Tong Nanyuan told the old lady everything that happened on the road.
"I heard Aunt Zhao was trying to sow discord and deliberately destroy the sisterhood between us and Nanxia. I went up to argue with her, and she even broke the jade pendant that you, my grandmother, gave me! This is a big deal, she must be severely punished!"
Tong Nanyuan took out the broken jade pendant, and Aunt Zhao beside her knelt down with a plop, "Old lady, it's unfair!"
"You old rascal, how did I ever wrong you?"
"I really didn't sow discord. I was teaching Nanxia on the way. Nanxia has always been stupid. When she heard that we suddenly changed the place to eat and didn't inform her, she was unhappy. I reminded her that she was a concubine's daughter and shouldn't think too much, which affected her relationship with her elder sister and cousin. Miss San misunderstood and thought I was sowing discord. It was really unfair!"
"You are really good at refutation!" Tong Nanyuan was so angry that she laughed, "Don't you scold Nanxia often? Everyone knows that you always belittle Nanxia! Can this be regarded as your teaching?"
"After all, I am Nanxia's biological mother, how could I harm her!"
"What about my jade pendant? You broke it!"
"Please be fair, old lady. It was really not me who broke the jade pendant! The third young lady was pulling me at that time, and maybe she accidentally dropped it while pulling me..." Aunt Zhao's eyes were evasive.
She could only scold Tong Nanxia a few harsh words at most, but breaking Tong Nanyuan's jade pendant was indeed a big deal, and she could not compensate for even one jade pendant.
Tong Nanyuan saw that she pushed everything away, "Aunt Zhao, I'm too lazy to talk to you anymore, I'll ask Nanxia to talk!"
She turned her head and looked at Tong Nanxia, "Nanxia, just tell me everything your mother just said! My great-grandmother and I are here, and we will definitely give you justice today. Let's see how your aunt bullies you in the future!"
Tong Nanyuan was confident of victory, and Tong Nanxia didn't need to say anything else. She only needed to repeat what her mother said today, and she would be able to deal with Aunt Zhao and vent Tong Nanxia's anger.
As she looked at Aunt Zhao, she heard a thump beside her and Tong Nanxia knelt down.
"Grandma, it was Third Sister who misunderstood."
Tong Nanyuan: "!"
Tong Nanyuan looked at Tong Nanxia who was kneeling beside Aunt Zhao in astonishment, only to hear her continue, "Aunt didn't sow discord. It was just what Aunt Zhao said, educating me and telling me not to think too much."
"Third sister didn't hear the whole thing. She suddenly showed up and mistakenly thought it was Auntie who instigated her. And the jade pendant of Third sister... was actually dropped by her by accident."
After hearing the first half, Tong Nanyuan reluctantly admitted it, because she knew Tong Nanxia was a soft-hearted person who would always take the blame herself, but the second half of the jade pendant...
Tong Nanyuan suddenly felt a tightness in her chest.
She was the one who stood up for her the whole time, just to prevent her from being scolded by her mother, but in the end it was all her fault!
In order to exonerate her mother, she even talked nonsense and put the blame on her!
At this moment, she was extremely annoyed and felt like she was bitten by the snake.
"Tong Nanxia! I'm helping you!" she said angrily.
Tong Nanxia turned her head and glanced at her, "Third sister, I know you are helping me, but you can't wrongly accuse Auntie. She really didn't mean that, and your jade pendant was broken by accident."
The moment she heard this, Tong Nanyuan felt like a joke.
"Tong Nanyuan, you have the guts to swear! Swear that every word you said is true!"
Tong Nanxia's eyes flashed with complexity, and she stretched out her hand to swear, "Okay, I swear, I, Tong Nanxia, promise that what I said is true. If it is not true, let me, Tong Nanxia, be cut into pieces, and after death..."
"Bah! It's a great day, why are you saying such unlucky things!" The old lady Lin in the upper room looked gloomy and quickly stopped Tong Nanxia, "Nanyuan, what are you doing again!"
Hearing the accusation, Tong Nanyuan felt extremely aggrieved.
She looked at Tong Nanxia, who was lying on the ground with a serious face, for a long time, and ran away clutching the broken jade pendant.
"Nanyuan! Tong Nanyuan!" Old Mrs. Lin called.
"Grandma, I'm going to go see Nan Yuan." Lu Lingjun stood up.
Old Mrs. Lin had a worried look on her face. "I spoiled that child. She is not as sensible as Nanxia."
Lu Lingyun: "..."
Lu Lingjun arrived at Tong Nanyuan's room, where she was sulking.
Lu Lingjun pushed the door open and sat next to her. "So, I won, right?"
When Tong Nanyuan heard this, she was filled with anger. "How could that Tong Nanxia be such a person! I stood up for her, but she bit me back!"
"I will never help her again! Just let her be scolded by her mother!"
"She deserves it. She's such a bitch!"
"Now I understand why no one in the mansion bothers to care about her. My mother asked her several times if she was doing well, but she just said she was fine and then she didn't care. People like her don't deserve to be cared for!"
Lu Lingjun listened quietly at the side, asking Tong Nanyuan to vent the anger in her heart.
She knew what kind of person Tong Nanxia was, so when her mother scolded her, she said nothing.
She is indeed pitiful, but not every pitiful person deserves to be saved.
In her previous life, she was a coward and was forced to death by her mother, but she did not dare to resist.
Whoever comes in contact with such a person will be in trouble.
Tong Nanyuan finished her mumbling, and Lu Lingjun touched her head with a faint smile, "Everyone has their own destiny. If they don't fight for it themselves, it's useless for others to fight for them."
Tong Nanyuan listened to Lu Lingjun's words, thought for a long time, and nodded, "Cousin, you are right."
Tong Nanyuan let go of her desire to help others.
The next day, she was eating, drinking and chatting in Lu Lingyun's yard. Tong Nanxia came. She looked at her and immediately made an excuse that she was not feeling well and wanted to rest.
Tong Nanxia looked at Tong Nanyuan, who didn't even look at her, and couldn't help but lower her head.
In the Tong family, on weekdays, only Tong Nanyuan would occasionally play with her and say a few words to her.
In the afternoon, when Tong Nanyuan was leading people to visit the garden in the Marquis' Mansion, Tong Nanxia came over.
"Third sister."
Hearing her voice, Tong Nanyuan rolled his eyes and quickened his pace.
Tong Nanxia stepped in front of her and said, "Third sister, are you still angry with me?"
"Oh, how dare I? I just know that good people don't always get good rewards. Helping some people is like helping a dog!"
Tong Nanyuan's words were like big slaps in Tong Nanxia's face.
Tong Nanxia's pretty face instantly turned red with embarrassment. She lowered her head fiercely, with tears of grievance and hurt in her eyes.
Tong Nanyuan felt disgusted when she saw her expression. "You don't have to act in front of me. I will never believe you again!"
She walked forward with big strides, and then Tong Nanxia's voice sounded behind her.
"From the beginning to the end, I didn't ask you to help me. You took the initiative to help me! How can you blame me for everything!"
Tong Nanxia's words made Tong Nanyuan angry. What did she mean by putting all the responsibilities on her? !
What's even more infuriating is her attitude.
Where does she get the confidence and justification to question her and put the blame on her?
"Who is the one who is scolded by your aunt every day? Who is the one who is bullied by her every day? Even when you pretended to be sick, she would rather choose to serve others than care about you!"
"You let her get so bullied that she dared not say a word, and now you're saying that I helped you get guilty. Tong Nanxia, you're so shameless!"
Tong Nanxia's face flushed red, "I, I, Third Sister, that's not what I meant just now. I appreciate your help."
"Come on! Your gratitude is that I stood up for you, and you lied in front of everyone and then you bite me back!"
Tong Nanxia raised her head and said, "Third sister, that's my mother, what are you going to do?!"
This made Tong Nanyuan so angry that she was fuming.
She had no idea that someone could be so shameless and asked her what to do!
At this moment, she once again felt that she was really like a joke. Getting involved in the affairs of such a person was like stepping on a pile of stinky dog shit. It made her feel sick!
"What should I do? Did I ask you to lie? I helped you yesterday. I admit that I was a slut. But you clearly saw that the jade pendant was broken by your mother, and you lied! You even swore in front of my grandmother. How can you have the nerve to say such things to me! Where do you get the confidence from? Tell me!"
"Do I owe you?"
Tong Nanxia lowered her head completely after listening to the questions.
Tong Nanyuan saw that she was helpless and aggrieved again, pitiful and hateful, and a cold smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, "You deserve to be scolded by your aunt! You are born lowly! Helping you is really a waste of dog shit, you are a piece of mud that can't be helped!"
Tong Nanyuan scolded Tong Nanxia harshly, and she even started crying.
Seeing that she was about to cry, Tong Nanyuan turned around with a gloomy look and left.
