Songyin’s arm had already been bandaged.
Xie Jiyan was only twelve years old and timid by nature, so the blow hadn’t been too severe. Although she had bled quite a bit, it wasn’t serious enough to damage tendons or bones—a few days of rest would suffice.
However, in her previous life, Jiang Tan’er, claiming to have her best interests at heart, had insisted she rest for three months, which also meant delaying the Old Imperial Uncle’s illness by three months.
Back then, she truly believed Jiang Tan’er cared for her. Now, looking back, it was clear Jiang Tan’er had merely used her injury to pin the blame on the Xie family.
She turned to leave.
Seeing Songyin about to depart, Jiang Tan’er grew anxious but couldn’t bring herself to continue coaxing her.
“Sister A’yin!” Jiang Tan’er called out again. “You really aren’t the Xie family’s daughter—you’re overthinking this!”
After finding Eldest Young Master Xie’s pouch that day, she had made up an excuse to take away Songyin’s tattered cloth as well. Now, without any evidence, how could the Xie family possibly acknowledge her?
Moreover, the incident that embarrassed the Xie family’s young lady was also caused by Songyin’s medicine.
Although there was no proof, the Xie family knew it in their hearts—otherwise, Xie Jiyan wouldn’t have slashed Songyin with a sword.
With new grievances and old scores, even if the Xie family discovered Songyin was their biological daughter, they would likely sever ties with her!
“You have nowhere to go. If you grow tired of being outside, come back. Our Jiang family will always welcome you! I won’t blame you for what happened this time, and I won’t tell my second brother either,” Jiang Tan’er added.
Songyin didn’t look back.
But hearing Jiang Tan’er’s words reminded her of something.
During this period, she and Second Young Master Jiang had developed “mutual affection.” Already close with Jiang Tan’er, this verbal engagement brought her even closer to the Jiang family. Yet, later, when Jiang Erlang passed the imperial examinations with distinction, he was bestowed in marriage to County Princess Zhaokang, the Old Imperial Uncle’s granddaughter.
The Jiang family claimed it was an imperial decree and could not be refused.
What nonsense.
Remembering this Jiang Erlang, Songyin quickened her pace.
Outside, the sky was growing late.
Although it was the beginning of summer, a rain had swept through the night before, so the sunlight today wasn’t harsh, and the wind carried a lingering chill of spring.
Jiang Tan’er was right about one thing: she was alone, without even a place to stay. When she first set out to search for her relatives, she had only two or three hundred taels of silver on her, and that money had long been given to Jiang Tan’er to open a shop when they met.
Jiang Tan’er had mentioned giving her a share of the profits…
But she hadn’t taken it!
Instead, she had gently and magnanimously said, “Since we’re friends, why bother about such a small sum?”
Later, she helped Jiang Tan’er with pharmaceuticals and treated patients according to Jiang Tan’er’s instructions. But in others’ eyes, she was merely Jiang Tan’er’s assistant—all the credit went to Jiang Tan’er, and everything she did was only paving the way for Jiang Tan’er, bringing her no personal reward.
Touched by her dedication, Jiang Tan’er decided to give her a monthly allowance of one tael of silver…
Such a loss-making endeavor was truly moving.
“…” Songyin felt nauseated.
When she was with her master, he said she had a stubborn, ruthless temper like a mule. Yet, after meeting Jiang Tan’er, she had somehow learned to be sincere, kind, and selfless!
Reaching into her robe, she found the “monthly allowance” she had just received.
Today, she had planned to visit the pharmacy to buy herbs for brewing Weight Loss Tea. A few days ago, at a banquet, Jiang Tan’er had met a friend—a girl who was quite overweight. Jiang Tan’er had volunteered, saying she knew a way to treat the condition.
Whenever Jiang Tan’er spoke up, she would act without complaint or regret.
Even in her past life, she had greatly admired Jiang Tan’er’s willingness to help others, believing in her kindness.
Songyin sighed silently to herself. The clearer her mind became, the more she felt that her former self—tolerant, gentle, and generous—had lost her most precious sense of judgment.
For now, the Weight Loss Tea was naturally not being made. Songyin casually found an inn to stay in for the night.
Early the next morning, at the Xie residence.
