Song Yao faced the Old Madam and said, “Mother-in-law, you say… I have lost the dignity befitting the mistress of the Marquis Manor?”
“Han Lingyue directly addressed the name of the woman who raised her—her mother.”
“You don’t say she lacks the etiquette of a marquis’s daughter, but instead turn around to blame me for losing the dignity of the manor’s mistress?”
“Hah… So in Mother-in-law’s heart, it’s quite dignified for your granddaughter to lack upbringing.”
The Old Madam was left speechless by the retort, her expression instantly turning unpleasant as well.
Seeing both her biological mother and grandmother being publicly shamed by Song Yao, Han Lingyue immediately changed her demeanor. “Song Shi, since you’ve heard it, then…”
Then what… Before Han Lingyue could finish her words, Chunlan Xiu’s sharp voice cut her off again. “Lingyue, how are you speaking to your mother? Have you no manners at all?”
While scolding her daughter, Chunlan Xiu also shot her meaningful glances.
Han Lingyue finally realized that now was not the time to offend Song Yao. If she truly angered Song Yao to the extreme, it would bring her no benefit.
Han Lingyue quickly changed her tune. “I called you that only because I was angry. Look at what you’re feeding us! Is this fit for human consumption?”
Han Zhi also stood up, hastily chiming in, “Mother, Little Sister spoke that way out of anger. She didn’t truly mean any disrespect toward you.”
Song Yao’s gaze fell upon the dishes covering the table. “I came here today specifically to tell all of you that starting from today, the Marquis Manor will begin practicing frugality.”
“If the silver in the household accounts continues to be squandered as before, without restraint or control over its use, then in the future, not only will you not eat such things—you might even struggle to get by.”
Everyone listening showed expressions of disbelief.
Han Zhang also stood up, astonished. “Even if there isn’t much silver in the household accounts, doesn’t our Marquis Manor still have so many shops and farmlands? With daily income from them, how could we possibly have no money?”
Song Yao then turned to her eldest son, who wore a look of surprise. “What do those shops and farmlands have to do with your Marquis Manor?”
“Those are all part of my dowry. No matter how much silver they yield, that is my personal income.”
“Moreover, which law of our dynasty stipulates that a daughter-in-law who marries into her husband’s family must use her own wealth to support her in-laws?”
All five listeners understood the implication in her words.
Han Zhang’s expression turned speechless. “Mother, why are you suddenly keeping accounts with us?”
Han Zhi picked up where his brother left off, saying, “Exactly, we’re all one family. If you start calculating like this, we truly won’t be able to live this way.”
Song Yao gave a cold laugh. “Why won’t it work? Isn’t there still food on the table for you to eat? If other families can eat such things, why can’t you?”
After saying this, Song Yao looked at Han Zhang again. “I know you’ve always enjoyed tending to flowers and plants, indifferent to worldly riches.”
“Like your father, you’ve always been content with simple meals and plain tea for your three daily meals.”
“So why is it that today, when plain food is served to you, you suddenly care about the family’s shops and farmlands?”
Han Zhang couldn’t help but flush red.
Song Yao then shifted her gaze to Han Zhi. “And you—what you yearn for is to roam freely among mountains and rivers, far from worldly troubles.”
“What does it have to do with you if I settle accounts with the Marquis Manor? If you want to wander the world, you can go right now. Don’t worry anymore—I won’t force you into the military camp.”
Han Zhi instantly felt short of breath.
A few days ago, when Song Yao had first brought this up, he had argued with her, all in the hope of making her plead and beg him.
The more he held himself aloof, the more she would push all the good things onto him.
But now, Song Yao suddenly brought it up again, and in such an unsparing tone.
This left Han Zhi completely at a loss for how to respond.
Chunlan Xiu quickly interjected, “Sister-in-law, look at you, what are you doing?”
“Zhang’er and Zhi’er are both your sons—how can you speak to your own sons like this?”
“You two, hurry up and apologize to your mother.”
Chunlan Xiu also kept shooting meaningful glances at her two sons.
Han Zhang was the first to yield to Song Yao. He bowed respectfully toward her.
He said, “Mother, it’s true that I only enjoy tending to flowers and plants.”
“But no matter how much I love gardening, I’m still not an immortal.”
“I’m human, so naturally I care about the family’s situation.”
“The three of us siblings are still young—we can manage with less to eat.”
“But Grandmother is getting on in years. You can’t possibly serve her meals like this every day.”
Han Zhang’s pretty words sounded pleasant, but to Song Yao’s ears, they held no genuine human warmth.
If you want to eat well, just say you want to eat well. To make the old lady take the blame for you—you really have some nerve.
Song Yao had thoughts of her own but chose not to embarrass Han Zhang further.
She hadn’t come today to tear apart all pretense with this family.
Her deliberate harshness was preparation for what she planned to do next.
Han Zhang had offered a “ladder.”
Song Yao took the opportunity to step down, sighing softly.
She said, “It’s not that I’m unwilling to spend money on the Marquis Manor, but the shops under my name have been suffering severe losses lately.”
“Yesterday, when I checked the accounts, every shop was running at a deficit, more or less. That’s why I instructed the manor to use the household accounts for expenses recently.”
“These are difficult times. Having something to eat is already a blessing, yet you’re still picking and choosing.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
So it wasn’t that Song Yao truly intended to settle accounts so strictly with everyone—it was just that the shops were really in serious trouble!
Han Zhang asked, “How could the shops suddenly be running at a loss?”
Song Yao took an account book handed to her by Hong Yu. “Why every shop is losing money—I’ll have to investigate that.”
“Until I find out where all the silver has gone, the manor will have to make do with meals like this every day.”
Han Zhang had no idea how to read account books. When Song Yao opened the ledger for him, he merely glanced at it.
Then he said, “Mother, I believe you. Since the hardship is only temporary, we’ll get through it together.”
“Since you’re here today, Mother, let’s sit down and eat together.”
Song Yao closed the account book and handed it back to Hong Yu, saying, “You go ahead and eat. I’ll join you later.”
“Oh, and there’s one more important thing.”
“I plan to send you to Wuwei Academy to study under Mr. Liang. Get ready—you’ll be leaving in a few days.”
Hearing Song Yao say this, everyone’s thoughts began to churn.
Could it be that Song Yao’s true aim today, through seizing on this pretext, was actually to send Han Zhang to Wuwei Academy?
Was she afraid Han Zhang would refuse, which is why she went through such a roundabout way?
Han Zhang’s thoughts were no different from anyone else’s.
Of course, he wanted to go to Wuwei Academy and study under Mr. Liang.
He had heard earlier that Song Yao was arranging this for him.
He had been pondering how to take advantage of the situation and assert some control over Song Yao when she brought it up.
But then he remembered that his younger sister’s marriage plans had fallen through precisely because she had overplayed her hand.
Moreover, Song Yao’s stern and harsh demeanor today had genuinely made Han Zhang a little fearful.
He was afraid that if he continued to act aloof as before, Song Yao might truly stop caring for him, and that would be disastrous.
Without the slightest hesitation, Han Zhang bowed and cupped his hands toward Song Yao once more: “Since Mother has arranged it, your son will follow your wishes and go to Wuwei Academy to study in a few days.”