There was no aura of a talisman master awakening.
Xu Xiaoniang glared resentfully at the three of them huddled together, feeling like an outsider, utterly ignored.
Lin Yanxi's tears slid down her cheeks. How long had it been since her parents had called her Zhaozhao?
She couldn't bring herself to utter the absurd reason of rebirth and reincarnation. To speak of such a thing would surely brand her a madwoman.
"I, I accidentally hit my head, and when I woke up, everything was fine."
Jiang Wan clearly did not believe this explanation. The forced smile she managed quickly faded.
Lin Ze was too emotional, tears streaming down his face. He awkwardly dabbed at them with his sleeve. "Go, go fetch a doctor to take the young lady's pulse."
"Father, I'm truly fine, not a single thing is wrong."
Lin Ze smiled. "Yes, yes, but we must still have the doctor check. Your father will be at ease."
Jiang Wan glanced at the scattered white silk ribbon and Xu Xiaoniang on the ground, pointing at the ribbon and asking, "What is going on here?"
Seeing Jiang Wan looking at the white silk ribbon on the ground, Xu Xiaoniang immediately wailed, "Oh! My days in this mansion are unbearable. This second daughter has just regained her senses, which should be a joyous occasion, and after years of my diligent care, I have finally seen a good result."
"Yet, as soon as the second daughter returned to the manor, she publicly humiliated my Yuan'er. In an attempt to snatch Yuan'er's earring, she actually sliced open her earlobe on the street. Tell me, can sisters have such misunderstandings that it leads to this!"
"My poor Yuan'er is still in her room having her earlobe bandaged. I fear she may be left with a permanent ailment. A woman's appearance is of utmost importance. How will she ever find a good husband in the future!"
Lin Yanxi inwardly sneered. So, her recovery of her senses was due to Xu Xiaoniang's years of diligent care?
She lowered her eyelids, her gaze falling to her toes, and muttered softly, "What's there to fear? Lin Yuan has already found herself a good match."
"Mumbling what? Still haven't admitted your mistake!" Jiang Wan suddenly reprimanded sternly. Her voice was even louder than Xu Xiaoniang's.
In the eyes of the household staff, Jiang Wan was someone consumed by melancholy after her elder brother's death, suffering from a heart ailment. She was always listless and indifferent, rarely showing such great anger, which startled everyone.
It was also because Jiang Wan's heart ailment was so severe that she often went to the estate to recuperate. When Lin Yanxi was foolish, she had no mother to rely on in the manor.
Lin Yanxi's fair little face, her lips pressed tightly together, her eyes burning with a painful ache, stared at Jiang Wan without speaking.
She had just recovered from her illness, yet her mother showed no joy, scolding her without inquiring into the cause.
This meant she did not believe her.
Lin Ze's expression was awkward and displeased. "Oh, Madam, what are you doing? Zhaozhao has just recovered from her illness. If she has truly done something wrong, we can teach her slowly. Moreover, the truth of the matter is unclear, how can you listen to only one side?"
Xu Xiaoniang was displeased. "My Lord, what you say implies I have wrongly accused the second daughter?"
Without waiting for Lin Ze to speak, her tears began to fall like a broken string, snot and tears mingling. "I know that no matter how much I do as a concubine, I can never hold my head up in this manor. The Madam is in poor health and her heart ailment is difficult to cure. My Lord is busy with official duties, and I am left to manage this large Lin manor alone."
"Although I am Lin Yuan's birth mother, I have never mistreated the second daughter or the third daughter. I treated them as my own, even better than Lin Yuan and Lin Nian. All the good things in the manor were always given to the eldest branch first. The second daughter was born with insufficient vitality, and more than half of the manor's expenses were spent on tonics and medicinal meals for her."
"Every year, we lived frugally to get by. This third daughter has developed a fondness for calligraphy and painting in the past two years. I spent a fortune to find her a female master. My Lord, are all these things I've done fake? And this is how you think of me now?"
