Chapter 19
In these few days, Ling Jingshu was busy befriending Ling Jingyan and spent much less time with Ling Xiao
Lu Hong, on the other hand, accompanied Ling Xiao every day, patiently instructing and teaching him the scriptures and current literature
Ling Xiao benefited a lot from this, as he didn’t have many opportunities to spend time with teenagers of his own age, so he found it quite refreshing
Lu Hong deliberately coaxed him, and the two soon became familiar with each other
Ling Jingshu sent someone to ask Ling Xiao to come to the Autumn Water Pavilion for lunch, and Ling Xiao naturally opened his mouth and invited the Lu Hong brothers to come with him
It was not expected that Ling Jingshu would be offended by this
Even if she didn’t see anything, she could still hear indifference in Ling Jingshu’s tone of hidden impatienceAh Shu,” Ling Xiao somewhat uneasily tugged on Ling Jingshu’s sleeve and asked in a low voice, “Are you not too happy?”
Ling Jingshu’s expression immediately softened, her tone relaxed and cheerful: “How could I be unhappy when there are so many people eating together, don’t worry about it
The meal is already prepared, we will go over now”
Saying this, he takes Ling Xiao’s hand, and then smilingly holds Ling Jingyan’s hand, “Cousin Yan, let’s go in together”
Lu Hong Lu Qian who was intentionally or unintentionally left out, “” The two brothers glanced at each other, each hiding the gloomy loss in their hearts, and followed as if nothing had happened
The meal was certainly sumptuous
There were no elders present, and there was also less restraint
Ling Jingyan scanned the table and couldn’t help but laugh, “Is today going to be a whole fish feast?”
Most of the dishes on the table are fish, steamed, braised, sweet and sour, boiled soup and all sorts of practices need not be described in detailAh Xiao likes eating fish the most”
Ling Jingshu smiled faintly and explained simply
She then picks up a piece of fish and carefully and patiently removes all the fish spines before placing it in Ling Xiao’s bowl
Ling Xiao has loved eating fish since he was a child
After he became blind, eating fish became a hassle
Ling Jingshu didn’t want to leave it to others, so she had always done the fish picking herself
Ling Xiao’s bowl was almost full before Ling Jingshu stopped and softly said, “Ah Xiao, the fish has already been picked, you can eat without worry”
Ling Xiao gave a joyful hmmm and buried his head and ate
When Ling Jingshu saw Ling Xiao eating happily, her face also rippled with a smile
That light and gentle smile instantly lights up her beautiful face, her eyes flowing, glittering like jewels and flowing with color
Under that kind of heart-stopping radiance, all words seemed pale and powerless
Lu Hong breathed a sigh of relief and gazed at her
That kind of burning, that kind of concentration
It was impossible to ignore
Ling Jingshu turned a blind eye to it and smiled as she served Ling Jingyan dishes, “Cousin Yan, I don’t know if these dishes are to your liking
Don’t just stand there, eat more”
Ling Jingyan fixed her mind and answered with a smile
Such a graceful and beautiful young man was sitting in front of her, but Cousin Shu was not the least bit moved
This power of determination was truly marvelousCousin Shu, you’ve been picking the fish spines for Cousin Xiao and serving Cousin Yan with food, and you haven’t even eaten yourself yet!”
Lu Qian smiled and broke the silence, while enthusiastically pinching vegetables for Ling Jingshu, piling up a bowl in the blink of an eye, “You must not have a good appetite these days, you look thinner
It’s better to eat more”
In the face of such enthusiasm, Ling Jingshu could not keep her face taut, and only had to say thank you
Only then did the silent and weird atmosphere at the dinner table dissolve a littleTomorrow is grandmother’s birthday
What birthday gifts have you prepared?”
Ling Jingyan asked curiously
Ling Jingshu laughed, “It was already prepared
I made a pair of shoes for grandmother, what about you, what have you prepared?”I originally planned to make a dress for grandmother, however, mother said that I am not exquisite in women’s arts, and that grandmother would definitely not be able to look at a good dress
Then I made a scented capsule instead
I put some dried chrysanthemums in it, and it has the effect of calming the mind and calming the heart”
The two sisters were rambling on and on
In the end, Lu Hong was separated by a layer and was not in a position to say anything
Lu Qian has no more scruples, smilingly interjected, “I copied a Buddhist scripture for grandmother”
He also asks Ling Xiao excitedly, “Cousin Xiao, have you prepared a congratulatory gift for grandmother?”
Ling Xiao is a bit embarrassed and whispers, “I originally wanted to prepare a congratulatory gift myself
But I can’t see with my eyes, so there’s no way to copy the sutras ” What a pot calling the kettle black!
Knowing that Ling Xiao is blind and has to be taken care of for his food and clothing, it is simply impossible for him to personally prepare any congratulatory gifts!
Lu Qian secretly chagrined, busy smiling, “Having this filial piety is more important than anything else
Even if nothing is sent, grandmother will not mind”
Ling Xiao reluctantly smiles, but his brows are somewhat unhappyI did come up with an idea”
Lu Hong suddenly laughs, “It doesn’t require too much effort, and it can make grandmother happy”
Ling Xiao’s face lights up and he asks with an expectant face, “What idea has Cousin Hong thought of?”
