Tang Ning's words to Song Jinxiu were particularly sharp and cutting.
"Also, I am no longer a member of the Song family, and neither is A-ru. In a few days, when I go to move my parents' graves, I will also have us removed from the Song family's registry. From now on, we have no relationship with Lord Song, so Lord Song should stop acting like a big brother and disgust us with his pretentiousness."
After finishing her words, Tang Ning pulled Song Ru and walked away.
Hua Wu also spat, muttered "hypocrite" under her breath, and then dragged Xi Chun with her, shooting Song Jinxiu a glare before quickly following Tang Ning.
"Tang Ning..."
"Lord Song, take care of yourself!"
Huang Li stepped forward, his face full of frost. He extended his hand and placed it on Song Jinxiu’s shoulder. "If you continue to disturb the young lady and A-ru, don’t blame me for being rude."
He gave a forceful shove, and Song Jinxiu staggered back two steps.
Huang Li snorted coldly and turned to leave.
Song Jinxiu stood frozen, his face as pale as a ghost.
"Young Master..." Ying Quan cautiously stepped forward, "Don't listen to San Niangzi's words. The things that happened in the past, Third Master acted behind the scenes. You never knew about the matters concerning San Niangzi's birth mother. Besides, you are younger, how could you involve yourself in the matters of the third household?"
Upon hearing this, Song Jinxiu lowered his head, remaining silent.
It wasn’t like that. He knew the situation wasn’t as Ying Quan had said.
He couldn't involve himself in the third household's matters, but if he had cared just a little, Song Ru wouldn’t have suffered so much. He prided himself on being just, on treating all the house's brothers and sisters equally, but deep down, he was selfish and biased. He had never been as good as he thought he was.
Tang Ning resented him.
A-ru resented him.
It seemed like he had done nothing, yet at the same time, it felt like he had done all the evil.
This private room was not particularly secluded, and the argument earlier had already attracted attention. People were curious because Tang Ning and her companions were dressed lavishly, and their conversation hadn’t escalated into a major conflict, so no one approached them.
Now, seeing Song Jinxiu standing there, people began to glance over.
Ying Quan moved to block their gaze, whispering, "Young Master, the Third Master and the others have already left. Let’s go back."
There were many people around, and if someone recognized the Young Master… who knows how much gossip would spread.
Song Jinxiu noticed his concern, looked toward the onlookers, and pressed his lips together, his face pale.
...
After Tang Ning and Song Ru returned to their carriage, Tang Ning remained angry. She felt like Song Jinxiu was haunting them.
Since the Song family had been convicted, her elder brother had said that keeping Song Jinxiu around still had some use, so she had stopped bothering with him and hadn’t sought trouble with him again. But this man kept showing up time and again, without asking for any reason, displaying his hypocritical face, and lecturing them under the guise of the sibling relationship they once had.
When she remained unpersuaded, he even started targeting Song Ru.
Thinking about the things Song Ru had mentioned earlier about Song Qin, and being forced to "revisit" those painful memories, Tang Ning grew angrier and more disgusted with Song Jinxiu.
"Tomorrow, we are going to the Song family," Tang Ning said coldly, "Move the graves, remove the registry!"
Since Song Jinxiu didn’t want peace, no one would have peace!
Song Ru’s face turned pale. She hadn’t fully recovered from her injuries, and the words she had spoken to Song Jinxiu earlier had taken all her courage. She looked uneasily at Tang Ning, who was filled with rage. "I shouldn’t have brought you with me today..."
"What nonsense are you talking?" Tang Ning frowned and looked at her. Seeing her unease, her tone softened a little. She held Song Ru’s hand and said, "I’m angry at Song Jinxiu, not you!"
"He never acts like a saint, yet insists on using the standards of a saint to judge others. He climbs to the top with all kinds of schemes, yet still wants to hold onto that pretentious image of being pure and untarnished."
"What he said earlier, don’t take it to heart. Repaying kindness with kindness is something saints do. We don’t harm others first, but we are justified in using any means necessary to deal with those who harm us."
She had no intention of being that saint!
Anyone who wants to be one, can be!
Hearing Tang Ning’s words, Song Ru felt warmth spreading from her palm, and the anxiety in her heart slowly eased. She blinked her lashes and whispered, "Sister, I want to go see my mother."
...
Song Ru’s biological mother, surnamed Xue, was beautiful and had a lovely voice.
After her death, her body was thrown outside the city by the third household in a bundle of straw mats. It was later found by a prostitute from the nearby Smoky Willow Alley, who helped bury her in a quiet forest outside the city.
Around the small grave, many wildflowers bloomed in a riot of colors, making it look especially beautiful.
A woman, her hair wrapped in a cloth headscarf, was squatting down, pulling grass, and spoke to Song Ru, "Your mother loved flowers. Even when she lived in that shabby place, the peonies and paeonies there always bloomed more vibrantly than anywhere else."
"I thought she was strange, being so poor and stuck in the brothel, while others were trying to find a nobleman to ransom them, but she spent her time learning how to grow flowers and make rouge. She said she would open a shop selling flowers and rouge once she had saved enough money to buy her freedom."
As she muttered on while pulling weeds, she continued, "We may not have a good reputation, but we enjoyed all the luxuries. She, on the other hand, was so stingy with her meager savings, and in the end, I got her freedom while she ended up like this..."
Her voice trailed off as she spoke.
Song Ru knelt beside the neat gravestone, speaking softly, "Aunt Rui, I’ve avenged my mother. The Song family is gone, and Song Qin won’t have a good end either."
The woman immediately responded, "Good riddance. That den of wolves deserves nothing less!"
Song Ru looked at her, "Now, I live with Sister, and I don’t have to fear anyone anymore. Aunt Rui, come with me. I’ll take care of you."
The woman tossed the grass in her hand and sneered, "Why would I go with you? I’m not old enough to need you to take care of me. Besides, I’ve already found a good man. He’s from a wealthy family, and has two sons. Once I go there, I’ll be a mother. Why would I go with a little girl like you?"
She lowered her hand and revealed her beautiful face—sharp phoenix eyes, ruby-red lips, and delicate skin. Though she was in her thirties, it was clear she had been a beauty in her youth.
She wasn’t like an ordinary farmer’s wife. Her appearance was striking. Turning her gaze to the finely dressed young lady standing far off, she said, "You’ve suffered for ten years, but now you’ve found someone who cherishes you. Go live your life well. Don’t worry about me."
Song Ru anxiously said, "Aunt Rui, I’ve mentioned you to Sister. She agreed to let me take you back..."
"Stop spouting nonsense!"
The woman frowned and chided her, "Your sister is a good person, and she’s willing to indulge you because she loves you. But you can’t be unreasonable. Someone like me, with my background, can never wash it clean. If I go to your sister’s house, will I be a servant, or will I live as a senior to be taken care of?"
"I..."
Before Song Ru could respond, the woman spoke again, "I’ve served others all my life. I won’t serve as a servant. But if I live as an elder, what would others think of your sister, and what would they think of you? Will they say you have an elder from a brothel?"
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You can read ahead to chapterr 234 (100+ extra chapters) here
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