Chapter 060 Ling Jingwei's Hate

Because of Ling Jingwei's situation, the old Ling family was in complete disarray. The old lady’s sharp roars and the old man’s stern, scolding voice could be heard from time to time. Except for Ling Xiaotong, who was married into the next town, the entire family from the eldest branch was present—even Ling Jinghong’s children. However, none from the second branch were there. Ling Jingpeng and Ling Wang had gone straight to Ling Jingxuan’s house, while Ling Chenglong, upon returning, silently picked up a hoe and went to work in the fields. Meanwhile, Ling Jinghan lay in bed recuperating, though the medicine prescribed by Ling Jingxuan over the past few days had improved his condition considerably.

As for the third branch, Ling Chenghu’s attempt to teach Ling Jingxuan a lesson ended in humiliation. Not only was he knocked to the ground, but he even swallowed some goat urine. Ling Jiang's face remained swollen like a pig’s head from the beating he had received. While the family outwardly expressed concern, their real intention was to gossip behind closed doors. Now that trouble had befallen the eldest branch, they were more than happy to stand by and enjoy the spectacle.

And then there was Ling Chenghua. Of course, she wouldn’t miss such a commotion. Although she appeared to have a cordial relationship with Ling Li, deep down, she resented the eldest branch. Being the only daughter of the old couple, she often tried to garner their favor but saw the eldest branch as an obstacle to her success. Ling Li, however, skillfully maintained harmony between herself and her in-laws, ensuring her family’s status remained strong. If not for her cunning, Ling Chenghua’s life might have been no better than her two sisters-in-law. Naturally, she was delighted to see the eldest branch in trouble. With her own marriage in shambles, she couldn’t bear to see others happy. The smooth and prosperous life of the eldest branch constantly reminded her of her own bitter status as an "old girl" that no decent family would want.

"Father, Mother, please calm down. Jingwei’s matter cannot be resolved overnight. Getting angry won’t help," Ling Chenghua said with a sweet smile. She gently rubbed the old lady’s chest, pretending to comfort her. Meanwhile, Ling Chenglong and his wife, kneeling before them, gritted their teeth in frustration. They had hoped the old man, as a scholar, could mediate the situation in town. However, they seemed to forget that while Mr. Ling might hold a prestigious status as the only scholar in the nearby villages, in Datong Town—a larger community with dozens of villages—scholars were not rare, and even Juren (provincial graduates) were common. In the town's eyes, their "scholar" status was hardly significant.

"How can I calm down?" the old lady yelled furiously. "Jingwei, explain this to me! How could you be born cold? I’ve lived my whole life, and this is the first time I’ve heard of a man being infertile. Isn’t the Zhao family bullying us?"

Her face was flushed with anger. If word spread, who would ever marry into the Ling family again? The shame of a man being infertile would taint their reputation for generations.

"Enough! Calm yourself!"

The old man shot a sharp glare at the old lady, silencing her. He then turned his stern gaze toward Ling Jingwei, who was kneeling on the ground. "They claim you are born cold, but do you have a doctor’s diagnosis?"

True to his scholarly demeanor, the old man managed to remain rational despite the chaos. However, Ling Jingwei seemed utterly defeated. He knelt there like a deflated ball, silent and unmoving, as though his soul had left his body. The revelation of his infertility had completely crushed him.

"Father, don’t press Jingwei any further. He’s already suffering," pleaded Ling Li. Known for her usual composure, she broke down as she crawled over to her son, embracing him tightly. Her once well-maintained face was streaked with tears, her eyes red and swollen from crying ever since she learned of Ling Jingwei’s condition.

Ling Jingxuan's words held an undeniable truth: a person's own child is cherished only by them. Others show little compassion for someone else's child, even if they are mere infants. Yet, the attitude toward his own son was noticeably different.

"If you don't ask me, how can I go to the Zhao family in town?"
Ling Qiyun cast a stern glance, clearly frustrated. Did they really think he was some all-capable figure who could resolve everything on his own?

