Ling family was a famous family in Dingzhou, and the genealogy can be traced back to ten generations. The ancestors of the Ling family once served as high-ranking officials of the second rank and invested in thousands of fertile fields and thousands of family wealth.

It was a pity that the children and grandchildren were not as good as the previous generation, and the family business was only half of the ancestors.

Grandpa Ling died early, leaving behind four sons and one daughter. First Master Ling and Fifth Master Ling were the di sons while the second Master Ling and the Fourth Master Ling were all shu sons.^[1]di–born to the main wife, shu born to the concubines

Eldest Master Ling passed the Jinshi examination and was now working in the Ministry of Industry.

Second Master Ling didn’t make many achievements in his studies, so he donated money to get a seventh-rank magistrate post and went to work abroad.

Third Master Ling died at an early age. Fourth Master Ling broke his leg when he was riding a horse when he was a teenager. Later, the leg bones were connected, but he suffered from the inconvenience of walking. He simply stopped reading and helped take care of the Ling family’s shop, and other businesses.

Fifth Master Ling was quite talented, but unfortunately, the luck was bad. After winning the Juren, he had not been able to make further progress for so many years. He became a romantic literati, drinking with friends, attending poetry meets, enjoying flowers, and painting all day long, and he was quite famous in Dingzhou city.

Old Lady Ling had been a widow, guarding the ancestral business of the Ling family, raising four sons and a daughter. Although her treatment of two shu sons was not as good as her own sons, it can be regarded as lenient.

In the Ling family, Old Lady Ling had a very high status. Needless to say, the sons were filial, several daughters-in-law were respectful in front of the Old Lady, and all the grandchildren were vying with each other to please her. Old Lady Ling valued Madam Sun, the wife of the Eldest room and her children, but she liked the twin siblings of the fifth room the most.

Ling Jingshu was beautiful, talented, considerate, gentle, and docile.

Ling Xiao was intelligent since childhood and was known as a child prodigy. After accidental blindness at the age of eight, he was even more pitiful and had been raised by the Old Lady Ling.

It is only natural that Old Lady Ling preferred these two siblings.

The ancestral residence of the Ling family had been inherited for more than a hundred years, and the carved beams and painted buildings revealed the mottled and vicissitudes of the years. Ling Jingshu stood outside the Yonghe Hall, looking at the familiar plants and trees, and there was no nostalgia in her heart, only sadness, and desolation.

In the first three years after she got married in her previous life, she had a close relationship with her family. At that time, except for the regret of her twin brother’s early death, she only felt that everything was going well and she was happy.

However, the so-called happiness was only an illusion.

When the ruthless wind and rain hit, the people around her tore off the masks of hypocrisy one by one, revealing their hideous faces. Together, they pushed her into the abyss of eternal doom…

A clear voice interrupted Ling Jingshu’s chaotic thoughts: “Slave greets Ninth Miss.”

Ling Jingshu raised her eyes.

This was Mo Kui, the maid next to the Old Lady.

Mo Kui was sixteen years old this year, fair-skinned and charming, with a slender figure, and her eyes curled when she smiled, which was quite important to Old Lady Ling: “The old lady has been thinking about Ninth Miss for the past two days, and I just heard that Ninth Miss is in good health. Come to say hello, the old lady will be very happy. Please go in with the servant girl.”

Ling Jingshu didn’t say a word, just nodded, took Ling Xiao’s hand, and stepped into Yonghe Hall.

Mo Kui was stunned for a moment, only to feel that today’s Ninth Miss seems to be a little different from the past.

Where was the difference, she couldn’t tell for a while.

Mo Kui calmed down, put this passing thought behind her head, and quickly chased after them.

……

As soon as she walked into the inner hall, she heard a charming and cute girl’s voice: “…Grandmother, there is still half a month before your seventieth birthday. Your granddaughter made it for you by herself. A forehead, if the needlework is not done well, grandmother don’t dislike it.”

