Triumph in Her Rise and Love

Song Tao had been squatting on the big bluestone until her legs were numb, and there were still figures moving about in the Water Pavilion, though the noise seemed to be gradually diminishing.

A mosquito bite on her temple had swelled up; she wanted to scratch it but was afraid of breaking the skin, so she could only keep wiping at her temple with a handkerchief, feeling increasingly disappointed in her heart.

Could it be that he, like his father, was a man who lived for alcohol?

Suddenly, Ding Xiang said, "Miss, I feel something is not right. The number of servants tending in the Water Pavilion is getting fewer—could it be that the banquet is over?"

Song Tao panicked and listened intently, barely hearing her father's drunken rants.

She also felt that something was off, with several clan elders present, her father, even if muddled, shouldn't have gotten drunk at this time.

"Let's go and take a look!" Song Tao said, leading Ding Xiang to the main entrance of the Water Pavilion.

Inside, people were busy cleaning up the banquet and sweeping the courtyard, her father was talking to a steward from their family, insisting on pouring him a drink: "Keep me company for a couple more cups."

The other guests had disappeared without a trace.

Her father was obviously drunk again.

Song Tao turned around and walked away, a surge of anger stuck in her chest, causing it to start aching.

It was Ding Xiang who ran to ask a servant boy and caught up with her, saying, "They said that Young Master Yuan and Ninth Master Song were the first to leave the banquet. Great Master got the rest of the clan elders drunk and then happily drank alone for a while."

Song Tao no longer wanted to hear about her father's affairs, considering in her heart how she could meet that Young Master Yuan tomorrow.

To keep vigil in the mourning hall?

Being the junior generation and the legitimate niece, if she went to the mourning hall, she would have to kneel like Song Jiyun all the time.

She didn't want to.

To wait for him on the road?

She would have to find out where Young Master Yuan was staying, and it wouldn't be good if it alarmed Song Jiyun.

To find an excuse to wait at Madam Qian's place?

Who knew when Young Master Yuan would go to pay his respects to Madam Qian?

Song Tao returned to Madam Zeng's place absent-mindedly, not expecting to find Madam Zeng scolding her mother: "Heartless and rotten to the core, now that I have Doctor Huang caring for me, you think you can neglect me? I want to see what kind of daughter-in-law behaves like this in any other family."

Madam Li and Song Sanliang watched from the sidelines, not only not intervening but Madam Li was also making sarcastic remarks: "That's why family discipline is important! Like mother, like daughter, good girls are taught bad."

Song Tao sneered inwardly, they were bullies who feared the strong but targeted the weak, picking on their family because they dared not mess with Song Jiyun!

Luckily, Madam Wang had become assertive since she had given birth to a son. While she could not talk back to her mother-in-law, she had no trouble arguing with her sisters-in-law.

Sharp-tongued and quick-witted, they argued until midnight.

By the time Song Tao helped the grumbling Madam Wang home, brushed up and laid down in bed, it was already the fourth watch of the night.

But she couldn't sleep.

After sending her second uncle up the mountain, the fight for the family assets would begin.

This suddenly-emerged fiancé Song Jiyun had to be understood as quickly as possible.

She tossed and turned in bed, then suddenly had a brainwave.

Song Jiyun always liked to be unpredictable. Perhaps she should also be direct; when she got up tomorrow, she could go straight to Song Jiyun and play it by ear, thinking of a way to have Song Jiyun take her to meet Young Master Yuan.

The more she thought about it, the better the idea seemed. She got out of bed after less than a Shichen Chinese Time, had breakfast, greeted Madam Wang, and went directly to Song Jiyun's place with Ding Xiang.

Song Jiyun was having breakfast.

A bowl of white porridge and a few simply stir-fried vegetables, very plain.

Song Tao busily pointed to the food on the table and said with concern, "Second Auntie has too much on her plate, and you still have to take care of Jiyu and Jixue. You should take better care of yourself. Normally, you should have Nanny Zheng stew some bird's nest for you or something like that. Always eating vegetarian, your body won't be able to take it."

Song Jiyun smiled at her and asked, "Would you like green bean soup, lotus seed soup, or do you want chilled sour plum soup instead?"

Early in the morning, Song Tao chose the lotus seed soup and sat by, chatting with Song Jiyun intermittently, "Is Jiyu still keeping watch in the mourning hall today? You should take advantage of the free time now to eat breakfast and then go back to sleep a bit. You have to stay up tonight, and early tomorrow morning you'll need to attend the funeral procession for Second Uncle!"

The Song Family's ancestral tomb is at Zhu Mountain, more than ten miles from here, a journey that takes over half a day on foot.

Others might sneak the luxury of riding a cart or something, but the dutiful sons and daughters have to walk there by foot.

Song Jiyun thanked her and said, "I'm fine," then asked, "Why have you come over so early in the morning? Is there something wrong?"

"Don't even mention it!" said Song Tao with a face full of helplessness as she told Song Jiyun about Madam Zeng scolding people last night, and added, "It's good that you left yesterday; otherwise, you would have ended up like me, unable to close my eyes until dawn."

Song Jiyun just smiled and did not speak.

Song Tao said, "I don't want to go to Grandmother's place and put up with Third Aunt's attitude, so I simply came here to find a quiet place."

"Is that so?" Song Jiyun said, "Do you want to take a nap here?"

She appeared quite amiable and easy to talk to.

Song Tao's heart relaxed, and she replied, "Forget it! It's not that I don't want to, but I just can't sleep anyway."

As she spoke, she steered the conversation towards Song Youliang.

"Second Uncle's departure was so sudden. No one expected it. I still find it hard to believe," she said earnestly, "I still remember the times when I was a child, how Second Uncle taught us to make porcelain cups and bowls, painting little birds and flowers."

Those were very happy times during her childhood.

As she spoke, she became touched by her own words, her eyes brimming with tears she said half earnestly, half schemingly, "Back then, I even secretly told my nurse that I didn't want to be my father's daughter, I wanted to be Second Uncle's."

Tears welled up in Song Jiyun's eyelashes.

Song Tao took out a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her eyes, concealing the slight upturn of her lips as she continued with emotion, "Back then, Second Uncle also told us that as girls, we must have our own opinions, so that we won't be bullied after getting married.

"Second Uncle always had a keen eye and was accurate in judging people. He liked you the most, so Young Master Yuan must have been someone he thoroughly picked and chose.

"Unlike our family, my father only cares about whether the suitor has money and can help my brother Tianbao in the future, regardless of his character or appearance.

"I'm really worried he'll just marry me off to anyone!

"I truly envy you!

"Even though Second Uncle is gone, he clearly arranged everything for you."

The last few sentences she spoke were not only genuine and heartfelt but also truly reflective of her own thoughts.

In her previous life, it was indeed for the sake of money that her father had carelessly married her off.

Song Jiyun was momentarily taken aback, then seemed moved by her words as she called the maidservants to bring water for her to wash and comb her hair, and also urged her, "There's Great Aunt! She won't let Great Uncle make a mess of things."

That single phrase scattered all of Song Tao's sadness.

Song Jiyun really didn't know the pain of standing and talking!

If her mother could take charge, would she have had such a life in her previous life?

However, revealing one's weaknesses indeed could elicit sympathy.

Now, wasn't Song Jiyun being kinder to her?

Song Tao chuckled to herself, washed her face and combed her hair, then took Song Jiyun's hand and spoke to her like an intimate friend from the boudoir, very naturally asking her about personal matters, "Have you met Young Master Yuan? What did he say when he came to ask Second Auntie about her welfare yesterday? What do you think of him?"