Chapter 80

Chapter 80

After returning to the Song family, Lady Zhuang told the others to go back and rest, and said to Jiang Chun, "You, come with me."

Third Lady Qiu's eyes flickered, wanting to go and watch the commotion, but she was pulled away by Song Shiyue, who was holding her arm.

Without hesitation, Song Shian followed. Why shouldn't he listen when his mother and wife were talking?

Song Shiying followed quietly behind her elder brother.

Lady Zhuang didn’t notice her, and Song Shian couldn’t be bothered to shoo her away, so she shamelessly tagged along to the main courtyard.

Lady Zhuang sat on the Luohan bed in the eastern secondary room of the main courtyard and asked with a stern expression, "I heard someone say that you hit Lady Zhang and Lady Wang. What exactly is going on?"

All the furniture that belonged to the main courtyard had been moved over, and the main house had regained about seventy to eighty percent of its former grandeur.

Below the Luohan bed, four purple sandalwood carved rose chairs were placed on each side.

Without waiting for Lady Zhuang to speak, Jiang Chun took the first rose chair on the east side.

Then, with a mischievous grin, she said, "Yes, I hit both of them. They deserved it! They dared to badmouth my husband right in front of me!

If I didn’t teach them a lesson, anyone would dare to gossip about my husband in the future!"

Lady Zhuang wasn’t so easily fooled and pressed, "What did they say about Shange?"

Jiang Chun didn’t make anything up and replied truthfully, "That Lady Zhang is the sister-in-law of Eldest Miss Cheng. She hinted that my husband broke off the engagement to marry someone else, and that Eldest Miss Cheng was too heartbroken to marry another, making it seem like Eldest Miss Cheng was the victim.

That alone wouldn’t have been a big deal, but she had the nerve to push me, making me stagger and almost twist my neck.

I, Jiang Chun, have never tolerated such disrespect. How could I let this slide?

So, I kicked her to the ground, slapped her twice, and then spanked her until she cried out for her father and screamed for her mother, wailing like a widow."

Jiang Chun spoke enthusiastically, gesturing wildly. If there had been a suitable person around, she would have demonstrated it for Lady Zhuang right there.

The more Lady Zhuang listened, the more concerned she became, and by the end, she was clutching her chest and breathing heavily.

Fearing that Yinjie would cause too much trouble and damage the Song family’s reputation, she immediately assigned her main maid, Shanhu, to keep an eye on her.

Who would have thought that while Yinjie was behaving obediently, the eldest daughter-in-law would cause such a major incident.

She actually went and directly beat Zhang Niangzi and Wang Niangzi!

As for Wang Niangzi, her husband is from a humble background and is currently just a sixth-rank official. She likely received her invitation to the chrysanthemum banquet at the Jinxiang Marquis’s estate from the Cheng family.

However, Zhang Niangzi's husband, Sun Chengyuan, is from a genuine aristocratic family. Moreover, Sun Family's eldest daughter married into the prestigious Cheng family as the head wife, elevating the Sun family even further.

What’s more, Jiang Chun actually beat Zhang Niangzi. From the smug tone in her voice, it was clear the beating wasn’t light...

"You..." Zhuangshi wanted to scold her, but she was so angry that she almost fainted before she could even get the words out.

Startled, Shanhu and Feicui rushed forward to pat her back and help her catch her breath.

Song Shi'an quickly advised, "Mother, calm down. Don't let such a trivial matter harm your health."

Song Yinjie chimed in, "Exactly, eldest sister-in-law, calm down. It's just that Big Sister-in-Law beat someone up, what's there to be so angry about?

If you get upset over such a small matter, you'll find plenty more to be upset about in the future.

After all, Big Sister-in-Law even dared to beat her own uncle. Beating a few outsiders isn't a big deal, right?"

"What? You beat your own uncle?" Zhuangshi gasped, nearly fainting.

Jiang Chun, rather than being ashamed, said proudly, "Yes, my uncle was lazy, indulged in gambling, and was a womanizer. He would beat and verbally abuse my aunt. I couldn't stand by and watch, so I beat him up.

