Chapter 117: The Stepsister

Chapter 117: The Stepsister

"I didn't expect you to develop such a sharp tongue on the mountain! Can even my housekeeper not get a word in edgewise with you?"

Madam Zheng gracefully took her seat at the head of the room, her gaze turning somewhat fierce.

She commanded Nanny Fan, "Bring me a cup of tea."

Nanny Fan immediately went to instruct a maid to brew the tea.

Madam Zheng leisurely turned her gaze towards Lin Yunwan.

Lin Yunwan bowed slightly. Knowing she was expected to pay her respects, Madam Zheng coldly said, "Just call me 'Madam.'” She had no desire to hear her stepdaughter call her mother, finding the very thought displeasing.

"Madam."

Madam Zheng responded indifferently, "Since your father has sent for you to return to the manor, let bygones be bygones regarding past matters."

What matters?

Lin Yunwan frowned slightly, unable to recall any unresolved issues between the original Miss Lin and her stepmother.

Master Lin had left no such message for her!

"Yes."

Knowing nothing, she simply agreed for the moment.

Madam Zheng continued with her instructions, detailing her rules, "…After returning to the manor, don’t wander around aimlessly. This place isn’t like the countryside where you lived without restrictions."

"Also, the courtyards on the east and west sides, though connected to our courtyard by doors, are separate households. Don’t bother our relatives there without reason."

"When the time comes, I will take you to meet the relatives."

How strange!

Her return to the manor was the perfect opportunity to reconnect with family, yet Madam Zheng refrained from introducing her.

This was quite dismissive of Miss Lin as the legitimate daughter!

What could have happened that made Madam Zheng detest Miss Lin so much… Whatever it was must have occurred over a decade ago when Miss Lin was just a child. Could a child have done something to earn such disdain from her stepmother?

But she wasn't here to enjoy life in the Lin family. There was no need to form close ties with Lin relatives.

Lin Yunwan continued, "I will follow Madam's arrangements."

Madam Zheng, pleased with her compliance, humphed, "That's more like it!"

She spoke indifferently, "We'll discuss other matters later..." not forgetting to remind her stepdaughter, "You're not getting any younger. Your father and I will soon find a suitable match for you. You must behave properly!"

A girl's marriage prospects were firmly in the hands of her stepmother, a crucial aspect of her future.

Disobeying the stepmother could lead to dire consequences.

Lin Yunwan, hidden beneath her veil, pressed her lips together, relieved that she wasn’t truly Miss Lin, thus her marriage wasn't for Madam Zheng to decide.

However, Miss Lin's stepmother was indeed not someone to be trifled with...

Given Miss Lin's timid nature, such a stepmother would have been truly intimidating.

"Madam, I take my leave."

Lin Yunwan had no desire to interact further with Madam Zheng.

In fact, Madam Zheng didn't seem keen to see her either, not even asking her to remove her veil... probably fearing to see a face she had gladly forgotten, which would only bring repulsion.

Before she could dismiss Lin Yunwan, a striking figure burst in.

Her voice arrived before she did, "You have the nerve to come back!"

Lin Yunwan and Xiruo turned to see a young lady of marriageable age, dressed in a style similar to Madam Zheng, adorned in red and purple, her head decked in gold and jade.

Her attire was extremely lavish!

She clearly resembled Madam Zheng's biological daughter, indeed she was Madam Zheng's legitimate daughter, Lin Yunjiao.

"Jiaor." Madam Zheng said, "This is your elder sister."

Lin Yunjiao passed by Lin Yunwan without acknowledging her as a sister or paying respects.

Seniority is highly regarded, even among girls, with the younger ones expected to show respect to their elders!

Although Lin Yunwan had returned from the countryside, she was several years older than Lin Yunjiao, and as the younger sister, it was proper for her to greet her elder sister first.

Lin Yunjiao didn't even greet Madam Zheng but sat down beside her, behaving very casually.

Clearly a spoiled girl, the Lin couple seemed to have overindulged her.

Lin Yunwan inwardly disapproved of such lack of manners, but as she wasn't the real Miss Lin, it wasn't her place to reprimand Lin Yunjiao.

She signaled to Madam Zheng, ready to leave.

Once seated, Lin Yunjiao's eyes remained fixed on her elder sister.

Blinking, her youthful voice crisp, she challenged, "Why are you leaving? Who said you could go?"

Lin Yunwan paused in her steps.

Nanny Fan came in with tea brewed by a maid, finding herself in a dilemma upon seeing Lin Yunjiao.

Should she serve the tea to the madam first or to the younger mistress?

Lin Yunjiao, unfazed by such trivialities, naturally commanded Nanny Fan, "Give me the tea."

Madam Zheng waved her hand, unconcerned.

Nanny Fan handed the tea to Lin Yunjiao first, then went to brew a fresh cup for Madam Zheng.

Through her veil, Lin Yunwan could vaguely observe Lin Yunjiao's behavior; truly a pampered young lady, spoiled beyond measure by her parents!

Lin Yunjiao sipped her tea and then, holding her cup, sat beside Madam Zheng, casually asking Lin Yunwan, "Did you not hear me speaking to you?"

Xiruo frowned in disapproval.

Such disrespect!

She clenched her fists, struggling to tolerate the impolite behavior of the legitimate younger sister.

Lin Yunwan replied calmly and evenly, "You should address me as 'sister' first."

Lin Yunjiao was taken aback.

In her dreams!

She had grown up in this household, and in all her years, she had never called anyone 'sister' – she was the eldest!

She had no intention of respecting this elder sister from the countryside; she was the one who deserved respect.

"Do you deserve it?"

Lin Yunwan smiled, "There is a hierarchy of seniority and rules of propriety. In what way do I not deserve it?"

Lin Yunjiao's face reddened, first with embarrassment, then with anger, "You haven’t forgotten what you did after being away for so many years, have you?"

Growing increasingly agitated, she stood up to face Lin Yunwan, "You nearly killed me back then! And you have the nerve to come back!"

Killed?

Lin Yunwan was shocked. Considering their ages, Lin Yunjiao wasn’t even born when Miss Lin left the household. How could she have nearly killed her younger sister?

"Lin Yunwan, you really forgot?!"

"It’s been so long, I truly don’t remember," Lin Yunwan admitted.

Fuming, Lin Yunjiao retorted, "Think hard about why father drove you out of the house!"

Although Lin Yunwan did not remove her veil, she stood motionless.

It seemed she truly had forgotten.

Unable to restrain herself, Lin Yunjiao arrogantly reminded her detested sister, "When you were four, you bumped into my mother during the night, nearly causing my birth to be impossible! Do you know that? You, a murderer!"

Both Lin Yunwan and Xiruo were stunned.

How could this be considered logical?

Lin Yunjiao continued, "You were so young, and my mother kindly took care of you. You were malicious enough to deliberately bump into her while she was pregnant during your illness! Did you think pretending to have a headache would save you from father’s punishment? Hmph! You wanted to prevent my birth, father would never let you off."

Lin Yunwan was at a loss for words.

A sick four-year-old child stumbling into an adult woman.

Who bumped into whom was debatable!

"Have you finally remembered?" Lin Yunjiao asked.

Righteously, she said, "If it weren't for father's leniency, allowing the wound on the back of your head to heal before sending you away, you would owe me your life!"

A wound on the head...

Lin Yunwan felt a phantom pain at the back of her head.

What kind of life did Miss Lin lead in her childhood at the Lin household!

"Why are you still wearing your veil? Take it off now!"

Lin Yunjiao almost reached out herself, eager to see what her countryside-living elder sister looked like now.

She surely couldn't be as pretty as her!