"I—"

"Father, Shufen didn't mean it that way. She’s just heartbroken for the child. Now that the Zhao family is raising the issue of reconciliation and even threatening to drive us out, you must make a decision for us. You can’t let them smear our name with baseless accusations."

Ling Li’s voice trembled as tears streamed down her face. Seeing this, Ling Chengcai stepped forward protectively. His son could not reconcile—it would ruin their reputation. If word spread that Jingwei was infertile, what respectable family would dare to marry their daughter into their lineage? Furthermore, Jingwei had been working in the Zhao family since his youth, and they already had a stake in the Zhao family business. A reconciliation would leave them with nothing. Ling Chengcai was determined not to let that happen.

"Silence!"

Ling Qiyun’s booming voice silenced the room. He pointed a trembling finger at Ling Jingwei, his anger barely contained. "Jingwei, tell me, what exactly is going on?"

Under the old man’s intense scrutiny, Ling Chengcai and the others dared not interrupt. All eyes turned toward Ling Jingwei, but despite the weight of their stares, he remained motionless, like a wooden statue. Just as the old man was about to lose his temper again, Ling Li, still clutching her son, began to sob softly.
"My son, just tell the truth. Only the master can decide for you now. Please..."

Perhaps it was her tearful plea or something else, but Ling Jingwei suddenly stirred. His previously lifeless eyes flared with a terrifying hatred. Slowly, he pushed his mother away, clenched his fists, and raised his head to face the old man.

"It's Ling Jingxuan!" he spat venomously. "He told my father-in-law that I’m infertile—that I was born cold and will never be able to get a woman pregnant!"

The hatred in his voice was palpable, and he unfairly directed it all at Ling Jingxuan. Whatever fear he had felt toward Ling Jingxuan before was rapidly dissipating, replaced by a simmering rage. Even the incident from the previous day, when Wang Er Zengda attempted to kidnap a child, was cast aside in his frenzy. If Ling Jingxuan were present, there was no doubt that Ling Jingwei would have attacked him without hesitation.

"Ling Jingxuan? What does this have to do with him?"

The old man frowned, clearly surprised. Despite witnessing Ling Jingxuan’s transformation a few days ago, his ingrained biases were hard to shake. To him, Ling Jingxuan was still the outcast—a scourge whom everyone despised. If anything, Ling Jingxuan should be avoiding trouble, not instigating it.

"Master," Ling Jingwei began, his voice trembling with emotion, "there’s something we never told you because it didn’t seem important at the time. A few months ago, I convinced my father-in-law and Suhua to let me adopt a child from the Ling family. I thought about it carefully and, despite Jingxuan being cast out, I believed his children were innocent. So, I asked my mother to approach my second uncle and aunt about adopting their children. But they refused outright. I had no choice but to drop the idea.

"Then, just a few days ago, I ran into Jingxuan, Jingpeng, and the two children in town. The children were adorable, so I gave them some sweet osmanthus candies. Who knew that my second uncle and aunt had already told Jingxuan about my earlier plan? He must have taken offense. That night, Jingxuan and Jingpeng went to my father-in-law and concocted this story that I was infertile. At first, my father-in-law didn’t believe them, but I suspect they gave him some spiked soup or something. The next day, his attitude changed, and he insisted that I reconcile with Suhua.

"This is all because of Ling Jingxuan! If it weren’t for him, how would I be in this mess today? Master, you must seek justice for me!"

Ling Jingwei omitted any mention of the attempted child abduction and, instead, crafted a half-truth that painted himself as the victim. His explanation not only heaped all the blame on Ling Jingxuan but also implicated the entire second branch of the family.

"That scoundrel!" the old lady shrieked. "How could he do such a vile thing? Oh heavens, why don’t you strike him down with a bolt of lightning? My poor Jingwei..."
Hearing the old man remain silent, the old lady launched into a tirade of curses. After the events of the past few days and the inaction of the second couple, her hatred for Ling Jingxuan festered. She wished for nothing more than an excuse to get rid of him.

"This is too much! How can Ling Jingxuan behave like this? You wanted to adopt his child for the child's own good. Instead of appreciating your efforts, he does something so vile. Why has my Ling family produced such scum? Father, this is about the Ling family's reputation. You cannot ignore this!"

