Has the Lu family arrived in Dingzhou?

Old Lady Ling was surprised and delighted, and Huo Di stood up: “Quick, quick, let someone prepare a carriage to pick them up.”

“Mother-in-law is happy, did she forget that there is a carriage waiting at the pier?” Madam Li smiled and took the call.

Old Lady Ling laughed dumbly: “Look at me, I’m so happy and confused, I forgot about it.”

Seeing that Madam Li was stealing the limelight, Madam Yue felt unwilling and immediately said with a smile: “The dock is far from our Ling residence. It’s half a day’s journey before the steward came back to deliver the letter, it seems that the carriage has already arrived halfway, maybe it will arrive in a while.”

Madam Wang also said with a smile: “The guest room is already ready. Before they arrive, let the maidservant and the children clean the guest room again. This daughter-in-law remembers that my xiǎo gūzi^[1]husband’s younger sister liked to clean the room the most before she got married.” 

The last sentence won the favor of Old Lady Ling.

Old Lady Ling glanced at Madam Wang approvingly: “It’s still you whose thoughts are most helpful. The fourth child has been in charge of the shop and farm for the past few years, and you have learned a lot from following the fourth.”

Madam Wang pursed her lips and smiled respectfully. She replied: “Thank you mother-in-law for your praise. The fourth master often said that it is a son’s duty to be able to share some trivial matters with his mother. If he knew that his mother praised him like this, he would be very happy.”

Madam Yue and Madam Li exchanged cold smirks in their hearts and, without prior agreement, glanced at Madam Wang simultaneously.

This Madam Wang Shi, who didn’t seem to talk much on ordinary days, was no weaker than the two of them in coaxing the old lady.

Madam Wang didn’t seem to notice the expressions of jealousy and hatred in Madam Yue and Madam Li’s eyes, so she vacuously supported Old Lady Ling’s arm: “The Lu family is almost here, mother-in-law might as well go back to the dormitory to rest for a while, change into new clothes, and then after freshening up, you will look more energetic.”

The Old Lady nodded happily.

Madam Li responded very quickly, and immediately supported the Old Lady’s other arm: “The fourth sister-in-law is right, the daughter-in-law will wait for the mother-in-law to rest.”.

Ling Jingshu looked at this familiar scene and sneered in her heart.

The Ling family had never been separated. Except for the main house that had been living in Luoyang, the capital, the rest of the three houses lived in the ancestral house.

The trivial matters in the house were distributed to the sons and daughters-in-law, but the keys to the warehouse were all in the hands of the Old Lady. In addition to the fixed monthly schedule of each room, if you want to buy more things or extra expenses, you must get the approval of Mrs. Ling.

Among the several daughters-in-law, the eldest daughter-in-law, Sun, was from a prestigious family, and the dowry was quite generous. With her husband living in Luoyang, her status was the highest. Both Yue and Wang were shu^[2]concubine-born daughters, while Li’s family was not well-known, and her dowry and private houses were not abundant. Naturally, she had to use all her powers to coax old Lady Ling into favor and fight for more benefits.

It was a pity that although old Lady Ling was old, she was not confused at all. She enjoyed the flattery and service of her daughters-in-law with peace of mind and never promised any benefits easily.

All in all, a few daughters-in-law wanted to fight for power with the old lady Ling, but it was still far from it!

Madam Yue withdrew her gaze angrily, just in time to meet Ling Jingshu’s insightful eyes.

Madam Yue was a little embarrassed by being seen through, but she refused to lose the restraint of being an elder and coughed and said: “Sister Shu, the Lu family is here today, and there must be a banquet in the evening. You are not in good shape, don’t stand for too long. It will hurt your vitality.”

Ling Jingxian smiled and said, “Cousin Shu, you go back to Qiushui Pavilion to rest first, and I will call you when they come.”

“I don’t need to trouble Cousin Xian.” Ling Jingshu said lightly, “I haven’t recovered yet. I won’t be coming out tonight for the reception banquet so as not to disturb the interest of the distinguished guests.”

Ling Jingxian’s eyes flashed quickly with a hint of joy, and she said, “Gūmǔ^[3]father’s sister is bringing our biǎo xiōngdì^[4]male cousins from a female line ​​from afar, how can you not attend this reception banquet? Grandma If she finds out, will definitely be unhappy. You should stick to it and show your face!”

Duplicity!

 Ling Jingshu twitched the corners of her lips: “If you lose your courtesy in front of the distinguished guests, don’t you lose your grandmother’s face. Besides, with Cousin Xian here, I’m afraid no one will notice if I don’t show up.”

I can’t afford this flattery.

These words were still from Ling Jingshu’s mouth who had always pressed her head.

A trace of complacency flashed across Ling Jingxian’s face, and she said with a hypocritical smile: “How can this happen? Shu tángmèi^[5]Shu is her name and tangmei means female cousin from her father’s side younger than me is the most outstanding of all táng jiěmèi^[6]all female cousins from male lines. If the family banquet is without you, it will be greatly eclipsed.”

Ling Jingshu was not in the mood to talk to her. After dealing with them, she greeted the pair of mother and daughter and then withdrew.

…

As soon as she returned to Qiushui Pavilion, Ling Xiao couldn’t wait to ask: “Ah Shu, gūmǔ’s family is visiting, why don’t you want to go out to see them?”

Bai Yu was also puzzled.

Although the young lady was weak, she still had the strength to show her face at the reception. The words just now were just excuses.