Tong Nanxia stood there, staring at Tong Nanyuan as she walked away, twisting a handkerchief in her hands, tears falling from her eyes.
She knew that she seemed to have hurt Tong Nanyuan's heart last night, but Aunt Zhao was her biological mother, what could she do!
Why does everyone bully her? Don't they know how difficult her situation is?
Her tears were getting more and more. She looked for a handkerchief to wipe them away. The handkerchief fell to the ground. Just as she was about to pick it up, a male voice sounded in front of her, "Stop crying."
Her handkerchief was picked up and handed to her. When Tong Nanxia raised her head, she met a pair of sharp and energetic eyes like Leng Hui.
"Wipe it off."
After the man finished speaking, he returned the handkerchief to Tong Nanxia and turned away.
Tong Nanxia clutched the handkerchief in her hand and looked up at the tall figure disappearing in front of her.
Tong Nanyuan returned to Lu Lingyun's yard, sat down, and became angrier the more she thought about it.
"Cousin, that Tong Nanxia really pissed me off!"
"How did she recruit you again?" Lu Lingjun looked at her with a smile.
"She just had the nerve to come and talk to me," Tong Nanyuan was so angry that she kept drinking tea. "I was so angry that I scolded her, but she turned around and asked me what she should do? Her tone at that time was so irritating that I almost died. She was so righteous. I had never seen her so righteous when her aunt bullied her. I helped her, but she dared to question me like this. How could there be such a person in this world!"
Lu Lingjun smiled faintly, "There are many people like this."
There are too many people like this in this world. They are used to being bullied and dare not resist those who bully them. Instead, they dare to yell at those who help them, question them, and even bite back.
On the one hand, it is pitiful, on the other hand, it is hateful.
"I said she was shameless, vile, hateful and disgusting!"
At this time, a voice sounded outside the courtyard, "Madam, the Second Master is here."
"Second uncle is here, please let him in." Lu Lingjun was quite surprised to hear Cheng Qi coming.
Cheng Qi strode into the yard, "Sister-in-law."
Tong Nanyuan on the side looked at the person who came in curiously.
"Nanyuan, this is Yun Shuo's cousin, my second uncle, Cheng Qi." Lu Lingjun introduced the two, "Second uncle, this is my cousin, Tong Nanyuan."
Tong Nanyuan was introduced and bowed to him, "Second Master."
Cheng Qi just glanced at her indifferently, nodded reluctantly, and didn't even bother to respond. He turned to look at Lu Lingjun, "Sister-in-law."
Tong Nanyuan felt bored by his cold attitude, so she sat down and didn't bother to pay attention to him.
"What's the matter, uncle?"
The Marquis's Mansion is very large, and Cheng Qi usually doesn't go into the inner courtyard. Usually, there is nothing going on, and everyone only meets during the holidays.
He came here on his own initiative, so there must be something going on.
Cheng Qi was troubled for a moment, then said, "I want to ask my sister-in-law to call Shao Jing back to live with us."
"oh?"
"The Taoist temple on that mountain is a mixed crowd, with many people coming and going every day, including male guests. I feel it is not safe for a girl like Shao Jing to live there." Cheng Qi said bluntly.
The last time Lu Lingjun took him to the East Courtyard, he learned that Qin Shaojing had moved to the mountains without telling him, and he was depressed for several days.
But after a few days, he could no longer sit still and secretly went to the mountain several times. He found that the mountain temple was very lively.
Many people come and go every day, including male guests!
Although he had inquired and found out that male guests were not allowed to stay overnight in the mountain temple, there were so many male guests coming in and out during the day. What if Qin Shaojing bumped into them?
It's not good for her reputation either.
Cheng Qi was so worried that he couldn't sleep for several nights. Finally, he mustered up the courage to find Lu Lingjun and asked her to bring Qin Shaojing back.
Seeing Cheng Qi's anxious look, Lu Lingjun said calmly, "Shao Jing knows when to act and when to retreat. Master Miaoyin is still her worshiper. She has moved to the mountain temple, so she has naturally arranged everything. If you are worried, I will send some more servants."
"We can't send enough servants. Shao Jing is just a teenage girl, so naive. How can she understand the dangers outside? There are bad guys mixed in there, she can't tell them!"
Lu Lingyun: "..."
I don't know who is the bad guy and who is the innocent one.
Sure enough, this person is always innocent in the eyes of the person he likes.
Lu Lingyun was too lazy to argue with him, "Second Uncle, you are right. I will go there in the next two days and talk to Shao Jing."
Hearing this, Cheng Qi breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you for troubling me, sister-in-law."
Cheng Qi was about to leave after he finished speaking. Before leaving, he glanced at Tong Nanyuan who was sitting peacefully beside him, and said, "Miss Tong, you'd better cultivate your moral character."
Tong Nanyuan: "?"
Before Tong Nanyuan could say anything, Cheng Qi turned around and walked out coldly.
"Cousin, have I offended this Second Master?" Tong Nanyuan looked at Lu Lingjun in confusion.
Lu Lingjun didn't understand either, she smiled faintly, "You don't have to pay attention to him."
"Oh," Tong Nanyuan rolled her eyes, "By the way, who is this Shao Jing he was talking about?"
"She is my mother-in-law's niece. Some time ago, a nun was enshrined in a mountain temple. She now lives in the temple."
Tong Nanyuan snorted coldly when hearing this, "He is indeed a weirdo. What does it have to do with him where other people live? Why is he meddling in other people's business?"
Lu Lingjun burst out laughing.
The next day, Lu Lingjun was thinking about what he had agreed to with Cheng Qi. There happened to be guests at home, so he took Tong Nanyuan and Tong Nanxia to the mountains for a walk.
Old Mrs. Lin was not used to the local climate and was unwilling to leave, so Aunt Zhao continued to serve her in the yard.
Before leaving, she reminded Tong Nanxia, "Be careful on the road and have a good eye. Be sure to take good care of your third sister and cousin, and don't just play by yourself."
Tong Nanxia responded cowardly.
This time, no one spoke up for her.
Tong Nanyuan simply tried to ignore the incident and sat in a separate carriage from her.
The carriage went all the way up the mountain and arrived near the mountain temple, where we saw several carriages parked at the door.
Many people came in and out.
Lu Lingjun's carriage stopped, and she led Tong Nanyuan, Tong Nanxia and several maids and old women in.
There were a few nuns guarding the gate. When they saw that they were a group of female relatives, they let them in.
The reputation of Master Miaoyin is becoming more and more famous, and noble ladies from the capital come to see her in an endless stream.
I heard that Master Miaoyin was not only famous for her elixirs, but was also very skilled in fortune-telling and finding love.
In the lobby at the front, which was decorated in a formal manner, there were several statues of gods enshrined, and many noble ladies were asking for divination and fortune in it.
Lu Lingjun led people to the backyard, but was stopped as soon as he arrived there.
"Who introduced you here?" A nun stopped Lu Lingyun.
"I'm here to see Shao Jing. I'm her sister-in-law." Lu Lingjun said.
"So she is Miss Shao Jing's sister-in-law, Amitabha," the nun looked at her and said, "Donor, please wait a moment, we will go and ask Miss Shao Jing."
"Yeah, okay."
Lu Lingjun was waiting there, and Tong Nanyuan looked around curiously, "Cousin, I want to go shopping in the front."
"Go ahead, take some people with you, and be careful."
"Yeah." Tong Nanyuan led a few maids and old women away.
Tong Nanxia stood there, hesitated for a while, then followed Tong Nanyuan.
After all, compared to this cousin who she was not very familiar with and seemed very cold, she was still willing to follow Tong Nanyuan.
Tong Nanyuan is a good person.
She can rely on her.
Seeing that both of them had left, Lu Lingjun waited for Qin Shaojing at the original place. At this time, she saw Qin Shaojing walking and talking and laughing with a young man in the inner courtyard corridor.
The young man was about twenty years old, with a handsome face and a dignified appearance. His clothes were extraordinary. His long robe was embroidered with dark patterns and he wore a fine mutton-fat jade pendant around his waist. His whole temperament was elegant and wealthy, and he was obviously the son of a very wealthy family.
The nun who had just entered to look for someone quickly stepped forward and said, "Miss Shao Jing."
The nun said a few words to Qin Shaojing, who then looked toward the entrance to the inner courtyard and saw Lu Lingjun waiting there.
Immediately, her eyes changed slightly, she turned around and said a few words to the young man beside her, and saw that noble young man nodded and led the servants away first.
"Sister-in-law, you're here." After the young man left, Qin Shaojing quickly walked to the door to greet Lu Lingjun.
"Who was that just now?" Lu Lingjun watched the young man in gorgeous clothes go out from a door on the side.
"He is a pilgrim who came to the temple to ask for divination."
"Oh?" Lu Lingjun looked at Qin Shaojing, "I think that young man is extraordinary, not like an ordinary person."
