Old Master Ling grumbled in dissatisfaction, letting out a cold snort.
"The young madam left with the young master because it was getting late," the housekeeper explained cautiously, though he secretly thought that the old master had kept the child with him since morning and truly had no intention of returning the young master unless the young madam came to fetch him.
"Is that so? I don't think so!" He saw it clearly; it was simply fear that he would snatch the child, which prompted the hurried departure.
...
Feng Jin, with hurried steps, brought the child back to the East Courtyard, not daring to stop for a moment along the way.
"Young madam, please slow down..." Granny Lin followed behind, panting heavily. Her old bones could not keep up with the young ones. If she continued to run desperately, she would truly collapse.
Feng Jin stopped and turned to look at Granny Lin, who was struggling to catch her breath. In her haste, she had forgotten that Granny Lin was advanced in age, and moreover, she was holding Da Bao. It was difficult for her to keep up with such a pace.
"Let's rest for a while. We'll walk back more slowly." Since they had already come this far and Old Master Ling's men had not caught up, they wouldn't now. They were only a hundred meters from the East Courtyard, so there was no need to rush the remaining journey. They could walk back leisurely.
"This old servant is truly old and useless..." This was the first time she had felt her strength failing. After walking such a short distance, she felt breathless. One could not defy age, no matter how hard they tried. When one reached a certain age, it was futile to force oneself; one should do what they were capable of at their age, as planned long ago.
"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural course of life. There's no need to dwell on them too much. Excessive worry will only bring you needless trouble." As a physician, she had witnessed too much birth, aging, sickness, and death, the separation of yin and yang, and had long since become indifferent to life and death.
"Young madam speaks wisely, but when it happens to oneself, it's hard not to feel melancholic," Granny Lin sighed softly. No one wanted to face the reality of aging. As the saying goes, it is better to live a humble life than to have a good death. In the face of death, everyone wants to live.
"Even so, it cannot be avoided. This is the ultimate destination." She was an absolute materialist, treating life and death objectively. Although she understood that these words might be hurtful to Granny Lin, Feng Jin chose to speak directly. In her opinion, facing things with equanimity was always better and more beneficial than deceiving oneself. Such false comfort was merely a temporary solace for the heart, but eventually, one would have to face reality. At that time, it would be even harder to accept. Feng Jin still chose to lay bare the truth to Granny Lin, as she believed this would allow her to see more clearly.
Granny Lin sighed softly, her heart accepting some of it, but she instinctively wanted to avoid the topic.
"Young madam, it's getting late. Let's go back." With that, Granny Lin picked up Da Bao and walked ahead. Ultimately, she did not want to face the topic so frankly. Perhaps if she could avoid it for a day, it would be for a day. This self-deception at least brought her inner peace. Having not many days left to live, she preferred to spend her remaining time comfortably and contentedly.
Feng Jin looked at Granny Lin's slightly aged figure, a strange emotion flashing in her eyes. Kings, ministers, commoners alike, when faced with life and death, subconsciously chose to evade it. This was a common human trait, a manifestation of inner weakness and timidity. The inherent flaws of humanity, when facing life and death, were like tearing away the facade of hypocrisy, revealing the most ignoble side to everyone.
Without further delay, Feng Jin, carrying Er Bao, followed them. Upon arriving at the East Courtyard, the two children clamored to sleep. Perhaps it was due to being tired from playing, Feng Jin simply placed the two children there, and within a short time, they had fallen asleep on their own. Feng Jin watched over them and also fell into a deep sleep on the side. Perhaps it was because she was too tired, or perhaps the bed at home was too comfortable, Feng Jin slept very soundly until the sun was high in the sky the next day. Feng Jin woke up groggily. After a moment of daze, she realized that she had not slept with Da Bao and Er Bao last night. How was it that she had woken up in her own room? Could she have been sleepwalking? She remembered that she did not have a habit of sleepwalking, so how did she end up in a different place in the blink of an eye? Feng Jin hurried to get up, changed her clothes, and walked out. As she reached the courtyard, she saw a familiar figure she hadn't seen in a long time.
"When did you get back?" Feng Jin walked up to Ling Mo Han and asked. It had been two or three days since she had seen Ling Mo Han. Why did he look so much thinner than a few days ago, especially with such dark circles under his eyes?
"Last night." Feng Jin's brows furrowed slightly. "Then, it was you who carried me back to my room last night?" The man nodded slightly, admitting that when he returned last night, he hadn't seen Feng Jin in their room. After searching for a while, he found Feng Jin in the children's room and directly carried her back to their room. The truth revealed, Feng Jin dispelled her doubts. She knew it; she simply had no habit of sleepwalking. However, she had slept so soundly last night that she hadn't noticed even when Ling Mo Han carried her back.
"Why haven't you returned to the mansion for these past two days?" Feng Jin asked with a slightly tactful tone, though she was eager to know what Ling Mo Han had been doing these past few days, and why he hadn't even returned home. But seeing the dark circles under his eyes, her heart was slightly touched, and the questioning words softened considerably.
"It's nothing. I've been staying at the military camp." A fleeting weariness crossed Ling Mo Han's face. Ever since arriving in the capital, he had been at the military camp, never leaving. Yesterday, he had only managed to take some time to return home to see Feng Jin. Mountains of work awaited him back there.
"Go and see Grandfather later." Feng Jin recalled the dejected look on Old Master Ling's face yesterday and couldn't help but remind Ling Mo Han to visit him. Old Master Ling had invested a lot of effort in Ling Mo Han, his eldest grandson.
"Alright, I'll change my clothes and go." He indeed hadn't seen his grandfather in a long time. If he went in his current state, it would only cause his grandfather more worry. It would be better to go after tidying himself up.
"I'll go see the children first. Let's take them with us." She hadn't forgotten her promise to Old Master Ling yesterday. For the next few days, she had to at least put on a good show and frequently take the children to visit him.