Chapter 111 (1/2): A slap in Duan Ling’s face

Duan Ling didn’t keep Lin Ting waiting long before quickly changing into the new clothes she had custom-made for him.  

She tossed aside the apple core and appraised him.  

The apricot-colored round-collar robe was embroidered with intricate patterns, yet it did not appear cluttered.

Gold and silver threads weaved through it, exuding a dazzling floral brilliance that few could carry off, but Duan Ling wore it with ease.  

Lin Ting’s gaze shifted downward, catching sight of his hands lightly twisting the hanging pipa sleeves.

The cuffs were partly open, revealing the backs of his hands where veins faintly showed.  

Right next to the pipa sleeves was Duan Ling’s waist and abdomen, the edge of his belt tracing the curve of his slender waist.  

Setting aside Duan Ling’s face, his bone structure was truly excellent—narrow waist, long legs—perfect for trying on all sorts of beautiful clothes.  

Of course, Lin Ting was poor.

With her financial situation, she couldn’t constantly buy Duan Ling new clothes, but buying one or two sets occasionally was still doable.  

Although Lin Ting felt a pang of guilt whenever spending money, seeing how well the clothes fit him brought her a sense of accomplishment.

It was like playing a modern dress-up game, trying to make her own character look as good as possible.  

Lin Ting nodded in satisfaction.  

It seemed the tailor had taken her measurements perfectly; the clothes fit flawlessly.

Unlike the “one-size-fits-all” ready-made garments, which, even if wearable, revealed places that were either too loose or too tight.  

Lin Ting remembered that Duan Ling’s previous clothes had also been custom-made.

After all, as the second son of the Duan family, his food, clothing, and necessities had always been the best.

Later on, he only wore the ready-made clothes she bought for him.  

But Lin Ting never thought that giving Duan Ling ready-made clothes was stingy.  

She was already quite generous, always acting within her means—no need to put on airs.  

Clearing her throat, Lin Ting said, “Not bad, my eye is really good.”  

She praised herself first—the fabric was her choice.  

Lin Ting pushed Duan Ling in front of the mirror and motioned for him to look.

“Take a look, how does it feel?”  

Duan Ling raised his hand to touch the embroidery and looked at Lin Ting in the mirror.

“How do you know my measurements?”  

Lin Ting:  “……”

She held him all day long, so she more or less knew the approximate size.

“Just put it on. Why ask so many questions?”  

She seriously suspected he was asking just to stall and wouldn’t answer.  

Duan Ling didn’t press further.  

Lin Ting returned to the wardrobe, preparing to take out a new skirt to change into.

It was Li Jingqiu’s big wedding day—she couldn’t take it lightly.  

Then the problem of choice struck.  

The wardrobe was stuffed with dresses Duan Ling had custom-made for her, with more than ten new skirts alone.

Which one should she pick?

Lin Ting found herself caught in a dilemma.  

After a few seconds, she beckoned Duan Ling over.

“Come here, you pick one for me.”  

Duan Ling chose an apricot-colored long skirt.  

Lin Ting raised an eyebrow, glanced at his apricot-colored round-collar robe, then back at the skirt.

“Did you purposely pick apricot?”  

He curved his lips, “Mm.”  

“All right, then this one it is.” Lin Ting, who liked apricot as well, quickly changed.  

Tonight, Li Jingqiu’s courtyard was lively and packed with people.

Actually, she hadn’t intended to celebrate, but Lin Ting insisted on it.  

So Li Jingqiu pushed thoughts of the rebel army encircling Jingcheng aside and, as she wished, enjoyed a good meal to celebrate.

Having experienced Lin Ting’s near-death, she just wanted to live well in the moment.

Nothing was more important than the family being able to gather together.  

Madam Feng and Duan Xinning were also there.  

Madam Feng looked her usual self, but Duan Xinning seemed somewhat absent-minded.  

She hadn’t seen Xia Zimo for a long time.

Since he was a rebel, before their uprising succeeded, they had to avoid suspicion.

Ever since Ancheng split, they hadn’t even exchanged letters.  

Now that Xia Zimo was just outside the city, it was impossible for her heart not to stir.  

But that stirring wasn’t because of love or romance—it was curiosity about how he would treat the Duan family if his rebellion succeeded.  

Duan Xinning was lost in thought.  

Lin Ting brought over a plate of sour plums and placed it on the table in front of Duan Xinning.

“Eat some sour plums.”  

Duan Xinning snapped back to reality, first glancing at Lin Ting’s apricot skirt, then at Duan Ling’s apricot robe, before quietly averting her eyes, touching her abdomen, and taking a sour plum to eat.  

The servants in Lin Ting’s courtyard, having learned from her, were roasting meat.

The surface of the meat was golden brown, sizzling with a layer of oil, the aroma wafting through the air.  

