Chapter 19

Song Jiyun stroked her forehead.

Her mother's fondness for Yuan Yunzhong was so obvious.

She never knew that her mother was someone who judged by appearances.

Even when she said Yuan Yunzhong was a performer, it did not stop her mother from liking him.

Song Jiyun had no choice but to say, "Mother, I will take care of his matters. You don't need to worry. Let's talk about grandmother first."

Madam Qian smiled awkwardly.

Song Jiyun said, "We are currently in mourning on our side. My meaning is that we should not go to grandmother's place and join the crowd. Since several clan elders are here, I will go and speak with them. If that doesn't work, our family will provide silver, and the other two families will provide support. What do you think?"

Madam Qian, not hiding her disdain for Madam Zeng, said, "I don't even want to give any silver. However, compared to attending to the sick, I would rather give silver."

Song Jiyun smiled faintly.

She was just afraid that after so many incidents, her mother would still be blindly filial.

This was quite good.

She said, "Then change your clothes, and we'll go to grandmother's place."

After speaking, she called Liu Zi over, and said to Yuan Yunzhong, "Young Master Yuan, please go rest in the guest room for now. Once all the household chores are taken care of, I will invite my great uncle to accompany you and welcome you properly."

Yuan Yunzhong, who had been silent up until now, smiled slightly and said, "The old lady is sick. As a son-in-law, it wouldn't be proper for me to stay out of it. I should go with you to see her."

Madam Qian was overjoyed and said, "Proper etiquette must not be abandoned. It is exactly as it should be. The clan elders will be pleased to see it."

Song Jiyun gave Yuan Yunzhong a cool smile and said to her mother, "Young Master Yuan has traveled from afar. It's best for him to rest first. Besides, we still don't know the exact situation at old lady's place, and she might not appreciate visitors at her sickbed."

Madam Qian thought about it and found it very sensible, saying to Yuan Yunzhong, "Good child, you are considerate. You should rest first. You saw what happened today; my mother is a strong-willed person, so it's better not to trouble you."

Yuan Yunzhong, who previously had an unconcerned demeanor, now behaved with great grace and said, "Then I should definitely go, to avoid any criticism from the old lady."

Madam Qian was persuaded again, advising Song Jiyun, "Let him go with us! There are many people coming and going in this mansion, and it wouldn't be good if someone deliberately collided with him."

Song Jiyun felt a headache coming on and said, "Liu Zi will be with him."

Madam Qian said, "That's even less acceptable—Liu Zi can't speak."

Song Jiyun, seeing that Madam Qian was determined to bring Yuan Yunzhong and recalling how Yuan Yunzhong had unilaterally changed the 'script,' thought that even if he was pretending to cooperate, keeping him in sight might have its advantages. Reluctantly agreeing not to quarrel with her mother over this, she nodded, "Then we will wait outside for you."

Madam Qian went to the inner chamber satisfied to change clothes.

Song Jiyun's expression changed instantly, and in a low voice, she questioned Yuan Yunzhong, "What are you doing? Don't forget, Liang County is surrounded by mountains, and the water route is the most convenient way to go to the capital."

Yuan Yunzhong calmly refilled his tea cup and said, "It's hot weather. It should be more comfortable to keep more ice inside."

Song Jiyun sneered, "The ice in the memorial hall is unending. Tonight, Young Master Yuan can go help my younger sister keep the vigil then!"

Yuan Yunzhong took a sip of tea, savored it with his eyes closed, and said, "Okay! I will keep the vigil tonight."

He wasn't a real son-in-law anyway.

Song Jiyun said, "You wish!"

Yuan Yunzhong said, "Actually, I want to know how you aged the pine soot ink."

Song Jiyun responded, "Consider telling you when you leave."

If the play was ruined, leaving would naturally be indefinitely postponed.

The two exchanged barbs back and forth.

*

In the courtyard of Song Daliang, the main branch of the family, Song Daliang was humming a tune while combing his beard in front of the mirror.

Great Madam Madam Wang grew somewhat impatient and urged, "Master should hurry up! If madam wakes up, she'll lose her temper again."

Song Daliang disagreed nonchalantly, "Let her be angry. Doesn't she have the third son to take care of her? Just let the third son attend to her well."

Madam Wang frowned, not daring to say anything.

Song Tao hurried in, rustling the curtains of Xiangfei Bamboo.

"Father, mother!" she said, "I heard Younger Sister Yun suddenly has a fiancé, and it even made grandmother faint. Is it true?"

Her complexion was somewhat pale.

How could this be?

In her previous life, Song Jiyun had never married, nor had she been engaged.

Could it be because of her?

She had only impulsively mentioned Zeng Wenxing when her uncle and grandmother were discussing whom to marry Song Jiyun to, thinking of the past life...

But getting Song Jiyun married wasn't her idea, was it?

Where had things gone wrong?

Song Tao felt as if her heart was being fried.

She couldn't help but add, "Father, we don't even know what's going on with the fiancé Song Jiyun has come up with. But the Zeng Family, we know them thoroughly. If she marries into their family, we can still lend a hand."

The most important thing was that they could keep up to date with Song Jiyun's news.

Song Daliang's face darkened upon hearing this, "Long hair, short wit!"

He was the Song Family's eldest son. Since his younger brother had passed away, he should be the one in charge of the younger brother's properties and businesses. At most, he intended to share a bit with the third son to appease his heart.

Who knew that the third son had even bigger ambitions, persuaded his old mother, kicked him out of the equation, and collaborated with outsiders to divide his younger brother's properties?

No wonder when he fought to handle his younger brother's funeral, the third son didn't even fart.

It turned out they had already planned everything, using the small profits from the funeral to deceive him while they went for the bigger share.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, and with a "slap," he slapped Song Tao across the face, "What's always on your mind? Fiancé this, fiancé that, is that what a girl who hasn't left the household should talk about? Who the niece of the Song Family marries is none of your business! Are you resentful because your father hasn't arranged a marriage for you sooner?"

Song Tao's face immediately swelled.

She covered her face, disbelievingly staring at her father.

In her previous life, because she was a daughter, her father ignored her, but he had never hit her without questioning right from wrong, let alone hit her face!

Madam Wang immediately rushed over, cradling her daughter's head, and shouted at the maidservants urgently, "What are you all dazed about? Why aren't you fetching ice to apply to the third young miss's face right now?"

The servants in the room finally snapped out of their stupor and moved at the command.

Madam Wang was sobbing hysterically, "Heaven! Please open your eyes! In the past, he complained I only bore daughters and not sons, and I endured that. Now that my son is already ten years old, he still hits on a whim and scolds when displeased. I'm a daughter-in-law of the Song Family and it's my fate to endure this. But our daughter is a precious child, why should she lose face like this? How will she face others in the future!"

Song Tao couldn't help but hold her mother tightly, the burning pain spreading across her face and searing into her heart.

It was the same in her previous life.

Whenever she was helpless and alone, it was her mother who, as now, made a scene to help her through difficulties.

Her father was a bastard who, whenever trouble arose, only knew how to blame others, kicking and cursing without any ability or responsibility.

She had finally lived again, was she really to be treated lightly by her father like in her previous life?

She bit her lip, refusing to let tears fall.

In this second chance at life, no one would tread on her as they had in her previous life.

Not even her father!