Qin Shaojing glanced over there and showed a smug smile, "That's the eldest young master of the Duke Zhao's mansion."
"Duke Zhao's Mansion?"
When Lu Lingjun heard the title, she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows. Her sister-in-law was really capable.
During this period, Qin Shi did not fail to find marriage partners for Qin Shaojing, but most of the people she looked at were those with powerful marquises. Qin Shi borrowed the reputation of the old marquis in the Shanwai Villa and visited many marquisate mansions.
The fur was obtained while walking some time ago.
Unfortunately, Qin Shaojing, who the Qin family was interested in, didn't think highly of him at all.
"That's right. Young Master Zhao is a filial son. His mother fell ill some time ago, so he came to Master Miaoyin to pray for a blessing. Now that the wife of Duke Zhao has recovered, he has come here to fulfill his wish." Qin Shaojing said slowly.
"Does Master Miaoyin still have this ability?" Lu Lingjun couldn't help but ask.
Qin Shaojing glanced at her and said, "Master Miaoyin must have great abilities, otherwise I would not be able to worship her!"
Lu Lingyun: "..."
"By the way, sister-in-law, what are you doing here?"
"I haven't seen you for a long time. I heard that you moved to the mountains. You're so busy coming and going, so I was worried that you might be in danger, so I came to check on you." Lu Lingjun said.
"Sister-in-law, please don't bother me. When you have time, just take care of the Marquis's Mansion and my cousin. You don't need to worry about my affairs. I have asked my aunt for instructions, and she knows everything."
Lu Lingyun: "..."
Okay, okay, they have already moved Qin out, what else can she say.
Lu Lingjun smiled and talked about other things with Qin Shaojing, asking about Master Miaoyin to ease the atmosphere.
—
On this side, Tong Nanyuan had only taken a few steps when she was caught up by Tong Nanxia.
"What are you following me for again!"
Tong Nanyuan didn't have a good face for her at all, and she felt annoyed just looking at her.
"Third sister..." Tong Nanxia looked at her pitifully, with grievance and guilt in her eyes, just like a bullied little white rabbit.
"Don't act so pitiful. I see through you. You are good at pretending and acting. If you are so good at acting pitiful, why don't you go and sing?"
Tong Nanxia looked at her with tears in her eyes, "Third sister, I know you are not that kind of person."
Tong Nanyuan sneered, "Oh, what kind of person am I? Am I the one who was fooled by you, always helping you, and finally let you bite me back?"
Tong Nanxia pursed her lips and said nothing.
Seeing her being so cowardly and bullied, Tong Nanyuan got angry again, "Tong Nanxia, you are such a bastard! Your mother would rather serve others than save you, and you still have to protect such a mother! Do you have any backbone or courage?"
Tong Nanxia's tears fell down.
How could she not be sad and angry? Even though she knew her mother had seen through their little trick and would not fall for it, she was still heartbroken when she saw that she chose to serve the old lady without hesitation and ignored her.
But, that was her own mother. She bullied and humiliated her. What else could she do except endure it?
You can't ask her to deny her own mother, would she still be a human being?
As she thought about it, Tong Nanxia's tears fell like broken strings, she cried so hard that her eyes were wet with pear blossoms, and I felt sorry for her.
At this time, a male voice came, "Whose family are you from? You are so arrogant and domineering, bullying your own sister openly!"
Tong Nanxia looked up at the source of the sound while crying. She was extremely beautiful, with a personality as soft as a cloud. She looked aggrieved all day long, and when she cried, it was like the lingering drizzle in the south of the Yangtze River, falling directly into people's hearts.
Just one glance and it caught Zhao Yanshu's eyes.
"Who are you?"
Being pointed at suddenly, Tong Nanyuan looked at the man in front of her with raised eyebrows.
"I can't stand people like you who bully your own sisters," Zhao Yanshu looked at Tong Nanxia, who was crying pitifully, "Girl, don't cry. I will definitely seek justice for you."
Tong Nanyuan: "…"
Tong Nanxia saw that someone was speaking up for her and wanted to cause trouble for the person who scolded her, so she habitually said, "Sir, my elder sister didn't bully me. It's all my fault. Nanxia doesn't deserve it."
After she said this, Zhao Yanshu felt extremely distressed.
He had never seen such a pitiful and kind girl like Tong Nanxia. Even when she was bullied, she still defended her elder sister.
It's just like a little white flower that grows out of the mud without being stained.
At that moment, he felt extremely distressed for Tong Nanxia, "Girl, you were bullied by your elder sister, but you still spoke up for her. You are so kind and gentle, there are few people in the world. Your elder sister is simply arrogant. I will seek justice for you today. If she doesn't apologize to you, I will personally go to your house and talk to your elders."
Tong Nanyuan: "…"
She's so mad, so mad.
This person... is sick!
After saying that, Zhao Yanshu turned his head and looked at Tong Nanyuan, "Which family are you from? What's your father's name and what's his official rank?"
"I don't want to bother with you!" Tong Nanyuan turned and left.
There was no way Zhao Yanshu would let her run away, so he immediately gave the servant a look and ordered him to go and get her.
Two servants quickly blocked Tong Nanyuan's way. The maids and servants around Tong Nanyuan saw this scene and protected their master. Tong Nanxia became even more anxious when she saw this.
"Master, please let my third sister go. I don't need to apologize. My third sister is scolding me for my own good. I am not worthy of it."
How could Zhao Yanshu listen to this? "Stop him! If he doesn't apologize today, even if he is a princess, he won't be able to leave!"
"Get out of the way! Don't touch our young lady!"
The scene was in chaos.
At this moment, an urgent and crisp female voice sounded, "What happened?"
A large group of people came over here.
Tong Nanyuan, who was surrounded by servants, saw Lu Lingjun inside. She ran to Lu Lingjun in a panic, "Cousin!"
"Mr. Zhao, what happened?" Qin Shaojing walked quickly to Zhao Yanshu.
Tong Nanxia, who was in the middle, looked at the incident caused by her, knelt down with a plop and said, "It's my fault. It's all because of me, Third Sister, please don't be angry."
"Who are you!" Qin Shaojing asked.
But before anyone could answer her, she heard Zhao Yanshu's concerned voice coming from beside her, "Girl, hurry up, I, Zhao Yanshu, am here today, no one can bully you, if your elder sister dares to be unreasonable and domineering again, I will make her pay!"
Tong Nanyuan was about to cry with anger, pointing at the two of them and speaking incoherently, "Cousin, he, she, they..."
Lu Lingjun understood everything. It must be Tong Nanyuan who scolded Tong Nanxia, causing others to misunderstand and bully her. Just looking at Tong Nanxia's aggrieved look with tears in her eyes, anyone who saw her would feel heartbroken.
She comforted Tong Nanyuan and stood up and said, "Mr. Zhao, I am their cousin. You must have some misunderstandings. My third sister is straightforward and she is like this at home with my fourth sister."
"Straightforward? I think he's vicious!"
"Master, please don't scold my third sister. She is really not a bad person. She is doing this for my own good."
Lu Lingyun: "..."
Lu Lingjun looked at the pitiful Tong Nanxia and said something that deepened the misunderstanding. If she didn't really know that she had a bad temper, she would have thought that she wanted to kill her third sister. She waved at Tong Nanxia, "Nanxia, get up."
Tong Nanxia quickly stood up and walked in front of them, "Cousin..."
"I know your temper. Tell me, has your third sister ever bullied you?"
Tong Nanxia shook her head like a rattle, "It's all my fault..."
"Okay," Lu Lingjun interrupted her when she was about to say she deserved it. She looked at Tong Nanyuan and said, "Nanyuan, don't you know your sister's temper? For my sake, apologize to her."
Lu Lingjun tried to mediate between the two, and Tong Nanyuan responded reluctantly, "Well, it's my fault, okay?"
"No, Third Sister, it's all my fault..."
"Alright, alright, don't apologize to each other. Let's leave it at that for today," Lu Lingjun reconciled the two of them and looked at Zhao Yanshu, "Mr. Zhao, I will discipline them after I return. Do you think this is feasible?"
Zhao Yanshu was frowning at this time, looking at Tong Nanxia with worry, always feeling that she was still being bullied.
"You are..."
"Mr. Zhao, that's my sister-in-law, the wife of the Prince of Ningyang." Qin Shaojing, who had been left aside, finally got the chance to speak, and she hurriedly said.
"It turned out to be Madam Cheng," Zhao Yanshu didn't even turn his eyes to Qin Shaojing, and looked at Lu Lingyun and said, "I have heard of Madam Cheng's reputation for virtue. I think she must be a fair mistress. I hope Madam Cheng will pay more attention to today's matter. Go back and discipline your third cousin. Don't call you fourth sister anymore... It's unfair."
Zhao Yanshu's heart and eyes were filled with Tong Nanxia, who was hanging her head, looking pitiful, like a fragile and helpless duckweed.
