Chapter 71 The Prodigal Brother (XI) A Merchant's Son's Counterattack Against a King of a Different Surname...

Upon hearing this, Guan Mao immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Reporting to Master, Dexi was playful and sneaked out when no one was paying attention, and was accidentally injured. Fortunately, this Young Master Song rescued Dexi, and he is now out of danger."

"Very good."

Song Ce looked up and saw a handsome man in black slowly enter the house. Just then, Dexi, who was in his arms, struggled to rush towards the man as soon as she saw him.

"Thank you." The man in black stepped forward, lowered his eyes to accept the gift, then looked at Song Ce and smiled faintly.

"It was nothing, you don't need to take it to heart," Song Ce said, rising and bowing slightly.

Upon hearing this, the man in black looked at Guan Mao, who immediately understood and stepped forward, saying, "Young Master Song, my master is extremely grateful for your help in saving Dexi and wishes to repay you in some way. Please speak frankly, is there anything you desire?"

Song Ce hesitated for a moment after hearing this, "Anything is fine?"

Guan Mao frowned slightly, but still smiled and said, "Of course, Young Master Song, why don't you tell me?"

“Then I will speak frankly. As you can see, I am still young and my medical studies are still in the process of exploration, but I have memorized all the medical books I should read and mastered all the medical and pharmacological principles I should learn. Now, the only thing I lack is practice. If this young master does not mind, I would like to try to cure your stuttering.” Song Ce said with a slight smile, neither humble nor arrogant.

“How can this be allowed?” Guan Mao’s expression changed, and he blurted out.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he had misspoke and quickly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "Young Master Song is joking. My master does not have a stutter. Please..." Before Guan Mao could finish, the man in black raised his hand to silence him and stared directly at Song Ce: "How did you... figure it out?"

Upon hearing this, Song Ce smiled sheepishly and said frankly, "Just now, before you came in, I hurriedly said a whole sentence: 'Guan Mao, De Xi, how is it?' Normally, a short sentence would not be punctuated like that unless it was intentional. Furthermore, I noticed that when you spoke just now, your breath was slightly sluggish, and the movement of your Adam's apple was also a little stiff. On the other hand, a normal person's breath flows naturally when speaking, and there would be no such abnormality."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the man in black. He paused for a moment before speaking, "You child, your observation is indeed meticulous. I have had this ailment since birth, and it has troubled me for many years. I have sought out many famous doctors, but none have been able to cure me."

Upon hearing this, Song Ce straightened his back: "Young master, although I am young and my medical skills are still being honed, I firmly believe that the path of medicine is boundless. The symptoms that our predecessors could not solve do not mean that they are unsolvable now. While studying medical books, I happened to have some insights into this stuttering condition and devised a unique method of acupuncture. If you are willing, I am willing to try my best for you. Of course, I cannot guarantee that it will definitely cure the condition, but it may improve it."

"You brat!" Guan Mao interrupted hastily, "How dare you make such a boast if you weren't absolutely certain?"

Song Ce remained calm: "May I ask you if the previous doctor was absolutely certain?"

"this……"

“If you trust me, young master, let’s treat this as an experiment. Whether it succeeds or fails, it won’t affect you,” Song Ce said.

The man in black remained silent for a moment upon hearing this, then turned to look at Guan Mao. Guan Mao immediately knelt on the ground and said urgently, "Master, you mustn't! Your stuttering is..." Before he could finish speaking, the man in black raised his hand again to interrupt Guan Mao, and his gaze returned to Song Ce: "Alright, I will agree to your request. When will it begin?"

After thinking for a moment, Song Ce said, "I need to go back and prepare some acupuncture needles and herbs. I can come to treat you tomorrow at noon."

"Guan Mao."

"Your subordinate is here."

"Go and prepare everything he needs, and give it to Young Master Song tomorrow," the man in black instructed.

Although Guan Mao was filled with worry, seeing that his master had already made a decision, he could only bow and agree.

After listening, Song Ce stepped forward and wrote down everything he needed for the next day on a piece of paper. After finishing writing, he cupped his hands and said, "Thank you very much. I will definitely come on time at noon tomorrow."

"No need for thanks. I should be the one thanking you. Guan Mao, see the guest out."

