Since Ling’s return, Yonghe Hall had become more lively than before.

Old Lady Ling was reluctant to part with her daughter, so she simply let Madam Ling live in Yonghe Hall. Brother Lu Hong and Lu Qian lived in the guest room and came to pay their respects every day. A group of daughters-in-law, grandsons, and granddaughters made an appointment every morning and evening, and even Fourth Master Ling and Fifth Master Ling also showed up.

Although the main hall of Yonghe Hall was spacious, it seemed crowded with so many people staying inside.

The elders sat and talked, and the younger generations had no place to sit, so they stood together and talked quietly.

Ling Jingshu habitually stood beside Ling Xiao, and asked in a low voice, “Ah Xiao, where did you go yesterday? Why haven’t I seen you all day?”

Ling Xiao always came to Qiushui Pavilion several times a day. But yesterday he was missing.

Ling Xiao replied with a smile: “The elder brother took the third younger brother to the home school. Seeing that I was free, he asked me to listen in.” After a pause, he sighed again: “However, there are many things that I can’t listen to or understand.”

There was a look of disappointment on his handsome face.

After becoming blind, you can no longer read and practice calligraphy. This was Ling Xiao’s biggest regret.

The servants around Ling Xiao were literate and often read to him. However, no one explained the meaning of the scriptures to him, and he was half-knowledgeable and vague. When he went to home school, most of what was being taught, he didn’t understand.

Ling Jingshu felt sore, took Ling Xiao’s hand, and comforted her softly, “Ah Xiao, if you like reading, nothing is stopping you from pursuing it.”

“Ah Shu, don’t comfort me.” Ling Xiao muttered listlessly: “I can’t see, so where can I still read?”

Ling Jingshu said with a smile: “There is a servant next to you who reads to you every day. If you don’t understand something, you can ask your father, or you can ask some of your cousins. Or ask father for a young boy to go to home school to study for you every day, and tell you what he has learned in detail.”

In addition to the inconvenience of practising calligraphy, it was not much worse.

Ling Xiao’s face lit up, and she subconsciously clenched Ling Jingshu’s hand, his voice was full of joy and surprise: “Ah Shu, how could you come up with such a good idea!”

Seeing Ling Xiao’s joy, Ling Jingshu also felt relieved in her heart: ” I’ve been thinking about this for the past few days. Ah Xiao, you like to read, just try to read it, don’t let it go to waste. Let our father see your hard work.”

She had other plans in her mind, but, there were so many people at that time, it was inconvenient to talk to Ling Xiao in detail.

Ling Xiao’s nature is simple, he can’t hide what’s on his mind, and almost all the joy in his heart was on his face.

“Second brother, what are you and your sister talking about so happy here?”

A clear boy’s voice rang in their ears.

Ling Xiao’s hearing was extremely sensitive, and he “saw” the person accurately, and called out to big brother.

Ling Jingshu smiled slightly and looked up.

The fifteen-year-old boy was dressed in an apricot-coloured brocade robe, handsome and vigorous, with a smile on his face, looking at Ling Jingshu and his brother with kind eyes.

This young man was none other than their elder shu brother Ling Ting!

…

Ling Ting’s biological mother, Aunt Xia, was born Xia He.

Xia He had a pretty face and a beautiful appearance. She had served Ling Wuye since she was a child, and he had a lot of affection for her. Later, she became Ling Wuye’s housemaid. Not long after Yao’s marriage, Xia He became pregnant.

Yao’s heart was naturally depressed, but she was a new bride after all, and she had not established a firm foothold in her husband’s house. So it was inconvenient to do anything to a servant girl. A few months later, Madam Yao was also pregnant, so she concentrated on raising the baby and had no time to bother with the pregnant Xia He.

After giving birth to Ling Ting, Xia He naturally became Aunt Xia.

Fortunately, in less than half a year, Madam Yao gave birth to a pair of dragon and phoenix twins, and the depression and grievance in her heart were instantly swept away. Even if Aunt Xia was favored, she can’t shake Yao’s status.

It was a pity that Yao’s life was unlucky. When Ling Jingshu and her brother were five years old, she had a serious illness and passed away. A year later, Ling Wuye married the Madam Li.

Li’s father was only a sixth-rank official and his background was not as good as that of Yao’s. In terms of appearance and talent, she was far behind. However, Madam Li was quick-witted and cunning, and while being courteous and ingratiating, she won over Aunt Xia who was favored, and quickly gained a firm foothold in the inner house.

Two years later, Madam Li became pregnant and handed over all the chores in the yard to Aunt Xia.

It was also in this year that Ling Xiao, who was exceptionally talented and intelligent, fell by the rockery and hit his head heavily on the rockery, bleeding profusely. Afterwards, he was blinded and could never see again.

The old lady Ling was so furious that she questioned all the servants who were nearby that day, but she couldn’t find any clues, so she had no choice but to give up.

Fifth Master Ling felt sorry for his beloved son, and all his anger was directed at Aunt Xia who was in charge of the yard. After being angry, he ordered someone to lock up Aunt Xia, and never set foot in Aunt Xia’s house again.

Aunt Xia couldn’t survive for more than two years and died of depression because of a lingering illness.

On the surface, Madam Li, who was pregnant, had nothing to do with all of this. Aunt Xia was placed under house arrest on orders of the master.

