Chapter 56: Reaping the Rewards

  Pull in the net

  This sentence almost stunned everyone.

  Mrs. Song almost immediately scolded the maid, and the servants from the Song family also came over to drive her away. Only Song Zirong's face changed color, and he grabbed the maid, "What's going on?"

  "Grandfather, I'm not clear either. Those people came up and said they spent money to redeem the mistress..." The little maid trembled with fear and couldn't speak clearly. Song Zirong was anxious and didn't care about the current situation, running towards the direction of Hong Zhu's residence.

  How could Mrs. Song let him go? This back-and-forth, not only did Mrs. Song understand, but also most of the people around her understood what was going on.

  Song Zirong had his marriage arranged, but it was not yet consummated. Suddenly he became a grandfather and also had a wife. This matter itself is worth pondering. Moreover, this wife had never been mentioned before, now that he bears the great filial piety...

  Song Zirong didn't even bother to listen to his mother's words and had already slipped away unnoticed. The steward of the Yu Guo Gong Fu, making an excuse that he couldn't let someone run away, also chased after him with some men. Madame Song's face was almost twisted in anxiety as she hastily ordered people to prepare a horse carriage to chase after Song Zirong and cover for him.

  When Song Zirong arrived, the small courtyard with a red door had been smashed open, and there were many people outside watching. Inside, he could hear the sound of women screaming. Song Zirong was furious, and when he rushed in, he found several burly men standing inside.

  "What are you doing? This is trespassing on private property!"

  "What's with the 'civilian residence'?" one of them snorted, "All I know is that our master spent money to buy a concubine who ran off with someone, and today we're here specifically to catch her and bring her back."

  "You're talking nonsense! Xiaohong was clearly redeemed by me. I still have the contract from the Drunken Flower Pavilion in my hands!"

  Mrs. Song had just reached the door when she heard this sentence, and her eyes turned black as she almost fainted. She had long been mentally prepared that this wouldn't be a virtuous woman, but upon hearing that this was a courtesan redeemed from a brothel, she still couldn't accept it. At the same time, Mrs. Song also guessed where the silver borrowed by Song Zirong from the Yuanguo Duke's mansion had gone.

  Afraid that both sides would start arguing, Mrs. Song hastily ordered the housekeeper to protect Song Zirong and instructed her own butler to come out and mediate. This matter will ultimately not end well, if it gets out of hand, their whole family will be in trouble, even General Song will be impeached. For now, they can only swallow their anger and smooth things over first.

  The housekeeper on the other side smiled and pulled the big man aside, discussing that since everyone had already arrived here, it would be better for them to make up for the money rather than taking him back. On this side, Mrs. Song pretended to be angry in order to relieve Song Zirong, "I said at the beginning that you shouldn't ransom her, but you insisted on ransoming her. Now that she's been home for less than half a year, it's already like this. She can't even stay outside peacefully."

  Mrs. Song's voice was not loud, but it could be heard by everyone. She deliberately mentioned the time, fearing that people would know that this was Song Zirong entering and exiting brothels during his mourning period.

  Who knew that as soon as she finished speaking, the big man who was haggling with the Song family's steward suddenly sneered and said, "Half a year? My master had just redeemed her a month ago, but because the garden he built for her wasn't ready yet, it was delayed by half a month to pick her up. Who knew that this little cheap thing would run away with someone! We brothers have been searching for many days before finding this place! As for the contract, I also have a copy in my hand, with the amount of silver and date written clearly and unmistakably. If you don't believe me, I can let the elderly gentlemen around us take a look."

  As soon as Da Han opened his mouth, the expressions on the faces of the people around him changed involuntarily.

  The old lady of Song's mansion has been dead for more than two months. According to the rules of the Great Han, this is clearly a person who was redeemed during the mourning period.

  Mrs. Song's face turned extremely ugly, but with the steward of the Yuanguo Duke's mansion behind her, she didn't dare to yell at him, and her face twisted almost out of shape.

  The Song Mansion steward forced a smile and stuffed money into the big man's hand, "Brother, you must be mistaken, it was clearly half a year ago."

  Dahan looked at the silver money in his hand and hummed a sound without speaking again.

  Mrs. Song was afraid that the matter would get out of hand and become even more difficult to deal with, so she came forward and paid a large sum of money to compensate the big Han. The other party was not reconciled and initially refused to accept the money, only saying they wanted someone. Song Zirong was unwilling, his eyes were red as he wanted to reason with the other party, and even wanted to drag them to the Drunken Flower Building for a showdown.

  This is even more outrageous, and if it really happens in a brothel, the Song family will have no face left to stay in this capital city.

  Mrs. Song gave a signal, and the steward went up to persuade with both threats and temptation, and finally managed to get an additional 100 taels of silver, in exchange for the contract from the other party's hand, and sent several people away.

  Mrs. Song let out a sigh of relief, just as she was about to explain things to the steward of the Yuanguo Duke's estate, but saw that he looked embarrassed, "Originally, my young master sent me to ask when Young Master Song could repay the debt, but unfortunately, your estate encountered this situation, and I think if my young master knew, he would also not be in a hurry to urge Young Master Song to repay the debt. This humble servant will take his leave first."

  Having said that, he hastily left with his men.

  Mrs. Song didn't think much of it and thought it was just as well that the other party had left. The Song household has been busy with many things lately, and she is particular about saving face, so the funeral expenses for Old Lady have cost a lot of silver. Just now, sending away those few big men also spent a large sum of money, and her family originally had a thin foundation, if the Yu Guo Gong Fu again pressed for repayment, it would really be difficult to gather together in time.

