99: Chapter 99 Lin Qingwan Rescues Her

The atmosphere in the East Courtyard was tense and strained.

Yao Yao gripped her bone whip and glared at Cao Ying, while Cao Ying, clinging to Hun Feng's arm, met the four gazes—some angry, some cold—with a beaming smile, showing absolutely no intention of backing down.

Hun Feng stood between them, with his four wives who had just returned from the Heavenly Tomb on his left, and his pregnant new flame on his right; for the first time in his life, he felt he didn't have enough words to defend himself.

Just as Yao Yao took a deep breath, preparing to continue her lecture, a very light sound of footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.

Yao Ling supported Lin Qingwan as they stepped into the courtyard, and Lin Qingwan was holding the hand of Hun Muxiao, who had just woken up from her afternoon nap.

The little girl rubbed her eyes, called out "Mother" in a daze, and ran toward Medusa.

Medusa bent down to pick her up, the icy expression on her face melting slightly the moment her daughter threw herself into her arms.

"Mother." "Mother." "Madam." Medusa, Yao Yao, Gu Xun'er, and Xiao Yi Xian almost simultaneously dropped their previous postures and bowed respectfully toward Lin Qingwan.

Yao Yao hid her bone whip behind her back, Gu Xun'er lowered her arms from across her chest, and even Xiao Yi Xian straightened up from the corridor pillar.

No matter how unhappy they were, they dared not lose their manners in front of their mother-in-law.

Hun Feng also hurriedly stepped forward: "Mother, why are you here—"

Lin Qingwan stood at the courtyard entrance, her gaze sweeping from the bone whip in Yao Yao's hand to the hand Cao Ying had tucked into Hun Feng's arm, and then across Hun Feng's face, which was written all over with guilt.

She had lived half a lifetime; what kind of scene hadn't she seen?

With just this one glance, she understood everything.

She first glared at Hun Feng, her gaze as sharp as a knife, causing Hun Feng to instinctively take half a step back.

Then she walked into the courtyard, her tone neither light nor heavy, yet clear enough for everyone present to hear: "Feng'er, come here."

Hun Feng braced himself and walked over to her.

Lin Qingwan looked him up and down, then suddenly raised her hand and gave him a heavy slap on the shoulder—the force was not light, and it left Hun Feng stunned for a moment.

"You've certainly grown capable—your four wives have only been gone for half a year, and you've already added someone new to the house. Yun Yun is still living in the side courtyard, yet Cao Ying has moved into the main hall first. Do you think the East Courtyard is too big, and that it would seem lonely without adding a few more people?"

"Mother, this is a long story—"

"If it's a long story, then make it short." Lin Qingwan glared at him, her gaze sweeping over the faint lipstick mark on his collar, her tone full of disappointment and disdain, "Indulging in women, promiscuous—your father wasn't as troublesome as you back in his day. He only had to deal with marrying me and it was already enough of a headache, but you—you've married a whole courtyard full, and you're still picking more up. Do you want to move all the beauties of the Central Plains back to the Soul Realm?"

Hun Feng opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't dare to utter a single word in his defense.

Yao Yao snorted from the side and muttered under her breath, "Mother is right."

After scolding her son, Lin Qingwan turned around and let her gaze slowly sweep across the faces of the four daughters-in-law who had just returned from the Heavenly Tomb.

Yao Yao's hand gripping the bone whip was slightly red; Medusa still maintained the air of the primary wife, though the chill in the corner of her eyes had not yet dissipated; Gu Xun'er's brows had relaxed, but the curve of her mouth looked forced no matter how one looked at it; and Xiao Yi Xian was as quiet as ever.

She sighed softly, her tone softening a little: "The four of you have been cultivating in the Heavenly Tomb for three years, and returning to find someone new in the house—I can understand that you are unhappy. Feng'er may be a scoundrel, but Cao Ying has already entered the house of the Soul Clan; that is a fact. As one family, you must live in harmony."

Upon hearing the words "one family," Cao Ying's eyes reddened slightly, but she quickly blinked to suppress the tears.

