Beneath the Surface Chapter 19

Third Master Song first ran to find the steward of the mansion, instructing him to delay the servants from the He Mansion. He told the steward to tell them that the gifts were too numerous and too varied and needed to be sorted, so they should wait in the courtyard for the time being. Then, taking advantage of the time, he hurried to find Third Aunt Song.

Third Madam Song composed herself, washed her face, and went to visit Old Madam Song, who had fainted.

The doctor had already reported that there was no serious problem, and that she would recover with proper care after she woke up. So she brought the freshly brewed tonic to her room. But as soon as she entered, she was angered by Song Shiwen’s veiled accusations.

Third Madam Song was fuming as she walked back to her room, where she was stopped by Third Master Song.

He asked urgently, “Do you remember what Mother and Second Girl took from the gifts?”

Third Aunt Song said, “How would I remember? They were just some pretty jewelry and some newfangled trinkets.”

Third Master Song, based on her description, thought the matter might not be serious, and cautiously asked, “Many?”

“How would I know! They took whatever they wanted, and they wouldn’t tell me.” Third Aunt Song thought for a moment and added, “But those things looked very valuable. I actually wanted to take them too.”

Third Master Song was stunned by her last sentence, his vision blurring. What did these women want? They wanted his life, that’s what!

“What am I going to do?” Third Master Song paced back and forth. “Mother is unconscious now. Where am I going to find those things? Is she awake?”

Third Aunt Song muttered, “You just offended her. Even if she’s awake, she might not be willing to give them back.”

Third Master Song opened his mouth to speak, but ultimately realized she was right.

Old Madam Song was naturally fond of taking advantage of others, and she was even more eager to take advantage of the He Mansion. Once something was in her possession, she wouldn’t let go. And those jewels, she probably really liked them.

Third Aunt Song said, “Do the people from the He Mansion keep such meticulous records?”

Third Master Song pointed to the door and shouted, “Fu Changjun is waiting outside. He’s going to take the things away. Do you think I dare to short him even a single ounce?” He would have to pay for the missing gifts with his old bones!

Third Aunt Song scoffed, her resentment towards Old Madam Song growing stronger. She complained, “Why do all these troublesome things fall on me?”

Third Master Song scolded, “Enough! Is this the time to be talking about this?”

Seeing his genuine distress, Third Aunt Song offered a suggestion, “Let’s just swap them out. Fu Changjun is a big man, he wouldn’t know much about women’s jewelry. Even if you put the things in front of him, he might not be able to tell the difference. And even if he knows the things are wrong, we haven’t actually taken anything from them. If he asks later, he wouldn’t really argue with us over the price difference of one or two pieces of jewelry, would he? It’s not a big deal.”

Third Master Song, upon hearing this, thought it was a good idea and asked, “Where do I find the replacements?”

“Don’t look at me! I already returned everything. Why should I have to pay extra?” Third Aunt Song became agitated again, adamantly refusing. “Go find your mother! If she’s not awake, go find your niece! Force her to give them back. She can’t possibly refuse, can she? I don’t believe she’s willing to lose face!

Third Master Song paced back and forth anxiously for a while, but ultimately had no choice but to go find his mother.

Old Madam Song had actually already woken up and was crying to Song Shiwen. She couldn’t believe that her son would actually hit her for Song Chuzhao.

Out of all her sons, she loved the third one the most. He was also the one who spent the most time with her. This kind of scene was something she never wanted to see.

She realized that she might have done something wrong, and that she had indeed been too lenient with Song Shiwen. But after being bumped, anger took precedence over everything else. Nothing else mattered.

She cried softly, and Song Shiwen comforted her with kind words. The more she was comforted, the more wronged Old Madam Song felt.

She was the eldest and most respected member of the family. Third Master had scolded her like that in front of the servants, which was clearly a sign of disrespect. Later, knowing that she was unconscious, he didn’t even come to check on her. After all, he was her flesh and blood, how could he be so heartless?

In the end, only Song Shiwen stayed by her side. If she didn’t love her second granddaughter, who else would she love?

