Chapter 133: What Are Those Two Here For?
When Young Master Mo arrived at Lin Xin’s home, she had just finished taking a battle bath, changed into a piece of clothing, and was standing in the courtyard drying her hair.
“Why are you here?” Lin Xin asked.
Young Master Mo very naturally took the cotton cloth from her hand, wrapped it around her head of jet-black hair, and used his internal energy to dry her hair.
“Wow! Even better than a blow dryer!” Lin Xin touched her smooth hair and exclaimed.
“Xin’er,” the expression on Young Master Mo’s face was a bit off, as he walked up to Lin Xin, lowered his head, and looked into her eyes.
“When I wasn’t here, did Fu Jing… cause you any trouble?” Young Master Mo asked.
“No, you’re not unaware of me—ordinary provocations I don’t take to heart, and the ones I do take to heart I usually get back on the spot. Internal strife isn’t my style, and you don’t need to worry that I’ll make an exception for your friends out of consideration for your face.” Lin Xin said matter-of-factly.
“Really?”
“Of course, is there money for lying to you?” Lin Xin rolled her eyes at him.
“That’s good, I just don’t want to see you wronged,” Young Master Mo took a deep breath, then confessed: “Fu Jing has a younger sister, and he wants her to marry me, so I’m afraid he’ll say some unpleasant things to you or do something bad.”
“Heh, is that so?” Lin Xin smiled at him, “What? You don’t want the blessing of having multiple partners?”
Young Master Mo shook his head vigorously with extreme desire to survive, “How could I? Forget the blessing of having multiple partners—what I yearn for is that lifetime with only one partner you mentioned before. That’s the perfect life.”
“A lifetime with only one partner—wait until you can really achieve it before you say that!”
“Xin’er,” Young Master Mo pouted aggrievedly, “You don’t believe me.”
Lin Xin turned a blind eye to his feigned grievance, “What’s the use of me believing? You have to achieve it! I can stand with you against the whole world, but you have to let me see that my persistence has meaning!”
“Don’t worry, I will absolutely achieve making you have… sense of security—is that how it’s said?”
Lin Xin chuckled and nodded, “Exactly, sense of security. But I’m a high-maintenance baby who needs a lot, a lot of sense of security.”
“No problem, however much you need, I’ll give you that much!” Young Master Mo waved his hand boldly, which amused Lin Xin greatly.
When Young Master Mo came in, he only closed the door without latching it. They were chatting happily when the door was pushed open from outside, and Lin Duo and Lin Zhi appeared at the doorway, each carrying a heavy back basket.
Lin Xin’s face sank, Young Master Mo turned and stood in front of her, frowning at the pair of sisters, “What are you here for?”
Lin Duo lowered her head slightly, trying to show her still somewhat intact face to Young Master Mo, and said in a voice as if half her throat had been squeezed: “I’m here to find Lin Xin. I have something to say to her.”
“I have nothing to say to you. Get away from my doorstep quickly. You’re not welcome here.” Lin Xin walked out from behind Young Master Mo and said coldly to her.
“Lin Xin, it’s not that I want to find you, it’s… it’s…” Lin Duo’s fingers twisted at the hem of her clothes, putting on an appearance of having something unspeakable, while Lin Zhi beside her timidly shrank behind her, whispering to Lin Duo in a voice everyone could hear: “Sis, Young Master Mo is here now, Older Sister Lin Xin isn’t convenient. Let’s talk another day!”
“Then… alright!” Lin Duo gave Young Master Mo another hesitant look, bit her lip, and quickly pulled Lin Zhi away.
“What are those two here for?” Young Master Mo saw them say those two inexplicable sentences and leave, utterly baffled as he asked Lin Xin.
“Heh,” Lin Xin smiled, looking at the doorway with a very cold gaze as she replied: “To give me trouble.”
“Ah?” Young Master Mo was puzzled.
“What ‘ah’? You just got here and haven’t asked around the village about my reputation yet! Lin Duo is just rushing to give you a hint.”
“What’s wrong with your reputation?”
“Enough, if you want to know, go ask around yourself. It’s getting late, I need to go make dinner.” With that, she left the still baffled Young Master Mo and went into the kitchen.
Young Master Mo stood in the courtyard, just about to follow her to the kitchen, when he heard “hissing” sounds from the main hall doorway. He turned his head and saw Lin Nan, Lin Tao, and Cui Shi peeking into the courtyard from the main hall doorway. Seeing him look over, they hurriedly waved at him vigorously.
“What’s wrong?” Young Master Mo glanced at them, then at the kitchen, and finally walked into the main hall, asking the old man and the young ones.
“Brother Zi Yuan, are you going to be my brother-in-law?” Lin Nan tugged at Young Master Mo’s outer robe until he squatted down to meet his gaze before asking.
“Uncle Mo, are you going to be my… uncle-in-law?” Lin Tao asked unwilling to show weakness.
“That’s right! Brother Zi Yuan wants to be your brother-in-law and also your uncle-in-law. Are you willing?” Young Master Mo lightly tapped their little noses.
Lin Nan sighed like an old man, “I have no opinion, but whether I’m willing or not doesn’t matter—it depends on whether my sister is willing!”
Lin Tao nodded vigorously beside him.
“Pfft~” Young Master Mo was amused by their serious little appearances, “Then if she isn’t willing, can you two help persuade her for me?”
“Sigh!” Lin Nan sighed again, “We can, but I’m afraid it won’t work. My sister doesn’t listen to me! She probably won’t listen to Tao Tao either.”
“Alright, Nan Nan, take Tao Tao to play for a bit, and wash your hands while you’re at it—dinner will be ready soon.” Cui Shi sent the two children away and pulled Young Master Mo to sit on the doorstep.
“Does Old Cui have something to say to Zi Yuan?”
“Sort of! This old man just wants to ask, what are your plans for Xin Yatou?”
“I want to marry her! And only her for this lifetime!” Young Master Mo answered firmly.
“Will your family agree? Not to mention anything else, that stepmother of yours is no pushover. Aren’t you worried that once you bring her home, the moment you’re away, Xin Yatou will be bullied by her? Don’t think I don’t know just because I’m not in the capital—she’s dead set on having her own son replace you as the Heir of Dingguo Duke! She can’t touch you, but what if she targets the girl?”
“Old Cui doesn’t need to worry about the heir’s position. My father was there when the late emperor was on his deathbed. The late emperor said that if the Dingguo Duke’s Mansion wants to change heirs, His Majesty should revoke the noble title. After so many years of scheming come to nothing, I think she won’t have the mind to target Xin’er anymore!”
“You! Though you have ability, you still don’t understand the intrigues of the inner residence deeply enough!” Cui Shi shook his head, “But that’s not your fault. Your mother passed too early, and your muddled father was bewitched by the stepmother—you naturally know little about this.”
“I’d like to hear the details!” This was a field Young Master Mo had never touched, and he said with great desire for knowledge.
“First of all, even if it’s a stepmother, she’s still the mistress of the house. Morning and evening greetings are unavoidable. Her position is a natural advantage. A mother-in-law tormenting her daughter-in-law is taken as a matter of course—as long as the daughter-in-law resists, it’s unfilial and she’ll be gossiped about behind her back.
Also, the means of rivalry in the inner residence are endless. The womenfolk in those officials’ families in the capital grow up amidst all sorts of conspiracies and tricks. Your stepmother is a master at it—able to bewitch your father for so many years, ignoring you, her promising son, and treating that good-for-nothing like a treasure. Do you think she could be simple?”
