A life of ups and downs is pure joy

In Anxinzhai, He Su was serving tea to the old ancestor. Lin Mutang was sitting on the armchair at the lower left. The old ancestor spoke.

"This old bastard has a good plan. Not only did he leave my son to guard Yinan, but now he has set his sights on my wonderful granddaughter." The old ancestor took a sip of the tea offered by He Su and motioned her to sit aside. He Su walked to the chair on the right side of Lin Mutang and sat down.

"I heard from my father that King Xin'an wants Yao'er to marry his second son. I heard she is a good child." He Su said. Because of He Bin, Lin Mutang liked to bring He Su along when discussing important family matters, and the ancestor also acquiesced.

"Is it the child who inherits the title?" asked the old ancestor.

"Yes, mother, if I hadn't heard from many sources that this boy has good character and is quite popular among the people, I wouldn't have come to discuss this matter with you." Lin Mutang said.

"After all, Yinan is too far away from Luofeng. I feel reluctant to let my Yao'er go there alone." The old ancestor looked embarrassed. After all, she was the one who brought up Lin Qingyao.

"My second brother is still in Yinan. Yao'er will be able to help him there, so mother doesn't need to worry." Lin Mutang paused and continued, "King Xin'an promised his son that if he agreed to the marriage of the two children, he would immediately go to Kyoto to let Lin Feng inherit the title. My Yao'er would marry into the Yinan Palace and become the princess consort. It wouldn't be unfair to my son."

"Well, well, the child will naturally get married when she grows up." The old ancestor waved his hand and said no more.

"How is Qinghuan after using the new prescription?" The old ancestor thought of his frail and sickly granddaughter and asked with concern.

"Mother, I heard from Yier that Huan'er is more energetic now. He can eat a big bowl of rice in one meal, and he also eats chicken, duck, fish and meat. Even the snacks I asked Yier to bring were finished in a few days. It seems that this medical saint is really worthy of the title." He Su stood up and said with a smile, taking the kettle from the maid and personally adding tea to the old ancestor.

"Well, that's right. Xiao Bowen has given birth to some good sons." Grandmother thought for a moment and continued, "Su'er, go tell all the children to come to my yard for dinner tonight. Tell the kitchen to make more dishes that the brothers and sisters will like."

"Okay, mother, I'll get started right away." He Su bowed, glanced at Lin Muchang and gave instructions, and a group of maids and old women followed to get started.

Lin Mutang looked at He Su's back and smiled, saying, "Mother, Su'er is always good at pleasing you. Now I feel closer to you than my son."

"Among your wives and concubines, my favorites are Lan'er and Su'er. Lan'er had a miserable life. She passed away after leaving behind a pair of children, which makes me sad every time I see those two children. Su'er is carefree and looks like me when I was young. Although He Bin is a warrior, he still knows how to educate children. Feng'er is quiet and knows the rules. She takes care of Huan'er meticulously, and I am happy with her." After speaking, he took a sip of tea and continued, "Guan's background was not good, so you took her in Yinan. Your father disagreed at the beginning, but you can't blame him. He was right. Mo'er is my granddaughter. Now that she's back home, I naturally won't say anything more. Raise her well in the mansion. The child's medical skills are okay, and I can rest assured that she will take care of Qinghuan. As for Chang Xinrui, as long as you like her, I can tolerate her as long as she doesn't do anything that breaks the rules."

"Mother, thank you for taking care of the huge Lin Mansion for me. If you trust me, you can choose one of them to help you and save me the physical and mental fatigue." Lin Mutang stood up and bowed.

"Let's talk about this after Feng'er gives birth." Cheng Ping was confused. How could He Su, who was carefree, control the Lin family? Xue Feng was weak and not good at speaking, making her even less suitable. Chang Xinrui was naturally not considered. Isn't it time to find a legitimate mistress for my old son?

"Grandma, Ru'er is the first one here today." Cheng Ping was brought back to her senses by the clear voice of a child. She saw her youngest granddaughter running towards her happily and lying on her knees in the blink of an eye.

"Run slower. You fell in the yard yesterday and got a mouthful of mud. You cried like a tearful person, but you've forgotten it today." Lin Qingyao followed in from behind.

"Grandma, how are you?" Lin Qingyao bowed to the old ancestor and walked forward to hold the chubby girl Lin Qingru.

Cheng Ping looked at her most beloved granddaughter with a smile in her eyes, but then she thought about discussing marriage in the near future, and a trace of sadness appeared in her eyes. She was getting older and older, and she couldn't bear separation. Although her husband passed away a few years ago, fortunately her son was filial, her wife was obedient, and her grandchildren were all likable. She had a good life these years.

