Chapter 2 Sisters

  Lin Zhaoyan lived in the Xiangxiang Pavilion, which was located on the southwest side of the Hou Mansion. She resided in the main house, Qingfang Pavilion, while her younger half-sister Lin Hangyan lived in the eastern wing.

  Lin Ruoyan, Lin's legitimate younger sister, lived with Third Madame Lin in Mi Yu Tang on the west side of the Hou Mansion.

  Lin Xingyan was the daughter of Lin Sanlao's concubine, Wan Niangniang. Although Lin Sanlao enjoyed a carefree and romantic life, he was self-disciplined and respectful in matters of men and women. After more than ten years of marriage to Liu Shi, he followed the instructions of Old Lady Lin and took Wan Niangniang as his concubine.

  Wan Niang was born into a family of scholars and entered the Hou Manor for nine years, giving birth to a pair of children for Lin San Lao Ye, which was quite a face-saving achievement.

  So Lin Xingyan didn't have the ordinary woman's coquettishness and petty housewife's air, she was lively yet modest and polite.

  Everyone in the Hou Mansion liked Sanfang's seventh daughter, including Lin Sansheng, who had never found fault with this illegitimate daughter.

  However, Lin Zhaoyan did not like this younger sister. She thought that although she looked harmonious and gentle, in fact, she was a hypocrite with ulterior motives.

  So she would rather smile at the arrogant Lin Ruoyan than say another word to Lin Xing.

  What kind of people can be friends with and what kind of people cannot be friends with, she is still very clear about this after two lifetimes.

  Naturally, Lin Xingyan didn't want to fawn over her either, and since Lin Zhaoyan had no real power in the manor, they lived in the same courtyard for three years without ever exchanging more than a few words.

  Why did you come today to accompany her to pay respects?

  Lin Zhaoyan walked out of the house with a hint of doubt and immediately saw his younger sister sitting in the main hall waiting for him.

  Lin Xingyan is now ten years old, with fair skin and red lips, delicate features, a pair of eyes slightly raised, lively and charming, her figure resembling her birth mother Wan Niangniang, surprisingly tall and slender.

  Standing with Lin Zhao, they seem to be about the same height.

  "Sister has paid her respects to elder sister, last night the palace reported the mourning bell, sister was restless all night, but did elder sister sleep well?" She smiled and stepped forward to greet Lin Zhao with a bow, her tone warm and intimate, when she smiled, there were still two dimples on her cheeks.

  Last night, the funeral bell tolled, and it was heard that the Crown Prince and Sixth Princess had died. She was indeed frightened to death. Madame Lin sent her trusted maid, Mama Lin, to take a look, but she didn't find anything out of the ordinary. After saying a few words, she left, and she still remained fearful. The lanterns in Xinfang Pavilion were lit all night long.

  It turned out that they were here to gather information.

  Things in the palace may not affect these deep-house women, but Lin Xingyan has always been clever and wise, likes to ask about everything, although she claims to be favored, after all, she is a concubine's daughter, just afraid that her mother Lin said something she didn't know yesterday.

  Lin Zhaoyan was secretly scornful in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face. She just said lightly: "Don't worry, sister, I slept very well."

  "But I heard from Autumn this morning that the lights in your room were on all night, and I thought something had happened to you, so I rushed over to see you first thing in the morning!" Lin's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and the worry and concern in her eyes didn't seem fake.

  Lin Zhaoyan glanced at her and didn't respond. He only said, "It's getting late, go pay your respects to Mother." After that, he stepped out of the house.

  Lin Xing gazed at Lin Zhao Yan's back with a scowl, her elder sister had always been so apathetic and cold-blooded, and to make matters worse, she had a sharp tongue, no wonder even their own mother didn't like her!

  Luyu Hall is not far from Xiangxiang Pavilion. After leaving the courtyard, walking along the covered corridor for about half an incense stick's time, I arrived.

  Snowflakes fluttered down, and the roofs and treetops were all covered with a layer of white snow.

  Several maids sweeping snow in the courtyard were whispering under the corridor.

  Seeing Lin Zhaoyan and Lin Xingyan, she was busy closing her mouth, bowing her head and body, "Fourth young lady good morning, Seventh young lady good morning."

  One of the round-faced and big-eyed maids smiled and said, "The young ladies have arrived just in time, Madame has just gotten up, and Prudence has already taken Sixth Master to wait in the eastern wing!"

  Lin Zhaoyan nodded and asked: "And what about Fifth Sister?"

  "The Fifth Young Miss is still in the Qing'an Pavilion, but she's already awake. I just saw Sister Zi Juan and the others carrying a copper basin inside, probably helping her get dressed and washed up."

  Lin Zhaoyan nodded and instructed Man Shuang to give the maid a reward of eight silver coins, then said to Lin Xingyan: "You go greet Mother first, I'm going to Wu Mei's place."

  She didn't forget what Lin Mama said about going to apologize to Lin Ruoyan first.

  Lin Xingyan did not have any objections. Firstly, she had always been punctual and respectful when visiting her mother-in-law, which earned her a lot of good impressions. Secondly, she also knew that Lin Zhaoyan's careless words had caused Lin Ruoyan to fall into the lotus pond at Dong Chengxiang's residence, losing face and falling seriously ill.

  It seems like it's time to apologize now.

  Lin Xing couldn't help but think of Lin Ruoyan's overbearing and merciless personality, and her heart felt a little schadenfreude. The two sisters' constant bickering was greatly beneficial to her.

  Lin Xingyun walked towards the main house with a happy and joyful expression.

  Lin Zhaoyan then went to the Qinghang Pavilion in the west wing.

