Chapter 69: Hearing the Case in Person
Song Hemei's expression was grave as she remained silent for a long time, while Chunhui kept her eyes cast downward, her head bowed in a posture of being willing to accept punishment.
In the end, she could only let out a sigh. "Don't let anyone else know about this."
Chunhui nodded in acknowledgment. Just as she rose to her feet, Suhui entered carrying a tray of food. Looking over, one could see Shao Lianzhu hiding behind her, shuffling in small steps into the room.
Song Hemei waved him over. "Come here. I can see you."
Lianzhu immediately ran over to her, stopping right in front of her and spreading his arms wide. His lips were pressed together pitifully, and his eyes were rimmed with red.
Having no choice, Song Hemei lifted him up and set him on her lap. She reached out and poked his cheek. "What is it? Who bullied you?"
Lianzhu bit his lips even tighter. His eyes, already reddening, suddenly welled up with tears, and he began to sob. "Mother... don't want Mother to be sick."
"Alright, alright. I'm sick, so why are you crying?"
Song Hemei's words were blunt. "Just like your father—you love to put on an act."
A child's heart held no such depth. He simply buried his head in her embrace, at an age where he could barely articulate his thoughts, yet he had already learned to blame himself, as if he had suffered through her illness alongside her.
His crying left Song Hemei at a loss. She could only gently pat his back, pulling him a little closer and swaying slightly to soothe him. "If you keep crying, I'll throw you down and send you back to Linzhou to find your father yourself."
This time, Lianzhu understood. He immediately choked back his sobs, but his body continued to tremble, unable to calm down.
Seeing the food laid out on the table, Song Hemei simply carried him over. She asked casually, "Has he eaten this morning?"
Suhui replied, "He ate long ago. Old Madam was worried the whole time—she wouldn't dare let the young master go hungry."
Mother was always like this.
Mother believed that her daughter would have to rely on Shao Wen'ang to get through life, so she did everything she could for this son-in-law, hoping that if she treated him well, he would treat her daughter well in return.
Mother believed that in the future, her daughter would have to depend on a son not of her own blood to support her in her old age, so she devoted herself wholeheartedly to this half-grown child.
Mother did everything for her, yet all this kindness was given in a way that was so absurd and illusory.
She understood Mother's thoughts. A woman's life was not easy; perhaps finding someone to lean on was the simplest solution.
But even if she was to find her a support, could she not have chosen carefully and found a new one? Why must she stubbornly patch up a crumbling wall wherever it happened to be damaged?
Song Hemei looked down at the child in her arms. His crying had subsided considerably, his long lashes still glistening with tears. He nestled against her neck, seemingly unwilling to be separated from her for even a moment.
He was still too young—so young that it made her resentment, already at its peak, seem utterly unreasonable when directed even slightly at him.
He was also too innocent, making her resolve to be guarded and her suspicions, tinged with malice, feel entirely superfluous.
She gently pressed her cheek to his forehead, and Shao Lianzhu immediately wrapped his arms around her neck, clinging to her, relying on her, treating her as his real mother with all his might.
It made her want to harden her heart but couldn't bear it; she instinctively wanted to accept him, yet felt it was stealing from Cao Lingchun's affections, a thought that twisted her insides with discomfort.
She took a bite of food. After being ill, her throat felt uncomfortable swallowing anything. As soon as she felt a little full, she put down her chopsticks and waved at Chunhui. "Take him away."
Lianzhu was still reluctant to let go. She had to reach out and pull his wrist. "Alright, that's enough hugging for now. You're not going to cling to me forever, are you?"
Only after she cut off that clinginess did she feel as if a thick blanket had been unwrapped from around her. Children radiated heat, and after crying, he was even warmer. She picked up a round fan casually, watching Lianzhu's eyes still fixed on her, and couldn't help but think.
Once she and Shao Wen'ang parted ways, what would happen to Lianzhu?
He would probably be sad. This child seemed to have more conscience than Shao Wen'ang, but the Shao family wouldn't neglect their only son. Even if Shao Wen'ang eventually remarried some other unlucky woman, she would likely treat this child well, since he would be the one to support her in her old age.
Song Hemei hardened her heart and looked away, to avoid getting too attached and feeling even more reluctant later.
Chunhui had long developed her own method of soothing children. Once Lianzhu had seen his mother, she was able to keep him calm for a good while.
During the day, Song Hemei had someone move a reclining chair into the courtyard to sunbathe, as she did on ordinary leisure days. But for some reason, her heart felt empty now, unable to settle down at all.
Even when she was young and pined for Shao Wen'ang, she had never been as restless as this.
She stared blankly at the eaves. By the time the noon hour arrived, Suhui's voice reached her ears. She had just looked up when she saw Song Jilang hurrying toward her. As soon as he saw her, he called out, "Second Sister, I was looking for you."
She had no idea where he had come from. When he reached her courtyard, he gulped down several mouthfuls of tea, not even bothering to wipe the fine sweat from his brow. "Second Sister, I heard that the Investigating Censor who came from the capital arrived in Changzhou at the same time as you. Do you know where he went?"
Song Hemei was stunned for a moment by his words, instinctively wondering if he knew about her and Yu Yeqing.
Fortunately, her reason was still intact. She pondered the crux of his question for a moment before realizing that he probably didn't know it was Yu Yeqing—that was why he asked about the official title first.
Song Hemei steadied her mind and pretended to be unfamiliar. "I don't know either. But I did hear that he's indeed left Changzhou. However, I imagine he'll be back."
If her elder brother had come to inquire, she would have had to conceal the truth. But since it was Jilang asking, there must be something urgent.
Because of the clothing matter, she was afraid Jilang might grow suspicious. After hesitating for a moment, she said tactfully, "Actually, you know that person too. It's Yu Yeqing, who stayed at our residence before."
