Rong Shu was helped to the inner room.
Mei Yun slowly removed her clothes and gasped when she saw the red burn on her shoulder.
“Madam is so badly injured, I wonder if she’ll be left with scars!”
Hearing this, Xie came over from outside the screen and saw a palm-sized red mark on her daughter-in-law’s fair skin.
Thinking back, although Rong Shu has been as quiet and well-behaved as before these past few days, she has also made some progress and even shown a bit of composure.
Then he thought that after last night, his daughter-in-law might already be pregnant, and his anger flared up even more.
“Don’t worry, your mother will definitely help you get justice!”
Unlike in her previous life, Rong Shu was much more seriously injured then, and she was dizzy and disoriented, but she endured the pain without crying out.
This time, seeing her mother-in-law even angrier than in her previous life, she pursed her lips, as if enduring pain.
His voice trembled as he said, “Mother, please calm down. Fifth Brother was just angry in a moment. He probably didn’t mean it, after all, he just lost a child today.”
“Compared to Aunt Huo’s child, my daughter-in-law’s injury is nothing.”
He hissed as he spoke.
Madam Xie was even angrier when she saw this. When Song Wenping’s birth mother, Aunt You, was young, she was a restless person.
Fortunately, she was tough enough to prevent her from causing any trouble.
She didn’t want to meddle in what happened in Song Wen’s bungalow, but ever since he and Shen Ying got married, they’ve been causing trouble in front of her every few days.
As the legal mother, I have to care whether I want to or not.
Even now, you can still hear the two arguing in the front hall.
The thought of his daughter-in-law being accidentally injured, and how he was actually so honest as to speak up for that scoundrel, made him even angrier.
Madam Xie gave the order: “Take those two good-for-nothings and make them kneel in the ancestral hall!”
Rong Shu then spoke up: “Mother, yesterday I heard from the nanny next to my fifth sister-in-law that Doctor Guo is going to take her pulse today, it seems to be related to my sister-in-law’s menstruation.”
Mei Yun glanced at her mistress. She had been serving her all day yesterday. Rong Shu was either in the main courtyard or in her own courtyard. When had she ever encountered the Fifth Madam’s maid?
Xie thought about these words quite a bit.
Shen Ying has been married for half a year, and her belly has remained quietly tucked away.
She glanced at Rong Shu and saw that her daughter-in-law’s face was pale, looking like a delicate flower.
Rong Shu has always been obedient and quiet; she is definitely not the type to lie.
It’s said to be related to menstruation, but judging from Shen Ying’s fighting with Song Wenping today, it’s probably not her period.
Knowing what was going on, Madam Xie said, “Have the maid apply the medicine properly for you. You should rest first.”
Rong Shu nodded gently: “Daughter-in-law understands.”
She knew her mother-in-law, Xie, very well.
He acts with great energy and efficiency, but is actually very intelligent.
When Master Song was demoted and resigned from his official post, it was Madam Xie who accompanied Master Shen in expanding their business.
Therefore, even though Master Song had two concubines, those concubines dared not have any disloyal intentions, and Master Song always treated his first wife with great respect.
In her previous life, the fifth wife lost two children on the same day. It was also the first and only time she had ever seen her in-laws arguing during her long stay in the Song family.
Rong Shu specifically reminded Xie Shi, mainly because she knew how difficult Shen Ying was to deal with.
If Shen Ying miscarries again because of her accidental injury in this life, then what happens afterward will probably be similar to what happened in the previous life.
She has no other wish than to live a peaceful and stable life.
She knew that Xie had taken her words to heart.
Hearing congratulatory voices from outside, I knew that my mother-in-law had taken care of everything.
Exhausted from last night, Rong Shu fell asleep leaning against the pillow.
…
Song Wenjing was originally scheduled to return to Songyang Academy today; he usually goes home every ten days.
Although the headmaster said that with his current level of knowledge, he could relax a bit and didn’t need to be too nervous about the imperial examination.
But the habits he had developed over the years still led him to continue doing things the way he always had.
Something unexpected happened today.
