The third son, Lu Yue, was the cleverest among the children and had excelled in his studies since childhood.
Therefore, even during the family’s most difficult times over the years, Song Jinyao had never let this son go without education.
She sent him to the best Sishu in town, provided him with high-quality writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones—whatever was related to his studies, Song Jinyao granted without hesitation.
Moreover, last year, she spent a substantial betrothal gift to help him marry the only daughter of the Sishu’s elderly teacher.
She had always hoped that one day, this son, on whom she placed great expectations, would earn a Gongming and elevate the Lu family’s status.
But in the end, all of Lu Yue’s cleverness was used to scheme against his own mother!
In her previous life, Lu Yue did indeed achieve Gongming, enjoyed glory, and held high positions of power. However, due to his excessive ambition for fame and gain, his official rank was repeatedly demoted.
By the time she died, he had been reduced to a mere Seventh-Rank Official.
Sitting in the position of a Local Official, he exploited the people and amassed wealth, living in such extravagance within his small Seventh-Rank Official’s residence that it rivaled the luxury of wealthy households in Jing City.
Despite being immensely wealthy, he still refused to cover his mother’s meager funeral expenses!
Instead, he brought Lu Xiuyuan and that mistress into his home, treating them as honored guests and providing for them in their old age.
Yet, these were not the primary reasons Song Jinyao developed such overwhelming hatred for her own son.
Before her death in her previous life, she could never understand how Lu Xiuyuan, that foolish old man with questionable intelligence, could have conceived the idea of faking his death using the Jinchantuoqiao tactic.
It was only during her three years as a wandering spirit that she discovered it was all the doing of this ungrateful third son, who had masterminded the plan from behind the scenes!
The more Song Jinyao thought about it, the colder her heart grew.
The more she reflected, the more intense her hatred became, to the point that her eyes turned bloodshot.
Lu Yue, feeling his mother’s unwavering gaze, grew intensely wary.
He muttered to himself: Could Mother have noticed something amiss?
His hands clenched tightly beneath his sleeves, and fine beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead from nervousness.
“Mother?”
Lu Yue uncomfortably touched his face. “Is there something on my face? Why do you keep staring at me?”
Suddenly.
Song Jinyao felt as if her heart had been slashed open.
A cold wind seemed to rush inside.
An overwhelming sense of fatigue washed over her.
In an instant, she lost all interest in confronting these ungrateful sons.
She rubbed her forehead, concealed the hatred in her eyes, and waved her hand.
“Let’s discuss the matter of dividing the family later. I’m tired and need to rest. Tomorrow, the eldest son will receive the mourners, so tonight, the second, third, and fourth sons will keep vigil for your father in the Ling Tang.”
With that, Song Jinyao asked her second daughter to support her back to her room to rest.
She needed to return and carefully consider how to proceed from here.
Earlier, she had acted out of anger, unwilling to divide the family.
But upon calming down.
Song Jinyao realized that keeping these three ungrateful sons by her side.
Would be like raising tigers to eventual disaster.
As she left the Ling Tang, Song Jinyao glanced at the Coffin Guo.
She thought to herself, how wonderful it would be if that coffin truly contained Lu Xiuyuan, that old man.
She would set it on fire right then and there, reducing that old scoundrel to ashes!
Back in her room.
Her second daughter, who had been at odds with her over the marriage arrangements these past days, set aside their disagreements to serve her tea and water, attending to her with meticulous care as she prepared for bed.
Song Jinyao’s eyes grew warm with emotion. In her previous life, she should never have favored sons over daughters.
For the sake of those three ungrateful sons, she had needlessly sacrificed her two daughters’ lifelong happiness.
As she urged her second daughter to return to her own room to rest, Song Jinyao finally spoke.
“Second Daughter, if you truly don’t wish to go through with that marriage arrangement, after your father’s funeral and burial, Mother will find a way to cancel it.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Wenhui instantly burst into loud sobs, the grievances of many days flooding out like a bursting dam.
“Mother—”
“Enough, we’ll discuss matters tomorrow. I’m utterly exhausted today. You may leave.”
“Your eldest sister should return tomorrow. Remember to rise early and help with the household preparations. After all, she’s married now, so it’s inconvenient for her to handle many matters directly.”
“Also, with many people coming and going these days, tell Baizhi to keep a close watch on your younger brother. Don’t let him wander off and get lost.”
After her youngest son had become simple-minded, in her previous life she had felt ashamed and kept the child confined within the estate. The child had been obedient, remaining day after day in that small world without crying or fussing.
In this life, Song Jinyao thought, she ought to let that child experience the bright sunshine and appreciate the beauty of mountains and rivers.
But ultimately, the household would be chaotic these next few days. After some thought, Song Jinyao sighed—better keep him confined for a few more days.
Lu Wenhui wiped her tears and nodded repeatedly.
“Mother, don’t worry. Your daughter will help my brothers properly arrange Father’s funeral and take good care of Younger Brother. Please don’t grieve too much. Though Father has passed, you still have us.”
Song Jinyao pulled the covers over herself and lay down. Grieve?
Bullshit!
That old, lecherous wretch—if he were truly dead, it would be for the best.
The next day.
During Si Geng Tian, Song Jinyao rose.
This was the time when people were most drowsy.
Sure enough, when she arrived at the Ling Tang, the Changming Lantern before the Coffin Guo had already gone out.
The three unfilial sons were sprawled in deep sleep.
