Mr. Lin narrowed his old eyes and looked at Lin Jianrong on the ground seriously. This granddaughter, who was not outstanding before, seemed weak and timid when she saw her, asking one sentence and answering one sentence. He thought that this time she would also try to hide some things, or push three and block four, or just shout grievances, wanting him to preside over justice, or perhaps she would cry and be afraid of death. Who would have thought that she would be like this? Thought it was a gentle, virtuous, and obedient person, but turned out to be such a person, after all, the daughter of the Tao family.

  A woman should be gentle and obedient, but Old Master Lin still preferred Lin Jianrong's manner. Although she was kneeling on the ground and admitting her mistake, her waist remained straight as a pen. Lin Yizhi had just been questioned by him and was now kneeling on the ground in a fluster, not knowing what to do, his waist and back both slumped... Can a person's waist easily slump? No. After a long while, Old Master Lin finally spoke: "Do you also think you deserve punishment?"

  Whether it's right or wrong to punish, you know best, old man. Whatever I say is useless. Lin Jianrong neither confirmed nor denied it. But she still made a gesture of goodwill and sincerely self-criticized: "Firstly, I didn't have time to report to my grandparents; secondly, I'm to blame for not being able to turn big things into small ones and small things into nothing, holding personal grudges and losing face for the Lin family; thirdly, I taught my younger brother to fawn on grandfather."

  "Flattering?" Old Master Lin suddenly burst out laughing, and then immediately regained his composure, saying calmly: "The first thing you didn't do wrong. If you had watched your younger brother jump into the water without doing anything, you would have been an unrighteous person who doesn't care about fraternal love! The second thing, however, you did do wrong. Your younger sister doesn't know how to maintain the family's dignity, and you should have stood up for her. What does personal grievance matter? Without a family, without parents or older brothers, without a good reputation, you are nothing!" Old Master Lin's voice suddenly rose and then fell again. "As for the third thing... if I didn't ask, would you have hidden it in your heart?"

  Lin Jinyong raised her head and stared at him, her eyes clear and bright, her voice firm as she flattered: "What can be hidden from Grandfather in this family? If you say who is the most just and strict in this family, who else could it be besides Grandfather?" She had never thought of doing so before, nor was she afraid of others knowing that it was she who made Lin Shenzhi do it!

  Mr. Lin's eyes showed a hint of satisfaction, but it was only fleeting: "I will punish you with house arrest for a month, and have you copy 'Admonitions for Women' one hundred times, until you understand the importance of sisterly affection and family unity. Will you obey?"

  "This is probably the best ending, right?" Lin Jianrong lowered his eyelids: "I accept."

  Old Master Lin waved his hand: "Go down."

  Lin Jinyong silently bowed and retreated out of the room.

  "Miss!" Seeing Lin Jian Rong escape safely, Lychee immediately came out from under the corridor and gave her a brilliant smile, holding out his hand to her: "Let's go back."

  Lin Jinyong smiled warmly and comforted Litchi, holding her hand down from the Ruyi pile, his heart filled with excitement, looking at her, she could do it too!

  "Please wait a moment, Fourth Miss!" Fuquan rushed out from behind and handed over a lantern: "The old master ordered it for the Fourth Miss to light her way!"

  Lychee was overjoyed and repeatedly thanked Fuquan. Fuquan smiled: "Fourth young lady, be careful of your steps."

  Lin Jinyong nodded politely at Fuquan: "Trouble you, Uncle Fu."

  Lin Jinrong walked to the door of Tingtao House and turned back, but saw the twins walking out of another wing with a frightened face, shoulder to shoulder, and stepped into Old Master Lin's study. Her lips curled up involuntarily, Old Master Lin had finally taken action to manage the internal affairs of the house, no one could escape!

  A bowl of hot white rice that had been warmed up several times and four dishes, half meat and half vegetarian, plus a bowl of chicken soup, made up Lin Jian's late dinner. She sat at the table with her head bowed, treating her dinner seriously, chewing each mouthful ten times, neither more nor less, eating with seriousness and care.

  As soon as Lin Jinyan knew she was back, he rushed over immediately. As soon as he entered the door, he saw Lin Jinyong's thin and worn-out figure under a dim yellow ceramic oil lamp, silently eating a meal that had been reheated countless times.

  Lin Jin's heart felt a pang of sourness, and her eyes became slightly blurry. She had already heard about Lin Jin Rong's punishment result, and although she felt unfair in her heart, she also thought it was fortunate that the news she received was not just about Lin Jin Rong being punished alone. But seeing her sister like this, the sense of injustice and anger rose again.

  "Third sister has arrived." Madame Gui hastily reminded Lin Jinyong, who quickly put down his bowl and chopsticks, flashing a brilliant smile at Lin JinYin: "Third sister."

  Lin Jianyin hastily stepped forward and pressed Lin Jianrong to sit down: "Hurry up and eat your meal, you must be starving." She wanted to go and get some more delicious food for her sister, but she couldn't, that would be openly defying the punishment of Old Master. As the elder sister, Lin Jianyin felt a bit guilty.

  Lin Jinrong didn't care: "I don't want to eat anymore." Then she ordered Gui Yatou: "Clean up, pick out the good ones and give them to Litchi as a reward."

  Guī yǎo yǎo knew that the two sisters had something to say, so she led Guī yuán to pack up their things and withdraw, standing outside the curtain with Pí guǒ waiting quietly.

  Lin Jinyong directly asked: "Where's Mother?" Mrs. Tao must have had something on her mind, or she wouldn't have come to see her without Lin Jinyin.

