Chapter 201: Chapter 183, Can’t Enter the Door_1
Rejected by Yan Zhigao and ridiculed by Tutor Xiao, Tutor Lin was extremely agitated. After pacing back and forth in the front courtyard several times, he headed straight to the back courtyard.
Shuangxin Courtyard.
Yan Yishuang was painting large characters with a mixture of bitterness and resentment on her face, while Aunt Lin sat beside her, offering guidance now and then.
“Mom, a hundred pages of characters—when will I ever finish? Please go and plead with father, ask him to stop punishing me.” After finishing a page, Yan Yishuang set down her brush and rubbed her somewhat sore wrist.
Aunt Lin’s expression paused, then she took Yan Yishuang’s hand and began to massage it: “Your father is punishing you because you publicly contradicted your stepmother. You must remember this lesson and never repeat it.”
Since coming to Xingzhou, she could clearly feel that the master was increasingly valuing Madam. Now, it was not suitable for them to cross Madam.
Yan Yishuang showed an unconvinced look: “Big Sister also contradicted father, but I haven’t seen her get punished.”
Aunt Lin tapped Yan Yishuang’s head: “Your elder sister is a clever person who knows when to do what. Think about it, when your elder sister contradicted your father, wasn’t it always with only family present?”
Yan Yishuang furrowed her brows, pondered for a moment, and realized that it seemed to be the case.
Aunt Lin continued, “There is a reason why your elder sister is considered clever. In front of outsiders, whether it’s towards your father or your elder brother, she always shows full respect, never arguing with them.”
“That’s a domestic issue to be settled behind closed doors, not something outsiders should inquire about. But once it involves outsiders, it becomes a matter of family conduct and education.”
“By defying your stepmother in front of Madam Zhu, at the least, it’s disrespecting your stepmother, and at most, it reflects poorly on the Yan Family’s upbringing. Even if your father is fond of you, he must punish you for the sake of the Yan Family’s face.”
Yan Yishuang was taken aback. She hadn’t realized that speaking out for her good sister Zhu Xiuyun in front of others could lead to such serious consequences.
“What your mother said is correct, you must show utmost respect to Madam in front of outsiders.”
Aunt Lin and Yan Yishuang turned their heads together and saw Tutor Lin walking in.
“Uncle!” Yan Yishuang’s face brightened and she dashed over quickly.
Aunt Lin stood up, puzzled, “Shouldn’t you be at the Governor’s Office at this hour? Why are you here?”
Tutor Lin sighed, sat down on his own, and started eating the sweets on the table: “Sister’s place always has the best treats. Ever since coming to Xingzhou, my brother-in-law’s food has been getting better and better.”
Aunt Lin slapped Tutor Lin’s hand: “I’m asking you a question, why are you here at this time?”
Tutor Lin glanced at Aunt Lin and said with knitted brows, “Sister, don’t you know brother-in-law is going to the provincial capital for the Governor’s banquet?”
Upon hearing this, Aunt Lin’s eyes sparkled with surprise and delight, “Really?”
Seeing his sister’s unexpectedly happy reaction, Tutor Lin suddenly found the sweet in his hand less appetizing and put it down, saying gloomily, “I have been a Scholar for several years now, but I haven’t been able to pass the exam for the next level.”
“When I ask others to review my work, they say the writing is good but lacking in depth, saying my work is superficial; implying that I’m all talk with no real experience.”
Aunt Lin didn’t understand much about the civil service examinations. Hearing Tutor Lin say so much, she wasn’t quite sure what he meant: “Be direct, just tell me what you want me to do for you.”
Lin Yucheng paused, then said after a moment, “I just want to accompany brother-in-law, to see more of the world and to gain some insights. After all, many things can’t be learned from books alone.”
Aunt Lin understood, “You want to go to the provincial capital with master?”
Tutor Lin nodded.
Aunt Lin hesitated, “You should speak to master about this, right?”
Tutor Lin, distressed: “I did, but I was rejected.”
It was one thing not to accompany him on his last job report.
But this time, it was a banquet hosted by the Governor. There would certainly be many officials attending. If he could make contact with some of them, it would greatly benefit both his learning and personal connections.
Aunt Lin became silent; after a while, she said, “You go back to the Governor’s Office first. It’s not good for people to know you’re shirking your duties. I’ll find an opportunity to speak to master about this.”
At these words, Tutor Lin’s face lit up with joy: “Sister, you have to be quick. I think brother-in-law is leaving today.”
With things on her mind, Aunt Lin nodded and, after Tutor Lin had left, immediately called a maid to inquire about Yan Zhigao’s whereabouts.
…
In the Yan Family’s back courtyard, Daohua, accompanied by Wang Manman, had just come out from the old madam’s courtyard when they saw Tutor Lin emerging from the Chuihua Gate; her brow immediately furrowed: “Tutor Lin is visiting the back courtyard again?”
