Chapter 84
Yi Ning had no idea that her father had gone to speak for her.
When she was practicing calligraphy, she heard some noise and turned around to see Wei Ling standing quietly behind her, not saying a word.
Yi Ning stood up and spoke to him: "Why did you come back so early today..."
Before he could finish his words, Wei Ling suddenly reached out and hugged the child.
Yi Ning was caught off guard by his embrace. She could smell a pine scent on Wei Ling, which was actually quite pleasant. Thinking that Zhenzhu must have said something to Wei Ling, she said, "Father, I'm really fine."
Wei Ling paused, his voice low, "Daddy knows." He'd been afraid to scare the girl and hadn't dared to hug her. But today, he felt especially sorry for her, even more than when she was at the Luo family. Perhaps it was because he was the one who caused this, because he hadn't been able to protect her.
He remained silent for a long time, and finally said, "When Daddy found you, he told you that he would never let anyone bully you..."
"Nothing is absolute," Yi Ning said softly. She had never thought that after arriving at the Duke of Ying's mansion, there would be no obstacles at all, and that everyone would like her. This was impossible.
Wei Ling stroked her hair, not making any promises. It was useless to say anything. He sat down. "Mingzhu was raised by your grandmother, so she's very partial to her. Before you came, she had her way in the Duke of Ying's mansion," he said. "If she ever does anything bad to you in the future, just come and tell me."
At that time, he would definitely not show mercy anymore.
Over at Jing'an Residence, Old Mrs. Wei felt more and more upset the more she thought about it.
She asked Madam Song to bring an umbrella, saying she was going to Yining. Madam Song tried to persuade her that the roads were slippery in the snow, but Old Lady Wei wouldn't listen. Madam Song had no choice but to ask a servant to bring a sedan chair, which they took all the way to Yining. Old Lady Wei got out of the sedan and headed straight for the west side room. A maid tried to pass on a message, but Madam Song held up her hand to silence her.
Old Mrs. Wei stood at the door of the west side room, gazing at the candlelight. Yi Ning was talking to Wei Ling, and they were both laughing at something funny. The two faces, one large and one small, had strikingly similar expressions when they smiled, even the mole on their eyebrows was identical.
Old Mrs. Wei looked at him like this, and felt a sense of intimacy. This was indeed the kinship of blood.
Yi Ning saw Old Lady Wei standing at the door, and her smile faded. She wasn't as relaxed and at ease as she was when facing Wei Ling. She called out with some restraint, "Grandma."
Seeing this, Old Lady Wei felt a sharp pang in her heart. Yi Ning was still a young girl! After being hurt by someone, she would naturally be on guard and not be so close to her. Obviously, when Yi Ning first came back, she was so close to her...
Old Mrs. Wei forced a smile and said, "I'm just taking a look... It's okay, you and your daughter can continue your conversation."
When Mrs. Wei saw that Wei Ling didn't even look at her, she turned and left. When she got on the sedan chair, she suddenly coughed a few times. Mother Song hurriedly asked, "Grandma, is it serious?"
"It's probably typhoid fever, but it's not serious." Old Mrs. Wei closed her eyes, and the sedan chair moved much faster.
In Jing'an Residence, Zhao Mingzhu was still waiting for her. When she saw Old Lady Wei come in, she immediately took her hand and asked, "Grandma, you met my uncle today. What did he...what did he mean?"
Mrs. Wei coughed heavily a few times. Seeing Zhao Mingzhu's anxious expression, as if she was eager to hear her answer, she suddenly felt a little disappointed.
She was clearly ill, but Zhao Mingzhu didn't notice at all. Instead, he only cared about her affairs.
"It's okay." Old Mrs. Wei still couldn't bear it and said lightly, "Your uncle didn't mean that."
Mother Song helped Old Madam Wei into the inner room. Zhao Mingzhu was slightly stunned before following them.
Because of this incident, Old Lady Wei found a lot of things in her storeroom to give to Yining, and she sent people to deliver a variety of snacks to her every day. Of course, Yining couldn't bear a grudge against the old lady, so she let it go. However, they were no longer as close as before.
But Wei Ling didn't let Zhao Mingzhu off easily. He told the officials, "Mingzhu's maid expenses are excessive. Even ordinary princesses wouldn't be as extravagant as she is." He then removed half of Zhao Mingzhu's maids and cut her daily expenses in half. However, Yining's room still required the same amount, and Duke Yingguo never complained about any excesses. He even personally selected maids and sent them to Yining to help her manage them. Whenever Yining needed something, Duke Yingguo's instructions were passed down quickly.
In the past, Mrs. Wei would definitely not agree, but this time she didn't say anything and let Wei Ling do it.
Zhao Mingzhu was so angry she was speechless. She had never encountered anything like this before! She ran to Old Madam Wei to complain, but she kept her lips tightly shut, stroking her head soothingly. This was Wei Ling's intention, and she couldn't interfere. And Mingzhu having so many maids...wasn't right.
Zhao Mingzhu felt that Old Lady Wei's attitude towards her had been somewhat cold recently, and she felt very uncomfortable. Naturally, she also treated Old Lady Wei as a relative. She acted coquettishly and flattered her, and Old Lady Wei gradually became nicer to her. It seemed that she was no different from the past.
The housekeepers and servants all understood that this adopted young lady was no match for the real young lady. The Duke of England would not favor a fake young lady who was not related to him by blood.
Ting'er struggled with this for a long time that day, but still didn't tell his father. However, since Cheng Lang hadn't been around for several days, he felt much more relaxed. He didn't have to practice calligraphy, and he could just hang out with Zhao Mingzhu all day.
Yining also felt the changes in the managers' attitude towards her.
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