After lunch, Ling Jingxu reluctantly took the Lu brothers to Peony Garden.

  Ling watched as the young men's figures disappeared into the distance, a hint of a smile floating in her eyes: "Sister Yu is indeed beautiful and outstanding, far surpassing me when I was younger."

  Lu Hong was just at the age when his heart was first opening up to love, and he met Ling Jingxuan, a beautiful girl who could topple cities with her beauty, so it's no wonder that he had thoughts about her...

  Mrs. Ling was very astute and had already noticed some clues, smiling softly: "From what I see, Ah Hong seems to be particularly attentive to Sister Jia."

  The mother and daughter were talking together, there was nothing to hide.

  Ling's eyes flashed with a hint of a smile as he said, "If Ah Hong has such intentions, he will naturally come and tell me. If it can be a marriage that brings our families closer together, then it would be a good thing."

  As the daughter of the Lu family's main branch, Ling Jingxu married into the Lu family as the eldest grandson of the main house, which was indeed a good marriage.

  "Marriage is a matter that affects one's whole life. You can't make decisions on your own. Wait until your uncle comes, and then discuss it with him privately before making any decision."

  Ling nodded with a faint smile.

  Whenever Ah-hui's husband was mentioned, Old Mrs. Ling couldn't help but grumble a few sentences: "Ah-hui, you've been married to the Lu family for so many years and never came back. Every year you send letters back home, only picking out pleasant things to say. I had no choice but to be reassured. Now that it's just us two women, don't hide anything from me. How did your husband really treat you?"

  Ling's smile paused, and a hint of bitterness crept into his tone: "The old master is the head of the Lu family, with many affairs to attend to on a daily basis. After becoming the governor of Jizhou, there were even more social engagements, and when he returned to the inner courtyard, it was inevitable that he would have less time... Moreover, the old master has many concubines, so naturally, he comes to my quarters less often..."

  Although the words were tactful, could Old Lady Ling not hear the meaning behind them?

  Mrs. Ling's face sank, and she gritted her teeth: "This Lu An, when he asked to marry you back then, was quite sincere. After marrying you and bringing you back to the manor, why did he treat you like this?"

  Ling sighed and his voice became even more obscure: "After all, it's my own fault, I shouldn't blame others."

  At that time, Lu An came to Dingzhou on official business and visited the Ling family. She fell in love with Lu An at first sight. Later, when the Lu family proposed marriage, Mrs. Ling was hesitant because of the distance between their homes and wanted to refuse the proposal, but she insisted on marrying Lu An. Mrs. Ling couldn't dissuade her, so she agreed to the engagement.

  At the beginning of their marriage, she and Lu An had a few years of sweet love. As time went by, Lu An's greedy and lustful nature was revealed. One after another, small concubines were brought into the mansion, and there were countless social gatherings and flirtations in official circles.

  Ling was not yet thirty, but had already become a has-been, widely neglected.

  This time Lu An Keng came to Dingzhou to celebrate his mother-in-law's birthday, still because of his brother-in-law who holds a position in the Ministry of Works.

  Finally, this sentence, Ling was really ashamed to say. Summoning up the spirit to laugh and say: "Mother, you don't have to worry about me. No matter what, I am the legitimate wife who married openly and aboveboard. Those beauties in the mansion are just playthings for men to enjoy, there's no need to take them seriously."

  Mrs. Ling looked at her daughter, Ah Hui, who was forcing a smile, and felt both heartache and annoyance. Her voice was slightly choked: "Ah Hui, all these years, you've really suffered. It's a pity that Dingzhou is too far from Jizhou, I wanted to go to the Lu family to support you, but this old body can't withstand the travel and turmoil... This time, when your brother-in-law comes to our door, even if I have to put aside my pride, I must ask him clearly..."

  Before she could finish speaking, Ling's face had already darkened, and he quickly interrupted his mother: "Mother, you don't need to worry about these things."

  Mrs. Ling's face turned slightly ugly after being choked: "Are you afraid that I will say these things, and Lu An's heart will not be happy?" Mrs. Ling's fear and awe of Lu An were revealed without a doubt.

  Ling didn't say anything, which was tantamount to acquiescence.

  Mrs. Ling's heart was burning with anger, and she said resentfully: "Are you going to spend your whole life in such a stifling and cramped way? With so many beauties around him, if he were to have another child, wouldn't your days be even more unbearable?"

  "There's no need to worry about that." A cold glint flashed in Mrs. Ling's eyes: "I am the legitimate wife of the Lu family's main house, and no one can surpass me. Those concubines may want to give birth to a son or daughter, but they have to see if they have the good fortune to do so."

  The words are sinister and subtle, savoring them carefully makes one's heart feel chilled to the core.

  Lu An's descendants only have two sons, Lu Hong and Lu Qian. The other concubines were also pregnant, but most of them had miscarriages due to various "accidents" after a few months. Those who gave birth to children also died young. Only two illegitimate daughters grew up safely. For Ling Shi, who already had a legitimate son, this was not considered a threat.

  Old Lady Ling heard this and put her mind at ease: "You know what's important, that's all that matters."

  As long as no son is born, having more concubines doesn't matter much.

