Poisonous Peasant 'Concubine' Ch 79 - Hyacinth in Bloom

Apr 21, 2026

Chapter 79 — Ling Chenglong’s Blind Filial Piety • The Ling Family Descends into Chaos

After seeing off Zhao and Han, Ling Jingxuan arranged for Song Gengniu’s family to temporarily sleep on the floor in the main hall. The two little buns had already gone back with Zhao and Han, but Ling Jinghan and Ling Jingpeng stayed behind.

All of them had noticed it—
their father, Ling Chenglong, had been unusually silent.

None of the brothers were fools. They could more or less guess what he was thinking, yet not one of them asked. They were all waiting… waiting for him to bring it up himself.

“J-Jingxuan… Father has something he wants to ask your opinions about.”

Just as Ling Jinghan and his brother were about to leave, and Ling Jingxuan and Yan Shengrui were escorting them out under the pretense of taking a walk to aid digestion, Ling Chenglong finally called out to them awkwardly.

The brothers exchanged a glance and sat back down.

“If you’ve got something to say, Father, just say it.”

Under the dim lamplight, Ling Chenglong clearly failed to notice the chill hidden in his eldest son’s eyes. He glanced timidly at his sons before stammering,

“Well… Jingxuan… earlier this evening, didn’t your aunt and Jingwei cause such a scene? Your grandfather is already ill to begin with. After all that trouble, I’m afraid it’ll be even harder for him to endure it. So… so I was thinking of going back to check on him. What do you all think?”

Having spent his whole life as a dutiful son, even after their household had separated from the family, Ling Chenglong still worried about the old man in his heart.

But the three brothers’ expressions immediately darkened.

Yan Shengrui even curled his lips into a faintly mocking smile.

Jingxuan had once said something very true: the reason they had always been bullied wasn’t only because those people were excessive—
the most direct reason was that they themselves had allowed those people the opportunity.

After a long moment, Ling Jingxuan finally smiled faintly. His long fingers idly toyed with the empty teacup in front of him.

No one could tell what he was thinking.

“Father, do you know what it means if you go back now?”

Ling Chenglong seemed not to notice that his son’s voice had grown colder than before. Reflexively lifting his head, he asked, “What does it mean? I just want to go check on your grandfather. I don’t have any other thoughts.”

“Father, why are you still like this?” Ling Jingpeng burst out impatiently. “Who knows how chaotic things are over there right now? If you go back, aren’t you just delivering yourself to be bullied again? And Grandfather already knows Second Brother’s illness is cured now. On top of everything Eldest Brother did today, even the clan elder has started eyeing him. Haven’t you figured it out yet? The moment you go back, they’ll definitely find some way to force you to return to the Ling family.”

Ling Jingpeng had always been the most hot-tempered. He didn’t hold back at all.

Sitting beside him, Ling Jinghan spoke in a low voice, “Father, we don’t object to you caring about Grandfather. After all, you’re his biological son. But we’ve only just separated from that household. Right now is exactly when they think they still have a chance. If you go back, I’m afraid everything will return to how it was before.”

Given their father’s honest, soft-hearted nature—and his blind filial piety—the possibility was practically certain.

“How could that happen? We worked so hard to finally separate from them. Do you really think your father is that foolish?”

Unhappy at his sons’ accusations, Ling Chenglong immediately retorted.

But—

“What if Grandfather and Grandmother threaten you with their lives?”

Ling Jinghan’s dark gaze suddenly sharpened.

Ling Chenglong froze on the spot, clearly stunned by the question.

His silence was answer enough.

“Father,” Ling Jingxuan said coldly as he rose to his feet, ignoring his father’s dazed expression, “if you insist on going back, I won’t stop you. But before you leave, please write a letter of divorce for Mother and a declaration severing the father–son relationship with us.”

Under the candlelight, the side of his face was filled with naked seriousness.

He could understand his father’s feelings—but he did not agree with them. Nor would he allow Ling Wang-shi and his two younger brothers to be dragged back into that wolf’s den again.