She released Hun Feng's arm, stepped forward, and bowed slightly, her voice sweet and soft, her posture extremely humble: "This must be Mother, right? Cao Ying pays her respects to Mother. Mother's words just now truly touched Ying'er's heart. Ying'er knows she arrived late and does not have the deep bond with Husband that the four elder sisters do, so she should not ask for anything. But now that she carries Husband's flesh and blood, Ying'er thought—it is only right to come and kowtow to Mother, so as to formally enter the house of the Soul Clan. If the four elder sisters feel that Ying'er has done something improper, Ying'er will change it; I only ask that the sisters do not hold a grudge against Husband because of me."

As she spoke, she moved half a step closer, actively supporting Lin Qingwan's arm, her voice carrying a touch of perfectly timed timidity: "Mother, please do not blame Husband; it is all Ying'er's fault. Husband has taken such meticulous care of Ying'er these days, and Ying'er is so grateful that she thought to give herself to him. Had I known the four elder sisters were returning today, Ying'er would certainly not have been so presumptuous."

These words were impeccable—she had admitted her fault while expressing her loyalty; she had elevated the status of the four primary wives while emphasizing the fact that she was carrying the flesh and blood of the Soul Clan. Especially that last sentence, "would not have been so presumptuous," paired with her slightly reddened eyes and pitiful expression, she looked exactly like a young wife who had been wronged but dared not speak up.

Yao Yao listened from the side, her peach-blossom eyes almost rolling to the back of her head. If not for Lin Qingwan's presence, she would have really wanted to lash out with her whip.

Lin Qingwan, however, nodded repeatedly, reached out to pat the back of Cao Ying's hand, her tone full of concern: "Good child, don't be afraid. Since that scoundrel Feng'er has taken you, the Soul Clan will not mistreat you. You are now with child, you mustn't let yourself be wronged." She turned her head and beckoned to Hun Qian at the courtyard gate, "Quick, go take that box of thousand-year blood ginseng from the storeroom and send it to Cao Ying's room. Also, for the fetal-protection medicinal meals, have them stewed every day starting from today, and use the best medicinal herbs. Cao Ying's living standards are to be set according to the standard of a primary wife."

Hun Qian agreed to everything one by one, then turned and walked quickly to carry it out.

Yao Yao watched this scene from the side, the jealousy in her peach-blossom eyes almost overflowing. She bit her lower lip and turned her head away, her bone whip spinning rapidly around her wrist. Medusa's fingers holding the teacup tightened slightly; she maintained her calm and cold demeanor on the surface, but the ice in those purple eyes had thickened by another layer. Gu Xun'er lowered her eyelashes, a very faint curve hanging at the corner of her lips, and she dignifiedly said nothing more. Xiao Yi Xian had not spoken from beginning to end, only quietly withdrawing the slowly swirling poisonous mist within her sleeve.

After giving instructions to the servants, Lin Qingwan raised her head and let her gaze slowly sweep across the faces of her four daughters-in-law. She could certainly see that they were unhappy, but she could not let this family fall apart. Her tone suddenly became teasing, and her gaze swept across each of their lower abdomens: "Also, you few, you've been married to Feng'er for so long, it's time for your bellies to show some results. Mu Xiao is already eight years old; it's time to add a few younger brothers or sisters. Whichever of you has good news, Mother will personally stew fetal-protection soup for you."

Yao Yao's face flushed red instantly, and she looked down at her flat stomach, her fingers subconsciously gripping the corner of her clothes tightly. Medusa's hand holding the teacup paused in mid-air, a rare trace of embarrassment appearing. Gu Xun'er covered her mouth with her sleeve, the roots of her ears tinged with a very faint pink. Xiao Yi Xian turned her face to one side, her white hair covering most of her face, making her expression unclear.

Hun Feng leaned against the corridor pillar, watching this scene, a very faint smile floating on the corner of his lips. This East Courtyard, I fear, will only become more and more lively in the future.