Chapter 54 — Ling Jinghan
“Damn that wicked woman! How could they do this… wuwu?”
When Ling Chenglong and his wife returned home, they ran into Ling Chengcai and his wife just outside the door. Ling Li-shi, as if nothing had happened, wore her usual gentle smile. If it weren’t for the fact that her son had warned her earlier, Ling Wang-shi would have lunged at her, wanting to tear her face to pieces. This wicked, despicable woman—kidnapping their grandchildren and smiling as if nothing was wrong—was she deliberately trying to push their entire family to the brink of despair?
“Enough, stop crying. Let’s just wait quietly for news from Jingxuan,” Ling Chenglong murmured softly, gently pulling her into his arms. His dark, thin face was filled with frustration, guilt, and regret. It was all his fault. If only he had been stronger in the family, if he had demanded a division when their eldest son was driven out, they wouldn’t have reached this point. If anything happened to the children, how could he face his son?
“Wuwu… Brother Long, how could their hearts be so cruel? If they wanted a son, why didn’t they just have one of their own? Why did they dare to come and steal Jingxuan’s children… wuwu?”
Sobbing uncontrollably, Ling Wang-shi threw herself into her husband’s embrace. She hated it—hated the Old Ling family, hated that venomous woman.
Ling Jinghan, who had been lying in bed, couldn’t make sense of the scene when his parents entered. For a long time, he couldn’t understand what had happened. It was only when his mother’s tearful recounting reached him that he finally grasped the situation. His normally pale, sickly face suddenly darkened with urgency. Ignoring his weak body, Ling Jinghan scrambled to get up and staggered toward his parents.
“Father, Mother, please tell me exactly what happened. What’s going on?”
Sitting on the long bench opposite them, Ling Jinghan forced himself to remain calm. Heaven knew how much effort it took for him to hold back from exploding. The two little nephews were their lifeline. If anything happened to them, not just his parents, but the three brothers would likely never recover. The family had only just begun to recover slightly because of his elder brother’s clarity. He absolutely could not let this happen.
“Jinghan, it’s about Xiao Wen and the others…”
It was only then that Ling Wang-shi noticed her son was awake. She couldn’t hold back any longer and explained how they had discovered the disappearance of Ling Wen and Ling Wu, and Ling Jingxuan’s suspicions.
Ling Jinghan’s face darkened as he listened, his hands instinctively clenching into fists on the table, his lips tightly pressed together, trembling slightly, betraying his inner fear and anger. His eyes, which should have been dull and weak, suddenly filled with a fiery hatred.
“Your brother and Jingpeng have already gone to the town. Xiao Wen and the others should be fine. It’s all my fault, I couldn’t hold myself back. Jinghan, you’re not well. Please don’t let your anger harm you,” Ling Wang-shi finished, finally noticing her son’s discomfort. The couple exchanged worried glances, guilt flooding their hearts. If they hadn’t run into that disgusting couple at the door, they wouldn’t have been so furious.
“I’m fine, Father, Mother. Big Brother’s guess is almost certainly correct, but there’s always a possibility of something going wrong. We can’t sit idly by. Here’s the plan: I’ll go to the main house and talk to Grandfather, keeping him occupied while I ask him about his knowledge. You two should sneak over to Uncle’s room and search places like the family warehouse. We must find Xiao Wen and the others as quickly as possible.”
Ling Jinghan forcibly suppressed his raging fury, standing up suddenly. Right now, the only thing they could do was prepare for that “what if.”
“Is this really okay? What about your health?”
Ling Chenglong and his wife stood as well, their eyes filled with worry as they looked at their son’s frail body, afraid he might collapse at any moment.
“It’s fine. After drinking the medicine Big Brother made for me, the tightness in my chest is gone, and my coughing has improved a lot. As long as I talk to Grandfather about studying, I should be fine.”
The second branch was never favored by the elders, but the children of the second branch were undeniably intelligent. Ling Jingxuan, at thirteen, had been considered a gem by the elders before that tragic incident. Had it not been for that, he likely would have passed the imperial exams by now, possibly even becoming a scholar. After he was cast out, Ling Jinghan had started to reveal his own potential for studying. With his talent, as long as his health allowed, he could easily become a Tongsheng or even a Xiucai. Because of this, both the main and third branches of the family were especially wary of him. Whenever the old master came to see him or when he went to seek advice, members of the main and third branches would always be on high alert, fearing that he might say something about taking the imperial exams. He would be the perfect distraction for them now.
“Alright, but you must drink this first. It was personally prepared by your big brother,” Ling Wang-shi said, wiping her tears and bringing over a bowl of medicine and another of a sweetened pear soup.
Ling Jinghan didn’t hesitate. He tilted his head back and drank it all in one go. “Father, Mother, you go your separate ways. Mother, you head to Uncle’s room and don’t forget to check Xiao Tong’s and Jingpeng’s rooms. Father, go to our warehouse or anywhere you think they might hide people. Be careful, and don’t let anyone notice.”
Before picking up his book and leaving, Ling Jinghan turned back, giving a final, worried reminder. His parents both nodded, understanding the weight of their son’s words. He was fighting for their time, and they would not let his effort go in vain.
At the main house of the Ling family, it was dinner time. The entire family had gathered in the main hall. When Ling Jinghan appeared with his frail body, the lively conversation came to an abrupt halt. Everyone, led by the old matriarch, couldn’t help but think of Ling Jingxuan. Remembering how Ling Chenglong and his wife had shrugged off their duties earlier that day, each face became longer. The only one who seemed happy was Ling Qiuyun, the old master, who sat high at the head of the table.
