After that, Ling Jingshu never said another word.
After greetings, everyone in each room left. Only Mrs. Ling and her two brothers, Lu Hong, stayed behind to talk to Mrs. Ling.
Ling Jingshu took Ling Xiao and went to Hexiang Courtyard together.
When Yao was still alive, Ling Jingshu and Ling Xiao lived with Yao in Hexiang Courtyard. Naturally, I am very familiar with this place. After Yao died of illness, Hexiangyuan soon welcomed a new hostess.
After the Li family moved in, it was inconvenient for Ling Jingshu and her sister to live in Hexiang Courtyard, so they moved to Qiushui Pavilion together. Later, Ling Xiao accidentally became blind. Mrs. Ling took pity on him and let Ling Xiao live in Yonghe Hall to take care of him personally.
When Ling Jingshu went to Yonghe Hall to greet Mrs. Ling every day, she also wanted to greet Mrs. Li. Visitors to the Lotus Fragrance Courtyard are getting fewer and fewer.
After her rebirth, this was the first time Ling Jingshu set foot here.
Li's appearance skills have always been thorough, and what's more, the fifth master Ling is here today. He takes Ling Jingshu's hand and greets her with a loving mother's attitude: "... These days, I have been thinking about your body in my heart. , you can’t eat well and sleep well. Now that you are finally completely healed, I can finally feel relieved... "
Seeing Mrs. Li who was pretending to be malicious, Ling Jingshu felt indescribable disgust in her heart.
Ling Jingshu suddenly lost the patience to be conciliatory, withdrew her hand, and responded with a half-smile: "I'm not a few years old anymore. I can take care of myself, so I don't have to worry about my mother."
Li: "..."
Li originally wanted to act nice in front of Fifth Master Ling, but she never expected that Ling Jingshu would push her back so hard. She lost face and felt sulky. Her face turned red and white, then white and red again.
Ling Ting looked at this scene with a rather subtle expression.
Fifth Master Ling also raised his eyebrows in surprise, but didn't say anything.
Ling Huo, who was only six years old, didn't understand what happened for a while. He only found it strange that everyone was silent: "Mom, why did you suddenly stop talking?"
Li Shi forced a smile: "It's nothing." Then she looked at Master Ling Wu as if nothing had happened, and said with a smile: "It's rare that the master is in the house today, the whole family is gathered in the Hexiang Courtyard, I will go to the kitchen right now. Give the order. Let the kitchen prepare some good wine and food."
Fifth Master Ling hummed.
For a small matter like going to the kitchen, Mrs. Li doesn't actually need to do it herself. She only needs to tell the maid to run errands.
Mrs. Li acted so warmly, firstly to show her virtuousness in front of her husband, and secondly because she was so choked by Ling Jingshu that she wanted to avoid her to calm down.
After being a virtuous and generous stepmother for so many years, she must not expose herself in front of her husband.
Li's smiling face disappeared without a trace when she left the main hall and no one could see her, and her face became gloomy. A frightening chill flashed in his eyes.
... ..
"Ah Shu, come here." Ling Wuye frowned and ordered in a deep voice.
Ling Jingshu walked forward calmly.
Without thinking too much, you can guess what Master Ling Wu is going to say next. It's nothing more than "women should be submissive, chaste and quiet and not disobey their elders" or something like that. She has heard these words countless times since she was a child...
"A woman should be docile and chaste. She must not speak disrespectfully and contradict her elders, let alone be disobedient and unfilial." Ling Wuye reprimanded with a look of displeasure: "You have always been sensible and obedient. Why did you speak to your mother in that tone just now?"
Submissive, chaste and quiet, sensible and obedient!
It was these eight words that ruined her life. Now that she was lucky enough to be reborn, how could she be as submissive as she was in her previous life
"After my mother passed away, I moved to Qiushui Pavilion. At that time, I was only six years old."
Ling Jingshu raised her eyes and looked directly at Mr. Ling Wu with a calm and indifferent expression: "In the past eight years, I have been fortunate to have my grandmother take care of me. But my grandmother has to take care of all the trivial matters in the house and has no time to ask me about everything. Most of the time, I take care of myself. Myself. Father, what was wrong with what I just said?"
Ling Wuye never expected that Ling Jingshu would contradict her and have such a tough attitude. His anger suddenly surged up: "Ling Jingshu! Where did you learn the female precepts? Is this how you talk to your parents?"
Ling Wuye is twenty-two years old this year. He has a handsome appearance and an extraordinary bearing. He has the bearing of a famous man. His speech and behavior are reserved and elegant. It's rare to be as angry as he is right now.
Everyone was shocked when Fifth Master Ling got angry.
Ling Ting said nothing, and the youngest Ling Huan was too frightened to speak.
Ling Xiao's beautiful face turned pale. He followed the voice and took a few steps forward, grabbing Ling Jingshu's arm hurriedly: "Ah Shu, what's wrong with you? How can you contradict your father! Why don't you apologize to your father quickly! "
At this time, filial piety is most important. It is not an exaggeration to say that the word filial piety is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.
It would not be a good thing for Ling Jingshu if she had a reputation of being disobedient and unfilial.
When Ling Xiao was anxious, he couldn't help but use a little more strength.
