When Feng Jin arrived, the two little ones had just woken up, and Nanny Lin was helping them get ready.
"Ma...ma..."
"Hug...hug..."
The two children were speaking a little more fluently now, and they shouted excitedly upon seeing Feng Jin.
"This old servant greets the young madam." Nanny Lin saw Feng Jin enter and put down what she was holding, then quickly got up to bow.
"Nanny, please rise. There's no need for such formality. From now on, you don't have to bow when you see me."
Nanny Lin was a person who strictly adhered to etiquette. Every time she saw Feng Jin, her courtesy was extremely thorough, involving either kneeling or bowing.
Seeing someone of her age kneeling and bowing to her made Feng Jin feel quite embarrassed. She stepped forward and very politely reached out to help Nanny Lin up.
"The young madam is your master, and this old servant is a subordinate. There is a distinction between master and servant; we cannot be lax with our positions."
Nanny Lin said respectfully. She had served the Ling family for decades and deeply understood the matters of master-servant hierarchy. She would never allow herself to be lax with her position.
The master-servant hierarchy was deeply ingrained in Nanny Lin's mind, to the bone. Feng Jin didn't want to waste her energy trying to instill new ideas in her and guessed that talking too much would be in vain.
"Nanny Lin, after you change the children's clothes, please bring them with me to pay our respects to grandfather."
"Yes, young madam. This old servant will wash and dress the two young masters now."
Upon hearing that they were going to pay respects to Old Master Ling, Nanny Lin's face lit up with joy. After all, she had served Old Master Ling for a lifetime, and her heart naturally leaned towards him.
Nanny Lin quickly finished changing and dressing the two children. The group sat in the main hall, waiting for Ling Mohan to come out so they could go together.
"Dad...dad..."
"Dad...dad"
Da Bao and Er Bao hadn't seen Ling Mohan for a long time. The moment they saw Ling Mohan, the two little ones were so excited that they almost ran over.
Ling Mohan was also very accommodating, picking up Da Bao and Er Bao. It was a rare and warm moment for the three of them.
A lot of time had passed. Feng Jin reminded them that it was time to go.
If they dawdled any longer, Old Master Ling would probably storm over to question why she hadn't brought the children.
When they arrived, Old Master Ling was leisurely lying on a lounge chair, basking in the sun.
Upon seeing Da Bao and Er Bao, his face immediately broke into a smile. He trotted over to pick them up, completely ignoring Ling Mohan beside him, as if he hadn't seen him, not even sparing him a glance.
It was the first time Ling Mohan had received such treatment from Old Master Ling, and his handsome face instantly darkened.
"Hurry up and go!" Feng Jin nudged Ling Mohan with her elbow, signaling him to go and talk to Old Master Ling.
Anyone with eyes could see that Old Master Ling was deliberately throwing a tantrum. It was likely due to Ling Mohan not coming to pay his respects to him promptly after returning to the capital, causing him dissatisfaction.
He wanted Ling Mohan to proactively lower his head and admit his mistake before this matter could be resolved.
Ling Mohan understood Feng Jin's meaning, stepped forward, and stood before Old Master Ling, cupping his hands in a respectful bow. "Your grandson greets grandfather."
As soon as he finished speaking, Old Master Ling did not reply. He continued to play with the children.
Seeing this, Feng Jin directly stepped forward and pushed Ling Mohan to the ground.
Caught off guard, Ling Mohan fell to his knees with a thud.
"Hurry up and speak..." Feng Jin whispered into Ling Mohan's ear in a voice only they could hear.
"After returning to the capital, your grandson did not promptly pay his respects to grandfather. Your grandson asks for grandfather's forgiveness. Your grandson knows he was wrong."
Upon hearing this, Old Master Ling's expression softened slightly. He raised his eyes to look at Ling Mohan and reprimanded, "I thought you had long forgotten about this old man. It's really not easy for you to remember my existence and still have time to see me!"
Even though he knew that Ling Mohan had been busy with official duties and hadn't visited him, he still felt displeased.
The child he had raised since he was young had forgotten him as he grew up. Anyone would feel upset about this.
Old Master Ling snorted coldly, his heart filled with anger as he looked at Ling Mohan.
"Grandfather, your grandson knows his mistake. Please punish grandfather."
Seeing Ling Mohan's sincere attitude in admitting his mistake, the anger that had been accumulating in Old Master Ling's heart dissipated significantly. He snorted and said, "Alright, get up. You're a father now. It's not good for the servants to see you kneeling here all the time."
"Thank you, grandfather."
As Ling Mohan got up, his knees ached fiercely. Feng Jin had used considerable force when she pushed him. His knees were likely to be bruised.
"Tell me, what have you been busy with these past few days when you haven't returned to the manor?"
Old Master Ling asked in a deep voice. He knew the child he had raised better than anyone. Ling Mohan's long absence from the manor must have been due to some difficult matter, otherwise, he wouldn't have been so.
"Grandfather..." Ling Mohan called out hesitantly, unsure if he should speak.
"Grandfather, your granddaughter-in-law just remembered that there are some matters on the ledger that haven't been handled. Your granddaughter-in-law will take her leave first."
Feng Jin could vaguely guess that the matters they were about to discuss were related to state affairs. Knowing too much about such things often led to an early demise.
She didn't want to die young and found an excuse to leave, but fate was not on her side.
"There's no need to make excuses to leave. You will have to know these things sooner or later."
Old Master Ling accurately exposed Feng Jin's little stratagem, leaving her no opportunity to find an excuse to leave.
The reason he asked Feng Jin to stay was that all the major and minor affairs of the Ling family would eventually be handed over to Ling Mohan. As the lady of the manor, Feng Jin couldn't just stay in the inner quarters and handle some affairs.
She also needed to have some understanding of court affairs so that she could better assist Ling Mohan.
"Yes, grandfather..."
Feng Jin reluctantly agreed, sitting down beside Ling Mohan with a sense of reluctance. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have come along today, letting Ling Mohan bring the children by himself.
"Speak, what have you been doing these past two days?"
Old Master Ling asked directly, waiting for Ling Mohan's answer.
"Grandfather, your grandson... your grandson..."
This was the first time Ling Mohan had spoken so hesitantly. He was troubled by this matter and didn't know how to express it.
He was also worried about his grandfather's reaction upon learning of this matter, and for a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
"The men of my Ling family act with uprightness and integrity. Whatever you have to say, just say it honestly. What is this hesitancy, it's unbecoming of you." Old Master Ling's tone carried a hint of anger.