Just then, she heard a servant say that Third Master Song was here to see her. Old Madam Song, with a cold expression, wiped away her tears and said she wouldn’t see him.

Song Shiwen helped her lie down and went out to speak to Third Master Song herself.

“Grandmother hasn’t woken up yet.” Song Shiwen lowered her head and sighed. “Third Uncle, you were a bit careless this time.”

Third Master Song glanced inside and said, “I guess I can talk to you too.”

Song Shiwen was surprised. “Third Uncle, what do you want with me?”

Third Master Song said, “You and your mother, did you take the gifts sent by the He Mansion by mistake? Those were especially given to Third Miss by General He. I suppose you two misunderstood. Now they need to be returned.”

Old Madam Song, who had been eavesdropping, was so angry that she turned over and lay on the other side of the bed, ignoring them.

Song Shiwen frowned and said, “Grandmother hasn’t even woken up yet, and my sister is already thinking about this kind of thing…”

Third Master Song interrupted her, saying, “Your sister is moving out, and the He Mansion sent someone to collect the gifts. I don’t care if you forgot where you put the things, or if you forgot what you took, but the number can’t be less. You give them to Third Uncle first, and let Third Uncle give them back to the He Mansion.”

Song Shiwen was very reluctant. This reluctance stemmed mostly from her dissatisfaction with Song Chuzhao. There was jealousy and resentment in her dissatisfaction. Now, it was completely filled with a taste called “unwillingness.”

She had grown up in the Old Madam’s favor since she was a child. Although she knew she had a sister, she always treated her as an outsider. This was something Old Madam had instilled in her, and she couldn’t change it.

Old Madam told her that she was more noble, more favored, and more likable than Song Chuzhao.

The other one was exposed to the wind and rain on the frontier, while she studied and learned in the capital. The other one was a country woman, unrefined, while she was a general’s legitimate daughter, a member of a noble family. They were incomparable.

Everything should be like this! by carpreads.pages.dev

But after Song Chuzhao returned, she realized that everything was wrong.

Family background! Although they had the same father, Song Chuzhao’s family background was something she could never compare to.

She had grown up in the capital since she was a child, and she had met many children of officials. She had seen the world’s flattery and knew best the weight of the two words “family background.”

This weight made her unable to straighten her back.

The person she had always looked down upon suddenly became superior to her. How could Song Shiwen accept this?

Thinking about this, Song Shiwen’s breathing became heavy.

Seeing her silence, Third Master Song thought she was looking for an excuse. His tone unconsciously became stern, and he urged, “Hurry up!”

Song Shiwen trembled, then nodded and said, “Then Third Uncle, come with me.”

She returned to her room and casually picked up a few pieces of jewelry from the table, putting them in a box.

She really didn’t intend to return them.

She didn’t believe that the He Mansion would be so petty as to stand at the door and settle the value of the jewelry with her. The He Mansion couldn’t afford to lose face.

Song Chuzhao had done such a ruthless thing today, using the He Mansion and Third Uncle to force her, to ruin her reputation. She had to fight back.

Song Shiwen adjusted her emotions, carried the box out, and said wearily, “I don’t remember very well. These are probably them. Maybe there are some extra ones. Just consider them as compensation to my sister.”

Third Master Song reached out to take the box. Seeing her listless expression, he couldn’t help but comfort her again, “Alright, be good. Our Song Mansion has money. Whatever you want, ask your grandmother to buy it for you. You don’t need to be upset over these things.”

“Yes.” Song Shiwen lowered her eyes, full of grievance. “I’m not angry about these pieces of jewelry. These external things, how can they compare to people?”

Third Master Song felt uncomfortable listening to this. But he was busy now and didn’t have time to argue with her. He took the things first and ran to find the steward, stuffing them into a gift box.

It took about half an hour to go back and forth, and Third Master Song finally got everything ready.

He had the He Mansion’s people carry all the gift boxes to the door and pile them on the cart that had been parked there.

During this time, Fu Changjun stood at the door, neither urging nor scolding, just waiting for him to bring the things out.

