the room looked at Luo Yiliang strangely.
What use was a mistress who couldn’t even protect her servants?
When the ill Concubine Qiao heard that Zhao had been beaten half to death and dragged out, she sat up, gasping, “I’m not dead yet… Does Luo Shengyuan think I’m dead?”
Luo Yiliang held her thin, bony hands and said, “Mother, you can’t keep being sick…”
The next day, Concubine Qiao bravely got out of bed and went to pay respects to Lin Hairu, kneeling outside her door for an entire day.
As Yining passed by the main room, she saw Concubine Qiao kneeling obediently. She thought about how, more than a decade ago, she must have knelt like this, begging Minglan to let her enter the family. The only difference now was that she was no longer the delicate and charming young girl, and there was no longer a Gu Minglan for her to bully.
Yining walked straight into the main room without even glancing at her.
Lin Hairu refused to see her, but Concubine Qiao continued to kneel outside, weeping and pleading, “It was my fault for not teaching Xuan’er properly, causing harm to the madam! Please punish me, madam… Don’t forgive me!”
On the third day, Luo Chengzhang encountered Concubine Qiao. He stood under the corridor, hearing her laments, but didn’t approach her.
Only then did Yining softly tell Xuezhi beside her, “Let the servants help her inside.”
After seeing Lin Hairu that day, Concubine Qiao returned to her room. The maids in her room finally stopped looking at her coldly, and when she said something, people would do it.
Concubine Qiao sat on the large kang by the window, too angry to speak. Luo Yining… She had been in the Luo family for so many years, and even Gu Minglan hadn’t bullied her like this. Was Luo Yining born to settle Gu Minglan’s grudges?
No matter how angry she was, she knew the situation had changed. Looking at the familiar furnishings in her room and the now loose-fitting jacket she wore, her eyes revealed a sense of desolation.
Meanwhile, Yining found new ways every day to cheer up Lin Hairu. Lin Hairu’s face glowed, and her body became slightly fuller.
The newly married eldest sister-in-law was a gentlewoman. On her second day in the family, she brought many gifts to visit her aunt and especially left a recipe for nourishing the body from her wet nurse. Afterward, the eldest sister-in-law often came to visit, showing she was a kind-hearted person.
Three days after the eldest sister-in-law’s return visit, she brought a handsome young man, saying he was her younger brother. As soon as Luo Yixiu saw him, she couldn’t take her eyes off him, completely forgetting about Gu Jingming and focusing entirely on the eldest sister-in-law’s younger brother.
Yining watched this and sighed, thinking it was truly a case of human nature being drawn to food and sex. Young Miss Luo Yixiu indeed judged people by their appearance.
However, Luo Yixiu privately told her, “…I can tell that your cousin is quite cold. He doesn’t like me, and I don’t like him either! Besides, after that day, although your cousin didn’t say anything, he found that little maid and forced her to reveal who was behind it. It was unintentionally passed on to Second Uncle, who scolded Luo Yiliang until her face turned pale. That’s not all, I think your aunt probably won’t let Luo Yiliang off easily. I wonder how Luo Yiliang will get out of this…”
Yining curiously asked her, “Did Eldest Aunt tell you all this?”
Luo Yixiu proudly replied, “Of course, it was my mother. She told me not to think about Gu Jingming anymore.”
Chen Shi was not foolish. She could see Madam Gu’s intentions.
Madam Gu had been in the mansion for so many days without formally meeting her, clearly showing she had no intention of having any entanglement with the Luo family.
Moreover, after being schemed against by Luo Yiliang, Madam Gu probably wouldn’t want her son to marry a girl from the Luo family anymore.
Chen Shi could only sigh. Luo Yiliang was indeed audacious, as ruthless as her birth mother. Willing to sacrifice everything, daring to challenge even the emperor. But the Gu family was not to be trifled with; Old Master Gu had been an imperial tutor.
Yining was practicing fine brushwork under the guidance of Old Master Song when Lin Mao came to find her. He saw her bent over her desk. The sunlight from outside shone on her, illuminating her jade-like neck. She seemed to have become thinner due to her busy care for Lin Hairu, making her features even more ethereal and her complexion more captivating. Her profile seemed to have a layer of downy fuzz, making her appear even more delicate.
