Song Yao took in the expressions on everyone’s faces and said, “Since your sister is dissatisfied with this marriage arrangement, I have already called it off.”
The two brothers were instantly stunned. How could Song Yao possibly reject such a favorable marriage?
Han Zhang stepped forward. “Mother, how could you call off the marriage?”
“Little Sister is being willful, but why are you indulging her?”
“Have you ever considered what’s best for us siblings?”
“The marriage to the general’s family is so advantageous. Just because she says she’s unhappy, you let her refuse to marry?”
“I think you clearly can’t stand to see Little Sister succeed and deliberately sabotaged this by rejecting the proposal!”
Han Zhi also chimed in, “Elder Brother is right. It’s truly a waste that we’ve been calling you Mother all this time.”
“Little Sister was about to marry into the general’s family and become the young general’s wife.”
“The matchmaker came to propose. If only you had agreed, Lingyue would have had to marry whether she wanted to or not.”
“But you went along with Lingyue’s whims and joined her in this foolishness. Elder Brother is absolutely right—you had ill intentions from the start.”
Listening to these words from the two ungrateful wretches she had raised with her own hands, Song Yao was reminded of her previous life.
In her past life, she had insisted on accepting the marriage proposal from the general’s family.
Han Lingyue sat to the side, clinging to Chunlan Xiu’s arm, weeping incessantly.
Chunlan Xiu put on the act of a caring mother, coaxing Han Lingyue to stop crying.
At the same time, she spoke ill of the woman who had raised Han Lingyue—her own mother.
Even her mother-in-law hypocritically told Han Lingyue not to take it to heart with her mother.
After this hypocritical display, her mother-in-law turned around and blamed her, the daughter-in-law.
She accused her of always being so competitive, even using her children’s marriages as bargaining chips.
In her past life, the old lady truly perfected the art of playing both sides.
Han Zhang and Han Zhi, meanwhile, never stopped cursing their malicious mother.
The words the brothers spoke grew uglier by the minute.
They said their mother had no principles, willing to do anything to cling to the wealth and status of the general’s family.
What mother in the world would sell out her own daughter just to climb higher?
Recalling those scenes from her past life and looking at these people now, Song Yao found it all utterly laughable.
In this life, she no longer forced Han Lingyue to marry someone she disliked, yet they were all in an uproar!
Song Yao’s heart twisted in pain.
In her past life, simply because she had not borne a son for the Han family, she had poured her utmost sincerity into being good to these ungrateful wretches.
How laughable that her inability to bear children wasn’t even her own fault.
After marrying into the Marquis Manor, her mother-in-law had secretly fed her the Sterility Potion, rendering her infertile.
It clearly wasn’t her mistake—it was Madam Jin who had schemed against her.
Yet she had blamed herself for being unable to bear children and later poured all her sincerity into the wrong people, feeding it all to the dogs.
Lost in her memories, Song Yao fell silent.
This led Han Zhi to believe that his mother was feeling guilty.
Han Zhi immediately raised his voice.
He continued, “It seems we were right all along. You simply can’t stand to see us siblings succeed.”
“Song Yao, you are nothing but a venomous woman through and through. What a waste that we called you Mother for so long!”
Slap! Without hesitation, Song Yao struck Han Zhi across the face.
She angrily retorted, “I’m a venomous woman? You weren’t even there. How do you know for sure that I was the one who called off the marriage with the general’s family?”
“If I didn’t want Han Lingyue to have a good life, would I have personally gone to the General’s residence to seek this marriage alliance?”
“Today, the matchmaker sent by the General’s residence was none other than General Su’s own sister, Madam Huagui.”
“The General’s residence values Han Lingyue so highly, yet listen to what your sister, along with your aunt and your grandmother, said right in front of Madam Huagui.”
“Fortunately, I have always been on good terms with Madam Huagui. If it weren’t for me, this wicked mother, standing in the way here, do you think Madam Huagui would have let today’s matter slide after today?”
Song Yao slapped Han Zhi across the face. As she scolded him, she continued to advance toward him.
Han Zhi held his slapped cheek and kept retreating step by step with Song Yao’s approach.
Finally, with nowhere left to retreat, Han Zhi stumbled backward and sat down on a stool behind him.
Ignoring the pain in his face, Han Zhi said, “No matter what Grandmother and Aunt said, you shouldn’t have let Lingyue act so recklessly. You know full well how willful Lingyue is, yet you allowed her to make a scene. You clearly had ill intentions!”
Song Yao no longer wasted words on the ungrateful wretch and directly called Hong Yu over. “Hong Yu, you were standing at the door just now.”
“Tell the two young masters in detail what you heard earlier. Don’t leave anything out.”
“I’ve already apologized to Madam Huagui and spoken so much just now. My mouth is parched.”
Following her mistress’s instructions, Hong Yu recounted everything she had heard.
Whether it was Han Lingyue, Chunlan Xiu, or Old Madam Jin.
What outrageous words those three women had spouted in front of the matchmaker.
Hong Yu meticulously recounted it all again for the two young masters.
After finishing, she then proceeded to repeat in detail what Madam Huagui had said afterward.
Only after Hong Yu had said everything that needed to be said did she retreat to the side again, quietly waiting.
Song Yao turned to look at her mother-in-law and Chunlan Xiu. “You both heard what Hong Yu just said. Did she tell any lies or talk nonsense?”
Chunlan Xiu and Old Madam Jin both remained silent.
A cold smile curled at the corner of Song Yao’s mouth as she met the eyes of her two ungrateful sons. “Did you hear that? Did you see that?”
“Hong Yu didn’t speak a single false word, and your grandmother and your aunt didn’t refute anything.”
“Now it’s clear enough that everything Hong Yu said was completely correct. She didn’t add any exaggerations.”
“I went through all that trouble to secure such a good marriage alliance for your sister.”
“Now, following their wishes, the matchmaker has left with the betrothal gifts, unwilling to form a marriage alliance with the Marquis Manor anymore.”
“Yet you two come running here, blaming me without even asking for the facts. What kind of reasoning is that?”
“Without understanding the truth, you casually slander your own mother. Is this the upbringing you received?”
The two brothers never expected this outcome.
They were both wondering at that moment: What’s wrong with Song Yao today?
Given her usual temperament, even if Grandmother, Aunt, and Lingyue had said such things,
Song Yao would have undoubtedly fought tooth and nail for her sister, scrambling to secure the match.
Even if her sister truly didn’t want to marry, she would have surely tried every possible means to stuff her sister into the General’s residence’s bridal sedan.
But today, Song Yao actually sent the matchmaker away, not acting as she used to. What on earth has gotten into her?
Both brothers were well aware that Han Lingyue was not truly unwilling to marry into the general’s household.
Lingyue spoke in such a manner simply to make the world see how extraordinary she was.
This way, in the future, once she married into the general’s household, her younger sister could use this to control her husband.
Now, Song Yao had broken from the usual script by directly sending the matchmaker away.
Today’s move by Song Yao had truly caught the Han family’s pack of ungrateful wretches off guard.