Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 124 Women (3)

I'm so tired.

Yang Siyao's thin shoulders were trembling slightly.

Others only see her learning seductive arts and lingering among men, saying she is shameless and flirtatious, but who can know what weight she is actually bearing?
At that time, she was just a seven-year-old girl.

There's a limit to feigned strength; the moment you're seen through, all that pretense crumbles.

Ah ah ah ah ah……

Yang Siyao cried, and she cried out loud.

She seemed to have become a seven or eight-year-old child, wanting to release all the tears that had been suppressed for more than ten years at once.

Song Yan simply let out a soft breath, silently watching without stopping her. Often, a good, cathartic cry makes one feel much better. He felt he should hold the girl in front of him right now; otherwise, sitting there crying alone looked rather pitiful.

After thinking for a moment, he stretched out his arm, and soon his chest was soaked.

I don't know how long she cried, but her voice gradually subsided, though her chest still twitched from time to time.

It was very late at night.

“Tomorrow…” Song Yan looked out the window: “After the rain, find a time to bury your sister, so she can rest in peace.”

The little head perched on my chest twitched slightly; I don't know if that counts as a nod.

"It's getting late, you should get some sleep." After thinking for a moment, Song Yan said again, and prepared to get up.

Yang Siyao's arms were very tight, so it wasn't impossible for her to break free completely. However, Song Yan was worried that if he really used his strength to break free, he might hurt the woman who had just been crying her eyes out.

"Is this your room?" Yang Siyao murmured softly in my arms, her voice hoarse from crying so much earlier.

Song Yan was taken aback. Oh right, she almost forgot: "Then you're going out?"

"what?"

Yang Siyao suddenly lifted her head from Song Yan's arms, looking at the man opposite her in shock. This... is this something a human being could say?

Oh my God.

If it weren't for his medical skills that allowed him to marry into the Luo family, he probably would never have been able to find a wife in his entire life.

Song Yan didn't care about anything else and looked down at her chest: "You made my clothes all dirty, all with your tears... and maybe some saliva and snot too. I'm going to take a shower."

He looked disgusted.

Yang Siyao's originally pale face flushed red, and she grabbed Song Yan's sleeve without any hesitation and started wiping her face haphazardly. As she turned into a big mess, Song Yan's sleeve also became filthy.

Song Yan was speechless. Women, indeed.

Shaking his head, Song Yan straightened up and retied the bundle: "Alright, you should get some rest tonight. I'll take this with me so you won't feel bad when you see it."

Song Yan waved to Yang Siyao, then pushed open the door and went out, giving his room to Yang Siyao.

Only after Song Yan's figure disappeared through the door did Yang Siyao realize that the sadness in her heart seemed to have been forgotten without her noticing.

Although her eyes were still filled with tears, a slight smile finally appeared at the corners of her mouth. She stretched her arms forcefully, took off her shoes, socks, and coat, and crawled into the quilt, curling her body into a ball.

The candlelight went out.

In the pitch black, only the girl's thoughts flowed slowly.

Do you live for yourself?
But how does a person live?
In his mind, the image of his younger sister gradually faded away, while another figure became clearer and clearer.

……

The next day.

The rain stopped.

The sky hadn't cleared up yet; all you could see when you looked up was a hazy gray.

But the effects of the torrential rain that lasted all night began to show. The Yi River was churning and swirling, and the once clear water had turned into thick mud.

Fortunately, Songzhou Prefecture had experienced a torrential rain two months prior, which provided some protection against flooding. At least the residents along the river near Ningping County had already left by midnight. Although many houses were swept away, at least their lives were saved.

However, many of them, even those who survived, looked extremely tense and distressed.

It's autumn now, and although most of the grain has been harvested, some fields remain unharvested. This torrential rain will likely make next year difficult. In the morning, Song Yan accompanied Yang Siyao to find a place to bury the bones.

It's right next to Song Yan's mother's grave, so there's no need to worry about not finding it.

In this world, the burial of deceased women is mostly simple, unless she is the principal wife of a wealthy family, an old matriarch, or a lady with an imperial title, in which case the funeral will be more solemn. Ordinary peasant women are simply buried hastily.

Even unmarried daughters from wealthy families would not have a grand funeral, as it is said that a grand funeral would affect the family's fortune. Whether this is true or not, no one knows.

Yang Siyao and her sister were merely children born out of wedlock, and thus had little social standing. Yang Siyao didn't care about such things; she only wished for a place to rest after her sister's death.

She also placed the beads from her wrist into the coffin.

Perhaps he hoped that his sister would have someone to keep her company even in the afterlife.

After the grave was dug and the tombstone erected, Song Yan left, just as before, leaving time for Yang Siyao, as the two sisters probably still had some things to say to each other.

By the time Yang Siyao returned, it was already noon. On her way back, Yang Siyao analyzed the current situation and her plans for Song Yanqian.

It's clear that because of her sister's death, Yang Siyao has no more attachment to or hope for the Yang family; all she probably feels is hatred.

It is terrifying when a woman is consumed by hatred.

Some of Yang Siyao's words even sent chills down Song Yan's spine.

Her analysis of the current situation in Ningping County was insightful and penetrating, revealing aspects that even Song Yan hadn't considered.

Song Yan had a feeling that letting a woman like Yang Siyao become disloyal to the family was definitely the biggest mistake the Yang family had ever made.

Yang Siyao also understood that in the Luo family, her status was merely that of Song Yan's lover. Luo Yuheng might not believe her analysis, but if these words came from Song Yan's mouth, no one would refute them.

By the time we returned, it was already afternoon.

Perhaps because of the disaster victims, refugees began to appear from both the north and south, and the atmosphere in the city became slightly tense.

At this time, Ningping County had not closed its city gates. Inside the city, one could see a number of people dressed in rags. Most of them were covered in mud, thin and bony, with dull and lifeless eyes.

It was an emptiness where all hope had been lost.

Like the walking dead, they live one day at a time.

With a wealth of knowledge from classical texts, Song Yan knew very well what the plight of refugees and disaster victims was like in ancient times. However, no matter how much he read in books, it was far less impactful and shocking than witnessing it firsthand.

Add to that the unusually cold weather this year, and many people are likely to die.

"A dam on the upper reaches of the Yi River has breached, and the situation in Songzhou Prefecture is quite bad," Yang Siyao said slowly, letting out a breath.

She had just passed by a group of government officials and went up to inquire about their situation.

The Yi and Luo Rivers flow through the middle of Songzhou Prefecture, so you can imagine what Songzhou Prefecture looks like now.

"This is just the beginning. In a few days, the disaster victims will probably flood in like a tide. At that time, in order to prevent chaos, Ningping County will probably have to be locked down."

"I just found out that this is only the first day, and grain prices have already risen by 30%."

“But something’s not right…” Yang Siyao frowned, her face full of suspicion as if she had thought of something.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure, I'll go ask around." With that, Yang Siyao walked to a steamed bun shop not far away, bought a basket of steamed buns, and then headed towards the place where the disaster victims were gathered.

Song Yan raised an eyebrow.

The disaster victims are in great danger at this time, and Yang Siyao is a woman... However, with me here, and possibly my sister-in-law following behind in secret, even if something really happens, it should be able to be stopped in time.

Thinking this way, Song Yan felt a little more at ease.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from behind:

"Excuse me, sir... where is the Luo family's residence?"

Song Yan raised an eyebrow and turned around, only to find that it was a woman dressed in plain white mourning clothes.

She was in her early twenties, with her hair tied up, and looked like a widow.

(End of this chapter)