After Song Ce left, Guan Mao couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Master, this man is so young and his background is still unknown. How do you know that what he says is credible? You are of such high status, how can you rashly agree to such offensive words?"

The man in black gazed at the ancient tree in the distance and sighed leisurely, "This person's eyes are clear, unlike someone who speaks without reason. If he truly has ability, it would be a great blessing for me. Even if he cannot cure me, it would be no loss for me."

Upon hearing this, Guan Mao sighed helplessly, "I hope it's as we wish, that this person truly possesses miraculous skills."

The man in black nodded after hearing this. "I hope so."

...

When Song Ce returned to the Song residence, Master Song had already returned from the ancestral home. He came to the main courtyard with a sullen face, staring at Lu Wu Niang with a worried look in his eyes. She was giving instructions to the maids beside her with a faint smile, to pack up the items that were to be taken away one by one.

"Madam, why are you in such a hurry?" Master Song could no longer hold back and stepped forward to grab Lu Wu Niang's hand.

In the past, when he reached out to his wife, she didn't always respond, but she had never been as indifferent as she was today. She pursed her lips tightly and subtly turned away from him, as if avoiding an insignificant stranger.

Seeing her like this, a myriad of emotions welled up in Mr. Song's heart. He had a bellyful of things he wanted to say, but at this moment, all those words were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say a single one.

“Now that we are divorced, you should no longer call me ‘Madam’,” Lu Wu Niang said coldly.

Upon hearing this, Master Song turned his head away in embarrassment, his gaze quickly sweeping over the wide-open wooden chests. "Husband... when are you leaving? Have you found a suitable place to stay yet?"

It's no wonder that Master Song asked such a question. Lu Wu Niang's parents passed away a few years ago, and now the Lu family has no property left. Currently, there is only one half-brother who is not very close to Lu Wu Niang. The two had some disagreements and could not get along, so they had not been in contact for a long time.

Mr. Song originally intended to ignore her, but after all, they were husband and wife who had been together since childhood. Although they had ended up divorcing, he still couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"No need for your trouble." Lu Wuniang said calmly, taking the dark-patterned box that looked very familiar to Master Song from Li Mama's hands. "Inside here are 1,400 taels of silver notes, three shop deeds, 62 mu of land deeds, and the indentures of the servants in the mansion, some for life and some for temporary use. Finally, there are all the items in my dowry chest. In total, it amounts to about 3,000 taels of silver." As she spoke, Lu Wuniang took out 1,000 taels of silver notes, one shop deed, 30 mu of land deeds, and all the indentures of the servants in the mansion, and handed them all to Li Mama, who then presented these deeds and silver notes to Master Song.

"Take a look at this division of property. Are you willing to accept it?" Lu Wu Niang said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Master Song stared intently at the property deeds and banknotes before him. For some reason, his eyes stung with tears. Just the day before, he and Concubine Wen had been plotting to coerce Lu Wu Niang into handing over money to help him recoup his losses, threatening her with divorce and the children. He secretly calculated that if he could swindle her money and then use some sweet talk, Lu Wu Niang would surely obey. But no one had expected her to be so resolute, going directly to the ancestral home to summon the elders of the Song clan, demanding a divorce decree…

Just now, he was thinking of imitating the manners of those refined gentlemen, pretending to be generous and saying that Lu Wu Niang's dowry could be taken entirely by her, and he didn't want a single penny.

But when he actually received the stack of contracts and banknotes, his fingers involuntarily began to gently caress them. On the surface, he still looked heartbroken, but deep down, he was already calculating how to allocate this money... Should he keep some for his household expenses, or should he take it all to the gambling den to try and win back his losses?

Thinking of this, Master Song looked up at Lu Wu Niang, his words seemingly filled with endless reluctance and regret: "We have been husband and wife for many years, how could you... be so heartless?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Wuniang glanced at him coldly, feeling utterly disgusted by Master Song's behavior. She lowered her eyes, refusing to look at him, and said resolutely, "Since I have decided to leave, I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore. You'd better sign this property division document quickly, and we'll sever all ties."

