The Noble Lady's Rebirth: She just wants to Rest in Peace!-Chapter 164 - 163: Temptation

Mrs. Gu Sr. recognized these pearls, and when Lin Youning mentioned making the hair comb, she had already explained the source of the pearls.

In the past, when the eldest son sent things back from the border, Mrs. Gu Sr. didn’t look at them, she just had them sent directly to Tingxue Hall. Today, after seeing these pearls, she realized that the eldest son truly cared for Sister Ning.

Although pearls are common, finding ones that are so full and uniform in size is rare, and yet her son managed to obtain a whole box of them.

Mrs. Gu Sr. turned the hair comb over in her hands a few times before placing it back in the tray. "The craftsmanship is good. Keep it well. You should use it during your coming-of-age ceremony."

Lin Youning smiled and agreed, then called Shanmoi and Hailan in to collect the jewelry. She and Mrs. Gu Sr. then discussed which guests to invite to the ceremony.

Lin Youning was not familiar with most of them, so if she were to invite anyone, it would only be the Dong Family. Mrs. Gu Sr. understood that she was on good terms with Dong Boyun.

"I heard that the Second Miss got engaged to the youngest son of the Neishi family? It’s rare for her to fancy such people. A couple enduring hardship together; once that youngest son becomes successful, he’ll certainly honor her. She has foresight."

Lin Youning pursed her lips and smiled, "That girl is indeed clever and knows what she wants."

"Being able to see oneself clearly is most important." Mrs. Gu Sr. said this while glancing at Lin Qining.

Lin Qining quickly squeezed out a smile to accompany her laughter. Mrs. Gu Sr. did not express any comments and continued speaking with Lin Youning.

Lin Qining tightened her grip on the handkerchief she held. Hearing someone outside greet her with ’Fourth Miss,’ her face finally lit up with joy.

This scene was clearly visible to people in the flower hall. Naturally, Mrs. Gu Sr.’s dislike for Lin Qining deepened further.

After Sister Yue entered, she greeted them first. Mrs. Gu Sr. offered her a seat, and she then went to sit beside Lin Qining, "Shall we go for a stroll in the garden?"

Lin Qining eagerly nodded, and Mrs. Gu Sr. also found them an eyesore, waving her hand, "Take Miss Lin with you."

Sister Yue stood up with a smile and agreed, then led Lin Qining away. Lin Youning noticed that Mrs. Gu Sr. was in a bad mood, "Aunt, you must take care of your health. There’s nothing to worry about now. Some things are better left unnoticed."

"You already know what your second brother did, right? Although he intended to stick up for you, he put that young girl of theirs in a difficult position. Can you imagine what people would say about him if this got out?"

Lin Youning pursed her lips and smiled, "Well, Qining doesn’t follow rules. Even if Second Brother scolds her, it serves to teach her a lesson. This is within our Marquis Mansion, but what about other places? Wouldn’t it become a rumor known throughout the Capital?"

"Enough about that. You’re about to come of age, and I don’t have the energy to keep managing her," said Mrs. Gu Sr., holding the small hand beside her, unlamentable for the situation.

This lovely daughter was to marry her disappointing son—though not biological, she raised her. How could Mrs. Gu Sr. not feel conflicted?

She also recalled what her eldest son had said, casting more internal doubt.

Lin Youning was unaware of her aunt’s thoughts. As the coming-of-age ceremony approached, her true identity was about to be revealed, unsettling her mind.

After leaving Shi’an Garden, Lin Youning saw Sister Hui approaching, and together, they returned to the Warm Pavilion.

"Aunt is coming of age, and I know you lack nothing of value, so I embroidered some handkerchiefs for you," Sister Hui mentioned, while her maid handed the handkerchiefs over.

Shanmoi took them and handed them to Lin Youning. Lin Youning glanced at them and smiled, "I appreciate your thoughts, Sister Hui. These simple gifts are more practical than costly treasures."

Lin Youning wasn’t skilled in embroidery, so the things around her were maid-made, and the ones she made weren’t presentable.

Seeing beautifully embroidered handkerchiefs naturally made her pleased.

Sister Hui smiled gently, "As long as you like it, Aunt. Last time when father had an incident, my mother was worried and went against Grandmother’s wishes. Later, as she confided in me, she realized she disregarded the bigger picture and embarrassed Grandmother."

Was this meant as a message to Aunt?

With Mrs. Dong’s pride, this must have been Sister Hui’s own thought.

Lin Youning was happy to oblige, replying with a smile, "As long as Sister-in-law can understand Aunt’s perspective, it’s all good. Aunt often worries about Sister-in-law’s comprehension. I’ll mention it to your Grandmother next time, to ease her mind."

Sister Hui laughed, "I’ll leave it to you, dear Aunt."

Between smart people, interactions can be brief and insightful with few words.

Sister Hui had long wanted to discuss this matter but never found the opportunity. Now that things were settled, she felt relieved. After sitting for a while longer, she returned to Yingshui Courtyard.

Shanmoi packed away the handkerchiefs, evidently dissatisfied with the way the eldest Miss dealt with matters. Though intended as a coming-of-age gift, it was essentially a request for help from the girl.

The otherwise well-behaved eldest Miss showed a contradiction in her actions.

Lin Youning had no time to explain this to her, acknowledging Sister Hui showed her respect, as the Madam publicly confronted her previously. Now, Sister Hui was imploring her to provide clarification to Aunt, aiming to show that she wasn’t petty and didn’t hold grudges against Mrs. Dong.

In this way, one can obscure the previous incident. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Thinking about Sister Hui being just twelve years old and already so perceptive, she truly is a lady raised in a reputable family.

After instructing someone to prepare the writing materials, Lin Youning dismissed everyone in the room to write a letter to her brother.

In her letter, she recounted the visit to Lin Mansion and the Lin family’s attitude, including her concerns that they may not have resolved to expose her identity, potentially replacing her with Lin Qining.

She advised her brother to subtly incite Lady Lin with the allure of Marquis Mansion’s prosperity to stir her greed.

After sealing the letter, Lin Youning had Shanmoi arrange for someone to deliver it to the Marshal Zhao Mansion, framing it as a personal invitation to Mrs. Zhao for her coming-of-age ceremony.

Finishing these tasks, Lin Youning entered the kitchen. Ever since becoming friends with Dong Boyun, she developed a culinary interest, even secretly cooking herself to serve to Mrs. Gu Sr.

Mrs. Gu Sr. had advised against such involvement, suggesting she delegate to maids instead, as these well-bred girls had delicate, smooth hands that shouldn’t grow coarse.

But knowing she couldn’t stop Sister Ning’s passion, she resorted to turning a blind eye.

In the large garden, Lin Qining had just finished tearfully talking to Sister Yue, "I don’t know what I did wrong during the visit etiquette, but it resulted in being criticized like this. I’m in the Marquis Mansion and don’t dare to tell Sister. Either way, speaking to Sister would only result in blame."