"Grandma is well, Daddy is well." Lin Qingwan bowed while carrying her guqin on her back, bringing Cheng Ping back to her senses.

"Good girl, get up." Cheng Ping was happy with her granddaughters. After all, they were her son's blood relatives.

"Big sister, Ru'er." Lin Qingwan walked gracefully to Lin Qingyao's side and greeted her politely.

"Third sister, why do you carry the guqin yourself? If Ru'er takes food out, Lianrong carries it for me." Lin Qingru's innocent big eyes were full of curiosity.

"Because this is my third sister's most beloved thing. We grew up together and have an indelible affection for it." Lin Qingwan took off the guqin from her back, and her personal maid Bai Lu stepped forward and carefully took the guqin. Lin Qingwan squatted down and said with a smile while pinching Lin Qingru's chubby face.

"From now on, Ru'er will carry my food box and bag by herself. After all, she has feelings for me." The smart little Lin Qingru said seriously, making everyone present laugh.

In Zelan Garden, Lin Qinghuan and Lin Qingyi were watching Lin Mo making spices with great interest, occasionally helping out. Nanny Zhou hurriedly called out from Lin Mo's yard, "Where are the girls?"

"I'm making spices in the pharmacy. Why are you so anxious, Ma'am?" Chu Xia, who was going to the yard to get something, walked up to Ma'am Zhou and said.

"It's time, take me to find these little ancestors." Nanny Zhou grabbed Chu Xia's wrist and steadied her staggering steps.

"I'll go out and see why there's so much panic outside." Lin Qingyi stood up and stretched, then walked straight to the door of the pharmacy and bumped into Nanny Zhou who came in in a hurry.

"Ma'am, be careful. Why are you in such a hurry?" Lin Qingyi supported Ma'am Zhou and asked curiously.

Lin Qinghuan and Lin Mo also rushed to the door in the hustle and bustle. Before they knew it, it was already late, and the slightly pale moon had replaced the fiery red sunset.

"What's wrong, Madam Zhou? Is there any medicine I haven't taken yet?" Lin Qinghuan remembered that she had just taken a bowl of extremely bitter and disgusting medicine an hour ago. She didn't know what prescription this medical saint had prescribed, it was so unpalatable.

"Have the girls forgotten the dinner at the old lady's?" Nanny Zhou said after calming her breathing.

"Oh! What time is it now? How could I have forgotten about this?" Lin Qingyi exclaimed, slapping her thigh.

"Hurry, go now." Nanny Zhou ordered Chuxia to bring the girls' coats. After they put on their heavy coats, they rushed to Anxinzhai together.

When I reached the door, I could hear the noisy sounds inside mixed with Lin Qingwan's piano playing.

"Hmph, all you do is play that broken piano every day. I hear it in the yard every day, and I can even hear it when I walk to my grandmother's place." Lin Qingyi muttered behind her.

The maid at the door handed us a new hot water bottle to replace it.

"Are we the only three left?" Lin Qinghuan asked curiously.

"Replying to Fifth Miss, yes, everyone is here except the eldest son."

"Where is the big brother?" Lin Qingyi asked.

"The eldest master is not at home." The little maid greeted them and went to the main hall.

After the ceremony, everyone took their seats.

"Wan'er, please take a seat too." Lin Mutang called out to Lin Qingwan, who was sitting at the piano table. He turned back and glanced at Lin Qingyi, who was laughing loudly. "Yier, look at your sister Wan, and then look at yourself. You don't have the gentleness of a girl at all."

"Daddy, Third Sister is Third Sister and I am me, why should we be the same?" Lin Qingyi replied unconvinced.

"You still think you're right?" Lin Mutang said.

"Fourth sister, Daddy is doing this for your own good." Lin Qingwan sat down gracefully and said softly.

"Hmph, you can act like a lady in front of others, why do you have to pull me in?" Lin Qingyi replied angrily.

"Fourth sister, I just said something that made sense. If you don't want to hear it, then don't listen. Why do you have to humiliate me?" Lin Qingwan said to Lin Muchang and her grandmother with grievance.

"Yier, how can you say that about your own sister? Look at the entire Lin family. Who is as disrespectful as you? A girl doesn't learn music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but spends her days practicing swords and guns. Now you contradict everything you say." Lin Mutang tapped the table lightly.

Lin Qingyi couldn't help but shed tears. It can be said that this girl is really not good at talking.

"Daddy, don't be angry. Sister Yi is a woman of character. In ancient times, there was Mu Guiying who took command of the army, and Hua Mulan who joined the army to replace her father. Each of them was as brave as a man. I think Fourth Sister will also be such a remarkable woman in the future." Lin Qinghuan said slowly.