This girl was gradually growing up. Lin Mao suddenly wondered if anyone would covet her…
He felt a bit of a headache. After all, he was about to leave the Luo family. What if someone snatched her away?
Then her puppy-like pitiful expressions would only be for others to see, and her soft, pink cheeks would be pinched by someone else’s hands.
Yining turned to see him, just as she was finishing her work and bidding farewell to Old Master Song. She went with him to see Lin Hairu.
Seeing that Lin Mao seemed to be lost in thought, she waved her hand in front of him again: “Cousin Mao, have you been drinking again?”
“What drinking? I’m just looking at what you’re doing!” She was teasing him again! Lin Mao grabbed Yining’s hand. He felt how small it was, easily enveloped in his own. It was soft as if boneless, incredibly delicate. He was afraid he might accidentally hurt her…
Suddenly aware of the difference between a man and a girl, Lin Mao abruptly let go of her hand, feeling his palm sweaty.
Yining looked at his tall back figure in confusion… This couldn’t possibly be anger, could it?
The two arrived at the main room one after another.
Lin Hairu was making small shoes for the baby with Ruixiang. The shoe in her hand was only half a palm size, incredibly cute.
Yining held the baby’s shoe, suddenly remembering that in her previous life when she had just died, she had also thought about when she might have a child… She had gone to the temple to pray, also wishing for a child.
Yining smiled and said to Lin Hairu, “…Why don’t we make a shoe with a lotus pattern for the baby to play with?”
Lin Hairu looked towards Lin Mao.
Based on her understanding of her nephew, Lin Mao seemed a bit off. He stood far away from Yining, not getting close to her at all, his expression serious without any hint of playfulness. He even seemed a bit cautious. The tall young man standing next to the petite girl created an indescribable feeling.
She thought with a slight headache that in two years, she might see Lin Mao coming to propose marriage.
Lin Mao had come to bid her farewell. He said he was going to the capital with Gu Jingming, and told her not to worry about what they would do there. He had already written to his family, and they had agreed.
Lin Hairu knew her sister-in-law’s intention: as long as Lin Mao wasn’t causing trouble in Yangzhou, they didn’t care what he did outside.
Since he was going with Gu Jingming, he probably wouldn’t do anything too outrageous.
Thinking of this, Lin Hairu agreed and had the accountant give them three hundred taels of silver for travel expenses. Luo Shengyuan rushed back from Tongzhou to see them off, and fearing something might happen, he sent guards to escort them to the capital.
When Gu Jingming left, he gave Yining a painting. Lin Mao gave her a box of pills he had made himself. Yining looked at it, not knowing whether to laugh or cry and had Xuezhi put it away casually. It soon gathered dust on the shelf of treasures.
Seeing this box of pills, Luo Shengyuan told her, “Don’t underestimate your Cousin Mao’s useless pursuits. The pills he makes sell for a hundred taels of silver a box in Yangzhou, and that’s if he’s willing to sell them.”
Yining was surprised, but Luo Shengyuan said nothing more and left her study.
As midsummer arrived, the weather turned hot.
Luo Yiliang had been confined to her room for three months and was only now released. The first thing she did upon her release was to go see Xuan’er at Concubine Guo’s place. Although Luo Chengzhang was now more lenient towards Concubine Qiao, he still didn’t allow her to see Xuan’er.
Concubine Guo had a gentle nature and loved children. After being raised by her for three months, Xuan’er could now affectionately call her “Auntie.”
Luo Yiliang stood outside the door and heard Xuan’er say to Concubine Guo, “I want to eat yam cake for lunch, the one you made for me last time! With raisins on top.”
He tugged at Concubine Guo’s hand, acting spoiled, seeming to have completely forgotten about his birth mother and punished sister.
Luo Yiliang’s face turned pale upon seeing this, and she returned to Concubine Qiao with unsteady steps.
When Concubine Qiao heard her daughter’s words, she collapsed on the bed, weeping. She hadn’t been this heartbroken even when Xuan’er was first taken away from her.
Yining also heard about this incident. She was making a hat for her future brother or sister, with Nanny Xu guiding her needlework. Her courtyard was shaded with dense foliage, and although cicadas were chirping, it was quite cool.
