The eldest lady cried

Oh my, elopement? I have never done such a thing, and I don't know if it's dangerous. But, Old Luo is her father, and Little Luo is her brother. Is eloping necessary?

"This, Miss Luo, have you considered it carefully? Elopement, you know, it might sound romantic but has its risks," Lin Wanrong said, genuinely concerned for Miss Luo.

Luo Ning's face blushed instantly, and she retorted, "Brother Lin, what nonsense are you talking about? Elopement?"

Lin Wanrong exclaimed, "Then what were you talking about just now?"

Luo Ning, both amused and shy, replied, "I was asking if you could take me to Tian Shan and Hainan Island. After hearing your stories, I am quite fascinated. Since you've been there, could you accompany me?"

Oh, so that's what it is. I thought women in this era were all so open-minded. It turns out, I misunderstood.

Seeing him silent for a while, Luo Ning hurriedly added, "Brother Lin, I really want to go."

Lin Wanrong, with a serious tone, said, "Miss Luo, I understand your feelings. But unlike you, I have many responsibilities. I need to raise a family and provide for them. Traveling for leisure might have to wait for several decades."

Luo Ning's expression dimmed, "Brother Lin, I know you are an ambitious person. You can wait for decades, achieve fame, and then retire to travel. But I am a woman, even with some talents, I cannot escape the fate of women. In a few decades, I am afraid I will already be married and may not have the freedom for such leisure."

Luo Ning, despite being a cheerful woman, felt a bit scared facing the uncertain future.

She has a point. Even if her father is liberal, this Miss Luo will eventually marry. At that time, she will have no choice. Lin Wanrong helplessly smiled. He is too busy now to indulge in sightseeing. It will have to wait for many years.

"Luo Jiejie—" Just as Luo Ning was contemplating, Wanying, another lady, came over and held Luo Ning's hand. Curiously eyeing Lin Wanrong, she asked, "Lin San, what are you drawing?"

She was referring to the sketch Lin Wanrong made on the paper. Lin Wanrong didn't have a good impression of this Wanying, so he just shook his head without saying anything.

Luo Ning smiled and said, "Wanying, why didn't you visit Young Master Hou? I'm afraid his mood is not good right now."

Wanying blushed and, with irritation, looked at Lin Wanrong, "You, how can you be so heartless? Young Master Hou has been studying hard for many years. By discouraging him like this, aren't you harming him?"

Oh my, where did this uncivilized girl come from? According to her logic, if Young Master Hou criticizes me, it's my own fault; if I criticize him, it's harming him? What kind of twisted logic is this? Lin Wanrong didn't bother to talk to this girl and closed his eyes to rest.

Wanying, looking infuriated, slammed the table, "Lin San, what do you mean by this?"

Lin Wanrong opened his eyes and, indifferently, said, "Miss Wanying, I heard you work at the yamen."

Wanying glared, "Yes, what about it?"

Lin Wanrong, disdainfully, said, "Since you are eating the government's salary, you should honestly do your job at the yamen. Skipping official duties to hang out here, do you think it's appropriate?"

Wanying was momentarily stunned, "Do you have the right to manage me?"

Lin Wanrong looked at her with disdain, "Based on your attitude, it's a waste of public funds. The taxes collected by the court, I've contributed my share. You, as public servants, should serve us. I don't know where you get this arrogant and defiant attitude. Skipping work during official hours, isn't this a gross misuse of public funds? The taxes I pay, have they gone to waste?"

"You, you—" Wanying was so angry that she couldn't say anything.

Luo Ning quickly interjected, "Brother Lin, Wanying is usually very diligent. She came today because she was invited by Young Master Hou."

Lin Wanrong shook his head and said, "This has nothing to do with me. I'm just concerned about how my tax money is spent."

Luo Ning knew he had a point, but stuck in the middle, she felt awkward.

Wanying huffed, "Lin San, remember this, I will make you pay for your words today." She turned and left.

Lin Wanrong shook his head and laughed, "This girl, she's no different from Young Master Hou."

Luo Ning smiled, "Her family and the Hou family are old friends. Young Master Hou's talents are shallow, but he is her idol. If you underestimate Young Master Hou, she will naturally make things difficult for you."

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "My talents are not bad either. Why hasn't she come to idolize me?"

Luo Ning gave him a white look, thinking, "You've only known her for a few hours. Even if she wants to idolize you, it's too late." Interrupted by Wanying, Luo Ning almost forgot what she had said earlier. When she looked at the map again, she sighed faintly, realizing that her dreams might always be just dreams. She sighed, "Brother Lin, can I have this map?"

"No problem," Lin Wanrong generously replied. It's just a rough sketch. How much you want, I'll draw for you.

Luo Ning put the sketch away and looked at the pencil in Lin Wanrong's hand, smiling, "Is this the pencil Qiao Qiao mentioned? It's indeed quite different from our brushes, and your way of holding it is also strange."

Lin Wanrong honestly replied, "I don't know how to use a brush at all."

Luo Ning covered her lips and smiled, "If Brother Lin doesn't mind my ugly handwriting, I can teach you."

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "This girl might be using this opportunity to take advantage of me. She has ill intentions. I could be in danger."

The atmosphere between the two became a bit awkward. Just then, Miss Xiao appeared in front of them. Today, she had quite a harvest. Perfume and soap had caused a sensation among these young ladies. In the blink of an eye, she received a large number of orders. Even Lin San, who is now a topic of discussion among these young ladies, has brought fame and fortune to the Xiao family.

Miss Xiao, with Lin Wanrong, stayed in the academy until late afternoon. The two of them talked about some things, and there was a feeling of camaraderie. Both had wide social circles, and after some casual conversation, their relationship deepened.