Everyone in Hongye Town praised me for what I did. Since I beat him, he's stayed home to mind the shop and stopped his philandering ways. He's also become much more considerate towards my aunt.

I only regret not beating him sooner; he might have reformed earlier if I had."

Song Yinjie said dismissively.

Was it because Wang Bo wanted to reform?

He was just too scared to go out and fool around under Big Sister-in-Law's 'silver' influence, and his friends, also fearing her, avoided him, leaving him no choice but to stay home and watch the shop.

Zhuangshi was speechless.

Her uncle was indeed incompetent, but as her elder, it wasn’t Jiang Chun’s place as a junior to discipline him.

It's simply totally disregarding etiquette and propriety.

Seeing his mother's shocked expression, Song Shian said coolly, "Mother, the customs in a small place like Hongye Town differ from those in our capital. Lady Jiang handled the situation appropriately. In fact, the people of Hongye Town all praise her."

"If you don't believe me, ask Third Sister."

Of course, Madame Zhuang didn't believe it. She looked up at Song Shiying.

Song Shiying's mouth twitched inwardly. Big brother, if you’re going to lie, why drag me into it? This is really unfair!

Though that's what she thought, she immediately nodded and said, "Yes, indeed, Big Sister-in-law's reputation in both Hongye Town and Hongye County is excellent. Whether they know her or not, no one says a bad word about her."

This wasn’t a lie. No one dared to speak ill of Big Sister-in-law for fear she would come knocking.

Madame Zhuang gave Song Shian a side-eye, then glanced at Song Shiying and snorted, "You two are ganging up to deceive me. But remember, you can't hide the truth forever."

Jiang Chun said with a grin, "And so? Anyway, my husband is already mine. The rice is cooked. Would you really have the heart to separate us, Mother?"

Madame Zhuang exhaled, responding with irritation, "I'm not so idle as to play the role of separating lovers. But if you cause trouble and someone comes looking for you, you’ll have to go and apologize in person. Don't expect me to do it for you!"

Jiang Chun snorted and laughed, "Dream on! If anyone should apologize, it’s Zhang, who badmouthed my husband and then laid hands on me. She’s the one who should say sorry!"

Before Madame Zhuang could say anything, Jiang Chun reiterated her stance, "I won’t apologize. Not in this lifetime!"

Madame Zhuang: "..."

Song Shian also said coldly, "The one who initiates is in the wrong. Zhang deserved to be beaten. If the Zhang family doesn’t come looking for trouble, that’s fine. But if they do, I’ll settle the score for her badmouthing me!"

Song Shiying snorted and laughed, "Bring it on! If they send one, she’ll take one down. If they send two, she’ll take both down!"

Jiang Chun gave Song Shiying a sideways glance and scolded with a laugh, "You troublemaker, enjoying fanning the flames, huh?"

Seeing the group laughing and not taking it seriously, Madame Zhuang said helplessly, "If the Zhang family's women come looking for you, that's fine. What I'm afraid of is them stirring up trouble behind the scenes, maybe inciting some imperial censor to impeach Shian for his wife's assault on an official's family member."

To everyone's surprise, this remark actually amused Song Shian.

Noticing that everyone in the room was looking at him, he lifted his sleeve to lightly cough, straightened his expression, and said seriously, "Let them impeach me. As a man married into the wife's family, can I really control what my wife does? Even the Emperor can’t force me, a son-in-law, to defy the natural order, can he?"

Madame Zhuang: "..."

It made such sense that she couldn’t find a way to counter it.

Even she was like this, so imagine how shocked and speechless those courtiers would be if they heard this, yet unable to refute a single word.

Thinking about this, she found herself somewhat anticipating it...

But externally, she maintained her dignity as the lady of the house, feigning impatience as she waved them away, "Alright, alright, I'm tired and need to rest for a while. Go about your business and don't disturb me here."

Jiang Chun and Song Shiying exchanged a glance, and the two women breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed this hurdle had been passed.

Jiang Chun felt that her mother-in-law Madame Zhuang turned out to be quite forgiving.

If it were anyone else, and their daughter-in-law had done something so disgraceful, they would surely scold her harshly and then punish her by making her kneel in the family shrine.