Yining took a sip of sour plum soup and said, “It seems Concubine Guo is taking good care of Xuan’er. Let’s send two maids to Concubine Guo, in case she doesn’t have enough help.”
Xuezhi smiled and agreed, personally selecting two diligent and capable maids to send to Concubine Guo. The entire second household could see that the Seventh Young Miss was elevating Concubine Guo’s status. Those who had previously looked down on Concubine Guo’s household began to change their attitudes.
As usual, Songzhi went to Luo Shengyuan’s place in the evening, reporting everything Yining had done to him in detail.
This little girl has learned to use minimal effort for maximum effect… Luo Shengyuan put down his teacup and smiled, saying slowly, “Let her do what she wants. If there’s anything she can’t do, come find me.”
Walking on the road, Songzhi silently thought about how much the Third Young Master had done for the Seventh Young Miss. The other day, when the Seventh Young Miss had an argument with the Young Miss from the Song family, the Third Young Master went to see the eldest son of the Song family, and the next day the Young Miss apologized to the Seventh Young Miss. A few days before that, when the Seventh Young Miss said she wanted to eat mulberries, the Third Young Master had someone buy them from outside, and they were still fresh when they reached Baoding.
The Third Young Master truly doted on his sister. Over the years, he had grown increasingly handsome. The maids in the mansion all kept a close eye on Feng Xietang, considering it a great blessing if they could appear before the Third Young Master.
But for Yining, Luo Shengyuan was very busy every day, and she only saw him for a few days each month. When they did meet, he would sternly ask about her studies and test her knowledge. Among the Luo sisters taught by Old Master Song, Yining’s academic performance was outstanding, causing Luo Yixiu to look at her strangely every time.
After all, a few years ago, their levels had been about the same.
By August, Xuan’er no longer mentioned wanting to return to Concubine Qiao. The last time Concubine Qiao saw Xuan’er in the corridor, he hesitated for a moment before calling her “Auntie.” Although he was still happy, there was a hint of unfamiliarity in his tone.
Children forget quickly. Concubine Qiao was devastated but had to smile on the surface.
When Yining wrote about these things to her eldest sister Luo Yihui, she received a reply.
She was coming back with the young heir, Yuger, who was now three years old and chubby. Excited at the prospect of seeing her little nephew, Yining wrote back to her eldest sister: “…Mother misses you too! I also want to see how big Yuger has grown.”
Hearing this, Lin Hairu began to feel nervous again. She still felt a bit afraid whenever she thought of this legitimate eldest daughter.
On the day Luo Yihui returned, the second household made early preparations. Yining went to the screen wall to greet her eldest sister but saw two carriages, one behind the other. Luo Yihui got out of the front carriage carrying Xuan’er. After a long while, the curtain of the second carriage was finally lifted.
A young girl wearing a red jacket embroidered with gold thread and a gold necklace emerged. She wore several gold bracelets on her slender wrists, and the sea pearls inlaid in her gold necklace were as large as longan fruit, priceless. As servants helped her down from the carriage, the hand she placed on the servant’s was as slender as jade and incredibly fair. One look was enough to tell she was no ordinary person but must come from a noble family to have such an aura.
Luo Yihui smiled and told Yining, “This is Miss Mingzhu, the niece of the Duke of Ying. She’s come with me to Baoding for a visit.”
Yining looked at the young girl for a long time, suddenly feeling an indescribable sense of familiarity.
Zhao Mingzhu looked up with a smile, her voice crisp: “Are you Sister Hui’s younger sister?”
Although she didn’t say much, there was an inherent sense of superiority in her tone. She must have been pampered since childhood.
Luo Yihui whispered in Yining’s ear, “Miss Mingzhu’s cousin is Lord Cheng Lang. She grew up in the household of the Duke of Ying, where there were no girls. The Dowager Madam is very fond of her, and the Duke of Ying also dotes on her. Since Commander Lu and the Duke of Ying are very close friends, he adopted her as his goddaughter. We must not take her lightly. She found life at the Duke’s manor dull and insisted on coming with me.”
Yining felt a wave of confusion, rendering her speechless for quite some time.