Lin Ze sighed deeply, finding himself at a loss on how to deal with her. In recent years, she had indeed worked hard for the Grand Tutor's manor.
Jiang Wan had been investigating the truth of her brother's death for years and had indeed been preoccupied with family affairs. Her two daughters were entirely reliant on Xu Shi for upbringing and care. Her health was deteriorating day by day. As a mother, she hoped her daughters could maintain a good relationship with Xu Shi.
Even if she were to pass away one day, Xu Shi could continue to treat her daughters well.
Besides, she disliked her daughter lying the most.
Jiang Wan's face was cold. She coughed lightly, took a sip of tea to suppress it, cleared her throat, and said, "Zhaozhao, apologize to Aunt Xu."
Lin Yanxi stared at Jiang Wan's face in disbelief, hoping to see a trace of her protection, even a hint that she wanted to hear an explanation. No matter how much allowance or rewards her father brought home, Xu Shi would always claim the manor was in deficit. Now, she was shifting the blame to her and her sister. It was true that she ate some medicinal meals and tonics, but those were ordinary things.
Occasionally, the manor would also purchase rare medicinal herbs, most of which were for Xu Shi's own consumption. Since she took charge of the household, her waistline had expanded by three sizes.
Her sister, Lin Ruoyan, often argued with Xu Xiaoniang to protect her. Fearing that Lin Ruoyan might speak ill of her to Lin Ze, Xu Xiaoniang casually found an excuse to send her to study calligraphy and painting. These were now attributed as her own merits by Xu Shi.
Lin Yanxi looked for a long time but found no response from Jiang Wan's face. She turned her head stubbornly, then unwillingly raised her little head again, meeting Jiang Wan's gaze.
Her little face contorted with grievance, and she retorted, "Mother, you don't know anything. Everything I did was to protect myself. My illegitimate sister and the Crown Prince have long since..."
"Eldest Madam, Father." Lin Yuan, supported by several maids, arrived in the main hall, appearing frail and unable to stand steadily. Her voice was not loud but drew everyone's attention.
Lin Yuan's left ear was wrapped in several layers of white cloth, with bloodstains still visible and not yet dry at the edges.
Lin Yanxi was momentarily surprised. While she had indeed cut Lin Yuan's earlobe when removing the earring, it shouldn't have been this severe. She had been to the palace from morning until returning home, which was three to four hours. The gauze was still dripping with blood?
She moved her lips weakly, her dark almond eyes glistening with moisture as she cautiously observed Jiang Wan's increasingly tense expression. Upon seeing Lin Yuan, Jiang Wan's expression softened.
The words she was about to say were swallowed by Lin Yanxi.
She finally understood. Her mother's face was full of suspicion and anger towards her, but the only time she showed tenderness was towards Lin Yuan.
Moreover, without evidence, even if she told her parents that she was reborn and already knew the fate of the next ten years, who would believe her?
They could only think she was insane.
Jiang Wan blinked in surprise, then came back to her senses. She hadn't interacted much with Lin Yuan, but she knew her to be gentle and well-behaved. She couldn't help but recall the prophecy about Lin Yanxi's destiny from many years ago, her face becoming even more overcast.
Xu Xiaoniang hugged Lin Yuan and sobbed, "Look, everyone in the manor, come and see! This is the legitimate daughter of the Lin manor, she has injured Yuan'er like this!"
Servants waiting outside the main hall secretly peeked inside.
Lin Ze coldly stopped her. "What are you shouting about? Do you want more people to come and witness the entertainment in the inner chambers? Zhaozhao, is it as they say?"
The only evidence that could prove Lin Yuan's collusion with bandits to kidnap Lin Yanxi, the coin purse, was still there, but with no one to testify, it was useless. The yellow-toothed man was dead, and a bloodstained coin purse could prove nothing.
