Chapter 84 The Dumbness

A few days later, Xie Sangning was engrossed in studying a map of the Northwest when Ru Chun entered lightly, a smile on her face: "Miss, someone from the Lin family has arrived. It's Lin An, the old lady's capable steward. He says he has good news for you, Miss Wan Tang. Thanks to Master Yin Bai's miraculous healing, your voice has finally recovered!"

Xie Sangning raised an eyebrow and put down the charcoal pencil in her hand.

Lin Wantang's muteness had always been a worry for her grandfather, Lin Zhijie, and now that she was cured, it was truly a joyous occasion.

She nodded: "Please come in."

Lin An was quickly led into the warm pavilion.

He was dressed in the dark blue robe that the steward of the Lin family usually wore, and he bowed respectfully with a smile on his face: "Congratulations to the eldest young lady! Thanks to the eldest young lady's good fortune, we were able to invite the divine physician Yin Bai. My young lady Wantang's voice... is really healed! She can speak again!"

"Master and Madam are overjoyed and specially sent me to inform Miss of the good news and to express the whole family's gratitude for Miss's kindness!"

He then knelt down and kowtowed again.

Xie Sangning gave a slight nod of support: "Steward Lin, there's no need for such formalities. It's a blessing for Cousin Wantang to speak up, and it's also a joyous occasion for the Lin family. I'm happy to hear it too. Are Grandpa and your uncles and aunts well?"

"All is well! All is well!"

Lin An responded repeatedly, but the smile on his face seemed a little stiff, and his eyes also showed a hint of barely perceptible flicker and...worry.

He glanced quickly at Xie Sangning, then lowered his eyes again, adding, "It's just... it's just that Miss Wan Tang has only just been able to speak, and she's still a bit excited... The master and mistress are also very happy, and a little flustered... Everything at home is fine, everything is fine..."

His attempt to cover up the truth, coupled with his unnatural smile and evasive eyes, instantly aroused Xie Sangning's suspicion.

She remained calm and said gently, "That's good. Go back and tell Grandpa and Uncle that Wantang has just recovered and needs to rest. I will go see her again when she is completely settled."

"Yes, yes, yes! I will definitely convey Miss's words!" Lin An said a few more polite words before hurriedly taking his leave, his steps even a little rushed.

The warm pavilion returned to silence.

The smile on Xie Sangning's face gradually faded.

wrong.

The good news was true, but Lin An's unusual behavior, which he tried so hard to conceal, was definitely not just due to Wan Tang's excitement at recovering from her illness.

Something must have happened to the Lin family.

Moreover, it was a major matter, something they dared not or could not say to her directly in the General's Mansion!

"Like winter."

“This servant is here!” Ru Dong immediately stepped forward.

"Go to the Lin residence immediately. Don't go through the main gate. Disguise yourself, sneak in, and find your grandfather or maternal uncle directly to find out what happened at home. Remember, be discreet."

"Yes!" Ru Dong didn't hesitate at all. She knew that her young lady's intuition was rarely wrong, and there must be something fishy about the Lin family!

In the back garden of the Lin residence, in the shadow of a secluded rockery.

A servant boy dressed in coarse cloth shorts, wearing a tattered felt hat, and with coal dust on his face, silently scaled the high wall like a ghost, landing as lightly as a cat.

It was Ru Dong in disguise.

She quickly determined the direction and, using the artificial hills and flowers as cover, headed straight for the main house in the inner courtyard. Since the young lady had ordered her to disguise herself, there must be people watching her from all sides.

She knew the layout of the Lin family mansion by heart.

As I approached the main house's corridor, I could faintly hear suppressed sobs and hushed conversations inside; the atmosphere was unusually heavy.

Ru Dong felt a chill run down her spine and became even more cautious. She went around to the back of the main house, gently pushed open a half-closed back window, and nimbly climbed inside.

This is the small study behind the main house.

She had barely landed and hadn't even regained her balance when she heard a suppressed gasp: "Who?!"

Ru Dong suddenly looked up and saw Lin Zhijie sitting behind his desk, his face ashen, the wolf-hair brush in his hand falling to the table with a thud.

He was clearly quite frightened by this uninvited guest.

"Don't panic! It's me! Ru Dong!"

Ru Dong immediately lowered her voice, took off her tattered felt hat, and wiped the coal dust off her face.

"Like...like winter?!"

Lin Zhijie recognized the person who had entered, and his tense nerves relaxed instantly: "You... how did you get in? Did Sang Ning send you?"

"Miss noticed that Steward Lin An's expression was not right and was worried that something had happened in the manor, so she specially ordered me to come and check."

Ru Dong spoke rapidly, her gaze sweeping over Lin Zhijie's panicked face, "Master, what exactly happened?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhijie's lips trembled, and tears welled up in his eyes instantly. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, it turned into a heavy sigh.

He pointed tremblingly towards the inner room: "Wantang...Wantang...she's inside...you...go and see for yourself..."

Ru Dong didn't ask any more questions. She nodded slightly to Lin Zhijie, then quickly slipped out of the small study and strode towards the inner room.

At the doorway of the inner room, the eldest aunt, the second aunt, and several cousins ​​stood silently, all with pale faces, red eyes, and sorrowful expressions.

The air was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Just then, with a creak, the door to the inner room was pulled open from the inside.

Yin Bai walked out with a frosty expression.

This usually cynical and sarcastic doctor was now shrouded in gloom and anger!

His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and his usually playful peach blossom eyes were now burning with fierce flames!

"Mr. Yin Bai!" Ru Dong immediately went to greet him, and seeing his expression, her heart sank even further. "Miss Wantang, she..."

"She's fine! Her voice is perfectly good!"

Yin Bai's voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, "I'm the one who's in trouble! I'm furious! I've never heard of such a beastly thing!"

"I can't stay here a second longer!" Yin Bai roared, raising his foot to rush out!

"Please wait, sir!"

Ru Dong's heart trembled violently, and she instinctively stopped him: "What exactly happened? Miss is still waiting for news!"

Yin Bai stopped in his tracks, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Ru Dong, his chest heaving violently: "What is it? Go ask that poor girl inside! Ask her how she was scared into silence back then! Ask her what she saw behind that damned mourning hall!!"

"I'm going to tell Sang Ning! Immediately! Right now! Not a moment longer! If I stay any longer, I'm afraid I'll lose my temper and burn this hellhole down, then rush into the palace and kill that poisonous woman!"

The word "poisonous woman" he uttered made all the Lin family members around him turn deathly pale instantly!

Aunt Liu was so frightened that she swayed, and Lin Ziyuan quickly supported her.

Ru Dong instantly realized that the seriousness of the situation far exceeded her expectations!

The matter that could make Yin Bai so angry must be related to Miss!

Don't let Yin Bai's usual carefree attitude fool you; he can't stand it when his young lady is wronged! For something to make him this angry, it must be no small matter!