Ling Chenglong wasn’t truly a bad man. One could even say he was a good father.

But he was simply too foolish, too naïve.

If they didn’t use harsher measures to force the issue, one day they might find themselves trapped again before they even realized what had happened.

“Jingxuan—!”

Ling Chenglong shuddered violently, his eyes widening as he stared at his eldest son in pain.

This was the first time his eldest child had spoken to him so bluntly.

“Father, this time I’ll stand with Eldest Brother,” Ling Jinghan said. “If you truly can’t let that family go… then go back alone.”

“Me too,” Ling Jingpeng added. “Father, I never want to see those people again.”

As if sensing Ling Jingxuan’s intention, Ling Jinghan and Ling Jingpeng stood up one after the other and walked over to stand beside him. Deliberately, they avoided looking at their clearly distressed father.

If he continued like this, there was nothing they could do to help him.

Being filial to one’s parents was only right. If one day the Ling family truly split apart and the two elders changed their ways, and their father wanted to send them some things from time to time, they would have no objections.

But absolutely not now.

Even if they were beaten to death, they would never return to that household again.

“Alright, alright, I understand. I won’t bring it up anymore, okay?” Ling Chenglong said hurriedly when he saw their expressions. “Jingxuan, don’t be angry. I was just discussing it with you. I wouldn’t dare sneak off without telling you. Since you all disagree, then I won’t think about it anymore. From now on, if I see them, I’ll just take the long way around. Is that fine?”

In the end, the honest man chose his sons and his wife.

They were right. If his parents truly threatened him with death, he might really give in.

Better not invite trouble for himself.

Truthfully, he also could not forget the sight of his wife lying on the ground, covered in blood. Nor could he forget how that family had treated them.

“That’s more like it, Father,” Ling Jingxuan sighed softly, grasping his father’s hand and speaking with patient earnestness. “Now that we’ve separated from them, it’s basically the same as cutting ties. Even if the old master truly passes away someday, you wouldn’t need to wear mourning clothes for him.”

“Father, I’m not saying you shouldn’t be filial. If elders are good people, I have no objection to however you want to show your respect. But after everything they’ve done… it’s enough to chill anyone’s heart.”

“And now Ling Chenghua and Ling Jingwei have caused that kind of scandal. The Ling family will probably become the laughingstock of the whole village. If you rush back there right now, aren’t you just inviting their troubles to spread to us as well?”

“Let’s not even mention the rest. Jinghan will be taking the examination this winter. If people find out we’re still connected to a family like that, what will they think of him?”

Ling Jingxuan could only sigh inwardly.

His father was a good father, and he truly cared about them—but his blind filial piety ran too deep.

“Sigh… your father really thought about it too simply,” Ling Chenglong admitted with a sigh. “Don’t worry. I won’t think about it anymore.”

The moment he heard it might harm his sons’ futures, his resolve immediately strengthened.

The three brothers exchanged glances and quietly let out a breath of relief.

They feared nothing—except their father’s soft heart.

“Father, go get some rest,” Ling Jingxuan said. “We’ll walk Jinghan and Jingpeng out.”

“Mm. You should all rest early too,” Ling Chenglong replied as he stood up. “Aren’t you taking the children to town tomorrow? Don’t go too late.”

With that, he turned and left the room.

Ling Jingxuan shook his head helplessly before heading out with Yan Shengrui to see the two brothers off. For the time being, their house simply didn’t have enough space. The brothers and the little buns would probably have to continue staying with Zhao and Han until the new house was finished.

Under the night sky, as they walked side by side a few steps behind the others, Ling Jinghan suddenly stopped.

“Big Brother… the matter between Ling Chenghua and Ling Jingwei—that was your doing, wasn’t it?”

The moment he had heard about the incident earlier that evening, his instinct had pointed straight to his eldest brother.

What kind of coincidence could be that perfect?

