Chapter 556 Grandmother

For three consecutive days, Lin Yuesha went to the Xu family next door every morning to teach Madam Xu how to make mooncakes and dumplings. Madam Xu had already mastered this skill and planned to show off her skills during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

"Moon Sa, you'll need to practice horse stance for the next month or two. Once your lower body is stable, I'll teach you the moves."

Madam Xu put down her teacup and said with some reluctance, "You don't need to be so careful when you go to the Lin residence. If Qin dares to use underhanded tricks against you, your aunt will definitely storm the Lin residence and throw Qin into a tree branch."

Anyway, it doesn't matter if I throw it away. At worst, the Qin family will come knocking on my door. They did the same thing when I threw away Zhou's things.

"Auntie, please rest assured, Yue Sha will not suffer any loss."

After chatting with Madam Xu for a few minutes, Lin Yuesha went home early to prepare. She and her mother, Madam Chen, had agreed to go to the examination center to pick up the examinee.

It wasn't until dusk that the candidates began to leave the house. Many of them collapsed to the ground as soon as they stepped outside, and people rushed forward, crying, to pull them up.

"Big brother!"

A moment later, Xiao Qi emerged from the crowd.

He seemed even thinner after three days apart. His figure stood out in the crowd. Although he looked exhausted, he stood as steadfast as a pine or bamboo.

"Mother, little sister."

The distant horizon was ablaze with red, and Lin Yuesha, dressed in red, stood with her back to the setting sun, half of her face hidden in shadow, only a wide smile on her lips.

Xiao Qi unconsciously smiled slightly, feeling a sense of pleasure emanating from within.

"Big brother, Mom and I have come to take you home."

Lin Yuesha took two steps forward and naturally took her stepbrother's hand. Hot water had been prepared at home, and the meal was almost ready, just waiting for Lin Yuesha to cook it again.

Why don't you ask me how my exam went?

Xiao Qi boarded the carriage, his heart and eyes filled with Lin Yuesha. He wanted many things, not just to regain his identity, but his thoughts were something he could never tell her.

"Why ask this? The exam is over anyway."

Lin Yuesha didn't care about Xiao Qi's grades. If her stepbrother passed the exam, she would have more leverage in the future. If he didn't pass, it wouldn't matter. Many people were quite learned, but they never achieved official rank even after studying until their hair turned white. They were just missing a bit of luck.

The family had enough to eat and wear, and life was much better than in Chenjia Village. As long as the family was together, Lin Yuesha didn't ask for anything more.

“Tingyun, Xiaoya has been worried that your body can’t handle it. I went there once and was shocked to see someone being carried out due to heatstroke.”

After Chen finished speaking, she carefully examined Xiao Qi. He looked a bit haggard, with bluish stubble growing on his chin, but he still seemed to be in good spirits.

"Mother, my position was at the very back, quite far from the stinking cell, so I escaped unscathed."

After three days of enduring the heat, Xiao Qi drank a pot of tea, closed his eyes, and fell asleep shortly afterward.

She slept until the moon was high in the sky. Lin Yuesha had already prepared a feast, because she was leaving home and was afraid that she would not be able to reunite with her family for the Mid-Autumn Festival, so she prepared mooncakes and wine in advance.

It's not Mid-Autumn Festival yet, and a new moon hangs in the sky, just a small crescent.

Xiao Qi and Lin Yuesha sat in the courtyard, eating mooncakes and admiring the moon.

"Big brother, Baozhu and I have opened a shop in the village at the foot of Qingzhu Academy Mountain, so it will be more convenient for you to eat from now on."

Lin Yuesha knew her stepbrother's tastes, and she had already written a list for Jiang Baozhu. If she could spare some time, she would go to the shop to cook for Xiao Qi and then ask someone to deliver the food to the academy on the mountain.

"good."

Xiao Qi looked at Lin Yuesha, wondering how long their harmonious sibling relationship could last.

How can we protect the most important person? My father was the Minister of War back then, a man of great power and influence. Yet, faced with Consort Fang's accusations and the Fang family's schemes, he was powerless to do anything but save the lives of himself and Qi Lu by sacrificing the entire Qi family. It is truly tragic.

Imperial power is supreme; otherwise, there will always be something uncertain.

Previously, Xiao Qi did not value that position, but not anymore; he did not want to repeat the same mistake.

"Big brother, did you not do very well on the exam?"

Lin Yuesha was admiring the moon when she suddenly felt something was wrong. She turned to look at Xiao Qi and caught a glimpse of the gloom in his eyes.

Perhaps it was because he didn't do well on the exam that his stepbrother was under a lot of pressure.

"It's acceptable."

Xiao Qi quickly changed his expression and said seriously, "Little sister, I promised you that I would be your support."

Lin Yuesha felt a warmth in her heart. That's what the brother and sister said, but she didn't want to put too much pressure on her stepbrother.

The two sat together quietly, neither of them speaking.

Early the next morning, people from the Lin family came again. Lin Yuesha didn't delay and boarded the Lin family's carriage with several maids.

Upon arriving at the Lin residence, Granny Xiao led the way, taking them to the main house.

The Lin residence is not far from the Jingzhao Yin Yamen (prefectural government office). From the outside, it appears somewhat solemn, but once inside, the rockery courtyards and beautiful landscapes have a distinct southern garden feel.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the hanging flower gate, and a small bridge was needed to enter the inner courtyard.

Lin Yuesha noticed that the wealthy families in the capital liked to bring in running water into their gardens, perhaps to confirm the feng shui saying that water represents wealth and prosperity.

"Granny Lin, shall we go see Madam or the Old Madam first?"

Lin Yuesha threw the difficult problem to Granny Lin as a test; in short, it was either the East Wind prevailing over the West Wind, or the West Wind prevailing over the East Wind.

"There is an order of seniority, so of course we should see the old lady first."

Granny Lin glanced at Lin Yuesha and reminded her, "The old lady values ​​rules the most, so you must be careful, Miss."

Old Mrs. Lin always talked about rules and regulations, and neither the usually shrewd Qin Shi nor Lin Yue'e got any credit for it. After being lectured by the old lady, Lin Yue'e was so angry and ashamed that she cried bitterly and secretly cursed the old lady to die soon.

"That's natural."

Lin Yuesha knew exactly what was going on. Lin Shusheng had served as the Prefect of the Capital for three years, his position was secure, and he had become too powerful. He would probably be the real head of the household now, which was why Qin Shi had fallen behind.

As agreed with her mother, Madam Chen, Lin Yuesha arrived at Old Madam Lin's room and immediately greeted her, saying, "Grandmother, I'm so glad to finally meet you!"

Old Madam Lin's suppression of Qin Shi shows that she is definitely more concerned about Qin Shi's thorn in her side. Lin Yuesha is taking advantage of this. If she wants to live comfortably in the Lin family, she must find a powerful backer for herself.

"Moon Silk, come quickly and let your grandmother take a look."

Grandma Lin was extremely patriarchal, but when her son told her that her granddaughter looked like him, she became quite curious.

The descendants of the Lin family should inherit the appearance of the Lin family. Looking like an outsider makes Old Madam Lin unhappy no matter what.

Upon seeing Lin Yuesha now, the old lady immediately thought of her son when he was a teenager. Because of his fair complexion and handsome appearance, he was often mistaken for a girl dressed as a boy.

Lin Yuesha climbed forward, intending to greet Old Madam Lin again, but when she turned her head and saw Madam Qin standing beside her, she immediately said politely, "Yuesha greets Madam."

A grandmother and a lady—the difference in their titles is like night and day. Lin Yuesha's expression of affection for Old Madam Lin made Old Madam Lin even happier.