Ling Jingshu glanced at Ling Xiao reassuringly, thinking that Ling Xiao couldn't see, so she softened her voice: "Axiao, I'm not contradicting my father. I'm just explaining the facts to my father. My father always loves us and is the most reasonable and will not blame me. of."
After putting on the two tall hats, the anger on Master Ling's face faded slightly.
Ling Jingshu coaxed Ling Xiao, and then turned to look at Fifth Master Ling. The calm indifference on her face was replaced by a sincere and sincere expression: "Father, my daughter has been bedridden these days, and my mother has also visited her. As a stepmother, , I am very grateful to be able to do this. The words my daughter said to her mother just now were not sarcastic."
Listening to these words, Master Ling felt a trace of discomfort on his face.
Ling Jingshu had been ill for so many days, and Li even visited her once, but his biological father had never set foot in Qiushui Pavilion...
Once a person feels guilty, he will no longer have the confidence to speak. Ling Wuye's tone softened: "Forget it this time. Just pay attention to your attitude when speaking from now on."
Ling Jingshu lowered her eyes slightly and responded softly: "My daughter will obey her father's teachings."
His tone was still gentle and respectful, just like before.
The sharp and cold Ling Jingshu just now seemed to be just everyone's illusion.
Ling Wuye's anger was gone, and he couldn't help but ask a few questions with concern.
Ling Jingshu answered one by one, but she sneered in her heart.
When his mother Yao was still alive, Ling Wuye and Yao had a relatively harmonious relationship, and they also loved their direct children. It's a pity that Yao's life was so short, and he left his sister and brother to die early.
After Mrs. Li came through the door, she quickly won over Master Ling's heart. Ling Jingshu and her sister moved out of Hexiangyuan again, and their chances of contacting Fifth Master Ling became less and less. After Ling Huan was born, most of Ling Wuye's attention was focused on Ling Huan, and he paid less and less attention to Ling Jingshu's siblings.
If Ling Jingshu hadn't tried her best to please Old Mrs. Ling and won the old lady's special attention and favor, the two siblings would not be in their current situation.
In Master Ling's heart, future and face are the most important things. Back then, the Lu family had her under house arrest. In order to silence Master Ling, they specifically offered him the position of Zhengzhou's general judge. After weighing the matter carefully, Ling Wuye accepted the "good intention" of the Lu family and happily took his wife and children to his appointment.
Completely ignoring her daughter who suffered humiliation in the Lu family.
It is so sad to have such a father!
... ...
Thinking of the past, Ling Jingshu's resentment surged in her heart.
However, now is definitely not the time to break up. If you want to deal with the Li family, you must start with Ling Wuye. Even for Ling Xiao, I have to force myself to endure it now.
"A-Xiao and I came here specially today because we have something important to ask my father." Ling Jingshu started to talk, but stopped: "A-Xiao, you can talk to your father yourself!"
Ling Xiao calmed down and mustered up the courage to speak: "Father, I stay in the house all day long, wasting my time, and I feel really ashamed. I want to continue studying!"
Ling Wuye was a little surprised and subconsciously responded: "How can you still read if you can't see your eyes?"
The disapproval in his tone made Ling Xiao, who was already worried, feel cold in his heart and the smile froze on his face. The next words were stuck in his throat.
"The eyes can't see, but the ears can still hear." Ling Jingshu quickly took over the words: "There is a literate boy around A Xiao, who often reads to A Xiao on weekdays. It's just that the boy has limited knowledge and can only read. , but I don’t understand its meaning. If you can choose someone who is literate and smart, he can go to A Xiao’s home to study every day. After he understands it, he will come back and tell A Xiao again. With A Xiao’s intelligence, it will definitely be of great benefit. "
The Ling family's family education is quite famous in Dingzhou, and most of the lecturers in the family education are well-educated Confucian scholars hired with large sums of money. The children and grandchildren of the same clan of the Ling family all studied at home schools, and some in-laws and distant relatives came to study at home schools through roundabout ways.
It would not be difficult for Mr. Ling Wu to arrange for a boy to study at home.
Ling Wuye thought for a moment and then agreed: "It's a good thing that Ah Xiao wants to study. Even if you can't get any honors in the future, studying more will always be beneficial. I'll send someone to tell you later that you can pick a boy tomorrow. Homeschooling.”
I didn't expect the matter to be resolved so easily.
Ling Xiao was overjoyed and hurriedly thanked him: "Thank you, father."
Seeing Ling Xiao so happy, Ling Jingshu also felt happy.
Ling Wuye praised Ling Xiao a few words and then looked at Ling Ting: "Ating, you have to take the childbirth examination this year. You need to work hard these days. Look at Lu Hong, he is only one year older than you and has already passed the county examination. After taking the Imperial Examination and becoming a scholar, you have to work harder."
Ling Ting responded respectfully.
Ling Huan is only six years old and started reading last year. Lord Ling Wu would not reprimand him, he would just test a few sentences. Mrs. Li went to the kitchen and quickly turned around. I happened to meet Ling Wuye who was taking the test against Ling Huo.
Ling Huo answered in a decent manner, and Fifth Master Ling was quite satisfied.
Mrs. Li also felt that her face was bright, and the depression and unhappiness in her heart were immediately swept away, and she was secretly pleased with herself.
Ling Ting is just a concubine, and Ling Xiao is blind and disabled. In the future, will the five houses have to be supported by Ling Huo? (To be continued)