Fu Changjun was a famous person in the capital, and he was also quite handsome. Standing dryly at the door of the Song Mansion for so long, he had already attracted the attention of many people. The street patrol officers who were patrolling nearby would also come over to take a look. Now, outside the Song Mansion, it was a bit lively.

Third Master Song walked over, his forehead beaded with a layer of sweat that he didn’t bother to wipe away. He smiled and said, “Everything has been packed.”

Fu Changjun said, “Is everything here?”

Third Master Song said, “Yes, everything is here.”

“So much!” Fu Changjun patted a nearby box and laughed, “My adoptive father truly loves Third Miss. After all, he hasn’t seen his granddaughter in many years, and he wants to make up for it by giving her everything.”

Third Master Song nodded in agreement.

Fu Changjun hopped onto the front of the carriage. Third Master Song thought he was leaving and was about to let out a sigh of relief, but then he heard him call out, “Steward He! Come here and check the items. General Song has been rummaging through them for a while, and it seems he’s not familiar with the gifts from my He Mansion. You must be careful and make sure you don’t take anything from the Song Mansion.”

The steward, who had been called upon, strode forward, patted his chest and assured him, “General, rest assured, the gifts for the young miss were carefully selected by the master. I remember them all, and I will not make a single mistake. I have also brought the gift list and prices, and I will check them now.”

Third Master Song was instantly dumbfounded, his mind going blank. “Ah?”

Fu Changjun looked down and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Third Master Song’s palms were sweating, and he wanted to stop him. “This…”

“It will be quick, it won’t take up much time.” Fu Changjun patted his shoulder, “Thank you, General Song. You look like you’re sweating profusely. If you’re tired, you can rest for a while.

Third Master Song’s lips were dry, and even his own voice sounded distant. “I’ve already gone through everything inside and confirmed that they are all gifts from He Mansion. There’s no need to check them again, is there? Look at the time…”

Fu Changjun said, “It’s just past breakfast time, and it’s not yet lunch time. It’s the perfect time to work. Steward He, Third Master Song is urging you to hurry up!”

The steward replied, “Yes! You all hurry up!”

The ten or so strong men had already started unpacking the gift boxes, giving Third Master Song no chance to intervene. The items were taken out and handed to the steward one by one by the servants, who lined up to have them identified.

The steward’s eyes were indeed sharp, and he could tell the details with just a glance. He cleared his throat and, in front of Third Master Song’s hopeless gaze, without giving him any face, he meticulously accounted for everything with them.

“This hairpin is old-fashioned and has signs of wear. It’s not from our He family, so I’ll return it to Third Master.”

“This gold jewelry is already a bit black, it definitely isn’t from our He Mansion.”

“This pearl hairpin, I saw it in a shop on East Street. It was priced at three taels and three coins, and the style is quite unique. But the things our master gives to Third Miss are either custom-made by craftsmen or imperial gifts. We don’t buy anything from outside that costs less than five taels. So this isn’t from our He Mansion either!”

“There are only two pairs of earrings on the gift list. One pair is made of rubies, and the other is made of jade. There are no earrings like this. I’ll leave them here for you!”

The steward’s voice was extremely loud and clear, with a strong and resonant tone. Even on the bustling street, it could be heard from a distance of ten meters.

More and more people gathered around to watch the commotion. At first, they didn’t understand, but later they started to chuckle softly.

It was a cold autumn day, but Third Master Song felt as if he were being roasted, his head spinning.

Even though he couldn’t hear the insults clearly, he could piece together complete sentences from the fragmented words.

“They’re a wealthy family, but they still do things like this.”

“Someone has come to their door, and they still have the nerve to be so shameless.”

“The He Mansion is clearly not giving them any face.”

“The Song family dares to do this to General Fu in public, who knows how they bully Third Miss in private. Maybe he’s here to avenge her.”

“General Fu can still keep his cool. If it were me, I would have a fight with the Song family.”

“I guess the Song family thought He Mansion wouldn’t be so petty, but the people of He Mansion had already anticipated their shamelessness.”

Third Master Song was so ashamed that he had nowhere to hide. From initial embarrassment to later gnashing his teeth. If not for a sliver of reason remaining, he would have already stormed in to confront them.