Lin Wanrong, however, felt uncomfortable. He was bombarded with questions from various young ladies and had to face the furious gaze of Young Master Hou. It was really hard for him. The escape technique had been used four times. If it continued, people might suspect kidney

 deficiency.

By the late afternoon, Miss Xiao held Luo Ning's hand and said, "Miss Luo, we have troubled you all day. We should take our leave now."

Luo Ning generously smiled, "Miss Xiao, you're being too polite. I'm doing this for the well-being of our sisters. Besides, this bottle of perfume from you, Miss, is worth a lot of silver. I feel indebted."

Lin Wanrong had heard from Luo Yuan that Miss Luo never easily accepted gifts from others. This time, accepting this perfume was indeed unprecedented. It seems the magic of perfume is truly extraordinary.

"Brother Lin, in a few days, it will be my grandmother's birthday. Please make sure to attend, along with Miss Xiao," Luo Ning reminded as they left.

Oh, I had almost forgotten about this matter. Luo Yuan mentioned it before, and if it weren't for Luo Ning's reminder, Lin Wanrong would have truly forgotten. He had long wanted to visit the old fox Luo Min. With a cheerful response, he said, "Rest assured, I will definitely go."

Seeing that Luo Ning had walked quite a distance before stopping, the young lady urged the carriage forward for a while. Suddenly, she lifted the curtain from inside and looked at Lin Wanrong on the black horse, asking, "Lin San, are you very close to Miss Luo?"

Lin Wanrong shook his head and replied, "Not very close to her, but quite friendly with her younger brother."

"I doubt that," the young lady said meaningfully. "We have traveled so far, and she still gazes at you with such intensity. It seems not so simple."

Lin Wanrong turned to look and indeed saw a distant figure standing on the stone steps, resembling Luo Ning. He was self-aware; Luo Ning's aspirations reached as high as the sky. She wouldn't develop feelings for him with just a few casual words. Strange, why would this young lady perform this "Waiting-for-Husband Stone" scene? Who is it for?

"Young lady, she's waiting for you. I saw you both talking happily today, and I think Miss Luo might have some lingering affection for you, her good friend," Lin Wanrong fabricated.

The young lady hummed and said, "Lin San, get on the carriage."

Lin Wanrong was surprised and said, "This... is not appropriate. I am a serious person."

The young lady, both embarrassed and angry, retorted, "You are a serious person, and I am not?!" She glared at Lin Wanrong, saying, "I see you're in some difficulty. Considering your contributions to my Xiao family today, I've allowed you to ride the carriage. I'll ride the horse. It's not as disgraceful as you think."

"I sit, and you ride?" Lin Wanrong said. This was peculiar; traditionally, it's men who give way to women. Today, why the reversal? Could it be that the flattering done earlier had an effect?

"Are you sure?" Lin Wanrong asked the young lady.

She huffed, "If you're coming, come. Why so many questions?"

Lin Wanrong, unfamiliar with politeness, immediately dismounted the horse in a clean and neat manner. He saw the young lady pulling up her long skirt and jumping down from the carriage, actually doing as she said.

Upon entering the carriage, Lin Wanrong caught a faint fragrance. With his sensitive nose, he recognized it as rose perfume. It seemed that this young lady indeed favored this scent.

Inside the carriage, there was a small tea table with a freshly brewed pot of fragrant tea emitting steam. Impressed, the young lady, showing concern for her subordinates, personally brewed the tea and gave up her seat in the carriage. Truly, she displayed the demeanor of a wise leader.

After taking a sip of the tea, filled with the aroma of high-quality Longjing or perhaps Da Hong Pao (tea varieties Lin Wanrong wasn't familiar with), he appreciated the gesture despite being a tea novice.

Opening the curtain, Lin Wanrong saw the young lady confidently mounting the horse, her movements graceful and efficient. She wielded the whip, completing the entire action smoothly. She didn't resemble a delicate young lady but rather a skilled female equestrian, much more agile than Lin Wanrong.

"Young lady, I didn't expect you to have such skills. Truly admirable," Lin Wanrong praised.

The young lady's face revealed a smile, saying, "If you praise women for being able to hold their own, then if I lacked even this skill, wouldn't it be a disgrace to our female family members?"

Indeed, Lin Wanrong thought the young lady was surprisingly kind-hearted. It turned out that the flattery technique was effective.

Lin Wanrong chuckled and said, "Young lady, I guess you pretended to have a headache in the carriage and deliberately found an excuse to go out and ride a horse to stretch your body. I was genuinely moved, but it turns out I fell for your ploy."

The young lady's face darkened. She pulled the reins, and the black horse neighed loudly, rushing towards Lin Wanrong. With a swing of her long whip, she directed it at Lin Wanrong's head.

Startled, Lin Wanrong exclaimed, "What are you doing?"

The young lady, without saying a word, dismounted from the black horse and looked at him expressionlessly, saying, "Get off the carriage."

"Come on, why 'get off'? Can't I just jump down?" Lin Wanrong complained indignantly.

Faced with Lin Wanrong's complaints, the young lady, both embarrassed and angry, pulled her long skirt and jumped off the carriage, glaring at him. She said, "Quickly get down."

Why do I have to use 'get down'? Can't I just jump down? Lin Wanrong thought, frustrated.

Lin Wanrong jumped down from the carriage in discontent. It wasn't that he was afraid of this young lady, but he couldn't stand her current demeanor.

Because, the young lady was crying.

...

Third brother's mouth has caused many troubles for the ladies. But if third brother loses his mouth, how will he charm the ladies? Truly a dilemma.