Han Zhang and Han Zhi had originally thought that after Song Yao insisted on agreeing to this marriage despite everyone else’s objections, they could use this to put on airs and make Song Yao continue fighting for them, while they simply reaped the benefits.
But now, the situation had developed in a way completely contrary to what they had imagined.
Han Zhang and Han Zhi no longer knew how to proceed.
While they were at a loss, Song Yao said suspiciously, “Huh? In the past, weren’t you two only interested in tending to flowers and plants or practicing martial arts?”
“You’ve never cared about anything in the household, so why are you so concerned about your sister today?”
“Could it be that your usual disdain for luxury and indifference to wealth and status were all just an act for me, your mother?”
Han Zhang and Han Zhi were most afraid of being accused of coveting power and wealth.
Being mocked to their faces by Song Yao, Han Zhang said angrily, “Mother, we are still your sons after all. Do you have to speak to us like this?”
“Do you have to humiliate us so thoroughly to feel satisfied?”
“As her older brothers, we naturally hope our sister can marry into a good family.”
“But since Lingyue doesn’t like this marriage, and you’ve already turned it down, can you please stop making sarcastic remarks?”
Song Yao understood perfectly well why Han Zhang was reacting so strongly.
It seemed she had hit a sore spot—the ungrateful wretch was getting desperate!
At this point, she no longer continued to confront Han Zhang and Han Zhi.
She turned to look at Madam Jin. “Mother-in-law, what were you about to say to me earlier?”
“Were you asking me why I turned away such a good marriage proposal?”
Indeed, Madam Jin had been about to ask Song Yao exactly that.
The old lady had just posed her question when her two grandsons arrived, interrupting Song Yao’s reply.
Now, Song Yao had steered the conversation back.
Though Madam Jin was extremely unwilling in her heart, like the others, she could no longer voice any further questions to Song Yao.
Madam Jin was equally puzzled inside. What was wrong with Song Yao today?
In the past, she always put the family first in everything.
Why was she speaking so sharply today, as if her temperament had changed?
But seeing Song Yao waiting for her response, the old lady set aside her thoughts and said, “Since this marriage proposal has already been turned down, let it be.”
“After all, we are a scholarly family. We shouldn’t always imitate worldly people by forcing things that don’t belong to us.”
“As for Lingyue’s marriage, let’s follow the child’s wishes…”
Before the old lady could finish, Chunlan Xiu and Han Lingyue both grew anxious.
The marriage proposal from the general’s household absolutely could not be dismissed so easily!
Chunlan Xiu signaled Han Lingyue to stay calm.
Then she said to the Old Madam, “Mother, that’s not quite right. Lingyue is still young and inexperienced in worldly matters.”
“We are all Lingyue’s elders. We can’t let the child have her way in everything, doing whatever she wants.”
“Although Lingyue wasn’t raised by me, she is still a piece of my flesh. Naturally, I want to see her do well.”
Chunlan Xiu then turned to Song Yao. “Sister-in-law, you’ve raised Lingyue for so long. For the sake of all the years she’s called you mother, you can’t just push away such a wonderful marriage opportunity for the child.”
“Do you really want to watch the daughter you raised with your own hands marry a wild mountain farmer? We’re both mothers—you can’t be so heartless!”
Song Yao found this laughable: “Sister-in-law, what kind of talk is this? Just now, with the matchmaker present, it was you who insisted that the General’s Manor was making unreasonable demands.”
“You were the one who said I disregarded the child’s wishes and forced her. You even said if I used Lingyue as a ladder to climb to the heavens, you’d be the first to object.”
“You were the most enthusiastic in mocking the General’s Manor back then—I couldn’t even stop you if I tried.”
“So it turns out you also know this is a good match. Such an excellent marriage proposal was vehemently opposed by you and Lingyue… oh, wait, and Mother-in-law too.”
“This marriage was opposed by the three of you with all your might. Yet now you turn around and call me heartless, saying I don’t wish Lingyue well? Sister-in-law, where on earth did you get that idea?”
Song Yao’s retort left Chunlan Xiu momentarily speechless.
Han Lingyue, at this moment, no longer dared to pretend to be noble and insist she must marry a crude mountain man.
Saying such things in front of outsiders was merely to let people know she was different from other young ladies.
Whether the marriage with the General’s Manor could proceed now depended entirely on Song Yao.
If Song Yao really washed her hands of the matter, she would suffer a great loss today.
Han Lingyue was Chunlan Xiu’s “egg.” What was going on in this “egg’s” mind, Chunlan Xiu understood best.
With a thick skin, Chunlan Xiu took Song Yao’s hand.
She smiled apologetically: “Sister-in-law, back then I just couldn’t bear to see Lingyue wronged, so I spoke without thinking.”
“Lingyue grew up under our watch—you can’t just abandon her over a momentary fit of anger.”
“Sister-in-law, please help. Since you managed to persuade the General’s Manor to come propose once, I believe you can certainly persuade them to come a second time. Lingyue’s lifelong happiness—I beg you to make it happen.”
Song Yao withdrew her hand, not mincing words: “Do you think the General’s Manor is a place I can just visit whenever I want? Do you have any idea how much effort it took for me to establish a connection with General Su?”
At this point, no matter what Song Yao said or how angry she got, Chunlan Xiu would endure it.
After all, it concerned her daughter’s lifelong happiness. If she continued to put on airs with Song Yao now, she might truly let the cooked duck fly away.
Suppressing her temper, Chunlan Xiu still smiled apologetically: “I know you’ve been wronged, sister-in-law, and I apologize to you now.”
“Sister-in-law, if you want to punish me, I’ll accept it, but can we discuss that later? You can’t really abandon your daughter now.”
“Such a good match with the Su family—I’m sure you don’t want to watch it get snatched away by someone else either. Sister-in-law, I’m begging you here.”
Chunlan Xiu’s humble pleas naturally failed to move Song Yao.
In this lifetime, if she gave even an ounce more for these ungrateful wretches, she might as well dash her head against a pillar and die.
However, she really did have to visit the General’s Manor again. After all, this marriage proposal was something she had begged for from the manor.
Now that it was called off, she also had to meet Su Chuang one more time.
After a moment of contemplation, Song Yao said: “Fine. It’s only because Lingyue has been raised under my care all along.”
“She is also my daughter. I naturally won’t stand by and watch my daughter have a difficult future.”
“I’ll go to the General’s Manor right now. Wait here for my news.”
After Song Yao finished speaking, she immediately turned and left with Hong Yu.
Once Song Yao’s figure had disappeared into the distance, Madam Jin, known for her calm and unassuming demeanor, immediately changed her expression. “I knew it. With her competitive nature, she would never be willing to give up this marriage alliance with the General’s Manor.”
Han Lingyue had been worried just moments before that Song Yao might truly abandon her. Now, seeing that Song Yao had obediently gone to the General’s Manor, she no longer pretended to be a pure and innocent white lotus.
She sneered disdainfully and said, “I thought she had truly changed her ways, but it seems she’s still the same as before.”
“Grandmother, Mother. Since she hasn’t changed at all, it looks like we can still control her just as we did before.”