Old Lady Ling’s laughter came: “Sister Xian did it by herself, there is no reason for not liking it.”

Ling Jingshu’s footsteps paused slightly.

There was still half a month before my grandmother’s 70th birthday… All the tragedies in her previous life started on this birthday. God let her be reborn at this time, just to let her open her eyes and choose again!

This time, she will never make the same mistake again!

Ling Xiao didn’t know why Ling Jingshu stopped, and asked in a low voice, “Ah Shu, what’s wrong with you?”

Ling Jingshu quickly came back to her senses, knowing that Ling Xiao couldn’t see it, she still squeezed out a nonchalant smile: ” It’s nothing, let’s go in and greet grandma.”

The first person to catch her eye was the Old Lady Ling who was sitting at the top.

Old Lady Ling was seventy years old, her hair was already grey, and the corners of her eyes were full of wrinkles, but her eyes were not clouded by her old age, and occasionally flashed a shrewd light.

Sitting on the left of the Old Lady was the second aunt, Madam Yue.

The girl in pink beside Madam Yue was about fifteen years old, with a pink face and peach cheeks, and her eyes were bright. It was the eighth cousin Ling Jingxian who had acted coquettishly to the Old Lady Ling just now.

On the other side of the Old Lady, was the fourth aunt, Madam Wang. Beside Madam Wang, also stood a young girl in her teenage years. She was born beautiful and quiet. It was her sixth cousin, Ling Jingwan.

Ling Jingshu’s gaze swept across the crowd quickly and landed on the face of the woman in the silver-red satin jacket.

She was about twenty-seven or eight years old, with slightly smaller eyes, a slightly wider mouth, and a small red mole on the corner of her lips. The facial features were not particularly beautiful when viewed separately, but together they have a different kind of charming style.

This woman was Ling Jingshu’s stepmother, Madam Li.

The moment that familiar face came into view, Ling Jingshu could hardly restrain her surging hatred and subconsciously clenched Ling Xiao’s hand tightly.

Ling Xiao was caught off guard, took a deep breath, and exclaimed in pain…

After waking up today, Ah Shu seemed a little weird.

I’d better keep quiet, lest my grandmother’s heart was unhappy.

…

Ling Jingshu quickly came to her senses, took a deep breath in her heart, then walked forward with a smile, and saluted Mrs. Ling: “Shu’er, greets grandma.”

After two days of high fever, the fever just subsided, and the voice was lower and hoarse than before, but still pleasant to the ear.

Old Lady Ling looked at Ling Jingshu, smiled, and waved at her: “Sister Shu, come to grandma’s place quickly, and let grandma take a good look at you.” 

The smile was as loving and gentle as usual.

As if she was still the grandmother who had always loved her.

But Ling Jingshu clearly remembered how cold and ruthless her face was when she was humiliated and desperate at her husband’s house and fled back to her parent’s house for help. …

In Old Lady Ling’s heart, the reputation of the Ling family’s family business will always be at the top of the list. Just a married granddaughter, how could she take her humiliation to heart?

Ling Jingshu’s fingertips were cold, but there was a respectful and submissive smile on her face, and she took Ling Xiao to walk in front of Old Lady Ling.

Old Lady Ling took Ling Jingshu’s hand, and her brows immediately wrinkled: “Why are your hands so cold, are you wearing fewer clothes?”

Ling Jingshu lowered her eyes and replied softly, “It’s Shu’er’s fault, and grandmother is worried.”

“Yes, cousin Shu has been ill for the past two days, and grandmother is anxious.” Ling Jingxian interjected with a smile, looking at the face of Ling Jingshu, who was slightly pale and thin but no less beautiful, she had a glint of jealousy in her eyes.

The fourteen-year-old Ling Jingshu not only had a beautiful face but also had superb skills in cultivating and planting famous peonies, which made all the cousins ​​look dim.

Old Lady Ling’s preference for Ling Jingshu was well known.

She put a lot of thought into coaxing her grandmother into a happy mood. But as soon as Ling Jingshu came, the grandmother’s eyes immediately only had Ling Jingshu.

