There was a moment of silence.
Madam Li had no choice but to explain, “Uncle Yang sold that carriage this morning for about 400 taels. He also bought two more carriages and spent about 200 taels. The rest are all there. Brother Chen wants you to take care of the family, you’ll be in charge of the finances.”
“That much?” The original host had about a hundred taels over a decade. This single carriage was worth so much. She blurted out, “If I had known, I wouldn’t have returned the other carriage…”
Madam Li was speechless.
Hearing Shen Yijia say that made Madam Li feel like it was a waste too.
“Let’s eat!” Song Jingchen interrupted Shen Yijia’s unrealistic daydreams and said indifferently.
As for why he let Shen Yijia take the money, Song Jingchen told himself that this would make her feel that he trusted her, therefore giving herself away sooner.
Without waiting for Song Jingchen to speak, Madam Li led Brother Hao and Sister Huan into one of the carriages.
This carriage wasn’t as big as their original carriage. Thus, Shen Yijia and Song Jingchen had to share the other carriage.
This was the first time she was alone with her husband. Shen Yijia laughed to herself.
Unfortunately, Song Jingchen didn’t give her a chance to get closer to him. He closed his eyes to rest right after getting into the carriage.
Shen Yijia was speechless.
She wanted to curse, but she didn’t know if she should.
The rest of the journey was much slower than before.
If they reached the town at noon, Song Jingchen would get everyone to stop for lunch.
At night, Song Jingchen would arrange for the party to stay at an inn.
The opinions of Lin Mu and the other guards didn’t matter to him.
Although they were still being jolted around in the carriage, everyone’s spirits were obviously much better.
Along the way, they stopped and admired the scenery. By the time they entered Danzhou, an entire month had passed.
The Song family’s ancestral home was in Xiagou Village in Minzhou.
Although it was his ancestral home, Song Jingchen had only visited once when he was young.
His great-grandmother had passed away and he came to pay his respects. From then on, no one from the Song family visited again.
Granny Song had two sons. The old duke was the eldest son.
At that time, the world was in chaos. Her husband and her 15-year-old son were both captured and sent to the army. Only her youngest son, Song Dahai who was eight years old at the time, was left behind. Thus, Granny Song and Song Dahai relied on each other.
At first, the mother and son had a hard time.
Later on, her husband died in battle and she received some compensation for it. Additionally, her eldest son sent home every single cent he earned.
Grandma Song and her son became the wealthiest family in the village.
Perhaps because her eldest son was not by her side, she doted on her youngest son.
Due to his wealthy upbringing, Song Dahai gradually became a loafer and lecherous hooligan.
He used to sneak into widows’ rooms in the village.
His reputation was so rotten that no maiden from a good family was willing to marry him, so Granny Song bought him a wife.
She assumed that he would turn over a new leaf once he had children.
That girl was quite resilient. Within three years, she had given birth to a son and a daughter for Song Dahai.
Unfortunately, not only did Song Dahai not restrain himself, he even beat up his wife over trivial matters.
Song Dahai even pushed her over and killed her by accident while he was drunk.
Around this time, the ten-year-long war had subsided.
As soon as Great Xia was established, Granny Song’s eldest son was conferred the title of ‘Bulwark General’.
The first thing he did was to bring Granny Song and his younger brother to the capital.
This was supposed to be a good thing, but the old duke did not expect his younger brother to be so pathetic.
When he asked about the mother of Song Dahai’s two children, Granny Song lied and told him that she passed away from an illness.
Since they were family, the old duke naturally did not doubt her.
Song Dahai, who once dominated the village, now had the backing of the Bulwark General.
Naturally, Song Dahai’s behavior worsened.
