Han Zhi also said, “Mother, you always used to force us to do things through manipulation.”
“Now, to control us, you’ve even resorted to slapping yourself. Is this how a mother should behave?”
“If word gets out and people outside hear about this, they’ll think we’ve done something terrible to you.”
“Aren’t you clearly trying to make us, your children, lose face in front of others?”
Chunlan Xiu and Madam Jin remained silent at this moment. Both of them were waiting for Song Yao to speak.
Song Yao looked over the three ungrateful children before her one by one.
A scornful smile curled at the corner of her lips. “Ever since I returned and stepped through this door until now, I don’t recall ever saying that the General’s Manor would seek to marry Han Lingyue again.”
“What are all of you thinking?”
“I am your mother, yet you siblings speak to me like this, without even a hint of respect. What exactly are you planning?”
Han Zhang and Han Zhi’s expressions immediately turned grim!
Han Lingyue felt a suffocating tightness in her chest, almost unable to breathe.
Chunlan Xiu anxiously asked, “Sister-in-law, what do you mean? Did you not go to the General’s Manor to put in a good word for Lingyue?”
Song Yao rose from her seat, not bothering to respond to Chunlan Xiu.
She turned directly to Han Lingyue. “You accuse your mother without reason. Where did you learn such a habit?”
“You don’t want to marry! But the General’s Manor doesn’t want to marry you either!”
“You’re here crying and accusing me for no reason.”
“Those who know might think you’re noble and aloof, but those who don’t would think I’m trying to sell you off for a high price!”
Han Lingyue’s facade of aloofness shattered instantly.
She quickly turned her gaze to Chunlan Xiu, her eyes clearly questioning her.
Why hadn’t Song Yao secured the marriage proposal for her? How could this happen?
Chunlan Xiu grew even more anxious. “Sister-in-law, are you saying the General’s Manor doesn’t want to marry Lingyue?”
Song Yao snorted audibly. “Yes, that’s right. The General’s Manor doesn’t want to marry her. It’s not that I didn’t go to plead on her behalf.”
“Because I was incompetent and failed to secure the marriage for Lingyue, I was so frustrated that I slapped myself.”
“I pleaded with the General’s Manor not to take it to heart, as if dealing with a child. I talked until my mouth went dry in their home.”
“And as soon as I returned, I only had a cup of tea before all of you looked as though you wanted to devour me.”
“Thank goodness I didn’t manage to secure the marriage. If the General’s Manor had actually agreed to renew the marriage alliance with the Marquis Manor,”
“My dear daughter would have hated me to death!”
How deeply these words struck the listeners, only they themselves knew.
Song Yao looked at Han Lingyue again. “Since you genuinely don’t want to marry Young General Su, your wish has now come true. The General’s Manor will no longer come to the Marquis Manor to propose to you. From now on, I will absolutely respect your decision.”
Han Lingyue’s expression froze, and she felt as though she might vomit blood.
Such a good marriage, gone just like that?!
Gone?!
Heh… completely gone?
Looking at everyone’s faces, their expressions shifted endlessly.
As for Han Lingyue, her fists were clenched so tightly they turned white.
Song Yao suddenly asked gently, “Yue’er, what’s wrong?”
“Are you so overjoyed about not having to marry someone you dislike that you don’t know how to react?”
Song Yao used the gentlest knife to stab Han Lingyue and several others right in the heart.
“Your mother is incompetent, unable to secure the marriage with the General’s Manor. I was originally tormented with regret.”
“But now, seeing how strongly you oppose this marriage, the shackles on my heart have suddenly fallen away.”
“My daughter truly cares for her mother the most.”
“Lingyue, from now on, your mother will never force you to do anything you dislike again.”
“If you enjoy sleeping rough and eating coarse food, I will respect your wishes from now on and never stop you again.”
The entire family felt their eyelids twitching one after another.
What kind of talk was Song Yao saying?
Who is born to enjoy sleeping rough and eating coarse food?
Even Madam Jin, who had been sitting upright, could no longer remain seated. “Song, what are you saying?”
“Lingyue is your daughter. How can you curse Yue’er to sleep rough and eat coarse food?”
“Is this something a mother should say?”
Song Yao turned to face Madam Jin. “Mother-in-law, isn’t this exactly what Lingyue herself meant?”
“What Lingyue said in front of the matchmaker today—has Mother-in-law forgotten?”
“If Mother-in-law has forgotten, let me remind everyone.”
“Didn’t Lingyue say in front of Madam Huagui today that she has no intention of climbing the social ladder?”
“That the immense wealth of the General’s Manor might be a lifelong pursuit for others, but for her, it’s merely a cage and shackles forged from gold. Even if Young General Su is both civil and martial, a true hero, he is merely skilled in archery and horsemanship…”
“These were all Lingyue’s words spoken in front of the matchmaker today. Surely Mother-in-law hasn’t forgotten?”
Song Yao paused briefly before continuing, “I chased after Madam Huagui, hurrying as fast as I could, and finally caught up with her.”
“Fortunately, Madam Huagui and I have always been on good terms. Otherwise, I almost couldn’t even get through the gates of the General’s Manor today.”
Chunlan Xiu: “Even if the General’s Manor refused to renew the marriage alliance, you didn’t have to mock your daughter like that.”
“If Lingyue truly is flesh from your own body, how could you bear to let your own daughter sleep rough and eat coarse food?”
Song Yao replied without the slightest courtesy, “I mocked her? ‘Sleeping rough and eating coarse food’—that’s what Han Lingyue herself said!”
“I went to the General’s Manor and pleaded every which way, but in the end, they shut me up with those eight words.”
“I nearly wore my lips out trying to secure this marriage for Han Lingyue.”
“It’s fortunate the General’s Manor didn’t agree to this match. If they had actually agreed, Han Lingyue would have resented me for the rest of her life.”
The entire family was nearly choked by Song Yao’s words.
Everyone understood now—it wasn’t Song Yao who said Han Lingyue enjoyed sleeping rough and eating coarse food; it was the General’s Manor!
Han Lingyue was completely dumbfounded.
She had put on airs in front of the matchmaker today only to further elevate her own worth, not to say she enjoyed sleeping rough and eating coarse food.
How could she, a dignified daughter of the Marquis Manor, have left such a vulgar impression on the General’s Manor?
Han Zhang had been dreaming that once Han Lingyue married into the General’s Manor, he would have a brother-in-law who was a general.
Now, Han Lingyue’s marriage prospects were completely dashed.
He seemed even more distressed than Han Lingyue herself. “The General’s Manor actually really doesn’t want to marry Little Sister anymore. Doesn’t the General’s Manor value integrity and propriety the most? Why don’t they want to marry Little Sister now?”
Song Yao: “As for why the General’s Manor won’t marry her, you should ask your dear sister, not me.”
Song Yao then said to Han Lingyue: “From now on, you need not blame your mother for reeking of money.”
“For your sake, I’ve toiled and worried, yet I’ve never received a single kind word from you. So from this day forward, I will respect your choices.”
“If someday you wish to marry, come and tell me. No matter who you want to marry in the future, I will certainly agree.”
Han Lingyue’s face turned deathly pale: “I…”
She could no longer utter another word.
Chunlan Xiu hurried over, blocking Song Yao who was about to leave: “Sister-in-law, how can you not care for your daughter? If you don’t look after her, what will become of Lingyue in the future?”