"I'm reporting to the old lady, the whole family of Master and Young Master are almost here."

  After waiting for a long time, everyone finally received good news, and they were all invigorated.

  Old Lady Ling's face lit up with joy, and she shouted loudly: "Quickly, have someone open the main gate."

  The Ling mansion usually only opens the side door. Today, Mr. and Mrs. Ling are returning with their family, accompanied by Uncle Lu who has come from afar, so they naturally opened the main gate to welcome guests.

  Mrs. Ling walked to the front door surrounded by everyone, while Ling Jingxu slowed down her pace intentionally or unintentionally and fell behind with Ling Xiao.

  "Ah-jie, you don't like this kind of lively gathering, why don't we two slip away quietly first?" Ling Xiao whispered in Ling Jing's ear: "Anyway, with so many people here, it won't be noticeable if the two of us are missing. No one will pay attention."

  Ling Jingxu's heart warmed up. Ling Xiao must have noticed her low mood, that's why he suggested to slip away halfway.

  Although no one would notice at this time, a scolding was inevitable afterwards. More importantly, she didn't want to hide anymore.

  "It's just a moment, bear with it and it will pass." Ling Jingyu also lowered her voice: "There are many people here, don't run around, just stay by my side."

  For Ling Jingxu's decision, Ling Xiao never refused and nodded obediently.

  The sister and brother were intimately hand in hand, leaning extremely close, forming a small world of their own.

  Everyone was eagerly waiting for the return of Mr. Ling and his family, as well as Uncle Lu, and no one paid attention to the siblings - even if they did notice, no one would think it's strange.

  After Yao's death, Li entered the household and the sister and brother became very close, relying on each other for survival. Ling Jingxian showed meticulous care towards Ling Xiao, who in turn relied wholeheartedly on her. In contrast, they were not particularly close to their father, Ling Wu Ye.

  Someone with sharp eyes shouted: "Here they come!"

  Everyone was suddenly excited.

  ......

  Several horse-drawn carriages stopped at the entrance of the Ling Mansion.

  The first to arrive was Lao Leng and his family.

  Forty-five-year-old Mr. Ling has a square face and a dignified appearance, with a few strands of whiskers, giving off the air of a literary official.

  The forty-year-old woman standing beside him, dressed in finery and with a refined makeup, was none other than his eldest aunt, Sun Shi. In addition, there was the eldest son, Ling Xi, accompanied by his wife and children. The bright and beautiful young girl standing behind Sun Shi was the eldest daughter of the main house, Ling Jingyan.

  "The son is unfilial and has not returned to visit his mother for several years." Mr. Ling took big strides to walk in front of Old Mrs. Ling, and immediately knelt down to kowtow.

  Madam Ling's eyes immediately turned red, and she trembled as she reached out to support Mr. Ling: "You're an official in the capital, busy with official duties every day, it's not convenient for you to come back... how can this be blamed on you..."

  Before he could finish speaking, Old Man Ling had already burst into loud sobs.

  A grown man now, he still cries like a child in front of his old mother. Ling's wife was both delighted and heartbroken, embracing her eldest son as she wept.

  Crying is contagious. Ling Siye and Ling Wuya also reddened their eyes, and soon everyone followed suit, wiping away tears.

  Ling Jingxu and Ling Xiaoluo fell behind the crowd, lowering their heads and covering their faces with their sleeves in a casual manner, just pretending to be okay.

  After Mrs. Ling and Mr. Ling's excitement had slightly subsided, another man's voice rang out: "It has been many years since the aunt and uncle have seen each other, and now that they are reunited, their hearts must be overjoyed. Why not enter the mansion first and then slowly talk about past events?"

  This voice, with its characteristic low and husky tone of a middle-aged man, pierced into Ling Jingxuan's ears.

  Ling Jingxuan had long been mentally prepared, but when she heard this voice, she still couldn't help but tremble all over.

  She raised her head.

  A familiar face comes into view.

  A thirty-two-year-old man, with a sword-like eyebrow and bright eyes, sporting a short beard, handsome and elegant, with an extraordinary demeanor. He can be called a handsome young man. Lu Hong's good looks are mostly inherited from him.

  This man is the master of the Lu family, Ling's husband, and her father-in-law in her previous life.

  Ancestor!

  ......

  She and Lu Hong were of the same mind that year, and after they got married, they loved each other very much. Less than a year into their new marriage, she became pregnant and then gave birth to a son. Lu Hong also won first place in the imperial examination, and soon after went to Beijing to participate in the palace examination, where he was ranked as the top scholar.

  At that time, she felt that this life was happy and smooth, with no more regrets.

  But little did I know, life's nightmare was just beginning from this moment on.

  Lu Qian's unusual feelings for her caused her a lot of trouble. The news of Lu Heng's death came as a shock and broke her heart. Because of Lu Qian, Ling Shi, who was originally gentle, looked at her with increasingly gloomy eyes and made things difficult for her everywhere. The servants in the mansion gossiped about her, and their eyes gradually filled with contempt, spreading rumors that she was not virtuous and had an affair with her younger brother-in-law.

  She was splashed with this basin of dirty water all over her body, leaving her speechless and secretly crying countless times.

