Chapter 4: The Golden Mansion

  Inside the inner room of the east wing, Lin was reclining on a low couch, elegantly sipping clear tea. Her face was beautiful, with smooth and lustrous skin, wearing a light purple satin-edged round-collared shirt with a white snowflake-patterned skirt, and only one agate hairpin with a reddish glow on her swallowtail bun, without any other rings or ornaments. The buttons of her clothes were slightly loose due to the noon nap, revealing a large area of fair skin in front of her chest, which, combined with her languid posture at this moment, was truly enchanting and captivating.

  Madam Feng called out softly and then walked forward, bowed slightly, and knelt down on the rush mat under Lin's low couch.

  "What did you say?" Lin asked, taking a sip of tea and looking up at Mrs. Feng.

  "Madam! It's said that she has come back to life!" Mrs. Feng replied.

  Lin let out a cold snort, raised the teacup to his lips again and took another sip before continuing: "I said so, this month has been chaotic several times already, how come not once did it end in death? This sickly and ominous person is dragging on in the manor, just looking at him makes me feel unlucky!"

  Mrs. Feng, as someone close to Lin's side, how could she not know that Lin had a deep dislike for the person in Qingfengyuan? It's just that now that person is not only not dead but also has become more complicated. I wonder what kind of reaction the lady will have when she finds out.

  "Just say whatever you want to say, I hate it the most when people are hesitant and unclear!" Lin said, noticing that Mrs. Feng seemed to be holding something back.

  Mrs. Feng came back to her senses, responded to Lin with a "yes", and then said: "I heard today that San Niangzi not only came back to life but also miraculously started speaking!"

  Lin heard this, suddenly opened his eyes wide, staring at Mrs. Feng, as if trying to see something from her face, and asked incredulously: "Is this true?"

  "I dare not deceive you, madam. Today, Ah-yuan personally came to my place to collect this month's allowance. There were a few people who usually come and go with her who casually asked about San-niangzi's illness. The uncontrollable excitement on Ah-yuan's face suggests that it is absolutely true. It's just that I never thought that this serious illness would bring back to life someone who hasn't spoken in over ten years!" Old Lady Feng's expression remained calm, but her heart was also turbulent.

  A crisp cracking sound rang out in the inner chamber, the Qinghua porcelain teacup shattered into pieces on the wooden floor, and the warm tea water splashed onto Madame Feng's hand. Her face was calm, she hastily bowed her head to the ground and pleaded: "Madam, please calm down!"

  Lin's chest heaved violently, her breathing not quite stable. She stretched out her slender fingers, pointing at Mrs. Feng, gritting her teeth and saying: "You quickly go investigate clearly, don't listen to rumors and think you can fool me!"

  Mrs. Feng saw that Lin's family was really angry and hurriedly responded solemnly.

  Just as she was about to get up, she saw Qing Dai walking in with quick steps and saying to Lin Shi, "Madam, Lang has arrived!"

  As soon as she heard the two words "Ah Lang", Lin's face, which was still filled with anger and indignation a second ago, suddenly changed to a loving smile. She quickly sat up straight, adjusted her hair and clothes, while Mrs. Feng carefully placed a pillow behind her back.

  "Let him in quickly!" Lin ordered.

  As soon as the words fell, a handsome young man with a gentle demeanor walked in, wearing a dark blue round-necked robe with a black hat on his head. He was about twenty years old, with a bronze complexion and a height of around seven feet six inches. His face was clear and elegant, with high cheekbones, narrow eyes, and a spirited appearance that exuded an air of elegance and refinement.

  "The child has seen his mother!" The man entered the inner chamber and knelt down on a cushion, bowing his head in respect.

  "When will Brother Qin come back?" Lin asked excitedly with a smile.

  Jin Huang Qin sat up straight, waiting for a response. His eyes scanned the ceramic shards on the wooden floor and furrowed his brow, asking, "Why is Mother angry?"

  Lin's mouth twitched slightly, but Mrs. Feng smiled and picked up the fragments, saying: "Don't blame Ah Lang, it was just that this old slave accidentally knocked over the teacup and didn't have time to clean it up before Ah Lang arrived."

  Feng Mama picked up the fragments and pieced them together, then bowed her head and backed away.

  "It's really like that!" Jin Huaqin nodded, his eyes falling on Lin Shi's body. "My son happened to have finished his official business and passed through Taoyuan County, so he took the opportunity to return home and see his mother. Three days later, my son will set off for the provincial capital."

  Mr. Lin gently stroked Jin Huoqin's cheek with his hand, and scolded with a somewhat worried tone: "Qin Ge, you look thinner this time, work is busy, but no matter how busy, remember to eat on time, don't overwork yourself!"

