Chapter 82

Chapter 82

Although she was furious, Lady Zhuang still couldn't bear the thought of her second son suffering outside. She instructed the kitchen to prepare a lavish feast.

When she was sold off, Lady Zhuang herself suffered little.

She was sold to Changshan Prefecture in Hebei, where a disciple of her father, Old Master Zhuang, happened to be serving as an educational officer.

This disciple had his own disciple's father-in-law, Master Li, purchase Lady Zhuang to teach the Li family's young ladies the proper manners.

The Li family treated her with great respect, and the young ladies were obedient, following her teachings diligently.

During the past two years, although her life was not as comfortable as it had been in the Song family, it was a world apart compared to before.

As dinner was served and everyone sat at the table, Lady Zhuang, with a stern face and silence, radiated an oppressive air.

Zhong Wenjin, already feeling awkward among her husband's family, became even more uneasy when Lady Zhuang acted this way, making it difficult for her to use her chopsticks.

Jiang Chun and Coral asked for an extra pair of chopsticks, using the communal chopsticks to fill Zhong Wenjin's bowl to the brim.

Jiang Chun said with a smile, "Second sister-in-law, don't be polite at home. Eat more."

Thoughtfully, she added, "If there's anything you don't like, feel free to set it aside. If there's something you want but feel shy to pick, just tell me, and I'll get it for you."

Her attentive and considerate manner made Song Shian feel quite uneasy.

He quickly said, "Thank you for taking care of Zhong Wenjin, Elder Sister-in-law. I'll help Zhong Wenjin with her food so as not to bother you too much."

Jiang Chun, being frank, laughed and said, "Alright, then Second Brother, be sharp. The second sister-in-law is a new bride and is easily embarrassed; she's too shy to pick up her chopsticks. Don't let her go hungry."

Lady Zhuang pursed her lips, thinking, as if you weren’t a new bride either. You only arrived a few days earlier than the second daughter-in-law and now you’re lecturing your younger brother so confidently.

Look at you putting on airs!

After a full day at the yamen, Song Shian, seeing Jiang Chun attending to the new second sister-in-law instead of asking after his well-being, felt a bit jealous.

He coughed lightly and said to Jiang Chun, "Wife, please pass me the osmanthus sugar lotus."

Jiang Chun was secretly watching Zhong Wenjin using her peripheral vision while eating her meal.

This was her "dear daughter," whom she had personally crafted, so she naturally felt a deep affection for her.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chun swallowed the food in her mouth, tilted her head slightly, and said, "Gui Ye, didn't you hear that our young master asked for sweet osmanthus sugar lotus roots? Quickly give him a few slices."

Sweet osmanthus sugar lotus roots?

She was intrigued and turned to Zhong Wenjin. "Second sister-in-law, do you enjoy the scent of osmanthus? We have a hundred-year-old osmanthus tree in the Dangui Courtyard. These days, I and the maids have been drying a lot of osmanthus flowers. If you enjoy the scent of osmanthus, I can send you a packet later to use for sachets."

If she remembered correctly, Zhong Wenjin particularly loved the scent of osmanthus and had even asked the original owner, her elder sister-in-law, for some. However, the original owner was too lazy to bother and told her to bring people to Dangui Courtyard to pick them herself.

Zhong Wenjin wasn't bold enough to do that and had to send someone to buy some outside instead.

Zhong Wenjin was extremely grateful and said, "Thank you, elder sister-in-law. What a stroke of luck! I love osmanthus scent. There is an osmanthus tree in the courtyard of my old home, and every year I would dry some osmanthus flowers to use for sachets."

Song Shian felt even more envious upon hearing this.

So, she had personally climbed the tree to pick osmanthus flowers a few days ago and had the maids dry them daily, all for the sake of this second sister-in-law?

Could it be that this second sister-in-law was going to achieve great things? Otherwise, why would Jiang Chun, who never acted without a clear benefit, go to such lengths?

Wait a minute, why didn’t he, who had returned from a previous life, know that the second sister-in-law would achieve greatness?

In her previous life, the second sister-in-law had only opened a dozen or so shops in the capital, collaborating with some foreign merchants to sell various foreign goods. A dozen shops might sound like a lot, but indulging daughters was common among noble families, and their dowries grew increasingly lavish.

