Chapter 78
The Duke of Ying's mansion was divided into East and West Gardens. The Duke of Ying lived in the East Garden, while Old Lady Wei and Zhao Mingzhu lived in the West Garden. Yining's new courtyard was located in the East Garden, directly adjacent to Wei Ling's. Behind it stood a tall rockery, and the courtyard consisted of three entrances. The courtyard was large and spacious, with tall ginkgo trees flanking the bluestone brick path and connected by winding corridors on all sides. It was a pleasant place, warm in winter and cool in summer.
Wei Ling had already arranged for a maid to serve her and asked her to come before her and kneel down to pay her respects.
Yining took a look and saw that there were two maids who looked like senior maids, more than ten other maids of lower rank, young maids who had just had their hair cut, and the serving women, a total of more than thirty people.
How could she need so many people to serve her?
Seeing the huge crowd of people kneeling in the hall, she pondered in her heart.
The furnishings in the house were also worth a fortune, and it was obvious that there were quite a few valuable items. As Yi Ning was looking at them, Zhao Mingzhu walked over to her side and said with a faint smile, "Sister Yi Ning, you're late. I don't know that this part of the mansion has the best scenery. It was originally where Ting'er lived. Because you were coming, Ting'er moved to the courtyard next door and gave it to you."
Ting'er? It must be his five-year-old brother.
Yining remembered that she didn't see the child just now.
Wei Ling said, "You haven't met your brother yet. He's only five years old and at his most mischievous. I'm afraid he'll disturb your grandmother's rest, so he'll live with me in the East Garden." Then Wei Ling ordered the steward beside him, "...go and call the prince."
A moment later, Yi Ning saw a child running in, followed by a large group of maids and servants. The child was wearing a silk jacket and a gold necklace around his neck, which seemed to be the same style as the one worn by Zhao Mingzhu. He ran very fast, and a tall, fair-skinned woman chased after him, "Young Master, don't run so fast! You might trip over the threshold..."
Wei Ling had only one son, a boy who was destined to inherit the title of Duke of Ying. Therefore, he was given the title of Crown Prince at birth. Everyone in the mansion was afraid he would get hurt, and he was considered very precious.
The child stopped dead in his tracks. Yi Ning noticed that he looked like a smaller version of Wei Ling, only more childish, with long, thick eyelashes. He looked at Yi Ning and asked, "Are you the sister they're talking about?"
Wei Ling was already unhappy seeing him acting recklessly, and his face darkened further when he heard Ting'er's words. He had been away from home for years, and Ting'er had lost his mother since birth, so he had always been raised by a wet nurse and cared for by the old lady. This, in turn, made the people in the mansion dote on him. He spoke without restraint.
Yi Ning looked at the child's clean face, nodded and smiled at him, "I am, so are you Ting'er?"
Ting'er curled his lips, feeling that this sister was very unfamiliar. He was still more familiar with Zhao Mingzhu next to him. He ran towards Zhao Mingzhu, took her hand and said, "Sister Mingzhu, my maid made me a snowman. It's in the yard outside. Let me take you to see it! It's beautifully made."
Standing together, the two looked more like siblings, wearing the same gold collar. Ting'er had only Zhao Mingzhu by his side since childhood, so he naturally felt close to his only sister. Zhao Mingzhu had been at the Duke of Ying's mansion for over a decade, a feat Yi Ning couldn't compare to.
Mingzhu patted his head and said, "Brother Ting, your sister is talking to you, why don't you answer?"
Tingger held Zhao Mingzhu's hand and looked at Yining with a strange look: "She is not my sister. I don't have a sister."
"Brother Ting, who taught you to talk like that?" Wei Ling's tone was already bad. He looked like he really wanted to grab Brother Ting and give him a beating.
Yi Ning knew that it was not easy for a child to suddenly accept having a sibling. They were still very wary of strangers. She stood beside Wei Ling in silence, as anything she said would be inappropriate.
After hearing what Wei Ling said, Tingge'er became even more unhappy and said in a louder voice: "You picked her up from outside. I don't have a sister!"
Wei Ling's face was gloomy, and he said coldly: "If you keep talking like this, you will have to kneel in the ancestral hall. Yining is your biological sister."
He originally wanted to see the two siblings loving each other, but seeing his son holding Zhao Mingzhu and speaking coldly to Yining made him feel uncomfortable.
Tingge'er was stubborn for a moment, and the maids and servants behind him felt distressed. No one dared to say a harsh word to the young master at home. Only under the threat of Wei Ling's eyes did Tingge'er reluctantly call her "sister", but he didn't even look at Yi Ning and walked straight out the door.
"That's just his personality." Wei Ling took a deep breath and said to Yi Ning, "He didn't have a biological mother to educate him, so he was spoiled by the maids and the old women."
Yi Ning said softly, "He is still young. I was also naughty when I was a child and gave my grandmother a headache."
Wei Ling stroked the girl's head and found that his daughter was standing straight, looking in the direction where Tingger left without saying a word.
No matter what, the Duke of England's Mansion was still unfamiliar to her.
He had originally thought of letting Yi Ning take care of his younger brother and teach him well. Ting'er had no mother, so his temperament was even more eccentric than that of other children. Having a sister to care for him would certainly be better, but it seemed like he had to take his time.
Yi Ning's belongings had been put away, and the maids were about to help her wash and dress again. Someone came to announce that the Marquis of Dingbei had arrived. Wei Ling gave Zhenzhu a few instructions and went to the front hall to greet him.
The maids in the room seemed to be paying special attention to Zhenzhu, who led the group in. They all half-knelt, and on the square lacquer trays were placed pieces of clothing and jewelry for Yining to choose from.
Yi Ning took a look and chose a pale pink satin jacket with a garland pattern. Zhenzhu stepped forward and gently combed her hair into a bun, while Daimao chose a gold hairpin inlaid with jade and a light green tassel knot to match. This outfit made Yi Ning look even more charming and charming. Zhenzhu said softly, "Miss, please follow me for a while. There are so many people in the aristocratic families, and you won't be able to tell the masters and ladies from different families apart. I will remind you what to call them."
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