  Jin Huang Qin responded promptly, asking about Lin's recent physical condition and inquiring about the official business at his father's office, as well as the well-being of his brothers and sisters in the mansion. He only omitted mentioning the person from Qingfeng Garden. After some small talk, Lin invited her son to have a meal in the east wing, ordering Qing Dai to serve the food. The mother-son interaction was warm and harmonious, making it seem as if they were biological parents and child, unaware of their true relationship.

  In fact, Jin Huoqing and Qingfengyuan's Jin Jingluo are the real biological siblings, born to the same mother. After their mother Liu died, seven-year-old Jin Huoqing was raised by Lin Shi, who was then a concubine. Lin often lamented that her sister had been so unfortunate, and if she hadn't given birth to an unlucky star, her sister Liu would not have died so young, leaving behind the young and pitiful Huoqing. The long-term brainwashing made Jin Huoqing extremely dislike his younger sister, and he also believed that his mother was killed by her. Therefore, from childhood to adulthood, he had no good feelings towards this lonely and autistic biological sister, not even bothering to ask about her well-being.

  After finishing dinner, Lin sat down on a low couch and took over the clear tea that Qing Dai handed over to rinse his mouth.

  "Your father has been busy with official business in the yamen these days, wait until he returns and then go pay your respects!"

  "Yes!" Jin Huangqin replied respectfully.

  Lin's mouth was slightly smiling as he looked at Jin Huangqin and said: "Third Sister had a few life-threatening illnesses this month!"

  What's going on?

  Is it serious? That means there's no danger at all!

  Jin Huangqin's eyes slightly turned, and he just faintly responded with a single word: "Oh!"

  Without confirming whether Jin Yu Luo had really spoken, Lin Shi didn't intend to mention the matter. She just smiled and asked casually, "Want to go see your sister?"

  This voice of sister, Jin Huangqin naturally knew who Lin Shi was asking about.

  "No... " Jin Haoqin replied faintly.

  Before he could finish speaking, a string of silvery laughter came from outside the room: "Brother is so bad, sneaking back home without even saying hello to his own sister, only coming to talk to Mother!"

  Jin Huangqin and Lin looked at each other and shook their heads simultaneously.

  As the green jade curtain swayed, a 15 or 16-year-old girl slipped in. The girl wore an orange-red high-collared dress with a transparent thin gauze half-sleeved jacket over it, embroidered with dense needlework of begonia flowers, and had her hair styled in double buns with two exquisitely crafted butterfly hairpins, looking bright-eyed and white-toothed, pretty and charming. She was the fourth daughter of the Jin family, Lin's own daughter.

  Lin's family had two daughters, the elder daughter Jin Erniang Qifeng was eighteen years old, she got married last year and became a woman of another family, her husband's family is a wealthy Li family in Xianju Prefecture.

  The little daughter, Fourth Daughter Jinyan Zhu, was only fifteen years old. Lin's family doted on her and raised her to be a spoiled and coquettish girl with a sharp tongue.

  "You, always making a racket all day long, not even a bit of the reserve that a young lady should have. It's really worrying for your mother!" Lin Shi stretched out her hand and pointed at her little daughter, scolding but with a face full of doting affection.

  Jin Yan Zhu, however, ignored Lin's scolding and sat down beside Jin Hwang Jin, grasping her brother's sleeve and coquettishly saying: "Brother, how many days will you be staying? Can you accompany Fourth Mother to go out and have some fun tomorrow?"

  "Alright, where does Fourth Sister want to go? Eldest Brother will be back for only three days, so I can only take Fourth Sister out once and also need to visit a good friend, it's estimated that time will be very tight!" Jin Huangqin revealed his neat white teeth as he smiled.

  The folk customs of the Jin Dynasty are somewhat similar to those of the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, the folk customs are open, and women and men walking together on the street is not unusual.

  "Oh, I see. So, Brother Ah isn't going to visit your good friend Chenlang Jun? Fourth Daughter wants to follow Brother Ah together, so Brother Ah can both visit Chenlang Jun and accompany Fourth Daughter, isn't that a two-for-one deal?" Jin Yanzhu muttered.

  "Nonsense!" Mr. Lin frowned and opened his mouth to stop his daughter's suggestion.

  "Your brother is visiting a good friend, and you're taking your daughter's family with you, what kind of propriety is this?" Lin scolded Jin Yuanyu and then looked at Jin Haokan, smiling: "Haoge, don't listen to your sister's nonsense, just do what you should do!"

  Jin Huangqin smiled and responded with a "yes", but his hand, which was hanging down by the low table, gently patted the back of Jin Yanzhu's hand. This action suddenly reignited a spark in Jin Yanzhu's eyes, which had been dim and hazy.

  Haha, brother is so great!

  "If you think the article is readable, please throw a few recommendation tickets to Baobao after finishing reading. A newborn needs nutrition to grow, right? Thank you all! I'm deeply grateful!"