"What's wrong, Mother?" Lanqin asked immediately. She hadn't paid much attention to Anjia Shi on a regular basis, and besides, Shi Shi had more and more children, so Anjia Shi rarely came to Lanqin's place anymore. She was just glad to know that Anjia Shi was doing well.
"Alas, Mother originally forbade me to speak with the concubine, but upon seeing her, I couldn't help myself." Shi's eyes welled up with tears.
"What happened? Why are you only telling me now!" Lanqin asked anxiously when she saw Shi Shi's hesitant expression.
Then, Wuxiha, Bechuk, and Hongli were brought over by several maids. Upon seeing strangers in Lanqin's room, they all looked at Shishi and Quan'er with curious eyes.
“Ushiha, this is your aunt, you’ve met her before. And your cousin Quan’er, have you forgotten him?” Lanqin said. She had only taken Ushiha back to the Ling residence once.
"Quan'er, come here and take a look at your cousin! Oh, is this the Sixth Prince?" Shi said, looking at Hongli.
"Okay. Baoqin, Yuxiao, take them to the yard to play for a while," Lanqin said, gesturing for them to get some snacks the children like.
After watching the children being led away by the maids, Lanqin said to Shi, "Sister-in-law, tell me quickly, what happened to Mother? If you don't tell me soon, I have to go back and check on her."
Madam Shi quickly replied, "Oh dear, Mother fell a few days ago and fractured a bone, but it's nothing serious. Mother didn't want me to tell the concubine, because she was afraid you'd worry. But the situation at home is truly worrying."
Lanqin frowned. In fact, she had told Lingzhu that it was impossible for him to ask for an official position when he brought Qiufu to ask her for one last time. She would help him if he was truly suitable for the position and if his family was in trouble.
Since then, Lanqin has never returned to her parents' home and has no idea what the situation is like there.
"I'll go back with you today," Lanqin said, and then instructed people to prepare a carriage.
“Consort, I wouldn’t have come to tell you these things if I hadn’t had no other choice,” Shi said. “Today, I was originally going to take Quan’er back to my parents’ home, but I ended up coming here instead.”
"You should have written a letter or sent a note long ago. Why did you keep it from me?" Lanqin said.
“It was Father who refused. He said that the concubine would be a very fortunate person in the future, and we shouldn’t drag her down!” Shi said. “Father was suddenly impeached!”
Lanqin looked at Shi in surprise. She couldn't believe Lingzhu would say such a thing! Damn it, that old scumbag actually said something like "don't drag me down"? And he's even been impeached?
Without waiting for dinner, Lanqin, along with her three children and Shi's mother and son, boarded the carriage back to the Ling residence.
After Shi led Lanqin and her two children into the Ling residence, Ling Zhu and his men came to greet them. This was the first time the father and daughter had met since their separation.
When Lanqin saw Lingzhu, she was shocked. In just a few months, he seemed to have aged a lot. His hair at the temples was already gray, and his eyes were deeply sunken.
"This servant greets Consort!" Lingzhu patted his sleeves and led his eldest son, who had come out to greet them, to bow.
Lanqin suddenly felt a pang of sadness. Although she had been here for ten years and had been calling this unfamiliar middle-aged man "father" for ten years, and she despised some of his behavior, seeing him so old and still bowing to her, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. She said, "Father, what are you doing? Today is the second day of the Lunar New Year. It should be Qin'er coming back to see Father and Mother."
Lingzhu said, "Thank you for your concern, Consort. Your mother accidentally fell and injured herself some time ago and has been unable to get out of bed since. She is still recovering."
Lanqin nodded, then pulled the three children over and introduced them to Lingzhu. Lingzhu picked up Hongli and said cheerfully, "Sixth Prince, go with your maternal grandfather to see your maternal grandmother."
After everyone else had exchanged greetings, Lanqin noticed that Qiufu hadn't returned. A thought struck her; this younger brother seemed to be a capable man, not even coming home for the New Year, and this was his first year being sent away to work elsewhere.
Lanqin and her entourage arrived at Anjia's room, where they found her lying on the bed with wooden boards bound to her legs. Anjia knew Lanqin had returned; hearing footsteps at the door, she immediately called out, "Qin'er, Qin'er!"
Hearing Anjia's call, Lanqin knew that although this woman was only the original owner's mother, her care and love for her were genuine. Seeing her haggard appearance lying on the bed, Lanqin's heart ached. She immediately rushed to her bedside and threw herself into Anjia's arms, weeping.
"Come, come and see your grandmother, come here quickly!" Lanqin called the children to the bedside and let Anjia look at each child one by one.
Lingzhu, Zheng, and Shi's children stood in the house, looking at Lanqin and her son and Anjia, their eyes filled with tears.
"Father, Mother fell like this, why didn't you tell me? It was my sister-in-law who found out," Lanqin sobbed. "Could it be that Father is still angry with Lanqin?"
Lingzhu was taken aback and looked at his daughter-in-law with some surprise. Shi Shi quickly lowered her head.
“No, that’s not true. Why would Father be angry with Consort Yong? It’s just that Consort Yong is now in charge of the Yong Prince’s household. Your mother only broke her leg and is in a splint. She’s fine,” Lingzhu said awkwardly.
"Yes, I told you not to let your father tell you. Qin'er, you look thinner than the last time I saw you!" Madam Anjia looked at Lanqin with loving eyes, but in a mother's eyes, she would never think her child was fat.
"Mother, please don't do that again. How could Qin'er possibly not have time to visit you? How can the affairs of the Yong Prince's Mansion compare to Mother's!" Lanqin said coquettishly.
Lingzhu and Zheng exchanged a glance, and then Lingzhu said, "It's getting late. Why don't you stay here tonight, Consort? Prince Yong should still be in the palace!"
Lanqin nodded and said, "Father, we're all hungry. Quickly set out dinner. I'll chat with Mother a little longer."
Lingzhu and Zheng hurriedly went out to prepare dinner, leaving only Shi and her son, as well as Lanqin and her son, in the house.
"Daughter-in-law, go see if they're ready!" Shi Shi consciously withdrew, taking the children with her so that Lanqin and Anjia could have a private chat.
Anjia looked at Lanqin, took her hand and said, "Your Qin'er has grown up and can handle things on her own now. Your mother doesn't need to worry about you anymore."
"No, I don't want my mother to worry about me for the rest of my life!" Lanqin said.
Anjia said, "Your mother is old and can't stay with you for the rest of her life. Seeing that the three children you gave birth to are all doing so well, your mother is at ease."
Lanqin felt a pang of guilt. In all the years she had transmigrated, she could count on one hand the number of times she had come back to see Anjia. Now, seeing Anjia saying these words, she felt even more uneasy.
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