Springtime Affairs in a Noble Family

During Song Zhizhi's brief pause, Cui Lingrong's curiosity was piqued. "Actually, what?"

"It seems you really don't know." Seeing Cui Lingrong's curiosity, Song Zhizhi was in a good mood and deliberately didn't say anything. "It's nothing, just some things that aren't very important to me, but for you, they're matters of a lifetime."

She turned around, sat down with a smile, and looked at Cui Lingrong with great interest. "Why don't you beg me, kneel down and kowtow to me three times, and I'll tell you?"

Her cheeks still hurt. She's never been so humiliated in her life.

Cui Lingrong did not move.

Mrs. Qiu frowned and said, "Grandma, you need to know your limits. If you keep making a scene like this, you'll only lose face."

"I have no face? What, are you going to spread the word about what happened to me in my parents' home? Do you, Cui Lingrong, dare to do that?" Song Zhizhi knew how much her mother cared about her reputation. If Cui Lingrong spread such rumors, her mother would not let her off the hook.

Qiu's mother was furious. Her great-aunt had always been like this, and now that she had been slapped by her master, she probably wouldn't let it go.

Cui Lingrong was very curious about what Song Zhizhi was going to say, but why did she ask her to kneel down?

Absolutely not.

"Aunt Qiu, go find a few strong old women. Since the young lady won't speak properly, throw her out." Just as Cui Lingrong finished speaking, Aunt Xu came in and asked what was going on.

Upon seeing Madam Xu, Song Zhizhi immediately changed her tune. "Madam Xu, an apology won't do. My sister-in-law wouldn't listen to me and even smashed the vase. Fine, fine, I'll go back with you. I won't come to Qiushuangzhai again."

Hearing this, Mrs. Xu looked at her grandmother with some confusion. "Grandma, everyone says that harmony in the family brings prosperity. My aunt came here sincerely to apologize to you. Why are you doing this?"

"This vase is from the Ru kiln; it costs fifty taels of silver. Mama Xu, do you think, given the Marquis's circumstances, I would smash my own vase?" Cui Lingrong sneered. "You can leave, but pay for the vase first. Song Zhizhi, do you really think I'll tolerate you as much as before?"

"You actually want me to pay you back?"

"Otherwise what?"

"I won't give it to you, what can you do about it?" Song Zhizhi puffed out her chest and was about to leave when Qiu's mother and Caixia immediately blocked the door. "Get out of my way, you bunch of lowly bastards, how dare you block my way?"

As she spoke, Song Zhizhi reached out to push Qiu's mother.

Aunt Qiu stumbled backward, but stood guard at the door, saying, "Grandma, the eldest mistress hasn't given the order yet, you can't leave."

"Aunt Xu, you saw it, didn't you? This is how Cui treated me!" Song Zhizhi's eyes were red and swollen. She had always been able to do whatever she wanted in her family, and this was the first time someone had stopped her like this.

Qiu's mother and the others didn't dare to make a move, but Cui Lingrong could.

She grabbed Song Zhizhi's hand. "Song Zhizhi, you're shameless, I'll play along to the end. Aunt Xu, go and invite the old lady over. I want to see how she decides!"

Song Zhizhi added, "Yes, Aunt Xu, you should go and fetch Mother. I also want to know how Mother will deal with Cui Lingrong!"

Madam Xu was at her wit's end. Since both masters said so, she had no choice but to run to Shou'an Hall.

When she arrived at Shou'an Hall, Old Mrs. Sun showed up with a dark expression.

Song Zhizhi looked at Cui Lingrong triumphantly, "I'm my mother's biological daughter, she'll definitely help me."

"Is that so? If the old lady is willing to help you, then so be it. Over the years, I've kept accounts of all the money I've given you. I didn't want to dwell on the past, but since you're making a scene, let's lay it all out." Cui Lingrong asked Caiyue to get the account book.

Song Zhizhi grew anxious. "Cui Lingrong, that money was given to me by the Marquis's mansion. When did it become yours?"

Cui Lingrong laughed, "Don't you know that all these years, the Marquis's household expenses have been subsidized by me?"

She hadn't brought up past grievances with Song Shulan because she still had to live in the Jiangyuan Marquis's mansion and couldn't settle accounts with him. But she could settle accounts with Song Zhizhi, since Song Zhizhi wasn't considered a member of the Marquis's mansion.

Song Zhizhi didn't believe her. "What skills do you have? You only have that little bit of money by running a business with a bastard who reeks of money. You say you're subsidizing it, but is that really what you're doing?"

The voice just fell.

A shout of "Bastard!" came from the courtyard.

Song Zhizhi was startled. She turned around and saw her mother-in-law coming in with a cane.

Seeing her mother-in-law, Song Zhizhi was still somewhat afraid, and asked with a smile, "Why are you here?"

