After they returned from Qian Temple, a major event happened at Duke Ying’s residence.
The argument between Second Master Wei Cheng and Second Madam Song-shi was so awful that it even alarmed Wei Zhang Chun and Old Madam. After three years, Second Master had returned from Jiang Nan. But, he didn’t return by himself. He had brought back a daughter that was born by the Second Master’s outside mistress.
This daughter was fourteen years old and had reached a marriageable age. Second Master had brought her back to Duke Ying’s residence in order to give her a status, so that it would be easy to find a good husband for her.
Once this matter was known, everyone in the residence was surprised, even Old Madam.
Fourteen years old! He had actually hidden this for so long. Song-shi felt as if her heart had died and turned into ashes. Instead of trying to resolve the problem, she took the stance of worsening the problem by having a huge falling out with him. No matter what, she wouldn’t allow someone else’s daughter to take even one step inside Duke Ying’s residence.
Song-shi had been married to Second Master for sixteen years. They currently had two daughters and no sons. Her older daughter Wei Sheng was fifteen years old and was already betrothed. Her second daughter Wei Dong was fourteen and was waiting to be married. Originally, she had though they were a couple that had conjugal love. They had treated each other with mutual respect for so many years.
She hadn’t expected that he would hurt her so badly. This daughter was fourteen years old, which meant that he had started this affair at least fifteen years ago when she was newly married into Duke Ying’s residence. While dealing insincere affection towards her, he was having illicit sex with another woman. When Song-shi pictured this scene, her disgust and hate towards him was unbearable!
If he had honestly told her that he wanted to have a concubine, she might have agreed. But, he had deliberately chosen this method and the feelings she had developed towards him over these many years had disappeared like smoke into thin air.
After this matter, Song-shi hated Wei Cheng and his daughter to the point that her teeth felt itchy with the urge to bite them. She almost drove Wei Cheng out the door.
When Wei Luo and Fourth Madam Qin-shi arrived at second branch’s courtyard, they heard the sound of Song-shi shattering porcelain in the main room. One after another, cloisonné cups with flower designs, sculptures for the three gods of blessings, fame, and longevity, enamel vases decorated with evergreen pine, bamboo, and plum flowers were flung at Second Master. Standing at the door, Wei Luo felt sorry for the shattered first class antiques.
After Song-shi had thrown all of the porcelain on the shelves, with red eyes, she said to Second Master, “If you want that wretched woman’s daughter to enter here, gather all the porcelain fragments on the ground and restore them to their original forms. Whenever you finish doing this, I’ll allow her into this home.” This prerequisite was ingenious. She had shattered over ten porcelains with different patterns and shapes. In addition, some of the fragments were only the size of a pinky finger. It was too difficult to restore them. It was basically an impossible task.
There was an injury on Second Master’s forehead from her smashing and it was currently bleeding. He didn’t show any indignation on his face. He probably wasn’t inclined to lower himself to her level. He flung his sleeve and before he left, he said, “It doesn’t matter if you agree or not. It’s fine if only my mother agrees.”
Second master’s biological mother, Lan-shi, was Old Madam’s personal servant. She had once saved Old Madam’s life. Because of her affection towards Lan-shi, she treated Second Master like her own son and had never been ungenerous with him. So, if he were to ask his biological mother, Lan-shi, to speak with Old Madam about this matter, Old Madam would definitely agree to Lan-shi’s request.
It was only adding another pair of chopsticks to the table. It wasn’t a difficult thing.
Song-shi probably also knew this. After Wei Cheng left, she sat down on the Eight Immortal chair with disappointment and frustration. She took out her silk handkerchief and bitterly cried.
Song-shi had a splendid family background. Her father, Song Ying Qi, was Wu Ying Hall’s Minister of Revenue. Although she was born from a concubine, she was her father’s favorite. Her status at home wasn’t any worse than a daughter born from the legal wife. In terms of social status, Song-shi and second master Wei Cheng were well matched and very close to each other’s. They couldn’t be better suited for each other. This marriage was predestined by fate and everyone had been optimistic about it. But now, this type of problem had arisen.
Song-shi cried endlessly. No matter what Qin-shi said, she couldn’t improve her mood. As she cried, she talked about Second Master’s wrong doings, “Will I even have to prepare another woman’s daughter’s dowry…”
On the side, Qin-shi persuaded her, “Things have already reached this point. What’s the use of crying? Second sister-in-law should be thinking about a way to deal with this matter… Doesn’t second brother-in-law want her to get married? You’re the person in charge of second branch’s household. When the time comes, you’ll have the final say in who she marries.”
Although this was true, Song-shi still felt nauseous. At the moment, she couldn’t accept the truth and wasn’t able to listen to any of Qin-shi’s words.
In her previous life, Wei Luo didn’t grow up in Duke Ying’s residence, so she had missed many things including this matter. She was at a loss to what the ending of this matter would be. At the side, she didn’t have any words to add, so after silently sitting there for while, she stood up and left.
——–
Half a month later, Second Master brought the daughter that was born outside back to Duke Ying’s residence. Wei Luo heard that there was another period of turning the sky and earth upside down level of disturbances at Bamboo Courtyard
The madams in the residence didn’t approve of this daughter entering the residence. However, it wasn’t good to interfere with their brother-in-law’s family matters. They could only hide their thoughts in their heart and quietly observe this change. During this period of time, Qin-shi had gone to Bamboo Courtyard too many times to persuade Song-shi and Wei Cheng. Her lips and tongue had long turned dry. She became seriously sick because of this matter and no longer had the energy to be concerned about the two of them.
However, Qin-shi still couldn’t let go of her worries, so she entrusted the task of going over there to look to Wei Luo. If Song-shi was being too impulsive, she could lend a hand by stopping her.
When Wei Luo arrived at Bamboo Courtyard, the silent main hall seemed out of place. She looked inside and only saw a girl kneeling. The girl was wearing a yellow satin weave robe with wide sleeves. She had a beautiful face and a delicate body with a waist that was like a willow. A single glance would be enough to know that she was a girl from Jiangnan. Hearing footsteps, the girl looked up to see Wei Luo. The girl’s dark eyes were full of uneasiness as if she were an easily startled bird. Although she was beautiful, she didn’t seem very clever.
She was probably the daughter that second uncle’s had raised outside the residence.
Wei Luo’s gaze stopped on her face for moment, then without a change in her expression, she left and walked towards the back of the main hall.
