Lin suddenly realized.
At first, she was surprised and saddened when she saw Cheng's suicide note, and then she was completely shocked by everything about Lin Qingwan in the letter.
Madam Cheng said she felt ashamed before the Prime Minister's family for failing to raise Lin Qingwan well. She was stubborn and rebellious, and her failed attempt to elope ruined her reputation; yet, people still came to propose marriage to her.
Lin couldn't remember what else was written in the letter, but these two things alone were enough to give her a headache.
Then, rumors spread throughout the mansion that Lin Qingwan was coming back to fight for everything that belonged to her, and that Jiang Yanwan was going to be kicked out, losing the love of the Prime Minister and his wife, and becoming a stray dog.
She was so angry that she punished a group of servants, but she still couldn't stop Jiang Yanwan from jumping into the pond on the day Qingwan returned.
Lin disliked Lin Qingwan even more.
In addition, nothing has been easy for the Lin family since she returned.
Lin wanted to establish rules so that Lin Qingwan would behave herself and appear in public with a dignified and polite image, but Lin Qingwan would argue with her and contradict her, which only made her angry.
However, looking back now, it wasn't without reason that she was being arbitrary, dismissing Lin Qingwan based on just a few words from Madam Cheng.
As her biological mother, she never even thought to ask why Lin Qingwan had such a personality.
Tears streamed down Lin's face as she finally had to admit, "Rong Ma, it's too late..."
Rong Ma sniffed. "Madam, no child doesn't want to be loved by their mother. Miss Qingwan is no exception. Let's be patient; we have a long life ahead of us."
The thought of Lin Qingwan's current coldness and aloofness, the absence of her former stubbornness in questioning and arguing with her, caused Lin Shi a sharp pain in her heart.
In the early morning, three carriages from the Prime Minister's residence appeared at the cemetery outside Shuiyuan Town.
Cheng was buried by Lin Qingwan, and there isn't even a tombstone.
Lin Qingwan now deeply regrets burying a woman who forced her to drink deadly poison; she should have left her body to rot in the wilderness!
Jiang Yanwan didn't want to go over, so she cowered and hid behind Lin Shi.
Lin Qingwan deliberately pointed to the grave and said to her, "When someone dies in another family, relatives and children always crawl in front of the grave and cry."
"Her burial was very quiet."
Jiang Yanwan had never been to such a place before, and even with someone by her side, she felt it was eerie and terrifying. Moreover, she didn't acknowledge the Cheng family at all and had hated them more than once for sending Lin Qingwan back.
Going to a grave to cry now? Absolutely not!
"Madam, I..." Jiang Yanwan clutched Lin's fox fur coat, her eyes full of pleading and reluctance.
Lin instinctively tried to comfort her, but her tenderness vanished before it even reached her eyes. "After all, she gave birth to you, and she longed to see you one last time before she died."
She is your biological mother.
Lin's words were tinged with reproach. How could children be unwilling to see their birth mother? As soon as this thought arose, her heart ached, and she thought of Lin Qingwan, who had just returned to the manor.
Furthermore, Jiang Yanwan was raised by her, and no matter what situation she faced, she should be composed and dignified, not... lacking even the slightest composure of a servant.
"I..." Jiang Yanwan couldn't answer.
From childhood to adulthood, her mother had never disliked her like this before... When she was little, she was afraid of thunder and would cry in the middle of the night, huddled under the covers. Her mother would come and stay with her in the rain until dawn.
Jiang Yanwan's eyes reddened, and her lips trembled slightly. "I was raised by my mother. In my heart, you will always be my mother."
"I know I should cry for her, but I... I can't cry."
"I···"
Tears welled up in her eyes and burst forth the moment Lin was moved. She covered her mouth tightly with her hands, afraid of being scolded.
Lin felt a tightness in her throat and subconsciously looked at Lin Qingwan.
Lin Qingwan didn't react and walked towards the grave.
Lin hesitated for a moment, then said to Jiang Yanwan, "Alright, then go and light some incense."
Jiang Yanwan nodded.
"There are fresh offerings placed in front of the grave!"
The butler walked in front and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the still-burning white candles and several fresh pastries.
Everyone looked in the direction the butler was pointing. "There are footprints in front of the grave!"
Rong Ma said, "She lived in town for fifteen years, and today is her 100th day memorial. What's so surprising about people coming to pay their respects?"
When she said that, everyone thought it made sense and breathed a sigh of relief.
Lin Qingwan replied indifferently, "She has no friends."
"She was disfigured and never went out. At first, when neighbors brought her things, she would coldly drive them away. Over time, everyone in town knew that she had a strange temper and no one wanted to talk to her."
"Otherwise, she wouldn't have let the clothes get moldy and smelly, insisting that I go to the river to wash them."
She spoke casually, but everyone involuntarily recalled the chilblains on her hands when she returned home.
Looking at Jiang Yanwan, who was raised with an air of nobility by the Prime Minister's mansion, one can't help but feel sorry for Lin Qingwan, who came from a lower social class.
Adding to the fact that the Prime Minister first revealed his true identity, and then Jiang Yanwan conspired with outsiders to scheme against Lin Qingwan, which was witnessed by the young master, even the madam became cold towards her. As the saying goes, when a wall falls, everyone pushes it down, not to mention that Jiang Yanwan had never treated the servants well in the past.
At this moment, countless mocking gazes almost devoured her.
Jiang Yanwan lowered her head, but her tightly clenched fists betrayed the hatred in her heart.
Lin initially didn't think much of it, but her eyes narrowed when she saw the pastries.
“Madam,” Rong Ma also noticed, “these are some of Cheng Min’s favorite pastries, exactly the same as the ones we prepared.”
Lin Qingwan feigned surprise, "What a coincidence?"
"I didn't know she had friends."
After saying that, she raised an eyebrow, "It seems that her adoptive father brought her letters a few times, saying that they were from Miss Wen."
"Does Mother recognize this Miss Wen?"
A look of surprise flashed in Lin's eyes. She exchanged a glance with Rong Ma, but quickly regained her composure.
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