Luoyang Brocade

Ling Xiao nodded and said aloud: "Ah Shu, you want to hide the news about our going to the Capital, do you want to let biǎogē (1) Hong know?"

The most important thing was to keep the news from Lu Qian.

Ling Jingshu hummed perfunctorily.

Ling Xiao thought that Ling Jingshu was in a bad mood about this matter. He smiled and comforted: "You are not interested in our biǎogē, and it is also reasonable to alienate him. So as to not entangle each other and cause gossip. You don't have to worry about your marriage. We can talk about it in the next year or two."

Carrying the hatred of past lives, nowadays she suffered from a strange disease that made it impossible for her to be near men. She will probably never marry again in this life...

Ling Jingshu laughed at herself; there was not much regret in her heart.

Having a brand new life and a chance to start over was already a pity from the heavens, and this "flaw" that came with it was not worth mentioning.

After arriving in the capital, it was good to have a chance to cure this strange disease. It didn't matter if it was cured or not.

However, this matter has to be kept away from Ling Xiao, or he will worry about her.

Ling Jingshu carefully sneaked a bit: "After a few days, bóbo (2) will return to the Capital, and we both have to start packing. Let Jingyu and a few of others quietly pack their bags, don't alarm others."

"This time when we go to the capital, we don't know how long we will have to live there. So pack clothes for the whole year. Also, bring the books you want to read every day."

Ling Xiao obediently agreed.

......

In the next few days, Bai Yu and other maidservants began to quietly pack up the luggage.

Ling Jingshu sternly ordered that this matter should not spread and in order to strictly keep secrets, even the number of times maids entered and left the Qiushui Pavilion was strictly controlled.

Ling Xiao lived in Yonghe Hall, where there were always many people and a lot of noise. Fortunately, strict orders from Old Lady Ling, plus Ling Xiao's blindness and lack of social interaction meant that no one paid much attention to the fact that his seasonal clothes had been packed away and his usual books had been collected.

Fifth Master Ling went down to find Master Ling, and Old Lady Ling secretly called her eldest daughter-in-law Sun to speak privately. Ling Jingshu didn't know what was said specifically but found Madam Sun’s gaze was a little more sympathetic.

That was the pitiful look given by those who felt they were superior to the weak.

As long as she can reach the goal of leaving Dingzhou and going to Luoyang, her self-esteem and face did not matter. What's more, she will be staying with them in the capital with her brother, and it is not a bad thing for her bómǔ (3) to feel a little sympathy for their siblings.

As for Lu Qian, he thought that she was still "considering", and he was afraid that it would be too soon to provoke her and have her resent him. He did not come to harass her in these few days.

As for Lu Qian, he thought she was still "considering", and he didn't come to harass her for the past few days because he was afraid that the pressure would be too urgent and offend her.

The old lady Ling, who has always been careful about budgeting, was so rare and generous this time that she secretly prepared five thousand taels of silver notes for Ling Jingshu: "...Sister Shu, you and Ah Xiao will leave with your bóbo and others tomorrow. In the capital, you should bring some silver with you. These banknotes belong to the Longsheng Bank, and you can exchange them at any time when you arrive in Luoyang. Each piece is five hundred taels, and there are ten pieces in total. You keep them all. When you go to the capital, look for a famous doctor, as long as they can cure Ah Xiao's illness, no matter how much money you have to spend, don't hesitate. If this money is not enough, you can borrow it from your bómǔ. Or ask someone to send a letter back, and I will order someone to send the money to you."

Five thousand silver was really not a small amount. When her daughter was married, the dowry was only about 5,000.

However, in her previous life when Master Ling was imprisoned, in order to save people, the Old Lady sold more than half of the family's wealth and spent tens of thousands of gold and silver. These five thousand silvers were not too much for the Ling family.

Ling Jingshu received the silver ticket without any guilt, and her face showed a grateful look: "Thank you, grandmother. These five thousand silver, I am afraid these are my grandmother’s private money, and she has given all to Ah Xiao and me. Oh, I really don't know what to say..."

All the property of the Ling family was strictly controlled by Old Lady Ling, not to mention these five thousand, it was not impossible to bring out ten times the money that was given to Ling Jingshu. This point was something she knew and so she spoke in a very sentimental way.

