With such good genes, it would be a waste not to have a daughter.
Feng Jin was stunned by the sudden remark. She never expected to be urged to marry by Ling Wan, a girl who was not yet wed. It felt strangely peculiar.
"Eldest sister-in-law, why aren't you speaking? Did I say something wrong just now?"
Ling Wan asked with confusion, carefully replaying her words. She couldn't find anything amiss. Why had her eldest sister-in-law suddenly stopped talking to her?
"Cough… cough…" Feng Jin cleared her throat, masking her embarrassment, and began to explain, "No, it's just that your abrupt question caught me off guard. I almost didn't know how to respond."
For a young lady to ask her about such matters, even with thick skin, it was difficult to bring up.
"Eldest sister-in-law, I just suddenly thought of it and asked. Please don't be angry."
"It's alright, I'm not angry. However, having these two troublesome little ones is enough. I don't wish to add another troublesome child for now."
She didn't want to experience the pain of childbirth again. It was truly an unpleasant feeling, and going through it once was enough to remember for a lifetime.
"Oh, right, eldest sister-in-law. Isn't today the day Mu Zhu finishes his exam? Shall we go pick him up?"
Ling Wan's reminder jolted Feng Jin. With so much happening these past few days, she had almost forgotten.
Feng Jin placed down her teacup. "Look at my memory, I almost forgot about Mu Zhu. There's still enough time to go pick him up. Let's go together."
If they didn't go to pick up Ling Mu Zhu soon, he might end up returning alone and dejected.
After preparing the carriage, Feng Jin and Ling Wan headed directly to the imperial examination hall. The street outside was packed with people, so they had no choice but to leave the carriage outside and proceed on foot.
"There are so many people here, eldest sister-in-law. Are there more people waiting for the examinees than there are examinees themselves?"
Ling Wan marveled at the crowded scene, wondering why there were so many people.
"This is still considered sparse. The crowd will be much larger on the day the results are posted."
The largest gathering would be on the day of the results announcement, not only with examinees but also with many individuals seeking connections.
They all wished to associate themselves with the new scholars and, by doing so, ascend to prominence.
Feng Jin and Ling Wan waited for a while outside. The gate of the examination hall finally opened. Feng Jin spotted Ling Mu Zhu at a glance and waved to him.
"Eldest sister-in-law, you're here too? Second sister, you're here too." Ling Mu Zhu had dark circles under his eyes and looked visibly exhausted.
"Why do you look so tired? Did you not rest well?"
"There's no place to sleep inside the examination hall, so how could I rest well? Fortunately, the exam is over, and I can finally get some proper rest."
The place was so cramped that he couldn't even stretch his legs, let alone sleep. Even eating was uncomfortable.
Once he got home, he would sleep for three days and three nights to catch up on all the sleep he had missed.
"I noticed Mu Zhu seems to have lost some weight these past few days. Did you eat all the food we brought? What would you like to eat when we get home? I'll cook it for you."
Ling Wan was also very caring, staying close to Ling Mu Zhu, constantly asking about his well-being, afraid of overlooking anything.
Overwhelmed by their questions, he became flustered and didn't know who to answer first.
"Eldest sister-in-law, second sister, I'm fine. I'm perfectly alright. Let's go home first. We can talk about everything once we're back."
"Young Master, aren't we going to speak with Madam Ling?"
"No need. Since we didn't meet, let's pretend we didn't see each other. Let's return to the manor first. Father and Mother are waiting at home."
Sheng Xu Bai withdrew his gaze and turned to board the carriage behind him. As he passed the Ling family's carriage, he couldn't help but lift the curtain and peek outside.
Feng Jin vaguely sensed a gaze fixed on her from behind. Given the number of people present, she didn't pay much attention and quickly boarded the carriage.
"Eldest sister-in-law, that carriage just now seemed like…"
"I saw it. Don't worry too much about it."
Ling Wan nodded slowly. "I understand, eldest sister-in-law."
"Eldest sister-in-law, what were you two talking about?"
Ling Mu Zhu noticed they seemed to be hiding something and leaned in to inquire.
"It's nothing. You're a child, stop prying into things. Especially as a man, should you be discussing gossip like market women?"
Feng Jin's words silenced Ling Mu Zhu, who dared not speak further.
Ling Wan covered her mouth and chuckled. Indeed, only her eldest sister-in-law could manage Ling Mu Zhu. With just a few words, she had made the boy quiet.
While the two were not paying attention, Ling Wan lifted the carriage curtain and searched for the Sheng family's carriage. After looking around fruitlessly, she withdrew her gaze with some disappointment.
Perhaps they were destined to be apart. Though they were not far from each other, it was difficult to even catch a glimpse.
Upon arriving at the Ling manor, as they alighted from the carriage, Old Master Ling rushed to the entrance. "Mu Zhu… is he back?"
"Your grandson greets you, Grandfather."
"Good, good, good… quickly get up. Let's go inside. We can talk inside."
Old Master Ling quickly helped Ling Mu Zhu up, took his hand, and led him indoors. "You must have been cooped up in that dreadful place, the examination hall, for these past few days. You surely didn't eat properly. Grandfather has already had the cooks prepare your favorite dishes. You must eat plenty."
The table in the hall was laden with a feast. Old Master Ling hastily seated Ling Mu Zhu and urged him to eat more.
"This sweet and sour fish was caught this morning. It's very fresh, so eat more. This dish is called… called…"
The words on the tip of his tongue eluded him, no matter how long Old Master Ling thought.
"Old Master, this is called 'Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate,' symbolizing soaring to great heights."
Butler Wu, standing beside him, was indeed Old Master Ling's trusted confidant. He immediately guessed Old Master Ling's intention and spoke up.
"Yes… yes, it's 'Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate.' See my memory, I'm not as good as this old fellow. Mu Zhu, hurry and eat more."
Ling Mu Zhu was spun around by the instructions, his chopsticks wavering. He didn't know where to start, so he simply took a chopstickful from each dish, figuring it was always good to try everything.
"Ling Wan, sit down and eat quickly. It will get cold if you wait." Feng Jin was also hungry now. She picked up her chopsticks and was about to start eating, not forgetting to call out to Ling Wan, who was standing by.
"No… no, eldest sister-in-law. I should go back first."
"What time is it? You must eat before you go back."
"I… I…" Ling Wan stammered, her eyes darting away.