“Then does that mean I can’t speak my true feelings and must only say things to flatter him?” Qingqing said this with no particular intent, but Mr. Lin did not see it that way.
The Master of Life and Death (II)
He was inherently a man of high principles, yet having to navigate the officialdom, the last thing one could afford to say was the “truth.” Hearing Qingqing blurt this out, Mr. Lin couldn’t help but think she was subtly criticizing him. In fact, it was just his own paranoia; Qingqing knew nothing of human affairs, wouldn’t and dared not imply criticism of her own father.
Seeing Qingqing staring at him intently, a surge of inexplicable anger rose in Mr. Lin. His voice almost choked in his throat, “Just do as I teach you, why so much fuss?” He suddenly raised his voice in rebuke, startling even Lin Hong and Yafu. Qingqing took a moment to react, then burst into tears. Mr. Lin, who already disliked women crying, felt even more annoyed now, wishing he could slap her hard, but with so many people around, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He just flicked his sleeve, boarded the carriage, and ignored everyone else.
On the way back to the mansion, everyone was lost in their thoughts. Qingqing no longer had the heart to secretly touch the fur of the sled, let alone steal glances at the scenery outside. After a while, Yafu suddenly said, “Do you think you can win father’s favor with a bit of cleverness?”
Qingqing looked at her, puzzled and more fearful, not saying anything. Yafu, seeing her silence, thought it was an admission of guilt, her expression turning even more scornful: “You dare to criticize father in front of the emperor for dressing the great Miss Lin in nothing but common blue cloth. Humph! Look at yourself, you’re not even worthy of wearing such cloth.” Yafu, though young, spoke with the mannerisms of a petty, market woman, a stark contrast to her usual self. She seemed furious, and as if her previous words weren’t enough, she added, “A child of a lowly woman is bound to be lowly.” Seeing Qingqing’s growing anger, Yafu was delighted, “Your mother was a lowly woman, and you are even lower.”
