Seeing that her husband was truly angry, Madam Ling gave Pi Dan a look of disappointment.
"Can't you do something to live up to my expectations? Learn from your older brother and sister. When have they ever given me any trouble?"
Having said that, he followed Master Ling's retreating figure, leaving Ling Duo alone to face the preserved egg.
She comforted Pidan as she straightened his clothes.
"Yu'er, let bygones be bygones. Why torture yourself like this?"
This left Pidan completely bewildered.
"What happened? I don't recall it."
Ling Duo thought he was just being stubborn, which was why he said that on purpose, so she reached out and gently patted his head.
"It's not your fault that you were not selected as a spirit catcher. Besides, you were only ten years old at the time, so it's normal for people to look down on you. Why push yourself to the brink over this?"
preserved egg…
He was almost confused by the logic here. It was a job he didn't really like, so he just didn't get selected!
Who would hold a grudge against themselves for this? He certainly wouldn't.
Seeing his bewildered expression, Ling Duo assumed he had gotten stuck on a rut again.
"Alright, let's not think about it anymore. Today is a very auspicious day. We'll leave after seeing the doctor and won't miss the auspicious time."
As he spoke, he glanced towards the door, seemingly wondering why Ling Bin hadn't returned yet.
Seeing this, Pidan realized he couldn't wait any longer; if he did, he would truly be forced to become the groom.
Then, he smiled brightly at Ling Duo.
“Sister, you’re right. I shouldn’t keep myself trapped in the past; I should look forward.”
Upon hearing these words, Ling Duo was so excited that she became somewhat incoherent.
"Brother, are you alright?"
"Yes, that's fine. I'm about to start a family, and I shouldn't continue living a muddled life. Otherwise, how can I face my parents, brothers, and sisters, and how can I face my future wife?"
As he finished speaking, Ling Duo's tears began to fall.
"Eight years have passed, and you're finally better. I need to go and tell my parents the good news."
After saying that, he ran out the door, giving instructions as he ran.
"You stay here and wait patiently. The doctor can come and check your pulse. I'll be right back."
The maids and servants outside the door were all quite bewildered as they watched their masters rush out one by one.
After Pidan and Lingduo left, Pidan picked up the hair ornament from the table and went out of the room.
He found a section of wall near the artificial hill and leaped over it.
No matter how the servants behind him called out, there was no response.
He left so easily, leaving behind a room full of terrified servants.
The Ling residence was thrown into chaos, but it quickly returned to its usual tranquility.
The wedding wasn't canceled, but the groom was replaced by Ling Bin, who went to fetch the doctor.
The first thing the escaped man did was go to the pawnshop and exchange the gold crown for cash.
Then he bought a horse and fled the city at top speed.
He was free, but Ling Bin and Ling Duo were in a terrible situation.
Because Master Ling was obsessed with transcending social classes, he arranged marriages for all his children with officials and wealthy families.
But the result was truly disappointing; Ling Duogao lost her husband less than a year after their marriage.
Ling Bin's marriage was repeatedly delayed by the woman's family because he failed to pass the imperial examination, but fortunately, the two were in love.
The woman also promised that as long as he didn't change his mind, she would never marry again.
Ling Bin even guaranteed that she would definitely pass the imperial examination next spring, and at that time he would welcome her into the Ling family in a grand ceremony.
Originally, Ling Yu was supposed to wait until Ling Bin got married before it was his turn.
His betrothed was Zhou Caiying, the illegitimate daughter of the prefect. The prefect had many daughters but only one son, who was also a mentally unstable and prone to fits of madness.
Families with good financial means would never marry their daughters to him, while prefects from poor families wouldn't even consider him.
He did buy quite a few concubines, but almost all of them were beaten to death by that idiot.
Because of the frequent deaths, the prefect's wife invited a sorcerer to perform a ritual.
The final conclusion was that a "lucky wedding" was needed to dispel bad luck from the household.
That's why Ling Yu was forced to get married before his brother.
But now he's run away. Knowing he can't afford to offend the prefect, Master Ling threatens suicide to force Ling Bin to comply.
Although this might feel unfair to Ling Bin, the engagement to him was merely with the county magistrate's cousin.
Furthermore, the other party has been dragging their feet on the marriage and refuses to marry their daughter to them.
This already greatly displeased Master Ling, and now he's facing this situation again.
The only option was for Ling Bin to marry the prefect's illegitimate daughter; otherwise, his entire family would likely not be able to survive in the city.
Faced with his parents' threats to his life, Ling Bin had no choice but to take the place of Ling Yu in this arranged marriage.
He then sent a farewell letter to his beloved, saying that he had climbed the social ladder by marrying into the prefect's family.
Tell her not to wait any longer; I have wronged her in this life, and I will repay her with my life in the next.
The woman was not one to be trifled with; she turned around and asked the county magistrate's wife to act as matchmaker, and married the second son of the prefect.
Although Ling Bin and Zhou Caiying got married, he kept delaying having sex.
At first, Zhou Caiying thought it didn't matter who she married, since they were all legitimate sons and their looks were about the same.
For the next six months, Ling Bin was extremely cold towards her. He not only refused to consummate their marriage, but he also refused to speak to her at all.
She was indeed a concubine's daughter, but because of her charming tongue, she was raised under the care of the prefect's wife since childhood.
Although she wasn't exactly favored, she had never suffered such humiliation.
After her repeated attempts to win him over failed, she went back to her parents' home and cried.
However, the prefect's wife, considering the generous dowry, had no intention of making things difficult for the Ling family.
Left with no other choice, Zhou Caiying returned to the Ling residence and continued her life of living like a widow.
Gradually, she came to terms with it; she had no one from her own family to rely on.
If one could live a life without worrying about food and drink, leisurely and carefree, that wouldn't be bad.
But the good times didn't last long. Wu Lewei, who married the second son of the prefect, relentlessly suppressed the Ling family in business.
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