Now, let’s talk about the young ladies of the Lin family. After the lively events of the morning, everyone dispersed after lunch. Lin Dongqi kept Song Tanchai at Huifengzhai, which displeased Lin Dongxiu. She snorted and walked out, leaning on her maid Han Zhi’s arm. Just as she stepped out of the courtyard, she heard Lin Dongling calling from behind, “Wait for me, sister!” With that, Lin Dongling trotted over, linked arms with Lin Dongxiu, and nudged Han Zhi aside.
Lin Dongxiu glanced at Lin Dongling and sneered, “Why didn’t you stay? Huifengzhai is quite lively.”
Lin Dongling smiled sweetly. “How could I stand it there? That one puts on such a pretentious act, acting all prim and proper, pretending to be the epitome of a noble lady. I can’t stand her.”
“That one” clearly referred to Lin Dongqi. Lin Dongxiu had always been at odds with Lin Dongqi since childhood. Though she also looked down on Lin Dongling, she found her slightly more agreeable now and curled her lips. “So Third Sister has sharp eyes too. Even though we haven’t seen each other in years, you’ve figured out who’s loyal and who’s deceitful in just a few days.”
Lin Dongling lifted her chin proudly. “Of course! What demon or monster could escape my notice?” She then frowned. “Second Sister is just annoying to look at, but the truly detestable one is that Cao Lihuan. She’s barely even a distant relative, yet she clings to our family, refusing to leave. She acts all high and mighty, claiming she doesn’t take a monthly allowance from the Lins, but where does she get her food, clothes, and lodging? She’s always demanding this and that. And she thinks she’s superior, constantly bragging about how much she spends on this or that.”
“Exactly! She calls herself a renowned talented lady from Yuzhou, boasting about dozens of poems she’s written, even compiled into a collection.” Lin Dongxiu smirked coldly. “Has she ever looked at her own demeanor? Does she think wearing gold and silver, silk and satin makes her a noble lady? She’s nothing but a shrew, yet she fancies herself a beauty, always talking about how many talented suitors came to propose in Yuzhou. Pah! A proper maiden discussing such things—how shameless!”
Lin Dongling burst into laughter. “She’s full of nonsense, and the whole household knows it.”
The two of them chatted back and forth about Cao Lihuan, growing closer with each word. They only parted ways when they reached a fork in the path. After Lin Dongling left, Han Zhi stepped closer to Lin Dongxiu and whispered, watching Lin Dongling’s retreating figure, “What’s Third Young Lady up to? Why is she suddenly being so friendly?”
Lin Dongxiu snorted. “Unsolicited kindness is either deceit or theft. What good intentions could she have? She used to think that as Tanchai’s proper cousin, she could always have the upper hand. But she didn’t expect that little vixen Lin Dongqi to cling to Song Tanchai and keep her with just a few words. That’s why Lin Dongling came running to me, hoping I’d join her against outsiders. Does she really think I don’t see through her? The moment Song Lang arrived, her eyes turned green with envy.”
Han Zhi supported Lin Dongxiu as they walked slowly back. “Master Song is truly handsome, learned, and capable—a perfect match for our young lady. But Third Young Lady is his blood cousin, while we’re more distant. With that connection, it might be tricky. And we must also be wary of Second Young Lady.”Lin Dongxiu sneered coldly, "Second Sister crawled out from Taitai's belly. Taitai would never willingly let her marry into a declining family like the Songs. She's single-mindedly scheming to get her into some prestigious household. If she had any interest in the Song family, she would have already arranged the marriage long ago. Similarly, Second Aunt has the same mindset. I heard Second Uncle has his eye on the son of a colleague in the capital, a family with illustrious military achievements. Third Sister's little schemes will likely come to nothing. What's the Song family's current situation? Old Master Song is dead, leaving behind an orphaned son and a widowed mother who've separated from the main family to live independently. Even if Brother Song is diligent, he's still just a Licentiate. Even if he passes the provincial exams later and makes his name on the golden list, it would take at least ten years to revive the family's fortunes."
Han Zhi worriedly said, "Miss, then such a family..."
"Such a family is perfect for me. The Song household is simple, and Song Yima has a soft temperament. I wouldn't suffer any mistreatment after marrying in. As the saying goes, 'A starved camel is still bigger than a horse.' The Song family may seem in decline now, but they have plenty of hidden wealth—land deeds and properties, not to mention several shops in the capital. Brother Song is intelligent, diligent, and responsible. Such a man is a hundred times better than any young master from a noble family!" Lin Dongxiu grew more excited as she spoke, clenching her fists tightly. Thinking of Song Ke's elegant and handsome demeanor, her face flushed crimson.
Han Zhi said, "If that's the case, Miss should drop a hint to the master and mistress sooner rather than later. It's just a pity Concubine is so timid—otherwise, she could help you a little. How is it that you're already this age and still haven't settled your marriage?"
Lin Dongxiu patted Han Zhi's hand and sighed, "Exactly. Concubine was scared out of her wits by Taitai and now refuses to take any initiative. And I don't have a brother to support me either..."