Jiang Chun decided to be nicer to this mother-in-law in the future, and if she got her hands on something good, she would share it with Madame Zhuang.

With this thought, she paused before stepping out of the east wing room and turned to ask Madame Zhuang, "Mother, how did you like the red dates I gave you last time? If you liked them, I'll have someone send more over."

Madame Zhuang replied irritably, "What do I need red dates for anymore? You anger me so much that my qi and blood surge up several times a day. I’m already full of qi and blood without the red dates.

If you’re really filial, just do fewer disgraceful things and anger me less, and I’ll be saying 'Amita Buddha'!"

She had given her three jin of red dates last time; she didn’t eat them as meals, so how could they be finished so quickly?

Jiang Chun pretended not to hear Madame Zhuang’s words and continued, "Red dates paired with silver ear are excellent for boosting your energy and blood health. I have some fine silver ear at home. I’ll have someone bring you a pack, and you can have someone make red date and silver ear soup."

Madame Zhuang assumed the silver ear was obtained from Lady Lu of the Jinxiang Marquis Estate and snorted lightly, "What kind of precious item? I have no interest. Keep it for yourself to eat slowly."

Jiang Chun said with a grin, "I’ll have someone bring it over later."

Then she gave a quick curtsey, lifted her skirt with both hands, hopped over the threshold, and bounced towards Song Shian, who was waiting for her at the courtyard entrance.

The room instantly became quiet, leaving only Madame Zhuang and her servants, Shanhu and Feicui.

Madame Zhuang leaned back on the pillow behind her and snorted, "Your eldest mistress is someone who doesn’t listen and only says what she wants."

"Jade chuckled. 'She is quite filial. She knew you have a delicate sense of propriety and were too embarrassed to ask for her things, so she pretended not to understand what you said.'

Coral agreed, 'What Jade said is right. Madam has humble origins. What valuable things could she possibly have? But she has a heart. Whenever she gets something nice, she never forgets to offer a share to you, Madam. Though the gifts may not be valuable, what counts is the filial heart behind them.'

Madam Zhuang shot them a glance and said with a smile, 'You two are speaking in her favor. Spill the beans, have you been on the receiving end of her favors?'

Jade held her hand out in front of Madam and said with a smile, 'Look, the ring Madam gave. Every maid and servant in Dan Gui Courtyard received one. Both Coral and I were fortunate enough to also receive one. Madam, see for yourself. Is this the “proof” of her trying to win us over?'

Madam Zhuang glanced at the silver ring. The craftsmanship was indeed exquisite, but it’s still just a simple silver ring.

Coral said with a smile, 'We are lifelong servants of the Zhuang family. What haven’t we seen? We aren’t so easily swayed.'

Madam Zhuang said with a smile, 'I was only joking. You two are taking this so seriously.'

Hearing this, both Coral and Jade burst into laughter and shouted together, 'Madam is playing with us!'

Meanwhile, Jiang Chun and Song Shian walked hand in hand toward Dan Gui Courtyard."

*

Along the way, Jiang Chun sent away Song Shiying, who had been trying to follow him as a third wheel.

Upon returning to Dan Gui Courtyard, Jiang Chun saw Guihua and Guixiang, two young maids, using a charcoal-filled iron to press an official robe with a rank badge on it.

Seeing this, Jiang Chun turned to look at Song Shiyan and asked with raised eyebrows, "Is this your official robe, Husband?"

Song Shiyan nodded and said, "I need to return to my post at the Hanlin Academy tomorrow."

After a pause, he added calmly, "Perhaps as a form of compensation, or maybe to enhance the Crown Prince's standing, the Emperor also gave me a promotion, from fifth-rank Lecturer to fourth-rank Senior Scholar."

Jiang Chun exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, that's a promotion of one grade and two ranks!"

At twenty-four, being a fourth-rank official qualified him to attend imperial court sessions, which could be considered quite an achievement for a young man.

Seeing that Song Shiyan was not very excited, she took his hand and shook it a few times, saying with a pout, "Husband, why do you say such things? The old emperor is shrewd. If he really wanted to compensate you or enhance the Crown Prince's standing, he could have given you some material rewards. Why did he choose to give you a promotion?

