94 Yunzhou's richest man

◎He had met Xie Wuyang in Shengjing◎

Seeing Song Zhangye's ugly face, Shen Lingyu smiled happily, "You must be curious why I hate you." She spoke in a light tone, as if she was telling another happy story.

"Aye, we have known each other since childhood and grew up together. We are childhood sweethearts that others envy. When I came of age, you promised that you would marry me and become the mistress of the Song Mansion.

"But what's the result?" She looked at Song Zhangye sarcastically.

"You married another woman—it wasn't a big deal, I could just find someone else to marry." She blinked her eyelashes, "But then I found out I was pregnant, and I was scared. After I told you, what did you do?

"You told me that you had no feelings for Yunzhi and asked me to wait. After a while, you would divorce me and marry me.

"I waited and waited at home, until I was almost four months pregnant, and my parents could no longer hide my pregnancy..." Her voice sounded as if there was a piece of coptis in it, so bitter that it was hard to ignore.

She shifted her gaze to Song Jinyi again, changed her tone, suppressed the sobs in her throat, and asked her, "Do you know? I have a child. If he is born, he will be older than you. You should call him brother."

Song Zhangye thought of the past, his heart softened, and he walked forward, but was stopped by Shen Lingyu, "My mother cried every day for this, and my father regarded me as a disgrace to the family. I suddenly went from being the most beloved child in the family to the child who brought them the most shame.

"But what did I do wrong?

“I just fell in love with someone.

"Later, my father was looking for a marriage for me, and you appeared again. You said you loved me and wanted to marry me. I happily agreed and threatened my father to let me marry you."

Shen Lingyu's eyes were red, as if she was angry and sad. She shouted without regard for her dignity: "You lied to me! You lied to me and made me your concubine!

"You said Yunzhi was in poor health and that you would take me into the mansion to be the mistress after she died. I believed you. I waited year after year, until the two children were born, until they grew up and called others mother."

When Shen Lingyu thought of this, she felt a fire burning in her heart, making her tremble all over. She said coldly: "I can't wait! I can't wait, and I no longer expect you to do anything for me.

"After I dealt with Yunzhi, I realized that killing people wasn't that difficult. Yunzhi's children don't like me. It doesn't matter. I'll send them down to see Yunzhi."

After Shen Lingyu finished this conversation, it was as if she had cleared out the turbid air that had been hidden in her internal organs for many years, and the whole person became very relaxed. She looked at Song Zhangye, the man she had loved for more than twenty years.

In a trance, the white hair on her temples faded away, and the wrinkles on her head disappeared. It was as if she had returned to her childhood. She smiled, but two lines of tears fell. "Now I have lost, but I don't regret it. I don't regret any decision I made. The only thing I regret is loving you, because you don't deserve it!"

After she finished speaking, she thrust the pearl hairpin in her hand fiercely into her heart. A sharp pain came over her, making her unable to breathe. Her body gradually became weak, and she slowly fell to the ground, her eyes slowly closing.

There was a "thump" sound in her ear, which gave her a headache, and she turned her face slightly.

Song Zhangye had been seriously ill and could not bear any stimulation. Now seeing Shen Lingyu committing suicide, he was heartbroken. When he raised his foot to walk, he felt a pain in his chest, his knees went weak, and he fell forward and fell next to Shen Lingyu.

Shen Lingyu watched him coldly as he stretched out his hand to hold her, reluctantly lifted his arm and turned his head. She didn't even want to see him for the last time.

At the feast of the little ones, they talked and laughed, made solemn promises, and did not think of the consequences. If they did not think of the consequences, what would become of it? [1]

******

Time flies. Song Jinyi gathers the collar of her pine-colored, butterfly-patterned jacket, trimmed with a layer of terry, as white as snow. She gazes at the snowflakes drifting outside the warm room and sighs: "It's gone from late summer to midwinter in a flash. Time flies!"

The housekeeper came in and announced that Mr. Xu from the east wanted to visit him.

Song Jinyi responded and asked him to bring the person in.

Song Zhangye was deeply hurt by the incident of Shen Lingyu. Song Jinyi didn't know which one made Song Zhangye sadder, her death or the last murderous words.

