She actually felt that a girl of Ling Wan's age should be lively like this; this was how a girl should be.
If she were to remain listless, wouldn't it be terribly dull?
"Young Madam, if this young lady is so ill-mannered, she will be a laughingstock at her in-laws' home."
Aunt Bai said with a hint of worry, "Even daughters born of the main wife must adhere to propriety, or they will be looked down upon by their in-laws. Let alone a daughter born of a concubine, who is already inferior in status. If she also lacks etiquette, how will she manage at her husband's home?"
"A woman is born human, and to walk this earth, she must live for herself. If she always has to consider others' thoughts and live to fulfill their intentions, wouldn't her life be too stifling?" Kuaishu Pavilion
"Young Madam... this... aren't all women like this? At home, they follow their father; when married, they follow their husband; when the husband dies, they follow their son. This has been the way for centuries. To be unconventional, this path is extremely difficult."
She knew very well that living this way was tiring. But if she were to stand out and be on the opposite side, she would inevitably be at odds with everyone. Even if she gained momentary satisfaction, her future days would be truly difficult.
As a mother, she did not want Ling Wan to live such a life. She only wished for Ling Wan to live this life safely, without disaster or hardship.
Ling Wan's eyes were cast down, and the smile on her lips was gone. She wanted to live according to her own heart, but she also knew it was not permitted. She understood her mother's expectations...
However, she still felt a sense of unwillingness. She did not want to live within these constraints, feeling bound and having to think for a long time even to speak a few words. Such a life was truly too exhausting.
"Let's not discuss these matters anymore. No one can predict the future. By the way, Aunt Bai, I have something important to ask you. Let's talk in the room."
Walls have ears. Every corner of the Ling mansion seemed to sprout eyes. Some matters still needed to be handled with caution.
"Alright, Young Madam, let's go to the inner room to talk."
Aunt Bai was intelligent. She figured that Feng Jin must have something important to discuss with her. She directly led her to the inner room and dismissed all the maids.
"Young Madam, please speak your mind. There are no outsiders here."
"It's not really anything too important. I was just worried that someone might overhear and gossip, leading to further slander..."
The reason she wanted to find a private place to discuss this was to avoid anyone seizing the opportunity to spread rumors and cause further trouble later.
"I just want to ask, who exactly is this Eldest Aunt who came today? I've never heard of her in the Ling family?"
She was clearly the Eldest Miss of the Ling family, yet no one in the Ling family seemed to have ever mentioned her. Logically, when a daughter returned home, her family should have been notified long in advance, and her maternal family should have been prepared to receive her. Yet, this Eldest Aunt's return was as if it were a silent affair.
She had also observed everyone in the Ling family, including the Old Master Ling. They all seemed indifferent to the matter. She was his own biological daughter, yet they were surprisingly distant.
Compared to Old Master Ling's attitude towards the Second Master Ling, the difference was worlds apart.
Upon hearing this, Aunt Bai was first stunned. After a moment of hesitation, her face showed a look of conflict. "Actually, this matter happened a long time ago. Few people in the mansion know about it. What I know is what I've heard from the elder servants of the mansion."
"This Eldest Aunt was not born of the late Madam. It was the Old Master who, on one occasion when drunk, was designed by a maid serving the late Madam, who was also Eldest Aunt's birth mother, Aunt Feng. Thus, Eldest Aunt was born. This Aunt Feng was not a peaceful woman. Relying on her pregnancy, she confronted the late Madam and forced the late Madam to drink the concubine tea."
"The late Madam had a kind disposition and was very magnanimous towards Aunt Feng. Yet, Aunt Feng constantly caused trouble and stirred up chaos in the rear courtyard, almost causing the late Madam to miscarry from anger..."
"In the end, Old Master Ling personally dealt with Aunt Feng. It is said he beat her to death. After that, Eldest Aunt was sent to a manor to be raised for a few years. Only when she was older was she brought back to the Ling mansion. When it came to arranging her marriage, they specifically chose a distant location, just to keep Eldest Aunt far from the Ling family."
Feng Jin had never heard this before and was momentarily stunned. This was truly explosive news; she never expected such a thing to happen.
For a while, she couldn't process it all. After a pause, Feng Jin managed to digest all the information.
"Then, during Eldest Aunt's visit today, I noticed that Grandfather's attitude towards her seemed to have improved considerably."
"So many years have passed. After all, they are father and daughter. It is likely that the Old Master did not want their relationship to be so strained, hence his attitude has softened."
Feng Jin's gaze lowered slightly. After a moment of contemplation, she looked outside with a thoughtful expression. "If it were simply a visit to see her family, it would be easy enough to handle..."
But what if it wasn't? Then it would be troublesome...
Ever since Ling Changyi met her today, her words had carried a sharp edge. Feng Jin had felt that Ling Changyi's visit was not so simple. She hoped it would be nothing.
After asking Aunt Bai a few more simple questions, Feng Jin left. Upon returning to her room, she continued to ponder the matter. It was only after Ling Mo Han returned that Feng Jin finally withdrew her thoughts and looked at Ling Mo Han, silently observing him.
After a brief pause, Feng Jin spoke softly, "Your Eldest Aunt has arrived. Didn't you go to see her?"
Ling Mo Han's brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes.
"When did she arrive?"
"This morning. Grandfather specifically asked me to meet Eldest Aunt."
"Did she say anything to you? Did she make things difficult for you..."
Ling Mo Han asked several questions in succession, concerned that Feng Jin might have been bullied.
"She didn't make things too difficult for me, only said I was careless in taking care of the child. However, Grandfather helped me out and said a few words to Aunt."
"I knew she had ill intentions in coming. Stay away from her in the future, and don't listen to anything she says."
Ling Mo Han instructed Feng Jin, telling her not to interact much with Ling Changyi.
However, he also needed to find a way to make Ling Changyi leave sooner so that he could be at ease. Ling Changyi's arrival was definitely not for good intentions.
She had just met Feng Jin and was already trying to sow discord with such ill intentions. The longer she stayed in the Ling mansion, the more trouble she would stir up. It would be best to make her leave as soon as possible.
"I've noted it all down," Feng Jin nodded slightly in response. "I noticed that your relationship with this aunt doesn't seem to be very good?"