Wang Manman was unsurprised: “Isn’t that normal? Tutor Lin visits Shuangxin Courtyard every few days.”
Upon hearing this, Daohua’s eyebrows remained tightly furrowed until she reached the main courtyard, never relaxing.
Seeing her like that, Madam Li smiled and said, “Who has upset you so much that you are this unhappy?”
Daohua said, “Mother, please tell the gatekeeping woman that from now on she should not allow Teacher Lin to enter the back courtyard anymore. He’s an outsider, so what does it mean for him to be coming and going all the time? People who don’t know better might think that the Yan Family’s household discipline is lax.”
Madam Li’s expression changed slightly, and glancing at the inner room, she smiled and said, “What, did Teacher Lin go to Shuangxin Courtyard again?”
Reading the expression on her mother’s face, Daohua’s eyes flickered and her voice rose a bit, “Exactly, Manman and I were coming from grandmother’s courtyard when we saw him.”
Madam Li looked surprised, “That’s not right, at this time, Teacher Lin should be attending his duties, shouldn’t he?”
Daohua replied, “As long as father is around, even if Teacher Lin skips his duties, no one dares to say anything about it.”
In the inner room, Yan Zhigao, who was changing his clothes, listened to the mother and daughter’s conversation with deeply furrowed brows.
He knew that Teacher Lin was often visiting Shuangxin Courtyard, which he had tacitly agreed to. The Lin Family could not socialize outside, and could only stay in the back courtyard. He felt sorry for her loneliness and depression, so when she expressed her wish for her brother to visit her more often and keep her company with conversation, he had agreed.
But now, his heart was filled with dissatisfaction.
One reason was what his wife and eldest daughter said about Teacher Lin visiting the Yan Family’s back courtyard too frequently; and secondly, he had a good guess about Teacher Lin’s purpose in seeking out the Lin Family.
He had already said that he would take Scholar Xiao to the provincial capital, but Teacher Lin still sought out the Lin Family and even skipped his duties to do so.
Within the Governor’s Office, for the sake of setting a good example, he would not miss his duties without good reason, yet Teacher Lin seemed to have a higher opinion of himself than him.
It seemed that he had indeed been too indulgent with those siblings in the past.
After Daohua deliberately said a few words, she left at Madam Li’s signal.
Once she was gone, Yan Zhigao stepped out from the inner room and said to Madam Li, “From now on, Teacher Lin should not be allowed to come and go in the back courtyard so freely.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Li smiled and said, “As my lord wishes. Actually, I’ve been wanting to discuss this with you. Now that our circumstances have changed, having an outsider male enter the inner courtyard and word getting out would indeed harm our family’s reputation.”
Yan Zhigao nodded, “I didn’t think it through before.”
Madam Li consoled, “My lord has to take care of external affairs and is tired from dealing with documents every day. It’s naturally difficult to manage every detail of the household.”
Yan Zhigao smiled, “I’m grateful to have my wife managing household affairs, which eases my worries considerably.”
The two chatted for a while longer until Ping Xiao and Ping Tong had everything ready for him to go out. Yan Zhigao was prepared to leave.
“The sun grows hotter by the day. My lord must take care of his health while outside, and be sure not to get heatstroke.”
Madam Li saw Yan Zhigao to the door, giving detailed instructions as they walked.
Halfway there, Aunt Lin, accompanied by her maid, hurried over, “Is my lord leaving the house?”
Madam Li smiled and said, “My lord is going to the provincial capital.”
Aunt Lin’s expression became anxious, “So suddenly? We haven’t had time to prepare anything.”
Yan Zhigao frowned, “The things I need have been properly arranged by my wife. Alright, this is not your concern; go back to your own courtyard.”
Aunt Lin’s face turned white, and she staggered.
Usually, seeing her pitiful state might provoke some pity from Yan Zhigao, but at this moment he was preparing to go to the provincial capital and did not have time to pay her any mind.
Besides, after all these years, it seemed like it was about time to have seen enough.
Thus, without waiting for Yan Zhigao’s concern and reassurance, Aunt Lin stood with wide-open eyes, incredulously watching as he and Madam Li walked away with large strides.
“Has my lord grown tired of me?”
Aunt Lin felt dispirited and, at the same time, a bit of panic set in her heart.
She and her two children had been able to establish themselves in the Yan Family solely because of my lord’s favor. If one day this favor was lost, what would she and her children do?
And her brother, who had failed to place in exams for a long time. Although he was a Scholar, he could not even get a government position. Without my lord’s support, what kind of future could they possibly have?
The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became, until suddenly, everything went dark before her eyes, and she felt the world spinning as she fainted.