"Thank you, Mr. Zhao, for your guidance." Lu Lingjun did not argue with him and agreed directly.
Why did she argue so much with outsiders? Regardless of whether others would listen to her explanation, this kind of thing had to be suppressed and let go. Tong Nanyuan and Tong Nanxia were both girls in the boudoir, and any more topics would not be good for them.
In this era, unmarried girls from good families are all low-key and silent, even their names are kept hidden and will not be easily known to outsiders.
Being low-key is the biggest advantage.
People like Qin Shaojing who take an unconventional approach will get into trouble sooner or later.
She agreed directly, not bothering to say more.
After hearing what Lu Lingjun said, Zhao Yanshu couldn't say anything else. He even wanted to ask a name, but he had no reason to do so. He could only watch them finish their words and leave.
"Shao Jing, we're going back first."
"You guys go back, sister-in-law." Qin Shaojing nodded at her.
Seeing them all walking away, Qin Shaojing turned to look at the man in fancy clothes beside her. Before she could speak, Zhao Yanshu asked first.
"Miss Qin, do your sister-in-law and her cousins come here often?"
Qin Shaojing couldn't figure out what he meant for a moment, and said ambiguously, "Sometimes."
Zhao Yan relaxed his brows and smiled at her, "How about this, next time they come, you let me know and I will come to pray for my mother again."
Zhao Yanshu's eyes sparkled. Qin Shaojing had several thoughts in her mind when she heard this. Finally, she nodded and said, "Okay."
Here, Lu Lingjun led them both back.
The three of them rode in a carriage.
Tong Nanyuan was so far away from Tong Nanxia that there seemed to be a galaxy between them.
Tong Nanxia mustered up her courage, "Third sister..."
"The person is gone, why are you still acting!" Tong Nanyuan became angrier and angrier as she thought about it. She felt that she had been tricked by her. "I now realize that you are not only stupid and mean, but also extremely bad! You just said that on purpose in front of outsiders to ruin my reputation!"
Tong Nanxia hurriedly explained, "Third sister, I didn't!"
"Shut up! I don't want to talk to you anymore. From now on, you and I are enemies and cannot coexist!"
When Tong Nanxia heard this, she looked at Tong Nanyuan aggrievedly. She wanted to open her mouth, but was met with her cold and angry face, as if she would completely turn hostile if she dared to say a word.
Tong Nanxia twisted her handkerchief and swallowed the rest of the words.
After returning home, Tong Nanyuan strode back to the yard alone and refused to stay with her for even a moment.
Lu Lingjun also followed, but was stopped by Tong Nanxia on the road.
"cousin..."
"What's wrong?" Lu Lingjun stopped and looked at her.
Tong Nanxia lowered her head, "Do you also think I did it on purpose just now?"
Lu Lingjun looked at Tong Nanxia, who was extremely humble and in the abyss, and sighed softly, "Does it matter whether it's intentional or not?"
"Of course, I really didn't mean to harm my cousin or cause her to be misunderstood by others."
Lu Lingjun smiled faintly, "But if you do this, what's the use of your kindness?"
Lu Lingjun's words made Tong Nanxia stunned. She couldn't say a word and only felt that her heart was full of grievances.
Obviously, she didn't do anything. Tong Nanyuan scolded her and she just endured it obediently and let her scold her. But why did it seem as if everything was her fault?
Is she just as her mother said, born to be a lowly person?
Just as Tong Nanxia was feeling extremely frustrated and the more she thought about it, the more painful it became. She couldn't understand why everyone in the world would bully a kind person. Then she heard Lu Lingjun's voice.
"Nanxia, if kindness is useless, it is better to give up useless kindness."
Tong Nanxia looked up and saw that Lu Lingjun had already left with the maids.
She looked at her back with her brows furrowed.
Giving up kindness? How can this be possible...isn't that a necessary requirement for women?
Just at this moment, she heard Aunt Zhao's voice.
"Nanxia!"
Aunt Zhao came over in a hurry, and when she saw Tong Nanxia standing there, she started to scold, "Didn't I tell you to take good care of your two sisters? How did you make the Third Miss so angry!"
"You are born with lowly bones. You can't even serve others. What can you do in the future!"
Tong Nanxia listened to her mother's scolding word by word, and she felt extremely unwilling, but this time, she couldn't help but raise her head and glare at her mother.
The moment she raised her eyes to glare at Aunt Zhao, Aunt Zhao poked her head with a finger and said, "How dare you glare at me! This is outrageous. I am your own mother!"
"Is there any mother in this world who scolds her own daughter all the time?" Tong Nanxia was tough for once.
After she said this, Aunt Zhao was stunned for a moment, and then she cried out to the sky, "This is so unjust, there is really no justice in this world, you are my flesh and blood, how can you treat me like this! You crawled out of my intestines, you have no conscience!"
"If I had known I would give birth to a daughter like this, I would have drunk a bowl of sterilizing soup!"
"You don't even understand the basic principles of being a human being. You look great on the outside, but you're a rotten person on the inside!"
"My life is so miserable! I was not blessed with a son, and I have to endure such humiliation. I might as well die!"
Tong Nanxia listened to her mother's accusation word by word, and the anger that had just ignited disappeared in an instant. She looked at the frantic Aunt Zhao and said, "Aunt, Aunt, don't cry!"
"Don't cry, I was wrong, okay!"
After Tong Nanxia admitted her fault, Aunt Zhao stopped wailing immediately. She looked at Tong Nanxia, who had regained her compromising appearance, and wiped her tears while admonishing her, "Nanxia, I suffered so much giving birth to you! Because of you, I can't give birth to a son anymore. You must never be ungrateful!"
"I see."
Lu Lingjun was in the yard listening to the servants talking about how Aunt Zhao had just made a scene in the backyard, scolding Tong Nanxia so much that she lost all her face and temper. She kept a sullen face and said nothing.
In the evening, to Lu Lingjun's surprise, Qin Shaojing came back.
When she came back, she asked her, "Sister-in-law, who are your two cousins? Why haven't I seen them before?"
"She's my uncle's daughter." Lu Lingjun smiled at her, "Jinling Tong family."
"Jinling Tong Family." Qin Shaojing silently read the name and frowned slightly.
According to the current ranking of aristocratic families, the Jinling Tong family can only be considered a second-tier family. It is very famous in the Jiangnan area, but it seems ordinary outside of Jiangnan.
Moreover, the Tong family has few members, and the second master Tong was promoted from the local area to the capital, and was promoted to the third-rank Right Deputy Censor-in-Chief, which is a high position with great power, but in terms of the level of the Duke's Mansion, it is just average.
Qin Shaojing quickly sorted out the status of the two sisters of the Tong family. Their family had some influence, but not too strong.
"My sister-in-law's uncle has been promoted to an official in Beijing. Will he be staying here all year round?" Qin Shaojing asked cautiously.
"My second uncle was promoted. Nan Yuan and Nan Xia are my eldest uncle's daughters. They will return to Jiangnan in a few days."
Hearing this, Qin Shaojing's face instantly brightened, and she couldn't help but say, "Guests are welcome. They finally came all the way from Jiangnan, so they must have a good time. Why don't I take them out for a walk during this time?"
Lu Lingjun looked at her expression and said, "Forget it. I see you are quite busy. I won't let them disturb you."
"Of course not!" Qin Shaojing grabbed Lu Lingyun's hand and said earnestly, "If sister-in-law is worried, bring them to my mountain temple often to sit and help me attract some popularity."
Lu Lingjun: "...No need, I see you have a lot of people there."
"Sister-in-law, my aunt said that you have to help me."
Lu Lingyun: "..."
At this time, Cheng Qi came again.
"Shao Jing, you're back!" Cheng Qi was very surprised to see Qin Shao Jing coming back.
Qin Shaojing glanced at him and said, "Brother Cheng Qi, long time no see."
"It's been a long time since we last met. Shao Jing, how have you been lately..."
Before he finished speaking, Qin Shaojing pestered Lu Lingyun and continued, "Sister-in-law, why don't you come to my place and sit for a while? I sometimes feel bored being alone in the mountains."
When Cheng Qi heard this, he responded directly, "Okay, sister-in-law, I'll go with you."
Lu Lingyun: "..."
Cheng Qi persuaded Lu Lingyun, saying that he would pick them up in the evening after finishing his work during the day. After the two of them pestered him, Lu Lingyun finally agreed.
It just so happened that she wanted to see when Master Miaoyin would stop pretending.
From the next day, she took Tong Nanyuan and Tong Nanxia to the mountain temple.
What surprised her was that Master Miaoyin seemed to be really capable. In addition to her magic pills, her fortune-telling was quite accurate, which made the noble ladies in the capital more and more convinced of her.
Every day a group of noble ladies came to listen to the teachings and seek answers, which led to Qin Shaojing being pushed to the position of a saint, with a group of people following her everywhere.
Among them, there are many male guests.
