Song Xiao’s tears fell pattering down.
He instinctively turned to look at Su Tan’s expression.
If it were before, whenever he got the slightest bump or bruise, Su Tan would surely look heartbroken. Unfortunately, now, Su Tan’s face showed neither sorrow nor joy, merely watching this farce calmly.
Song Xiao turned his head away, bit his lip hard, snorted, and said, “I won’t!”
“She is a bad woman!”
“I hate her, I hate her!”
“I loathe her to death; she isn’t even worth a single strand of Aunt Qing’s hair!”
Liu Qingyin’s face showed a hint of smugness, yet she cast a pitying glance at Su Tan before slightly furrowing her brows. “Xiao Xiao, don’t say that. Your A Niang will be sad if she hears it.”
Sad?
Su Tan raised an eyebrow. In the past, she would indeed have been sad.
But now, whether it was due to the influence of cultivating the Path of Emotionlessness or because she had long been disillusioned with Song Xiao, her sensitivity to emotions had significantly diminished compared to before.
Rather than worrying about sadness, she was more interested in seeing how long Song Xiao could keep up his stubbornness.
Just as Song Xiao had never cared for her, his mother, now when Su Tan saw him crying and his reddened eyes, she merely shook her head.
Hong Ge’er kept a stern face. He had never seen such an unfilial child as Song Xiao. If he had ever spoken to his own mother like that, not only would his teacher have broken the ruler in punishment, but he himself would have been too ashamed to live. “Song Xiao, apologize!”
Song Xiao was in so much pain that cold sweat was about to drip from his forehead, yet he stubbornly turned his head away. “I won’t!”
The standoff lasted for a quarter of an hour. The crowd watching inside Zhuhua Zhai grew larger and larger. Old Madam Song, distressed for her grandson, tried to step forward several times but was held back each time.
She wailed and wiped her tears, crying, “There’s no justice! The Su family is letting the older bully the younger!”
Gu Mingzhu cast a cold glance at the old woman, a mocking smile on her lips, though her voice remained gentle and polite. “Old Madam, the two children are just playing around.”
“Look at Xiao Xiao’s size, and then look at Hong Ge’er. How could he possibly bully Xiao Xiao?”
Most of the patrons at Zhuhua Zhai were either young, beautiful ladies or influential matrons sent by their households to fetch jewelry for their mistresses.
They had no way of knowing that Hong Ge’er, though lean, was trained in martial arts, with a strong and upright posture, and had long mastered the use of clever force. In contrast, Song Xiao was entirely flabby, all show and no substance.
“This Old Madam is really something. The two children are just playing, and she’s making such a fuss!”
…
“What older bullying the younger? The older one is so thin; how could he possibly bully the younger one?”
…
“I think that younger one just needs a lesson. If my son dared to point at my nose and call me a bad woman, and even compare me to some vixen, I’d disown him and have him beaten to death.”
…
“I’d say raising a son like that is worse than raising a piece of roasted meat!”
Every word from the onlookers struck the Song family’s ears. Old Madam Song was so angry her chest hurt, and she nearly collapsed.
“What do any of you know!”
“That woman and my son are already Divorced. What my grandson said is the truth! They are the ones bullying my grandson!”
Old Madam Song thought that by saying this, everyone would side with her and scorn Su Tan.
Who would have thought a splendidly dressed matron immediately retorted, “What’s wrong with divorce? In this day and age, unless a man acts inhumanely, why would a decent woman ever seek divorce?”
This statement instantly gained approval from many women present.
Indeed, times were hard, and women already struggled to survive. Unless a man drove his wife to the brink of despair in her marital home, why would she insist on divorce?
Gu Mingzhu wiped her tears, “Old Madam, you should speak reasonably. My sister married into your Song family with a lavish dowry spanning ten miles, yet when she divorced, she was left penniless. Poor thing—she didn’t want to burden her natal family and had to make a living with her senior martial sister.”
“Even if my sister had countless faults, she is still Song Xiao’s birth mother. How could he call her a ‘bad woman’ repeatedly? What’s wrong with my son teaching him a lesson?”
As Gu Mingzhu wept, her maid Cuiliu also began to cry.
“Our young lady is truly pitiful—a proud daughter of heaven married to the wrong man, fell among a pack of jackals, and gave birth to an ungrateful wretch!”
Master and servant echoed each other, each word striking at the heart.
Their words stirred the ladies and madams of Zhuhua Zhai to scorn the Song family repeatedly. Were it not for their upbringing, they would have gladly beaten the Songs on Su Tan’s behalf.
Su Tan fell into thought.
In the past, whenever Liu Qingyin shed tears, everything would become Su Tan’s fault.
She had thought tears only worked on men, but now it seemed that if one cried quickly enough and had justice on their side, even women would be moved to compassion.
Song Xiao grew anxious.
He didn’t understand why so many people were looking at him with such disdainful eyes, cursing him as an “ungrateful wretch” just like those at the academy.
Hong Ge’er tightened his grip, staring coldly at Song Xiao, “Will you apologize or not?”
The pain became unbearable for Song Xiao. His lips quivered, and tears pattered down.
“I was wrong!”
Though his words admitted fault, his eyes glared fiercely at Su Tan, his face stubborn and unyielding.
Naturally unsatisfied, Hong Ge’er increased the pressure, “Your apology lacks sincerity. Say it again.”
The agony felt like a knife slowly slicing his flesh—Song Xiao couldn’t endure it any longer.
Trembling, he no longer dared to yell at Su Tan or call her a bad woman.
He hung his head, tears soaking his collar, “I’m sorry…”
Finally, Hong Ge’er released him, though his young face remained stern, “From now on, remember to show extra respect when you see your A Niang. Don’t let me hear you call her a bad woman again.”
Otherwise, he would have to continue fulfilling his duty as an elder cousin and properly educate his unruly younger cousin.
Song Xiao pouted, stealing sidelong glances at Su Tan.
Unfortunately, Su Tan remained unmoved, not even noticing Song Xiao. Instead, she bent down to tidy Hong Ge’er’s hair at his temples.
Song Xiao couldn’t hold back anymore. He threw himself into Old Madam Song’s arms and burst into loud sobs.
Liu Qingyin’s expression tightened. She glanced at Song Tingchen, but his face remained as cold as ice, with no intention of reprimanding Su Tan.
Biting her lip, Liu Qingyin knew that prolonging the standoff would only humiliate her further. She said, “Brother Song, let’s go.”
Song Tingchen’s gaze was frosty, “Today, we came to buy jewelry for you. Don’t let irrelevant people ruin your mood.”
He deliberately emphasized the word “irrelevant.”
Unfortunately, Su Tan had already turned and headed upstairs, not bothering to spare them a single glance.
“Exactly!”
Old Madam Song gritted her teeth and deliberately raised her voice: “Qingyin is beautiful, gentle, sensible, and generous! Some people couldn’t compare to her even after ten lifetimes of reincarnation!”
“Qingyin, pick whatever you like today – take your time choosing!”
Song Xiao, suppressing his anger, also spoke loudly: “Yes! I’ll use my New Year’s money to buy Aunt Qing a big bracelet!”
He hurried upstairs and, seeing Su Tan holding a jade hairpin, immediately snatched it from her hands. “Aunt Qing, this will look beautiful on you!”