Chapter 68 The Prodigal Brother (Part 8): The Merchant's Son's Path to Becoming a King of a Different Surname...

After hearing what Li Mama said, Song Ce nodded slightly and replied, "Okay, I'll go right away." With that, he picked up the wooden box containing the silver notes and land deeds and followed steadily behind Li Mama.

Today, when Song Yu was brought back by him, Master Song was cold and unenthusiastic. This has completely disappointed Madam Song. Madam Song's current request for him to come over is undoubtedly related to Master Song's outrageous behavior today.

Soon, the two of them arrived at Madam Song's courtyard.

As soon as Song Ce entered the room, he saw Madam Song sitting upright with her brows furrowed, staring at a faded silk flower in her hand, seemingly lost in thought.

“Mother.” Song Ce stepped forward and bowed.

"Ce'er, you've arrived." Upon seeing Song Ce, Madam Song quickly put on a smile. "Come and sit down quickly."

Song Ce smiled and responded, then placed the wooden box on the low table beside Madam Song, and said with a smile, "Mother, look, these are the silver notes and land deeds you gave me that day. I have carefully put them away and have come to return them to you."

Madam Song didn't look at the wooden box. She just took Song Ce's hand, pulled him down to sit, and said in a low voice, "Ce'er, put these aside for now. I've called you here today to discuss an important matter with you."

"Mother, please speak."

"Your son must have seen your father's behavior today. Let me be frank with you, our family now only has some farmland and an ancestral shop left. Everything else... has been squandered and sold off by your good-for-nothing father, all thrown into gambling dens." Madam Song sighed, then continued, "His treatment of Yu'er today truly chilled my heart. I worry that when his addiction kicks in, he'll completely disregard this family, and who knows what even more outrageous things he might do then."

Upon hearing this, Song Ce remained calm. He grasped Madam Song's hand in return, "Mother, are you saying these things to your son because you intend to divorce Father?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Song stiffened. She remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "That's exactly what I wish for, Ce'er. What do you think?"

"Of course, your son is on your side." Song Ce smiled slightly. "Mother has not been happy in this mansion. Now that you have finally come to your senses, of course your son will support you. As I grow up, I will be able to support you and my sister."

"Ce'er...do you want to leave with your mother?" Madam Song covered her mouth in disbelief and asked in a trembling voice.

“Of course, Mother, wherever you are, that’s where my home is,” Song Ce replied without hesitation.

Madam Song stared blankly at her eldest son, who continued, "Mother, I have seen all the grievances you and Father have suffered over the years. Unless you abandon me, I will definitely stay with you."

“Ce’er…” Madam Song said with tears in her eyes, “You are the flesh of my body, how can I not want my own son! But, as the eldest son of the family, your father… will never let you go with me.”

“Mother, just tell me, do you want your son to go with you?” Song Ce patted Madam Song’s back reassuringly. “If you are willing, just nod. You can leave the rest to me!”

Upon hearing this, Madam Song finally burst into tears and nodded slowly but firmly.

She... had long been heartbroken by Master Song. Ever since those concubines entered the mansion one after another, Master Song's heart had become increasingly biased, not only towards her, but also towards his two children.

Over the years, she has silently swallowed many grievances for the sake of this family, and devoted herself to managing all the affairs of the mansion, hoping only to protect this family and provide Ce'er and Yu'er with a warm and stable environment. But now, Yu'er's experience today has made her see through the coldness and selfishness beneath Master Song's facade. All her years of dedication and forbearance seem to have become a joke at this moment.

People are different. Some women can choose to endure and tolerate their husbands' behavior, but others have seen through it all and no longer want to wrong themselves or be disappointed.

Madam Song was the latter.

Many things in this world cannot be forced. The only thing to do is to let nature take its course.

This time, Madam Song took the initiative to tell him that she wanted a divorce from Mr. Song, which surprised him somewhat. After all, in today's world, divorce is still very difficult for women.

The ancient teachings say that a wife should be like water, filial to her parents-in-law, loving to her children, harmonious with her sisters-in-law, and help her husband cultivate virtue... But what about a husband? There are no rules or regulations, not a single one.

Thinking of this, Song Ce composed himself and then grasped Madam Song's hand. "Mother, since you have made up your mind, I will do my utmost. In the past, you have endured hardships and made sacrifices for this family, bearing all the storms alone. Now, it is my turn to protect you from the wind and rain. From now on, you and my sister can rely on me with peace of mind!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Song could no longer hold back. She gripped Song Ce's hand tightly, hot tears falling drop by drop onto the back of his hand. "Ce'er... has grown up. It's so good, so good..."