"Huan'er." Lin Qingyao pulled her sister's sleeve and looked at her in surprise.

"Daddy, Huan'er has been weak since childhood. You don't know how much I envy my sisters for their good health. They can go wherever they want to play, especially Sister Yi. These days, playing with Sister Yi, Huan'er can go to bed early every day and is full of energy." After saying this, Lin Qinghuan wiped away the tears that she had squeezed out and looked at Lin Mutang aggrievedly.

"Why are you being so mean to the child when things are going well? My dear granddaughter, come to your grandmother and don't cry anymore." The old ancestor called Lin Qinghuan and Lin Qingyi, who was crying like a tearful person, to come forward with a distressed look on her face and said to Lin Mutang with a complaining look.

"I just said a few words, not harsh words, but how come Qinghuan started crying? Okay, it's your fault that your father was not in a good mood today." Lin Mutang stood up and walked to Lin Qinghuan, picked her up, and reached out to wipe the tears from Lin Qingyi's face.

"Okay, okay, our general father has surrendered, you two should stop being so squeamish, come back and sit down and have a good meal." Lin Qingyao stood up and pulled her two sisters back to sit down.

Lin Qingyi was cheerful again, toasting her grandmother and then her father. Lin Qingwan ate her meal in her usual elegant manner, without changing her expression.

The cook in Anxinzhai's small kitchen was very skilled. In a short while, Lin Qinghuan wolfed down a huge pile of fish and meat, leaving Lin Qingyi beside her stunned. She looked at her anxiously and said, "I'm really worried that you'll overeat. Is your small body capable of digesting it all?"

Lin Qinghuan took the tea handed to him by Chuxia, drank it in one gulp, and put down the chopsticks in satisfaction.

"Who told me that the food here is so delicious, grandma? Delicious food is the most irresistible temptation in this world." She sighed while touching her full stomach. The old ancestor was so happy to hear it that she couldn't stop smiling. It really couldn't be blamed on her. In her previous life, Su Jin was always hungry, and now she can't resist the temptation of delicious food.

After dinner, they chatted for a while. Lin Mo stayed to check the old ancestor's pulse. The others bid farewell to their grandmother and left Anxinzhai together to return to their respective courtyards. Lin Qingyao's Xiangxi Garden was in the opposite direction of them. She asked the maids and old women to serve several younger sisters, straightened Lin Qinghuan's outer robe, and left first with Lin Qingru.

"Qinghuan, who are these Mu Guiying and Hua Mulan you were talking about? Why have I never heard of them?" Lin Qingyi asked, holding her arm.

"I saw it while flipping through ancient books. I was deeply impressed and wrote it down." It seems that the characters in the long history of Lin Qinghuan's world are completely different from those here.

"Don't you hate reading the most? Now you are reading ancient books." Lin Qingyi said.

"Life is so boring, I have to kill some time. Otherwise, fourth sister, how about you teach me how to make a comeback?" Lin Qinghuan said jokingly.

"I don't want to be chased and scolded by my father and elder sister." Lin Qingyi complained helplessly.

"Fourth sister, fifth sister, wait for me." The two sisters were walking and chatting in front, and Lin Qingwan's voice came from behind.

Lin Qingyi was instantly unhappy when she saw Lin Qingwan, so Lin Qinghuan pulled her clothes to see what she wanted to do.

"Third sister, I thought you left first!" Lin Qinghuan said politely.

"Today in grandma's house, I was the one who spoke my mind. I hope you two younger sisters won't think too much about it." Lin Qingwan stepped forward and said with a smile.

Lin Qinghuan glanced at Lin Qingyi, who calmly replied, "Third sister, is there anything else? The weather is quite cold, and I'm anxious to send Qinghuan back to the courtyard."

"It's okay, I just came here to apologize. Qinghuan, you should go back to the courtyard and rest early." After saying that, she patted Lin Qinghuan's hand with a smile, and left gracefully with her guqin on her back.

"Third sister, since she has come to apologize to you, why are you still ignoring her?" Lin Qinghuan looked at Lin Qingyi in confusion. She really didn't expect Lin Qingwan to take the initiative to apologize.

"Hmph, what she is best at is pretending to be a good person in front of others. She has been like this since she was a child. Every time she bullies me, she apologizes to me in front of others. She won't do this when I'm alone. She's used to it, so everyone thinks she is reasonable, well-behaved and obedient, and I'm the most unkind one." Lin Qingyi said angrily.

"I didn't expect Third Sister to be so..." She looked around to make sure there were no outsiders around before speaking, "So scheming."

"Let's go. It's too cold. I've gotten used to it over the years. My mother told me not to argue with her." Lin Qingyi took Lin Qinghuan's arm again and sent her back to Lingzhuyuan first.