Lin Ting went over to divide the roasted meat among everyone, giving an extra piece to Duan Ling.  

Duan Ling finished it without leaving a scrap.  

Lin Ting was too curious about how Li Jingqiu had convinced Third Master Lin to sign the Hedivorce Certificate.

While everyone ate the roast meat, she slipped over to Li Jingqiu’s side and asked, “Mother, didn’t he refuse to sign the Hedivorce Certificate before? How come he agreed now?”  

Li Jingqiu: “You really want to know?”  

Lin Ting rubbed her shoulders and said, “I don’t want to know, why would I ask you? I really want to know—if you don’t tell me, I definitely won’t sleep tonight.”  

Li Jingqiu originally wanted an amicable separation with Third Master Lin, but he stubbornly refused to sign the Hedivorce Certificate, which angered her.

Yesterday, Li Jingqiu went to the Lin Family, tricked Third Master Lin into a room, then held a knife to his crotch, forcing him to sign.  

Third Master Lin knew Li Jingqiu was fierce but didn’t expect her to be this fierce—to dare threaten him.

He immediately cursed loudly, asking if she knew what crime it was to threaten and harm a government official.  

Li Jingqiu said she had lived in the inner quarters for years and was uneducated, so she didn’t know.  

That almost made him spit blood in anger.  

But Third Master Lin didn’t believe Li Jingqiu would actually hurt him; she was just bluffing.

They continued to stalemate, refusing to sign the Hedivorce Certificate.  

Until Li Jingqiu cut a slit on the inside of his thigh and made it bleed, Third Master Lin finally became afraid and cursed her a madwoman.  

Even though Third Master Lin had children, he still treasured his manhood, believing that if a man lost that, he was no longer a man—living in shame and dying without face to see his ancestors.  

So, under the threat of the knife between his legs, he signed the Hedivorce Certificate.  

At that moment, Li Jingqiu told Lin Ting the story in a few words, as if it was no big deal—just a fleeting matter.  

Lin Ting listened attentively and sincerely exclaimed, “Mother, you’re incredible.”  

Although Lin Ting had thought of many ways to force Third Master Lin to sign the Hedivorce Certificate, none could compare to Li Jingqiu’s method.  

Li Jingqiu stuffed a piece of roast meat into Lin Ting’s mouth.

“That’s true. If I weren’t fierce, how could I have given birth to a daughter like you?”  

Before, Li Jingqiu didn’t divorce for Lin Ting’s sake—not because she couldn’t, but because she didn’t want to.

If Li Jingqiu wanted something, she would find a way to achieve it.

What was Third Master Lin’s opposition compared to that?  

Lin Ting chewed the meat thoughtfully.  

“But that was dangerous. What if he flew into a rage and hurt you? You should have asked me to go with you yesterday—to watch out for you.”  

Li Jingqiu waved it off.

“He’s all show, cowardly as a mouse. How would he dare harm me? Even if he had the guts, he couldn’t beat me. Do you really think your mother’s a pushover?”  

Lin Ting stuffed a piece of cumin-spiced roast meat into Li Jingqiu’s mouth.

“Mother, you’re not a pushover, you’re a meat-eater.”  

Now that they were divorced, it was also time to find a way to get Third Master Lin to return the three thousand taels early.  

Li Jingqiu twirled a stray strand of Lin Ting’s hair and suddenly said, “It’s really good.”  

Lin Ting: “Good what?”  

‘You’re still alive and well.’ Li Jingqiu thought this to herself but said aloud, “This meat is really delicious. Go get me a few more pieces.”  

Lin Ting happily went to fetch more meat for Li Jingqiu, along with some sour plum soup to cleanse the palate.  

“Why do you call me ‘Your Excellency’? I’m not an official.”  

Lin Ting grinned playfully.  

After finishing the roast meat, she leisurely carried a pot of Autumn Dew White wine up to the rooftop to enjoy the moon.  

The glazed tiles were chilled by the wind.

Lin Ting didn’t sit down but stood, looking up at the sky.

She hadn’t been on the rooftop long before someone joined her.  

Without looking, Lin Ting knew who it was.

When he climbed up, she caught the faint scent of agarwood.

The smell of roast meat was so strong, yet it couldn’t mask the agarwood fragrance.  

Duan Ling bent down and spread a blanket on the section of glazed tiles behind Lin Ting.  

Only then did she notice he had brought a blanket up.

She sat cross-legged, opened the white porcelain wine pot, took several sips, and passed it to Duan Ling.  

Drinking warmed her body.  

Duan Ling took a sip from where Lin Ting had just drunk—the Autumn Dew White wine was slightly sweet.  

Lin Ting raised her hands, crossing them to form a telescope shape, peeking through her fingers at the slightly rounded moon and the stars around it.  

She blew on the night wind and suddenly remembered something.

“You’re no longer a poison user. Does my poison still work on you?”