The prominent noblemen in the capital city all admired her highly.
Lu Lingjun also saw the young master of Duke Liu's mansion, asking everywhere where Qin Shaojing was.
Lu Lingjun watched it all and did not interfere in her affairs. He just led the two sisters of the Tong family to a relatively quiet courtyard in the temple to appreciate the flowers and rest.
"Cousin, your aunt seems to be extraordinary." Tong Nanyuan asked.
"She is the eldest daughter of Duke Qin's mansion, so she is extraordinary."
Tong Nanxia asked at this time, "Miss Qin is the daughter of the Duke's Mansion, so why doesn't she live in the Duke's Mansion?"
As soon as she opened her mouth, Tong Nanyuan responded, "Do you have the right to ask questions here?"
Tong Nanxia: "…"
Tong Nanxia was silent after being scolded. At this time, a handsome male voice came from outside the garden, "Miss Tong San is still as domineering and arrogant as ever. She treats her own sister as rudely and cruelly as an inferior."
When Tong Nanyuan looked up, she saw the eldest son of Duke Zhao coming over with his servant.
"You!" Tong Nanyuan wanted to lose her temper and asked what it had to do with him, but her hand was held by Lu Lingjun.
"Mr. Zhao."
Zhao Yanshu glanced at Lu Lingjun and said, "Madam Cheng, it seems that your reputation as a virtuous woman is just so-so. You always let your sister bully others. I'm afraid you were just fooling me when you said you would discipline her when you got home."
"Sir, my cousin and third sister are very good to me, please don't say that about them." Tong Nanxia quickly stood up and explained hastily.
Zhao Yanshu felt distressed when he heard her words. The more he looked at Tong Nanxia, the more pitiful and weak she seemed to him.
He had inquired about it after he went back last time. He knew that Lu Lingjun's cousin was from the Jiangnan Tong family who had just moved to Beijing. The fourth Miss Tong was the concubine's daughter of the eldest wife, and her sister was the legitimate daughter of the family.
With just these two pieces of information, he could already imagine the pitiful scene of Tong Nanxia being bullied by her elder sister at home since she was a child.
"Miss Tong Si, you don't need to speak well of them anymore. I've only seen you twice, and you were bullied each time. When I didn't see you, I don't know how they treated you."
Tong Nanyuan was so angry that she said, "What do we do to Nanxia? What does it have to do with you?"
"Nan Yuan." Lu Lingjun interrupted her hurriedly.
Zhao Yanshu on the opposite side sneered, "You really admitted it."
"So what if I admit it? Tong Nanxia is a bitch! She deserves to be..."
"Nanyuan!" Lu Lingjun shouted harshly and gave a look to the old woman under her. The old woman immediately covered Tong Nanyuan's mouth.
"My sister is tired today, her words and actions are rude, I will take her to rest first."
After Lu Lingjun finished speaking, he forcibly pulled Tong Nanyuan into the house.
Tong Nanxia wanted to follow, but Zhao Yanshu said, "Fourth Miss, don't go, or you'll get scolded again."
"No..."
"Nanxia, you take a rest outside for a while." Lu Lingjun spoke, glanced at her, and took Tong Nanyuan into the house first.
Seeing them both go in, Tong Nanxia's eyes became lonely.
"Fourth Miss, your sisters treat you so well, yet you still care about them. You are truly the kindest woman I have ever met."
Tong Nanxia raised her little white rabbit eyes and said, "Mr. Zhao, you really misunderstood. My third sister is a good person. She never has any bad intentions."
The more Zhao Yanshu looked at Tong Nanxia, the more distressed he felt. How could there be such a pure and kind woman in this world?
Like a fragile little white flower, one can't help but want to protect her.
"Fourth Miss, the flowers outside are in full bloom, why don't we go and take a look together?"
His eyes were fixed on Tong Nanxia, causing her to take several steps back. "No, I should go back."
At this time, a clear female voice sounded, "Mr. Zhao? You are here."
Qin Shaojing came over holding a piece of blessing paper folded into a triangle, "Master Miaoyin has already blessed you with good fortune."
"Thank you, Miss Qin." Zhao Yanshu smiled at her politely and took the blessing paper.
"By the way, the flowers outside are in full bloom, why don't we go for a walk together?"
"It just so happens that I am inviting Miss Four to go with us. How about we go together?"
At this time, Qin Shaojing noticed Tong Nanxia in the yard, "Why are you here alone?"
Tong Nanxia timidly glanced at the noble and confident Qin Shaojing, "My third sister and cousin are both in the room."
"Just now I heard her third sister scolding her again. Madam Cheng should be admonishing the third young lady now. The fourth young lady is really innocent. I want to invite her to go out and relax." Zhao Yanshu's eyes were almost glued to Tong Nanxia.
Qin Shaojing saw this scene, and a deep meaning flashed across her eyes. She looked at the girl who was hanging her head like a little white rabbit, and a smile broke out on her face. "Fourth sister, you are my sister-in-law's cousin, so you are my cousin. You come to my place, so I should treat you well. Let's go and relax together."
As he spoke, Qin Shaojing took Tong Nanxia's arm and pulled her out.
"Ms. Qin, I haven't told my cousin yet..."
"I'll talk to my sister-in-law myself." Qin Shaojing half-pulled and half-pushed her out.
Along the way, the flowers were in full bloom.
"Mr. Zhao, how is your mother?"
"Very well, she is fine now. I have to thank Miss Qin. It was thanks to Miss Qin's introduction of Master Miaoyin and her prayers for my mother that she recovered so quickly."
"Mr. Zhao, you are too polite. I'm glad that the Duke's wife is well." Qin Shaojing chatted and laughed with Zhao Yanshu all the way, trying to find topics to talk about.
Tong Nanxia was pulled to the right by her and kept her head down the whole time.
Even though she had no sense of existence, Zhao Yanshu turned the conversation to her, "By the way, didn't the fourth young lady go to Master Miaoyin to pray for blessings and fortune-telling?"
"No." Tong Nanxia shook her head, "My cousin just brought me here to sit with her."
"Master Miaoyin is very spiritual, especially in predicting marriages. Why don't I take you to see her?" Zhao Yanshu walked around Tong Nanxia, wishing he could get close to her right away.
When Qin Shaojing saw this, a dark color appeared in his eyes.
Today, Master Miaoyin told her that she had to go to the next Taoist temple and could not stay in the capital city forever. Although she didn't know why she was in a hurry to leave, she really had to hurry up.
During this period, she got to know many sons of noble families. She met all the young masters of the Duke Zhao's Mansion and the Duke Liu's Mansion. The one who made her most satisfied was Zhao Yanshu.
Zhao Yanshu not only has a good family background, but he is also good-looking.
She was the most satisfied among all the people who came here.
She had just used the name of Master Miaoyin to cure her mother's illness, and now she was just one step away from success.
She must capture him before Master Miaoyin leaves, otherwise all her efforts will be in vain!
Thinking of this, Qin Shaojing's gaze suddenly fell on the pond beside him.
Immediately, she had an idea.
She gave a wink to Nanny Qin, the only person who had been with her since she was a child, and Nanny Qin immediately made way.
Qin Shaojing took Tong Nanxia's arm and walked towards the pool without leaving any trace. "Yes, fourth sister, you just came to the capital, you don't know how powerful Master Miaoyin is, why don't we go and tell fortunes together."
"No, that's fine."
Tong Nanxia waved her hands, and just as she raised her hands, Qin Shaojing beside her suddenly fell to the side, cried out "ouch", and fell into the water.
The accident happened in an instant. With a "bang", Qin Shaojing fell into the water.
Anyone who saw it would think that Tong Nanxia pushed Qin Shaojing down.
"Someone come quickly! My young lady has fallen into the water!" The old maid Qin Shaojing brought with him shouted anxiously.
When Tong Nanxia saw this, she was about to rush over to pull the person away. At this moment, her hand was held tightly by someone. "Be careful!"
"Mr. Zhao, please save our young lady. She can't swim!"
"I can swim, I'll go save him!" Tong Nanxia said.
"Miss Fourth, don't go. It's dangerous!" Zhao Yanshu hugged Tong Nanxia in his arms, fearing that she would go into the water.
Qin Shaojing, who was struggling in the water: "..."
Aunt Qin at the side: "..."
On the shore, Tong Nanxia anxiously looked at Qin Shaojing who fell into the water. Zhao Yanshu refused to let her rescue him. She watched Qin Shaojing sinking. On the other side, a man in brocade robe jumped into the water with a thud.
In the backyard, Lu Lingjun had just finished comforting Tong Nanyuan when he heard hurried noises coming from outside.
"Madam, Miss Qin fell into the water!"
When Lu Lingjun heard this, he hurried over with his men.
When she reached the shore, she saw that the pond was already surrounded by people.
All the ladies and gentlemen who came to the mountain temple to ask for divination and medicine stood by, looking at Qin Shaojing who was rescued all wet.
