Volume One, Chapter 18: Achieving the Goal

If she hadn’t been incredibly lucky to get into the Song family, given what she had done, those schemers would have sold her off to some despicable place long ago.

Song Ci, standing to one side, had cold, flickering eyes. Wanxia had said she couldn’t be sold? Couldn’t? It seemed there was much more beneath the surface—this was something worth investigating thoroughly later. Perhaps it would uncover some intriguing truths.

“I’ll have her servitude contract sent over shortly. That should satisfy you all,” Li Yao said, forcing a calm tone, though his voice betrayed his displeasure.

“Auntie, you handle matters fairly, so naturally, I have no complaints. Thank you for your trouble,” came the polite reply.

Li Yao tugged at the corner of her mouth. Today had been unbearably frustrating. Song Ci’s claim of fairness felt like a slap in the face, rendering her speechless.

But whose idea was this? The third brother’s? Or that once gentle, fragile sister-in-law? She was certain someone was coaching Song Ci on how to speak and act this way. Otherwise, how could a previously silent, clumsy girl suddenly become so sharp-tongued and prickly, catching her off guard?

Madam Song had been watching for a while, growing increasingly displeased. She scolded sharply, “Troublemaker! Qiao Shi, look at the daughter you’ve raised! If the mother is like this, what can the daughter be? You should never have been promised to the third son; you’ve ruined the Song family’s reputation!”

“Mother, I...” Qiao Xianglan lowered her head, flustered and wanting to explain under her mother-in-law’s harsh words.

“Grandmother, Wanxia stole something, yet you scold me and my mother. Isn’t that unfair?” Song Ci interrupted.

“Don’t talk nonsense! How dare you argue with your elders! Look at your upbringing! You’re nowhere near as well-mannered as your sister. If you had even a fraction of her discipline, I wouldn’t be scolding you. Wanxia is of the third branch; her dirty hands are learned from you lot!” Madam Song’s partiality was blatant, and in her anger, she abandoned all decorum as if back in the village, not caring about propriety.

“Grandmother, both my sister and I are your granddaughters. Why do you only treat her well?” Song Ci asked, no longer willing to listen to further insults.

She had had suspicions in her previous life, but this time, she noticed what she hadn’t before, and her doubts grew into firm conviction.

Besides, she wanted to see how Madam Song would respond.

“You... you’re talking nonsense! You’re all my granddaughters of the Song family. I treat you the same,” Madam Song stammered, unable to speak fluently.

Song Ci raised an eyebrow, voice tinged with grievance. “Is that so? Grandmother, you never speak so casually or scold my eldest sister like this.”

“Stop making trouble. The contract has been given to you. Now go back,” Madam Song said, her face darkening as her mood soured. Her heart was pounding, and she had lost the will to argue further, eager to dismiss them.

Song Ci’s eyes flickered; she said no more. Her objective for the day was achieved. Knowing when to stop, she took Qiao Xianglan and headed out, followed silently by Wanxia.

Li Yao watched their retreating figures with regret. He had already sent someone to fetch the third brother. By his foolishly filial nature, the third brother would obey their mother’s wishes without question and suppress the third branch, which had been growing increasingly unruly lately. The eldest master still relied on the third brother’s knack for making money; otherwise, the third branch would have been expelled long ago.

They truly thought they were somebody.

On the way, Qiao Xianglan opened her mouth several times, but seeing her daughter’s back, she said nothing in the end.

Song Ci noticed but pretended not to.

Upon arriving at the third branch’s courtyard, they heard a ruckus inside.

“Wanxiang, where did the young lady say the things she wanted were? We’ve searched everywhere, but can’t find them.”

Wanxiang replied, “Third master, try looking over here again. Maybe it’s under the cabinet.”

The third master wiped sweat from his brow and hurried to lift the cabinet.

“What are you all doing?” Qiao Xianglan asked in disbelief as she entered.

Seeing her husband crouched, sweating profusely, lifting the heavy wooden cabinet, Wanxiang relaxed upon seeing her arrival and cast Song Ci a grateful glance before stepping aside.

“Third master, perhaps I remembered the spot wrongly. Now that the young lady has returned, we won’t search anymore.”

The third master didn’t think much of it. Seeing his wife and daughter back, he wiped his hands and approached.

“Where did you go?”

Knowing she couldn’t hide it, Song Ci confessed everything.

“Wanxia stole something?” The third master found it hard to believe.

Qiao Xianglan’s expression was complicated. Normally, she would have defended Wanxia, but now she remained silent, saying nothing.

Though Wanxia was fiery, being openly accused of theft made her flush with shame instantly.

She harbored a deep grudge against the third branch.

Wasn’t this publicly humiliating her? After serving the third madam for so long, in her moment of need, the madam didn’t lift a finger to help. From now on, if the eldest branch asked anything of her, she would no longer hold back.

Since the third branch no longer cared about old ties, why should she?

Having lost face and exhausted from crying, she had no dignity left to stay and went back to her room.

After she left, Qiao Xianglan sighed, “Maybe she just made a mistake. After all, she’s one of our branch. Song Ci, don’t always speak so harshly to her.”

“Mother, you got scolded by grandmother over this. Wanxia doesn’t deserve you to defend her like this.”

The third master hurriedly asked when he heard his wife was scolded, “Mother didn’t treat you badly, did she?” He looked her over carefully and only relaxed when he saw she was unharmed.

Madam Song was notorious in the village for being harsh on daughters-in-law. When the third master was around, she protected them somewhat, but when he was away, Qiao Xianglan had been secretly disciplined countless times.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry,” Qiao Xianglan said, blushing slightly, shaking her head.

“Why didn’t you notify me? You know how quick-tempered mother is.”

Song Ci knew that if her father were present today, Madam Song wouldn’t have let things slide so easily. She would have made a scene right in front of the third master, forcing her father either to punish them or make some concession.

But her father would never allow that. In the end, he would bear Madam Song’s wrath and then extract some benefits from the third branch as a compromise.

In her previous life, whenever tensions escalated, her father was always the one who took the brunt of Madam Song’s anger to vent her frustrations. This had played out countless times.

That was why she had deliberately arranged for Wanxia to return—to find an opportunity to stop her father from going to the eldest branch.