Chapter 35 Uncle's Visit: "Without a husband's family to back you up, you..."
"Miss...it's been a whole day, can't you at least eat something?"
Xia Ying frowned, propped herself up on her arms, and looked at Lin Zhi with some distress: "Madam is so good to Miss, how could she bear to confine her to her quarters?"
Lin Zhi paused in her embroidery, then looked up to see Chun Tao tapping Xia Ying on the forehead, a rare faint smile appearing on her usually flat lips.
"Bring it here, I'll eat it."
Staring at the plain noodles in front of her, Lin Zhi forced herself to eat most of them, even though she had no appetite. After being locked up for several days, she had come to a realization: she couldn't make things difficult for herself, no matter who else she was. If she ruined her health, wouldn't she just have to accept whatever came her way?
"By the way, Miss, I heard from the vegetable delivery girl today that the eldest young master and the master went to the palace. I wonder if it's still about appeasing and rewarding the household."
"I heard that Madam seems to be in better spirits and no longer cries day and night like before."
Hearing that Lin Shaowan was feeling better, Lin Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. Her aunt had indeed had a tough time. However, she couldn't and wouldn't agree to the marriage proposal.
"Miss! Miss, something terrible has happened! Someone has come to the manor to cause trouble!"
The gatekeeper frowned as he watched the maid run to deliver the message. He stopped her, frowning, "Miss Biao has been ordered by Madam to stay at home. How dare you disobey Madam's orders!"
But after the maid produced Lin Shaowan's warrant, the servant carefully examined it before letting the person in.
"What did you say? Who dares to cause trouble at the Pei residence!"
As Yuqian quickly caught up with Lin Zhi, she succinctly recounted the day's events: "I heard that man say he was the eldest son of the Lin family, a cousin of the madam, and that he came here after hearing about the second young master's funeral."
"But Madam seems to dislike this Master Lin very much. They started arguing after only a few words. I even heard him say something about wanting to take you away, Miss?"
Upon hearing Yuqian's words, Lin Zhi's eyes were filled with anger. She never expected that Lin Fengyuan would be so shameless!
Lin Zhi hurried to the entrance of the main hall, but then stopped. Yu Qian turned around in confusion: "Miss, what's wrong?"
Lin Zhi leaned against the wall, her face pale, trying her best to suppress the churning in her stomach. She hadn't expected that she would feel nauseous just from hearing Lin Fengyuan's voice.
After a while, she managed to regain her composure and hurriedly went over to support Lin Shaowan, whose face also looked terrible.
The aunt and niece exchanged a glance, but neither of them spoke first.
Instead, Lin Fengyuan looked Lin Zhi up and down for a while before happily saying, "So A-Zhi has grown into such a graceful young woman! Cousin Shao Wan has indeed taken excellent care of her!"
"She's obviously Fenghe and Xiaoyu's daughter! If your brother and sister-in-law knew this in the afterlife, they would surely be grateful to you, Shaowan."
Lin Zhi frowned, wary of such flattery. How could someone like Lin Fengyuan possibly have any good intentions towards her?
Lin Shaowan coughed twice and angrily shouted, "Lin Fenghe, don't even think about taking Azhi away!"
"She is my child whom I have carefully raised for several years. There is absolutely no way I will let her go with you!"
Lin Fenghe chuckled and said, "Madam Pei, Lin Zhi's surname is Lin, not Pei. Now that my nephew has died on the battlefield, what's the use of you still holding onto Lin Zhi?"
"Why don't I take him back to the Lin family and arrange a proper marriage for him?"
Hearing her aunt and his words, anger flashed in Lin Zhi's eyes again. It turned out that this man's plan was still the same as it had been a few years ago: to sell her for a good price!
Lin Zhi felt her aunt's hand trembling as she held it, and stepped forward to block her aunt's way with a cold face: "Lin Fengyuan, what makes you think I will still be able to be manipulated by you without any power to fight back as before?"
"When I was a child, it was shameless of you to lay a hand on a child. But things are different now..."
Seeing his complexion growing worse, Lin Zhi said calmly, "Even though we're not together, I've heard that your eldest son is a compulsive gambler. I'm afraid he's squandered almost all of our family's wealth over the years."
"And your second son has been of marriageable age for many years but is still unmarried. Is it because you can't afford a dowry? Is that why you came to our door today wanting to take me back and sell me to pay for my dowry?"
"But don't forget this is the capital. My uncle has been fighting for years, my eldest cousin is a favorite of the Crown Prince, and my second cousin has even been rewarded and posthumously honored. This is not your territory to act like a local tyrant! How can you run wild under the Emperor's nose?"
Every word she spoke struck a nerve with Lin Fengyuan, leaving him so angry that he clutched his chest, pointed at Lin Zhi, and couldn't speak: "You...you ingrate!"
"Our Lin family took in you orphans and widows, and now we've raised such an ungrateful child!"
Lin Zhi's gaze grew colder and colder. To take them in?
Back then, she and her mother were treated like slaves by the Lin family, yet they couldn't earn a single kind word from them. This acceptance of them was only possible after they had spent all their savings.
With no more kinship ties remaining, Lin Zhi was unwilling to waste any more words with him. "Guards, escort him out of the mansion. No idlers are allowed in the house!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Fengyuan was furious and slammed his hand on the small table beside him: "Insolence! Lin Zhi, you have no respect for your elders. Even your deceased father had to be respectful to me. How dare you, a mere woman, treat your uncle like this!"
