Chapter 9: Under Control

When it came to Song Lao’er, although Xiao Gu-shi and Mother Gu were technically distant relatives by marriage, as a daughter-in-law, she was still an outsider and could never compare to a biological son.

Mother Gu was currently in a fit of rage; if she wasn't careful, she would end up getting burned herself.

Xiao Gu-shi had always been the most calculating; she never put herself in the line of fire.

Watching Mother Gu lower her head to pick up the shattered salt jar, looking absolutely livid, Xiao Gu-shi blinked and leaned in, whispering, "Mother, the master of the house has been bewitched by money. He said he wants to kill another chicken for that little hussy to eat.

Xiao Bao is working hard at his studies and relies on the few eggs we have at home to stay healthy. If we kill a chicken every day, our family’s savings won't be able to hold up!"

Mother Gu was already pained by the loss of her chicken, and with a belly full of anger and nowhere to vent, hearing that they were going to kill another one was like someone taking her own life. She immediately bristled, "She dares! I haven't even settled scores with that little hussy, and now she’s pushing her luck."

Earlier, she had wanted to fight Song Liyun to the death, but after Song Lao’er turned on her and stopped her with a lecture, she had been forced to hold back.

Although the hatred in her heart hadn't diminished in the slightest, she still had to listen to her son, so she had no choice but to endure it.

As long as Song Liyun could really extract silver from the Xue family later, she would play the part of the elder and not bicker with the little hussy.

But now, hearing Xiao Gu-shi say they were going to kill another chicken, she could no longer hold back. She jumped up, ready to head to the main room and fight for her life.

"Mother, Mother, don't go make a scene. Be careful that the hussy doesn't trick Lao’er into turning against us again."

Seeing Mother Gu about to cause a scene, Xiao Gu-shi hurriedly grabbed her to dissuade her.

Her words weren't a dissuasion at all; they were like pouring oil on a fire. Mother Gu became even more furious: "If Lao’er dares to kill another chicken, I’ll fight him to the death."

Xiao Gu-shi heaved her heavy backside up and pulled Mother Gu into the corner of the room, whispering, "Mother, look at how that little hussy has been obedient all these years—isn't it just so those two jinxes have something to eat?

Lao’er has always been kind-hearted. In the past, having to raise those jinxes cost me my chance at having another child.

Now, he won't let us touch the hussy, and he even wants to pamper and coax her, picking a good marriage for her.

If you fight with Lao’er and cause a rift between mother and son, it will only play right into the little hussy's hands.

I say, why not bring back the cripple and the others, give them a good beating, and let the hussy see who really calls the shots in this house? See if she dares to defy us again.

Once she knows fear, even after she’s married off to the Xue family, she won't be able to escape your grasp."

At the mention of her lost chance at a child, Mother Gu’s teeth ached with hatred. Now that she only had Xiao Bao as her sole descendant, it was all that jinx's fault.

However, with Xiao Gu-shi’s reminder, Mother Gu, who had been blinded by rage, felt a spark of realization: The little hussy had been so obedient all these years precisely because of those two jinxes in the family! How could she have forgotten that?

It was all Lao’er’s fault for insisting she give those two little beasts extra steamed buns so they could stay on the mountain and gather more firewood for the past few days without coming home, which had left her without any leverage.

Thinking this through, Mother Gu hurried toward the door: "Daughter-in-law, keep an eye on the door. Don't let Lao’er know. I’m going to find someone and ask where that cripple is hiding on the mountain."

Xiao Gu-shi responded repeatedly, "I know, Mother. You’d better hurry."

If she could bring them back sooner, she could deal with them right in front of the little hussy and see how Song Lao’er would protect her then.

In the main room, the basin of chicken—meat, soup, and all—was gone. Song Liyun wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, still feeling unsatisfied, and said casually, "Second Uncle, I’m leaving in a couple of days, and I haven't seen Big Brother and the others yet. You should let them come back! It would be nice for the three of us siblings to get together."

