TSNCWEM Chapter 12

Cai Shi entered the room with a stern face. Before she even had the chance to look at Song Yunzhao, she scolded the servants in the room.

Song Yunzhao knew that Cai Shi was displeased. Her mother, in order to embarrass her, deliberately scolded the maidservants in front of her. 

She swallowed her resentment. Without her Father’s support, she had to endure for now, but someday she would make Cai Shi regret it.

Favouritism and oppression are equally detestable, whether it’s in the past or present.

Just as Cai Shi was about to drag them out to be beaten with a paddle, and Song Yunzhao was about to intervene, the First Madam spoke:

“Third Sister-In-Law, the child is ill, and you aren’t concerned about the child, but are instead punishing the servants. If you punish them, who will serve Yunzhao? It’s better to let them redeem themselves through hard work. Besides, visiting the Dingnan Mansion today is the priority, so don’t waste any more time.”

Jiang Xiang and Qian Cao were clever so they immediately kowtowed repeatedly, saying, “It’s all our fault. We didn’t take good care of the Young Lady. We will certainly serve her well and help her recover quickly.”

Song Yunzhao breathed a slight sigh of relief. The First Madam’s timely intervention saved her maids from a beating, which she might not have managed on her own.

She hadn’t anticipated Cai Shi’s pettiness, seizing any opportunity to make her suffer.

Yunzhao had indeed underestimated her bottom line.

The First Madam stepped forward, looking at Song Yunzhao’s flushed face sympathetically:  “How did you fall ill at such a moment? Poor child, rest well, and recover soon.”

“Thank you, Aunt,” Song Yunzhao’s voice was somewhat hoarse and dispirited, her appearance regretful: “It’s all my fault for indulging in the cool breeze yesterday.”

The First Madam was naturally pleased, as she didn’t want Song Yunzhao to go to the mansion. After all, she was so beautiful that if she was there, no one would notice Yexi. 

Who would have thought that she wouldn’t cherish her blessings and fell ill at such a critical moment.

Cai Shi saw the First Madam acting as a compassionate mother, outshining her, the biological mother. Her face darkened and her mood got even worse. Looking at Song Yunzhao only made her more irritated. “You’ve never been easy to deal with since childhood. Such a good opportunity, you don’t know how to cherish it. Truly, you have no luck.”

Song Yunzhao: …

Hold your breath and endure!

Song Qinghan’s eyes were fixed on Song Yunzhao, as she felt that something was not right. She thought for a moment: “Mother, Third Sister didn’t want to get sick either. As you said, this is a rare opportunity. I think it’s better to take Third Sister with us. She can make an appearance at the banquet, greet the elders and then maternal Aunt will arrange for her a place to rest up. How does that sound?

Song Yunzhao truly couldn’t believe that even now, Song Qinghan didn’t want to let her off. How much did she hate her?

Was she so eager to make her a scapegoat?

Song Yunzhao coughed lightly and weakly said, “Eldest Sister, have you forgotten that it’s not good to be exposed to the wind when you have a cold? Just going out for a walk might cost me half my life.”

“Your sister is doing it for your own good. Look at the sarcastic things you’re saying. Do you even appreciate your sister’s good intentions?” Cai Shi scolded unhappily.

Song Yunzhao had been enduring all day, biting her tongue, but now she couldn’t hold back anymore. So, Song Qinghan’s every word is sweet, but if she said something truthful, it’s considered malicious and sarcastic?

“Mother, you’re right. In your eyes, I’m not even worth a blade of grass under Song Qinghan’s feet. You always look down on me. Even if I’m sick, if your eldest daughter tells me to go out, I have to go. Even if I die, it’s my own fault. If you think so little of me, why did you even bother to give birth to me?”

Gritting her teeth and clenching her fists, she couldn’t hold back any longer.

“You wretched thing, see if I don’t beat you to death!” Cai Shi grabbed the teacup from the bedside and threw it at her.

Song Yunzhao dodged to the side. If she hadn’t, the teacup would have hit her face and disfigured her!

“If you want to beat me to death, you should ask the ancestors of the Song family if they agree! I am a legitimate daughter of the Song family, my Father’s precious jewel. When he returns, I’ll tell him I want to become a nun, because my own mother wants to kill me!”

“Since the day I was born, you’ve never loved me. You wanted a son, but I turned out to be a daughter, unable to help you suppress Concubine Che. You hate me, despise me, and always suppress me. You are the elder, and I, the junior, so I endured it all. I thought that if I obeyed you in everything, you would treat me better. I was wrong. Since you hate me so much that you want to kill me, I won’t be a burden to you. Rest assured, when my Father returns, I will tell him everything clearly. Our mother-daughter relationship will end in this lifetime!”

Even the bold First Madam was shocked by Song Yunzhao. My goodness, this girl is truly crazy!

First Madam immediately drove all the servants out of the room, stepped forward, and hugged Song Yunzhao: “Good child, you are sick and talking nonsense. Aunt knows you are unwell and are speaking out of delirium.”

Song Yunzhao was pressed into the First Madam’s embrace. She didn’t want to cry, but the original owner’s shallow tear ducts and her great grievances made it hard to hold back the tears.

She knew that First Madam was trying to cover for her, to dismiss her words as delirium, but since she had caused a scene, Yunzhao didn’t want to retreat.

Cai Shi was publicly exposed by Song Yunzhao, revealing all the shameful thoughts she had kept hidden deep in her heart. She was so shocked and furious that she nearly fainted.

Song Qinghan hurriedly supported her mother and said to Song Yunzhao, “Third Sister, how can you talk back to your elders like this? Apologize to Mother quickly, or I won’t be able to protect you.”

Song Yunzhao stood up from the First Madam’s embrace, looked at Song Qinghan, and sneered, “How shameless of you to say that. We’ve been sisters for so many years, and I’ve never seen you protect me once. We are both legitimate daughters. Over the years, you had things I didn’t have, you didn’t have things I didn’t have either, but whatever I had, you definitely had too. When you got something good, did you ever ask Mother why I didn’t have it? When she scolded me for no reason, did you ever stand up for me? When she took you out and left me at home, did you ever speak up for me? Did these things happen just once or twice over the years? Are you blind? I’ve disrespected my elders? Go ahead, report me to the authorities for disobidience, and I will tell them everything about my situation in the Song family. Let the officials decide what’s right and what’s wrong. Whether it’s death or dismemberment, I will accept it! I dare, but do you and your Mother dare?”

Song Yunzhao knew that Cai Shi and her daughter would naturally not dare. It wasn’t that they couldn’t win the case, but once it was revealed that Cai Shi was an unkind mother and Song Qinghan lacked sibling affection, even if Song Yunzhao’s disobedience was confirmed, they wouldn’t come out of it well either.

In this world and time, reputation is like a knife. Whose family isn’t a mess inside while keeping up a glamorous appearance outside.

Song Yunzhao was aware of this fact. When people are sick, they become very vulnerable, and grievances are magnified. Although she wasn’t the original protagonist, having been here since birth, she remembered every word Cai Shi said to her as a child.

Song Yunzhao didn’t want this to blow up, but she wouldn’t back down now.

Since it had already escalated, there was no turning back.

Let’s see who will come out on top!