  Thinking of this, Mrs. Song felt more at ease in her heart, thinking that after a few days had passed, she would go elsewhere to make up for the losses, and it wouldn't matter. It's just that for now...

  Mrs. Song's already cold and stern thin eyebrows rose, and she gave a harsh glance at the red branch that followed Song Zirong out.

  "Mother." Song Zirong pulled Hong over to pay her respects, "Xiao Hong, quickly greet Mother."

  A branch of red soft and weak, about to kneel down, was stopped by Mrs. Song.

  "Shameless." After dismissing the steward of the Han and Yu State Duke's estate, Lady Song had him shut the door, blocking out the prying eyes of outsiders. Now that there were no strangers present, how could Lady Song not lose her temper? "What a bunch of riffraff, daring to call me 'mother'."

  "Daughter, Xiaohong is very good." Song Zirong thought that one branch of red was as beautiful as a fairy, and the two were in their best emotions at this time, just like honey and oil mixed together. Seeing his mother's displeasure, he couldn't help but speak up for Yizhihong, "After all, she is also someone's child, it's not excessive to call her 'mother'."

  "Nonsense! You're the one who's supposed to be the legitimate miss of that marquis' manor, what kind of thing is this!" Madam Song spat, "If your future father-in-law finds out, I'm afraid your daughter-in-law will run away!"

  "It's just a woman." Song Zirong had never met Yin Ruiqi, but he had heard that this woman liked to dance with guns and sticks, and he had always disliked it. However, his father was friends with Yin Hou, and they had arranged the marriage, and her mother was eager for Hou Ye's power and the dowry of the bride-to-be, so she happily agreed.

  "Women are also divided into three six nine grades, the one next to you is the lowest grade." Mrs. Song had met Yin Ruiqi once and thought her appearance was not bad, but she didn't have a flattering attitude towards herself, so she couldn't say she liked her very much. However, even if she didn't like her, she felt that Yin Ruiqi was a thousand times better than this woman in front of her, and if this woman ruined the engagement, she would tear her apart. "Alright, since the person has been redeemed, let her stay here, Rong'er and I will go home."

  "Daughter." Song Zirong had just arrived and definitely didn't want to leave. Yizhi Hong was frightened again, and Song Zirong thought about how he must stay behind to accompany her.

  "You're a good-for-nothing little beast, not even listening to my words!" Madam Song's face fell as she saw her son disobeying her. Her eyes narrowed and glared at Hong, thinking that this woman was the one who had driven a wedge between her son and her. Whatever it took, she couldn't be allowed to stay. But looking at Song Zirong's expression, he seemed to have been completely taken in by this woman. "You're still in mourning, how can you stay here?"

  Mrs. Song's tone was as gentle as possible, and Song Zirong hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. From young to old, his mother had always been thinking of him, so when he thought of himself wearing filial piety at this time, he agreed to go with Mrs. Song.

  Looking at Yizhi's pitiful and delicate expression, Song Zirong comforted her with a few words, then asked Madame Song for some silver coins, instructing Yizhi to order the maidservants to buy some cosmetics and accessories.

  Mrs. Song watched with a cold eye and sneered in her heart, already having made up her mind.

  After returning home, Mrs. Song flew into a rage and ordered the housekeeper to beat Song Zirong several times, and also severely scolded the maidservants around him, ordering the old woman to beat them until their mouths were bleeding.

  In Song's wife's view, even men can't be kept, they are useless things.

  In the following days, Mrs. Song kept a close eye on Song Zirong and did not allow him to take half a step out of the Song Mansion. What made Mrs. Song even more worried was where the thousands of taels of silver from the Yuanguo Gongfu came from.

  General Song's annual salary was only 126 taels, which couldn't support the huge expenses of the Song Mansion. The fields and shops owned by the Song family were not the best, and their output was limited, earning only around a thousand or so taels of silver per year. Adding to this, there were also the emperor's rewards, Mrs. Song's dowry, her own private money, and other miscellaneous income, which together totaled around 2,500 taels per year.

  But the daily expenses are not small, there are more than 100 people in the mansion, who doesn't want to eat, let alone Song Zirong, who has been taking a lot of money from her hands every day.

  Just handling the funeral for the old lady cost over a thousand taels, and giving those few big men several hundred taels, then going to repay the money to the Yuanguo Gongfu, suddenly made things even more difficult.

  Mrs. Song, still with a headache, couldn't help but call Song Zirong over and scold him severely again. However, Song Zirong didn't seem to care at all.

  "I heard that the Yin family is very wealthy, and when their eldest daughter got married, there was a ten-mile-long red wedding procession. I suppose this girl won't be any worse off."

  "Even if the second daughter of the Marquis's household brought a mountain of gold, could it quench the thirst that is right before one's eyes?" For the first time, Lady Song felt that her son was so unreliable.

  "What's the big deal? First, let's get rid of the dowry and then when she gets married, won't those things still belong to the Song family?" Song Zirong curled his lip. These days, Madam Song didn't allow him to leave the house, but it was suffocating him. The fire in his heart couldn't be held back and was vented on Yin Ruiqi's head.

  Madam Song seemed to be smiling yet not smiling, "Are you sure that Miss Yin will listen to you?"

  "Hmph, a married woman follows her husband. If she doesn't obey, I have many ways to deal with her." Song Zirong's face was full of anger.

  Mrs. Song looked at her son's appearance, but what she was thinking in her heart was another matter. After all, the young lady from the Marquis' manor was born into a noble family, and if she were to willingly hand over her dowry to support her husband's family, it would be unlikely that the red branch could remain intact.

  This little hoof is not a good thing either, so be it, get rid of her!