After hearing this, Old Lady Ling felt relieved. She was still a little heartbroken at first, but now she didn't feel bad anymore. After thinking about it, she said: "You go to the capital, and you will have to go out with Sister Yan as a guest. Don't worry too much, you should make new clothes. I still have two sets of red gold head jewelry that are suitable for you to wear, and I will let Mo Kui pack them up and send them to Qiushui Pavilion later."

This is the side benefit of being good-looking.

When it comes to lack of money, the two sets of red gold jewelry can be sold for cash, which was also a big number!

Ling Jingshu's eyes teared up, cuddling at the side of the Old Lady, she choked and said: "I lost my mother when I was a child. After my father married again, he paid little attention to me. Fortunately, my grandmother pities me. The fact that I am your granddaughter, it must be the blessing that I have cultivated in a few lifetimes."

She felt like throwing up after saying this.

The old lady Ling was very useful, and she gave generously: "You girl, the grandmother is also sad. I have a box of high-quality South Sea pearls, and I also gave it to you."

These South China Sea pearls were obviously worth more than the two sets of red gold heads.

Ling Jingshu crouched in the arms of Mrs. Ling, and cried in a hurry: "Grandma, it’s great how you treat me, and this granddaughter must honor you twice in the future..."

"You also prepare some gold and cash yourself." The Old Lady sighed reluctantly.

Don't cry anymore, even if you cry, your grandmother can't find any more money.

Ling Jingshu was quite satisfied with being able to "pick out" so much money from old lady Ling. Immediately wiped away tears, and "sincerely" thanked her.

Then she went to the study room of Fifth Master Ling.

The old lady Ling had "bled" so much, she must now let her biological father "show" some "fatherly love" too!

......

"Father, Ah Xiao and I will leave Dingzhou tomorrow. I am going to Luoyang to visit a famous doctor. I don't know when I can come back. I can't be filial at my father's side and I am feeling really ashamed about it. Before leaving, I came to say goodbye to my father."

Ling Jing’s eyes were watery, and she knelt down while speaking and kowtowed three times respectfully.

Fifth Master Ling did not have a heart of stone, he sighed with some remorse: "Ah Xiao is sick, it should have been his father who took him to Luoyang. But now a daughter who has not even left the boudoir is traveling so far to cure her brother. If someone should feel ashamed it is this father."

Of course, Fifth Master Ling was only remorseful when talking about it. It is impossible for him to give up the leisurely life of eating, drinking, and partying to take his sick child on a long-distance journey.

Ling Jingshu couldn't be more clear about Fifth Master Ling's ruthless temperament, so she couldn't help but sneer secretly in her heart, but she responded: "My father's parents are here, so, of course, he can't travel far away. The old and the young in the Ling family rely on my father and fourth bóbo to stay at home to support them. How can you leave so easily? A Xiao and I are twin siblings of the same mother, so it is only natural to accompany him to the capital. Father, don’t worry about it.”

The lame Fourth Master Ling worked hard to manage all the Ling Family's shops and other properties. Of course, he was indispensable at home.

As for Fifth Master Ling, he did not bother about these trivial matters. He was busy with poetry and daily entertainment for drinking and making great contributions to the prosperity of Dingzhou City's brothels, restaurants, pleasure boats, wine cellar, and other industries. (4)

Fifth Master Ling had not yet cultivated to the point of shamelessness. So, when Ling Jingshu said this, his face was a little hot. Coughing he said: "In short, if you go to Luoyang with your brother, you will have to work hard and spend time and energy. If Ah Xiao can see the world again, it will be your great contribution."

"I only hope that Ah Xiao can cure his eyes, read and study like a young boy, and make friends with the boys of his age. In the future, he will have a wife and a son to live in peace."

Ling Jingshu's voice was soft but firm.

Fifth Master Ling was moved and forgot what he was going to say, he continued listening to what Ling Jingshu was saying: "This is going to the Capital, and there I have to ask for medicine for Ah Xiao. Even if there is the hope of a cure, I won't give up. So I will probably have to meet a lot of people in the capital. It must cost a lot to stay for a long time. Just now in Yonghe Hall, my grandmother has given me some silver for my expenses there. If it is not enough, I will sell some jewelry and always support it. My father does not have to worry."