  Just as she walked to the entrance of Qing Xiang Ge, Lin Ruo Yan's personal maid, Zi Su, came over with a keen eye and said respectfully: "It's Fourth Miss who has arrived." While instructing the little maids to serve tea and pour water, she also apologized: "What bad timing, Fifth Miss is still getting dressed, Fourth Miss please go sit in the east wing for now!"

  Qing'an Pavilion is the same as Xinfang Pavilion, both are small in size and deep in length. The central bright room serves as the main hall, the western secondary room serves as the bedroom, and the eastern secondary room is used for receiving guests.

  In a normal family, sisters would directly go to the bedroom and call for someone, but these two sisters had never gotten along. Lin Ruoyan rarely went to Qingfang Pavilion, and Lin Zhaoyan seldom came to her Qingxiao Pavilion, so Lin Ruoyan's maids treated Lin Zhaoyan as a guest.

  "I'll just wait outside." Lin Zhaoyan didn't care, and helped Yan double remove her white cloak with silver silk edges and moon-white color, patted the snow off her body, and stepped into the house.

  Zi Su said nothing more and led Lin Zhao Yan to the carved pear wood armchair in the main room, while he himself went into the western wing to report.

  "What are you doing here?!"

  Before long, the silver-embroidered silk curtain was lifted, and a beautiful young girl with an angry expression walked out.

  At the age of eleven or twelve, she already had a pretty face, with high nose and snowy skin, her eyes shone like stars. Although she was wearing simple white clothes, she still looked as beautiful as a pomegranate flower in full bloom in May.

  Lin Ruoyan was the youngest daughter of Lin Santai, and she was already spoiled. Moreover, because of her resemblance to young Mrs. Lin, she had been raised in Rongshou Hall for a while when she was a child, and her temperament became even more arrogant and willful.

  She looked down on her younger sister's fawning and bootlicking behavior, and also despised her older sister's half-dead personality.

  Lin Zhaoyan ignored her resentment and smiled lightly, saying: "Don't be angry, I heard you're all better now, so I came to see you and apologize again."

  Don't hit a smiling face, Lin Ruo Yan still can't get used to Lin Zhao Yan's attitude of being overly accommodating, but she also couldn't muster up any temper.

  Lin Zhaoyan saw this and smiled, asking: "Well, little sister, have you forgiven your elder sister?"

  "Don't think you can just wipe your nose on my face!" Lin Ruoyan gritted her teeth, her tone not pleasant: "Do you think I'll let you off so easily? I'd rather push you into the lake and let you taste the pain of being sick for a month!"

  Heaven knows that on that day she fell into the lotus pond, getting sick was a small matter, but being rescued by a strange man ruined her reputation!

  "But I heard Lin Mama say that as long as I come to Qing Xing Ge to apologize, my sister will forgive me, and I won't even need to copy the book." Lin Zhaoyan blinked innocently and said, "I thought that was what my sister meant."

  Lin Ruo was about to be driven mad by her shameless attitude, but Lin Zhao's words were indeed true. She didn't know why she had a brain fart at the time and said that she would forgive her if Lin Zhao came to apologize, which made it impossible for her to refute now! After being speechless for half a moment, she could only turn her head and let out a cold "hmm" without responding.

  What a unique and proud personality she has, Lin Zhaoyan couldn't help but curve his lips into a smile.

  Although Lin Ruoyan looked down on her, she had a good impression of this sister, more accurately, it was admiration. Admiring her uninhibited and bold personality, daring to love and hate, also admiring her straightforward and unpretentious attitude towards things.

  Her straightforwardness and boldness are not something Lin Xiangyan can learn from.

  Lin Ruoyan saw Lin Zhaoyan's lips curled up in a pampered smile, and her anger grew. She stiffened her face and said coldly, "What are you still doing here? Go pay your respects to Mother! Can't bear the thought of being punished for being late by copying 'The Female Precepts' again? Next time won't be so easy to let you off!"

  Lin Zhaoyan's lips curled up even more, and a warm feeling flowed in his heart.

  When the two sisters arrived at Zhengwu Qin Yin Ge, they had just lifted the thick cold curtain, and Liu's personal maid Ziying immediately came up to greet them, smiling and saying: "The fifth young lady has arrived, the madam was just mentioning you!"

  Lin Ruo's expression softened, and she smiled lightly: "What have you all been saying about me?"

  Ziying led Lin Ruoyan to the eastern wing, saying: "It's just that I'm looking forward to your arrival, wanting to see if you're really fully recovered. Otherwise, why would it take so long?"

  Lin Ruoyan glanced at Lin Zhao Yan who had just entered the door, and said with a smile that was not quite a smile: "Someone wants to follow me to apologize, wasting some time."

  Ziying was a clever person and immediately understood, "I've also heard this story before, but I don't quite remember the ending. I wonder if Lian Po forgave Lin Xiangru in the end?"

  "Lord Lin Xiangru is a magnanimous person, how could he be petty?" Lin Zhao replied calmly.

  Lin Ruoyan coldly laughed and didn't speak, but when she reached the door of the eastern room, she suddenly thought of something and hastily stopped in her tracks. She turned around to look at Ziying and said: "By the way, have you found out who it was that saved me that day?"

  She spent the whole month in illness, and in her daze, she heard Zi Su say that her mother had gone to the man's house who saved her to thank him, but in fact, the thanks were false, and clearing the relationship was true.

  The purple swallow lifted the curtain with a pause, and then stuttered: "Yes, yes, it's Xiao Wangye's eldest son from the Xiao family."

  Lin Ruoyan's face immediately turned extremely bad.

  Lin Zhao also stunned, Xiao Wangye's eldest son...

  She couldn't help but smile wryly, afraid that Lin Ruoyan would hate her even more.

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