“Jinghan, why are you out? The night air is cold—be careful of catching a chill. Come here to your grandfather,” the old master called out with concern.
The old master was a scholar, proud of his scholarly achievements. Unfortunately, none of his descendants had followed in his footsteps. The only one who could read was now often bedridden. He couldn’t hide his sorrow, but he still clung to hope. Ling Jinghan was young—perhaps one day his illness would be cured. He had always been the one to dote on Ling Jinghan, often reminding his wife to get him medicine. This was also the reason why he didn’t want the second branch to be separated.
“Grandfather, Grandmother, Uncle, Aunt, and all my brothers and sisters, I hope you are all well.”
Ling Jinghan’s voice was as gentle as a cool breeze, but few responded. The old master seemed to ignore the others’ reactions, pulling him in closer with concern. “Didn’t I tell you to rest in your room? Why are you out here? What if you catch another chill? I was hoping you’d get better and go take the imperial exams, become a scholar, and bring honor to the family.”
As soon as the old master mentioned the imperial examinations, all those who had previously looked down on Ling Jinghan couldn’t help but perk up. Although the second branch wasn’t well-liked in the family, they couldn’t deny the fact that the second branch could read and write—something they all found incredibly irksome.
“Hehe… Grandfather, don’t worry. Yesterday, Jingpeng went to town and got two more doses of medicine for me. The effect is much better than the medicine from the doctors we hired. Look, I’ve only taken it a few times and already feel much better. I don’t cough as much, and that feeling of tightness in my chest, as if something’s weighing it down, is gone. I can even breathe a little easier now. So, I thought I’d take the opportunity, while I’m feeling a little better, to ask you for some advice on things I don’t quite understand. If the medicine continues to work like this, I might even be able to take the child scholar exams this winter.”
Ling Jinghan knew exactly what they feared, and he deliberately brought it up to trap them. His illness had always been recurring, so as long as he pretended to improve, they’d fall for it every time. With his frail body, who would suspect anything?
“Really?! Well, that’s wonderful! Jinghan, I love that you’re so keen on studying. It’s just like me. Since the medicine is working well, let’s have your grandmother send some money tomorrow. Tell Jingpeng to get a few more doses. If God blesses us, we’ll have another scholar in the family!”
When the old master heard this, he was overjoyed, as if he had already seen Ling Jinghan pass the imperial exams. The others, clearly displeased, exchanged glances and murmured to themselves. But the old matriarch, clearly upset, interjected, “Jinghan, what do you mean by that? Are you saying the doctors I hired for you aren’t good enough? Don’t you think your illness could be cured in just a day or two? All the little money we have went into your treatments, and you still dare to complain about it? If you’re so smart, why don’t you bring a better doctor to the house yourself?”
Normally, the old madam wouldn’t dare speak out like this in front of the old master. But after being humiliated by Ling Jingxuan the day before, and seeing that the second branch had openly abandoned their work, she had been simmering with resentment, looking for an outlet for her frustration.
“Grandmother, I didn’t mean that, I just—”
Ling Jinghan lowered his head, his voice laced with a tinge of guilt. His unfinished words were left hanging, allowing others to imagine what he meant. No one noticed, however, that his eyes, which should have been pale and weak, were now filled with pure disgust.
“Shut up! Jinghan is Jinghan, and his illness has just gotten a little better. Are you trying to sabotage him on purpose? If you keep this up, don’t blame me for showing no mercy and sending you back to your parents’ house!”
The old master slammed his hand on the table, his voice full of anger. The one thing he valued most in life was family reputation and honor, and to him, Ling Jinghan was the only one who could carry on the family name after him. Now that the boy’s health was improving, he wouldn’t allow anyone, not even his own wife, to stand in his way.
“You?! I really have bad luck. I went against the family’s wishes and married you, thinking I’d at least be a scholar’s wife. Who knew that after decades of marriage, you would treat me like this, all for a little bastard! Heaven, strike me with lightning already, I can’t take it anymore—wuwu. I don’t want to live anymore!”
Unexpectedly, the old madam burst into tears, throwing a fit in front of the whole family. The old master’s face turned red with anger, and he glared at her so fiercely that his eyes seemed ready to pop out.
“Mother, stop this! Father didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that Jinghan’s health is getting better, and Father’s happy. Why bring up all this unpleasant stuff now?”
“Yes, Mother, Jinghan is Jinghan, and his improving health is good news for the whole family. If he passes the exams and becomes a scholar, it’s a blessing for us.”
“Mother, don’t be angry. Father never meant to upset you. Jinghan is his treasure, and it was just an outburst. You know he can’t help it sometimes, so calm down, alright?”
“Grandmother…”
The entire family, including the daughters-in-law, granddaughters, and others, flocked around her, attempting to console her. But even though their words seemed to be comforting, they all sounded like they were trying to drive a wedge between her and the old master. Instead of stopping, the old matriarch’s tears flowed even harder, and the old master continued to fume in silence. Meanwhile, Ling Jinghan, who had been keeping his head lowered the whole time, couldn’t help but smirk sarcastically. This was his family, and it made his heart feel cold.
The commotion in the main house continued to grow louder, but no one noticed that the absent Ling Chenglong and his wife had quietly slipped into the rooms of Ling Chengcai and the others. They had begun their silent search.
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Translator: LazyHermitGal
Author: LazyHermitGal
A Lazy Hermit Gal. A little support goes a long way! If you’d like to help me keep creating, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/lazyhermitgal
