Chapter 14: The Confrontation

Wang Yanwan had actually always known that her children often bullied Lin Pianran, even robbing her and seizing many benefits as if they were thieves. Since her own children were not at a disadvantage, she naturally turned a blind eye, thinking it was no big deal. She pretended to be deaf and dumb, choosing ignorance and refusing to intervene further.

To put it nicely, the children were “borrowing” things from Lin Pianran; to say it harshly, it was outright plunder. The term “borrowing” was merely a veneer to cover up their thievery.

Now that the matter had escalated, she realized that what she had understood was just the tip of the iceberg. Seeing the densely coded entries in the ledger made her dizzy. Her heart was a stormy sea, utterly shocked.

The prices for each item in the ledger were clearly visible. She had always known Lin Pianran was good at making money and running her business well, but she never imagined she possessed so much silver and had acquired so many fine things. It was both enviable and infuriating. So unfair!

She roughly calculated that just the jewelry alone was worth at least over ten thousand taels of silver, not to mention the other items, whose value was astonishing.

Zhao Xuerou, both angry and ashamed, glanced at her two daughters and gently chided, “You two are so thoughtless—borrowing your sister’s things and not returning them promptly. Now you even force your sister to demand them back, causing such an ugly scene. How can a family’s feelings not be hurt?”

“Return everything you have on you immediately! And don’t ever do such disgraceful things again! It will ruin your reputations.”

Lin Chuyan and Lin Chuyao were extremely unwilling. Since the items were already in their hands, obtained through deceit and theft, why would they easily give them back? Their eyes shimmered with fierce resentment and some humiliation.

They looked at each other stubbornly, refusing to relent or return the items. After all, as young ladies, having a few exquisite pieces of jewelry was essential for their confidence in public.

Their mother would never spend so much silver on such precious items for them. If they returned them, how could they shine in front of others? How could they proudly flaunt themselves before the noble daughters of other families? How could they keep the admiring gazes of the refined young gentlemen of the capital lingering on them?

Lin Pianran smiled brightly as she looked at Zhao Xuerou and spoke with great reason, “Since the two elder sisters are unwilling to return the items, then compensate me at their value. You may convert everything into silver and pay me—I'm always reasonable.”

“Debts from daughters are repaid by the mother. Ladies, you wouldn’t fail to come up with even that much silver, would you?”

Her words nearly stripped Zhao Xuerou and Wang Yanwan of their pride, throwing them to the ground to be trampled mercilessly and roasting them until they had no face to stand on.

Having been humiliated so badly and rendered powerless today, Zhao Xuerou hated Lin Pianran deeply but kept a calm exterior. Finally, she reluctantly ordered the maids, “Remove all the jewelry from the two young ladies and return it to the Sixth Miss immediately!”

Wang Yanwan was even more forceful, personally taking the jewelry off her two daughters and, with a heavily forced smile, returned them to Lin Pianran.

These two cunning old foxes did not want to convert all into silver to compensate Lin Pianran—that would be a considerable sum. They certainly did not want to give Lin Pianran any advantage. Moreover, even if they put all their silver together, it might not be enough.

In the end, Zhao Xuerou sent the maids to search the rooms of the other young ladies and collected many more pieces of jewelry and ornaments, all returned to Lin Pianran. Still, the total was far from enough.

Zhao Xuerou then handed over six thousand taels in silver notes to Lin Pianran and wrote an IOU for three thousand three hundred taels, settling accounts for her three daughters, including Lin Chuge.

Wang Yanwan gave three thousand taels in silver notes and wrote an IOU for one thousand five hundred taels.

Only then was the matter temporarily settled.

Not only were the IOUs written, but they also spoke soothing words, filling the air with countless conciliatory phrases, smiling so hard their facial muscles ached, fearing Lin Pianran would spread the misdeeds of their daughters.

They spoke until they were dry-mouthed—truly with painstaking care. Yet, deep down, they hated Lin Pianran to their very core.

Lin Pianran guessed their thoughts well enough, knowing these people would never let it go quietly and would keep finding fault in the coming days.

She would just meet their challenges head-on.

When the enemy advances, block them; when the water rises, build a dike; when the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a way.

In the end, who would emerge victorious was still unknown.

Even if the Lin family did not act against her, she would never let them off.

Except for her foster mother, no one in the Lin family was innocent. She would not spare a single one.

She would send them all to the depths of hell.

As for the few prosperous shops the Lin ladies had seized from her, Lin Pianran did not mention them. She planned to return to the capital after the hunt to settle those accounts slowly. Bringing it up now would be pointless since the people were not in the capital—distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.

Only then did Zhao Xuerou remember the purpose of this trip. She asked with a gentle expression, “Have you seen your third brother or seventh sister? Weren’t they with you on the hunt? But they still haven’t returned.”

“In the depths of her heart, Lin Pianran silently replied, ‘They have already met the King of Hell.’”

Outwardly, she remained extraordinarily calm, shaking her head in surprise with a look of confusion, betraying no hint of deceit.

“I was with them at the beginning but haven’t seen them since. I was with Third Sister all along hunting wolves. Today, we even happened to save the Princess and several noble young gentlemen and ladies from the capital. Third Sister knew all along—did she not tell you?”

“Moreover, during this hunt, Second Brother Lin Chuxuan was severely injured—his leg badly wounded, unable to walk. He was carried back by other Imperial Guards. Don’t you know that by now?”

Upon hearing this, Second Madam Wang Yanwan quickly looked to Lin Chuyan for confirmation. “How come you never mentioned such a serious injury to your second brother? Where is he now? I want to see him and take care of him...”

Lin Chuyan then recalled Lin Chuxuan’s injury. Originally, she had intended to bring her mother and second aunt to trouble Lin Pianran and to coax her into letting her join the Princess’s archery contest. Unexpectedly, Lin Pianran revealed the matter first, leaving her to bear the second aunt’s reproach—it was infuriating.

A case of trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice.

Not only did she fail in her goal and lose jewelry, but now she was being scolded by her second aunt. Truly heartbreaking.

Still, she answered seriously to her second aunt’s questions, “Many people got hurt this time. Second Brother was carried off for treatment. I guess he is at the temporary imperial hospital now.”