Lin Zhi ignored her and helped Lin Shaowan leave.
Seeing that he was being completely ignored, Lin Fengyuan was so angry that his face turned red and his neck bulged. He quickly glanced around, grabbed the teacup next to him, and threw it hard.
When Lin Zhi felt a gust of wind behind her head and turned around, it was too late to dodge. She watched helplessly as the teacup flew towards her. She involuntarily closed her eyes tightly, but all she heard was the sound of porcelain shattering on the ground and her aunt's cry of pain.
"Aunt!" Lin Zhi was so shocked by what she saw that her eyes widened, and she quickly caught the person who collapsed.
Lin Shaowan shielded her from the blow, her forehead cut by a shard of broken porcelain, blood gushing out continuously.
"...Azhi, don't be afraid, your aunt is here, your aunt will protect you..."
But before she could finish speaking, Lin Shaowan fainted.
"Quickly, call a doctor!" Lin Zhi knelt on the ground, holding her aunt and frantically calling for help.
The gaze directed at Lin Fengyuan was like a sharp sword, seemingly about to materialize and pierce a hole in him.
Lin Fengyuan panicked. He hadn't expected Lin Shaowan to really go crazy and actually shield Lin Zhi. He thought to himself that things were going badly and tried to run away, but was stopped by several tall and strong servants. The group worked together to subdue and tie him up.
"Throw her into the woodshed. If anything happens to my aunt... Lin Fengyuan, I will kill you with my own hands."
Lin Zhi's pretty face still bore traces of tears, and her temperament remained gentle, yet no one dared to question her words.
"Report back to me when your uncle and cousin return."
When Lin Fengyuan went to see his aunt after everything was taken care of, the doctor had already applied medicine and bandaged the wound on her forehead.
"Is your aunt's injury serious?"
"Please rest assured, Miss, Madam's injury is only superficial. It looks alarming because of the excessive bleeding. As long as she changes the dressing frequently and avoids certain foods, she will be fine."
Hearing this, Lin Zhi felt relieved and had someone escort the doctor out of the mansion.
Not trusting anyone else to take care of her, she personally stood guard by Lin Shaowan's bedside, waiting for her aunt to wake up.
Aunt had always been a well-maintained lady, and her beauty was beyond question. But now, after what happened to her second cousin, the gray hair at her temples and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes could no longer be hidden, which made Lin Zhizhong feel a pang of sadness.
As dusk approached and it was time to light the lamps, the servant who had been instructed still did not move.
"Chuntao, haven't your uncle and cousin returned home yet?"
Lin Zhi frowned and looked at the sky. Even if he had important business in the palace, he should have been back by now.
Chun Tao nodded. "Miss has been guarding here for half a day. Shall we go back?"
“My aunt is still asleep, so I can’t leave. You go to the front hall and wait there. Once my uncle and cousin return, tell them everything that happened today.”
"Yes, Miss, don't worry."
"Miss, Madam is awake!"
Upon hearing Yu Shu's voice, Lin Zhi quickly turned around and went into the room. Seeing Lin Shaowan wake up with her own eyes, the heavy weight in her heart finally lifted.
"Aunt! You've scared Azhi to death!"
Lin Shaowan smiled, her lips pale: "So much blood, it must have scared you."
Holding her aunt's still warm hand, Lin Zhi's heart gradually settled down.
"You saved me again."
Lin Zhi's eyes were red with tears as she stared at Lin Shaowan's current weak state, having long since forgotten the little resentment she had left in her heart.
But Lin Shaowan spoke softly: "You saw what happened today, Azhi. The Pei family is still holding on, but Lin Fengyuan dared to come to your door and make things difficult for you."
"If in the future... the Pei family is taken over by Pei Lang, will he and his wife be able to tolerate you?"
"Or are you willing to submit to someone else and share a husband? Your aunt has suffered such injustice and doesn't want to see you repeat the same mistake!"
Lin Shaowan became more and more agitated as she spoke, and she gripped Lin Zhi's hand tightly, coughing violently a few times.
Seeing this, Lin Zhi felt a lump in her throat, bit her lip, tears streaming down her face, and shook her head: "Aunt, please rest well, don't say anymore."
But Lin Shaowan refused, saying, "Without a husband's family to support you, how will you live your life?"
"If you don't agree to your aunt's request, your aunt would rather die here today!"
Lin Zhi looked at Lin Shaowan's tearful eyes fixed on her, but the promise that was on the tip of her tongue wouldn't come out. Her voice trembled as she shook her head: "Aunt, please don't force me..."
"Lin Zhi! Be good! Your aunt won't hurt you!"
The aunt and niece share a stubborn streak, refusing to yield an inch even when facing each other.
"Madam! Madam!"
Yu Shu hurriedly entered the room, her face full of panic. Seeing the aunt and niece in such a state, she dared not speak for a moment.
Lin Zhi turned her head and wiped away her tears: "What is it, Yu Shu, tell me."
Under the reproachful gaze of her mistress, Yu Shu knelt down with a thud and said mournfully, "Madam, you must take care of yourself and hold on!"
"Master, he... he suffered a stroke and collapsed! He had to be carried out of the palace!"
"He is still in a coma!"
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