"I sent someone to invite you, but you wouldn't go back, so I had no choice but to come here myself." Old Mrs. Sun had heard Song Zhizhi's words just now. She hadn't expected that her eldest daughter-in-law had been asking her family for money all these years. She also hadn't expected that the Jiangyuan Marquis's mansion, seemingly glamorous, was actually subsidized by Cui Shi.

The elderly Mrs. Song, who was traveling with us, had a burning sensation in her cheeks.

No one outside knew that Cui was using money to subsidize the Marquis's mansion. Now that Old Madam Sun has heard about it, who knows how it will spread in the future.

Looking at her daughter, Old Mrs. Song immediately scolded, "Zhizhi, how dare you speak to your sister-in-law like that?"

Song Zhizhi assumed her mother would side with her, so she paused for a moment, then pursed her lips in anger. "Mother, it's my sister-in-law who's being unreasonable. I came to apologize out of kindness, but she's being stubborn and insists on stopping me from paying her compensation. It's just a vase; I accidentally bumped into it. Who would make such a fuss about it?"

Mrs. Xu: ...That's not what my great-aunt said just now.

When she went to see her great-aunt again, all Xu's mother could say was, "Great-aunt, stop making a fuss! Can't you see that Grandma Sun has come?"

If this continues, who knows what might happen? Grandma isn't as good-tempered as she used to be.

Unfortunately, the aunt couldn't understand Xu Mama's expression. Song Zhizhi then brought up what Cui Lingrong had said about subsidizing the Marquis's mansion, "Mother, you've come at the right time. Just now, my sister-in-law said that our Marquis's mansion relies on her for subsidies. Could you tell her if that's true?"

Cui Lingrong also looked at Old Madam Song. Caiyue was already holding the account book, and if Old Madam Song said anything wrong, she would make Caiyue flip through the account book.

Grandma Sun also looked over. When the Sun family married Song Zhizhi, the Jiangyuan Marquis's mansion was not what it is now. It was only after Cui Shi married into the family that it gradually regained some face.

"Zhizhi, can't you be a little more sensible?" Old Mrs. Song gestured for her daughter to stop talking. "Hurry up and apologize to your sister-in-law, then go back to the Sun family!"

If it weren't for Grandma Sun's presence, Grandma Song would definitely not have said that. However, with outsiders present, she could only tell her daughter to shut up.

Song Zhizhi refused to listen. "Why are you yelling at me? I didn't do anything wrong, why should I apologize? As for that broken vase, could it really be worth fifty taels of silver? Nobody believes that!"

She started crying and making a scene, not behaving like a proper eldest daughter-in-law at all. The more Grandma Sun looked at her, the more she regretted it. How could she have married such a shrew to her eldest son?

At this moment, both Mrs. Song and Mrs. Sun were ashamed and just wanted to leave with Song Zhizhi as soon as possible.

Cui Lingrong said, "It's not that I'm fixated on a vase, it's just that Sister Zhizhi won't let it go. Since that's the case, I have to settle accounts with her. Old Madam Sun may not know, but in the past three years, the Jiangyuan Marquis's Mansion has sent silver five times to deal with her troubles in the area, totaling 6,700 taels of silver."

Grandma Sun's brows twitched as she listened, but she wouldn't follow up on Cui Lingrong's words. Instead, she said, "The Jiangyuan Marquis's mansion is her maternal family. She asked you for money, and you gave it to her. That's none of my business."

"The old lady is right. We gave the money ourselves, so there's nothing to complain about. But since Zhizhi didn't appreciate it, I'm settling the score." Cui Lingrong smiled gently, showing no sign of aggression. "This money is..."

"Madam Cui, I already said it was given by the Marquis's mansion, why are you still arguing about this? As for the cost of the vase, let Zhizhi compensate you double." Old Madam Song hurriedly interrupted Cui Lingrong, afraid that Cui Lingrong would continue to speak.

Cui Lingrong finally had a chance to ask for money. Her younger brother's cloth shop had lost a lot of money, and it was a time when she was short of money. How could she let it go so easily?

"The vase is one thing, what I meant was that the money the Marquis's mansion subsidized for Sister Zhizhi over the past three years was actually my personal money..."

"Mrs. Xu, go get the money!" Old Mrs. Song's eyebrows twitched wildly, wishing she could devour Cui Lingrong on the spot, but with Old Mrs. Sun present, she could only let Mrs. Xu get the money.

Hearing this, Cui Lingrong stopped talking.

Grandma Sun realized something was wrong and told Song Zhizhi to go back with her immediately.

Song Zhizhi failed to get her revenge and stubbornly refused to move.

"You don't even listen to me. Fine, then don't go back home anymore. I'll have Dalang give you a letter of divorce, and you'll stay at your parents' house for the rest of your life!" After saying that, Old Mrs. Sun left. Anyway, she had been dissatisfied with this daughter-in-law for a long time.

Upon hearing the words "letter of divorce," Song Zhizhi froze on the spot, unable to react for a moment.