Luo Yilian and Aunt Qiao walked side by side at the back. Aunt Qiao suddenly turned around to look in the direction of the main hall and sighed deeply: "The old lady's health...is getting worse and worse."
Luo Yilian looked at her mother's gentle profile and felt a little confused.
Aunt Qiao didn't say anything more. Instead, she walked over to her daughter and asked her, "What happened today? Why did it cause such a big commotion?"
Luo Yilian could actually guess most of what was going on. She knew Luo Yiyu very well, and she knew a little about her relationship with Cheng Lang. What she hadn't anticipated was that Luo Yining would be involved. She said, "Maybe it's about Fourth Sister and Second Master Cheng... Grandmother found out, and Yining didn't report it, so she was punished by kneeling. But I still feel like something's wrong..."
Aunt Qiao stroked her daughter's hair and said calmly, "The old lady is killing a chicken to scare the monkeys. That's what she meant. No matter how wrongly she accuses Luo Yining, she should be more cautious. Yining was indeed punished, but look at everyone here, who wouldn't want to take the punishment on her behalf?" She laughed, "Your fourth sister is really stupid. The old lady found a good marriage for her. Only she can manage a family like the Liu family. Even if your fourth sister was lucky and that Second Master Cheng really took advantage of her beauty and married her off, she would be eaten alive by someone else in a few days."
Luo Yilian followed behind her mother, thinking carefully about what happened today. After hearing her mother's words, she nodded slightly.
It rained heavily in the evening.
Luo Shenyuan was reading in the study when Yining's maid brought him a bowl of clear pigeon soup.
Luo Shenyuan watched for a moment as the rain pattered outside the latticed door. He lifted the lid, and a thick mist emerged. A few scallions rested on top of the milky white broth, revealing that it wasn't really pig's trotter soup. Thinking of Yi Ning's words, Luo Shenyuan couldn't help but smile and said to the girl, "Thank your Seventh Miss for me later."
The girl bowed, her eyes slightly red as she said, "Reporting to the Third Young Master, the young lady is kneeling in the ancestral hall as punishment. I cannot thank you on your behalf."
Luo Shenyuan frowned: "Is she kneeling as punishment?"
The maid was extremely reluctant when Xuezhi pushed her out to serve soup. Although she didn't know the reason, it was clear that the Seventh Young Lady had done nothing wrong. The maids and servants who served the Seventh Young Lady also loved her. The young lady had been spoiled since birth, so how could she have suffered such an injustice? She was relatively okay. Songzhi, Cuizhi and the others were so upset that they couldn't eat. They were a little resentful of Old Lady Luo. She was so doting on the Seventh Young Lady, so why did she have to punish her this time?
Luo Shenyuan looked at the heavy rain outside and said softly, "There's a leak on the roof of the ancestral hall."
The ancestral hall was already cold and gloomy, and at night the wind blew even colder. Add to that the heavy rain, and she knelt alone in the cold hall, surrounded by the tablets of her ancestors, feeling bewildered and helpless.
The old lady usually spoils Yining like a spoiled child. What happened that made her want to punish her?
The girl looked up blankly, wanting to ask Luo Shenyuan how he knew there was a leak in the ancestral hall. But then she remembered how the Third Young Master had been punished by being forced to kneel in the ancestral hall for half a month because he had taken the Seventh Young Lady out. He knew exactly what the ancestral hall looked like.
Luo Shenyuan was lost in thought for a moment, thinking of Yi Ning smiling brightly and asking him if he wanted some pig's trotter soup. He also remembered the last time she'd had a high fever, clutching his sleeve in a daze, refusing to let go, as if she were completely dependent on him. Something seemed to tug at his heart.
"Is there anyone serving her in the ancestral hall?" he continued to ask.
The maid shook her head. "The old lady said we had to kneel for two hours. Because it was the ancestral hall, the servants were afraid of disturbing others, so we could only guard outside. The eldest lady was also very anxious. After sending the fourth young lady back, she knelt and begged the old lady for mercy, but the old lady didn't say a word..."
Before the girl could finish her words, Luo Shenyuan had already picked up an umbrella and walked out of the study into the rainy night.
I saw the tung oil umbrella open and quickly walked away. The stew on the table was still emitting white steam, probably because no one was drinking it.
Yi Ning knew exactly why Old Lady Luo had punished her by making her kneel. Thinking of the tear marks on her grandmother's face when she left, she felt very sad. After returning home this time, she was sure that even if her aunt and Luo Yiyu were still dissatisfied with her, they would never complain.
Yining stared at the ranking of the Luo family's ancestors, above which hung a plaque with the words "Ancestral Virtues and Fame".
The ancestral hall was freezing cold at night, and the sun was blazing during the day. Yining wore only a Hangzhou silk shirt. It happened to rain that night, making the cold even worse. She stared at the burning incense and candles, wondering how much time had passed...
She knelt on the cold floor, her knees numb and aching like a needle.
After all this commotion, we haven’t even had dinner yet.
I don't know what's going on with grandma. She's still sick, but she got so angry today...
Yi Ning shifted her thoughts, but her body seemed to have its own thoughts, trembling continuously. The surroundings were completely silent, and there was a faint scent of sandalwood in the ancestral hall. Yi Ning felt that her consciousness was a little hazy.
"Yining."
She suddenly heard someone calling her.
Yi Ning turned around to see Luo Shenyuan standing at the door. His shoulders were slightly damp as he folded his umbrella and strode in, lifting his skirt and kneeling beside her.
"Third brother... why are you here..." Yining heard that his voice was a little weak.
"We'll be there in half an hour." Luo Shenyuan's tone was calm but reassuring. "Don't be afraid."
Yi Ning's face was pale, and the small mole on her eyebrow was even more red. But she tried to smile: "I'm... not afraid."
Yi Ning looked at his tall figure and wondered if he had knelt in the ancestral hall in the same way. He silently watched the ranking of his ancestors, thinking that no one knew what he was thinking.
Time passed little by little, and when it was almost time, Luo Shenyuan's servant came running in with a message. "Third Young Master, it's done."
Luo Shenyuan turned around and clearly saw that Yining had closed her eyes and was almost out of energy.
He stood up and walked to Yining: "Yining, are you okay?"
Yi Ning forced her eyes open, her voice almost weak: "I... I'm fine. It's just that my knee hurts..."
Before she could finish her words, Luo Shenyuan suddenly picked her up horizontally.
Seeing her lying weakly in his arms, Luo Shenyuan carried her out of the ancestral hall without saying a word. When they reached the door, the maids guarding were very surprised. Luo Shenyuan said calmly, "Follow with an umbrella."
He walked in front, his steps steady and fast.
It seemed like her third brother was holding her. Yining smelled his scent, warm and familiar.
She suddenly relaxed and grabbed Luo Shenyuan's collar. As long as her third brother was there, she shouldn't have to worry.
She closed her eyes in relief.
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