Although he also benefited, it was far less than that of Qin Siyuan and Master Gu.
Lin Ziqi felt somewhat resentful when he thought about it, always feeling like he was doing all the work for someone else.
Hearing what the couple said, Qin Heng couldn't sit still any longer, so he stood up and said, "Second sister's husband is still sick today, so I'm afraid he can't go. Second sister, will you go? Mother is still thinking about you at home. Eldest sister has something to do at home and can't come. Father is only inviting a few close relatives to the feast to avoid gossip."
Although Qin Jijiu was happy, he was mindful that his in-laws were holding a funeral, so he only invited his daughter and son-in-law to have a meal together.
Qin Wan immediately replied, "Of course I'm going back."
Lin Ziqi frowned.
Qin Wan said, "My husband has my cousin at home helping you take care of the medicine. I'll go back and ask about the poetry competition."
Qin Heng found this strange and frowned as he glanced at Lin Ziqi.
Lin Ziqi hurriedly said to Qin Wan, "Do you intend to bring the kitchen maid with you when you go home? With her here and Mother here, there's no need for you to worry, cousin. I made myself clear that day, so please don't say things like that again. People who don't know better might think our family is stingy and treats our relatives like servants."
Qin Wan simply smiled.
Qin Heng stood up and said, "I'm going to say goodbye to my in-laws. Second Sister, you pack your things and then you can go."
Qin Wan responded.
Lin Ziqi said, "Wan'er, I have something for you. Please give it to your father-in-law for me."
After Qin Heng left, Lin Ziqi whispered to Qin Wan, "Find out as much information as possible about who is behind the scheme for Master Gu and who is guiding Qin Siyuan."
Since the two were still in the same boat, Qin Wan naturally agreed.
Yan Hong had already packed everything. Qin Wan didn't even have time to look at the things Qin Heng brought, so she put them all in her room and instructed her maid to keep an eye on the room.
Madam Yu made many excuses to loiter around the area, her eyes practically glued to Qin Wan.
Yan Hong saw this and couldn't help but curse softly. Qin Heng's attendant took the rattan box from Yan Hong's hand, and the group went out together.
After leaving the Lin family, Qin Heng whispered to Qin Wan, "Second sister, is that woman your husband's cousin? She doesn't seem like a well-behaved person."
Qin Wan was very surprised and asked, "How did you figure it out? When she first came, I felt sorry for her because she came from the countryside and was dumped at such a young age. But later I found out she wasn't a good person."
Qin Heng frowned and said, "Second Sister, why are you becoming more and more like a commoner? How will you behave as an official's wife in the future?"
Qin Wan spat, "I don't even know if I can make it to that day. As the saying goes, three women make a drama. If I'm still so refined, I'm afraid those two women will swallow me whole, bone and all."
Yan Hong chimed in, "Yes, the young master is unaware of the dangers of the world while he's at the Imperial Academy, and he certainly doesn't know what kind of life we lead in the Lin family. The old lady finds fault with everything the young lady does, and she only cares about money. Even after we give her money, we don't get to eat anything good. As soon as the young master comes back, she speaks ill of the young lady in front of him, and then they put out big fish and meat dishes... Whatever the young lady says, the young master thinks she looks down on the old lady. Now that there's another cousin, it's even more troublesome."
Qin Heng sighed and then fell silent.
This is a day my second sister chose herself, so what else is there to say?
My mother kept nagging me at home, saying that my second sister was wasting her good life and was a bit dim-witted, and that she would definitely regret it later.
But it's too late to undo the regret now.
Moreover, Qin Heng noticed that his eldest sister's husband got along very well with his eldest sister, but things might not be the same if he were with his second sister.
Father was right; everyone has their own destiny.
He's the younger brother, and he's not good at studying. He'll have to rely on his brothers-in-law in the future, so he shouldn't get involved.
After Lin's mother and the others left, her face fell. She first threw things around in the kitchen, making the cook cry, and then went to Lin Ziqi's study and kept muttering: "He only cares about his own family when he marries a wife. He even takes a few pickled mandarin fish with him. If he lets her manage the household in the future, I'm afraid he'll send every straw to his own family."
Lin Ziqi was already annoyed, and hearing his mother nagging about this made him angry. He said, "Isn't her dowry already in your hands, Mother? What more do you want?"
Lin's mother was in pain from being pushed so hard that she immediately sat down on the ground and cried out.
“What’s the point of my life? The son I raised with my own hands has forgotten his mother after he got married. She’s the daughter of the chief minister, and he can’t say a word against her. This old widow is just annoying to everyone.”
One headache after another struck Lin Ziqi. Unable to bear it any longer, he picked up the brush washer on the table and smashed it on the ground.
"Clang."
Lin's mother's wailing paused for a moment.
Whether she was trying to comfort her or adding fuel to the fire, Madam Yu, who was standing nearby, said, "Why did you break something again?"
She had originally intended to stir up trouble by saying that Qin Wan had kept all the things sent by her family in her bedroom as if she were guarding against thieves. However, upon hearing the sound of cracking inside, she hurriedly went in and saw Lin Ziqi with a deathly pale face and large drops of sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Cousin, cousin, what's wrong?"
...
Qin Wan followed Qin Heng into the Qin residence, where Madam Cui greeted them and asked, "Why didn't Young Master Lin come?"
Qin Heng said, "My second brother-in-law is sick, so I brought my second sister back with me."
Cui's face darkened, and she scolded, "Young Master Lin is sick, so you should stay home and take care of him, otherwise your mother-in-law will start finding fault again."
Qin Wan said, "That's an old problem of his. It flares up every now and then. At first, we were all scared, but now even his own mother isn't worried anymore. My cousin and younger brother are having such a joyous occasion to meet the Emperor. Shouldn't I come back? My mother-in-law and he didn't say anything, and they even asked me to bring some things back with me."
Only then was Cui relieved. Seeing that she had brought a rattan box, she asked, "What's inside?"
"These are mandarin fish that my mother-in-law pickled. They're perfect for making stinky mandarin fish, and they can be added to the menu."
Knowing that she was short of money, Cui felt a pang of sympathy and smiled, saying, "This stuff is good. Your father couldn't eat much the other day and was saying he was craving this taste."
The mother and daughter walked hand in hand, talking, and sent Qin Heng to the front.
Qin Wan asked, "Who kind of people have you hired for your household?"
Cui said, "They're all from your father's side, plus a few students. If they're all there, it'll only fill one table."
Qin Wan then fell silent.
Cui said, "Later, you can help me entertain the ladies. It's just a family dinner, a meal and a chat. We won't even drink much alcohol."
Qin Wan pouted and said, "I know, it's because they're worried about the Marquis's mansion. Mother, my cousin Siyuan is really lucky. How did he catch the Emperor's eye? I heard that the Marquis and the Yelü people started playing polo because of my cousin. Heng'er didn't explain it very clearly. Mother, tell me what exactly happened?"
Before the guests arrived, Cui had already spoken.
Qin Wan sighed, "Mother, when people get lucky, things change. Who exactly guided Sixth Master Gu and Cousin Siyuan?"
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