Lu Hong came to Ling Xiao’s ear and whispered a few words
Ling Xiao nods excitedly as he listens
Ling Jingshu was also aroused with curiosity and wanted to open her mouth to ask
But as soon as she saw Lu Hong’s veined eyes, she felt sick to her stomach and silently swallowed her words
The Ling family in Dingzhou is a prestigious family, the Ling grandfather is a Beijing official, Ling fifth master is Dingzhou city is a well-known celebrities, broad friendships not to mention
Then there is the son-in-law Lu An, who is the governor of Jizhou, who came back from afar, so Mrs Ling’s seventieth birthday banquet was naturally held in a beautiful and lively manner
Early in the morning, Ling Mansion opened its main door to welcome guests
The guests who came to congratulate the birthday and send gifts were like clouds, Ling family’s son and daughter-in-law and grandson and grandson in-laws were all on the line to greet the guests, and they were busy with their own business
Ling Jingshu also had no time to spare
She and her sisters, Ling Jingxian, Ling Jingwan and Ling Jingyan, had to take care of the young girls who came with their elders as guests
Those who were qualified to come to the door as guests were all famous young ladies in Dingzhou City
Most of them were familiar with Ling Jingshu and had to exchange pleasantries when they met
After half a day, Ling Jingshu’s mouth was dry and her throat was almost smoking
Because of his blindness, Ling Xiao was not able to attend to the guests, but was happy to relax
He has been obediently accompanying Old Mrs Ling
The ladies who came to wish Old Mrs Ling a happy birthday, when they spoke to her, they couldn’t help but look at Ling Xiao with regret
This beautiful and intelligent young man was blinded in an accident
He can’t read or write, and has to be taken care of, no different from an invalid
It is really a pity
Ling Xiao is not aware of these strange eyes
Maybe he noticed, but what can he do?
Since he was eight years old, he had lived with such gazes
Over time, one had to get used to it
The guests who were congratulating and sending gifts finally came to an end
Old Mrs Ling was in excellent spirits today, and actually didn’t feel tired, smiling at Ling, she said, “Your father left early, and I’ve been holding on to raise your siblings for so many years, and in the blink of an eye, I’m getting old”
Life at seventy is old, to live to seventy and still be in such good spirits, is indeed a high life expectancy
Ling’s sweet-talking since she was a child, she was used to coaxing Ling’s old lady, and immediately laughed at her words, “Mother, your face is rosy and radiant, you look to be in your fifties at the most, where do you look old”
Old Mrs Ling was coaxed into smiling happily
Ling Xiao, who had been silent all along, suddenly laughed and said, “Grandmother, grandchildren have also prepared birthday gifts for you!”
Old Mrs Ling immediately became interested: “Since you have prepared a gift, why didn’t you send it up with Sister Shu and the others just now?”The gifts prepared by my grandson are different”
Ling Xiao’s smile is clear, like a child who doesn’t understand the world, with an untainted innocence
Old Mrs Ling, who has always cherished Ling Xiao, smiles compassionately and says, “What exactly is the gift?
Being told by you, grandmother’s heart is curious and expectant”
Ling Xiao stood up and cleared his throat, “On grandmother’s birthday, grandchildren specially made a poem to dedicate to grandmother”
It turns out that he made a birthday celebration poem
Old Mrs Ling listened with interestBlessed wine wafts the fragrance of all the guests stopping by, like receiving blessings and longevity immortal spirits
The east building’s verdant ridge is filled with pale pines and cranes, and the sea is wide open for a lifetime of glory
Longevity is reflected in the sun and the moon, than songs and gifts to wish for old age
The Southern Heaven has moved the banyan tree, and the mountain has given the immortal peach into the pavilion”
Ling Xiao recited slowly, his voice clear and melodious
Old Mrs Ling is quite insightful and smiles happily as she listens, nodding her head repeatedly, “Good, good, good!
This poem is really well done!
Today, grandmother has received so many congratulatory gifts, but this is the one that is most fitting”
As soon as Old Mrs Ling speaks, others have to chime in with a few words of praise
Ling Xiao is very happy to have made a comeback
It’s a pity that Ah Shu accompanied a bunch of young girls to enjoy the flowers in the garden and wasn’t here to share his joy
A familiar teenager’s voice rings in his ears, “Cousin Xiao, this birthday celebration poem of yours is really well done”
Ling Xiao grins, “I have to thank cousin Hong for giving me such a good idea”
Lu Hong did not take credit for it, and humbly smiled, “I only mentioned it casually, you made this birthday poem all by yourself, and I didn’t help in any way”
After a pause, he tentatively asked, “Cousin Xiao, did you want to go find cousin Shu just now?
It’s inconvenient for you to walk alone, let me accompany you out to look for her!”
Ling Xiao is stunned and quickly nods his head
Lu Hong pressed down the joy in his heart and slipped out of the inner hall with Ling Xiao when the crowd wasn’t paying attention
Befriending Ling Xiao was indeed the right decision
This was the most convenient way to get close to Ling Jingshu
The best part was that this time, he took advantage of the crowd and left Lu Qian behind as well
Lu Qian was always following him, causing him to be unable to find an opportunity to confess his feelings even when he wanted to
Lu Hong is having a charming thought, Ling Xiao suddenly stops walking and whispers in a volume that only two people can hear, “Cousin Hong, do you like Ah Shu?”
Lu Hong: “”