She rather thought that girls of Ling Wan's age should be lively like this, this was how a girl should be.
If one were to be listless all the time, wouldn't it be utterly boring.
"If the young madam is so ill-mannered, she will be laughed at by her in-laws."
Aunt Bai said with a hint of worry. Daughters of the main wife also had to observe propriety, otherwise they would be looked down upon by their in-laws. Moreover, for daughters of concubines, their status was already inferior. If they were also ignorant of etiquette, how would they manage in their in-laws' home.
"A woman is born human, to walk this world, she must live for herself. If one always considers the thoughts of others and lives to fulfill their wishes, wouldn't this life be too stifling?"
"Young madam... this... aren't all women like this? At home, they obey their fathers; after marriage, they obey their husbands; and when their husbands die, they obey their sons. It has been this way for thousands of years. If one is unconventional, this path is extremely difficult."
Did she not know that living like this was tiring? But if one were to be unconventional and stand in opposition, they were destined to be against everyone. Even if it brought momentary satisfaction, the days to come would be truly hard.
As a mother, she did not want Ling Wan to live such a life. She only wished for Ling Wan to live a safe and peaceful life, without disaster or hardship.
Ling Wan lowered her eyes, the smile on her lips gone. She wanted to live according to her own heart, but she also knew it was not allowed. She understood her mother's expectations...
It was just that her heart was still somewhat unwilling. She did not want to live within these confines, feeling restricted, having to think for a long time even to speak a single sentence. Such a life was truly too tiring.
"Let's not discuss these matters anymore. No one can predict the future. By the way, Aunt Bai, I came to ask you something important. Let's talk in the room."
Walls have ears. In every corner of the Ling mansion, it was as if eyes were watching. Some matters were best handled with caution.
"Alright, Young Madam, let's go to the inner room to talk."
Aunt Bai was intelligent. She surmised that Feng Jin sought her out for something important and directly led her to the inner room, dismissing all the maids.
"Young Madam, just say what you have to say. There are no outsiders here."
"It's not really anything too important. I was just worried that someone might overhear and babble, leading to further gossip..."
The reason she wanted to find a secluded place to discuss this was to prevent anyone from seizing on it to spread rumors, causing further trouble later.
"I just want to ask about the background of this Eldest Aunt who came today. I've never heard of her in the Ling family?"
This was clearly the eldest daughter of the Ling family, yet it seemed as if the entire Ling family had never mentioned it. Logically speaking, when a daughter returned to her natal home, someone should have been sent in advance to announce it, and the maternal family should have prepared to receive her early. However, this Eldest Aunt's return was as if it were a silent affair.
She had also observed the Ling family, including the Old Master Ling. They all seemed indifferent to this matter. Clearly, it was his own biological daughter, yet the detachment was too great.
Compared to the Old Master Ling's attitude towards the Second Master Ling, the difference was like night and day.
Upon hearing this, Aunt Bai's expression was first stunned, then after a moment of hesitation, she spoke with a conflicted look, "Actually, this matter happened a long time ago. Very few people in this mansion know about it. What I know is what I heard from the elders of the mansion."
"This Eldest Madam was not born to the late Madam. It was when the Old Master was drunk and served by a maid of the late Madam, Feng Yi Niang, who is the mother of the Eldest Madam. Thus, the Eldest Madam was born. This Feng Yi Niang was restless. Relying on her pregnancy, she forced her way to the late Madam and compelled the late Madam to serve her concubine tea."
"The late Madam was very kind and treated Feng Yi Niang with great generosity. However, Feng Yi Niang was excessively difficult, causing trouble in the inner courtyard, almost causing the late Madam to miscarry from anger..."
"In the end, it was the Old Master Ling himself who dealt with Feng Yi Niang. It is said that she was beaten to death. After that, the Eldest Madam was sent to a country estate to be raised for a few years. When she grew older, she was brought back to the Ling mansion. When it came to her marriage, they specifically chose someone from far away, just to keep the Eldest Madam away from the Ling family."
Feng Jin heard this for the first time and was momentarily unable to react. This was simply explosive news. She never expected such a thing to happen.
For a moment, she couldn't process it. After a pause, Feng Jin absorbed all the information.
"Then, with this return of the Eldest Aunt, I noticed that Grandfather's attitude towards her seemed to have improved quite a bit."
"So many years have passed. After all, they are father and daughter. I suppose the Old Master did not want their relationship to be so strained, hence his attitude has softened considerably."
Feng Jin's gaze lowered slightly. After a moment of thought, she looked up with a troubled expression and glanced outside, saying, "If she simply returned to visit, it would be easy..."
But what if it wasn't so simple? Then it would be troublesome...
From the moment Ling Changyi spoke to her today with a sharp edge, she felt that Ling Changyi's visit was not that simple. She hoped nothing would go wrong.
After a few more simple questions to Aunt Bai, Feng Jin left. After returning to her room, she continued to ponder this matter. It was only after Ling Mohan returned that Feng Jin withdrew her thoughts and looked at Ling Mohan, silently observing him.
After a pause, Feng Jin asked softly, "Your Eldest Aunt has arrived. Didn't you go to see her?"
Ling Mohan frowned slightly, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes.
"When did she arrive?"
"She arrived this morning. Grandfather specifically called me to meet Eldest Aunt."
"Did she say anything to you? Did she make things difficult for you..."
Ling Mohan asked several questions in succession, worried that Feng Jin might have been bullied.
"She didn't make things too difficult for me. She only said that I didn't take good care of the children. However, Grandfather helped me out of the predicament and spoke a few words to Aunt."
"I knew she wouldn't come with good intentions. Stay away from her in the future. Don't listen to anything she says."
Ling Mohan instructed Feng Jin, telling her not to interact much with Ling Changyi.
However, he also needed to find a way to make Ling Changyi leave as soon as possible so he could feel at ease. Ling Changyi's arrival was definitely not with good intentions.
As soon as she met Feng Jin, she was so ill-intentioned, wanting to sow discord. The longer she stayed in the Ling mansion, the more trouble she would stir up. It was best to make her leave as soon as possible.
"I have noted it all," Feng Jin nodded slightly in agreement. "I noticed that your relationship with this aunt is not very good?"