Song Ce smiled gently. His gaze swept over the faded silk flower that Madam Song had placed on the table. After she calmed down a bit, he said, "This is the first time I've seen this silk flower in Mother's hand."

Upon hearing this, Madam Song sighed, "This silk flower was made by him the year you were born. Your father secretly stayed up all night in his study to make this flower, putting in a lot of effort to complete it, but..."

Now, the silk flowers and threads are mottled, much like the relationship between the two of them. The once vibrant beauty has gradually faded with the passage of time, leaving only sadness.

The mother and son chatted for a while longer. After Madam Song smiled again, Song Ce stood up, bowed respectfully to Madam Song, and quietly took his leave.

As Song Ce strolled towards his courtyard, he silently calculated in his mind. He knew that it wouldn't be easy for Madam Song to divorce Master Song. Master Song was currently engrossed in gambling; how could he possibly let go so easily and allow Madam Song, with her substantial dowry, to leave the family so readily?

Although the matter was urgent, he had to calm down and plan carefully until he came up with a comprehensive and appropriate solution.

As night deepened, Song Ce stared at the flickering candlelight on the table, pondering a solution. At the same time, in the corner of the county jail, A-Da, who was lying on a straw mat, slowly woke up.

As the time limit for the Floating Life Fruit expired, Ah Da slowly sat up, rubbing his forehead. But... something just didn't seem right here.

He stared incredulously around the room, and when he realized he was indeed in a cell, his mind went blank for a moment.

Ah Da raised his hand and rubbed his eyes quite hard, trying to wake himself up as soon as possible... But when he opened his eyes again, why was he still here?

"How...how did I get here?" Ah Da murmured softly.

"How did you end up here? Don't you know the answer yourself?" Just then, a familiar, resentful voice came from the cell next door, not far from him. Ah Da looked closely and saw that it was Ah San, who was huddled in the corner covered with grass.

"Ah San! What are you doing here? Where's Ah Er? Where is he?" Upon hearing this, Ah Da rushed to the cell bars and asked the person next door.

Ah San sneered upon hearing this and turned his head away. "What, now you know how to care about us? Do you even care whether our brothers live or die?"

"How dare you speak like that!" Ah Da retorted angrily. "I'm your own elder brother! Besides me, who else would care about your lives?"

"An elder brother?" Ah San suddenly stood up upon hearing this. "Tell me, would an elder brother beat up his own younger brother, or would he send his own younger brother to jail?"

"Ah San, what are you saying? I don't understand." Ah Da's voice was full of confusion and shock. "When did I ever have the heart to hit you?"

Ah Da clearly remembered that he had originally kidnapped a little girl with Ah Er and Ah San, but in the blink of an eye, he inexplicably ended up in the county jail.

Upon hearing this, Ah San turned around and stared intently at Ah Da: "Just today, after we kidnapped that little girl, you personally said in front of everyone that you wanted to repent, reflect on your actions, and start anew!"

"You're talking nonsense!" Ah Da roared. "We brothers live a life of constant danger, how could I possibly say such a load of rubbish?"

"..."

Looking at Ah Da's drastically different attitude, Ah San remained silent for a moment before snorting, "After we brothers succeeded today, we came to that wild temple in the dense forest outside the city. At that time, that little girl's older brother came alone, and then..."

etc! ?

Ah San was stunned. He suddenly remembered that when that kid first arrived, he seemed to have made some kind of hand seal, and then his older brother suddenly seemed to be controlled by something, which led him to do this series of incomprehensible things.

The more he thought about it, the more horrified he became, and his body couldn't help but tremble slightly.

"And then what happened? Tell me!" Ah Da couldn't help but urge.

"Brother, he... this... do you think there's anyone in this world who... can use sorcery?" Ah San asked blankly.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Ah Da slammed his hand on the fence in front of him. "Ah San, Ah San!"

Hearing his older brother calling his name softly, Ah San suddenly shuddered and, with a trembling voice, recounted in detail to Ah Da what had happened that day and everything that followed Song Ce's appearance.

After hearing Ah San's description, Ah Da frowned even more deeply. He couldn't help but slam his fist hard against the fence. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

“Big brother, why would I lie to you? I saw it all clearly when you knocked my second brother unconscious.” Ah San paused, then said in a trembling voice, “As soon as that kid appeared, you were like a different person. You started hitting and cursing my second brother and me, and even said you wanted to go to the yamen to turn yourself in and atone for your sins.”

As Ah San spoke, grief welled up within him. "Big brother, after Second Brother fainted, he was taken to another cell and imprisoned. I don't know how he is now. Big brother, what should we do?"

Upon hearing this, Ah Da's face twitched unconsciously. "Ah San, how... how is this possible?"

