When returning home, Yining was always thinking about the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion and Ting'er, and was absent-minded sitting in the carriage.
Luo Shenyuan watched her repeatedly take the pine nut shells from the small table but not the fruit on the small plate. He sighed, wondering why she couldn't change these little habits.
He took her small plate and peeled some nuts himself: "Why are you daydreaming?"
Yi Ning finally came to her senses and told him, "There's no one to take care of the family, and my grandmother wants to find a wife for my father. He doesn't want to, so my grandmother asked me to persuade him."
Luo Shenyuan hummed, "The Duke of Ying's family is large and powerful, so there should indeed be someone in charge of the household. Your grandmother is right. But the choice must be carefully considered, after all, you and your brother's circumstances are special. Someone with a powerful family background will inevitably have ulterior motives."
Yi Ning felt the same way, but her family background was too low to qualify her for the position of Duke of Ying. Hence her dilemma. She had little to do with it, as she was already married. But Ting'er was a bastard born into a family but given the title of Crown Prince, so who knew how his new wife would treat him.
Luo Shenyuan said: "Spread your hands."
Yining looked up. What did he say?
He took her hand and gave her a handful of pine nuts. "They're freshly peeled. Eat them."
Yi Ning was at a loss for words. Did he think he was feeding a small animal?
She ate the pine nuts he had peeled one by one and asked him, "Third brother, what do you think of me bringing Ting'er to live with the Luo family? He's not even seven yet and relies a lot on me, and I can't bear to let him go. Once he's ten, he'll be able to be more independent."
Luo Shenyuan's expression remained unchanged: "He's at home, eating and living with you, right?"
"That's natural. He is timid and afraid of the dark. I set up a bed for him in the green gauze cabinet. Ting'er is naughty and only his father can control him at home, but his father is often not at home. Maybe if he comes to live with me, you can take him to school." The more Yining thought about it, the more he felt that it was not a bad idea.
Luo Shenyuan said lightly: "I think he really depends on you and wants to follow you wherever you go."
He paused. "He's your brother, but he's also the heir of the Duke of Ying. It's not good for him to just live in someone else's house. Besides, you can't control him when he comes home, and it's not easy for me to help you."
Luo Shenyuan could scold his younger brother, but he couldn't scold his brother-in-law.
Yi Ning felt that her third brother probably didn't really want Ting'er to follow her, after all, it wasn't very convenient. If she told her grandmother about it, she was afraid she wouldn't agree. So she sighed and gave up for the time being.
The next day, Luo Shenyuan's rest was over and he was going to the Ministry of Works. Yining woke up early in the morning and didn't see him. She went to pay her respects to Lin Hairu, who kept her there to help with the account books.
A maid hurried in and bowed to Lin Hairu, saying, "Second Madam, there's a commotion in the main house again."
Lin Hairu knew about it and asked the maid to change her clothes. She said to Yining, "Ever since your fourth sister had a falling out with Old Madam Liu, this has happened frequently. Liu Jing came to pick her up, but she refused to go back. Old Madam Liu then sent a maid to ask her to come back, but she felt that was an insult."
"She wants the old lady to come and invite her in person?" Yining thought for a moment and asked.
Lin Hairu nodded. "She was scolded by Old Madam Liu and couldn't vent her anger. She originally felt that marrying into the Liu family was a downgrade, and she has been unhappy for years..."
Yining went with her to the main house. The two courtyards were connected by a moon gate. It took only half an hour to walk to Chen's place. The three-story courtyard was planted with evergreens, pines, and cypresses. In one corner, there was a rockery and a few clumps of arrow bamboo.
This was the second time Yi Ning had seen Liu Jing. He was standing outside the house, wearing a green official uniform with a seventh-rank patch. He had a handsome face. Although he was tall, his slightly bent body made him look shorter.
When Lin Hairu walked over, he politely called out, "Second Aunt."
Lin Hairu introduced him: "This is Shen Yuan's wife, you should call her Third Brother's Sister-in-law."
Liu Jing glanced at her, and with a slight smile on her face, she called out "Third Sister-in-law," saying, "Third Sister-in-law has a kind face." Then she looked into the house and said, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh. Second Aunt, please help me go in and check on her."
Just as they were about to nod, the curtain parted and someone emerged. It was Luo Yilian. Seeing Liu Jing standing outside, she looked a little uneasy. Then, seeing Lin Hairu and Luo Yining, her expression grew even colder. Lin Hairu ignored her and led Yining through the curtain inside.
Yi Ning fell behind and could vaguely hear Luo Yi Lian say to Liu Jing, "The weather has been getting quite cold these past few days. Why is Fourth Brother-in-law dressed so lightly? Don't stand here waiting. Come sit in the porch. I'm afraid Fourth Sister doesn't want to see you."
When Yining looked back, Liu Jing had already left.
She smiled faintly in her heart, turned her head, and saw someone crying in the room.
Inside the room, a bed made of Hangzhou silk was placed on top, and a jade bead curtain was hung with hooks. Luo Yiyu threw herself on the bed, crying, "If he really loved me, why would he let his mother treat me like this? How can I arrange my bedroom affairs, and she still asks about them? She says such harsh things, so what if I don't want her son!"
Mrs. Chen sat next to her daughter, patted her shoulder and advised, "Liu Jing is so good to you, don't take his kindness for granted. Last time, you got anxious and hit him in the face, but he didn't say anything."
"He's talking about me. It would be best if he divorced me! I don't bother to look at his mother's face!" Luo Yiyu straightened up and raised his voice.
"You've never been manipulated by your mother-in-law." Luo Yixiu sat on a stool beside her and ate melon seeds. "You don't think you're high and mighty and think that others will flatter you wherever you go."
She knew that Luo Yiyu was talking big, but she knew Liu Jing would not divorce her, so she had nothing to fear.
"Don't add fuel to the fire!" Chen felt sorry for her daughter who married down from her parents' family. She wiped her tears with a handkerchief and asked her two daughters-in-law to help her up quickly.
Lin Hairu took Yining to sit down and tried to persuade her politely, but she refused to listen.
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