Volume One, Chapter 16: The Scheme, Part Two
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The calligraphy and painting on the wall were torn down with a tremendous ripping sound. Once the shock had passed, everyone looked over. Wanxia was the most startled of all, her eyes wide with disbelief as sweat beaded on her forehead.
How had she discovered it?
Song Ci held the torn calligraphy and painting in her hand. From above, a silver note fluttered down through the air and landed neatly on the floor—a hundred-tael note.
Everyone fell silent. Wanxiang was the first to recover. Pointing at the note, she laughed. “Wanxia, what is this? Just now, who did you say was falsely accusing you?”
Wanxia stammered helplessly. “This… this silver note is mine!”
In her panic, she had resorted to lying.
“Yours? You’re only a servant. Where would you get a hundred-tael note? We earn fifteen copper coins a month. To save a hundred taels, you’d have to work for five and a half years without eating or spending a single coin.”
Judging by Wanxia’s conduct over the years, she certainly did not seem capable of saving money.
“Anyway, it’s mine!” Wanxia snapped furiously. She reached out to snatch the note from Song Ci, but Song Ci easily dodged her.
“This is evidence.”
“Third Young Miss, you bully me and falsely accuse me. Aren’t you afraid I’ll take this to the Old Madam and the First Madam?” Wanxia suddenly had an idea and invoked Madam Song and the First Madam as threats.
As expected, Song Ci fell silent, a troubled expression appearing on her face.
Seeing this, Wanxia felt she had seized Song Ci’s weak spot and smiled smugly. “Since you don’t want to make a fuss, you should give me the note. Otherwise, if this matter gets out of hand, it won’t merely be bad for you, Third Young Miss. Your mother will suffer for it too, won’t she?”
Song Ci nodded. “Mm. What you say makes sense…”
Wanxia was almost delirious with triumph. She had known it—the entire Third Household was full of cowards who would be afraid! The moment the Old Madam and First Madam were mentioned, they would not dare to cause trouble. Spineless as ever. She had thought the Third Household had finally grown some sense and backbone, but in the end, they were just as useless as before.
Qiao Lanxiang breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her daughter yield. But in the next moment, she heard Song Ci say:
“Grandmother and the First Madam are both reasonable people. They will certainly give us justice.”
“What?” Wanxia cried out. Could Third Young Miss have lost her mind? Expecting the Old Madam and First Madam to give them justice? What a ridiculous fantasy.
After thinking it over, she said, “Very well. Since you insist, Third Young Miss, then let us go before the Old Madam and First Madam and settle this face-to-face.”
She was already looking forward to seeing how the Old Madam and First Madam would punish the Third Household.
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The Third Household had been causing her endless trouble lately. It was time to have the mother and daughter properly disciplined, so they would learn their place.
At the thought of the Old Madam’s disgust for the Third Household and the First Madam’s contempt for them, Wanxia felt utterly delighted.
The group hurried to the main courtyard. Old Madam Song had just finished drinking her medicine and was in an especially foul mood. When Wanxia saw this, her heart leapt with joy.
The mother and daughter would certainly suffer later.
Song Ci walked straight inside. Qiao Lanxiang looked anxious. She knew how ruthless her mother-in-law could be when disciplining others. She had failed to stop her daughter just now, but if her mother-in-law intended to make things difficult for her daughter, then as her mother, she would protect her no matter what.
Suppressing her anxiety and fear, she followed Song Ci inside. Wanxia and Wanxiang came in behind them.
“Grandmother.”
Song Ci’s affectionate greeting nearly choked Old Madam Song on the candied fruit in her mouth. She had disliked this wretched girl from the Third Household ever since childhood. The girl had always been taciturn, which only made Old Madam Song dislike her more. Yet today, that single word, “Grandmother,” had been uttered with such elaborate sweetness that it sounded almost winding and melodious.
For a moment, Old Madam Song could not tell what she was plotting.
“What is it?”
“Grandmother, Wanxia stole my money!”
“She’s making it up!” Wanxia protested. “Old Madam, please give me justice. I did not steal anything.”
Old Madam Song frowned. “What is wrong with this family? Every day there is some new quarrel. Wanxia has always seemed honest to me. How could she possibly steal anything?”
Even though she had expected this, Song Ci was still amused by Old Madam Song’s blatant favoritism.
How had she failed to see it in her previous life? Old Madam Song’s bias had practically reached her navel.
“Grandmother, someone searched my room today, and afterward, a hundred-tael note went missing. That money was meant to buy medicine and restore my health. Since something had been stolen from the Third Household, every room was searched. In the end, the note was found in Wanxia’s room.”
Old Madam Song turned unhappily toward Wanxia. “Did you really steal something?”
Wanxia shuddered. “I didn’t. This money… this money was saved by me.”
Old Madam Song’s gloomy gaze rested on her for a moment before moving away.
When she had given the Third Household those three thousand taels, she had been unwilling enough as it was. If Wanxia had stolen the money, Old Madam Song naturally had ways to take it back from her. That was still better than allowing the Third Household to reclaim it.
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Having made up her mind, Old Madam Song turned on Qiao Lanxiang.
“Look at the daughter you raised! She falsely accuses servants at the slightest provocation. If word gets out, will the Song family still have any dignity left? Your eldest and second sons have passed the examinations and will become officials in the future. By damaging the Song family’s reputation, you are ruining theirs as well! All of you, go back. No more making trouble.”
Wanxia lowered her head, a trace of triumph flashing through her eyes.
As expected, whenever the Third Household was involved, the Old Madam would never, ever help them.
Qiao Lanxiang’s face turned pale beneath the scolding, and her trembling hand caught hold of her daughter’s sleeve.
“Mother, Little Ci is still young and doesn’t know any better…”
“Doesn’t know any better? She is already fourteen! In another two years, she will be of marriageable age. With conduct like hers, she will bring shame upon the Song family even after she marries! She has no sense of propriety, and it is all your fault as her mother. It is bad enough that you failed to raise your daughter properly. If I had known, I never would have allowed my third son to marry you!”
Qiao Lanxiang’s eyes reddened.
She could endure being insulted herself, but how could the Old Madam speak of Song Ci this way? What would become of her daughter’s reputation?
“Mother, scold me if you must. Little Ci will have to marry someday. If you speak of her like this, what decent family would ever dare take her as a bride…”
“Where am I wrong? You, wife of my third son! You dare talk back to me now?”
Song Ci secretly signaled to Wanxiang. Wanxiang understood at once and, seeing that no one was paying attention, quietly slipped outside.
“Grandmother!” Song Ci said, each word deliberate. “I have a way to prove that this silver note is mine.”
Wanxia’s head jerked up. She stared at Song Ci in disbelief.
Impossible! How could she prove it? Apart from the issuing bank and the denomination, all silver notes looked exactly the same.
“Proof?” Old Madam Song asked suspiciously.
“Mother, what is going on here? Why is it so lively? You have only just taken your medicine and ought to be resting. Sister-in-law of the Third Household, forgive me for saying this, but how could you come disturb Mother at a time like this? Are you deliberately trying to keep her from recovering?”
Dressed in a water-blue gown and holding an exquisite fan, with jade ornaments chiming softly in her hair, the First Madam arrived with graceful elegance.
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