“The book Da Sheng Law: Household and Marriage Code was among the ones I asked you to bring me before. I casually flipped through it while I was sick and bored, and happened to remember this rule!”
Song Zhuangzhuang could not read. In her previous life, when she was ill, she only asked her to bring books from the Song family study. She had no idea what books she had actually read.
“Moreover, everything I said is true. I did not deceive anyone!”
“The Da Sheng Law: Household and Marriage Code clearly states this, but ordinary commoners rarely come into contact with it.”
She paused and looked out the window at the street scene, her voice lowering slightly.
“As for pretending to cry…”
“Sometimes, showing weakness is more powerful than showing strength. The world sympathizes with the weak. Since I am in the right, why not make use of that sympathy to completely end these rumors?”
Song Zhuangzhuang nodded vaguely, only feeling that her young lady seemed different after being rescued from her illness.
Her eyes were firmer, her thoughts more meticulous—like she had grown up overnight.
But she did not think too much about it. This was good—simple-minded and strong.
That was also why Song Nianyun was still willing to keep her by her side as a personal maid…
If it were someone too clever, living together day and night, her identity would have long been exposed…
…
The Chen family walked for an entire day before finally seeing the old locust tree at the entrance of Chen Village.
Under the tree sat villagers chatting idly as usual.
The three of them, dirty and exhausted, stumbled into view, immediately attracting attention.
The chatter stopped abruptly. All eyes turned toward them.
“Well, if it isn’t Old Gen’s family? Weren’t you taken to the Song residence to enjoy a good life? How did you end up like this?”
A gossiping woman laughed as she spoke.
Liu Shi felt humiliated. Being driven out by her future daughter-in-law—how could she possibly admit it?
She had previously boasted in the village endlessly, saying her son was the top scholar of the county exam and that the Song family girl was completely under her control, even claiming she would become a noble official’s mother-in-law.
Now, it felt like her face had been torn off and trampled into the ground.
She tugged at Chen Laogen’s sleeve, trying to slip away.
“It’s nothing… just fell on the road.”
“Fell?” someone sneered. “You fell into this state?”
Another man chuckled.
“Old Gen, don’t tell me you were kicked out by the Song family?”
Those words struck like a slap.
The Chen family’s faces turned bright red, and they said nothing as they walked forward.
Now everyone understood—they had clearly been driven back!
Liu Shi had always been arrogant in the village, and seeing her downfall, many felt secretly pleased.
The gossiping woman raised her voice deliberately:
“Oh my! So you really were kicked out! Didn’t you boast that the Song family’s young lady was desperate to marry your son? And that you’d be an official’s mother-in-law? Turns out it was all your own bragging!”
“Exactly! Look at them, all dirty and miserable—must’ve gone to extort money and got kicked out!”
“This is karma!”
Mocking voices rained down on them like cold drops of water, forcing the Chen family to walk faster and faster.
Finally, they slammed the door shut once inside their shabby house, as if that could shut out the ridicule of the world.
The house was filled with cobwebs, a broken table, crooked stools, and a thick smell of mold and dust.
Compared to the luxurious Song residence, it was heaven and earth apart.
Liu Shi collapsed onto the dusty kang bed, crying bitterly.
“If we hadn’t lived in the Song residence, this would’ve been normal… but after enjoying that life, how can we go back to this!”
Chen Laogen sat silently at the door, smoking dry tobacco, staring at the barren yard.
Chen Chunhua wiped dust from the bed, her eyes red with grievance.
“Mother, stop crying! Once brother becomes a scholar, we’ll leave this place! Then I’ll make that Song Nianyun kneel in front of us!”
These words reignited Liu Shi’s hope.
“Yes… yes! My son will definitely succeed!”
But reality soon crushed their illusions.
That night, wind howled through broken windows. The family huddled under damp, moldy quilts, unable to sleep.
No warm bedding, no incense, no comfort—only cold and hardship.
Meanwhile, Chen Younli sat in his room studying, but the wind leaked through the broken window, shaking the oil lamp flame.
He wrapped himself tightly in his patched robe, yet still felt bone-chilling cold.
The paper on his desk was rough and yellow, nothing like the fine paper from the Song residence. The ink was cheap and foul-smelling.
He tried to focus, but all he could see was the humiliation from earlier that day.
“Smack.”
A drop of ink fell, staining the paper.
He slammed the brush down.
All his years of studying had been for the day he would rise above others.
But now, without the Song family’s support, even basic supplies were a problem, let alone travel expenses for exams.
He closed his eyes, then opened them again—only darkness and obsession remained.
“Song Nianyun…”
“You think you can refuse me?”
“I will still marry you.”
His eyes turned dark and twisted.
“You will wear phoenix coronet and wedding robes and enter my Chen household.”
“And then… today’s humiliation, I will make you repay it every night—kneeling by my bedside.”