Ling Chenghua, who had been watching the drama unfold with glee, immediately took Da Fang’s side upon hearing Ling Jingxuan’s involvement. Her once-pretty face twisted with hatred, distorting her features.

"Father, Mother, since marrying into the Ling family, I have been nothing but a filial daughter-in-law, respectful to my elders, and kind to my younger siblings. Yet my second brother and his wife allow Jingxuan to slander my son like this? Father, Mother, you must stand up for us!"

Ling Li wiped her tears and voiced her grievances, her sorrow resonating in the room. Ling Chengcai stood beside her, his lips pressed tightly together. Though silent, his expression of restrained fury revealed his stance. In contrast, Ling Jinghong, the eldest son of the big house, appeared much calmer. He and his wife stood aside, silently observing the unfolding chaos.

"Bang!"

After a tense silence, Ling Qiyun slammed the table and stood abruptly, his weathered face burning with anger. Even a fool could see that he had believed Ling Jingwei’s fabricated story.

"This matter cannot be left unresolved. I’ll go with you to the town myself. As for the second branch, we’ll address them after this is settled."

His disbelief lingered, but he refused to accept that Ling Jingxuan’s words alone could cause so much upheaval. If necessary, he was prepared to take the matter to court. Jingwei had done nothing wrong, and the Zhao family’s demand for reconciliation was unreasonable. Though the Ling family was merely a family of farmers, they could not allow themselves to be bullied.

The tearful crowd exchanged subtle glances, their lips curling in fleeting satisfaction before quickly masking their expressions. With the old man leading the way, Da Fang and his group hastily climbed into the ox cart and set off for town. But could things truly go as they hoped?
________________________________________
Meanwhile, Ling Jingxuan was unaware of the storm brewing. After Zhao Dalong and his wife arrived, he handed them an assortment of bottles and jars containing snake repellents, poisons, and antidotes for dealing with wild animals. Ling Jingxuan briefly explained their usage, entrusted the care of the three little ones to Ling Wang, and then joined Zhao Dalong and his wife, along with Ling Jingpeng, to head up the mountain with bamboo baskets on their backs.

"Who would’ve thought there would be so many wild fruits in Yuehua Mountain this year?"

Han Fei marveled at the abundance of fruits covering the hills. For years, rumors of monsters in Yuehua Mountain had deterred villagers from entering, and hunters who ventured in rarely returned. Over time, fear kept people away. When Ling Jingxuan suggested going to the mountain to pick fruits, Han Fei had hesitated, but now he was pleasantly surprised. Not only had they encountered no trouble, but the wild fruits in the mountain’s periphery were so plentiful they almost dazzled him.

"Yuehua Mountain is remote and untouched, so it’s natural to find an abundance of fruits here," Ling Jingxuan explained. "This is only the mountain’s outskirts. Deeper inside, there may even be rare treasures, but the risks increase the farther you go. There’s no need to take unnecessary chances. Brother Zhao, Brother Han, let’s focus on these top-quality red fruits."

Ling Jingxuan led them to a grove of large raspberry trees he had discovered a few days earlier. He planned to use the raspberries for making jams and intended to gather as much as possible. He also wanted to harvest wild grapes for wine. Even if they couldn’t sell everything, they could keep it for personal use—wine was always a good idea.

"No trouble at all! We’re just glad to help. Leave it to us," Han Fei said cheerfully, quickly setting down his bamboo basket and preparing to pick fruit.

"Alright. Jingpeng, let’s go gather some wild grapes."

The group divided the tasks and began their work. Picking wild grapes proved much easier than gathering raspberries, which grew on trees. Ling Jingxuan and Ling Jingpeng swiftly filled two large bamboo baskets with wild grapes, though it still wasn’t enough. Ling Jingxuan instructed Ling Jingpeng to carry the baskets back first while he climbed the raspberry trees to harvest fruit with Zhao Dalong and his wife.

The four of them toiled tirelessly from mid-morning until nightfall. Only the threat of wild beasts lurking in the darkness forced them to stop and head home.


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