“If it’s not true, then why are we in a prison cell?” the Indian man asked.

Ah Da remained silent, his mind racing through every word Ah San had just said, trying to find some clues. But no matter how he thought about it, he felt that the matter was too bizarre, completely beyond his comprehension.

What kind of person did those brothers offend?

But no matter how much they thought about it now, it was all in vain. Confined to this heavily guarded county jail, the three brothers were utterly helpless, their cries for help echoing through the air. What would become of them? Were they really just going to wait for the county magistrate to sentence them?

Thinking of this, Ah Da gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry, let Brother Rong think of a way."

Just then, a series of heavy footsteps came from outside the cell. Ah Da and Ah San exchanged a glance, immediately fell silent, and nervously stared towards the cell door.

A jailer carrying a lantern walked over and stopped in front of their cell.

"You two! Behave yourselves! In three days, the magistrate will personally preside over the trial. Don't even think about trying anything funny then!" the jailer said fiercely.

Upon hearing this, Ah Da's heart sank. He knew that once he and his brother were in court, their past heinous crimes would no longer be able to be hidden. He dared not think further about what awaited them then.

After all, under severe torture, there are very few people whose mouths cannot be pried open.

"Sir, please have mercy! My second brother is still unconscious, and I'm really worried about him. Please take a look at him for me, I beg you, sir!" Ah Da whispered.

The jailer sneered, "Hmph, look at your cowardice, daring to try and kidnap people like those villains? If you end up in court in three days, how much will you have to confess?"

Ah Da was taken aback. The way this jailer spoke and his tone were very different from the upright jailers he had seen before. This person did not seem like a jailer, but rather like a wicked person who risked his life like them.

the wicked?

Thinking of this, Ah Da couldn't help but take a step back: "You, who are you?"

Upon hearing this, the jailer grinned, revealing a set of uneven teeth that, in the dim light of the lanterns, made him look like a vengeful ghost.

"Hmph! You ask who I am? I am the one who can decide your life and death." With that, he hung the lantern on the hook outside the cell, crossed his arms, and looked down at the cautious Ah Da.

Ah Da's heart tightened upon hearing this. He forced a dry smile and said calmly, "Sir, what are you saying? Although we brothers have committed a crime, it's not that serious..."

Before he could finish speaking, the jailer interrupted him impatiently: "Don't play dumb with me! Any one of the bad things you've done, if reported to the magistrate, would be enough to get you ten executions! But..."

At this point, the jailer deliberately dragged out his words and stopped talking.

Ah San was young and impatient. He couldn't help but ask, "But what?"

"But if you behave yourselves, you might still have a way out," the jailer grinned.

Ah Da frowned and gently tugged at Ah San's sleeve, signaling him to stop talking.

"Sir, how should we obey?" Ah Da asked.

The jailer laughed loudly after hearing this, leaned closer to the cell bars, and gestured for Ah Da to come closer: "In three days, when you go to court, no matter what the magistrate asks, you must only say that you want to extort some money to spend. You must not mention anyone else, especially..." He paused, "especially anything related to Wang Yong. You are not allowed to mention a single word about it."

“Wang Yong?” A-Da asked doubtfully, “We brothers don’t know any Wang Yong.”

"Still playing dumb?" The jailer sneered. "Wang Yong is the same Wang Laizi you're talking about."

Upon hearing this, A-Da was startled. They had conspired with Wang Laizi to commit countless heinous crimes. Moreover, Wang Laizi was a notorious rogue in this area, known for his underhanded ways. Why, then, did the jailer come so late at night to give them such special instructions? Could it be… For some reason, a bad premonition suddenly welled up in A-Da's heart.

"Sir, may I ask, what is your relationship with this Wang Lai... Wang Yong?"

The jailer's face darkened. "Stop your curiosity! Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask! Just remember, if you mention Wang Yong in court, all three of you brothers will die. But if you do as I say, maybe I can spare your lives."

“But…there are quite a few people in this city who have seen us together. Can you really keep this from the master?” Ah Da asked tentatively.

"I'll handle things with the master for you. Just keep your mouths shut," the jailer sneered.

Ah Da gritted his teeth: "Sir, why should we believe you? You have to give us an explanation!"

The jailer took down the lantern, turned his back, and said, "Because Wang Yong is my own brother."

Ah Da looked frightened after hearing this. No wonder the jailer came alone late at night. It turned out that he was here to deal with these "troublemakers" for his brother Wang Laizi and to silence them.

"That's all I have to say. If you dare to ruin my plans, as long as you're still in this jail, I have plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead," the jailer said sinisterly.

