Hua Wu listened to Song Tangning's words with confusion on her face: "Why didn’t the third lady speak plainly? Why beat around the bush?"
"Why should she speak plainly?"
"But wasn’t she trying to warn you..."
"She wanted to warn me because she still has a conscience. She didn’t speak directly because her circumstances don’t allow it."
Tangning was no longer the naive young girl she once was. After experiencing the viciousness of people, she understood the cruelty of the Song family and could better grasp Song Ru's difficult situation.
"Ah Ru isn’t liked by the third uncle and is despised by the elders of the household. For years, the third branch has treated her like dirt. Her status in the house is lower than even some of the more favored maids."
"Although she’s the daughter of a noble family, she doesn’t even have a servant to attend to her. Sometimes, she’s simply grateful to have a full meal. In such circumstances, she must tread carefully to survive."
Seeing Hua Wu’s dazed expression, Tangning softly added:
"Ah Ru is not like me. My parents are gone, but I have my aunt and brother to protect me. In the Song family, her father holds the power to decide her fate with just a word."
"For her to even give me a hint was already a risk. If she were too direct, and I rushed to confront the Song family, she’d be the first to suffer. The Song family would surely punish her to make an example of her. Moreover, she doesn’t know how things between me and the Song family will turn out in the future. If I reconcile with them, there will be no place for her in the Song household."
Song Ru had to protect herself, after all.
...
After leaving Jiyun Alley, the sky had already darkened completely. Song Ru didn’t know if her second sister understood her message or if her warning would even be of use. She dared not say any more.
She couldn't afford to offend her brother, nor her eldest sister.
As the streets became emptier and the daytime bustle faded, the eerie quietness of the night made her face grow paler. Song Ru continued walking toward the Song residence, feeling the silence around her deepen with every step.
Unbeknownst to her, someone was following from behind. She clutched the hem of her skirt and quickened her pace. Just as she crossed a narrow alley, a stray dog knocked over a bamboo basket by the roadside with a loud "bang," nearly causing her to scream.
Song Ru quickly covered her mouth, trembling as she watched the dark shadow scurry away. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she forced them back, wiping her face with her sleeve. Whispering a small, shaky “I’m not afraid,” she mustered the courage to move forward, her face pale under the moonlight.
From a distance, Hang Ling trailed behind her, frowning as he saw the third daughter of the Song family walking while crying. He pursed his lips in disapproval.
When they reached the entrance of the Song household, Hang Ling assumed Song Ru would go in directly, but to his surprise, she turned away from the main gate.
Hang Ling paused, confused. Why didn’t she go inside?
Song Ru, clutching her skirt, moved farther away from the gate. Curious, Hang Ling followed her and watched as she entered a small alley and walked toward a large pear tree. Cautiously, she glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before bending down and deftly pulling away the grass behind the tree, revealing a hidden dog hole.
Hang Li, the experienced bodyguard, stood silently watching as the third lady of the Song family crawled through the small hole. He was left speechless.
"…"
So this was how she snuck in and out of the residence?
Song Ru was completely unaware that someone had seen everything. Once inside, she quickly restored the grass to its original state, dusted herself off, and avoided the servants as she attempted to return to her courtyard. However, she hadn’t gone far before a voice called out from behind her.
"Song Ru?"
Song Ru froze. When she turned around and saw Song Qin standing there with a few servants, her face went ashen.
"Where have you been?" Song Qin frowned.
Song Ru gripped the hem of her sleeves tightly, lowering her voice, "I... I was just walking in the backyard..."
"What’s there to walk around for at this time of night?"
Song Qin noticed the girl’s trembling body and the way she seemed to want to bury her head in the ground. Her cowardice and servility reminded him of her lowly mother, a woman of no standing.
Growing more disgusted, Song Qin sneered, "The house has been in chaos these past few days. Your grandmother is still ill, yet you wander around aimlessly without even praying for her recovery. I should never have kept you back then."
Song Ru’s face turned ghostly white at his rebuke.
Song Qin’s brows knitted tightly as he barked at her, "When I speak to you, do you not know how to respond?"
Song Ru flinched. "I... I..."
