My Sister Insisted on Swapping Marriages, and I Became a Marchioness Instead

Chapter 162: Chapter 162: The Most Troublesome Person

Mrs. Lin stumbled back, sitting at the door crying out, claiming that if Qin Wan returned to her family home just like that, she would hang herself at the door.

Qin Wan: ”...”

The biting dog doesn’t bark; the most difficult woman to deal with, even more than Lady Zhao and the Sixth Lady Gu, turned out to be this constantly sobbing Old Lady Lin.

Suddenly enlightened, Qin Wan felt increasingly annoyed.

In the East Suburb, ten households form one section, ten sections a commune; the noise between Lin Junren’s wife and mother-in-law had already alarmed the village chief and commune chief who came to mediate.

Qin Wan, seeing Mrs. Lin cry, followed suit, crying incessantly, causing headache for both the village chief and the commune chief.

After all, this was Lin Junren’s family, different from ordinary families.

One was a widow who raised a scholar, the other a daughter-in-law with a strong natal family.

Thrown together, neither willing to yield, putting them in a difficult situation.

Finally, the village chief sent someone to ask Mrs.Cui to come from the Qin Mansion.

Mrs.Cui, though from a subordinate branch of the Qinghe Cui Family, still came from an aristocratic family. If not for her daughter Qin Wan, she would never have stepped into a place like this in her lifetime.

She frowned and sighed: ”In-law, Wan’er is not yet sixteen. If she has done something wrong, you should teach her, but why cause such a commotion that outsiders laugh? Even if Wan’er is stubborn and doesn’t listen, you can tell Lin Junren and us. Wan’er is Lin Junren’s legitimate wife. If she has a bad reputation, what good reputation can Lin Junren have? Since ancient times, managing the family was the first step in governing the country and bringing peace. If a man cannot have control of his household, how can he serve as an official to help the monarch govern the land?”

Mentioning Lin Ziqi’s prospects caught Mrs. Lin’s attention.

She immediately held back her tears, took Qin Wan’s hand and said: ”Good daughter-in-law, earlier it was my old age and foolishness causing trouble, don’t hold it against me. Ziqi fell ill yesterday, the doctor said it was due to his arduous effort for the examination, so let’s us mother and daughter-in-law not argue and make his life uneasy. In the grand scheme of things, nothing is more important than Ziqi peacefully focusing on his studies and exams, wouldn’t you say?”

Lin Ziqi’s future mattered equally to Qin Wan.

In her previous life, Lin Ziqi had ranked seventh in the second tier during the spring examinations the following year, and later, with noble support, advanced to an Imperial Scholar and joined the Hanlin.

Qin Wan, therefore, also refrained from making a big scene, and said to Mrs.Cui with a smile: ”Mother, it’s the daughter’s unfilial conduct that troubled you, my apologies.”

Mrs.Cui, predicting this outcome, just sighed looking at the couple mesmerized by officialdom, and said: ”I too hope Ziqi can succeed. When the family is harmonious, everything prospers; let’s all make a little concession.”

Thus, the situation passed with much noise but little consequence.

However, from then on, Qin Wan grew more cautious, meticulously recording everywhere her dowry went; even when Mrs. Lin wanted Silver, she had to sign and give her seal.

When Lin Ziqi returned home for holiday, Mrs. Lin complained, and Qin Wan cried; when Qin Wan lamented, Mrs. Lin cried.

This drove Lin Ziqi to distraction.

Qin Wan wanted to be intimate with Lin Ziqi at night, but Mrs. Lin found ways to disrupt it, not saying anything directly, but smashing things in the house, using veiled words to accuse young brides of being frivolous, seducing her recently recovered son and neglecting his health.

Lin Ziqi and Qin Wan lost all interest.

Lin Ziqi simply lit a lamp and read in the main room, only then did Mrs. Lin settle down, also taking her needlework and sitting under the lamp to accompany.

Life seemed to have returned to the days before Qin Wan married in, the mother-son pair harmoniously bonding, leaving Qin Wan feeling marginalized, guarding an empty room alone.

Qin Wan thought about Lin Ziqi’s performance at the Jade Spring Pond, finally finding an opportunity to subtly inquire: ”Husband, did you encounter any nobles during your visit to the Jade Spring Pond?”

Lin Ziqi, who had kept this matter tightly guarded, strangely asked, ”Why do you ask?”

Qin Wan smiled and said: ”My heart is full of you, how could I not know? That night I dreamed of you visiting Jade Spring Pond and meeting two nobles, who were so impressed by your poetic talent that they came to admire and appreciate you greatly.”

Lin Ziqi immediately recalled the poem Qin Wan dreamed of and asked: ”The poem I made in my dream, is that the one you mentioned?”

Qin Wan nodded emphatically, looking at Lin Ziqi with anticipation.

Lin Ziqi frowned and pondered for quite a while, then asked: ”Did you dream of your cousin?”

Qin Wan nodded, then shook her head.

”What does this mean?” Lin Ziqi asked urgently.

Qin Wan said: ”I dreamt of my cousin but didn’t dream of him composing a poem.”

Everyone in the Qin Family knew her cousin didn’t have much poetic talent.

Previously, due to this, her cousin nearly ended up enlisted in the third tier as an Advanced Scholar by grace, shouting ”so close” upon seeing the list; he and Lin Ziqi, one at the end of the second tier and one at the forefront, were worlds apart.

Yet, Qin Wan found no way to tell Lin Ziqi this; whether she did or didn’t didn’t make much difference.

Who knew Lin Ziqi, agitated for days over Qin Siyuan’s poem, worried all his hard scheming was mere preparation for Qin Siyuan.

Lin Ziqi said: ”That day at the Jade Spring Pond, your cousin’s poem also deeply impressed the two nobles.”

Ultimately, he didn’t admit Qin Siyuan’s poem was better than his.

Qin Wan immediately shook her head saying: ”How could that be?”

Lin Ziqi said: ”I thought so too, but suddenly your cousin composed several poems far exceeding his usual standard.”

Qin Wan pondered for a while and said: ”Could my cousin have prewritten the poems?”

Lin Ziqi was moved by the thought.

Recalling Qin Siyuan’s frequent visits to Marquis Mansion previously, he said: ”Could he have had help writing the poems?”

Qin Wan remained silent.

Lin Ziqi spoke no more.

When this holiday ended, Lin Ziqi left for the Imperial College much earlier than usual.

...

Since Feng Mansion, Qin Yuan managed Dingbei Marquis Mansion like a tightly sealed barrel.

Every group and individual had precisely defined activity zones.

Each courtyard’s people were prohibited from wandering around.

To prevent non-compliance with regulations, she even asked Gu Jinghui for guards to patrol the areas, registering anyone found wandering.

Through this, they discovered Doctor Liu’s abnormalities.

Doctor Liu was placed in the courtyard closest to the patients, only needing to regularly check their condition.

The patients were confined within the courtyard, not allowed out, whereas Doctor Liu could move, his range far greater than most.

Due to his free movements, several new patients appeared in the mansion.

These patients came from different courtyards, obediently adhering to regulations, wearing bibs, burning incense, drinking medicinal tea, yet still fell ill, spreading doubt and hesitance among everyone, weakening their resolve to follow Qin Yuan’s demands.

Initially, Qin Yuan was puzzled until Xiao Hong brought her a note saying Doctor Liu had visited the main room requesting to check Old Madam Gu’s peaceful pulse and offering to examine the two adopted sons of the Marquis as well.

But he was refused by Old Madam Gu.