When Xiao Man returned, she not only brought a doctor but also Steward Qian.
Before the Marquis left, he had repeatedly instructed Steward Qian to take good care of his young cousin. Now that she was ill, his wife hadn't sent anyone to find a doctor.
If his young cousin's maid hadn't found him, the Marquis would surely be angry if he knew. While his wife might not face any repercussions, the servants who had neglected his young cousin would definitely be punished.
After the doctor finished examining Lin Yan's pulse, Steward Qian immediately asked about Lin Yan's condition.
Upon learning that Lin Yan's illness was quite serious, and that she would have been in danger if not for the medical knowledge of the嬷嬷 accompanying her, Steward Qian broke out in a cold sweat. He hurried to get the medicine with the doctor and only began to relax once the medicine was being decocted.
The small kitchen promised by the Marquis of Huaiyin had been opened, and all the necessary vegetables and produce were delivered. Lin Yan and her maid no longer had to fetch meals from the kitchen.
However, Lin Yan spent the entire day in a daze, sleeping more than she was awake.
When the Marquis of Huaiyin returned and inquired about Lin Yan's condition that day, Steward Qian dared not conceal it. Although he didn't want to offend his wife, the matter was out in the open and would be discovered upon inquiry, so he had no choice but to be truthful.
Upon hearing about this, the Marquis of Huaiyin, disregarding the conventions of male and female interaction, directly went to Lin Yan's courtyard to inquire about her condition.
At that moment, Lin Yan had just woken up and was leaning against Gu Yu while taking medicine.
As soon as the Marquis of Huaiyin entered, he saw Lin Yan, her face pale, leaning against her maid and taking medicine.
"Yan Yan, are you feeling better? I heard from the steward that you were ill. How are you feeling now?"
"Replying to my uncle." Lin Yan tried to sit up.
"Don't get up. When you're sick, don't exert yourself." The Marquis of Huaiyin looked at Lin Yan's pale face, feeling immensely ashamed.
"I'm much better. Fang Mama, who is with me, is skilled in medicine, so I took medicine last night. The doctor examined me today and said there's no major issue.
It's just that my constitution is too weak, and coupled with the fatigue from the journey, I fell ill."
Lin Yan's illness had come on fiercely, but in reality, it wasn't that serious. After enduring for so long, her body had reached its limit. The onset of illness now was actually a good thing for her.
"You fell ill last night? Why didn't you inform us?" The Marquis of Huaiyin was adept at grasping the key points.
"It wasn't a major issue, so I didn't want to disturb Uncle and Aunt. It wouldn't have been good to make a fuss late at night," Lin Yan said with a weak smile.
"You..." The Marquis of Huaiyin looked at his understanding niece, unsure of what else he could promise. It seemed that none of his promises had been fulfilled.
He had brought her to his home to prevent her from suffering grievances, but now it seemed she was enduring even more within his household.
"What does Uncle want to say?"
"Nothing. Rest well. I'll send a written invitation for Imperial Physician Meng to examine you tomorrow. He is most skilled in tonifying the body." The Marquis of Huaiyin felt he couldn't face Lin Yan's eyes, which so strongly resembled his sister's.
If his sister saw how he had cared for her daughter, she would never want to see him again.
"Thank you, Uncle."
"We are family, so there's no need for thanks. Yan Yan, if you have any requests, tell Uncle directly. Don't wrong yourself."
"Yan'er understands." As Lin Yan said this, she lowered her eyes, not meeting the Marquis of Huaiyin's gaze.
Seeing Lin Yan like this, he knew she didn't believe him, but there was nothing he could do. His words were indeed difficult to believe.
After the Marquis of Huaiyin left, Lin Yan lay back down on the bed.
"Host, aren't you going to use the spiritual spring?" The system couldn't understand why Lin Yan was enduring such suffering when she could have avoided it.
"No. The character of a sickly person cannot be broken. Only if I appear more pitiful will others' wickedness be highlighted. Don't worry, I have a sense of proportion and won't let myself be harmed."
That night, shouting and the sound of breaking porcelain could be heard from the main house. The servants in the main courtyard trembled, fearing they would do something that would incur the master's displeasure.
The next morning, Steward Qian personally took the Marquis of Huaiyin's calling card to invite Imperial Physician Meng.
After the imperial physician's visit, her cousin sisters came to visit her.
Although Lin Yan could tell they weren't genuinely concerned about her, she still put on a brave face to entertain them.
When Feng Yue spoke to her with veiled sarcasm, Lin Yan, with good temper, didn't argue. After all, a child who is doted upon is always unbridled.
After Lin Yan recovered from her illness, she once again requested the Marquis of Huaiyin to allow her to go to the estate to observe mourning.
This time, the Marquis of Huaiyin did not refuse directly. After observing Lin Yan for a long while, he finally nodded with difficulty, agreeing.
"Yan Yan, when you go to the estate, don't be too sorrowful. For mourning, your heart is what matters. Your parents wouldn't want to see you harm yourself because of mourning."
"I understand, Uncle." Lin Yan softly agreed, "If I am to observe mourning, then let's call off the engagement between me and my cousin."
"This was arranged by your mother and me. Rest assured, your cousin will wait for you," the Marquis of Huaiyin said firmly.
"But..."
"There are no 'buts.' It's an arrangement made by parents and matchmakers. Yan Yan, I promised your mother that I would always take care of you. You just need to focus on observing mourning at the estate. Don't bear any psychological burden. Leave everything to me."
He knew what Lin Yan was worried about, but as long as he was here, he wouldn't let Lin Yan suffer any grievances.
As for his wife, he would manage her. If he couldn't control her, he would arrange for them, the young couple, to be posted elsewhere, so Lin Yan wouldn't have to live under the same roof as her.
"Then thank you, Uncle." After a brief test, Lin Yan did not press the matter further.
Expressing her wishes was sufficient. As for breaking off the engagement, it wasn't the right time.
After all, the female protagonist and the female supporting character hadn't appeared yet. Breaking off the engagement now would only be making way for them.
Upon receiving the Marquis of Huaiyin's consent, Lin Yan notified the old steward to send someone to pick her up. Meanwhile, the Marquis of Huaiyin asked Feng Feiyu to escort Lin Yan to the estate.
Feng Feiyu was very surprised when he heard this decision, as he felt Lin Yan had done nothing wrong and saw no reason for her to be sent to the estate.
Seeing his son's astonishment, the Marquis of Huaiyin patiently explained.
"It was Yan Yan's own request. You've seen the situation at home. Yan Yan cannot properly observe mourning here.
So, after she recovered from her illness, she said she wanted to go to the estate. As for the reason, even though Yan Yan hasn't said it, you should understand."
"It's Mother who is too harsh. However, will the conditions at the estate be too poor for my cousin? Can her health withstand it?"
Seeing his son's concern for Lin Yan, the Marquis of Huaiyin showed a look of satisfaction. He knew his son would take good care of Lin Yan.
"That is your aunt's dowry estate. All the elders there serve your cousin and will surely do so diligently."
As for those who didn't serve diligently, they knew who they were.
Thinking that Lin Yan had to boil her own porridge at night, both father and son felt disgraced and ashamed of Lin Yan.