  She knew in her heart that these were all the ghosts of Ling's family secretly stirring up trouble. Obviously, Lu Qian was infatuated with her, but Ling's family was afraid that if these words got out, they would damage Lu Qian's reputation, so they deliberately distorted the facts. The Ling family had been in charge of the Lu family's food supplies for many years and had many trusted followers in the mansion. It was easy for them to manipulate rumors.

  She found it hard to take a step in the mansion, and her days became increasingly unbearable.

  Ling's family had arranged a good marriage for Lu Qian, but when Lu Qian found out, he made a big scene. In front of everyone, he loudly demanded to call off the engagement and insisted on marrying her himself.

  The Ling family's face and dignity were completely lost, and the facts that had been carefully concealed were thoroughly exposed. In anger, she ordered someone to lock her up. And then put medicine in the food sent over.

  When she woke up from her daze, she was shocked to find herself completely naked and disheveled, with the man lying beside her being none other than her father-in-law, Lu An.

  Lu An was a lustful man who had many beautiful concubines and singing and dancing girls in his mansion. He maintained a dignified appearance in front of her, but no one could have imagined that he would take advantage of her when she was under the influence of an aphrodisiac...

  She has no face to live on and is determined to die.

  Ling smiled slyly, holding the child in front of her: "Ling Jingyu, if you behave yourself, your child will live with you. If you die by your own hand, I'll let your son accompany you to the Yellow Springs."

  Looking at her son's tender little face, she was tearful and humiliated, suppressing the thought of seeking death.

  Ling looked at her with a cold smile, "Ling Jingxian, I didn't want to treat you like this. After all, you are my niece by blood. Letting you marry into the Lu family as my daughter-in-law was because I hoped you would be of help to me. Unfortunately, you're useless and couldn't capture Lu Hong's heart. Now that he's become a top scholar and gained the princess's favor, he has an even brighter future ahead."

  "Lü Hóng doesn't want you anymore, and it's inevitable that you'll feel heartbroken. But you absolutely shouldn't have come to seduce my ā Qián, his reputation and future can't be ruined by your hands."

  This absurd and ridiculous remark is a reversal of black and white.

  She subconsciously argued: "I didn't seduce Ah Qian, I never had any other thoughts about him from start to finish, it was he who stuck to me and wouldn't let go..."

  "Shut up!"

  Ling's face twisted in anger as he rebuked, "He's still a naive child, what does he know about infatuation? If it weren't for your deliberate seduction, he wouldn't have gone astray. And he wouldn't be making a scene about breaking off the engagement, this shameful affair will spread and how can he still talk about marriage, how can he still be a respectable person?"

  "Now that you and your father-in-law have a relationship, Ah Qian will not dare to compete with his father for a woman no matter how unwilling he is. After he gives up on this idea, I'll help him propose another marriage."

  After finishing speaking, Ling smiled triumphantly. In that smile, there was a hint of almost manic joy.

  She listened to such words, but her whole body was chilled, and she whispered incredulously: "Just for this, you let someone give me and my father-in-law medicine? You're crazy!"

  Ling's laughter grew more frantic and hysterical: "Do you think this is just my own idea? Do you think I drugged Lu An? Haha... You're really naive and laughable."

  "You don't even know, since you married into the Lu family, Lu An has been eyeing you with ill intentions. If it weren't for Lu Hong, he would have made his move on you long ago. This time, it was my idea, and I'm the one who had someone drug you. As for him, he's still excited, no need to drug him..."

  At that moment, the sky spun and the earth turned, her world collapsed in an instant.

  Her expression was numb and her whole body was icy cold.

  "You'll stay in this courtyard from now on. As long as you behave and listen, the child will be safe and sound. If you dare to make any moves, I'll have the child accompany you to the underworld!"

  Ling said with a cold smile and turned away.

  The following days were no different from hell on earth for her.

  Lu An originally had a few points of guilt, but was infatuated with her beauty and soul, plus the fresh stimulation of that abnormal relationship, and became exceptionally obsessed with her. He quickly cooled down on his original numerous beautiful and charming concubines. Towards Ling Shi, he also became more tolerant by several degrees.

  In the inner house, there is no one who can be a match for Ling Shi anymore.

  She spent her days crying and thought of dying countless times. But whenever she thought of her young son, the idea of taking her own life was instantly suppressed. She gritted her teeth and endured it.

  There is no wall that doesn't let wind through. The affair between Lu An and his daughter-in-law, first spread slowly within the mansion, then gradually spread outside as well. However, in everyone's mouths, this wasn't because of Lu An's reputation for being a ladies' man, but more importantly because Lu Hong had abandoned his wife and child, leaving her to guard an empty chamber, unwilling to be lonely, secretly enticing her own father-in-law...

  Ling's hatred for her was deep-seated, not only did he ruin her chastity, but also ruined her reputation.

  And she had no way to seek help, Lu Hongyuan was silent, and her natal family was indifferent to her plight. The maids around her were all bribed by Ling Shi, it was impossible for her to send out a message.

  She endured humiliation and struggled to survive in the world until her dying moment when she suddenly realized and regretted what had happened.

  The heavens sympathize with her and grant her rebirth. In this life, she wants to avenge herself for the injustices of her past life and reclaim justice.

  ......