How could Song Shiwen do this! Not only did she refuse to return the things, but she also used all these worthless trinkets to appease them. Was this just about her losing face? This time, the Song Mansion truly became the laughingstock of the entire capital!

“That’s all there is.”

Like a death sentence, the final word finally stopped.

The steward folded the paper in half, tucked it back into his sleeve, bowed to Third Master Song, and said with a smile, “There are seventeen items missing in total, mostly jewelry. These pieces of jewelry were personally selected by our master for Third Miss. The price is not the main concern, it represents the heartfelt wishes of the two elders. But if Old Madam Song and Second Miss Song like them, our master is a generous man and is willing to part with them. However, it would be better to be upfront next time. We are embarrassed to accept these extra items, so please take them back.”

Third Master Song opened his mouth to explain, but Fu Changjun had no intention of engaging him further. He glanced around and asked, “Where is Third Miss?”

The steward beside him quickly answered, “Third Miss is resting in her own courtyard.”

Fu Changjun said, “Go and call her out. If there is anything she wants to take, bring it all. We have many people, we can carry it.”

The steward smiled and said, “Yes, I have already sent someone to call her.”

Third Master Song suddenly came to his senses and realized that several people were missing. A few servants had re-entered the Song Mansion while the list of gifts was being read.

He felt a sense of foreboding and quickly turned back to search, but it was too late.

A burly man carrying two old chairs on his shoulders, ran towards him with swift strides.

“Move aside! Third Miss said she wants to take all the furniture in the house to the He Mansion. Those of you who are free, go and help!”

He bypassed the obstructing Third Master Song and appeared on the crowded street. He casually placed the chairs on the cart in front of him.

His movements were not gentle, and the chairs were not sturdy. With a thud, a suspicious cracking sound was heard.

“Ah…” the servant exclaimed regretfully, “Did it break?

Now, even the passersby who were far away could tell that it was an old chair.

Fu Changjun reprimanded, “Be more careful! Third Miss has lived in the Song Mansion for so long, she has developed an attachment to the tables and chairs. If you break them, what will you use to compensate?”

The servants all responded in unison, “Yes, sir.”

Someone on the side couldn’t stand it anymore and sneered, “These broken things, just throw them away if they’re broken, why bother with compensation?”

Following closely behind, someone carried out a large water jar covered in moss and placed it on the cart.

The passersby laughed again, “How many years old are these things?”

Then, several people even carried out the old wardrobe. If the bed hadn’t been too big to dismantle, they would have wanted to empty the entire courtyard.

Even this was enough to make people’s eyes widen in astonishment.

Third Master Song raised his hand to cover his face, completely giving up on struggling.

The voices of discussion from all sides grew louder, and the crowd no longer held back.

“Did Old Madam Song and Second Miss Song take so many precious gifts from the He Mansion, only to let Third Miss live in a house like this?”

“You give me jade, I give you broken things. Like bandits repaying you, there’s nothing one can do about it.”

“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it!”

“A few days ago, I heard rumors about the Third Miss Song’s bad behavior, saying that she mistreated her servants and beat them at the slightest provocation. If it were me, if they treated me like this, I would have done much worse than Third Miss!”

“I’m curious to see what kind of person Second Miss Song really is. How come she’s different from what people say?”

“They’re probably all the same.”

As the crowd buzzed with gossip, Gu Fengjian sauntered out of the mansion, a few books clutched in his hand.

Fu Changjun asked, “Is there anything else valuable you need to bring?”

“No, just these four books,” Gu Fengjian said nonchalantly. “Fifth Son Gu gave them to me to keep me entertained.”

Fu Changjun nodded.

The crowd listening felt a pang of sympathy.

Fu Changjun said, “You’re going to stay at adoptive father’s house for a while, so it’s best to let your parents know. I’ll write a letter for you, explaining everything, and then find someone to deliver it… Oh, if General Song knew you were about to get married, he would be rushing back. Sending a letter might be too late. It’s okay, I’ll write two identical letters. One will be sent, and the other will be given to him when he returns. That way, it’s like it was sent.”

