He Wan and the others entered the mansion one after another. Song Chuzhao called out in a loud voice, “Grandfather!”
She hadn’t walked far before she saw a figure. It was clear that the other party had been waiting there for some time.
Master He was wearing a gray linen shirt and standing with his hands behind his back on the main path. His cloudy eyes fixed on He Wan, his pupils flickered, unsure of what to say.
He Wan lowered her eyes, released Song Chuzhao, and walked forward, calling out, “Father.”
Master He’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he said in a hoarse voice, “You’re back.”
He Wan replied, “Yes.”
Master He said, “You were gone for a long time.”
He Wan said, “Yes.“carpreads.pages.dev
Master He asked, “Do you still blame me?”
He Wan said, “No.”
Master He reached out his hand towards her, He Wan smiled and stepped forward to embrace him.
The father and daughter embraced. Master He’s large hand gently patted her back, a mixture of comfort and guilt, as he said, “It was your father who wronged you. Only after you left did I realize how strict I had been with you. I wanted to make it up to you, but you were not home. I used to hear you complain, but I didn’t think much of it. Now that only the two of us are left in the house, I finally understand how lonely you were as a child.”
He Wan’s eyes welled up, and she shook her head.
Master He said, “I was forced to make you leave at the time. It’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back.”
Madam He ran out from the courtyard, calling out, “My Wanwan!”
Master He reluctantly let go of He Wan, only to see Madam He fly out like an arrow, roughly embracing He Wan and squeezing her into her arms.
Madam He said, “You’ve lost weight, you look thinner again. You used to be all plump, but now you’re just bones.”
He Wan listened, crying and laughing, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, saying, “Where am I thin? I’ve actually gained some weight.”
Madam He said, “Nonsense. When I held you in my arms before, you were so heavy.”
He Wan said, “That was a long time ago. I was still a child then.”
Madam He cried, “You’re still a child now!”
Song Chuzhao stood aside, smiling foolishly.
She found it amusing to see her mother being so obedient and well-behaved in front of her grandmother.
After they had been affectionate for a while, she said, “I want to eat. I’ve been drinking water at the city gate all afternoon.”
Master He quickly said with concern, “Oh, poor Zhaozhao. Come in, come in. Knowing you were coming, I specially invited two excellent chefs. The dishes are already prepared and ready to be served.”
Madam He was overjoyed to see that He Wan wasn’t angry with her, and she held onto He Wan, refusing to let go, and led her to sit beside her.
Song Guangyuan finally had a chance to greet them, stepping forward and saying, “General.”
Master He politely replied, “I’m no longer a general, just an ordinary old man. Just call me whatever you like. Come, have a seat.”
Everyone, without being particular, chose a seat nearby and sat down at the dining table.
A servant brought over bowls and chopsticks, “Um, Madam Song…”
Madam He finally stopped staring intently at He Wan and realized what was happening. She pointed at herself and said, “Call me Old Madam, Old Madam He! Wanwan is back! Haha!”
Everyone’s faces were filled with joy. The steward smiled and asked, “Old Madam He, shall we serve the dishes now?”
Madam He, pleased, nodded and said, “Serve the dishes! Wanwan, are you hungry? You must be tired from the long carriage ride.”
The steward went to hurry things along, and the food and drink were soon brought out, dish after dish filling the table. The heat and aroma rose together, making Song Chuzhao’s mouth water.
Master He poured himself a cup of wine and said to Song Guangyuan, “Guangyuan, I want to toast you.”
Song Guangyuan quickly raised his cup.
Master He looked at him for a moment, but then his words caught in his throat. He simply drank the wine in one gulp. He sighed, “I had so much to say to you, but now that I see you, I don’t know what to say.”
Song Guangyuan said, “Your subordinate understands.”
Master He pointed at him and said, “You see? You’re no longer a small soldier under my command, but you still can’t break this habit.”
Song Guangyuan laughed, “It’s thanks to Master He’s promotion and trust that I am where I am today. Master He has always treated me like his own son, and I also toast you.”
Song Chuzhao looked around, raised her hand, and said, “You all have nothing to say, but I do. Can I speak?”
Madam He asked softly, “What do you want to say, Zhaozhao?”
Song Chuzhao said with a strong voice, “I want to lodge a complaint!”
He Wan directly used her chopsticks to tap her, signaling her not to be silly.
Song Chuzhao touched the back of her hand and said, “I really want to lodge a complaint! If I don’t, they’ll lodge a complaint when I return to the Song Mansion, and then I won’t even have a chance to defend myself. I’m saying this here, and my maternal grandfather can testify for me!”
Master He nodded, “I’ll testify, I’ll testify.”
He Wan said angrily, “Who talks bad about people behind their backs at the dinner table? Is that how I taught you?”
Song Guangyuan laughed, “Let her speak. Look at her, she’s so uncomfortable holding it in.”
Master He said, “She’s just bottled it up. Just consider it nonsense and listen casually. Don’t take it to heart.”