"Shao Jing!" Lu Lingjun quickly pushed through the crowd and walked to Qin Shao Jing who was rescued.
She was soaked through, her silk dress clung to her body, and even worse was... the one who saved her was Liu Ye, the second son of the second wife of Duke Liu's mansion!
Liu Ye was hugging her tightly in front of everyone.
"Shao Jing!"
Lu Lingjun quickly took off his cloak and covered Qin Shaojing's body with it.
"Cousin, it's all my fault. I don't know what happened just now. I might have shaken Miss Qin and caused her to fall into the water."
Tong Nanxia's voice came from beside, and Tong Nanxia looked at this place in panic with her rabbit eyes.
Lu Lingjun only glanced at her, not caring about anything else. At this moment, she hurriedly called out to the servants, "Hurry up and send Shao Jing back to the mansion!"
"yes!"
The maidservant quickly picked up Qin Shaojing and left quickly.
Tong Nanxia looked at the scene, quickly followed, and left with them.
After Qin Shaojing woke up, he went crazy in the Marquis' Mansion.
On that day, Qin and the old marquis received the news and they hurried back.
Lu Lingjun knelt down in front of Qin and told her what happened. When Qin heard that it was Liu Ye, the second son of the second wife of Duke Liu, who rescued Qin Shaojing, she fell silent.
She knew very well what kind of family the Liuguogong Mansion was. When her Qin family was at its peak, they were at odds with them.
Their family was often everywhere, and when the Qin family fell into trouble, it was their Liu family that was the most ruthless in trampling on the Qin Mansion.
Now that Qin Shaojing fell into the water and was rescued by Liu Ye in front of so many people, what she feared most was not anything else, but that Duke Liu's Mansion would not recognize Qin Shaojing at all and would destroy him alive!
When she fell into silence, Old Lady Lin brought the Tong sisters over.
Hearing that they were coming, Qin hurriedly asked Lu Lingjun to get up first.
"My dear relatives! This is all my fault!" After entering the room, Mrs. Lin first blamed Qin.
She is Lu Lingyun's grandmother. She came to stay with Lu Lingyun for a while, but she is of a different generation than him and should not have lived here. Now the people she brought with her have caused such a big trouble, which has brought so much trouble to her granddaughter.
"Madam." Qin forced a smile when she saw Old Madam Lin.
Old Madam Lin knew that she was going to live here. Lu Lingyun's mother's in-laws had come and were quite powerful. The Jinling Tong family was a big family in Jiangnan, and Lu Lingyun's second uncle had been promoted to an official in Beijing. The Tong family was not much weaker in strength than the Marquis' Mansion.
"My dear relatives, I was foolish about this matter. The granddaughter I raised is not ambitious and I didn't have good prospects for her. If you have any grievances or dissatisfaction, just tell me directly. Our Tong family will definitely give your family an explanation for this matter!" Old Mrs. Lin took all the responsibility on herself.
Behind her, Tong Nanyuan and Tong Nanxia knelt in front of Qin.
Qin sighed when she saw this and told them both to get up, "Good girls, I heard about what happened. I can't blame you."
Qin's heart was bitter at this moment.
What's the point of her pursuing them now that things have already happened!
Even if she really told Nanny Qin that it was that person named Tong Nanxia who pushed Qin Shaojing into the water, she couldn't ask her to pay with her life.
It would be useless even if you offended several families.
At this time, Nanny Qin rushed over and said, "Auntie, Miss Shao Jing wants to hang herself!"
"What!"
When Qin heard this, she hurriedly took people to Qin Shaojing's yard.
There was chaos in Caitang Pavilion.
Qin Shaojing cried and wanted to hang himself, and everyone came to persuade him.
When Qin Shaojing saw Qin rushing over, he shouted and threw himself into her arms, "Aunt!"
"Shao Jing!"
Qin hugged Qin Shaojing tightly and comforted her.
Old Mrs. Lin couldn't help crying and sighing at this moment. She wanted to speak, but Lu Lingjun held her hand, and Lu Lingjun shook his head at her.
The scene was very chaotic. Qin hugged Qin Shaojing and winked at Lu Lingjun, who tactfully asked everyone to disperse.
She led the Tong family back to her own courtyard first. After closing the door, Old Lady Lin said, "Yun'er, we are the ones who caused trouble for you."
"Grandma, that's not true." Lu Lingjun comforted her.
"Alas! A woman's reputation is so important. We have harmed Miss Qin!" Old Mrs. Lin felt uneasy.
Lu Lingjun just said, "You go back and rest, I'll take care of this."
"This..." Mrs. Lin pondered, and finally sighed, "Okay."
After Mrs. Lin left, Lu Lingjun looked at Tong Nanxia in the room and said, "Nanxia, you stay."
Tong Nanxia kept her head down the whole time, while Aunt Zhao beside her was cursing, "You bitch! It's all your fault! I knew you were a jinx, you caused us such a big disaster as soon as you left the house! You're such a bitch!"
Lu Lingjun glanced at Aunt Zhao and said coldly, "Aunt Zhao, you go back too."
"Miss cousin, please stop shielding her. If it were you, I would just hang her to death and make amends to Miss Qin!"
Aunt Zhao was not talking about her own daughter at this moment. She was very serious and really wanted to hang Tong Nanxia to resolve the matter.
"Is there any mother like you?" Lu Lingjun couldn't bear it anymore and confronted her directly.
Aunt Zhao was startled, and then she looked at him with a look of struggle and helplessness, "Cousin, I am also trying to solve the problem. Miss Qin is the eldest daughter of Duke Qin's mansion, and Nanxia is just a lowly bastard daughter! How can she compare with Miss Qin with her lowly life! I have no choice!"
Lu Lingjun looked at her and said, "You have no choice but to tell your daughter to die! Is she still your biological daughter?"
"Cousin, how can you think I can bear to do this? It's because Nanxia did something wrong and I'm afraid of implicating everyone." Aunt Zhao said with grievance and sadness.
Lu Lingjun exposed her directly, "Have you ever asked your daughter what she did from beginning to end? You didn't even ask a single question, and you just told her to die. This is how you are willing to give up!"
With this sentence, Aunt Zhao was speechless, and her face was full of embarrassment.
Yes, she didn't even ask a question from beginning to end.
There are evil mothers like her in this world who always push all the responsibility onto their children when something goes wrong.
It's not because of anything else, it's because they are incompetent.
They simply don't dare to face the consequences of what happened. When something happens, they try to hide and shrink, and try to solve the problem by insulting and blaming their children.
If the problem is obviously serious, they can even order their children to die without hesitation.
Because compared to the possible consequences they might have to bear, their children's lives are worthless.
As long as it has nothing to do with them, as long as it can solve the problem.
She really didn't love Tong Nanxia.
Lu Lingjun sneered at the funny Aunt Zhao and said, "Aunt Zhao, please go down."
When Aunt Zhao heard this, she shrank her head and fled the scene like a mouse.
During the whole process, she didn't even dare to look at her own daughter.
Tong Nanxia stood there blankly watching Lu Lingjun handling things, watching her aunt being scolded and defeated by Lu Lingjun, and also saw how her aunt didn't even dare to raise her head and didn't dare to see her.
For a moment, she didn't know what to think.
At this time, a peaceful female voice sounded above her head, "Nanxia, what did you do today? Don't be afraid, I'm here, no one will want to kill you."
Tong Nanxia raised her head and looked at Lu Lingjun who was sitting up. For some reason, she was very stern, but she was not afraid of her. "Cousin, after you and Third Sister entered the house today, Mr. Zhao invited me to go out for a walk, but I didn't dare. Then Miss Qin came and said she was the host and pulled me to take me out for a walk."
"The three of us were walking on the road outside. When we passed the pond, Miss Qin said she would take me to draw divination. I waved my hand and said I didn't want to go, and then she fell into the water."
"Did you push Shao Jing?"
Tong Nanxia bit her lip tightly and was silent for a moment, "I don't think so."
As she said this, she felt very nervous, because everyone saw it today and they all thought it was her who pushed it.
Even at the beginning, she felt so, maybe she accidentally shook Qin Shaojing.
But the more she thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong.
She didn't even use any strength, but Qin Shaojing fell to one side.
After she finished speaking, she lowered her head the more she thought about it, because she felt that Lu Lingjun must think she was making excuses.
"I believe you."
Suddenly, three peaceful and powerful words fell.
Tong Nanxia looked up in disbelief, and met a pair of deep and steady eyes.
"cousin..."
"I know who you are," Lu Lingjun looked at her calmly, "You have never had any bad intentions."
Although Tong Nanxia is cowardly and hateful, she really has no bad intentions.
As for Qin Shaojing...it's no exaggeration to say that he has a very sharp mind.
She made such a big move and a grand gesture to build up momentum for herself and make many friends. She was very thoughtful.
