Chapter 202: Greetings
Lin Shangshu Mansion
The next morning, sunlight shone through the carved window lattice into Lin Yuxi's boudoir. Lin Yuxi got up early, and after finishing her makeup, she went to her mother's yard to pay her respects.
Along the way, the servants in the mansion looked at Lin Yuxi with something strange in their eyes.
The maid Xiao Cui followed behind Lin Yuxi and couldn't help but whispered, "Miss, why are the people in this mansion acting so strange today?"
Lin Yuxi was clear-headed and knew that they must be discussing what happened at the flower viewing banquet yesterday, but her expression remained calm, "Ignore them and just do your job well."
As soon as I walked into Lin's mother's yard, I heard a burst of discussion.
"Sister-in-law, what do you think will happen to Yuxi in the future? Her reputation is ruined after Ye Jin touched her breasts and kissed her." The speaker was Minister Lin's second brother's wife, Liu, who had always been a gossipmonger.
"Second brother's wife, don't say that. Our Xier is also a victim." Mother Lin said with a frown.
"Hmph, victim? Even though Ye Jin is just a minor official, now that this has happened, if he doesn't marry Yuxi, who else can Yuxi marry in the future?" Liu curled her lips.
"Enough! Second brother and sister-in-law! Xier will be here soon, and you are still talking nonsense here." Mother Lin's face darkened and she scolded.
When Lin Yuxi heard these words outside the door, she felt warm in her heart. This mother is pretty good.
She coughed lightly and walked into the house, "My daughter greets mother and second aunt!"
Everyone's eyes instantly fell on her.
Mother Lin quickly took Lin Yuxi's hand and asked her to sit next to her, "Xi'er, did you sleep well yesterday? Don't worry about what happened yesterday, I'll take care of everything!"
Lin Yuxi smiled slightly, "Mother, my daughter is fine."
Liu looked Lin Yuxi up and down and said in a gloomy tone, "Yuxi, although Ye Jin holds a lowly official position, he is still handsome. Since he is willing to marry you, just agree to it. This is fate between you two, right?"
Lin Yuxi was angry in her heart, but she still had a smile on her face, "Second Aunt, you are wrong. No matter how poor I am, I am still the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Personnel. No matter what, it is not Ye Jin's turn to marry me!"
"Oh, you are the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Personnel? You are quite stubborn. You fell into the water... This matter has spread throughout the capital. Now, except for her, Ye Jin, who would not feel uncomfortable marrying you? How can you get married in the future? How can you gain a foothold in your husband's family?" Liu said sarcastically.
Lin Yuxi sneered, stared at Liu with a sharp gaze, and said sternly:
"What you said is really strange! My falling into the water was just an accident, and my body has never been damaged."
“Besides, even if it spread all over the capital as Second Aunt said, so what?
I, Lin Yuxi, am upright and honest, so why should I be afraid of those rumors!
I wonder why Second Aunt is belittling me like this?
Could it be that he is jealous that my father is an official in the court and holds a high position, while my second uncle is doing nothing at home?
Or are you jealous of me, Lin Yuxi, finding a husband of my dreams and marrying off in style?"
Liu's face turned pale and blue after hearing Lin Yuxi's words. She opened her mouth but didn't know how to refute.
Lin Yuxi took advantage of the victory and continued, "Second Aunt, you should worry about your own affairs first, and don't waste your time worrying about me."
"My marriage, Lin Yuxi, will be arranged by God. You don't need to take so much trouble to 'think' for me, or you will end up with a thankless end!"
Mother Lin quickly tried to smooth things over, "Alright, alright, stop arguing! I will take care of Yuxi's affairs."
At this time, Wang, the concubine of Minister Lin, also came over and said, "Madam, I think what the Second Madam said makes sense. This woman's reputation is the most important. Now that the eldest daughter has encountered such a thing, why not just go with the flow and marry Ye Jin."
Lin Yuxi glared at Wang, "Auntie Wang, you are just a concubine, how dare you talk nonsense about my marriage!"
Wang was frightened by Lin Yuxi's momentum, shrank her neck, and dared not speak again.
Lin Yuxi's half-sister Lin Yurou saw her aunt being bullied and stepped out unwillingly.
She said sarcastically: "Sister is indeed of noble status, but isn't what my aunt said true?
Now that this matter has spread all over the city, my sister's reputation has been almost ruined. I'm afraid that there are very few people willing to come and propose to her at this time!
Auntie was just concerned about my sister's reputation and couldn't help but say a few words on behalf of the village. Don't you think my sister's harsh words are too much?"
Lin Yuxi glanced at Lin Yurou, a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes: "Sister, what you said, should I marry a lowly official whose background I don't know for the sake of reputation? Since sister thinks Ye Jin's conditions are okay and she can marry him, can it be understood that sister... likes this Ye Jin?"
Lin Yurou was shocked by her words, "You...you are talking nonsense!"
Lin Yurou's face turned red with anger. This damn Lin Yuxi actually dared to slander her. Who would have set his eyes on that insignificant official? That kind of character didn't even make her want to even look at him!
Not to mention that she was attracted to him, Lin Yuxi just wanted to disgust her!
"Why, did I hit the nail on the head?" Lin Yuxi pressed on, "Your face is so red, it looks like... you're shy!"
"If you really like him, I can ask my mother to help you propose marriage. I believe that Lord Ye will appreciate your friendship and will definitely treat you like a treasure!"
“You!” Lin Yurou was so angry that her face turned red and she was speechless for a long time. Ahhhh, “Lin Yuxi! I’m going to rip your mouth off! I’ll stop you from talking nonsense!”
Seeing that the two were getting more and more outrageous, Lin's mother scolded them lightly, "Alright, stop arguing. Yuxi has just been through something like this. It's fine if you don't want to comfort her, but you're all looking for trouble here. Do you consider yourselves members of the Lin family?"
Seeing that her sister-in-law was angry, Liu quickly put away her thoughts and tried to smooth things over: "Sister-in-law, don't be angry. Aren't we just worried that Yuxi doesn't understand the seriousness of the matter and makes a wrong judgment? In general, we are all thinking about Yuxi."
Lin Yuxi took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Mother, I know everyone cares about me, but this marriage is a big deal and it affects my lifelong happiness. I don't want to compromise. I will never marry Ye Jin."
Mother Lin patted Lin Yuxi's hand and nodded, "Xi'er, mother understands your thoughts, but the rumors outside..."
"Mother, if you are upright, you have nothing to fear from your own shadow. My daughter is upright and I have no fear for what others say about her," Lin Yuxi said firmly.