Originally, the eldest daughter of the main branch, Lin Dongwan, and Second Master Lin Jinxuan were siblings born to the same mother, Concubine Yin, who had once been a senior maid serving by Lin Changzheng's side before being taken as a concubine. In the early years, Qin Shi was strong-willed and often quarreled with Lin Changzheng. Concubine Yin, gentle and attentive, shared a long-standing affection with Lin Changzheng, who thus favored her. However, Qin Shi was also clever. She gradually tempered her temperament, and with her influential family providing substantial support in Lin Changzheng's career, she deliberately curried favor with him. Master Lin came to believe that his wife's insight and broad-mindedness far surpassed those of concubines who only knew how to serve, and he grew warmer toward her.
Concubine Yin gradually fell out of favor, harboring resentment and secretly employing some tricks. While Qin Shi worked to consolidate her position by winning over Lin Changzheng, she also quietly suppressed Concubine Yin. After two or three thunderous strikes, Concubine Yin—who was fundamentally a meek person—was thoroughly intimidated and never dared to scheme again, becoming submissive in all matters. Later, Lin Changzheng's superior sent him a beautiful concubine surnamed Bao. Though Lin Changzheng doted on her for a while, the novelty soon wore off. Concubine Bao bore only one daughter, Lin Dongxiu, and became little more than a decorative fixture in the household. Lin Changzheng no longer paid her any attention, and by extension, he didn't care much for Lin Dongxiu either. On the contrary, five years ago, Qin Shi—like an old clam producing a pearl—gave birth to another son, named Lin Jinyuan. Lin Changzheng was overjoyed and grew even more affectionate and respectful toward Qin Shi.With a capable birth mother, children naturally have support. At this moment, Lin Dongqi had changed into a slightly worn indigo-blue silk dress and was sitting by the kang table on the daybed sketching floral patterns, while Song Tanchai sat on the other side embroidering a pouch. The two occasionally exchanged a few words. Tasha brought over a cup of hot tea and said, "Young ladies, why don't you both take a break?"
Lin Dongqi whispered, "I'm not tired yet," then motioned with her chin toward Tasha, "Go fetch the box of candies and pastries."
Tasha soon returned with it. Lin Dongqi pushed the rosewood inlaid eight-treasure box toward Song Tanchai and said, "These cream almonds and amber walnuts are freshly made. Try them, little sister."
Song Tanchai picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. Lin Dongqi took the pouch Song Tanchai was working on, examined it, and praised, "You truly have skillful hands, little sister. I wonder who’ll be fortunate enough to marry you someday."
Song Tanchai’s face flushed instantly, and she stammered, "Sister, what are you saying!"
Lin Dongqi smiled knowingly. "Why so shy? There are no outsiders here anyway. What kind of family would you like to marry into? I’ll mention it to Mother later and have her keep an eye out for you." Seeing Song Tanchai lower her head in silence, she probed further, "Speaking of which, your elder brother should marry first before you can consider marriage. Brother Song isn’t young anymore."
Song Tanchai replied, "Mother has been trying to arrange a match for him too. She’s looked at several families and found them all suitable, but Brother isn’t satisfied. He says he’ll only consider marriage after passing the Imperial Examination, claiming a true man can afford to wait a few more years to take a wife. Mother eventually gave up pressing him."
Lin Dongqi nodded with an approving smile. "Your brother’s reasoning is sound. After all, he has maids to attend to him—there’s no hurry to marry... Take my eldest brother, for example. Before his marriage, he had two Bedchamber Attendants serving him, and it worked out perfectly." She silently added in her mind, Though he dismissed them all before the wedding—none were kept.
Song Tanchai shook her head. "Originally, there was a maid named Hongxiu in Brother’s quarters who was different from the others. But she fell ill and passed away a year ago. Mother wanted to give him her own maid, Shanhu, but Brother refused. He only said that next year’s Imperial Examination is his priority, and all else must wait."
Having extracted the information she wanted, Lin Dongqi was satisfied and continued inquiring about other family matters of the Songs. The two conversed in question-and-answer for a long while.
After dinner, Song Tanchai strolled by the lake with her personal maid, Juanhua. Seeing no one around, Juanhua couldn’t help but complain, "Young lady, you really shouldn’t have shared so much about our family affairs with Miss Qi today—even discussing whether the Master has Bedchamber Attendants! These aren’t matters young ladies should gossip about, let alone with outsiders. What if word spreads and causes trouble?"
Song Tanchai rubbed her temples. "Don’t worry, I did it on purpose. Brother is talented and handsome—marrying a legitimate daughter of the Lin family wouldn’t be out of reach under normal circumstances. But with the Song family’s decline, it’s not so easy anymore. Brother often says the only amiable girl in the Lin family is the second young lady and encourages me to befriend her. From what I’ve observed, Sister Qi seems to have the same idea. By letting her know a little, it’s no great loss."
Juanhua nodded repeatedly, and the mistress and maid walked off together, their conversation ending there for now.Thank you LMG for the 588 Qidian coins and the 10 PK votes. I'm honestly overwhelmed by such generous support, and I really appreciate your encouraging comments too. This level of backing feels almost brutal~ hehe ^_^
Thank you GlobalSameChill for the rating votes, and HuaXiYueXi for the PK votes.
Also, big thanks to all the readers who left comments
I'm truly overjoyed~
By the way, I wanted to ask - are you guys using bookmarks to save the novel? The bookmark stats in my backend haven't moved in ages... If you're enjoying it, please do bookmark! I'm committed to daily updates! I promise it gets even better later on! And recommendation votes are always welcome too~
The next update will be slightly later, probably around 7-8pm tomorrow. Thanks for your support ^_^
OpenNovel