Chapter 26: Eavesdropping - Rebirth of the Noble Daughter
Chapter 26: Eavesdropping
She didn't believe that a backyard maid who couldn't read many characters would be so obsessed with the matter of studying. There must have been someone influencing her.
It seemed that there was some negligence in the household, and things were not quite right.
After resolving the disturbance, Feng Jinyao also felt tired. After bidding farewell to her elder sister-in-law, she walked back to Ning'an Courtyard.
Before leaving, she glanced at Yunxu a few more times, and the maid quickly understood her meaning.
Using the excuse of feeling unwell and needing to use the facilities, she secretly followed Concubine Lin back to the small courtyard while it was dark, hiding in an inconspicuous place and quietly eavesdropping.
"Child, were you scared today?"
Concubine Lin, who was domineering outside, was very considerate towards her own child.
Feng Yunli stretched out his chubby little hand to massage Concubine Lin's knees, his eyes full of pity and sincerity.
" Mother's knees must be hurting. Son will study hard in the future to make Mother proud!"
"Good, good, good. My child has ambitions, and mother naturally wants to help you on your way to success. Don't worry, towards the main wife, it's just a pretense to make her suffer a bit. As for your study, mother has already made plans. In a few days, your uncle and the others will also come to the capital. By then, with him supporting us, won't the backyard become our mother and son's world?"
"Uncle? I've never seen Uncle before."
Feng Yunli's chubby face was full of curiosity and doubt.
Since birth, the people he had seen the most were Aunt, Father, Mother, and Elder Brother.
Even grandparents were only seen occasionally when they came to pay their respects, let alone the rarely seen second uncle and unfamiliar aunt.
So, the maternal uncle from her family was something she had never heard of before.
Hearing him say this, Concubine Lin felt a bit distressed.
She was the youngest in her family, with three older brothers above her, but unfortunately, her parents were just ordinary farmers.
With the family still supporting her eldest brother's education, there was no other choice but to sell her to the Feng Residence.
Because of her fair complexion and her service to her eldest brother's studies at home, she was arranged to serve in the study by Feng Jinxu, which naturally added a bit of affection over time.
The master was kind, and he was quite considerate towards her and her son, often resting in her courtyard instead of showing concern for Wen's side.
It was because of this that she had the thought of fighting back and even taking over!
"This time, your uncle only managed to come to the capital because he caught the eye of an important person. It's a straight road to success. Rest assured, with him around in the future, no one will ever make a fuss about your background again."
Concubine Lin let out a deep sigh, as if venting all the dissatisfaction she had accumulated over the years.
Hearing this, Yunxu also began to plan. The conversation that followed was just idle chatter, so she quietly left to report back.
In the Ning'an Courtyard, Feng Jinyao dismissed the attendants.
"Uncle? Does she still have relatives in her family?"
Feng Jinyao asked with some curiosity after hearing Yunxu's words.
Yunxu shook her head, "I'm not familiar with the maids in the master's courtyard. We might have to ask Madam Bai about this."
Investigate!
Her brother's success in the capital was a good thing, but for some reason, she couldn't rest assured. Her intuition told her that there was something wrong behind this.
Thinking of her previous life and the various incidents that happened in her brother's room, Feng Jinyao had to prepare in advance.
After some thought, she instructed Yunxu, "Tomorrow, send a few capable boys to guard at the Guiyuan Hall. Once you spot Doctor Zhang, immediately report back!"
"Doctor Zhang? Is Miss worried about Madam's condition?"
"Yes, it's nearing the end of the year, and Mother's illness has been dragging on for a long time. Sister-in-law's head ailment also frequently flares up. If we can get Doctor Zhang to come to the residence and take a look, maybe he can work wonders. By then, the troublesome matters in the residence will naturally be resolved."
Yunxu found the reasoning sound and promptly replied, "Yes."
As the night grew darker, Feng Jinyao looked towards her brother's courtyard, and her plan increased.
It snowed all night, and the once clearly visible Dongdu was now covered in white.
In the Ning'an Courtyard, the red plum blossoms against the white snow created a beautiful scene.
As the morning arrived, the small kitchen became busy, with smoke rising and the maids bustling around. Xiuqiu stood beside, constantly reminding the cooks to make the food soft and tender.
"We invited Master, Second Master, and the young master to have breakfast today. Make more dishes and pay special attention to the young master's diet."
"Miss Xiuqiu, rest assured, we know what to do."
Shortly after, the father, son, and nephew arrived at the courtyard.
Today's weather was not good, and there was a thick layer of snow. Despite wearing deer-skin boots, they still got wet.
As soon as Feng Jinlin lifted the curtain, he smelled a faint jasmine fragrance. "Your maid knows how to live, this fragrance is quite elegant."
Feng Jinyao coughed twice and reminded him to pay attention to the presence of his older brother, lest he mention these romantic matters again. Otherwise, his older brother would again say that he was not making progress.
"It's so cold today, did you feel cold on the way?"
"Thank you for your concern, Aunt. Mother bought me some winter clothes, so I'm warm and not cold."
Feng Jinyao took a closer look and indeed, Feng Yunhe was wearing a Qingyunlu embroidered with rabbit fur, which was warm and bright, suitable for a child his age.
It was obvious that Madam Wen had put in effort into raising her child.
On the other hand, Feng Jinxu frowned slightly and whispered, "A doting mother often spoils her child."
Feng Yunhe's eyes dimmed for a moment, but his face remained calm.
Feng Jinyao was somewhat angry to see this. It was good for the eldest brother to discipline his legitimate son strictly, but he shouldn't hurt his feelings like this. Wasn't he afraid that Yunhe would grow up to be like this as well?
Feng Jinlin beside him didn't look pleased either, so he pulled Yunhe to his side. "I think he's quite lovely. Our family's eldest nephew is well-raised and well-educated, and few people in Dongdu City can compare. Right, Ah Yao?"
"That's right, Sister-in-law's head ailment has flared up again. Yesterday, she was even argued with by Concubine Lin, and now she can't get up. She can't properly educate our eldest nephew now."
Feng Yunhe was surprised, never expecting his aunt to come and complain to his father right away. He looked at his father expectantly, wondering how he would react.
"Argued? What happened?"
Feng Jinxu frowned, a hint of disbelief on his serious face.
Unexpectedly, he still had this demeanor, as if he wanted to pass over it lightly, just like usual. Feng Yunhe felt extremely disappointed.
But he, who wanted to stand up for his mother, how could he let go of such a good opportunity? So he spoke up.
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