Zheng Jin looked at Lin Jingyue beside him, a flash of pleasant surprise in his eyes. The Xu family were all notoriously stubborn, his grandmother included; once they decided against something, no amount of wheedling would change their minds. He could not fathom what great service Jingyue had rendered to make Xu Wenzhou break his own rules for him.
Lin Jingyue merely gave him a slight shake of her head. Xu Wenzhou was simply giving face to the Old Madame, using her help as a convenient excuse to reluctantly accept Zheng Jin. It was not, as he had suggested, a mere gift of introduction.
The Old Madame understood this even better. Aglow with excitement, she called out, "Someone, go to the treasury and fetch those two stalks of wild ginseng I’ve been keeping. Wenzhou, take them back with you to help your father nourish his health."
Xu Wenzhou did not refuse. He smiled and began to discuss with the Old Madame in a low voice about finding a suitable time for Zheng Jin to attend Guanxian Academy, suggesting that she might as well pay the Xu family a visit to catch up while she was at it.
The Marquis of Chengyuan had invited Xu Wenzhou over hoping to secure a future for the two children born to Marquise He. Seeing Zheng Jin swoop in instead left him feeling both stirred and deeply frustrated. Marquise He was even more displeased. She had handed over a hundred taels of gold for nothing—wasn't the whole point to make Xu Wenzhou think highly of their manor and accept her two sons? Who would have thought that, with a house full of their own Tang kin, he would choose an outsider instead!
Unable to hold her tongue, she set down her chopsticks and interjected with a smile, "Zheng Jin is preparing for the Military Examination, where the requirements for literary study aren't as stringent. Tang Yinyuan and his brother, however, have spent years in hard study and are just lacking a tutor to guide them. Wouldn't you agree, Jingyue?"
Lin Jingyue wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, offering no response.
Tang Yingliu had never liked her, and seeing this, she grew even more annoyed. "Mother is speaking to you. To not even offer a reply—how can you be so ill-bred? Did those merchants never teach you to answer your elders promptly?"
"Tang Yingliu," Zheng Jin warned, his voice rising before Lin Jingyue could speak, "how are you talking to your sister? Before you question her, try managing your own behavior." He didn't care how they belittled or stepped on him, but no one was allowed to bully his own sister.
Tang Yingliu’s face flushed a deep red. Her eldest brother had never scolded her before; to do so now, in front of everyone, for the sake of someone who had just returned home, was unbearable. It was all Lin Jingyue's fault!
Marquise He hurriedly tried to smooth things over for her daughter. "Yingliu only spoke out of filial piety, unable to bear seeing her mother ignored. Jin'er, you are her elder brother, you should—"
"The Step-Marquise seems to have forgotten that I am not your son." Zheng Jin glanced at the silent Marquis of Chengyuan before turning to see Lin Jingyue set down her chopsticks. He rose and bowed respectfully to the Old Madame. "Grandmother, Jingyue has just returned to the manor and may still feel like a stranger here. I will take her back to Ximing Courtyard first, and I will come another time to receive your guidance."
Marquise He’s face darkened with humiliation. The Old Madame, having been on an emotional rollercoaster all day, felt utterly exhausted. She nodded. "That is fine."
The Old Madame knew that Marquise He and her children were troublemakers. Rather than letting Jingyue stay in the hall to watch them sing in chorus, it was better to let her return to her own courtyard for some peace.
With the Old Madame’s permission, Zheng Jin didn't even glance at the Marquis or the others. He picked up the gift Lin Jingyue had brought and said, "Let's go. Your big brother will take you to see your courtyard. We can change anything you aren't satisfied with."
Lin Jingyue smiled and nodded.
Before the two had even left the main hall, the two Tang brothers eagerly crowded around Xu Wenzhou. Just as they were about to call out "Uncle," Xu Wenzhou stood up abruptly and bowed to the Old Madame.
"Aunt, I have urgent matters at home, so I must take my leave. Please, there is no need to send anyone to see me off. I happen to have something to discuss with Jingyue and Zheng Jin, so I will just have them walk me to the gate."
The Marquis and his wife were anxious, casting pleading glances at the Old Madame. The Old Madame shut her eyes, pretending not to see her son’s desperation, and gave a slight nod.
***
At the Lin family estate, after securing the two shops, Lin Jingyan kept recalling how Lin Jingyue had managed them in her past life. Unlike her, Lin Jingyue had not been favored by their father, nor had she been personally led to the shops to be introduced to the managers and staff.
Especially with the small grocery shop she had acquired, the manager was a trusted aide Lin Hengan had brought from Jiangnan. Lin Jingyue had spent a great deal of effort and time just to get a handle on the situation. Now, Lin Jingyan held every advantage; the shop staff were already obedient to her. It was the perfect time to make her move! If she teamed up with her father to open the north-south trade routes and expand into foreign commerce, the Lin family would surely restore its former glory—no, it would be even more prosperous than before!
Of course, the wealth and prestige of the Lin family would have nothing to do with Lin Jingyue.
Lady Jiang sat nearby, idly clicking her abacus. Even though Yan’er had dreamt that the Chengyuan Marquis Manor would eventually be beheaded, and she wanted no part of their downfall, the Marquis was still a title granted by the Emperor—a status far above their merchant standing. The thought of all that power and status going to Lin Jingyue left Lady Jiang feeling unsettled.
The abacus clattered louder. Lin Jingyan noticed Lady Jiang’s irritability. Just as she was about to speak, a pageboy hurried in carrying a box, smiling. "Mistress, Miss, someone from the Chengyuan Marquis Manor has delivered a gift! They said it is to thank the Master and Mistress for raising the young lady so well!"
Lin Jingyan was stunned. "A gift? What did they send?" In her past life, after she had returned to the Marquis Manor, neither the Marquis nor even the Old Madame had asked a single word about the Lin family, let alone sent a gift.
The pageboy placed the wooden box on the table, gesturing for them to open it. "They said it is two hundred taels of silver as a token of gratitude, but... since the ties have been severed, they ask that you no longer have any dealings with Miss Jingyue."
Lin Jingyan opened the box. The sight of the neatly arranged silver ingots stung her eyes, leaving her with a sour feeling. Two hundred taels—it was a trifling sum for either the Lin family or the Marquis Manor. Why had the manor acted as if the matter didn't exist in her previous life?
"The Lin family raised Lin Jingyue for fifteen years, and the Marquis Manor sends only this? It seems they don't value this newly reclaimed daughter much at all." Lin Jingyan sneered, turning her head away, then asked casually, "Did anything happen at the Chengyuan Marquis Manor today?"
The pageboy, having been instructed to keep a close watch on major events in the Capital, especially regarding the Marquis Manor, thought for a moment. "Nothing major. Just that the Second Miss—no, Lin Jingyue—returned to the manor with the Old Madame..."
Lin Jingyan frowned. "And when the Old Madame returned to the manor, was she injured?"
The pageboy shook his head.
How could that be?! In her past life, when she had bumped into the Old Madame at the gates of the Marquis Manor, the woman had been whipped three times by some unknown assailant, covered in blood, and the entire manor had been in turmoil that night. Even though she had entered the gates with the Old Madame, the label of "bringer of misfortune" had been pinned on her. People said that as soon as she returned, the Old Madame met with a great disaster; she was cursed and had brought it upon her. Even after the Old Madame recovered, she had rebuked the gossiping servants, but her attitude toward Lin Jingyan had remained cold and distant.
Lin Jingyan bit her lip, causing Lady Jiang, who was counting the silver, to glance at her in bewilderment.