In order to choose a good husband for herself, Master Miaoyin even dared to give people her elixir. What else could she not do?
She asked in detail about the details of falling into the water and learned that there was no one else by the lake at the time, just her, Qin Shaojing, Zhao Yanshu, and their servants.
After Qin Shaojing fell into the water, Nanny Qin did not rescue him at the first time, but just asked Zhao Yanshu to save him.
She deduced that Qin Shaojing's target at that time was Zhao Yanshu.
Zhao Yanshu is the eldest son of Duke Zhao's mansion. He has a distinguished family background and is good-looking. He is indeed the target of Qin Shaojing's dreams.
As long as Zhao Yanshu saves people, her reputation will be tied to him.
But she didn't expect that Tong Nanxia would show up halfway, and Zhao Yanshu refused to save her and even stopped Tong Nanxia for this.
"Cousin, Mr. Zhao stopped me at that time. I had to go and save him. I can swim."
Tong Nanxia rarely took the initiative to speak up, so she told Lu Lingjun all her thoughts.
"He stopped you. How did he stop you?" Lu Lingjun raised his head and asked.
Tong Nanxia's face suddenly turned red, "He, he, he... hugged... me."
"Did anyone see it?"
Tong Nanxia quickly shook her head, "Someone jumped down to save someone on the shore, and I quickly broke free. No one should have seen it."
Hearing this, Lu Lingjun barely breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at the embarrassed and shy Tong Nanxia and said, "Nanxia, go back first. It's okay."
Tong Nanxia looked at Lu Lingjun who was sitting above, "Cousin, Miss Qin..."
"She'll be fine." Lu Lingjun blinked her eyelashes and said lightly.
Qin Shaojing is not an ordinary person. She has very strong desires and will never give up because of a small matter.
She worships Master Miaoyin and welcomes male guests. She dares to do such a thing and has already made preparations for any unexpected events.
Otherwise, which girl from a good family would dare to do this?
Crying is nothing more than a temporary frustration and a desire for more benefits.
After hearing Lu Lingjun's words, Tong Nanxia felt at ease and safe for the first time. She came out of her courtyard and went to her guest house. On the way, she met Cheng Qi who came in a hurry.
"Second Master?" Tong Nanxia stopped and saluted him.
"How is Shao Jing?"
"Miss Qin is in her yard." Tong Nanxia lowered her head slightly.
After she finished speaking, she saw Cheng Qi running quickly towards Caitang Pavilion.
Tong Nanxia turned her head to look at Cheng Qi who was running away. A glimmer of light appeared in her eyes, but quickly disappeared.
Qin Shaojing's matter had been going on all night, and Cheng Yunshuo had to listen to it when he came back in the evening.
He was eating in Lu Lingyun's courtyard, and after learning about what happened, he said, "Showing your face in public is not what a decent girl should do. Worshipping a Taoist nun and receiving male pilgrims will cause trouble sooner or later."
Lu Lingyun: "..."
She didn't know when Cheng Yunshuo became so conservative.
"Don't worry about it. I'll discuss what to do with my parents. Just take care of your grandmother and sister and have a good time."
Lu Lingyun: "..."
When Cheng Yunshuo told Lu Lingjun not to interfere, he really didn't tell her to interfere.
After dinner that night, he went to find Qin and the old marquis.
Qin Shaojing was still sobbing in the room, Qin was comforting her, Cheng Qi was there too, he and the old marquis were talking in the main room separated by a bead curtain.
Cheng Yunshuo pushed the door open and walked in. He glanced at Qin Shaojing who was crying behind the beaded curtain and said, "Don't cry. I'll find out who Liu Ye is and ask him to come to the mansion to propose marriage."
Qin Shaojing: "..."
Qin Shaojing cried even louder.
Cheng Qi, who was standing on the side, was more anxious than Qin Shaojing when he heard this. He wanted to speak, but the old marquis raised his eyes and said leisurely, "You have finally said something decent in all these years."
Cheng Yunshuo: "..."
"This is the only way for now." Qin sighed and comforted him beside the bed.
Hearing this, Cheng Qi swallowed all the words in his heart. He turned his head and took a deep look at Qin Shaojing, who was crying on Qin's shoulder behind the beaded curtain. "Brother Yun Shuo and I will go together to ask for an explanation for you."
The next day, Cheng Yunshuo and Cheng Qi went to Duke Liu's mansion together.
The normal process of negotiating a marriage is for the man to go to the woman's house, and for the elders to discuss with each other. Because Qin Shaojing's case is special and it hasn't reached that stage yet, it's inconvenient for Qin and Lu Lingjun to go directly to the house. It seems like they are rushing to get them married.
But they need to have an explanation and understand the meaning.
Therefore, it would be most appropriate for the two of them to ask first.
The people from Duke Liu's mansion received him.
The person sent was Liu Ye's brother.
The Liu family only said that they would go back and discuss it with their parents, and they didn't even know what had happened.
Liu Ye did not show up during the entire process.
When Cheng Yunshuo saw the other party's attitude, he felt a little dissatisfied.
But brother Liu Ye is a very good person. He smiled and promised that they would definitely give an explanation.
Cheng Yunshuo and Cheng Qi left Duke Liu's mansion.
After returning, he told Qin and the old marquis what happened today in Duke Liu's mansion.
After hearing this, Qin and the old marquis looked at each other. What else could they say? Just wait.
The two of them waited and waited, and finally someone came to the Marquis's Mansion to propose marriage.
But it's not Duke Liu's Mansion, it's Duke Zhao's Mansion.
And the people they came to see were Lu Lingjun and Old Lady Lin.
The person who came over to propose matchmaking was Lu Lingyun's second aunt, Wang Peirong.
"Madam, there is great news!" After Wang Peirong separated from Lu Lingjun that day, she was busy with various chores in the new mansion and had no time to come. Today, she came to Lu Lingjun with people from the Duke of Zhao's mansion with a smile on her face.
Because someone from Duke Zhao's mansion found her first and proposed marriage to her family, Zhao Yanshu wanted to marry Tong Nanxia as his concubine.
"What's the happy event?"
"What a great joy!" Wang Peirong clapped her hands, "The eldest young master of Duke Zhao's mansion has taken a fancy to our Nanxia! He wants to marry her as a concubine!"
After she said this, she thought it would surprise everyone.
But everyone in the room fell silent.
You shouldn't.
The Duke of Zhao's Mansion is a large family headed by the four major dukedoms, with an extremely prominent status and position. The eldest son of the Duke of Zhao's Mansion will be a duke in the future. Although he married Tong Nanxia as a concubine, Tong Nanxia was just a concubine in the family.
The Tong family has some status in Jiangnan, and her husband has also been promoted to a third-rank official, but there is still a big gap between them and the Duke's Mansion. It would be such an honor and a good marriage for Tong Nanxia to marry into the Duke's Mansion and become the concubine of the future Duke!
She was pleasantly surprised when she heard that someone from Duke Zhao's Mansion came to propose marriage. She hurriedly brought people to the Marquis' Mansion to inform Old Madam Lin, but what was going on?
After listening to Wang Peirong's words, Mrs. Lin was silent for a moment, "What do you mean by side room? Isn't it just a concubine?"
"She is a concubine, but the people from Duke Zhao's mansion said that they will never treat our Nanxia unfairly." Wang Peirong said.
After all, she was a bastard's daughter, so it wasn't unfair to Tong Nanxia to marry into a wealthy family and become a concubine.
Old Madam Lin put down her teacup and refused directly, "Our daughter from the Tong family will not be a concubine."
"old lady..."
"You go back and tell the Zhao family this." Old Mrs. Lin rejected Wang Peirong's proposal without hesitation.
Wang Peirong was stunned by the old lady's strong attitude. For a moment, she had no idea why Old Lady Lin was so resistant.
But seeing her expression, Wang Peirong didn't say much. She stood up and left respectfully.
She didn't know why, but Lu Lingjun knew.
Ultimately, it was because of Qin Shaojing's matter.
Qin Shaojing's marriage has not been decided yet, but Tong Nanxia has married into the Duke of Zhao's mansion, which is bound to offend people.
By then, his anger might be directed at Lu Lingjun, implicating Lu Lingjun.
Besides, Mrs. Lin did think so.
The daughter of the Tong family will not be a concubine.
They are a prominent family in Jinling, so there is no need for them to send their daughter to be a concubine.
A daughter born out of wedlock is still a daughter.
When they returned to Jiangnan later, there were many marriages for Tong Nanxia to choose from. There was nothing wrong with marrying a woman of equal status as the main wife. It was not necessary for the Tong family to become so destitute by having their granddaughter marry him from afar as a concubine!
After Wang Peirong took her people away, the matter of marriage proposal still reached Caitang Pavilion.
When Qin Shaojing learned that Zhao Yanshu was going to marry Tong Nanxia, even as a concubine, she burst into tears.
