When Feng Jin arrived, the two little ones had just woken up, and Nanny Lin was attending to them.
"Mama..."
"Hug...hug..."
The two children could now speak a little more fluently. Seeing Feng Jin, they excitedly called out.
"Old servant greets young madam." Nanny Lin, seeing Feng Jin enter, put down what she was holding and busied herself to curtsy.
"Nanny, please rise. There's no need for such formalities. From now on, you don't need to bow when you see me."
Nanny Lin was a person who adhered strictly to etiquette. Every time she saw Feng Jin, her courtesies were exceptionally complete, involving either kneeling or bowing.
Seeing someone her age kneeling and bowing to her made Feng Jin feel quite embarrassed. She stepped forward and very politely extended her hand to help Nanny Lin up.
"Young madam is your mistress, and this old servant is a subordinate. There is a distinction between master and servant; we cannot disrupt the hierarchy."
Nanny Lin said respectfully. She had served the Ling family for decades and understood the matters of master-servant hierarchy deeply, never allowing herself to disrupt it.
The hierarchy was so deeply ingrained in Nanny Lin's mind, down to her bones, that Feng Jin didn't want to expend the effort to instill new ideas in her, guessing that talking too much would be futile.
"Nanny Lin, after you've dressed the children, please bring them with me to pay our respects to Grandfather."
"Yes, young madam. This old servant will attend to the young masters immediately."
Upon hearing that they were going to pay their respects to Old Master Ling, Nanny Lin's face lit up with joy. After all, she had served Old Master Ling her entire life, and her heart inevitably leaned towards him.
Nanny Lin quickly dressed and washed the two children. The group sat in the main hall, waiting for Ling Mo Han to come out so they could go together.
"Dada..."
"Dada"
Da Bao and Er Bao hadn't seen Ling Mo Han for a while. The moment they saw Ling Mo Han, the two little ones were so excited they nearly ran over.
Ling Mo Han also played along, picking up Da Bao and Er Bao. It was a rare, heartwarming scene for the three of them.
As they had already delayed a considerable amount of time, Feng Jin reminded them that it was time to leave.
If they lingered any longer, Old Master Ling would likely storm up himself, demanding an explanation for why the children weren't brought to him.
When they arrived, Old Master Ling was leisurely lounging on a reclining chair, soaking up the sun.
Upon seeing Da Bao and Er Bao, his face immediately broke into a smile. He trotted over, scooped up Da Bao and Er Bao, completely ignoring Ling Mo Han beside him, as if he hadn't seen him, not even sparing him a glance.
This was the first time Ling Mo Han had received such treatment from Old Master Ling. His handsome face instantly darkened.
"Hurry up and go!" Feng Jin nudged Ling Mo Han with her elbow, signaling him to go and speak with Old Master Ling.
Anyone with eyes could see that Old Master Ling was deliberately throwing a tantrum, likely still displeased that Ling Mo Han had returned to the capital and hadn't paid his respects to him in a timely manner.
He wanted Ling Mo Han to humble himself and admit his fault before this matter would be resolved.
Understanding Feng Jin's intention, Ling Mo Han stepped forward and stood before Old Master Ling, cupping his hands in a respectful salute. "Your grandson greets Grandfather."
As his words fell, Old Master Ling did not reply, continuing to play with the children.
Seeing this, Feng Jin stepped forward and pushed Ling Mo Han to the ground.
Caught off guard, Ling Mo Han fell to his knees with a thud.
"Hurry up and speak..." Feng Jin whispered into Ling Mo Han's ear in a voice only they could hear.
"Upon my return to the capital, your grandson failed to pay my respects to Grandfather in a timely manner. I beg Grandfather for forgiveness; your grandson knows he was wrong."
Hearing this, Old Master Ling's expression softened slightly. He raised his eyes to look at Ling Mo Han and reprimanded him, "I thought you had already cast this old man out of your mind. It's such a relief that you still remember my existence and can find time to see me. It truly isn't easy!"
Even though he knew Ling Mo Han was busy with official duties and hadn't been able to visit him, he still felt disgruntled.
The child he had raised since he was young had grown up and forgotten him. Anyone would feel unhappy in such a situation.
Old Master Ling let out a cold snort, his gaze towards Ling Mo Han filled with anger.
"Grandfather, your grandson knows he was wrong. Please punish your grandson."
Seeing Ling Mo Han's sincere attitude in admitting his mistake, much of the anger that had been building in Old Master Ling's heart dissipated. He snorted and said, "Alright, you may rise. You're a father now; it's not good for you to be kneeling here when the servants might see."
"Thank you, Grandfather."
As Ling Mo Han stood up, his knees suddenly ached. Feng Jin had used considerable force when she pushed him; his knees were likely to be bruised.
"Tell me, what have you been busy with these past few days that you haven't returned home?" Old Master Ling asked in a grave tone. He knew Ling Mo Han better than anyone, having raised him. Ling Mo Han's absence from home for so long must have been due to a particularly difficult matter, otherwise, he wouldn't have behaved this way.
"Grandfather..." Ling Mo Han called out hesitantly, unsure whether he should speak.
"Grandfather, your granddaughter-in-law just remembered there are some matters on the accounts that need to be handled. Your granddaughter-in-law will take her leave now."
Feng Jin could vaguely guess that the discussion between them would involve state affairs. Knowing too much about such matters often led to a swift demise. She didn't want to die prematurely and so found an excuse to leave, but fate seemed to have other plans.
"No need to find an excuse to leave. You will eventually need to know about these matters." Old Master Ling pierced through Feng Jin's little ruse with a single sentence, denying her the opportunity to leave. He wanted Feng Jin to stay because the management of the Ling family, large and small, would eventually fall into Ling Mo Han's hands. As the principal wife, Feng Jin could not merely stay in the inner chambers and handle minor affairs. She also needed to understand matters of the court to better assist Ling Mo Han.
"Yes, Grandfather..." Feng Jin replied reluctantly, not entirely willing. She sat down beside Ling Mo Han, thinking that if she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have come today and should have let Ling Mo Han bring the children alone.
"Speak, what have you been doing these past two days?" Old Master Ling asked directly, awaiting Ling Mo Han's answer.
"Grandfather, your grandson... your grandson..." This was the first time Ling Mo Han had replied so hesitantly. He was troubled by this matter and truly didn't know how to articulate it. He was also worried about how his grandfather would react upon learning of it, and for a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
"The men of my Ling family act with integrity and openness. Whatever you have to say, just speak it plainly. What is this hesitancy? It is unbecoming." Old Master Ling's tone carried a hint of anger.