"Yes, yes, yes, sir, we brothers understand. We will be careful what we say when we go to court in three days," Ah Da assured him.

The jailer nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this. "That's right. Remember, your lives are now entirely in my hands. Keep your eyes open and don't try anything funny." With that, he picked up his lantern and strode out of the cell.

...

On the other side, after pondering all night in his room, Song Ce simply got up early and took A Bao and A Luo to the bookstore in Madam Song's dowry.

After Song Ce had properly settled the two of them, he waved and hired a carriage, then rode quickly towards the Song family's ancestral home.

At this moment, Song Tongsheng, the patriarch of the Song family, was carefully organizing the rare books in his study. The sun was shining brightly today, and he thought he might as well take those rare books out to air them and repair them.

"Master, a young master has come to visit. He says he is your nephew and has come to pay his respects today," the steward said.

Song Tongsheng frowned upon hearing this. Nephew?

He only has two nephews, who are usually very easygoing and come whenever they want. They've never been so polite and courteous before. Could it be that they are the children of one of his brothers in the clan?

"Go and invite him in," Song Tongsheng said.

Before long, the butler led in a young man dressed in blue.

Upon seeing Song Tongsheng, Song Ce immediately bowed to him and respectfully said, "Nephew Song Ce greets Uncle."

"Good boy." Song Tongsheng laughed heartily after hearing this, stepped forward to help him up, and said kindly, "We're all family, why be so polite, nephew? I just don't know what brings you here today?"

"Uncle, please forgive me." Song Ce looked worried. "This matter is of great importance. I really have no other choice, so I have swallowed my pride and come to talk to you."

Upon hearing this, Song Tongsheng frowned slightly, stood up and said, "In that case, my dear nephew, please come with me to the study."

"Yes, Uncle."

The two entered the study one after the other. Song Tongsheng gestured for Song Ce to sit down and asked solemnly, "Has something happened at your home?"

It's no wonder Song Tongsheng asked such a question. Song Ce's father, Master Song, was an oddity in the entire Song family. Despite the numerous properties left by his parents, he had squandered them all in just a few years.

At first, the clan chief tried his best to persuade him, but it was no use. No sooner had he left than Master Song went back to doing things his own way. He was like a stubborn mule, completely unyielding and ignoring the clan's good intentions.

As time went on, Song Tongsheng felt powerless and simply stopped paying attention to him.

"Uncle, as you know, my father was led astray by someone a few years ago and became addicted to gambling. He sold off the family's businesses one by one, and squandered them all. Now, he's lost his mind and even set his sights on my mother's dowry. My mother was thinking of letting it go, but who knew that my younger sister would suffer because of it..." Song Ce clenched his fists, looking grief-stricken, and told Song Tongsheng everything that had happened in the past few days.

Seeing the angry and fearful expression on the young man's face, Song Tongsheng felt a mix of emotions. After a long while, he sighed and slowly said, "Alas... your father's actions have truly disgraced the family. Nephew, tell me, what are your plans?"

Song Ce raised his head, his gaze firm, and said, "Uncle, I would like to earnestly request that you step forward, gather the elders of the clan, and grant my parents permission to divorce."

Upon hearing the words "divorce," Song Tongsheng's hand trembled involuntarily. "Nephew, this... this is ridiculous! This matter concerns your family's reputation!"

“Now that my nephew’s mother is in unbearable pain, if my nephew still ignores his own mother’s life or death for the sake of so-called face, how is he any different from an animal?” Song Ce said in a deep voice.

“Your uncle knows you’re a good boy, but you should also think about your mother! If she divorces your father, her reputation will inevitably be damaged. This is a lose-lose situation, and I’m sure your mother wouldn’t want to see it either,” Song Tongsheng couldn’t help but comfort her.

Upon hearing this, Song Ce immediately stood up, bowed deeply to Song Tongsheng, and earnestly said, "Uncle, I know that the matter of divorce has a great impact, but now my mother is depressed and unhappy in the mansion, and every day feels like a year. As her son, how can I watch her be bound by the so-called reputation? The family's reputation is important, but in my heart, it is nothing compared to my mother."

"Sigh." Song Tongsheng pondered for a long time after hearing this, and then sighed, "Alright, I will summon the elders of the clan today. However, my dear nephew, you must also be prepared, this matter may not go so smoothly."

"Yes, thank you for your guidance, Uncle."

Song Tongsheng smiled helplessly, then got up and went out to call the steward, instructing him to quickly send someone to invite the elders of the clan to come and discuss the matter together.

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Author's note: Time to cut ties with that scumbag father!

My little angels, can you guess what this scumbag dad's next reaction will be? (gritting his teeth)