She was so mad, really mad.
She had worked so hard and planned such a big thing, and the rich husband she had finally caught was snatched away by Lu Lingyun's cousin.
Still a little concubine!
She was so angry that she smashed things and cried.
Nanny Qin knew what Qin Shaojing was thinking, and she comforted him, "Miss, didn't they agree? They said that their daughter would not be a concubine."
"How dare they agree to this! They're stepping on me to climb up. No wonder Lu Lingjun and her sister are from the same family! What a bunch of lowly people trying to climb up the social ladder!"
"My eldest lady, this is the Marquis' Mansion, please keep your voice down." Nanny Qin quickly covered her mouth.
"I don't care, I'm so mad! I'm so mad!"
"Don't be angry, don't be angry. She is just a concubine's daughter. The threshold to Duke Zhao's Mansion is so high. Being a concubine is an honor for her. She can't get in." Nanny Qin hugged Qin Shaojing and comforted her with heartache.
at this time.
The guest house next to Lu Lingyun's courtyard.
"What! The eldest son of Duke Zhao's Mansion wants to take Nanxia as his concubine!" Aunt Zhao was overwhelmed with surprise when she learned that Wang Peirong had come to propose marriage to Duke Zhao's Mansion.
This is such a great thing!
But Old Lady Lin actually refused, saying that she was the daughter of the Tong family and would not be a concubine.
How could this be possible! Her daughter Tong Nanxia was only fit to be a concubine!
Besides, isn't she still a concubine? A noble concubine!
She ran straight to Old Madam Lin and said, "Old Madam, Nanxia is only fit to be a concubine! Being able to marry into the Duke's Mansion as a concubine is a blessing she has earned in several lifetimes. You must help her!"
Mrs. Lin was furious when she heard this, "Get out!"
Aunt Zhao was scolded harshly and told to get away.
But Aunt Zhao refused to give up.
After she returned to her own guest house, she saw Tong Nanxia sitting quietly, not knowing what she was thinking, and she couldn't help but get angry.
"Why are you still sitting here? Come with me and ask the old lady to change her mind and invite the people from the Duke of Zhao's mansion back to arrange a marriage for you!"
Tong Nanxia looked up at her mother.
Today, she knew that someone from Duke Zhao's mansion came to propose marriage, and she was terrified.
She didn't want to marry into the Duke of Zhao's mansion.
Not to mention marrying her as a concubine.
The daughter of the Tong family and her two elder sisters were both chosen to be the legal wife.
Even though my second sister married a bastard, she became his principal wife and not a concubine.
The Tong family does not care that much about the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, and the daughters of the Tong family will not easily become concubines.
Most importantly, she really didn't want to marry Zhao Yanshu.
Fortunately, her grandmother refused.
"Why are you still daydreaming here!" Aunt Zhao saw Tong Nanxia remained silent and became even more angry. She poked her head fiercely, "That's the Duke Zhao's Mansion, the first of the four dukes' mansions. The wealth and honor will fall on you. You have been a pig and a sheep for several lifetimes to accumulate merits. What are you thinking!"
Tong Nanxia was hurt by her poking, and her heart was in even more pain. She thought of the past, and her mother's abuse of her, and the pent-up anger rushed straight into her chest. She couldn't help but redden her eyes, "That's being a concubine!"
"What's wrong with being a concubine? I, your mother, am also a concubine!" Aunt Zhao sneered, "If you don't want to be a concubine, do you want to be the legal wife? Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself? Do you deserve it?"
"You are a little bastard born to a lowly concubine, and a noble young man has taken a fancy to you and hired you as a concubine. How can he still treat you unfairly? Do you still think you are Tong Nanyuan or that Lu Lingyun? You are born to be rich and noble, crawling out of the mistress's belly. You are born to be the legitimate daughter of a mansion, and you will marry into a wealthy family and become the mistress of a noble family!"
"You are the lowly girl that crawled out of my belly! I am your mother's concubine, and you will be a lowly concubine in this life! A lowly concubine who has to serve others, look at the mistress's face, and live a humble life!"
Aunt Zhao became more and more excited as she spoke, her eyes almost popping out of their sockets, and she stomped Tong Nanxia hard into the mud.
She can be a concubine, why can't she!
At this moment, her door was kicked open with a bang, and a crisp female voice sounded.
"Is there any mother like you?" Tong Nanyuan suddenly appeared.
She rushed in with her maids and old women, took one look at Tong Nanxia, whose face was already red from crying, then strode up to her and slapped Aunt Zhao twice in the face right in front of her.
"I'm telling you today, no matter how humble Nanxia is, she is still the lady of the mansion and a legitimate master. Who do you think you are? How dare you scold her! Pah!"
"You are a concubine, you are lowly, Nanxia is not lowly! These two slaps are for you, the lowly one!"
"You gossip and talk nonsense all day long. These two slaps are for you who stir up trouble!"
"As a mother, you didn't care about your daughter's life or death and pushed her to become a concubine. These two slaps are for you who are not a mother!"
Pa, pa, pa, a series of crisp slaps landed on Aunt Zhao's face, making her stagger.
Tong Nanyuan slapped herself so hard that her hands hurt. She finally vented her anger. She looked at Tong Nanxia who was sitting beside her and pulled her up. "From now on, you will live with me and your grandmother!"
She forcibly took Tong Nanxia away. After Tong Nanxia left the yard, a loud wailing sound came from the house.
"Oh! My Nanxia!"
But this time, Tong Nanxia did not stop and did not go back to see her mother.
After both of them arrived at Lu Lingyun's yard, Tong Nanyuan turned to look at Tong Nanxia and said approvingly, "You finally didn't make things difficult for me today."
If Tong Nanxia still helped her mother today, Tong Nanyuan would feel like vomiting blood.
Today, she finally got rid of her anger.
Hearing this, Tong Nanxia suddenly felt extremely aggrieved. Her eyes instantly turned red and tears began to fall.
"Why are you crying again! Now that you're here, who would bully you?" Tong Nanyuan said with disdain.
Tong Nanxia couldn't stop crying. She sobbed, "I thought you, Third Sister, would never forgive me in this life."
"I am angry with you, but you are my sister!" Tong Nanyuan wiped her tears, "I am so unlucky to have a useless sister like you, who is bullied by the aunt and servants all day long! You are useless at all!"
Tong Nanxia burst into laughter and said, "Third sister, why are you here?"
"Of course my cousin asked me to go. She said that you would definitely be bullied by your mother today."
Tong Nanyuan is very kind-hearted. She scolds Tong Nanxia all day long, but she still can't let her go. Today, Wang Peirong came to discuss the marriage, and when she heard that Tong Nanxia was going to be a concubine, she became anxious.
Tong Nanxia is as soft-hearted as dough, and she wants to marry into a rich family as a concubine. She won't even know how she will be bullied to death.
Fortunately, her great-grandmother was a sensible person and rejected the marriage. Just as she was breathing a sigh of relief, Lu Lingjun told her that Tong Nanxia would definitely suffer in the next two days.
As Lu Lingjun expected, as soon as she arrived at Aunt Zhao's place, she heard her madly insulting her.
"cousin..."
"Don't get along with your mother anymore. Just follow me and my cousin. We are the ones who won't bully you."
Tong Nanxia's eyes turned red again. She thought of Lu Lingjun's coldness towards her, "I thought my cousin disliked me."
"Who wouldn't dislike you for having no opinion? Your mother bullies you so much, why don't you leave her? We are all helping you, but you are trying to sabotage us. Who can like you when you are so confused?"
Tong Nanxia lowered her head deeply.
"Okay, now you know who the good guy is, follow me."
Tong Nanxia pursed her lips slightly, "Yeah."
Tong Nanxia moved into Lu Lingjun's yard.
I simply ignored Aunt Zhao for the past two days.
After not seeing Aunt Zhao, she became visibly happier.
Outside Lu Lingyun's yard, Qin and others were still waiting for news from Duke Liu's mansion, but there was no news for several days.
As time went by, people became more and more anxious.
Tong Nanxia finished her meal in Lu Lingyun's yard today. While strolling outside, she met Cheng Qi who looked hurried.
He walked so quickly that a handkerchief fell off his body.
Tong Nanxia hurriedly called out, "Second Master Cheng?"
Cheng Qi didn't hear it at all and continued walking forward, heading straight for Ningxin Courtyard.
Seeing that she failed to catch up with Cheng Qi, Tong Nanxia picked up his handkerchief and stood where she was. She looked carefully at the handkerchief embroidered with orchids in front of her, and felt a little puzzled. Why did Cheng Qi use such a handkerchief?
But soon, she thought of the way Cheng Qi picked up her handkerchief that day, and she was suddenly moved and couldn't help but smile.
At this moment, she heard a voice coming from behind her, "What a slut, no wonder you don't want to be a concubine, it turns out you have someone in your heart, why are you so dissolute and lowly!"