Xie Jiyan stood there with his head bowed, his face pale and tense, looking miserable.
Beside him, Xie Heng was both furious and anxious, pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan, his hands rubbed red from worry.
“The Old Imperial Uncle suffers from migraines. He has seen many physicians over the years, but none have been able to cure him. The physician you injured yesterday seemed quite skilled. I heard she only performed acupuncture on the Old Imperial Uncle once and managed to alleviate some of his symptoms. Why did you have to injure her arm, of all places? How are we going to explain this to the Old Imperial Uncle?”
Xie Heng was terrified, so much so that he hadn’t slept well the previous night.
He also knew that someone would surely come to hold them accountable today, so he dared not go anywhere.
“Erlang acted rashly, but there were understandable reasons. The only way now is to apologize sincerely. I heard that physician is a servant of the Jiang family’s young lady. Why don’t we send someone to inquire about her injury—how serious it is, how many days it will take to heal, and what medicines she needs? We can find them. If we approach this humbly and respectfully, there might still be room for negotiation. However, this will require Yue’er to endure some hardship.” Madam Meng frowned, looking helplessly at her daughter as she spoke.
Xie Yingyue was the daughter of Madam Meng and her previous husband.
Shortly after Xie Yingyue was born, her biological father favored his concubine over his wife. Madam Meng divorced him, and the child naturally remained with the father’s family. However, within two or three years, Xie Yingyue’s biological father passed away, and his family no longer wanted her. That was when she sought refuge with Madam Meng, who had remarried Xie Heng.
Xie Heng treated her as his own daughter, and within two years, she changed her name and was added to the Xie family register.
At this moment, Xie Yingyue’s eyes were still red.
“Mother, it was all my fault for impulsively mocking Miss Jiang a few days ago, which led to this disaster. I am willing to apologize.” Xie Yingyue felt wronged, but considering the family’s situation, she still spoke up.
The Xie family was not a centuries-old noble clan.
In fact, they had come into their marquis title through sheer luck.
Fifteen years ago, the Xie family were still commoners. At that time, Xie Heng wasn’t even called Xie Heng—his name was Xie Dazhuang, a poor man who made a living polishing mirrors and repairing hinges.
Unexpectedly, when the Emperor ascended the throne, he posthumously honored his birth mother, who happened to be Xie Dazhuang’s aunt, selected to serve as a palace maid in her youth.
Out of gratitude to his birth mother, the Emperor elevated the Xie family.
Seeing that his cousin Xie Dazhuang was honest and the only remaining member of the Xie family, the Emperor generously bestowed a new name upon him. Hearing that Xie Dazhuang’s first wife had passed away, the Emperor also arranged for him to marry a daughter of the Meng family as his second wife.
However, the Meng family was reluctant to let their legitimate daughter suffer, so they married off Madam Meng, a concubine-born daughter who had returned home after her divorce, to the Xie family.
Although the Xie family held a noble title and were distantly related to the Emperor, Xie Heng lacked talent. For many years, he had never been summoned by the Emperor again, so…
The Xie family’s status was awkward.
Xie Heng came from a humble background and was accustomed to feeling inferior.
Upon arriving in the capital, he felt surrounded by nobility everywhere. At first, he would bow and kneel to anyone he met. Only after studying etiquette and rules at the imperial academy for many years did he realize he now held some status, allowing him to speak with a slightly straighter back.
But when facing members of the imperial family, he still dared not breathe too loudly.
Although Xie Heng was timid, his elder brother, Xie Jiling, was the complete opposite.
“You may be willing to apologize, but you must also see whether Miss Jiang is willing to accept it,” Xie Jiling said with an impassive expression, showing no extra emotion. “If Old Imperial Uncle wishes to punish, let him punish. At most, he’ll give Second Brother a few strikes with the rod or make him kneel in reflection—it won’t cost him his life. But if we lower our heads to that poison-administering physician, that would be a loss of integrity and an embarrassment to His Majesty. I do not agree.”
“In the past, whenever you made a mistake, you would hide for a while. This time, however, you’ve shown some improvement by not running away,” Xie Jiling’s tone carried a hint of approval. “If you had run, that would have been a sign of guilt, and that would have been truly troublesome.”