The ancestral hall was cold and damp. Song Yue knelt on the prayer mat and looked at the dark memorial tablets in front of her. One of them was for her mother, Princess Jiahua.

She got up, picked up the memorial tablet, and smashed it!

The old woman guarding the door was stunned: "Third, Third Miss?"

"The person isn't even dead yet, why put up a memorial tablet? It's so unlucky!" Song Yue pulled out the hairpin from her hair and scraped off all the words on the memorial tablet, then kicked it to pieces before she was satisfied.

The old woman was dumbfounded and didn't dare to stop her.

When the old lady's maid arrived, she happened to see this scene. A look of surprise flashed across her face. Considering the Third Miss's temper, she did not ask any questions. Instead, she said gently, "Third Miss, the old lady wants you to return to Yuehua Pavilion. You don't need to kneel anymore."

“That won’t do, after all, I made a mistake.” Song Yue stood up straight.

The old woman said, "Oh dear, my good girl, you should go back now. How could the Grand Madam bear to punish you? This matter is not your fault."

Having said all that, Song Yue slowly stood up with the help of the old woman; she didn't want to kneel before these cold, indifferent memorial tablets.

The old woman didn't forget to smooth out her wrinkles and said with a smile, "Third Miss, the Grand Madam said that she will personally teach you how to manage the accounts starting tomorrow, and she will also let you take a look at the Princess's dowry."

Song Yue knew this was a delaying tactic, a way to prevent her from causing any trouble and delaying the wedding at the manor, so she kept a close eye on her.

That suited her perfectly.

"Alright."

The old nanny escorted Song Yue back to Yuehua Pavilion, showering her with sweet words along the way. Zhang Mama saw her return from afar and was so shocked by the old nanny's attitude that her jaw nearly dropped.

She stepped forward and looked Song Yue up and down.

"Granny Zhang, I'm entrusting the Third Young Lady to you."

Granny Zhang responded with a soft "oh, oh," as she helped Song Yue inside. Song Yue pulled her hand away and chuckled, "I'm not hurt, Granny, don't worry."

"And what about the eldest son?"

“I’m in the right, and Grandmother isn’t an unreasonable person, so naturally she’ll side with me,” Song Yue said with a smile.

Zhang Mama didn't believe this. If the Grand Madam were a reasonable person, many things wouldn't have happened back then. Her attitude towards Song Yue was just out of fear.

…

"The person has been sent back?" The old lady sat in a chair, holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads in one hand, her face serene, while she held a Buddhist scripture in the other hand, muttering a few words.

Granny Liu nodded: "It's been sent back. This old servant said a lot of things to persuade her, but the Third Miss is still young and responds better to gentle persuasion than force."

The old lady also discovered this.

The more forceful the approach, the stronger her reaction.

Granny Liu hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.

The old lady raised her head and glanced at the other person, then placed the scriptures she was holding on the table: "Just say what you want to say."

"Madam, the Third Young Lady smashed the Princess's memorial tablet in the ancestral hall and erased the writing on it, saying that no one is dead, so why put up a memorial tablet? Doesn't she think it's bad luck!"

The old lady paused abruptly, her expression changing slightly: "She really said that?"

"Yes, I heard it with my own ears."

The old lady's breathing quickened, and she suddenly began to spin the prayer beads very rapidly. Her heart began to rise and fall, and she said regretfully, "If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have been soft-hearted back then."

Out of pity for the Duke's bloodline, she spared Song Yue's life. Little did she know that more than a decade later, Song Yue would turn out to be a debt collector!

If she had known, she should have smothered him to death herself.

"Send away all those guarding the ancestral hall today, and don't let any rumors get out," the old lady ordered in a deep voice.

To the outside world, Princess Jiahua died of a serious illness, and not many people knew the truth. The Grand Madam then sent Granny Liu to personally convey the message to Duke Jingguo and inform him of this matter.

For the next few days, Song Yue waited at the Grand Madam's place every day, from before dawn to after dark. In order not to see her, the Grand Madam specially set aside a room next door and found an accountant to teach her some basic accounting skills.

Song Yue patiently went through the motions, never missing a day at Ninghui Hall.

That morning, Yun Dong returned carrying Zhangji steamed buns and nodded to Song Yue: "Miss, the matter is settled."

Song Yue was surprised: "It's only the eighth day."

These days, Yun Dong goes out every few days, either to buy snacks or steamed buns, and the housekeeper turns a blind eye to it.

This was to allow Yun Dong to come and go freely, making it easier to send messages outside the manor.

I didn't expect to hear good news so quickly.

Song Yue summoned Zhang Mama to inquire about the wedding arrangements: "According to custom, when will the Duke of Jingguo's mansion send out the betrothal gifts?"

Zhang Mama said, "Miss, it should be ten days before the wedding. The eldest son will personally bring two live geese and the betrothal gifts to the Shen residence at an auspicious time."

Ten days have passed, so there are about five days left.

She took a big bite of the fragrant bun, the taste lingering on her lips and teeth, it was delicious. After filling her stomach, she went as usual.

Ninghui Hall.

Before they knew it, the day arrived for Song Hengchuan to propose marriage.

Early in the morning, Song Yue went to Ninghui Hall. The Grand Madam was sitting in the main hall today and seemed to be in a good mood. When she saw Song Yue, she gave her a smile and praised Shen Ruyun in front of everyone.

"The Shen family is a distinguished family with a history of over a hundred years. They are a good match for our family. Miss Shen is beautiful and talented, dignified, virtuous, gentle and generous. She has also gained a good reputation in the capital in recent years. If she marries into our family in the future, you must respect your elder sister-in-law and not act recklessly." The Grand Madam carefully instructed.

If Song Yue hadn't met Shen Ruyun, she would have believed what she said.

It's still unknown whether Shen Ruyun was involved in the death of the maid Ju Hong.

"What's past is past. One should be broad-minded and not dwell on this matter. At my age, I only hope for harmony and peace in the household."

After being reprimanded, the Lady allowed Song Yue to go next door to continue learning accounting.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!