Since that day, Song Zhangye fell ill and could not survive the cold winter. He passed away half a month ago. Song Jinyi arranged a funeral for him according to the rules and buried him in the Song family's ancestral tomb, but he was not buried in the same class as Yunzhi.

As for Shen Lingyu, Song Jinyi found a quiet place outside the city to bury her.

Song Jinyi thought compassionately, "After these three men leave, the two women who were betrayed will not want to see their unfaithful lovers. This way, they can have some peace and quiet."

After the funeral, she naturally took over the Song family's business.

Song Jinyi had promised the original owner to help her take care of her younger brother, and also promised the dying Song Zhangye that she would protect the Song family's property and return it to Song Yunting when he grew up and was able to take on the responsibility.

She is a contented person and does not covet things that do not belong to her. Tea is her home.

Song Jinyi hired a teacher to give lessons to Song Yunting at home, and often brought him along when she discussed business, fulfilling her responsibilities as an eldest sister conscientiously.

It was New Year’s Eve.

As dusk fell, a chill suddenly arrived. Beneath the vermilion roofs and green tiles, a swirl of pine fire surrounded the stove. Outside, one could hear the sound of firecrackers, which shook the neighbors and made the house quite lively.

Song Jinyi and Song Yunting sat opposite each other at a round table. Since Chen Lingyu passed away, no one in the Song family dared to treat her and her brother harshly. They took good care of their food and clothing every day, let alone New Year's Eve.

Sour bamboo shoots and chicken skin soup, five-flavor apricot and yogurt lamb, wine-braised clams...

Eight dishes and one soup for two people, whether for the Song Jinyi of the past or the Song Jinyi of the present, it can be said to be a luxury.

But Song Jinyi lost interest after just two sips. She stared at the clusters of colorful fireworks and suddenly remembered the previous New Year's Eve—the same one they had spent at Tea House.

At that time, there were only a few simple dishes, but she was very happy. Now, looking at the delicious fish and meat and the deserted mansion, she feels lonely instead.

After the two of them had dinner, Song Jinyi gave a few instructions and asked Song Yunting to go back to his room to rest. She then asked the housekeeper for a sheep-horn lantern and went out.

She walked through the streets and alleys, alone amid the sound of firecrackers. The pale yellow moonlight cast a hazy shadow to keep her company. She just wanted to come out for some fresh air and had not thought about where to go, but in the end she unknowingly came to Luojin Bridge.

Next to Luojin Bridge is Xiluohua Street. Although the shops have closed early, the bright colored lights are like a golden dragon hovering above the eaves. Children in groups of three or two are setting off firecrackers, and many people are setting off fireworks together by the lake.

She leaned on the bridge railing, watching the fireworks quietly. When the fireworks stopped, she looked at the moon. After a long time, she felt that the moon was like a teardrop on paper.

The bone-chilling wind froze her hands, turning them a frightening red. She lowered her head and looked carefully, feeling a little dazed, and her eyes turned red belatedly.

She thought sadly: "There will no longer be anyone to watch the fireworks with her late at night, and no one to warm her hands because she has cold hands."

She suddenly wanted to thank Wuyang very much——

******

The following spring, Xu Ruolan came back after a long absence.

When Song Jinyi heard the news, she immediately rushed back to Chayuan. A woman in the hall was sitting with her back to her. She was wearing a light blue dress. She recognized it as Xu Ruolan's back at a glance.

She walked over slowly, as if she was dreaming, and called softly, "Sister Ruolan?"

The woman turned her head to look at her with a gentle smile on her face, just like in her memories, peaceful and gentle, with a familiarity in her eyes, as if she had never left.

Song Jinyi quickly stepped forward and hugged the person. She said excitedly, "You are finally back." She put her arms around the person's waist and felt that she had obviously lost weight. Her eyes fell on her wrist and the sleeve was much wider.

"Sister Ruolan, you've lost a lot of weight."

Xu Ruolan smiled faintly and pulled Song Jinyi to sit down. "My family situation is complicated and difficult to deal with. I've been worried and anxious for several days."

"So...how is your father?"