It's because you're worthy and competent for the role as Senior Scholar."

Leaning forward and lowering her voice, she continued, "Besides, if the old emperor wanted to make amends to the Song family or enhance the Crown Prince's standing, he could have promoted the three elders. All of them hold government positions."

"However, the old emperor bypassed them and promoted only you, which shows that he believes you're better than the other members of the Song family."

Song Shian’s lips curved into a slight smile and he reached out to tap her on the tip of her nose, reprimanding her affectionately, "You're being improper. How can you disparage the three masters of the family like that? If I hear you do it again, I’ll..."

Jiang Chun looked up at him and snorted, "So what if I do?"

Song Shian leaned in, whispering near her ear, "I’ll spank you, just like you did to Lady Zhang today."

Jiang Chun stretched out her hand and gave his well-toned buttocks, shaped by martial arts training, a playful squeeze, and laughed, "If you spank me, I’ll spank you back. We’ll see who ends up worse!"

Song Shian: "..."

It was hard to say who would end up worse.

He said helplessly, "Be more proper."

In broad daylight, touching your own buttocks—if the maids saw, it would be inappropriate.

Jiang Chun gave him a sideways glance and said with a smile, "Oh, why is my husband suddenly being so serious? Are you nervous about returning to your post tomorrow?"

In her previous life, before she became a full-time writer, she had been an office worker for a few years. She understood the mindset of returning to work after a long holiday—it felt as burdensome as attending a funeral.

Song Shian said calmly, "There's nothing to be nervous about. The tasks at the Hanlin Academy are minor and not worth worrying about."

Jiang Chun noticed that there was a new huangli wooden lounge bed in the east wing room, evidently delivered from the storeroom. Guihua and Guixiang must have cleaned it, making it spotless.

She sat down on a brocade cushion beside it and looked up at Song Shian, asking, "What are you concerned about, then?"

Song Shian raised his eyebrows in surprise, "How did you know I was nervous?"

Jiang Chun lifted her chin proudly, "I took the initiative and touched your buttocks. Usually, you'd seize the chance to ask for intimacy tonight. But you didn’t respond at all and even told me to be proper. That clearly means you have something on your mind."

Song Shian was somewhat moved; without his realizing, she had come to understand him so well.

He sat down on the opposite side of the kang table on a brocade cushion and sighed, "I received a letter from my second brother. He’s already arrived in Tongzhou and will return home tomorrow."

Jiang Chun pretended to be naive and asked innocently, "Ah? The second brother is coming back? Isn’t that great news?"

"It's a good thing, but..." Song Shi'an sighed, exasperated. "Second Brother escaped halfway while being sent to the mines and got shot with an arrow in the heart, falling off a cliff. Fortunately, a young woman from a village saved him, and he survived.

To repay her kindness, Second Brother married the young woman.

This time, upon returning to the capital, he has brought his wife, your second sister-in-law...

Several times, I wanted to tell Mother about this in the main courtyard, but I didn't dare, fearing she might suffer a shock.

Song Shiran only comes to me for troublesome matters, like revealing things to Mother, but never for good news. At that moment, Mother was in a rage. If I had mentioned it, she would surely have vented her anger on Jiang Chun.

So let him face Mother's anger alone!

Jiang Chun secretly curled her lip. No wonder he hesitated in the main courtyard earlier; it was because of this matter.

She deliberately acted shocked. "What? Second Brother also married a village woman? That’s incredible. Mother will likely faint from anger when she finds out."

Even if one son married a village woman, Lady Zhuang could still console herself that she had another son who could marry a daughter-in-law of her choosing.

But with both sons marrying village women, she would lose all hope and would certainly become furious.

So Jiang Chun sincerely suggested, "Husband, make sure to visit the medical hall tomorrow morning before heading to the yamen and find a doctor to stay at the residence for the day. We’ll pay him daily.

Song Shi'an thought her idea was excellent and immediately said, "Good, I'll go find a doctor first thing in the morning.

