In the study room at the back of the Lin Mansion

Lin Chenghe was handling official business when there was a knock on the door and Xiaozhu's voice rang out, "Sir, the Madam is holding a flower viewing banquet today and asked me to come and get you."

"……knew."

The door was opened quickly, and Xiaozhu had a happy look on his face.

Gao Xing said, "Sir, I heard that many young ladies came today. They all have good family backgrounds and good looks. Madam wants you to go and have a look. If you like any of them, you must settle down."

Lin Chenghe showed little reaction. His childhood experiences told him that marriage was just that, and harmonious marriage was just a beautiful wish in books.

The mistress and his father are not on good terms with each other, and she is having an affair with the concubine in the backyard. His mother cries every day, which makes him instinctively reject marriage.

Seeing that he didn't look very happy, Xiao Zhu's smile faded a little and she asked cautiously, "Sir, don't you want to go and see me?"

"No, I have to get married when I get older. Instead of being pushed out by my father to pave the way for my brother, I might as well choose someone who is similar. Isn't that how life is?"

The master and servant walked towards the courtyard.

Lian Xin was standing in the pavilion. She saw a figure approaching from the corner of her eye. Her eyes lit up and she whispered, "Madam, the young master is here."

Yun Wanshu hurriedly looked over, a look of joy on her face: "It's good that he's here. I was worried that he wouldn't want to come. If he can find someone he likes today, I can put my mind at ease."

He lowered his voice and said, "Madam will get what she wants."

A dozen women were sitting in the pavilion, drinking tea and eating cakes, chatting from time to time.

"Ningning, you look so beautiful today. This dress is from the Treasure Pavilion. You can tell it's new. Your parents really love you. They wouldn't allow me to buy it."

Song Ning was a beautiful girl from a small family. When she heard this, she smiled shyly and said modestly, "No, it's all thanks to my sister. Otherwise, how could a bastard like me be qualified to wear Yunjin?"

Everyone looked at the woman in white standing by the lotus pond. Her bright eyes and white teeth made her look like an immortal. They felt uncomfortable when they were compared to her.

"Why is your sister here? Hasn't she always hated flower viewing banquets? In the past, you were the one who came, and everyone thought you were the legitimate daughter of the Song family."

The ancestors of the Song family built ships for the imperial court, and the wealth they accumulated should not be underestimated. Song's father has a wife and a concubine. The concubine is his treasure, so naturally he also loves his concubine's daughter even more.

The marriage of a legitimate daughter is a family arrangement, so naturally it is not welcomed and the legitimate daughter will be relatively neglected.

Song Ning's eyes flickered. Yes, it was all because of this bitch's mother, otherwise she should have been the eldest daughter of the Song family.

After coming to her senses, she whispered, "Perhaps, my sister is getting older and wants to find a man from a good family. Speaking of a good family, who can compare to the prefect?"

"I heard that he was a top three scorer in the imperial examinations, and even had a princess courting him, but I don't know why he ended up here."

The other girls nodded repeatedly, and they all looked forward to it. That was the prefect, and there was no better man than his concubines in the mansion.

"Yes, this plague is all thanks to you, sir. Otherwise, Qiandeng Town would be in danger. Where else would we go?"

The girl in yellow covered her mouth and laughed secretly: "So, sir, you saved our lives. If we all pledge our love to you, your house will be full."

Several people couldn't help laughing as they talked.

The maid saw something and reminded her, "Miss, the master and the mistress are here, you'd better be more careful."

Yun Wanshu and her son were walking in the corridor. When they turned their heads, they could see the girls in the pavilion. They lowered their voices and said, "Son, go say hello later."

"Mother thinks there are two good ones. One is Song Ning, the legitimate daughter of the Song family, and the other is Bai Zhi, the legitimate daughter of the Bai family. One is from a shipbuilding family, and the other is from a family of doctors for generations."

"Whether it's family background, appearance, or temperament, they are among the best. The other families are also okay, but they are still inferior to these two."

Lin Chenghe frowned upon hearing this. Song Ning was the legitimate daughter of the Song family, but he couldn't remember the woman claiming to be Song Yuan that night...

Yun Wanshu didn't hear a response after she finished speaking. She turned her head and saw that her son seemed a little absent-minded. She asked puzzledly: "Cheng'er, what are you thinking about? Do you understand what your mother said to you?"

"Okay, I understand, Mom. Just help me choose. If you say it's okay, then there will be no problem."

"Hey, I'm going to spend my whole life with you, so naturally I need you to be satisfied with me. It doesn't matter if I'm satisfied with you."

When Lin Chenghe saw the white color, his mind couldn't help but think of the night of the Lantern Festival, that fragile white figure, with a bit of tenacity.

"Mom, who is that girl in white?"

Yun Wanshu looked over and was a little confused for a moment: "This... Mother doesn't know either. It seems that her surname is also Song. Could she be a concubine of the Song family?"

"That's not right. Mother invited only legitimate daughters. No concubines' daughters should come."

Lin Chenghe nodded and quickly looked away. He was just asking casually and he would know who it was later.

The girls looked at the slender figure approaching from afar. The green bamboo on the hem of his moon-white robe appeared and disappeared as he walked. He had a handsome face, but his eyes were cold and distant.

His graceful demeanor immediately captured the hearts of the girls.

His heart was beating uncontrollably and his mind was completely in a mess. When he waited for someone to stand outside the pavilion, he slowly came to his senses and saluted hastily.

"I, Song Ning, greet you, sir."

"I, Baizhi, greet you, sir."

"My humble daughter..."

Lin Chenghe glanced at them once, nodded, and exchanged a few polite words before turning to the side: "Xiaozhu, go get the lychees His Majesty gave me so that the girls can have a taste."

Xiao Zhu smiled and said, "Yes, sir."

After he finished speaking, the atmosphere fell silent.

A cold voice suddenly rang out from the side: "I, Song Yuan, greet you, sir."

Lin Chenghe looked at her deeply, and after some thought, he quickly determined that the woman in white in front of him was the legitimate daughter of the Song family that night, which meant that the woman in pink was a concubine's daughter.

"Miss Song, you are too polite. Please go into the pavilion."

"Well, thank you for saving my life before. If it is convenient for you, I would like to treat you to a meal to express my gratitude."

The other girls pursed their lips when they heard this, somewhat puzzled by her words. What did she mean by "life-saving grace"? Was she referring to the plague or something else?

Lin Chenghe was silent for a moment, then he looked at her intently and nodded, "Okay, let's go to Qianweiju tomorrow."

Song Yuan didn't expect him to agree so readily. A hint of restrained excitement flashed in her eyes, and she curved her eyebrows and said, "Yes, thank you very much, sir."

Yun Wanshu looked at the two of them. They were a good match, but if they were born out of wedlock, it wouldn't be a good idea. Although Cheng'er was born out of wedlock, his literary talent was not inferior to that of the eldest son.

If she marries a concubine's daughter, even if she returns to Beijing in the future, she will always be dominated by that person, which is something she absolutely does not want to see.