Song Chuzhao said, “There are two sides to every story. Father, it’s better to listen more so you can tell who’s right and who’s wrong. Besides, it was Old Madam Song who first brought up Second Girl Song, and I was only reminded by her. I have something to say too.”
Song Guangyuan’s expression turned serious, and he asked, “Mother said Second Girl is sick. What’s going on? Did you have a falling out with her?”
He Wan simply lowered her head and ate.
Song Chuzhao scooted over and said to Song Guangyuan, “I didn’t argue with her. I’ve already moved out. She was the one who invited me to climb Mount Shaoling. I went, but it turned out she wanted to have the mountain’s Daoist priests exorcise me. Who knew the forest on the mountain was so dense? She ran into the woods and couldn’t get out, and she scared herself. The County Princess and I went in to save her, and we fell into a pit.”
“What do you mean, have the mountain’s Daoist priests exorcise you?” Song Guangyuan’s expression seemed to show anger. “My Song family doesn’t believe in those ghosts and spirits!”
Song Guangyuan had experienced the days when Fu Donglai was at the height of his power. He served under Master He, and he was influenced by Master He and Duke Gu’s thinking, so he deeply loathed these crooked paths and evil ways.
Moreover, he had personally seen many examples of people who had fallen into ruin because they blindly believed in wandering sorcerers. He was terrified of such things and avoided them at all costs. He was also a military general who had killed countless people on the battlefield, so he was very wary of ghosts and spirits.
He never allowed anyone in the Song family to dabble in these things. Song Shiwen, she actually wanted to find a Daoist priest to deal with Song Chuzhao?
Song Chuzhao said, “It’s not my fault anyway. I didn’t scare her, and I didn’t hit her. She scared herself and got sick.”
Song Chuzhao had been raised by Song Guangyuan’s side. He knew this child was straightforward and couldn’t lie. If she said it like this, then it was most likely true.
Thinking about this, his face turned even darker.
Master He said, “Children can be taught slowly. Second Girl Song has never been known to be superstitious before. Perhaps she was temporarily influenced by someone. Go back and talk to her properly, comfort her, and everything will be fine.”
Song Guangyuan didn’t want to spoil everyone’s mood, so he nodded in agreement.
Song Chuzhao raised her hand again. He Wan said, “Are you not done yet? Are you deliberately trying to make your father lose his appetite? Can’t you wait until after dinner to say it?”
Song Chuzhao said resentfully, “Oh.”
Song Guangyuan was annoyed, but he didn’t want to make a fuss over this, so he said, “Go ahead, say it.”
Song Chuzhao said, “It’s about why I want to move out of the Song Mansion. I’ll confess everything myself!”
Song Guangyuan said, “If you want to move out, your father has no objections.”
Song Chuzhao said, “No, it’s not that. There are other things too.”
Song Chuzhao then recounted how Master He had sent gifts, but Old Madam Song had secretly intercepted them and then used old items to offset the value. She also casually mentioned her dilapidated courtyard.
Song Guangyuan’s face flushed red, then white, then black, and he almost jumped to his feet.
He thought that his mother, at least, was from an official family background. Although she favored some children over others, she genuinely loved Song Shiwen. But he never imagined that in her old age, she would become so unreasonable.
Moreover, when he had returned to the capital to visit his family two years ago, Song Shiwen had been a gentle and considerate woman, well-educated in the capital. How could she have become like this in private?
Master He felt a tinge of shame towards Song Guangyuan and said, “It was wrong of me to do that. I was angry at the time and didn’t give them any face.”
Song Guangyuan said with a bitter smile, “That’s how it should be. If we hadn’t made it clear and let them suffer a bit, they wouldn’t have realized they were wrong.”
Master He almost nodded in agreement, but he still gave his son-in-law some face and said, “It wasn’t as serious as you think. It was just a few small items.”
Song Guangyuan pursed his lips and forced a strained smile.
The He family members enjoyed their meal, while Song Guangyuan was preoccupied with his thoughts. Out of consideration for his feelings, everyone’s excitement was subdued.
After dinner, Master He no longer held them back and personally escorted them to the door. As they were about to part ways, he lingered, urging He Wan to visit whenever she had free time.
Song Guangyuan bid farewell to Master He and, accompanied by He Wan and Song Chuzhao, boarded the carriage.
The carriage soon arrived at the Song Mansion. Lanterns hung at the front gate, and servants stood outside, waiting for them.
Song Guangyuan said, “Zhaozhao, you and your mother go back first. I’ll go see your second sister.”
Song Chuzhao nodded.
Song Guangyuan then turned to He Wan and said, “My mother is in her room. She’s probably still angry. To avoid any trouble, please stay hidden for now.”
He Wan nodded and said, “Okay.”
Song Guangyuan gave a helpless smile and said, “She doesn’t like you anyway. You don’t need to go and greet her tomorrow.”
He Wan said, “You should rest early too. You’re tired today.”
He Wan left with Song Chuzhao.