As for the household, I’ll leave it to you, my dear. If there’s anything you can’t handle, remember to send someone to the Hanlin Academy to find me."

Jiang Chun smiled and agreed.

*

That night, after they lay down, Jiang Chun saw him lying obediently in front of her and couldn’t resist gently kneading his well-defined muscles.

She put her mouth close to his ear and gently blew into it, giggling. "Husband, don’t you want me?"

Song Shi'an sat up from in front of her, lay flat on the pillow, then pulled her into his arms and held her.

He said calmly, "I have to go to the yamen tomorrow. You also need to prepare to meet Second Brother and his wife. Sleep obediently and don’t cause trouble."

Jiang Chun was the type to resist when pushed but not move when led. She had just casually teased him. If he had taken the bait immediately, she would have decisively declared she wanted to sleep.

But his serious and forbidding demeanor only piqued her interest.

Her fingers decisively slid down, seizing the crucial spot, and began to move slowly.

Song Shian: "..."

This woman was definitely doing this on purpose.

On ordinary days, whenever he wanted to be intimate with her, she would deliberately make excuses, and he had to coax her before anything could happen.

Today, when he made his stance clear, she came to tease him instead.

His eyes flickered, his narrow phoenix-like eyes drooping slightly, and his expression grew even colder. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I will be ridiculous." Jiang Chun lifted her chin, her fingers deftly adjusting everything to perfection.

Then, she aimed and sat down on him in one swift motion.

She then let out a mischievous giggle. "You still want to spank me? Hmph, I'll let you taste what it's like for the mighty Jiang to beat up the Song family first!"

Song Shian's phoenix eyes suddenly widened, and he hissed, drawing in a sharp breath.

This, so proactive?

And in such a position!

He had indeed thought of this position before, but hadn't yet put it into action.

He didn't expect her to mount him on her own.

It gave him a double thrill, both mentally and physically.

He half-closed his eyes in pleasure, but chuckled, "My lady, why do you sit on me? Do you know how to do this?"

Jiang Chun was immediately spurred on by his challenge, lifting her chin proudly, "I don't know? Don't underestimate me, I know many things!"

After all, she had seen thousands of such scenes; could she not even master this position?

She immediately used the strength in her waist and abdomen, giving him a performance of what it meant for mountains and rivers to undulate.

Song Shian clutched the brocade quilt beneath him tightly, barely managing to stifle a groan.

After a moment, he let out a soft hum, "Is that it?"

Jiang Chun immediately brimmed with fighting spirit, "It's time to show you what I'm really capable of."

She began doing pull-ups while mimicking the motion of drawing circles with a compass.

Song Shian finally couldn't hold back and made a sound.

Jiang Chun, always enjoying this reaction, instantly felt more energized.

But in her overzealous effort, she soon exhausted herself and ended up collapsing first.

Song Shian nearly followed suit.

Feeling satisfied, Jiang Chun chose to give up, sprawling forward and remaining completely still.

Song Shian tried to spur her on, "Is that all, my lady?"

Jiang Chun said lazily, "Yes, I can't do it anymore."

Song Shian replied with a huff, "You're comfortable, but your husband still has a long way to go. You caused the trouble, so you have to clean up after it."

Jiang Chun nuzzled her face in his chest and grumbled, "I don't care, I'm tired, I want to sleep."

"You ungrateful little thing." Song Shian was amused despite his irritation. He turned over and decided to take matters into his own hands.

Jiang Chun was not pleased and kicked him, whining, "Stop it, I told you I'm sleepy, I want to sleep."

Song Shian continued with a stern face, muttering, "You should have said that earlier."

He held Jiang Chun and worked tirelessly, causing her to cry out several times before he finally stopped.

He tried to pull Jiang Chun into his arms to sleep, but she avoided his embrace with misty eyes, accusing him, "You big bad guy, stay away from me."

Song Shian moved closer, forcefully pulling her into his arms, and said with satisfaction, "Which big bad guy made the first move?"

Jiang Chun immediately fell silent, feeling guilty.

She now fully understands the full meaning of "playing with fire leads to getting burned"; she has brought this upon herself!