"Young Master Jin?"
"You two know each other?" He Wanying asked, puzzled.
"Oh, we've met before."
Young Master Jin's eyes lit up. He had been standing properly by the bed, but immediately stepped forward and asked with a smile, "Miss Song? What are you doing here?"
"You're here on business. You... are you Wanying's cousin?"
In other words, this Mr. Jin is the one who got into trouble?
But it doesn't look like it at all.
Apart from Madam He and He Wanying looking unwell, Young Master Jin seemed completely unaffected.
"I heard something happened, so I came to see what was going on."
Upon hearing this, He Wanying spat and said, "It's all because of that bitch Aunt Yao, who wanted to marry her niece into my maternal grandfather's family. Dream on!"
After He Wanying finished speaking, she looked at the two of them and said, "By the way, why do you call me Cousin Jin Gongzi? His surname is clearly Lin."
ah?
“My maternal grandfather’s family name is Lin, and my cousin’s name is Lin Wenlu.”
Oh, no wonder he could act so recklessly in Yongning County; he had an alias after all.
However, Song Ning was not one to gossip, and chuckled, "Oh, I misunderstood. It turns out you are Young Master Lin."
After saying a few words of comfort to Madam He, the three of them left the room.
I heard that when Aunt Yao learned that Lin Wenlu had arrived, she quickly brought her niece over and tried every means to get close to the main courtyard.
Madam He had been on guard all along, but Song Ning knew a little about what kind of person Lin Wenlu was.
After all, not everyone can be comfortable facing the situation the day after someone watches them shower.
However, Lin Wenlu wasn't indiscriminate in his acceptance of women; it was only because the girl had been persistent that he went too far this time.
"Now that girl is crying and making a scene, saying that her cousin defiled her. If my mother hadn't fallen ill, she probably would have come again."
Song Ning turned to look at Lin Wenlu: "You really did this?"
"No way, I just found her annoying, so I said some harsh words and my tone wasn't good. She probably felt embarrassed, so she framed me like this."
"That Yao family is shameless, and her niece is shameless too. What kind of good girl would block a man's way in the mansion and eagerly want to become someone's concubine?" He Wanying cursed.
The three chatted in the courtyard for a while before He Wanying, busy going back to take care of Madam He and give her her medicine, left first.
Song Ning then asked, "How did you end up in Yongning County?"
"It's a long story..."
Lin Wenlu is currently the only scholar in the Lin family, and the family values him highly, just like Zhou Ling'an. They treat him like a precious gem, afraid of him breaking or melting. If Lin Wenlu does anything unrelated to studying, he will be criticized and denounced by the entire Lin family.
Lin Wenlu sighed: "My grandfather was a scholar and even served as an official, but the family declined by my father's generation, so they placed all their hopes on me."
Song Ning roughly understood that this was the family's hope, just like Zhou Ling'an; the whole family was waiting for him to bring glory to their family.
However, as time went on, the constant suppression caused Lin Wenlu to gradually develop an aversion to studying.
Lin Wenlu wasn't as shrewd as Zhou Ling'an. Since his family wouldn't let him do it, he would do it secretly outside, as long as his family didn't find out.
So, he created a new identity for himself in Yongning County, which is quite far from his home, and does things that are completely inconsistent with his original identity, letting himself go completely.
"So, you lied to your family about going out to study, but actually went to Yongning County?"
"Well, you know what, I've had an incredibly happy time in Yongning County."
Song Ning: ......
"So, what are you planning to do about this now?"
Lin Wenlu said nonchalantly, "What else can I do? I've never done it before."
"Do you know how important reputation is? If this gets out, your reputation will be ruined, and you won't be able to take the imperial examinations in the future."
"It's good that I can't pass the exam. Anyway, the academy has already expelled me."
Song Ning didn't say much; this was something she couldn't help with.
"Is there anything I can do to help with this? Please let me know."
Lin Wenlu plopped down, seemingly resigned to his fate: "It's alright, I've seen plenty of people like this. I don't need you, I'll handle it myself."
Song Ning thought he could really handle it himself. Two days later, news came from the He residence that Lin Wenlu's parents had arrived.
Hearing that things had gotten out of hand, Yao went directly to the Lin family.
However, because of this incident, news of Lin Wenlu's expulsion from the academy spread, causing a huge uproar among the family at the He residence.
Lin Wenlu refused to go back to school no matter what, and wouldn't agree even if his family threatened to kill themselves.
Since this was something that couldn't be discussed with outsiders, Madam He came to ask Song Ning for his opinion.
When Song Ning arrived at the He residence, the prefect was also troubled by this matter. However, since it was a matter concerning his wife's family, he couldn't ignore it. Moreover, if Lin Wenlu could really embark on an official career in the future, it would also benefit him.
The Lin family originally intended to go home and resolve the matter themselves, but Aunt Yao refused, insisting on clarifying what had happened last time before letting them leave.
Since it concerned the reputation of their daughter, the prefect did not forcefully stop them, and the Lin family also wanted Madam He to make the decision, so they stayed.
Madam He wanted her to act as an intermediary and resolve Aunt Yao's matter first.
“Miss Song, you are a distinguished guest of the manor. You can hear what Madam Yao says to some extent. If Madam Yao really tells others about this, Wenlu will be finished. I know this is a family matter and you shouldn’t have to worry about it, but now I really don’t know who else to turn to.”
Song Ning could help, but the Yao family would most likely not listen.
Despite being a distinguished guest, everyone knew she was just an ordinary person.
So Song Ning didn't go to Aunt Yao, but instead went to Aunt Yao's niece, Wang Qiuhua.
While Aunt Yao was away, Song Ning lured the girl out. The girl looked honest and unambitious, and was very submissive in front of Song Ning.
Song Ning smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, I just want to talk to you."
Wang Qiuhua pursed her lips and remained silent, without looking up.
"I just want to ask you, do you really want to marry the young master of the Lin family?"
Still silent, Song Ning changed her approach: "Or I could ask you this: would you rather become a concubine in the Lin family, or do you want to earn your own living?"
"If you're willing, I can give you a job so you can earn your own money and at least live a more free life."
Madam He had already thoroughly investigated Wang Qiuhua's background. The Wang family and Aunt Yao were only cousins, and the Wang family was very poor. Originally, someone like Aunt Yao would never want to have anything to do with her family.
However, Aunt Yao wanted to deal with Madam He, so she set her sights on Lin Wenlu. She gave Lin's family some money, saying she wanted to find a good marriage for Wang Qiuhua, and then took her away.
But where in the world is there such a good thing?
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