Song Guangyuan had his own courtyard in the Song Mansion, but it had been empty until today when it was cleaned up.
He Wan and Song Chuzhao stayed in a side room next to his courtyard. The room was cozy, with freshly aired bedding. He Wan finally had a chance to ask Song Chuzhao about what had happened in the capital.
The mother and daughter chatted about everything under the sun, helping each other wash up and fetch water. Then they lay down in bed and continued their whispered conversation.
Song Chuzhao looked up at the window and said, “I forgot something earlier. Old Madam Song also allowed her maids to spread rumors about me. I’ll tell Father about it when he gets back.”
He Wan pressed her down, saying, “Zhaozhao, don’t make the General so uncomfortable.”
Song Chuzhao said, “It was clearly their fault first. Didn’t you say that those who make mistakes should be punished?”
He Wan said, “I consider you family, so I’m strict with you. But you can’t be equally harsh on Second Girl Song. Second Girl has always lived in the capital, without her father’s company. The General feels guilty towards her. Hearing you speak ill of Second Girl, he naturally feels sad. Look at his expression tonight, you child, really…”
Song Chuzhao lay down, sighed, and said, “What I said was the truth. If they hadn’t provoked me, I wouldn’t have been so ruthless. But today you saw, Old Madam Song was determined to make things difficult for me. Mother, I really can’t get along with the Song family. Especially Old Madam Song.”
He Wan calmly said, “If you can’t get along, then don’t. You just need to get along with the Gu family. Your aunt Si is a kind and gentle person, she won’t make things difficult for you. Plus, Fifth Son Gu cares for you, he will be good to you. I talked to your Aunt Si, we will arrange for you to get married soon.”
Song Chuzhao felt a mix of emotions. She wriggled around in bed for a while, then burrowed into He Wan’s arms, hugging her and saying, “But I want to stay with Mother forever.”
He Wan laughed and said, “Then where are you going? Are you going to take Mother with you?”
Song Chuzhao asked, “Will you come with me?”
He Wan said, “Alright.”
Song Chuzhao sat up and said, “Really? That’s great!”
He Wan patted her and said, “Lie down, what are you being silly about?”
Song Chuzhao couldn’t stop laughing. She lay on the bed, then started planning, saying, “Then Grandfather and Grandmother should come too. I promised Grandfather that I would help him wash the horses and get rid of the bugs. Oh, I broke Grandmother’s flower, I said I would pay her back.”
She chattered on and on, never stopping.
He Wan listened, gradually finding it annoying. She said, “Aren’t you going to sleep? What time is it? Mother is tired today.”
“I can’t sleep,” Song Chuzhao giggled, “Can I move out soon? When can I move out?”
He Wan said, “Move out? You have to wait until after the Winter Solstice sacrifice. Stay at the Song Mansion for now, don’t give people something to talk about.”
Song Chuzhao counted on her fingers and said, “Uncle Fu said I can go to the hunting grounds, and it’s coming up soon, isn’t it just these few days? Can I leave after the hunting grounds? Leaving Father alone here, wouldn’t he be too lonely?”
He Wan didn’t want to pay attention to her, the more she paid attention, the more she would get carried away.
Song Chuzhao pushed He Wan and said, “Mother, have you ever been to that hunt? Mother?”
She kept calling out, He Wan had no choice but to say, “No. Back then, the Emperor had already started seeking immortality, the whole hunting ground was filled with smoke and haze, and there were even accidents. Father wouldn’t let me go. But I heard the General say that the hunting grounds are quite fun now, young ladies can go too, you can go with peace of mind.”
Song Chuzhao hummed in agreement, then continued to laugh, “You and Father are back, then I have nothing to fear in the capital. I’m the Queen of the Capital again.”
He Wan paused for a moment, then couldn’t help but remind her, “There are many gossipy people in the capital, even if you don’t care, Fifth Son Gu might. There are many high-ranking officials’ sons at the hunting grounds, be careful with your actions.”
Song Chuzhao said, “Are you worried I’ll fight? I won’t. I…”
Seeing that she was about to go off on a tangent again, He Wan pulled the blanket over her, sternly saying, “Now, shut up! Sleep!”
Song Chuzhao said with a grievance, “…Fine.”
At this time, Song Guangyuan was sitting in Song Shiwen’s room, closing his eyes, listening to Old Madam Song cry to him about Song Chuzhao’s various misdeeds.
His face was expressionless, but the fingers he was using to support himself on his knees were clenched tightly, on the verge of anger.
Song Shiwen sat opposite him, her face pale, using her peripheral vision to observe his expression, not daring to speak.
Old Madam Song called his name, “Guangyuan, did you hear what Mother said?”
Song Guangyuan relaxed his muscles and replied, “I heard.”
Old Madam Song said angrily, “What do you think? Should we not discipline Third Girl Song properly?”
Song Guangyuan did not answer. He opened his eyes, meeting Song Shiwen’s gaze, and said with a furrowed brow, “Second Girl, Father is very disappointed in you.”