Ling Jingshu was silent for a moment and then said lightly: “Before I am completely healed, I won’t see them. It won’t be too late.”

In her previous life, their gūmǔ returned and lived with the Ling family for three months. She couldn’t stay away from her forever. However, she was not ready to face the Lu family.

In her current state, if she met the enemy of her previous life, she was afraid that her mood will become unstable and she won’t be able to control her emotions at all. Her outbursts and behavior will then cause suspicion.

Before Ling Xiao can ask, Ling Jingshu changed her tone of soft pleading: “Ah Xiao, if grandmother asks about me, can you say a few words for me? Otherwise, my grandmother will definitely be mad at me.

Ling Xiao immediately softened his heart and stopped asking questions. He nodded and assured: “Then you can rest well, and I will come to accompany you when you are free.”

The maid Jingyu who was standing by the side came over and carefully helped Ling Xiao to leave.

Bai Yu quietly stepped forward and said softly, “Miss, your body is not healed yet, have a rest! “

Since she was reluctant to go out on the grounds of being ill and weak, she simply did a full set of acting.

Ling Jingshu nodded.

…

Exactly at 3 PM, the Lu family finally arrived at Ling’s house.

“When gū nǎinǎi^[7]it means great aunt but in this context, I think it means the daughter of the family got married, the slave girl was just born. I have never seen gū nǎinǎi. However, I have heard many times about her from the house steward’s mother. The old lady gave birth to her daughter after forty and loved her like a pearl in her palm. It’s a pity that gū nǎinǎi married far away in Jizhou and never returned to her parent’s home for so many years. The old lady and the gū nǎinǎi, the mother and daughter reunited, not to mention how excited they were.”

The little maid Xuan Cao stood beside the bed and reported the news she had inquired brightly: “The slave did not dare to lean forward to take a closer look, but only peeked a few times from a distance. These are all I heard from other girls. “

“It was so exciting. The old lady and gū nǎinǎi cried and laughed, the fourth master and the fifth master shed tears, and several wives cried. The young masters and the young ladies also wiped away their tears and cried into a pot of porridge. “^[8]basically everyone was crying

Xuan Cao was only twelve years old, with a sharp tongue and a clever temperament, and usually does some errands of sending messages. She was entrusted with an “important task” today, and Xuan Cao was overjoyed and was extraordinarily diligent in running errands to find out the news.

Ling Jingshu sat on the bed, covered with a soft silk quilt, leaned against the thick pillow, and listened casually.

It was almost evening, and the candlestick had not yet been lit in the house, and the light was a little dim.

Ling Jingshu’s delicate and flawless face also seemed to be covered with a layer of veil, which was obviously close at hand, but also strangely strange and distant.

Bai Yu quietly looked at her master, thinking secretly in her heart.

After the lady woke up today, she seemed to be different from the past!

At the age of ten, she was sold into the Ling residence. She stood tremblingly with the other little girls, nervously unable to speak. The six-year-old lady selected her and gave her the name Baiyu.

From that moment on, her fate was closely linked to Miss.

The maids’ deeds were in the hands of the master, and it is common for them to be scolded and beaten when they encounter a master with a bad temper. The most fearful thing was that the master will betroth herself out at will, or be sold out of the house and be reduced to a place where she was pickled. As a slave, her fate was in the master’s mind.

The master and servant have been with each other for eight years, and the young lady treated her honestly and tolerantly. In her heart, she had long regarded Miss as the closest and most important person.

No matter what the young lady becomes, she will follow her faithfully as always.

Xuan Cao continued to say with great interest: “Later, the servants of the Lu family were busy carrying luggage and settling down, and gū nǎinǎi led the two young masters to Yonghe Hall. The slaves were too short, and I couldn’t see the young masters’ appearance even when I was on tiptoes. I only heard that there was a young master who was born with a face like a crown, jade, and like Pan Anjun^[9]a famous Chinese man known for his handsome face, beautiful and suave, but unfortunately, the slaves couldn’t see it with her own eyes…”

“Xuan Cao,” Ling Jing suddenly opened her mouth, interrupting her. She continued: “You did a good job. Now go to Yonghe Hall again. If you have any latest news, come back and report to me at any time.”

Xuan Cao was praised, and with great joy in her heart, she answered it crisply and withdrew excitedly.

The face was like jade and like Pan Anjun, a beautiful and suave cousin of the Lu family…Ling Jingshu tugged at the corner of her lips sarcastically.

Her lover with whom she fell in love at first sight in the previous life, and married the sweetheart who promised each other to be together for life!

No one was more familiar with his appearance than her!

She had thought that he would be her lifelong support and future. But the ruthless reality gave her a fatal blow.

After just two years of newly-married love and sweetness, he went to Luoyang for the imperial exam. After the good news of being the first-placed champion, she was so happy that she didn’t sleep for a few nights. She was talking to her two-month-old son: “Your father passed the exam and is going to stay in the capital to become an official. He will be back soon and pick up our mother and two to go to Luoyang together… “

However, in the following years, he never came back.

Handsome, talented, and young, he had won the favor of the most honorable princess in the country. He wanted to climb the dragon and the phoenix to enjoy wealth and honor, so he abandoned his wife and children who were longing for his return in far away Jizhou.

He threw her into the filthy Lu family and she died of humiliation and hatred…

Until the moment she closed her eyes full of resentment and pain, she never saw him again.