After she was placed under house arrest, Madam Li even begged in favor of Aunt Xia’s, and she got a reputation for being a good person.

After giving birth to her son Ling Yu, Madam Li finally gained a firm foothold in the Ling Mansion.

There were three sons and one daughter in the fifth household. Ling Ting was concubine-born, and his biological mother was detested by Fifth Master Ling. So his status in the mansion was not high. Ling Xiao was born to the main wife but became a useless person because of blindness. Although Ling Jingshu was beautiful and outstanding and loved by the old lady, after all, she was a daughter and was going to be married away.

In this way, Ling Yu, who was the youngest, had the highest status in the fifth household and was also the most favored by Fifth Master Ling.

From now on, no one in the fifth household can become a threat to Madam Li.

A few years later, Ling Jingshu married into Lu’s family, and Ling Xiao “died unexpectedly of illness” before getting married. Li’s thorns in her flesh and nails were finally removed, and she felt so relieved.

…

Because of an accident that year, Ling Xiao lost his eyesight, and Aunt Xia fell out of favor and lost her life.

Ling Ting didn’t say anything, but it was impossible for him to have no grudges in his heart. He maintains a superficial politeness with Ling Jingshu and his siblings, they don’t have much contact with each other on weekdays, and they were not close.

No one knew that all of this was caused by Madam Li secretly. By killing two birds with one stone, she not only maimed Ling Xiao but also got rid of the favored Aunt Xia.

Ling Jingshu always had feelings for Ling Ting. But now she already knew the truth of what happened back then, and when she looked at Ling Ting again, she no longer had the resentment and indifference of the past but instead had a little more compassion.

“…Brother, Ah Shu thought of a way for me just now. Ask the boy next to me to go to the home school for me to study every day, and then explain it to me in detail when he comes back.” Ling Xiao was full of enthusiasm as he told Ling Ting confidently: “In this way, I can continue to study.”

Ling Ting’s eyes flashed, and he smiled: “This method is really good. You can’t see, so it’s inconvenient to go to home school every day to study. Let the boy explain it to you. It’s a good idea for you to run around. Although you can’t practice calligraphy, and you can’t take scientific exams, it’s always good to read more books.”

Ling Xiao was originally full of joy, but when he heard the last two sentences, the smile on his face suddenly dimmed a bit.

Yes, no matter how many books he reads, so what. A blind man who can’t write; was not qualified to take the scientific examination, let alone enter an official career…he can’t even do ordinary things. He can only be a useless person raised in the inner house!

“Reading can help people distinguish right from wrong,” Ling Jingshu’s smiling voice rang in Ling Xiao’s ears: “Reading more is always beneficial. As for what you can do in the future, it’s a matter of the future, so there’s no need to think about it now .”

As she spoke, she glanced at Ling Ting calmly.

There was a bit of coldness in the usually gentle and peaceful eyes.

Ling Ting’s heart shuddered, and he subconsciously stopped talking.

Ling Jingshu coaxed Ling Xiao with a smile again: “Ah Xiao, how about I accompany you to find our father later?”

After Ling Xiao became blind, he stayed in the mansion all day and rarely had contact with outsiders. Beneath the calmness of a teenager, there was still a child’s temper. A little depressed, he was coaxed by Ling Jingshu softly, and soon became happy again: “Okay, I will listen to you.”

…

Lu Hong stood beside Ling. When the elders spoke, Lu Hong was absent-minded and couldn’t listen at all. From time to time, his eyes fell on Ling Jingshu who was not far away.

He didn’t know what Ling Jingshu was saying to Ling Xiao, but there was a gentle smile on her face, and her eyes were even softer like spring water, which made people’s hearts flutter…

It was a pity that such a gentle smile is only for Ling Xiao. When her eyes moved away from Ling Xiao’s body, she immediately became cold.

Thinking of the previous bump into a wall, Lu Hong felt even more frustrated.

Lu Hong, who was immersed in his own thoughts, did not notice that Lu Qian beside him was staring at Ling Jingshu just like him.

The eyes were focused and complex, containing secret joy and anxiety.

The two brothers were both restless and in a trance, and didn’t pay attention to what Ling was saying.

“Ah Hong, Ah Qian,” Madam Ling yelled, but no one answered, she couldn’t help but frown, and raised her voice a little: “What are you two thinking, why don’t you answer when I ask you?” The loud voice immediately attracted everyone’s attention.

Lu Hong blushed slightly, and quickly calmed down: “I don’t know what orders Mother has?”

Ling said with a smile: “We set off early that day and arrived in Dingzhou first. The master was busy with work, so he agreed with me at the time that he could come some days after we left. I guess he should arrive in two days. You two have nothing to do in the house, so pay more attention to the news from the pier. Then go to the pier to pick up your father.”

Lu Hong agreed without thinking.

Lu Qian also responded and quickly raised his head to look at Ling Jingshu.

Ling Jingshu’s pretty face became stiff and pale in an instant, and her body trembled slightly. She didn’t want others to notice her strangeness, so she quickly lowered her eyelids, hiding all the pain and resentment in her eyes.

Everyone was listening to Ling’s words. No one noticed Ling Jingshu’s strange reaction, only Lu Qian could see it clearly.

Shock and understanding flashed across Lu Qian’s eyes. Endless pain and helplessness surged endlessly in his heart as if about to break through his thin chest.