Chapter Eight: The Radiant White Moonlight

Meanwhile, on the other side.

The elderly lady was a devout believer in gods and Buddhas, so the Changchunyuan estate had numerous altars with tablets honoring various deities and divine spirits.

Lin Zhaozhao was taken by the elderly lady’s nanny to search for the Diamond Sutra.

After Bai handed over the medicine, she followed behind, feeling a bit distressed. “Zhaozhao is only ten years old, and the Diamond Sutra is such a thick book. If she has to copy it a hundred times, I don’t dare imagine—won’t her little hands break? Mother is too cruel!”

“Enough, don’t worry so much. Mother asked Zhaozhao to write it, but never said she had to write it herself. I’ll go to the bookstore and find some scholars to imitate her handwriting and copy it a hundred times. Besides—”

Lin Yuanzhi interrupted with a smirk, “Given Zhaozhao’s temperament, she really ought to copy a few copies of the Diamond Sutra properly. Otherwise, with her wild spirit, which husband’s family would want her in the future?”

[What? No husband’s family would want me? Does that mean I have to stay home forever?!]

Lin Yuanzhi snorted coldly, thinking, You know well enough. If I don’t scare you a little, you’d really think you’re some fragrant flower—

Before he could say “precious,” a sudden gleeful voice rang out—

[Wow! There really is such a wonderful thing in the world?]

[No need to serve a mother-in-law, no ten months of pregnancy risking life and limb, and no need to suffer a scumbag husband taking concubines and turning into a pufferfish from anger! Just stay at home, a well-cared-for young lady with no worries about food or clothing! Wang Defa! Isn’t this the life I’ve dreamed of?!]

[What man? What marriage? No, no, no!]

Lin Qingci and Bai exchanged speechless looks.

You know, for some reason, Zhaozhao’s thoughts seemed somewhat reasonable.

But not marrying and having no children—now that was truly rebellious.

Just as they were thinking of how to persuade her, to say something nice about men, at the next moment, the daughter vanished.

Bai said, “? Where did my big daughter go?”

[My heavens! This little old lady even worships my white moonlight!]

Lin Zhaozhao appeared, holding three tall incense sticks she somehow procured, her face full of devotion, clutching her chest as she tearfully pleaded to the main seat’s God of Wealth,

“Lord, your humble servant is willing to marry you—even as a concubine!”

Bai was speechless.

Wasn’t she supposed to not marry?

---

So, she really wanted to be a concubine to Lord Zhao?

Lin Zhaozhao thought: Forget being a concubine. If the lord could just favor her, even if she had to eat both meat and vegetables all her life, living in a mansion and driving luxury carriages, she’d be willing!

In short, after getting the Diamond Sutra, she had no choice but to bitterly retreat to her room to copy a few characters.

For these three days, she basically never left the house.

Meanwhile, Bai was busy preparing for the banquet and didn’t come to call Lin Zhaozhao to rise early for meals.

Thankfully, her scoundrel father was somewhat fond of her and had someone imitate her handwriting to copy the Diamond Sutra a hundred times.

One day, as Lin Zhaozhao carried the completed Diamond Sutra to present it to the elderly lady, she passed Zhao Shuangshuang’s courtyard and happened to see the other’s maid sneakily running back with a package.

Having read hundreds of domestic drama novels, Lin Zhaozhao instinctively felt something was off and quickly hid behind a nearby tree.

The little maid looked around cautiously at the gate, and seeing no one, sighed in relief, quickly closed the gate and went inside.

Lin Zhaozhao frowned. “Something’s wrong. In broad daylight, Zhao Shuangshuang’s maid isn’t using the front door but the back. If there’s no ghost, I don’t believe it!”

Unfortunately, the gate was too high; she couldn’t climb in to investigate what the master and servant were scheming.

---

Elsewhere, inside the courtyard.

Seeing the maid return, Zhao Shuangshuang hurried over. “Well? Did you buy everything I asked for?”

The maid immediately handed over a package of medicine. “Miss, rest assured. I specifically asked the doctor. The doctor said this medicine’s efficacy is praised by all the animals that have taken it. As long as you can get the lord to drink it, he will have to cooperate with whatever you want!”

“Good. Tomorrow’s banquet will be my shining moment. Once it’s done, with all eyes watching, I’ll prove the lord crossed the line while drunk. He’ll have to marry me, and you will benefit handsomely!”

“Thank you, Miss. But—” The maid looked worried. “These past few days when you visited the lord, he shut the door and refused to see you, even sending the footmen to turn me away…”

“No matter!” Zhao Shuangshuang waved her hand. “I’ll have Wan Yue take me there!”

“Will Fourth Miss agree?”

Lin Wan Yue agreed a thousand times over. Though she liked Bai, obviously Bai had been acting like she was under a curse these days, favoring Lin Zhaozhao too much, which made Wan Yue resentful.

If she could have another good sister as her young mistress, the two of them joining forces could eventually sell off Lin Zhaozhao.

As for Bai... well, men having multiple wives and concubines was normal, so their mother probably wouldn’t mind much.

She promptly said, “Leave it to me!”

---

The next day.

It was the day of the banquet held by the Marquis of Qingyuan’s manor.

Many noble families’ masters and ladies had arrived from various estates.

Lin Zhaozhao got up especially early, never leaving Lin Yuanzhi’s side.

Lin Yuanzhi, just about to visit the privy, asked, “Don’t you have anything of your own to do?”

Lin Zhaozhao shyly and softly said, “Father has been away managing the water for months. Zhaozhao hasn’t seen you for so long and wants to be close to you for a while.”

Inwardly, she thought wildly—

[Damn it! You jerk, do you think I want to get up early and follow you? If it weren’t for Zhao Shuangshuang and her maid plotting something, I bet you’d still be sleeping soundly! Why bother coming out and getting annoyed?]

Lin Yuanzhi was speechless.

Schemes or not, wouldn’t it be enough just to avoid those two?

“All right, go back quickly! Wan Yue still has matters to discuss with me. You go greet your mother and entertain the guests in the front hall!”

[What? Wan Yue is looking for that scoundrel father at such a sensitive time?]

[If she and Zhao Shuangshuang aren’t plotting, I don’t believe it!]

Lin Yuanzhi was silent.

What could those two possibly be up to?

Wan Yue was his and Bai’s daughter. Naturally, she would side with her biological mother, so how could she be involved with Zhao Shuangshuang?

“Enough, stop overthinking. I’m leaving!”

“But—” Lin Zhaozhao was about to say more, but Lin Yuanzhi, feeling a turmoil in his stomach, had no patience to listen to her speculations. He grabbed some toilet paper and dashed off faster than anyone else.