Song Lao’er was a bit tipsy from the wine. He leaned against the head of the kang, squinting his eyes, and mumbled, "It’s autumn now, and winter comes fast in the countryside. Zhenping and the others are busy gathering firewood; they don't have time to come back.

Don't you worry, the brothers are doing just fine. You’ll see them when you return from the Xue family.

If you’re bored at home these days, I’ll have Shuirong come back to keep you company for a couple of days. You sisters can have a good chat."

Song Liyun’s fingers tightened around the handkerchief. A moment later, she smiled: "Since Big Brother is busy, seeing them sooner or later is the same. Then let Sister Shuirong come back to keep me company.

There are only the two of us sisters in the Song family. Once I’m settled in the Xue family, I’ll be able to find a good match for my sister, too."

Though she spoke nonchalantly, Song Liyun was cursing Song Lao’er to high heaven in her heart: He truly was his mother’s son. Song Defu looked honest and foolish on the outside, but his heart was just as vicious as Mother Gu’s.

The mistreatment of the brothers by that mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was all condoned and directed by Song Lao’er.

Now, he was intentionally keeping the Song Zhenping brothers away from her—if she didn't marry into the Xue family, she wouldn't be able to see them. It was a way of holding her hostage.

The Great Wu Dynasty had extremely strict management of population movement. Traveling or staying at an inn required travel permits and household registers, and one couldn't just buy a house in the city; it required the help of the local headman. This effectively killed any possibility of her taking her brothers and running away.

Thinking of what Auntie Dali had whispered to her that morning, Song Liyun calmed her heart: If she wanted freedom, she had to save her brothers and get far away from Little Stone Village.

As for holding her hostage, Song Lao’er hadn't actually thought that far ahead.

Selling a niece wasn't exactly an honorable thing to talk about. He often hung around town, and his son was studying at the academy; he still wanted to save face.

Song Zhenping had a stubborn temperament. If he knew Song Liyun was going to the Xue family, he would definitely try to stop it with his life.

Thinking of the cripple’s stubbornness—the way he wouldn't admit fault even when beaten until he was covered in blood or had fainted from hunger several times—even Song Lao’er didn't want to provoke him. He preferred to avoid him if he could.

He had to get him out of the way first. Once Song Liyun was inside the Xue family’s gates, it wouldn't matter how much of a scene he made.

Even though Song Liyun was now willing to go to the Xue family, Song Lao’er didn't dare risk any trouble, though he could call his daughter back.

He was worried that if the Xue family came to take her by force, something unsightly might happen, and it wouldn't be good for a young girl to see, so he had specifically sent Song Shuirong back to her maternal grandparents' house.

His love for his own daughter was real, and his desire to use his daughter to climb the social ladder was also real.

Once the meal was finished, Song Lao’er didn't care that the faces of Mother Gu and her daughter-in-law were as black as the bottom of a pot; he went out on his own to sit and relax.

However, when he left, he specifically locked the courtyard gate from the outside, leaving the three women in the room to stare at each other.

The atmosphere in the room was strange. Song Liyun sat on the edge of the kang, tilting her head to look at the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, then grinned.

Mother Gu and Xiao Gu-shi looked as if they had seen something terrifying; they shrank into the corner of the room, shivering at the sight of that smile.

Mother Gu summoned her courage and glared: "You hussy, what—what are you laughing at? Don't think that just because you have a little money you can trick people. My son will be back soon, and I’m going to tell him you broke our wrists."

Song Liyun said slowly, "Go ahead and tell him! No one is stopping you. If Song Defu doesn't believe you, what can I do? Oh! That’s right! Second Uncle said he’s killing another chicken tonight, so I’ll trouble Grandmother and Second Aunt to pick the fattest one."

Looking at the empty basin on the table where not even the soup remained—that had been a five-pound rooster—and she hadn't even gotten a single bite of meat.

Mother Gu’s legs went weak, and she slid down to the floor, slapping her thighs and wailing, "Heavens! There’s no way to live like this!"