This really did startle Song Jilang. His eyes widened as he looked at Song Hemei, his expression shifting from surprise to realization. The first thing he asked was, "That day, when Second Sister came to me looking for clothes, was it for... Lord Yu?"
This was truly a case of fear coming true. Song Hemei coughed lightly and forced herself to stay calm. "Yes. He was in a hurry on the way and didn't bring any changes of clothes. He's an official now, after all. I had to butter him up a bit..."
As she spoke, Song Jilang kept staring at her with wide eyes. The more he stared, the more uneasy she felt, making her speak faster and faster, her voice trailing off at the end.
"Alright, alright. Is there something important you need from him? He's definitely not around right now. But since he's from Changzhou, he'll surely come back. Don't be too anxious."
Song Hemei wanted to quickly divert the topic. Seeing that Song Jilang was still lost in thought, she simply stood up and waved her hand in front of his face. "What are you staring at? Say something!"
Only then did he seem to snap back to reality. His eyes were once again filled with urgency, and he grabbed her hand. "Our family might be in trouble! Do you remember the warhorse business that Elder Brother was involved in? I heard someone up top is making a big deal out of it. The Zhang family from the neighboring county—that one who was together with Elder Brother at the time—was arrested yesterday morning. The Zhang family's news only arrived today. We need to prepare early!"
Song Hemei was immediately stunned, unable to recover for a long time.
Seeing her face turn pale, Song Jilang quickly softened his tone. "But this is just speculation, Second Sister. Don't worry too much. After all, hasn't Lord Yu already left Changzhou? Maybe, considering our past friendship, he'll let it slide?"
The color drained from Song Hemei's face bit by bit.
Past friendship? What past friendship was there now? This matter involved her elder brother, and there were old grudges between them.
She didn't have the confidence that Yu Yeqing would let her brother off because of their relationship. Only one thought occupied her mind now—
Had Yu Yeqing returned to Changzhou with this intention from the very beginning?
If he wanted to investigate the warhorse matter, he couldn't be too conspicuous. That was why he was so silent when he spoke with her. He had never intended to tell her anything from the start.
She stood frozen in place. The more she did so, the more frightened Song Jilang became. He hurriedly poured her another cup of water. "Second Sister, don't panic. Elder Brother hasn't returned yet. The most urgent thing now is to inform him. I was originally thinking that if you knew where Lord Yu had gone, we might be able to meet him and turn things around in advance. But now... forget it. Let's find Elder Brother first."
Song Hemei snapped back to attention and nodded at him.
Song Jilang turned to leave. She remembered something and quickly called him back. "Elder Brother has gone to our maternal grandparents' home. Don't go call him in person, and don't tell him about this first. Send a servant instead, just say there's a family matter and he needs to come back immediately. Also, tell him that Yu Yeqing has left Changzhou."
Song Jilang was puzzled. "Why?"
"Don't ask. Just do as I say."
Song Jilang was still very obedient to her. Though he was taken aback for a moment, he immediately left the courtyard.
Song Hemei took a couple of deep breaths, then sat down by the round table, carefully pondering the matter.
She was hiding it from her elder brother because she was afraid he might try to flee out of fear.
This wasn't some trivial quarrel. If it were a personal grudge, running away would be one thing—either he'd disappear to the ends of the earth never to be found, and it would eventually fizzle out, or he'd wait for the past hatred to fade and hope the other party would forget.
But this matter involved the imperial court. That wasn't something you could escape from. Not to mention that the first one to run would be shot down—if he was caught, he would be severely punished. Even if he could actually escape, would he really have to spend the rest of his life in hiding, changing his name?
She had to get her elder brother back first. They must not provoke the court officials. Only then could they think of ways to turn things around.
Song Hemei closed her eyes. A sudden rush of anger had made her dizzy. Only when the darkness swirling before her eyes began to fade did she realize her eyes were wet.
She couldn't tell whether she was anxious for her brother or upset over Yu Yeqing.
She felt that her decision not to voice those feelings was the right one. Otherwise, how would he laugh at her in his heart?
Laugh at her for overestimating herself and indulging in wishful thinking—that with such deep enmity between them, she actually thought he could not care at all and would marry her?
He had not only not forgotten, but he had come with a purpose from the very start, waiting for the right excuse to settle this matter.
Once such a thing happened, it was better not to tell her parents. Her father was already ill; if he found out, it might be time to hang white cloth at home. Her mother was already exhausted; learning the news would only add to her worries.
Her elder brother was indeed kept steady and had returned safely from his maternal grandparents' home. But before they could even discuss a plan, he was taken away by the yamen the very next day. Her sister-in-law made a huge scene, blaming them for tricking him into returning.
Song Hemei herself was already a married woman. Interfering in her birth family's affairs inevitably meant bearing the brunt of her sister-in-law's anger. Fortunately, Song Jilang took the blame upon himself. Even if her sister-in-law wanted to complain, she couldn't voice it out of consideration for her parents, and she was even counting on Jilang to get her elder brother out.
They sent a servant to the yamen to inquire, only to learn that this case was not being tried by the county magistrate. All those implicated in the warhorse matter were locked up in prison. No amount of silver could secure a visit.
After waiting another three days, a messenger finally arrived with news—the Investigating Censor had returned.
Song Jilang rushed out the door. Seeing Song Hemei immediately saddle a horse to follow him, he stopped her. "Sister, let me go alone."
Over the past few days, Song Hemei had thoroughly calmed down. She put aside the private affair of their recent intimacy and thought only of the case—she had to watch the trial in person to understand the inside story.
She said firmly, "I'll go with you. That Second Brother-in-law of yours is still somewhat of an official, isn't he? Maybe he can be of some use now."
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm.
This matter, she had to confront face to face.
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