Chapter 9: Past Events

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Since Ling came back, Yonghe Hall has become more lively than before.

Mrs. Ling couldn't bear to leave her daughter, so she let Ling live in Yonghe Hall. The brothers Lu Hong and Lu Qian lived in the guest room and came to pay their respects every day. The daughters-in-law, grandchildren, granddaughters-in-law and granddaughters came to pay their respects every morning and evening, and even the fourth and fifth masters Ling showed up.

Although the main hall of Yonghe Hall is spacious, it seems 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 in a low voice.

Ling Jingshu habitually stood beside Ling Xiao and asked in a low voice: "Ah Xiao, where did you go yesterday? Why didn't I see you all day?"

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

Ling Xiao smiled and replied, "My eldest brother took my third brother to the family school. Seeing that I had nothing to do, he asked me to go and listen." He paused and sighed, "But there are many things I don't understand."

A look of disappointment appeared on his handsome face.

After he became blind, he could no longer read and write. This was Ling Xiao's biggest regret.

The servants around Ling Xiao could read and often read books to him. However, no one explained the meaning of the scriptures to him, and he only understood half of what he heard. When he went to the family school, he didn't understand most of it.

Ling Jingshu felt sad, took Ling Xiao's hand, and comforted him softly: "Ah Xiao, if you like to read, there are ways."

"Ah Shu, don't comfort me." Ling Xiao muttered listlessly: "I can't see, how can I read."

Ling Jingshu smiled and said: "You have a servant who reads to you every day. If you don't understand, you can ask your father or a few cousins. Or ask your father to let a servant go to the house to study for you every day, and then tell you what you have learned in detail."

Except for the inconvenience of practicing calligraphy, it is not much different.

Ling Xiao's face lit up, and he subconsciously clenched Ling Jingshu's hand, his voice full of joy and surprise: "A Shu, how can you come up with such a good idea!"

Ling Jingshu saw Ling Xiao so happy, and she felt relieved: "I have been thinking about this these days. A Xiao, you like to read, so think of a way to continue reading, don't waste it. Let your father see your hard work."

She had other plans in mind, but there were so many people at the moment, so it was inconvenient to tell Ling Xiao in detail.

Ling Xiao was simple by nature, and couldn't hide his thoughts. The joy in his heart was almost on his face.

"Second brother, what are you and your sister talking about here so happily?"

A clear young man's voice sounded in his ears.

Ling Xiao's hearing was extremely sensitive, and he "looked" over accurately and called him "big brother".

Ling Jingshu smiled slightly and looked over.

The fifteen-year-old boy was wearing an apricot brocade robe, with a handsome and heroic face and a smile on his face. He looked at Ling Jingshu and her brother with a very kind look.

This young man is none other than his illegitimate brother Ling Ting!

......

Ling Ting's biological mother, Aunt Xia, was originally named Xia He.

Xia He was beautiful and had served Ling Wuye since she was a child. They had quite a lot of affection for each other. Later, she became Ling Wuye's maid. Not long after Yao married, Xia He became pregnant.

Yao was naturally upset, but after all, she was a new wife and had not yet established a foothold in her husband's family. It was inconvenient for her to take action against a maid. A few months later, Yao also became pregnant. She was concentrating on taking care of the fetus and had no time to ask about the pregnant Xia He.

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

Fortunately, within half a year, Yao gave birth to a pair of twins, a dragon and a phoenix, and the depression and grievance in her heart were immediately swept away. Even though Aunt Xia was favored, she could not shake Yao's position.

Unfortunately, Yao was unlucky. When Ling Jingshu and her brother were five years old, she fell seriously ill and died. A year later, Ling Wuye married Li, his second wife.

Li's father was only a sixth-rank official, and his family background was not as good as Yao's. In terms of appearance and talent, he was far inferior. However, Li was very smart and skillful. While trying to please her, she also won over the favored concubine Xia, and soon gained a foothold in the inner house.

Two years later, Li became pregnant and handed over all the trivial matters in the yard to concubine Xia.

It was also in this year that Ling Xiao, who was talented and intelligent, fell down beside the rockery and hit his head heavily on the rockery, bleeding profusely. After that, he became blind and could no longer see.

Old Lady Ling was furious and questioned all the servants who were nearby that day, but could not find any clues, so she had to give up helplessly.

Ling Wuye felt sorry for his son, and all his anger was directed at concubine Xia, who was in charge of the yard. After scolding her angrily, he ordered people to lock up concubine Xia, and never stepped into concubine Xia's house again.