Master Song felt somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this, his gaze shifting back and forth between the valuables in his hand and Lu Wu Niang's retreating figure. On one hand, he coveted the newly acquired fortune, thinking about how to indulge in unrestrained pleasure; on the other hand, he felt a sense of emptiness at the thought of losing his virtuous wife, Lu Wu Niang.

After all, they had been married for many years, and those relatively warm days of the past had left their mark on him. But eventually, these complex emotions gradually transformed into a nameless anger and dissatisfaction deep within Mr. Song's heart.

"Sign it! Do you think I can't find a new wife after leaving you? Tomorrow I will ask a matchmaker to come to the mansion and find me a young and beautiful wife!" Master Song angrily picked up the brush that Madam Li had prepared earlier, signed his name with a flourish, and then pressed his fingerprint on it.

Seeing that Lu Wuniang had taken the property division document and was looking at it carefully, ignoring his words, Master Song became even more agitated. "You're so thoughtful, yet you don't trust me at all?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Wuniang suddenly sneered. All these years, she had been so cautious precisely because she knew Master Song's character so well. Now, hearing Master Song's words, which were half accusation and half reproach, her expression remained unchanged. She simply said calmly, "As the saying goes, it's easy to get along with a gentleman, but difficult to guard against a petty person. Even the heart of a person is hidden behind a layer of skin; who can know whether a heart is red or black?"

Upon hearing this, Master Song's expression immediately changed. He knew in his heart that Lu Wu Niang's words meant that she didn't even bother to maintain appearances with him.

If he continues to cause trouble and really provokes her to take it to the clan, he'll probably lose face and have to give away some of the benefits he's already gained.

Thinking of this, Master Song learned his lesson. He sighed with feigned helplessness and carefully put away the stack of contracts and banknotes. Although he tried his best to suppress his emotions, Lu Wu Niang still caught the fleeting joy in his eyes.

Lu Wuniang suddenly felt like a joke all these years. How could she have been so blind to spend half her life with such a useless man? She turned away and ignored him, continuing to watch the servants pack their luggage and dowry.

When Song Ce arrived at the main courtyard, he saw Master Song standing to the side with his hands clasped together, looking at the servants bustling about in the courtyard with a gloomy expression, seemingly lost in thought.

He walked forward with a smile and stood beside Lu Wu Niang, asking with a smile, "Mother, how's the packing going?"

Looking at her son, Lu Wuniang finally smiled. "My son, you're back. Everything in the yard is almost back in order. Your sister is asleep. We'll leave once she wakes up."

Before Song Ce could reply, Old Master Song cleared his throat, feigning a heartbroken expression, and angrily said, "You... Ce'er, your father is right here, yet you don't even give him a second glance. Where is your manners and dignity? What, now you only have eyes for your mother and have completely forgotten about your father?"

Upon hearing this, Song Ce bowed calmly and said, "Son greets Father."

Seeing that his son seemed respectful and his manners were impeccable, Master Song finally breathed a sigh of relief and asked with considerable authority, "Are you going to see your mother off later?"

“Father, you are mistaken.” Song Ce bowed again. “It is not that I am seeing Mother off from the manor, but that I am leaving with Mother. I must say goodbye to Father now.”

"What?" Master Song was shocked upon hearing this. "Why are you meddling in this mess with your mother all of a sudden?"

After listening, Song Ce looked directly at Master Song and said calmly, "Father, the laws of our dynasty clearly stipulate that if children are over twelve years old, they can freely choose to live with their father or their mother. Since I can remember, my mother has taken care of many things at home, and you have rarely come to care about my siblings and me. Now that my mother has decided to separate from you, as her son, I naturally choose to live with her."

Master Song was so angry at Song Ce's words that he couldn't speak. He pointed at Song Ce with a trembling finger and roared angrily, "You...you're being incredibly disrespectful! Don't forget which family you belong to! Do you really intend to follow the Lu family?"

“Father, a surname is just a title to me. If Mother agrees, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for me to change my name to Lu Ce tomorrow,” Song Ce said calmly.

Master Song's chest heaved violently as he paced back and forth in the courtyard in anger. "Fine, very well indeed! Madam Lu! You've certainly raised a fine son! I see you've grown wings now, daring to disobey your own father! Fine! You're truly quite something!"