Even the three madams of the Song family each owned around ten shops. However, these shops had been sold at auction by the Ministry of Revenue, and now that the Ministry wanted to buy them back, they had to wait for the new owners to settle their accounts.

Those whose businesses were thriving refused to sell, even for the high prices offered by the Ministry of Revenue, and kept their shops. The Ministry had to buy another shop in a comparable location to compensate.

The same applied to the estates.

Therefore, it would take some time for the Ministry to transfer all the shops and estates.

This is also why Song Shian has not yet handed over the shops and estates he promised to Jiang Chun for administration.

It seems he will have to go to the Ministry of Revenue again tomorrow to urge them to speed up the handover of the shops and estates, to prevent Jiang Chun from coveting the second sister-in-law’s future properties and hovering around her.

Upon hearing this, Gui Ye immediately stepped forward to serve the dishes.

Song Shian waved his hand. "No need, thank you."

He then looked at Jiang Chun and deliberately batted his phoenix eyes with an expectant look. "I want you, my dear, to serve me personally."

Jiang Chun shot him a side-eye and said, "Husband, how old are you? Still acting like a child!"

Song Shian pouted his lips and said with a pitiful expression, "My dear, you used to say you loved hearing me act spoiled, and now you refuse to acknowledge it?"

Everyone except Zhong Wenjin was puzzled.

Was this really their usually cold and aloof eldest young master, who rarely spoke and, when he did, used as few words as possible?

Or could it be that someone who looked exactly like him had taken his place?

Zhong Wenjin, however, had a fond, indulgent smile on her face as she watched the teasing banter between her eldest brother and his wife with great interest.

Who would have thought that this usually forbidding, unapproachable-looking man would act so spoiled in front of everyone?

Was he not worried that his mother might feel jealous and make life difficult for his wife in the future?

Song Shian really wasn’t worried.

His mother might feel jealous and might make life difficult for Jiang Chun, but Jiang Chun wasn’t the type to take it lying down.

He was absolutely sure that Jiang Chun wouldn’t let his mother have the upper hand.

Of course, he wasn’t worried about his mother suffering a big loss either.

Jiang Chun might seem carefree, but she actually knew where the boundaries lay. Out of respect for him, she would still give his mother some face.

"You really are something..." In front of so many people, especially in front of her "dear daughter," even Jiang Chun, who usually had a thick skin, blushed slightly.

Fearing that he would continue to act up, she quickly picked up the serving chopsticks and served him two pieces of osmanthus sugar lotus root.

"She said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, 'My love, just let me know what you want to eat, and I'll serve it to you.'"

"'Thank you, my dear,' Song Shian said, now satisfied, as he picked up a piece of osmanthus flower to take a bite, and chuckled lightly, 'The osmanthus sugar lotus root you picked is sweeter than when others do.'"

Jiang Chun: "..."

She snapped, "Eat your meal and say fewer strange things."

Song Shian was surprised and went, "Hmm?" then said, "Strange? But, my dear, you've been saying these 'strange things' every day for the past two years."

Jiang Chun gave him a light nudge with her elbow and said through clenched teeth, "Speak not while eating, nor when sleeping—just eat and stop talking!"

Madame Zhuang found it amusing and struggled to keep a straight face, letting out a light cough, almost bursting into laughter.

She deserves it! Serves her right!

Although her son was acting rather oddly, she was quite pleased to see her daughter-in-law so embarrassed she might look for a hole to hide in.

Fortunately, Song Shian didn’t dare to go too far, afraid Jiang Chun might hold him accountable later. After diverting her attention from his second sister-in-law, he stopped causing trouble.

After the meal, he looked solemnly at Song Shirui and said, "Second brother, come to the main study in the outer courtyard for a moment."

*

The study in the outer courtyard was originally their father, Lord Song's study, where he often received male guests from outside.

Fortunately, the furniture in the study hadn’t been auctioned off by the Ministry of Revenue and had been completely restored to its previous state.

However, the books on the shelves were all gone, leaving the shelves empty at the moment.

The two sat down on the Taishi chairs in front of the desk.

The servants in the outer courtyard quickly brought tea.

