“Alright, Mother will listen to you.”
Song Jinyao said, “However, after tonight’s incident, Mother suspects Wanyue Tao is no ordinary woman of pleasure. Mother will assign someone to protect you.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
As she left, Shen Shi’s eyes welled up with tears, and she bowed deeply to Song Jinyao.
“Wretched woman!”
No sooner had Shen Shi returned to her courtyard than a vase nearly shattered her skull.
It was Lu Xiao, waiting in her room, his face contorted with rage.
Shen Qingmo dodged the vase, her expression grim but silent.
Today, Lu Xiao had managed to crawl out of bed, and the moment he could move a little, he was already causing trouble. This made Shen Qingmo increasingly weary of her current life.
Chunzhi was terrified, casting a fearful glance at the shards on the floor.
Thankfully, the young lady had dodged in time. Had she been hit, wouldn’t her head have been split open?
“Second Master, what is the meaning of this? Why would you harm our young lady without reason?” The little maid, unable to contain her anger, stepped forward to defend Shen Qingmo, her face still swollen.
“Oh ho—how dare a lowly servant like you question me?” Lu Xiao showed no remorse for his actions; instead, he seemed regretful that he hadn’t hit Shen Qingmo.
“Guards! Drag this wretched maid away and beat her severely until she dares not defy her master again!”
Shen Qingmo stepped forward, shielding Chunzhi. “Let’s see who dares! Lu Xiao, Chunzhi is someone I brought from my maiden home. She is not yours to punish as you please!”
“Hmph! You belong to me, so your maid is nothing! Her life is in my hands, just like yours.”
Lu Xiao’s eyes gleamed with malice. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he narrowed his eyes and glared at her venomously. “Shen Qingmo? You’ve been acting strangely these past two days. Are you relying on that old woman Song Jinyao’s support to defy me now?”
Shen Qingmo sneered inwardly. Truly, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Lu Xiao’s vicious expression and harsh words were exactly like those of that little bastard Lu Mingzhou.
“I have no intention of defying you. Even if you wish to punish someone, there must be a reason, right? Chunzhi and I have done nothing wrong, so we shouldn’t be punished without cause.”
Shen Qingmo spoke in an exceedingly calm tone.
Defy him?
She couldn’t even be bothered to engage with him now.
Yet, her words only infuriated Lu Xiao further.
He suddenly swept another tableful of teacups and porcelain to the floor, glowering at her ferociously. “Shen Qingmo, you’re quite skilled at twisting the truth, aren’t you? Done nothing wrong? Then let me ask you, wasn’t Xiao Tao beaten because of you?”
So Wanyue Tao had come to tattle?
A flicker of surprise crossed Shen Qingmo’s eyes. The household was under strict control by Mother now—how had the messenger from outside gotten in?
The next moment, her gaze fell upon a servant named Dezhu standing behind Lu Xiao. When Dezhu met her eyes, he averted his gaze nervously. Instantly, Shen Qingmo understood.
No wonder Wanyue Tao had seemed prepared when she went to the Shen family’s old residence.
This servant had been brought from her maiden home when she married. She had taken him along to fetch Wanyue Tao tonight, but it turned out he had already betrayed her!
“Yes, she was indeed beaten because of me.” Shen Qingmo did not deny it. Then, with a mocking expression, she looked at Lu Xiao and asked, “But did you ever ask why she was beaten?”
“What else could it be? It must be that you say one thing to my face but act differently behind my back. Since you can’t tolerate Xiaotao, why put on this hypocritical act of going to fetch her?”
“Did she say that to Second Master?” As she spoke, Shen Qingmo paused, shifting her gaze to Dezhu before continuing, “Dezhu? Is that how you reported it to Second Master?”
Dezhu trembled in fear, hurriedly dropping to his knees with a thud, yet spewing a stream of twisted lies.
“Young Mistress, just admit it. Although I entered the Lu family with you, Second Master is the true master of this household. I truly dare not deceive him and could only truthfully report your actions to Second Master.”
“That Wan woman has suffered terribly at your hands. Even if you had grievances, shouldn’t they be settled by now?”
“This servant truly cannot bear to watch you persist in your mistakes. Since ancient times, what man doesn’t have multiple wives and concubines? Second Master has merely taken in Madam Wan—why can’t you be more tolerant and generous?”
“Young Master Mingzhou is still just a child. If you must vent your anger, direct it at the adults—why must you target a child as well?”
Shen Qingmo listened, then suddenly laughed.
This laugh—whether from extreme anger or final enlightenment and release—brought tears to the corners of her eyes.
She lifted her head, forcing back the tears.
Only then did she turn a mocking gaze toward Lu Xiao, enunciating each word clearly: “Second Master believes his words? You think I actively tormented that mother and child?”
“Yes.” Lu Xiao responded without hesitation, his tone resolute. “Xiaotao is gentle and delicate, and Zhou’er is sensible and well-mannered. Only you, this vicious woman, are utterly intolerable.”
Lu Xiao believed that Song Jinyao’s earlier refusal to let him bring Wan Yuetao into the residence must have been due to something Shen Shi said.
“Shen Qingmo, let me make this clear to you: even if you weren’t so malicious, even if you were kind-hearted, I would still not have the slightest affection for you. The only one I love is Xiaotao. In my eyes, you are nothing!”
He paused briefly before continuing, “So, Shen Qingmo, if you have any self-awareness, you’d better behave meekly and stop testing my limits. When I eventually bring Xiaotao into the household, if you can obediently serve us and help raise Zhou’er as if he were your own, I might still allow you to keep your position as principal wife. Otherwise, you can forget about remaining as the legal wife.”
Shen Qingmo nearly laughed in disbelief at his audacity.