This jinx had given her a great gift! However, his words about striking the snake at its seven inches, a fatal blow, were indeed true. The Crown Prince, behind Lin Yuan, was the long-standing giant snake coveting the Grand Tutor's manor. Without absolute proof, rashly exposing Lin Yuan and the Crown Prince's affair would only alert them.
Lin Yanxi's eyelids gently closed. She exhaled, and when she opened them again, the initial grievance and helplessness were gone.
She had never intended to rely on anyone. Even if her mother didn't believe her, she would seek justice with her own abilities.
She said with determination, "No, it's not as they say. Lin Yuan deliberately let me fall into the hands of the bandits. I was missing for a night, and thankfully, His Highness Prince Jiu rescued me. When I returned to the manor at dawn, Lin Yuan stole my earring. I merely took back my own belongings and accidentally injured her."
Lin Yuan shook her head as if she couldn't stand, swaying slightly. "Second sister, what are you talking about? How could I have deliberately let you be abducted by bandits? When you went missing, I wished it were I who was abducted, so that I could suffer in your place."
Lin Yanxi keenly caught the flaw in her words and raised her eyebrows, retorting, "You wished it were you who was abducted? Meaning, before I returned home, you already knew I was kidnapped, not simply lost?"
Lin Yuan panicked for a moment, tears streaming down her face. "You are twisting the facts. I have never done anything to harm you, yet you keep calling it 'stealing' and insulting me."
She quickly changed the subject and continued to cry, "You were missing all night, so I went to your room to look for any clues. I just happened to see this earring on you, so why use the word 'steal'?"
Lin Yuan had heard about the nameless male corpse on the street early on, knowing that the villain was dead. Even if she held her coin purse, Lin Yanxi could do nothing if she denied it to the death.
Lin Yanxi let out a cold snort and stepped closer, asking, "Taking without asking, isn't that stealing?"
"As for the matter of the bandits, I have no evidence now, but I will find evidence. From now on, you will live in fear every day, and pray that I don't catch any evidence, otherwise I will take you to the yamen to be punished!"
Lin Yuan took a step back, her expression pure and innocent.
Jiang Wan slammed her palm on the table and shouted, "Enough! How much further do you want to push your illegitimate sister? It's just an earring, do you need to make things so bitter between sisters?"
"If you were more compassionate and learned to treat people kindly, your aggressive nature wouldn't be so heavy!"
Xu Xiaoniang smirked triumphantly, smoothing her hair. "Yes, and she even pushed me to the point of wanting to hang myself. She's utterly lawless."
Jiang Wan's complex eyes cast a cold glance at her. "I am disciplining my daughter; it's not your place to speak. I have always stayed out of manor affairs, and concerning Zhaozhao..."
Her eyes softened slightly. "I have rarely taken care of Zhaozhao, but if anyone tries to harm my child, I will not let them off lightly. I am not dead yet!"
Lin Ze looked at Jiang Wan silently, a hint of a smile in his eyes. Ever since her brother died, she had been distressed day after day. This Jiang Wan was like the bold and decisive Miss Jiang family she was before, who feared no one.
Xu Xiaoniang was silenced and dared not say anything more.
Lin Yanxi raised her clear eyes, her heart filled with complex emotions.
Lin Ze glanced at the maidservant beside him and said, "Alright, send the aunt and Yuan'er back to their rooms to rest."
Aunt Xu said unwillingly, "Master..."
Lin Ze waved his hand impatiently. "Do you want to continue to turn this manor upside down? As soon as something happens, you cry, make a scene, and threaten to hang yourself, and then blame Zhaozhao for forcing you to do it. I know your temperament after all these years."
Aunt Xu was about to continue her complaints, but Lin Yuan tugged at her sleeve. Lin Yuan already had a guilty conscience, and with Lin Ze so obviously favoring the eldest branch, further闹 could bring no advantage.
Xu Xiaoniang understood Lin Yuan's meaning and said no more.
As they were about to leave, Lin Yanxi suddenly spoke, "Wait."
Their account was not yet settled.