  "This time I returned to my mother's home, only bringing Ah Heng and Ah Qian back. Those two daughters are not yet ten years old, so I didn't bring them along due to the long journey. Father didn't say anything either." Ling Shi's expression returned to normal, and she smiled faintly: "In Father's heart, Ah Heng and Ah Qian are much more important than those two daughters."

  Old Lady Ling's eyebrows relaxed and a smile returned to her face: "As long as you understand, I can rest assured."

  She paused and then reminded: "Lu An is in his prime, and he is not careful about women. This is also an unstoppable thing. However, you can't just listen to it. Choose some beautiful and reliable maids from your side, send them to him, and even if they get favored, they can become your helpers."

  Ling nodded: "I naturally understand this small matter, Mother doesn't need to worry about me."

  How can one be free from worry?

  Mrs. Ling sighed secretly. She had only one daughter, who was raised with great care and grew up like a precious gem. After marrying into the Lu family for so many years, her life was still not going smoothly!

  It was originally just a joke to mention Lu Hong and Ling Jingxu's affair, but now it seems that if Ling Jingxu can marry into the Lu family, she can also help boost the reputation of the Ling family. It's a win-win situation.

  ......

  Ling Jingxu pulled Ling Xiao's hand and entered the Peony Garden.

  Four pairs of eyes fell on her back, making her feel like a thorn in her side.

  Ling Jingxian's eyebrows furrowed imperceptibly, and a thread of strangeness and vigilance suddenly surged in her heart.

  Lu Hong was still infatuated with her, paying attention to every detail... She felt disgusted in her heart, but didn't think it was strange. However, Lu Qian's enthusiasm towards her was somewhat unusual.

  Even if Lu Qian were to develop unusual thoughts about her, it should be a few years later. The current Lu Qian is just a twelve-year-old boy. He's still shorter than her and in her eyes, he's still a child...

  A vague idea flashed through her mind, but before she could think carefully, Lu Qian's slightly excited voice interrupted: "Jiutang sister, this peony has green flower buds, will the opened peony also be green?"

  Compared to Lu Qian's excitement, Ling Jingxiao seemed somewhat unenthusiastic and casually replied, "This peony is called Douluo, and the flowers it produces are indeed a rare green color."

  Peonies have many varieties and different colors. Green peonies are undoubtedly rare treasures.

  Lu Qian didn't mind Ling Jingyi's coldness and laughed enthusiastically: "The peony flower season is almost here. Mother said we'll be staying in Dingzhou for a few months before leaving, it seems I can feast my eyes now."

  As she spoke, she pointed at another peony and asked: "Zhuo sister, that one with blue flower buds, what variety is it?"

  "That one is called Blue Field Jade." Speaking of her favorite peony, Ling Jingxu's expression softened a bit, losing the cold indifference that kept people at bay: "I cultivated it last year. When it blooms, its red stamens and blue petals are extremely delicate and beautiful."

  When looking at her favorite peony, a hint of tenderness flows from the corners of her eyes and eyebrows.

  Lu Qian looked at Ling Jingxuan, and the joy in his heart almost overflowed from his chest. Just as he was about to say something, Lu Hong's voice rang out beside him: "Jingxuan, the one with purple buds, is that Ge Jinzi?"

  Upon hearing Lu Hong's voice, Ling Jingxiao's eyes immediately lost that hint of a smile and she briefly responded with an "mm-hm".

  Anyone with eyes can see the disgust and impatience in Ling Jingxu's eyes.

  Lu Hong's smile paused, and his heart felt like it was being blocked by something, feeling extremely suffocated.

  What exactly did he say wrong, what did he do wrong, why does his sister-in-law dislike him so much? Even not willing to cover up a little bit, just showing it clearly on her face...

  Ling Xiao couldn't see Lu Hong's gloomy expression, and Lu Qian didn't know whether it was intentional or unintentional, also ignored Lu Hong's unpleasant face, and smiled at Ling Jingyu: "Sister Jing can cultivate so many famous peonies, really great."

  Ling Jingxian's attitude towards Lu Qian was still quite gentle, and upon hearing this, she smiled faintly: "What's so impressive about that? It's just that I had nothing better to do and I like peonies, so I put a bit more thought into it."

  She hated everyone in the Lu family, and her disgust for Lu Qian was relatively mild.

  After marrying into the Lu family, she and Lu Hong were deeply in love. She also loved Lu Qian's younger brother, Lu Qian, very much. Lu Qian was also exceptionally affectionate towards her elder sister-in-law.

  At that time, she didn't take it seriously.

  In her eyes, he was just a lively, lovely and willful child.

  He didn't know when it started, but he had developed an unseemly infatuation with her. As his gaze grew more ardent, he would take advantage of Lu Hong's absence to suddenly appear at her door, chatting idly and refusing to leave.

  When she sensed his thoughts, she was both shocked and amused by the absurdity. She didn't dare to tell anyone about this, not even her husband. All she could do was quietly distance herself from Lu Qian.

  Lu Qian was weak and sickly since childhood, so the Ling family spoiled him in every way. Whatever he wanted, even if it were a star in the sky, they would try to pluck it for him with their own hands. This also fostered Lu Qian's arrogant and domineering personality, where he had to have whatever he liked.

  This abnormal and unrequited feeling did not fade away due to her indifference, but instead grew more intense.

  ......