Old Friend

Upon arriving in Jiangqian, one should familiarize oneself with the local customs and traditions, as well as the affairs of the Lin Residence and the Inner Residences of Jiangqian officials.

That's more like the real Miss Lin.

When Lin Yunwan wasn't arguing with Lin Yunjiao, she would listen to the Madam and young women around her talking about Jiangqian.

She also inquired about temples in Jiangqian. Hearing unmarried girls talking about going out, she asked them, "Which temple is the most efficacious?"

They turned and glanced at her, but didn't speak to her. Some, being more polite, at least said, "We're not entirely sure, Miss Lin, you should ask someone else!"

Some people said sarcastically, "Isn't your own sister right here? Why don't you ask her? Are you feeling guilty about something so small?"

Someone tugged at her sleeve, trying to stop the girl from saying anything more.

Lin Yunwan smiled.

Guilty conscience?

Why did she feel guilty in front of Lin Yunjiao?

She'd only been gone a short time, how many bad things had Lin Yunjiao said about her?

Lin Yunwan glanced at Lin Yunjiao.

Lin Yunjiao smiled.

She was telling the truth! Everyone here is reasonable, so of course we're not on the side of that country girl.

Lin Yunwan's expression remained indifferent, and she didn't say anything more in the crowd.

She sat next to Lin Yunjiao, her eyes slightly aloof, yet she possessed an air of detachment.

... She really does seem like a girl raised in a place blessed with beautiful scenery and talented people.

No one doubted this.

"There's a Ci'en Temple in Jiangqian, it's very efficacious. It's usually very popular."

A young woman with her hair styled in a traditional Chinese updo spoke to Lin Yunwan.

Lin Yunwan turned her head and looked over. The woman was about the same age as her and was holding a little girl in her arms, who looked like her daughter.

"Thanks."

She said.

The woman smiled, but appeared very reserved.

Lin Yunwan didn't press the matter further. A young wife shouldn't talk too much with an unmarried girl, lest people gossip.

Such a young daughter-in-law must have come with her mother-in-law. Although we haven't seen her mother-in-law yet, we shouldn't make things difficult for her.

"Mom, go downstairs, go downstairs to play."

The woman's daughter couldn't sit still any longer and wanted to go downstairs.

The woman said, "Little Miss, don't run around. The Old Madam will be here soon."

The little girl shook her head, speaking very clearly, "Mom, my legs are numb."

The woman had no choice but to whisper to the wet nurse beside her, "Take the Little Miss for a walk, and come back quickly."

The wet nurse's way is...

The woman dared not leave her seat without permission, remaining well-behaved below the Opera Stage. She rarely changed her posture, as if afraid of losing her composure in the slightest.

She's clearly very much controlled by her in-laws.

Lin Yunwan sighed inwardly, but there was nothing she could do.

The woman's daughter returned quickly. She tried to sit on her mother's lap but almost slipped and fell. The woman reached out to hug her daughter, and accidentally exposed part of her arm, which had bruises and marks from being strangled!

"You..."

Lin Yunwan looked at her arm, and her heart sank. This injury was so severe; it couldn't have been from a fall!

The woman quickly hid her arm and whispered to Lin Yunwan, "Don't look!"

Lin Yunwan nodded cautiously.

The woman hugged her unsuspecting daughter, her face calm to the point of numbness, as if she no longer cared that the injury on her arm was a serious matter.

Lin Yunwan remained silent for a long time before whispering, "Go back and apply some medicine."

The woman turned to look at her and smiled, "The medicine has a smell, Little Miss, you'll be able to smell it."

She can wipe it once, but not repeatedly, otherwise the smell will linger.

Lin Yunwan shook hands.

The woman seemed very happy that Lin Yunwan was talking to her, and when she teased her daughter about the stage, her voice became cheerful. "That's a female role, isn't she singing well?"

The Little Miss nodded and said, "It sounds nice."

Lin Yunwan gently curled the corners of her lips as she heard the mother and daughter talking.

A loving child is a mother's greatest comfort.

Like Chang Gong.

"Miss Lin, you..."

The child fell asleep instantly, and the woman, holding her drowsy daughter, spoke with Lin Yunwan.

Lin Yunwan looked at her curiously. "What's wrong?"

The woman said with a complicated expression, "I... I am Dong Shuangshuang, the eldest daughter of the Dong family."

Dong Shuangshuang?

This was, of course, a completely unfamiliar name; Lin Yunwan certainly wouldn't recognize it.

She exclaimed in surprise, "Miss Dong? You... your daughter is so grown up!"

Dong Shuangshuang hugged her daughter tightly, her eyes a little red. "You remember me?"

Lin Yunwan breathed a sigh of relief, "No wonder you helped me out earlier. I didn't even recognize you."

Dong Shuangshuang shook her head, thinking it was a trivial matter, and whispered to her, "It's nothing. Are you doing well at the Lin family's?"

Lin Yunwan said she was fine.

Dong Shuangshuang didn't believe it. She smiled bitterly and said, "Your mother treated me so well when I was little, I never expected..."

I never expected that everyone would have the same experience.

Her mother died, and her father married a mean-spirited stepmother, marrying her into her mean husband's family.

Dong Shuangshuang was filled with mixed emotions. If it weren't for her stepmother, she wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state.

She said to Lin Yunwan, "Your Old Madam is a reasonable person, Yun Wan, please don't end up like me..."

When her mother-in-law arrived, she was so frightened that she dared not speak much to Lin Yunwan.

Seeing Dong Shuangshuang's flustered appearance, Lin Yunwan felt extremely uncomfortable.

She was in a bad mood until it was time to leave the Prince Huan's Residence.

For some reason, Lin Yunjiao was extremely pleased with herself.

Xiruo said angrily, "Miss, the Second Miss is spreading rumors about you everywhere."

Although a louse bite won't kill you, it's still annoying!

The original Miss Lin was already pitiful, and her younger sister still bullied her like this!

Lin Yunwan instructed Xiruo, "Go find her maid and ask her what she said about me."

When Lin Yunwan returned to the Lin Residence, she finally found out.

Xiruo gritted her teeth and said, "Miss, the Second Miss is telling everyone that when you were little, you deliberately bumped into Madam's stomach and almost killed her, which is why you were kicked out of the manor. The young ladies who went to the banquet at the Prince's manor today all think you are a vicious person!"

No wonder they all stared at her like that, even though she didn't inquire about the temple that supposedly had Jiangqian's efficacies.

Lin Yunwan: "She really knows how to distort the truth."

Xiruo frowned and said, "Miss, you must find a way to explain this clearly. Miss Lin suffered enough while she was alive. And now she's still so wronged even in death!"

"That's natural."

Lin Yunwan considered it for a moment and then instructed Xiruo inquire about a few things.

Xiruo already very good at asking around. She was kind and gentle to obedient servants, but she would settle things with her fists for those who were disobedient.

The people around Zheng Shi and Lin Yunjiao are usually arrogant and disdainful of others, but they are also the type to bully the weak and fear the strong, and they are very susceptible to her behavior.

The banquet at Prince Huan's Residence has ended.

Qi Lingheng had already sobered up in the study.

A Fu came into the study and said, "Nanny Wang, your uncle, Madam are all waiting for you."

Qi Lingheng had just opened the thank-you gift left by Lin Yunwan, and after closing it, he said, "I'll be right there."