There’s a folk belief that during the three-day vigil, the Changming Lantern must never be extinguished, or else the deceased’s soul would lose its way on the Yellow Springs path, becoming a lonely ghost or even dispersing entirely.
But the three rebellious sons knew perfectly well that the body in the Ling Tang wasn’t their biological father’s—how could they possibly be truly diligent?
Song Jinyao had long anticipated this outcome.
In her previous life, she, Song Jinyao, had personally kept vigil.
Not a single mishap had occurred.
In this life, she no longer devoted herself wholeheartedly, and indeed, the outcome was different.
Her eyes darting, she picked up a basin of cold water and doused the three scoundrels awake.
“Unfilial sons! Is this how you keep vigil for your father?”
Before her three sons could speak, Song Jinyao preemptively began scolding them.
“Mother, we—we didn’t mean to. Please, please don’t be angry.”
“We’ll relight Father’s lamp right away. Please calm down.”
“This time we’ll definitely guard Father’s lamp properly. We promise nothing will go wrong again.” Even the usually reckless Fourth Son raised his hand in oath this time.
Song Jinyao sneered, her anger simmering as she found a stool to sit on. “It’s already out. What use is relighting it now?”
“It is useful, it is useful. It’ll surely be fine. Your son will light the lamp right away.”
Saying this, the three sons, full of remorse, hurriedly went to light the lamp.
The extinguishing of the Changming Lantern was indeed no small matter. That Mother was angry didn’t seem at all unreasonable to the three brothers.
They had thought that lighting the lamp would appease Song Jinyao’s anger. For now, the old mother must not be provoked—she needed to be coaxed until the family division proceeded smoothly.
But just as the three had lit the lamp, they heard Song Jinyao let out a loud, wailing cry.
“Waaah— Old man, it’s my fault! I failed to raise our three sons properly, causing your eternal flame to extinguish. If you can’t find your way, won’t you become a wandering ghost, doomed to vanish forever?”
The moment Song Jinyao began wailing, the second, third, and fourth sons felt chills running down their spines.
Their father was currently living comfortably with his second family outside and had no intention of returning home.
But they couldn’t say this—revealing the truth would ruin their entire plan.
Yet if they let Song Jinyao continue crying like this, outsiders might hear.
How could they ever hold their heads high again?
The three sons scratched their heads anxiously.
“Mother, it’s our fault. You’ve seen much of the world—is there any way to remedy this? We absolutely don’t want Father to become a wandering ghost.”
“Just tell us what to do, we’ll listen to you. Please, Mother, stop crying.”
Song Jinyao wiped her tears, inwardly delighted.
She had been waiting for these very words.
“I’ve heard that if we bury all the family’s wealth as burial goods, the deceased can use it to bribe other spirits and find the path to reincarnation.”
“But this means you’d leave the family division empty-handed. I wonder if you’re willing?”
Bury everything?
With the family’s improved financial situation over the past two years, their total assets amounted to a considerable sum!
Give all the silver to that “dead father”?
The three sons’ faces twisted as if they’d eaten something foul.
What would be the point of dividing the family property then?
Of course they weren’t willing!
A thousand times no—that silver belonged to them brothers. Why should it be buried to benefit a dead man?
“Mother? Are there… other methods?”
“Yes, Mother. The dead are gone—shouldn’t the living be spared suffering?”
The three brothers pressed Song Jinyao with difficulty.
Their expressions were strikingly identical.
Song Jinyao laughed bitterly inside.
She had taught her sons since childhood to live harmoniously, that unity brings strength.
Yet normally, these children were each more cunning and calculating than the last.
These three who usually fought over every coin were now miraculously united in scheming against their own mother.
Song Jinyao felt her past favoritism toward her three sons was both ridiculous and tragic.
What karma!
“There is!”
After a long pause, Song Jinyao replied coldly.
Hearing this, the second, third, and fourth sons’ eyes instantly lit up with joy.
“Then please tell us quickly, Mother!”
The three sons watched eagerly, grins slowly spreading across their faces.
They’d do anything to preserve the family fortune.
But the next moment, they heard Song Jinyao sneer, “As long as you’re shameless enough and unafraid of vengeful spirits haunting you, anything goes.”
The three: “—”
They stood frozen like wooden chickens.
This was Mother’s solution?
It was no solution at all.
Instantly, their faces fell like three withered eggplants, as if mourning their own parents.
“Since you’re unwilling to part with your money and property, we’ll summon the clan elders at dawn and let them decide.”
With that, Song Jinyao left the Ling Tang with a stern face, cutting off any further complaints from her sons.
That night, the three in the Ling Tang were like ants on a hot pan, pacing anxiously.
“Third Brother, you’re the cleverest—think of something!”
“After all this effort, we can’t just end up with nothing, can we?”
The second and fourth sons urged the third brother to devise a plan, but Lu Yue also wore a troubled expression.
He never expected things to turn out this way, and couldn’t help feeling some resentment toward his two brothers.
“How dare you say that? I said I’d take a quick nap and asked you to keep watch over Ling Tang, but what did you do? The moment I closed my eyes, you immediately followed suit and started snoring! You’re more trouble than you’re worth!”
The second and fourth brothers flushed with shame at the accusation, yet remained defiant inside: “The one lying in there isn’t our real father anyway. Who’d want to guard that damned Changming Lantern? We never thought Mother would come by in the middle of the night!”
As the three brothers in Ling Tang accused each other, someone hidden in the shadows curled their lips in a silent smirk. Already fighting among themselves?
How boring!