In the morning, the Ling family had just come to their house to cause trouble. By evening, Ling Chenghua and Ling Jingwei were caught in such a scandal.

Aunt and nephew committing incest.

Now the old Ling household would truly have chaos on their hands.

“Hehe… who knows?” Ling Jingxuan paused and turned back with a smile. “Maybe one of them has been lonely in her chambers for years, and the other’s been empty after his divorce. Perhaps they simply found each other.”

So what if it was him?

Didn’t the Ling family pride themselves most on their family reputation and moral propriety?

Then he would personally destroy the very thing they valued most.

He wanted to see whether the old master of the Ling family and that unreasonable old hag would stage another farce like the one five years ago—driving their most beloved daughter out of the house.

And as for Ling Jingwei… hadn’t Ling Chengcai and his wife spent money to redeem him from military service?

After his reputation was completely ruined, how exactly would he continue living in this village?

This was only the beginning.

If they had any sense, they would stop provoking him.

Otherwise… next time he couldn’t guarantee that Ling Chenghua wouldn’t end up climbing into her own father’s bed.

Ling Jinghan said nothing. He simply gazed at his elder brother with deep, unreadable eyes for a long while before finally starting to walk again.

“Whether you did it or not, Big Brother, I only have one thing to say—” His voice was deliberately lowered, thick with barely concealed schadenfreude.

“Well done.”

Ling Jingxuan smiled faintly. He had always known his second brother was no simple character.

“Big Brother, I think you did an amazing job too!” Ling Jingpeng chimed in immediately, making no attempt to hide his delight.

The three brothers were cut from the same cloth.

None of them were easy to deal with.

Ling Jingxuan turned his head to glance at Yan Shengrui, shrugged helplessly, and curled his lips.

Compared to their honest, somewhat dull-witted father… weren’t his two younger brothers far more adorable?

“That’s why we’re family,” he said lightly. “Isn’t there a saying—if you’re not family, you wouldn’t enter the same door?”

Smiling, Yan Shengrui draped an arm around his shoulder and bent close to whisper in his ear, “This isn’t so bad. At least from now on, our Jingxuan won’t have to keep worrying about them all the time, right?”

“Hehe.”

Ling Jingxuan only chuckled softly and said nothing. Instead, he reached out and interlocked his fingers with Yan Shengrui’s. The two of them walked slowly behind Ling Jinghan and the others. Only after escorting them to the home of Zhao and Han did they turn back, still hand in hand, and retrace their steps.

Compared to their quiet return, the Ling household was in complete chaos.

Ling Jingwei and Ling Chenghua, who had been knocked unconscious and carried home, woke up one after the other, still dazed and utterly unaware of what had happened. It wasn’t until the old madam’s shrill curses and the tearful accusations of Madam Li and the others reached their ears that they finally realized what “good deed” they had committed.

The two of them were completely stunned.

No matter how the old madam screamed or how the family scolded them, neither gave any response.

Cough, cough…

“You shameless wretches!” the old master rasped.

Supported by Ling Jinghong, the old man staggered out from the sickbed. The murkiness in his eyes had vanished, replaced by sudden sharpness.

“The Ling family is a household that values farming and scholarship. We cannot tolerate descendants who ruin the family’s reputation.”

“Jinghong, go invite your second uncle and the clan elder. I will open the ancestral hall and enforce the family law.”

Even if it was his most beloved daughter, it made no difference.

Especially when the two of them had not only committed indecency in the wilderness—but incest between aunt and nephew.

“Absolutely not!”

The old madam burst into tears as she clutched Ling Chenghua in her arms.

“Old master, how can you be so heartless? Chenghua is our only daughter! If you ask me, Jingwei must have forced her. Chenghua is just a weak young woman—how could she possibly fight against a grown man?”

“Old master, she’s the victim here! You absolutely cannot drive her out at a time like this!”

Her tearful cries filled the room. Her venomous gaze glared fiercely at the stunned Ling Jingwei sitting nearby.

She had never imagined he would be so heartless—depraved enough to violate his own aunt.