I left home half an hour later than usual today. On the way, I met a friend and we chatted for a few minutes. My friend then took me to the residence of Lin Sheng, the former Chancellor of the Imperial Academy who had just resigned and returned to Jiangzhou.
It was already an hour in the afternoon when he came out of the Lin residence.
He recalled his wife’s unusual behavior last night, and after a moment’s thought, he went straight back to his residence.
The servants of Songtao Courtyard were all surprised to see their master return at this time.
This gentleman was usually extremely self-disciplined, returning to his residence only once every ten days without fail.
And this has been the case for over a year since he got married, so everyone is secretly speculating that perhaps the Third Master doesn’t like his Third Madam.
Otherwise, how could newlyweds only spend three nights a month in the courtyard?
When Song Wenjing returned, it was already dusk, and the courtyard had been lit up long ago.
The Song family was not short of money. As the richest family in Jiangzhou, even the lamps under the corridors were covered with lampshades made of special gauze.
Walking from the hanging flower gate into this courtyard, the path is as bright as day.
Song Wenjing first went back to his study and summoned the old woman in charge of the courtyard.
Granny Cen bowed respectfully upon entering.
Song Wenjing said, “There are too many lights in the courtyard. It’s too wasteful to light so many lights when the sun hasn’t set yet.”
Granny Cen was stunned for a moment, because the Third Master never usually cared about the affairs of the courtyard.
The Third Madam took care of all these small matters.
But since the master had spoken, Granny Cen could only explain: “Ever since the lady entered the house, this courtyard has always been like this, with lamps lit at 5 PM.”
Song Wenjing frowned slightly, but did not ask any further questions.
“Starting today, we will light the lamps again at the hour of You (5-7 PM), but we don’t need to light so many. Let’s remove half of them.”
Granny Cen accepted the order and left.
Song Wenjing stayed in the study for a while before heading to the main room.
To his surprise, his wife, who would usually rush to greet him upon his return, was nowhere to be seen this time.
He called over a maid and asked, “Where is Madam?”
The maid said, “Madam went to the main courtyard at noon today and has not returned yet.”
The maid didn’t know why this master had returned today, so she respectfully asked, “Third Master, would you like me to go to the main courtyard and inform the Madam?”
Song Wenjing thought for a moment, then waved for the maid to leave.
He then went to the main courtyard in person.
…
After Shen Ying was diagnosed with pregnancy, Xie Shi could only vent half of her anger and had someone send her back to the fifth house to rest.
Song Wenping will not be let off so easily.
Xie made him kneel in the small Buddhist hall for the entire afternoon.
It wasn’t until dusk, when Master Song returned, that Madam Xie sent someone to fetch him.
When Song Wenjing arrived, he saw his good-for-nothing fifth brother kneeling in front of their parents.
“You have no ambition, you favor your concubine over your wife, and you idle away your days away. You have disgraced the Song family!”
Master Song’s stern words silenced everyone in the hall.
Song Wenping kept his head down and didn’t make a single move.
When the servants announced that the Third Master was coming, Song Wenping turned to look outside as if he had seen a savior.
When the tall, slender figure entered, as upright as a pine tree, Song Wenping quickly called out, “Third Brother!”
Song Wenjing glanced at his younger brother indifferently, then bowed to the head of the table.
“Father, Mother.”
The two elders were also quite surprised to see him.
Madam Xie asked him, “Aren’t we going back to the academy today?”
Song Wenjing said, “Something came up and I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Rong Shu was not in the main hall. He glanced at Song Wenping and asked, “Fifth Brother, what’s going on?”
Knowing that his third brother had always been good to him, Song Wenping took two steps and pulled Song Wenjing’s straight face, “Third brother, I didn’t mean it. Please ask Father to forgive me. I’ve been kneeling for a whole day!”
Song Wenjing was unaware of what had happened, and Xie recounted everything that had occurred that day.
Finally, he added, “The soup was still scalding hot; thankfully, it didn’t burn your face…”
Song Wenping saw that his third brother’s face had visibly turned as black as ink…