Su Tan calmly accepted the silver bills. “Thank you, Zhanggui.”
The corners of Zhanggui’s eyes crinkled into deep folds with his smile. The bracelet was originally worth four thousand taels, but who would have thought that General Song, for the sake of Miss Liu, would insist on competing with his ex-wife today, allowing him to profit handsomely.
Once the uninvited guests had left, Su Tan picked out a few pieces of jewelry she liked for her sister-in-law and herself, bought a jade bracelet for Cui Wan, and stepping in front of Gu Mingzhu, paid for it herself.
Gu Mingzhu frowned and sighed, then thinking of what had just happened, felt both heartache for Su Tan and cursed Gu Tingchen several times for being worse than pigs and dogs.
Su Jinghong tugged at A Niang’s sleeve and couldn’t help but smile. “A Niang, Aunt doesn’t like that bracelet. Aunt did it on purpose.”
Of course, Gu Mingzhu knew Su Tan had done it intentionally, but she still felt a knot of frustration in her heart. “Even though we made Song Tingchen pay through the nose, isn’t this just letting Liu Qingyin off easy?”
Su Tan curled her lips slightly. The sunlight today was quite warm, and she squinted contentedly. “Just wait and see. Buying that jade bracelet might not turn out to be a good thing.”
Su Tan knew well that she had never been a good person, so why would she foolishly do something to let Liu Qingyin gloat?
That jade bracelet was never anything good in the first place.
…
Old Madam Song had been overjoyed when she left home earlier, but when she returned, her face was as long as a fiddle.
Even when Song Xiao called out to her, she ignored him.
Song Tingchen furrowed his brows, knowing his mother had always been frugal and her anger was understandable. He tried to comfort her, “Mother, times have changed. The Song family is no longer what it used to be.”
“The headdress I bought for you last month cost more than twenty-three thousand taels.”
Old Madam Song thought to herself, how could that compare? She was his mother, and it was only right for Tingchen to spend money on her.
“It’s not that I don’t want you to buy jewelry for Qingyin, but why did you have to be such a sucker? Spending five times the price to buy it—I think you’ve lost your mind!”
What worried Old Madam Song even more was that Song Tingchen had done it deliberately to provoke Su Tan. Didn’t that mean her son still had feelings for that woman? That would be a true case of losing the wife and suffering the loss!
“And you, Qingyin! I’ve always thought you were calm and steady, without those vain and frivolous flaws. How could even you be so unreasonable today!”
It wasn’t that she was unwilling to spend money on Liu Qingyin, but twenty-three thousand taels was simply too much!
Liu Qingyin’s eyes reddened, and she cautiously glanced at Song Tingchen. “Forget it, Brother Song, I… I don’t want this bracelet anymore. Let’s return it.”
“The receipt has already been torn up! What return?”
The more Old Madam Song thought about it, the angrier she became. She reached out to pinch Song Xiao’s cheek—it was all this unruly child’s fault!
Song Xiao dodged behind Song Tingchen, and Old Madam Song, unable to catch up, stumbled and twisted her waist. Her face immediately contorted in pain. “Ouch!”
“Auntie, what’s wrong?” Liu Qingyin hurried over, trying to support her.
Unexpectedly, Old Madam Song, still seething with anger, instinctively pushed her arm away.
Liu Qingyin instantly fell to the ground like a kite losing its balance. “My arm…”
Tears welled in Liu Qingyin’s eyes, her delicate face scrunched up tightly, her voice choked with sobs. This time, she was truly crying. She struggled to lift her arm, hissing in pain as her face twisted tightly once again.
“Brother Song, my arm…”
“My arm seems to be dislocated!”
“It hurts so much!”
Song Tingchen’s brow twitched violently. He turned to look at Song Mother, and though he was supporting her, his expression darkened involuntarily.
“Mother, what are you doing?”
“Even if you’re upset, you shouldn’t treat Qingyin like this.”
Judging by Liu Qingyin’s current state, she was likely seriously injured.
He gestured for the maids and attendants beside Old Madam Song to help her sit down, then with a stern face, he reset Liu Qingyin’s dislocated hand. “Bear with it.”
“Ah!”
Liu Qingyin’s tears fell pattering down from the pain, feeling as if she might faint from the agony. Yet even so, she didn’t dare vent her anger at the instigator, only sobbing intermittently to express her discontent.
Song Tingchen’s frown deepened further. He had already sent for the physician. “Mother, you’ve gone too far today.”
Old Madam Song found it hard to explain herself. “I…”
“I didn’t mean to hurt Qingyin! I didn’t use much force at all!”
She had merely blocked with her hand and then lightly pushed Liu Qingyin. She swore she hadn’t used much strength and didn’t understand how Liu Qingyin could have fallen so severely as to dislocate her arm.
Seeing the frail Liu Qingyin crying so pitifully, Old Madam Song felt inexplicably irritated. “Qingyin, child, stop crying!”
“I truly didn’t use force earlier. I don’t know what’s wrong with you!”
Old Madam Song even wondered if Liu Qingyin, fearing she would hold a grudge over the expensive jade bracelet incident, was deliberately putting on this act of suffering in front of her.
But upon careful thought, it seemed unlikely.
Old Madam Song wanted to reach out and call Liu Qingyin to her side, but the movement strained her waist. “Aiyo!”
“Oh, my old back!”
Song Xiao blinked, not understanding why suddenly both his grandmother and Aunt Qing were in such pain.
He opened his mouth, only to feel a cold gust of wind rush in, followed by tears streaming down his face. Clutching his cheek, he wailed in agony.
“Wahh!”
“Father, it hurts so much!”
“My tooth, my tooth aches! It feels like hundreds of ants are biting it!”
Song Tingchen’s brow twitched violently again.
He turned to hurry the servants to fetch the physician quickly. As he reached the doorway, the plaque above the warm chamber suddenly fell, striking him squarely on the shoulder.
The three people in the room were instantly stunned.
“Father!”
“Brother Song!”
“Tingchen!”