How would her Chenghua ever face the village again?

In truth, Ling Jingxuan had once said something very accurate: only parents truly cherish their own children.

Back when Jingxuan’s incident happened, the old madam had jumped and shouted, insisting he be dragged away and drowned in the pond. But now that it was her own daughter, the treatment was entirely different.

“Mother, how can you say that?” Ling Chengcai suddenly shouted, stepping forward angrily.

“We still don’t know what really happened—Jingwei and Chenghua haven’t said anything yet. How can you immediately conclude Jingwei forced her? Who knows if Chenghua was the one who seduced him?”

“She’s already twenty and still unmarried. It’s not impossible that she’s grown lonely, locked away at home. Didn’t she try to flirt with Ling Jingxuan’s man in public not long ago?”

For the sake of his son, Ling Chengcai spoke without hesitation.

He was not like Ling Chenglong, that weak and foolish man. There was no way he would stand by and watch his mother smear his son while the old master drove Jingwei out of the house.

At worst, he would do exactly what the second branch had done—demand the family divide and live separately.

Everyone would mind their own affairs.

“Well now, Elder Brother,” Ling Jiang-shi from the third branch sneered mockingly, clearly delighted by the first branch’s misfortune. “Chenghua is still an untouched maiden. How could she possibly seduce her own nephew? If you ask me, perhaps Mother is right—Jingwei forced her.”

“After all, this isn’t the first time he’s done something deceitful behind everyone’s backs. Otherwise, why would Second Brother and his wife have ignored the fact that Father and Mother are still alive and insisted on separating from the family?”

For years the third branch had been suppressed by the first, so Ling Jiang-shi did not miss this chance to mock them.

Sure enough, the old master and old madam’s expressions immediately turned even colder.

Their eyes toward Ling Jingwei looked as though they wanted to flay him alive.

If not for him, how could the second branch have split from the family?

If they had not separated, how would the old master have been angered to the point of coughing up blood?

And now such a scandal had erupted.

No one would believe Jingwei wasn’t the main culprit.

“Shut up, Jiang-shi!” Ling Li-shi, who had been kneeling on the ground, suddenly stood and pointed at her nose.

“None of us know what truly happened yet. The entire village already knows about this matter. And we’re still fighting among ourselves?”

“Don’t forget—if the Ling family’s reputation is ruined, it will directly affect your third branch too. Jingren and Xiaoying still haven’t married!”

Among the daughters-in-law of the three branches, Ling Li-shi was unquestionably the most formidable. The moment she spoke, Ling Jiang-shi immediately fell silent.

After dealing with her, Ling Li-shi’s legs weakened and she dropped to her knees again before the elders.

“Father, Mother… the matter has already happened. Let’s hear what Jingwei and Chenghua have to say first. Even if you intend to enforce the family law, shouldn’t we at least understand the situation?”

Deep down, she felt something about this matter wasn’t quite right, though she couldn’t figure out what.

Perhaps hearing the two involved explain would clarify everything.

“Grandfather, Mother is right,” said Ling Jinghong, who had been standing silently behind the old master. “We should at least give them a chance to explain, shouldn’t we? You wouldn’t want another incident like what happened with Second Uncle’s family.”

His words clearly touched the old master.

Ling Qiyun’s eyes flickered slightly, and he did not object—silently acknowledging the suggestion.

Seeing this, the old madam secretly pinched her daughter at the waist.

Her intention had been to remind Chenghua to speak first and seize the advantage.

But—

“It was him! It was him who dragged me into the haystack!”

Ling Chenghua suddenly screamed, pointing wildly at the stunned Ling Jingwei.

“Mother! He’s a beast worse than pigs or dogs!”

The entire family’s expressions changed instantly.

And Jingwei… didn’t say a single word in rebuttal.

Almost everyone present immediately believed Chenghua’s accusation.

The old madam erupted into even louder wailing. The first branch, desperate to protect their son, began arguing back fiercely.