Song Shian picked up the teacup, sipped lightly, looked at Song Shirui, and asked, "Second brother, weren't you sold to the northern mountain mines along with Father and Second Uncle? How did you end up in Su Province?"

At that time, although the Yan King was confined, as long as the old emperor didn’t execute him, there was still a chance for this highly favored prince to make a comeback.

To completely sever his support, the third prince, who was competing with the Yan King for the position of Crown Prince, made a move. He arranged for all the male members of the Song family to be sold to the northern mountain mines, intending to kill them through the harsh conditions.

Originally, Song Shian was also to be sold there, but as the most promising young member of the Song family, he received special "favorable treatment" in the imperial prison.

When he was released from the dungeon, he was barely alive and couldn't even walk.

Seeing his condition, the guards had no choice but to pull him out separately and sell him off to a distant place.

The men of the Song family could die in the mining camp. After all, a few official slaves and war prisoners die there every day. The men of the Song family wouldn't stand out if they died among them.

However, if someone from the Song family, especially Song Shian, who was noted by the old emperor, were to die before reaching the mining camp, it would stand out too much.

If the old emperor were to look into it, it would be difficult to handle.

This was exactly why Song Shian was eventually sold to Hongye County in Qizhou Prefecture.

Song Shi Rui sighed and continued, "At first, I had no intention of escaping. I planned to obediently go to the North Mountain mining camp with Father and the others, to support each other.

But one night on the way, Third Uncle got a stomachache from eating something bad. To avoid waking the guards and getting scolded, he quietly dragged himself to the woods to relieve himself.

By chance, he overheard two guards in the forest saying that higher-ups had planted agents at the North Mountain mining camp. Once the men of the Song family arrived, they would arrange for our deaths as soon as possible.

When Third Uncle returned and informed Father, Father, after some consideration, felt that the men of the Song family were likely facing a calamity this time. He instructed me to find an opportunity to escape.

He said that if even one of us could survive, it would be enough to keep the Song family’s lineage alive. Whether I became a beggar or hid in the deep mountains, as long as I could survive, it would be sufficient.

Of course, I refused. If I had escaped, the guards would not have been able to explain it to their superiors and would have vented their anger on Father and the others.

But Father, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and even Third Brother all insisted that I escape, saying that even if I didn’t, they would have no chance of survival once they reached the North Mountain mining camp.

They also said it wasn’t that they didn’t want to let others escape, but among all the men of the Song family, only I was pursuing a military career and had the ability to escape successfully."

Here, he sighed heavily, "So, I decided to escape."

Song Shian had already heard these words in his previous life, so he remained unmoved.

He said coolly, "What happened next?"

Song Shi Rui continued, "I chose the timing and location perfectly and initially escaped successfully. But by coincidence, General Conghua was hunting with his men nearby. Upon learning of the escaped convict, he immediately sent elite soldiers to chase me.

I commandeered a horse and rode for five or six days at top speed, but these men chased me like mad dogs for five or six days.

After the horse was exhausted to death, they finally caught up to me."

"After a fierce battle, I was struck by an arrow in the heart and another in the abdomen, cornered with no way out, and had no choice but to jump off a cliff."

Seeing him stop talking, Song Shian asked with concern, "Are you completely recovered?"

Song Shi Rui nodded and said, "I am, thanks to Jin Niang. If it weren't for her finding an itinerant monk healer and obtaining some ready-made fever medicine, I would have probably died from the high fever caused by the festering wound."

If Jiang Chun, who knew the truth, had been here, she would have guessed that this so-called fever medicine from the itinerant monk was actually modern fever medication bought from the Pinduoduo Mall.

Song Shian let out a long sigh and said, "That's a relief."

He didn’t pursue the subsequent matters.

Anyway, this was just a formality, and he had already asked all necessary questions in a past life.

His younger brother had been struck by two arrows, one in the heart, and had fallen from a cliff a thousand feet high. The soldiers from the Ronghua Army who were tracking him reported back to the local officials that he had died.

They even took the officials to see the site of the fall, where there was a large puddle of blood.

After the officials reported to the court, the court removed his record, and no one was sent to search for his body.

After all, the place where he fell was an impossibly high cliff; there was no way to search for him.

