Triumph in Her Rise and Love

Is this never-ending?

Song Jiyun laughed in irritation and simply relit a stick of incense before serving him a cup of tea.

He picked up the tea cup and sniffed, expressing his distaste, "Is there any other tea?"

She had been here for over a decade and still couldn't tell the nuances in the taste of tea, yet he was so picky.

Song Jiyun said, "Besides this Dragon Well Tea, there's also Xinyang Maojian, Junshan Silver Needle, and Wuyi Rock Tea."

He said, "Maojian then!"

His tone was of someone condescendingly settling for less.

Song Jiyun suppressed a heap of retorts in her heart and went to brew him a cup of Xinyang Maojian.

But by the time she extended the tea cup to him, his hand was already struggling to lift it.

Song Jiyun was quite satisfied with this result and said, "I'll have Liu Zi attend to the young master."

The man stared at her intently and then slowly lifted the tea cup.

The pale gold tea liquor rippled in the cup.

Song Jiyun was worried he would spill the tea on himself.

He wore one of Zheng Quan's new robes that had not even been worn yet—if it got dirty, she would need to find another garment for him to change into.

Xiang Zhan ran in, "patter, patter, patter," and loudly exclaimed, "Eldest Miss, Second Madam and Third Old Master have arrived!"

Song Jiyun jumped with fright, hurriedly called Liu Zi, and instructed him to attend from the gauze cupboard, then went out to meet the visitors with Xiang Zhan.

However, as she stepped out of the hall, she ran right into her mother Madam Qian and her third uncle, Song Sanliang.

Before Song Jiyun had a chance to pay her respects, the red-eyed Madam Qian stepped forward, grabbed her arm, and choked out, "Yun Duo, hurry and lend your father's seal to your Third Uncle."

Song Jiyun immediately looked towards Song Sanliang.

In the dimming daylight, her uncle in plain clothes and filial piety band, showed a face filled with anxiousness and urgency.

Song Jiyun, eyeing Song Sanliang, asked her mother, "What happened?"

Song Sanliang, realizing her gaze, smiled at her instinctively.

But the smile that emerged from the depth of his eyes was too radiant, making it seem like his earlier anxiety was superficial and insincere.

Song Jiyun scoffed inwardly.

Madam Qian cried out, "Registrar Wang is extorting ten thousand taels of silver from our family—otherwise, he threatens to seal our house. If that happens, your father's funeral can't be held either!"

Song Jiyun took out a handkerchief to wipe away Madam Qian's tears, and said softly, "Don't worry, let's talk about whatever it is slowly!"

As she spoke, she attempted to guide Madam Qian into the hall.

But Madam Qian unexpectedly grabbed her instead, anxiously saying, "Yun Duo, we can't wait on this matter. People from the county Yamen are about to come and seal our house."

Song Jiyun simply stood under the eaves to talk with her mother.

"You say people from the county Yamen are coming to seal our house?" she said calmly, "Who told you this? Has anyone from the Yamen actually come by?"

Madam Qian looked bewildered and turned towards Song Sanliang.

Song Sanliang cleared his throat twice and said to Song Jiyun, "Niece, about sealing the house, a friend of mine who works in the county Yamen mentioned it. It's absolutely true. Didn't Registrar Wang come with people to search the house during the day? They said a dignitary from the Capital City went missing in the study room that used to belong to your father. They haven't found him yet.

"Unable to answer for it, Registrar Wang is pinning this on our family."

After hearing him out, Song Jiyun said, "Third Uncle, this is a serious matter, and this is not the place to discuss it."

"Look at me," Song Sanliang hastily said, "I got so panicked I forgot everything else!"

Song Jiyun helped Madam Qian and Song Sanliang to sit down in the Taishi Chairs in the hall.

Xiang Zhan astutely brought out some refreshments.

Song Jiyun asked Song Sanliang, "The extortion of ten thousand taels of silver by Registrar Wang—did he tell you directly? Or was it someone close to him who told you? Or was it your friend who informed you?"

Song Sanliang was stunned for a moment before replying, "Of course Registrar Wang told me personally. How could such a big matter be heard through someone else's ears?"