Seeing the furious Master Song, Lu Wuniang pulled Song Ce behind her. "My son, why waste your breath on him? Let's go to Yu'er's courtyard and see if she's awake. If she is, let's hurry up and leave so we don't run into any annoying people and ruin our good mood."

"Madam Lu! You...you..." Master Song was so angry that his face turned red. He kicked the box in front of him to the ground. "Song Ce, you are the eldest son of my Song family. I will give you one last chance. From now on, are you willing to stay in the manor with your father?"

"I don't want to."

"Fine! Very well! Remember what I said today! Since you are so resolute today, don't regret it later! From today onwards, I have no son like you!" Master Song roared through gritted teeth.

“I couldn’t ask for that either,” Song Ce replied with a smile.

"Get out! All of you get out! Tomorrow I'll take in a new bride, and what's a son? I can have as many as I want!" Master Song roared at the mother and son, pointing towards the courtyard gate.

Song Ce stopped looking at Master Song's distorted face. He directed the servants to repack the box properly before helping Lu Wu Niang walk towards Song Yu's courtyard.

Song Yu had already woken up and was sitting on the edge of the bed, sipping the honey water that Le Yun had prepared for her.

When Song Yu saw her brother and mother coming over together, she gave a soft smile and said, "Mother, brother."

"Has Yu'er packed her things?" Lu Wu Niang asked Le Chun, who was standing nearby.

"Reporting to Madam, everything has been arranged and the chests have been sealed. We are just waiting for your instructions," Le Chun said cautiously.

"Mother, are we moving? Aren't we going to live here anymore?" Song Yu asked coquettishly, tugging at Lu Wu Niang's sleeve as she drank the last mouthful of honey water.

"Yes, Yu'er, we're leaving now, going to a new place." Lu Wu Niang pulled Song Yu into her arms and said softly.

Hearing this, Song Yu nodded somewhat bewildered, then reached out and took Song Ce's hand, "Brother, are you going too?"

"Yes, brother will go too."

“Okay! Then... will Father go too?” Song Yu asked, looking up.

"No, Father won't go. From now on, it will only be Mother and your brother at home." Lu Wu Niang gently touched her daughter's cheek and whispered, "Yu'er, are you reluctant to leave Father?"

Upon hearing this, Song Yu obediently shook her head, nestled in her mother's arms, and whispered, "As long as Mother and Brother are here, Yu'er is content."

"Good child." Upon hearing this, Lu Wuniang hugged Song Yu even tighter.

At this moment, the gate of the Song residence was wide open. Some curious neighbors, seeing five or six carriages parked at the intersection, peeked out. Those who were on good terms with each other gathered in twos and threes, whispering among themselves.

After the last box was loaded onto the carriage, Lu Wuniang turned around and looked at the Song family mansion where she had lived for more than ten years. There was no trace of lingering affection in her eyes.

"Mother, let's go." Song Ce said softly, holding Song Yu in his arms.

"good."

Just as Lu Wu Niang was about to board the carriage, Master Song strode out of the mansion, took a step forward with feigned concern, and said with a sorrowful expression, "Madam Lu, now that you and the children are leaving, I don't know when I will be able to see them again?"

"Whenever you have free time in the future, feel free to visit Ce'er and Yu'er. I won't stop you."

"Very well. Considering our many years as husband and wife, I'll give you a piece of advice before I leave," Master Song said with a forced smile.

"Please speak," Lu Wuniang said calmly, looking down at Master Song.

"The world outside is not peaceful these days. You have so many contracts and silver notes on you, you should be very careful." These seemingly concerned words, coupled with his hypocritical smile, made Lu Wu Niang feel nauseous.

"Then you won't need to trouble yourself," Lu Wuniang replied coldly before boarding the carriage.

Standing at the gate of his mansion, Master Song watched the carriages depart, his forced smile gradually fading. Coupled with the gossipy stares of his neighbors, he felt a surge of resentment and stormed into the mansion with a grim expression.

-----------------------

Author's note: Car: Legs~ Come on~

Hooray! Congratulations to Wu Niang on getting rid of that scumbag!

Thank you for your heartwarming encouragement, little angels! I'm kneeling here obediently, sending you love~~