"I what? You can’t even answer properly. When talking to people, look them in the eyes and stand straight. Look at yourself—how lowly you appear. Do you resemble anything like a daughter of a noble family?"
Song Qin, filled with pent-up anger from earlier in the day, vented it all on this illegitimate daughter. The family had already been in turmoil: the old lady had finally woken up but was still causing a ruckus, and Song Hong’s temper had been foul ever since the incident with Song Jinxi. Although it was the eldest branch’s fault, it had dragged him into disgrace as well. His reputation in the magistrate’s office was in tatters. He had had enough of the main branch’s mess.
His rage fell entirely on Song Ru, who stood there trembling, her face as white as snow. Ignoring her pitiful state, Song Qin coldly ordered:
"Why are you still standing here? Get back to your room and stay put. Don’t cause any more trouble. If anything happens, don’t expect me to show you any mercy."
"Shameful!"
Hang Ling, hidden in the shadows, watched as Song Qin stormed off, leaving Song Ru standing alone in the dark, her frail figure shaking with suppressed sobs. His brow furrowed in frustration, fists clenched tightly.
What kind of despicable family was this Song household? Bullying a young girl like this—it was utterly shameless.
Hang Ling kicked a stone at his feet, and moments later, Song Qin’s scream echoed through the night, followed by the sound of something heavy splashing into the water.
"Third Master?"
"Oh my, the Third Master has fallen into the water!"
"Quick, someone come! Save the Third Master..."
Song Ru looked up in a daze at the chaotic scene, her pale face frozen in shock as she heard the repeated "plop" sounds coming from the direction of the water, her tears hovering in her eyes, forgotten.
Hang Ling thought, It's over; I missed my mark.
...
On the other side of Jiyun Alley, Song Tangning was about to settle down when Hang Ling arrived.
Seeing the figure standing outside through the screen, Tangning was taken aback. "Who did you say you hit?"
Hang Ling replied quietly, "The Third Master of the Song family."
Tangning fell silent for a moment. "Did you kill him?"
I need to find my brother quickly...
Hang Ling quickly clarified, "No, no, he just broke his leg."
He had intended to teach the insufferable Song Qin a lesson; the stone was just meant to make him fall and embarrass himself. Who would have guessed that Song Qin would be so unfortunate, falling headfirst into the lotus pond that was being cleaned.
The water in the pond wasn't deep, but it was filled with sharp rocks underneath. Song Qin broke his leg and hit his head, and when he was pulled from the water, he was covered in mud and had passed out from the suffocation.
The doctor, who had just left the Song residence moments ago, was called back and was met with the sight of the muddy, unconscious Third Master. His expression was nothing short of spectacular.
Tangning could imagine how miserable Song Qin was and couldn't help but laugh, "As long as he's not dead. But why did you suddenly decide to teach him a lesson?"
Hang Ling felt a bit embarrassed. "I just saw him unjustly scolding the Third Lady of the Song family and thought of how she was also bullied by them. I couldn't hold back..."
He paused, adding, "Next time, I'll aim better."
Tangning found his words so amusing that she couldn't stop laughing, and even Hua Wu was holding her stomach, giggling.
"Let it be. After all, he's no good person. Just consider it a form of justice."
Song Hong was cruel and malicious, and Song Qin was no better. He appeared to have done nothing wrong and had never "actively" harmed her, yet it was he who brought Song Shulan back, who had forced her into the second branch, knowing the truth but coldly watching as they pressured her into a corner. That was the real indifference.
"By the way, how did the third sister manage to return to the Song family without being noticed by Song Qin?" Tangning asked curiously.
Hang Ling whispered, "There’s a dog hole in the backyard of the Song family."
Tangning instinctively turned to Hua Wu, who looked confused. Why would the Third Lady crawl through a dog hole? What did it have to do with her?
"Where is this dog hole?"
"Under a pear tree in the backyard of the Song family."
Tangning frowned slightly. During her time of darkness, Hua Wu had mentioned the dog hole in the backyard, saying that the hole hidden under the pear tree could allow one to escape the Song family and that she had once found some broken silver coins there.
So, Song Ru had actually tried to help her escape in her past life?
======
[You can read ahead to chapterr 100 here]
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