Song Jiyun asked, "What was your response to him at the time?"

Song Sanliang sighed and said, "Don't be fooled by people calling your dad the richest man. In the hierarchy of scholar, farmer, artisan, and merchant, the status of merchants is the lowest. When trouble arises, anyone can trample on them..."

He is a Child Student.

A thirty-six-year-old Child Student, who still prides himself on being a scholar.

Song Jiyun waved at him, interrupting his speech politely yet firmly, "Did you personally promise anything to Registrar Wang?"

Song Sanliang frowned but eventually sighed, "How could I dare not to agree?"

Song Jiyun said, "It's already this Shichen, the Silver House has long been closed. Even if I give you the seal, you can't withdraw the silver. Moreover, according to the rules of the Silver House, for any amount exceeding ten thousand taels, they need two days' notice in advance. It's better for us to rest early today and discuss this with fresh energy tomorrow."

"You can't say it like that," Song Sanliang replied displeased, "My second brother has deposited so much silver in the Silver House, it surely must be different from ordinary merchants. Informing them earlier might allow us to get the silver earlier. If they can't even accommodate this small convenience, we won't deposit our silver there in the future."

He spoke as if it were his own silver.

Song Jiyun replied, "That's only if they have the silver in their vaults!"

Song Sanliang argued, "How could a Silver House not have a stock of ten thousand taels!"

As they spoke, their voices grew louder and louder.

"You two, stop arguing!" Madam Qian looked from her daughter to Song Sanliang, saying weakly, "I still have some jewelry, gold and silver, antiques and calligraphy paintings. If it really comes to it, we can use my things to tide us over."

"No!" Song Jiyun loudly objected before Song Sanliang could speak, "Mother, never speak of such things again. Even when father was alive, he never touched your dowry. Now that he is no longer here, to use your personal money would surely not give him peace in the afterlife."

Madam Qian recalled her husband's kindness and was overwhelmed by sorrow, unable to hold back her tears.

Song Jiyun couldn't help but sigh internally.

If it weren't for Song Sanliang's obsession with the seal, her mother, with her nature, would be cheated out of everything she had.

Comforting her mother, she took the opportunity to influence her thoughts, "Without father, you must uphold his dignity even more. Your dowry is meant to be left for your children; we can't let people think that without father, we've lost all our principles."

Her younger sister was ten years old when her mother became pregnant again.

Now just four months along.

It should have been a great joy.

Alas, her father could no longer share this happiness with them.

Song Jiyun felt somber.

Madam Qian kept nodding.

Song Sanliang, however, took a sharp intake of breath.

He had misjudged his niece before.

He hadn't expected her to be so greedy, even eyeing her mother's dowry.

The affairs of the second branch of the family needed careful consideration and planning.

Meanwhile, Song Jiyun had Xiang Zhan accompany her mother to the western chamber's living quarters to wash her face while she stayed in the hall to speak with Song Sanliang, "Registrar Wang's family has a pawnshop, so he should know the rules of the Silver House. It's not yet time, and he's already sent someone to seal our front door. That's completely untrustworthy. I think I really must visit the Yamen tomorrow."

Hearing this, Song Sanliang was so frightened his voice changed as he asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I want to ask Registrar Wang for a few days' extension," Song Jiyun pondered, "As you said earlier, this kind of matter can't be entrusted to hearsay; I must go in person."

Song Sanliang's face changed unpredictably, and after thinking for a moment, he stood up and walked to the door of the western living quarters, calling out loudly, "Second sister-in-law, look at what your niece is saying! How can such matters concern an unmarried girl? If word gets out, how will she be able to marry?"

This year, Song Jiyun was seventeen, and her marriage had become a constant worry for Madam Qian.

Upon hearing this, she immediately rushed out, urgently saying to Song Jiyun, "Yun Duo, your Third Uncle makes a good point. Leave this matter to him. A girl's reputation is important."

Always pressured to marry, Song Jiyun fell silent.

At that moment, a sound of something falling came suddenly from the gauze cupboard...