Concubine Xia could not survive for two years and died of depression.

Li, who was resting in bed and taking care of her baby, seemed to have nothing to do with all this. After Concubine Xia was placed under house arrest, she even pleaded for Concubine Xia and acted as a good person.

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

There were three sons and one daughter in the fifth room. Ling Ting was born out of wedlock, and his mother was despised by Master Ling Wu, so he did not have a high status in the mansion. Ling Xiao was born out of wedlock, but he became a disabled person because of his blindness. Although Ling Jingshu was beautiful and favored by the old lady, she was a daughter after all and had to get married.

In this way, Ling Yu, the youngest, became the one with the highest status in the fifth room and was the most favored by Master Ling Wu.

From then on, no one in Master Ling Wu's yard could be a threat to Li.

A few years later, Ling Jingshu married into the Lu family, and Ling Xiao "died of an accident" before the wedding. Li's thorns in her eyes were finally removed, and she felt so relieved.

......

Because of the accident that year, Ling Xiao lost his sight, and Aunt Xia lost her favor and her life.

Ling Ting didn't say it, but he couldn't have no grudges in his heart. He and Ling Jingshu maintained superficial courtesy between the siblings, and they didn't have much contact on weekdays and were not close.

No one knew that all this was Li's secret trickery. Killing two birds with one stone, she not only murdered Ling Xiao, but also got rid of Aunt Xia who was in favor.

Ling Jingshu also had a knot in her heart about Ling Ting. But now she has known the truth of the year, and when she looks at Ling Ting again, she no longer has the resentment and indifference of the year, but has a little more pity.

"......Brother, Ah Shu just thought of a way for me. Let the servant beside me go to the family school to study for me every day, and then come back to tell me in detail." Ling Xiao told Ling Ting excitedly: "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, and it's inconvenient to go to the family school every day. It's a good idea to let the servant run for you. Although you can't practice calligraphy and can't take the imperial examination, 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 little.

Yes, no matter how many books he reads, what can he do. A blind man who can't write is not qualified to take the imperial examination, let alone enter the 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 and reason," Ling Jingshu's smiling voice sounded in Ling Xiao's ears: "Reading more is always beneficial. As for what you can and should do in the future, it's all about the future, no need to think too much now."

While speaking, she glanced at Ling Ting calmly.

Her eyes, which were always gentle and peaceful, actually revealed a bit of coldness.

Ling Ting's heart was secretly startled, and he subconsciously stopped talking.

Ling Jingshu smiled and coaxed Ling Xiao again: "Ah Xiao, can I accompany you to find your father later?"

After Ling Xiao became blind, he stayed in the mansion all day and rarely contacted outsiders. He was innocent and simple, not as calm as teenagers of the same age, and still had a child's temper. He was a little depressed, but after being coaxed by Ling Jingshu's soft voice, he soon became happy again: "Okay, I'll listen to you."

......

Lu Hong stood beside Ling. When the elders talked, Lu Hong was absent-minded and couldn't listen at all. His eyes fell on Ling Jingshu not far away from time to time.

I don't know what Ling Jingshu is talking to Ling Xiao, her face is full of gentle smiles, and her eyes are as gentle as spring water, which makes people feel moved...

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

Thinking of the previous setbacks, Lu Hong was even more frustrated.

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

His eyes were focused and complicated, containing hidden joy and uneasiness.

The two brothers were restless and absent-minded, and didn't pay attention to what Ling was saying.

"Ah Hong, Ah Qian," Ling shouted but no one answered, and couldn't help frowning, and raised his voice a little: "What are you two thinking about, why don't you answer when I call you."

Ling's raised voice immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Lu Hong's face flushed slightly, and he quickly collected his thoughts: "I wonder what mother wants to tell you?"

Ling smiled and said, "We set off early that day and arrived in Dingzhou first. The master was busy with official business, and he told me at the time that we would set off a few days later. I estimate that we should arrive in two days. You two have nothing to do in the mansion, so pay more attention to the news from the dock. Go to the dock to pick up your father when the time comes."

Lu Hong agreed without hesitation.

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

Ling Jingshu's pretty face stiffened and pale in an instant, and her body trembled slightly. She didn't want others to notice her abnormality, so she quickly lowered her eyelids to cover up all the pain and resentment in her eyes.

Everyone was listening to Ling's words. No one noticed Ling Jingshu's abnormal reaction, only Lu Qian saw it clearly.

Lu Qian's eyes flashed with shock and understanding. Endless pain and helplessness were stirring in his heart, as if they were about to break through his thin chest.

......