  Lin Jinyan's eyes flashed, and he said in a low voice: "Father was hit by Grandfather with a teacup, hurt his forehead, and is now lying in the house waiting for someone to take care of him. Mother can't leave."

  "Serves him right!" Lin Jinyong said coldly, "Is he causing trouble again?"

  Lin Jin-yin shook her head firmly: "No, with my aunt and uncle here, and Grandfather just having gotten angry, how dare he? It's just a different way of making trouble." She came over when Old Master Lin was lying on the high bed with a soft pillow, his head wrapped in a white cloth, humming and muttering. One moment he ordered Mrs. Tao to give him tea, and the next he wanted Nanny Huang to massage his feet.

  "Where are Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother?"

  Lin Jin's eyes showed a hint of a smile, but he first said to Lin Shen: "Seventh brother has already fallen asleep, it was Fuquan who sent him over. I heard that today at the banquet someone asked if he recognized characters, and in front of everyone he recognized several characters and wrote a few more. The old master is very pleased and decided to choose a date to personally give him a head start on his education. This is the treatment that only the eldest grandson of the main house would have received back then. Thanks to mother teaching us siblings to read and write early, otherwise we wouldn't have had this opportunity." Lin Jinrong praised and patted Lin Jinrong's shoulder: "Thanks to you too, for thinking of that method at the time."

  Nang Da Lao Ye personally opened the door to teach Lin Shen, and she also stared at him, afraid that Lin Shen would go astray. Lin Jing Rong smiled with curved eyebrows, being confined for a month was truly worth it.

  Lin Jianyin paused slightly and said lightly, "Your fifth brother is being punished right now. He's kneeling in the ancestral hall and will have to kneel until tomorrow morning. The old master wants to punish him for two reasons: firstly, for his arrogant boasting, and secondly, for not taking care of his brothers and sisters, being selfish and useless."

  Even if he had already done so, Lin Yizhen would still be punished, but only with a night of kneeling punishment, and without jumping into the lake to catch a cold. It's unlikely that there will be another incident like last time. Lin Jinrong smiled wryly and said, "Does Father have no complaints?"

  Lin Jin's voice was cold and mocking: "If it weren't for you and your mother, he would have been punished more than just kneeling for one night! Who dares to say another word?" So Lin San Lao Ye got hit on the forehead by Old Master with a teacup, and they all only dared to pretend to be weak and soft, not daring to say another sentence. But the matter of Tao Shi confronting Old Lady in front of everyone would eventually come to light, it's just unknown how she will deal with it after Wu Shi and Tao Fengtang leave. She didn't plan on telling Lin Jinrong about it either, saying anything wouldn't have any effect anyway, it would just be more people worrying.

  Lin Jinrong was very satisfied with the current situation, and lowered his voice to say: "When I came out, I saw that Liu Mei and Qi Mei also entered Tingtao House, it seemed that they had gone in one after another to guard the side house."

  "This thing I know, it was just a moment ago that you went in. Let's wait a bit longer, maybe there will be news."

  The two sisters sat leaning against each other, Lin Jinyong was a bit tired, and rested her head on Lin Jinyin's shoulder, whispering with a smile: "I forgot to tell you something. Big brother said, let you carefully examine that box, don't think there's only one layer!"

  Lin Jin's face turned red with embarrassment, and she jumped up to scratch Lin Jinrong's itchy skin: "You dare to talk nonsense!"

  Lin Jinyong dodged and laughed: "Sister, how do you know I'm talking nonsense? Go back and take a look, then you'll know! I know what it is, but I won't tell you!"

  Lin Jin-yin was getting restless, wanting to leave but feeling embarrassed to do so. Lin Jin-rong then pushed her: "It's not early anymore, let's go back. If people see you still not sleeping this late, there will be gossip."

  Lin Jin had just gotten up and bid farewell to Lin Jin Rong, calling the servant girl to carry a lantern and supporting herself with a walking stick as she returned home.

  Lin Jiran sat alone under the lamp for a moment, then called Gu Yuan and others to bring in water to wash up. Just after she had combed her hair, Li Zhi walked in softly and said: "The sixth and seventh young ladies have come out of Tingtaoju, they are forbidden from leaving their rooms for two months and must copy the 'Admonitions for Women' two hundred times. At this moment, the second master has gone in."

  It's too unfair! Gu Yuan said unjustly: "Obviously it was their fault, but our girls also got punished along with them."

  "Sleep then." The twins' punishment was twice as much as hers, just by looking at this, one could already know who was most wrong in Old Master Lin's eyes. If only the twins and Lin Yizhen were punished but not her, it would have been a promotion for Lin Shenzhen, looking like she had gotten away with it, but behind closed doors, it would have attracted even more attention and envy. The third master was unreliable, the foundation of the third house was unstable, compared to what she put in, she got more out of it, her confinement and copying of the female precepts were a good deal.

  That girl is amazing, she can write it down word for word with her eyes closed. Is it useful? Not completely useless, if you recite it fluently and use it cleverly, it's a great talisman. Lin Jingrong chuckled: "Tomorrow, remember to find me some good ink, a stack of good paper, and a good pen... I want to take this opportunity to practice my calligraphy..." She glanced at Lüzhi and said: "You don't have night duty tonight, get up early tomorrow and finish this task as soon as possible." Lüzhi should recognize a few more characters.

  It's not the lychee night, then it must be the longan night. But all the longans have gone to bed on the outside platform. Lin Jinrong still remembers how to tactfully remind himself to hand over the key to his own management, but no matter how hard he thinks, he can't find a suitable excuse and is worried to death.