Ling Jingshu smiled at Ling Jingxian: “With Jingxian as the favored one at the knees of our grandmother, she has no time to remember or worry about me.”

Ling Jingxian is only one year older than her. She was always competitive, competing with her everywhere, and even fell in love with the same man. It’s a pity that Ling Jingxian had a high-spirited heart and had never won a fight.

Old Lady Ling was relieved to hear the two granddaughters arguing with each other and said with a loud laugh, “Okay, both of you are in your grandmother’s heart, and I can’t do without one of you.” 

The daughters-in-law and granddaughters all laughed.

The children and grandchildren of the Ling family study at home during the day and even the youngest Ling Luo had been enlightened to read. On weekdays, there were only female relatives in the house, and the only male was Ling Xiao.

After Old Lady Ling asked Ling Jingshu a few words with concern, she looked at Ling Xiao again, and said lovingly, “Your sister Shu has been sick for the past two days, and you have been taking care of her without thinking about your tea and rice. Now that she is well, you should rest assured. Come on!”

Ling Xiao smiled shyly: “Yes, this grandson made the grandmother worry.”

Old Lady Ling smiled and said, “Grandmother is born to work hard, so worrying more is nothing. As long as you are all good your grandmother feels at ease.” 

All this love and pity were beyond words.

A trace of jealousy flashed in Madam Li’s eyes, but a smile appeared on her face: “”Mother-in-law is like a bodhisattva with a compassionate heart. All the children and grandchildren in our big family hope to receive her praise. Even as a daughter-in-law like me, I shamelessly hope for her favor!”

Old Madam Ling laughed happily at the witty words.

Among the four daughters-in-law, the eldest daughter-in-law, Sun, lived in the capital with the eldest son, and the remaining three daughters-in-law lived in the Ling family’s old house.

The second daughter-in-law Yue was shrewd and mean, and the fourth daughter-in-law Wang was flexible.

Madam Li’s family background was not high, and she was the second wife of Fifth Master Ling. However, she was the daughter-in-law of her own son. In Old Lady Ling’s heart, she had a little higher position than Yue and Wang.

Madam Li was eloquent, and she was deliberately coaxing the Old Lady. Soon, Old Lady Ling’s attention was diverted from the pair of sister and brother Ling Jingshu.

“Mother-in-law’s 70th birthday is coming soon. Dàbó’s^[2]husband’s older brother family must have left the capital more than half a month ago. If you count the days, they should arrive in Dingzhou in seven or eight days.”

Madam Li, knowing well the preferences of Old Lady Ling, carefully chose her words: “The Lu family is also making a special trip back from Jizhou. It’s been eight years since I married into the Ling family, and I have never had the chance to meet Xiǎogūzi^[3]husband’s younger sister! This time, I finally have the opportunity to get closer to her.”

Speaking of the young daughter who was married to Jizhou for many years and never returned to her parental home, Old Lady Ling’s eyes suddenly softened: “Yes, Ah Hui is married to Jizhou. In the past 12 years, only letters have been exchanged, and I haven’t seen her for a long time. If it was not my 70th birthday this year, I’m afraid she may not come back.”

With a smile, Madam Li immediately took over the words: “Taking advantage of this time, I have to make my Xiǎogūzi stay longer.”

Madam Yue and Madam Wang also smiled and agreed in unison.

Ling Jingshu’s expression did not change when she heard the word “Lu Family”, but her right hand tucked in the large sleeve robe tightened.

The fingernails were pinched into the palms of the hands, tingling.

The anger and hatred were like scorching lava, roaring and surging in her heart, almost rushing out of her chest.

At this moment, the concierge steward ran in with a happy face and reported: “Greetings, Old Lady, the steward waiting at the pier just sent a message back, that the boat gū nǎinǎi^[4]the meaning is great aunt, but in this context, I think it means the aunt of the family, i.e. the daughter of the family took has arrived at the pier.”