Song Shi Rui had a lot of questions in his mind. Seeing that his elder brother wasn’t asking any more questions, he took the initiative and asked, "Brother, I didn’t dare ask Mother earlier, but do you know how Father, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and Third Brother are doing?"

He didn’t ask about other relatives within the extended family. If the main line of the family couldn’t even save themselves, those relatives would likely be in great danger too.

Song Shian patted him on the shoulder and reassured him, "Don’t worry, they’re all safe. The third prince wanted to compete with the Crown Prince for that position, but the fourth prince didn’t want to contend with his brother-in-law, the Crown Prince.

When he learned that the third prince’s people were going to target the Song family men, he deployed his own people at the North Mountain Mining Site to protect the Song family’s safety."

Song Shi Rui’s mouth opened and closed in shock.

After a long while, he said with a complex expression, "So, even if I hadn’t escaped halfway, I wouldn’t have been in danger.

And here I was, getting seriously injured halfway through my escape, dragging Jin Niang through one or two years of hardship, only for it to be all for nothing in the end."

Song Shian gave him a dirty look and said with a sneer, "You can’t see the future. At that critical moment, escaping was the right choice.

If you hadn’t escaped and I was also in a precarious situation, would you have preferred for the entire Song family to be wiped out?"

"Besides, if you hadn't escaped, gotten seriously injured, and fallen off the cliff, you wouldn't have met your second brother's wife.

Isn't it worth it to gain a lifelong marriage with your second brother's wife in exchange for a serious injury?

Or do you think this deal is a bit of a loss?"

Song Shiran hurriedly waved his hand. "No, Big Brother, that's not what I meant at all. Don't go gossiping about this in front of Sister-in-law. If it gets back to Jin Niang, she’ll surely pack her bags and head back to Qiligou."

Song Shian coldly snorted. "Look at your courage."

Song Shiran pursed his lips. He wanted to point out that Big Brother wasn’t much better—when Big Sister-in-law served his wife a few extra dishes, Big Brother would act all jealous and coquettish, clearly showing he’s a henpecked husband.

But he didn’t dare. Big Brother had been more cunning and scheming since they were young. He had never won against him once. It was wiser not to invite unnecessary trouble.

They eventually left the study side by side.

In Dangui Courtyard, Jiang Chun was watching the maids pack items to be given to Zhong Wenjin.

*

She secretly took two jin of red dates, a bag of silver ear fungus, and two velvet flowers from the box that only she could touch, and asked Gui Zhi to add them in.

Still feeling it wasn’t enough, she considered adding two bolts of silk and two bolts of fine cotton cloth for Zhong Wenjin to use for clothes, but thought better of it.

Although her intentions were good, she wasn’t very familiar with her sister-in-law, Zhong Wenjin. If she was too enthusiastic, the other party might suspect her motives. After all, when someone is overly attentive without reason, it’s either mischief or theft.

When Song Shian returned, he saw the east wing room was in a mess, with various items scattered on a canopy bed, leaving him no place to sit.

He immediately felt jealous.

"Wife, are you being a bit too enthusiastic with Second Brother’s wife?" he said with some irritation.

Second Brother’s wife has merely opened a dozen shops. He’ll earn her enough shops so she stops envying others.

"That’s all. Pack everything into the boxes and have the two nannies deliver them to Second Lady," Jiang Chun instructed.

Jiang Chun instructed Gui Zhi, "Second sister-in-law comes from a farming background, and so do I. It's called mutual understanding, okay!"

Before Song Shian could respond, she put on a stern face and sneered, "Come to think of it, I haven't settled the score with you. What were you up to during dinner?"

Song Shian pulled her into his arms and hummed, "Why do you have eyes only for the second sister-in-law? You almost forgot who your husband is."

Jiang Chun pushed his chest lightly, a mix of laughter and exasperation. "Are you being immature? Are you really jealous of a woman like the second sister-in-law?"

Song Shian justified, "I am jealous. So what? What are you going to do about it?"

Jiang Chun teased, "Go ahead and be jealous. Do you think I'd stop interacting with her just because you're jealous? That makes no sense."

Song Shian pressed her against the wall and said menacingly, "Say that again if you dare!"