Third Master Song thought to himself: Someone can actually make the phrase “I’m going to complain about you” sound so elegant and refined.

“Since everything is packed, let’s go.”

Fu Changjun patted the nonexistent dust off his clothes, walked over to Third Master Song, and squeezed his shoulder hard.

He was smiling, but his eyes were devoid of emotion. He leaned close to the other man’s ear and stated in a low voice: “Third Miss may be a Song, but she’s also half a He. The He family has a hereditary trait: they’re fiercely protective. They can’t come today, so I’m here on their behalf. You should be grateful, because adoptive father used to have a terrible temper.”

He left behind a “take care of yourself” look, turned and mounted the tall horse he had arrived on.

Third Master Song was drenched in cold sweat. Besides shame, fear also crept up on him, thick and suffocating. He understood the terror of cross-class power suppression, and it was far more severe than Fu Changjun had described.

Third Master Song looked at Gu Fengjian, who was following behind, and grabbed his hand, pleading, “Third Miss, we’re all family. This is going too far. You don’t give your third uncle any face, but you should at least give your father some face.”

Gu Fengjian looked at him and retorted, “Face is something I give willingly. If I don’t want to give it, what can you do?”

Third Master Song said, “That’s not how it works. Blood is thicker than water…”

“These things,” Gu Fengjian pointed to the gift boxes and then to the pile of old furniture, “did I force you to do them? Am I being ruthless, or is your Song Mansion being ruthless? I’ve never actively harmed you, but I’m not afraid of trouble either. How you treat me, I will treat you in return.”

Third Master Song’s nostrils flared, and he remained silent for a long time before finally letting go of his hand.

Gu Fengjian brushed the spot where he had been grabbed, coldly saying, “It’s nothing really, just more rumors in the future. I had heard such things and suffered them. I hope you’ll get used to them soon.”

The word “retribution” flashed through Third Master Song’s mind.

After the crowd dispersed and the street returned to peace, Third Master Song was still in a daze. He sat on the threshold of the Song Mansion for a long time, his thoughts racing through everything he could think of.

He thought about his future, about the power of gossip, about his own son, and finally settled on Fu Changjun’s warning as he left.

The only thing he couldn’t understand was how things had come to this point so suddenly.

Third Master Song straightened up, feeling weak all over. He had just reached his room when Third Aunt Song rushed in, panicked, asking, “What are we going to do? I heard everything inside! Second Miss is crying in Old Madam’s room, and she’s smashed things all over the place. Are we in trouble?”

Third Master Song covered her mouth and whispered, “What else can we do? If we want to save face, then move out quickly! Second Miss… we can’t control her!”

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Meanwhile, on the other side.

Duke Gu, who had just left the court, learned about his son’s fight with someone else from his colleagues a few days later.

The official walked beside him, concerned, while asking, “I heard your Fifth Son had a fight with Second Master Fan the other day. Is everything alright?”

Duke Gu glanced at him: “You mean my Fourth Son, right?”

“No, it’s your Fifth Son.” The official said, “I won’t even mention if it’s your Fourth Son. It’s not unusual for him to get into fights.”

“It’s not unusual for my Fifth Son to get into fights either.” Duke Gu didn’t seem to care, his tone firm, “That’s simply impossible.”

“You don’t know?” The official was surprised, “Then do you know he went to the He Mansion today?”

Duke Gu turned his head: “Why would he go to the He Mansion? He’s not married to Third Girl Song. What reason would he have?”

The official was startled, taking a step back and scrutinizing him anew: “Duke Gu, how can you not know anything?”

“How do you know everything?” Duke Gu stopped walking, “Where did you hear this rumor?”

“What rumor? Everyone knows.” The official spread his hands, “Your Fifth Young Master got into a fight with Second Young Master Fan, and General Fu happened to be there. He was bragging about it to someone when he said he was going to visit the He Mansion today. The evidence is clear, many people know!”

Duke Gu’s eyebrows furrowed together: “What?!”

The official nodded emphatically: “Yes!”

Author’s Note:

Duke Gu: I’m finally back from the missing persons list!