How could Lu Xiao have the nerve to suggest that a principal wife should serve a mistress?
Truly shameless!
“Unnecessary. I don’t want this position as principal wife anymore.”
With that, Shen Qingmo turned and strode away, her sleeves fluttering.
Her own room had been taken over by beasts—she likely couldn’t rest properly there now.
Where could she go?
Although it was summer and spending the night in the courtyard wouldn’t be too harmful, she was still injured and utterly exhausted.
A desolate feeling of homelessness, like duckweed drifting rootlessly, washed over her. Shen Qingmo sniffled, overwhelmed with sorrow.
She simply couldn’t emulate her mother-in-law’s resilience.
“Second Sister-in-Law?”
Suddenly, a voice came from the shadows—it was Lu Yuan.
After returning from the Shen ancestral home tonight, Lu Yuan had been unable to sleep and came to stroll in the courtyard.
These past few days, Song Jinyao had sent him numerous supplies—food, clothing, even silver. He couldn’t decipher why her attitude had suddenly changed. Could she truly be accepting him?
Lost in thought, he had unconsciously wandered into the courtyard, never expecting to encounter Shen Shi.
Seeing Shen Shi’s distressed expression, he instinctively asked, “Has Second Brother been bullying you again?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Lu Yuan felt it was inappropriate. That was a matter between husband and wife, and as the elder brother-in-law, he shouldn’t have interfered.
He quickly corrected himself, “Although it’s summer, there are many mosquitoes outside. Sister-in-law, you should go back inside.”
Shen Qingmo didn’t know what came over her. Perhaps when people are vulnerable, they tend to speak without thinking. She suddenly blurted out, “I… I seem to have nowhere to go…”
What?
Lu Yuan, who had been about to leave, froze upon hearing this.
Then a flicker of anger ignited in his eyes.
Could it be that Second Brother had driven Shen Shi out of the courtyard?
At this moment, he didn’t know what to say. He lifted his head and scanned the surroundings. It was already late at night, and even his mother’s courtyard had its lights extinguished.
Only Lu Wenyin’s courtyard still had its lights on. After hesitating for a moment, Lu Yuan suggested, “How about… spending the night at Eldest Sister’s place for now?”
Lu Wenyin was gentle and easy to talk to.
Shen Qingmo thought for a moment and agreed. It seemed like the only option.
If she stayed in the courtyard all night, her mother would likely find out by morning and feel uncomfortable about it.
The next day, early in the morning.
Song Jinyao had just finished washing up and dressing.
Ying Qi arrived.
“Madam, the three men from yesterday have confessed. They are indeed former bandits.”
“Oh?” Song Jinyao lightly tapped her fingers on the dressing case, a cold smile curling at the corners of her lips. “It seems Wan Yue Tao is not as simple as she appears.”
“Did they reveal anything else?”
“They also confessed that Wan Yue Tao was once their leader’s woman years ago. They were sent down the mountain under their leader’s orders to protect her. As for their leader’s current whereabouts, they couldn’t provide any information.”
“Send Ying Sha to continue the investigation.”
“Yes.”
With those words, Ying Qi silently retreated into the shadows.
Song Jinyao’s gaze turned obscure. She remained seated at the dressing table, her fingers twisting the bodhi bracelet as her thoughts churned.
Wan Yue Tao was once the bandit leader’s woman?
This truly shocked her.
In her previous life, she had intensely disliked Wan Yue Tao, so Second Brother had kept her outside the residence for many years. Later, when Song Jinyao developed dementia and was driven out, Wan Yue Tao was finally brought into the household.
Therefore, she hadn’t paid much attention to this woman.
But that fool Second Brother kept insisting that Wan Yue Tao had given him her purity, urging Song Jinyao not to look down on her because of her background.
If those three bandits weren’t lying, Wan Yue Tao must have used some trick to deceive Second Brother back then.
The brothels had many methods.
Eel blood, hallucinogenic drugs—all could make a man believe it was a woman’s first time.
If that were the case, then whether Lu Mingzhou was truly Second Brother Lu Xiao’s child might also be questionable.
Otherwise, why would a ruthless bandit who killed without blinking protect a fickle woman who had shifted her affections to another man?
If this were true…
As she pondered, Song Jinyao suddenly smiled.
This was getting more and more interesting!
She looked forward to seeing Second Brother wear a touch of green on his head!
If that beast could help Lu Xiuyuan and his mistress cuckold his own mother, why couldn’t she hope for him to experience the same feeling?
After sitting for another half cup of tea’s time, Song Jinyao called for Baishuang.
“In a moment, when the eldest young master, eldest young lady, and second young lady arrive, let them come straight in.” During last night’s dinner, it had been agreed that she would take the three children out today. At this hour, they should be almost ready.
No sooner had she spoken than footsteps sounded outside the door.
Speak of the devil—the three siblings had arrived together.
“Good, since everyone is here, let’s set off.”
With that, Song Jinyao led the way, taking the group out of the residence.
Today, she hadn’t brought any servants, nor any maids.
It was just the four of them, plus a coachman.
It was around 7-9 AM, and the sky outside was somewhat overcast. It looked like rain would fall after noon.
Song Jinyao had deliberately arranged for an old but spacious carriage. Its exterior looked dusty and faded, with even the shafts peeling—guaranteed to be inconspicuous on the streets.
She led everyone into the carriage.
Without mentioning their destination, the three children sensibly didn’t ask.
The carriage circled the city three times before finally stopping in front of an apricot tree in Xinghua Hutong.
Lifting one side of the carriage curtain, Song Jinyao glanced at a tightly shut vermilion gate across the way and sneered inwardly.
Lu Xiuyuan!
I’m here!