Jiang Chun tiptoed to his ear and giggled softly, "I don’t have the courage. Where would a woman like me find such courage? It's enough that my husband has it."

Song Shian's expression darkened instantly.

He put on a serious face and coldly said, "We’re arguing, can you be serious?"

Jiang Chun kissed him on the lips and grinned, "I can’t be serious right now."

Song Shian was both amused and exasperated.

Jiang Chun kissed him lightly again, then waved her hand impatiently and said, "Alright, enough. If you keep being unreasonable, I’ll lose my temper."

Song Shian pouted and said pitifully, "I worked at the government office all day today, completely drained. When I got home, my wife didn’t even ask how I was. Instead, you were busy paying attention to the newly arrived second sister-in-law. Wouldn’t you feel jealous too?"

Jiang Chun thought about it and decided she wouldn’t be jealous.

She would have scolded him harshly.

She guiltily drew back.

But an apology? No way. I can’t indulge him, or his ego will soar.

Jiang Chun gently pushed his hand away from her waist.

Song Shian's face darkened instantly.

Then she pressed him down to sit on the nearby armchair (tai-shi chair).

Jiang Chun placed her hand on one of his shoulders and gently massaged it, smiling as she spoke, "My lord, you've been working hard at the office. Your wife is giving you a shoulder massage to help you sleep more comfortably tonight."

As she massaged, she considerately asked, "Is the pressure too strong? If it’s too strong, I’ll lighten up."

Song Shian was speechless.

He never imagined that he would find himself in such a situation, as if in a dream. In this dream, he returned home from the office to a wife who was so gentle and considerate, caring for his well-being and thoughtfully rubbing his shoulders.

After a brief pause, he slowly responded, "The pressure is perfect, neither too light nor too heavy."

"Alright," Jiang Chun replied, then swiftly continued to massage his shoulders.

She also asked with concern, "Did you have a good day at the office? Was anyone passive-aggressive to you?

If they were, just let me know. Next time I attend a banquet and meet his wife, I’ll definitely embarrass her and get back at them on your behalf."

Song Shian found it amusing. With two lifetimes of experience, could he really be bullied by those bookish scholars in the Hanlin Academy? If that were the case, wouldn't he be a fool who only grew older but not wiser?

But he chose to play the victim instead, "After not working together for two and a half years, they don’t really know how to interact with me. So, hardly anyone spoke to me all day, and I had to keep my head down and work on my own."

Was this a form of cold treatment?

Jiang Chun felt deeply sympathetic and quickly comforted him, "It’s alright. This is just your first day at the office. It’s normal not to know how to interact properly since you’re all still unfamiliar. Once you all become more familiar, things will improve."

Song Shian pretended to listen attentively, paused for a moment, and then nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, my lady. I was too impatient. I should take it slow and get to know them again."

Feeling a strong sense of accomplishment, Jiang Chun pressed on, "Haste makes waste. Anyway, since the Song family has been cleared of any wrongdoing, my lord, you should relax and take things easy. Everything will fall into place in due time."

Song Shian nodded seriously. "Okay, I'll listen to you, my lady."

Jiang Chun said with a smile, "Now that’s more like it."

Song Shian, in a "returning the favor" tone, said, "My lady, you’ve rubbed my shoulders and comforted me, so I ought to give you a token of gratitude. But unfortunately, the Ministry of Revenue hasn’t settled the matters of the shops and estates yet, and I don’t have a single coin to my name, so I’ll owe you for now."

Jiang Chun immediately took out a few silver coins from the purse at her waist, reached over to him, and put them into his coin purse.

Said with a self-deprecating smile, "It's entirely my fault for forgetting to give you spending money. I wrongly assumed it was like before when we were in the countryside, where there was no need for you to spend money."

Feeling misunderstood, Song Shian hurriedly explained, "I didn’t mean to ask for money when I said that..."

Jiang Chun cut him off, "I know, but I want to give you some spending money. With this spending money, if you fancy something particularly delicious at the yamen at noon, just send Guishu to get it for you."

Guishu was a servant Lady Zhuang bought for Song Shian.

From the name, it’s obvious that Jiang Chun named him.

Song Shian did not refuse further, and a contented smile graced his face. "Thank you, my dear wife, for your consideration."