When Xu Ruolan heard the word "father", a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes. She lowered her eyes and said calmly, "He won't come to Chayuan to cause trouble again. I have completely severed the father-daughter relationship with him."

!

Song Jinyi was shocked when she heard this. Under ancient laws, it was a fantasy for a son to break off relations with his father. She didn't know how Xu Ruolan did it. She saw that Xu Ruolan didn't want to talk about it, so she didn't mention it any more.

She thought to herself: As long as the person comes back, it will be fine.

Xu Ruolan changed the subject and asked Zui Liuxia, "When I came back, I saw such a bustling building, but now it's deserted. I even heard others say it's related to you, Ah Jin?"

This is a long story.

The day she went to ask for evidence, Zhou Changchun didn't want her to say much, but she had enough bargaining chips in her hand - Yunshang Tea House, which forced him to be led by a little girl.

Song Jinyi offered a condition: Yunshang Tea House could supply Zui Liuxia with goods at a preferential price in exchange for evidence. The additional condition was that Zui Liuxia must leave Yunzhou.

Cheng Xia and Zui Liuxia had always been at odds. Although she had promised her the right to buy and sell the goods, that wasn't guaranteed if the buyer was Zui Liuxia. To get Zhou Changchun to agree, she offered him another benefit—the unconditional release of the tea recipe.

Zhou Changchun thought for a long time that day, and said to her with a smile: "Mr. Song has made thorough considerations, how can I not respond? Zui Liu Xia is a time-honored brand in Yunzhou City, but as the old saying goes, people move and live, trees move and die. In time, Miss Song's tea will become the second "Zui Liu Xia".

"This Yunzhou City is so small and too crowded. It's time to go out and take a look."

Xu Ruolan listened to her detailed account of the Song family's affairs. Seeing that her family had suffered such a tragedy and that no one close to her was around, she suddenly felt guilty and sad. "If only I had been by your side at that time."

"Sister Ruolan was already busy taking care of herself at that time, and besides... those things are in the past." Song Jinyi pursed her lips, trying hard to suppress the sadness in her heart.

Now Li He is recuperating on Yaowang Island, Song Yunting no longer has to pretend to be crazy, Shen Lingyu and Song Zhangye have returned to dust, everything is over, but her heart has never let go of anyone.

At the end of this year, the pomegranate tree that had grown in the yard for five or six years finally bore fruit.

Zhang Jinfei picked a few large pomegranates, cut them up, and handed them to Xu Ruolan and Song Jinyi respectively. "The pomegranates in this yard actually bear fruit. I thought they only bloomed."

Song Jinyi lowered her eyes and looked at the red pomegranate in her hand. Suddenly, something came into her mind. She looked up in the direction of the pomegranate tree - the scene of Xie Wuyang and her discussing whether they could eat pomegranates next year appeared before her eyes.

In the third year, Song Yunting was sixteen years old. Although he was not yet an adult, he was talented and willing to work hard, and was able to independently manage the Song family's brocade business.

After an inspection, Song Jinyi had the account book handed over to him and told him that from now on he would be the sole owner of the Song family brocade shop.

Song Yunting said: "What are you doing? You are my elder sister, why should we differentiate between us? What's mine is yours. You saved my life, avenged my mother, and care about me.

"I'm not an ungrateful person. I'm not going to compete with my sister for these things."

Seeing that he was determined, Song Jinyi had no choice but to do as he wished.

In this way, everyone knew that Song Yunting became the new boss in name, but the one who really held the real power was Song Jinyi.

A few days later, a piece of news suddenly appeared in the Yunzhou tabloid: "Quick Look! A remarkable ancient woman dominates the Yunzhou business world and becomes the first female billionaire in Yunzhou!"

Song Jinyi held her forehead and sneered, crumpling the tabloid into a ball. It seemed that she had to go to the He family!

At the end of summer that year, Peng Ziyue, who went to Shengjing to buy and sell medicinal herbs, brought a piece of news to Song Jinyi - he had met Xie Wuyang in Shengjing!

【Author’s words】

【1】-《Rogue》

Xu Ruolan's story will be included in the extra chapters.

——End of Volume 2——