Hearing this, Song Mingsi lifted her eyes slightly and looked at Chun Xia in the mirror, saying, "It is naturally a good thing that Second Uncle's flesh and blood can return to their ancestors. I am overjoyed, so what is there to worry about?"
Though she spoke of joy, there was not a hint of happiness in her voice.
Chun Xia wore a worried expression. The Eldest Young Lady was still young, gentle in nature, and had been protected too well; how could she understand the intricate schemes within these high-walled mansions?
In the mirror, Song Mingsi lowered her eyelashes, her gaze falling upon her slender white fingers resting on her knees, her expression calm.
What was there to worry about? Although Second Uncle had a son and a daughter, his little daughter was ill-fated and died young before reaching adulthood, never even setting foot in the Capital City.
Even though the eldest son, Song Yili, had achieved academic success by taking the top spot in the imperial examinations, he was a sickly person who relied on medicine year-round and was ultimately a short-lived soul with no fortune to enjoy his success.
The whole family were just short-lived ghosts.
……
Madam Gu packed the luggage for the three of them. There was not much luggage, just a few changes of clothes.
The interior of the carriage was spacious, more than enough for four people to sit, while Wang Yi and Wang Er sat at the front, acting as coachmen.
Inside the carriage, Song Yi'an, relying on her youth, was not at all shy. As soon as she got on, she looked around curiously, touching here and pressing there with her small hands. The soft touch of the blanket under her feet made her think of storing it in her Space.
This was a good item; the Song Manor was truly, truly wealthy. Even the carriage was lined with high-quality fur, and the air was scented with elegant incense.
Opposite her, Nanny Zhou took in this ignorant display, her brows furrowing imperceptibly, and the disdain in her heart grew a little more.
The Eldest Young Master was at least obedient; look at how properly he sat.
Just as she felt a bit of comfort, the next moment, Nanny Zhou saw Song Yi'an pull her brother's hand and press it onto the soft blanket under their feet without any explanation.
"Brother, touch this, isn't it very soft and smooth?"
Song Yili was initially a bit reserved, but the unfamiliar sensation from his fingertips made his eyes widen slightly, and he nodded with a flushed face: "Mm!"
She moved her gaze away calmly, deciding in her heart that upon returning to the manor, she must immediately inform the Prime Minister to separate the Eldest Young Master and the Little Miss, otherwise the Eldest Young Master would sooner or later be led astray by this wild girl.
There was one more thing.
Nanny Zhou's gaze fell on the pitch-black thing in Song Yi'an's arms, her brows knitting tightly together. She covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief, her voice filled with undisguised disgust: "Why bring this dog along? Find a place to throw it away soon, lest it bring sickness."
Xiao Bai seemed to understand these words; its small body shivered, and it burrowed into Song Yi'an's arms, leaving its round bottom facing Nanny Zhou.
Song Yi'an raised her small face: "Nanny, Xiao Bai is our family. How can you say such things? Xiao Bai will be sad."
Nanny Zhou was choked by her words, her expression darkening.
In her view, livestock were just livestock and could not be associated with the word "family," especially a stray dog of unknown origin.
But arguing about this with a yellow-haired girl at this moment would be beneath her status.
She only said coldly: "It is but a piece of livestock, how can it be family? If it startles the horses, dirties the carriage, or offends a noble in the manor, do not blame this old servant for not having warned you."
This was already a warning.
Song Yi'an, however, seemed not to understand the severity of the situation and just smiled as she stroked Xiao Bai's head: "Our Xiao Bai is very well-behaved, it wouldn't do that."
Xiao Bai: "Woof, woof, woof."
Madam Gu, listening from the side, was startled and secretly tugged at her daughter's sleeve, signaling her to say less.
Recently, Er Ya had become very bold.
Since Madam Gu stopped her from speaking, Song Yi'an had no choice but to lean against the carriage window, watching the scenery receding outside.
But before long, because they had risen early in the morning and her body was still small, the drowsiness brought on by the bumpy carriage ride surged up.
She leaned against Madam Gu's side, holding the soft Xiao Bai in her arms, her head nodding, and eventually fell into a deep sleep.
Song Yili had initially tried to stay awake, but seeing his sister asleep and Nanny Zhou closing her eyes to rest, the carriage was silent, and he was gradually lulled by the monotonous rhythm, leaning against his mother and falling asleep.
Although Nanny Zhou had her eyes closed, she was not asleep.
She occasionally lifted her eyelids a crack, her gaze sweeping over the sleeping siblings opposite her and the heavy-hearted Madam Gu, before closing them again.
Madam Gu held her two children, her thoughts heavy.
Back then, in order to marry her, Zhi Wen did not hesitate to sever his father-son relationship with his father, Song Chengyu, swearing never to step foot in the Song Family again for the rest of his life.
After Zhi Wen died, Madam Gu had sent a letter to inform the Song Family, but many years had passed, and the letter was like a stone sinking into the ocean.
Now, the Eldest Master of the Song Family had suddenly changed his mind and taken the initiative to bring them back to the Song Family. If the Song Family truly wanted to vent their anger over Zhi Wen's death on her, she would accept it; her life was not worth much.
But if the Eldest Master vented his anger on Yi'an and Yili, and the other party was a powerful Prime Minister, how could she protect the two of them...
Madam Gu dared not think further and could only take things one step at a time.
After traveling for half a day, at noon, the carriage stopped at a roadside tea stall for a short rest.
Song Yi'an and Song Yili were awakened, and the two of them rubbed their eyes groggily as they got out of the carriage.
The tea stall was simple, selling only coarse tea and hard, dry flour cakes.
Wang Yi asked the tea stall owner for a few bowls of tea and some flour cakes.
Song Yi'an had her own plans; she pretended to rummage through her small bundle, but actually took the water bottle filled with Spirit Spring from her Space.
She pulled out the stopper and drank a few mouthfuls, a clear, moist, and gentle energy instantly surging into her lungs, sweeping away the double fatigue of spirit and body brought on by the carriage journey.
She handed the water bottle to her mother and brother beside her, signaling them to drink some as well.
Madam Gu and Song Yili thought it was ordinary clear water, and after drinking it, they also felt refreshed, their thirst instantly quenched, attributing it to the rest.
The few bowls of tea Wang Yi bought were murky and dark; apart from Wang Er picking up a bowl and gulping it down to quench his thirst, no one else touched them.
Nanny Zhou only glanced at the stains on the rim of the coarse pottery bowl and the color of the tea, then looked away.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, Song Yi'an squatted under the shade of a tree by the carriage, put Xiao Bai down, and secretly fed it some Spirit Water from her palm from the Space.
The little fellow licked it happily, its tail wagging rapidly.
Just then, another carriage approached the tea stall.
Judging by the regulations of the carriage, although it was not as large as the Song Manor's carriage, it was decorated quite well, looking like the entourage of some official's family.
In that group, the curtain of a slightly smaller green-canopied carriage was lifted by a small hand wearing a gold bracelet, and a girl jumped down.
She looked to be about the same age as Song Yi'an, dressed in bright silk clothes, a lotus-root pink shirt paired with an apricot-yellow skirt, with exquisite intertwined flowers embroidered on the collar and cuffs.
As soon as she got off the carriage, her eyes looked around curiously, eventually landing on Song Yi'an, who was squatting in the shade teasing the dog, and the black, fuzzy thing in her arms, her eyes revealing undisguised novelty.
Song Yi'an was scratching Xiao Bai's chin when a crisp, childish voice suddenly rang in her ears.
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