Chapter 324 Extra Chapter: Commoner Song Kaishan (Part 6)

When Song Yaoqing returned to the manor on the outskirts of the capital, she was exhausted but did not see her parents.

He hasn't come back even once in the past six years.

Even correspondence was rare. The only time he felt connected to his family was when the army was registering everyone's place of origin, saying that family members could be exempted from land taxes...

Song Yaoqing then remembered that her parents were now commoners, no longer the noble families they once were.

...

"General Song, this is what your mother and father left behind before they passed away."

Your mother came to say that her mother from her maternal family is seriously ill, and she and your father went back to visit her. They will probably stay to care for her until her death before returning.

She was afraid you wouldn't find them when you came back, so she left you this letter. The village headman made a point of mentioning this when he gave the letter to Song Yaoqing.

After expressing her gratitude repeatedly, Song Yaoqing took the letter and left.

Back in her home, now overgrown with weeds, Song Yaoqing's heart was in her throat.

His maternal grandparents' family... there's hardly anyone left there!

My maternal grandmother passed away before the Song family even had any trouble. My mother had no other family to rely on when she was seriously ill!

Song Yaoqing opened the letter with trembling hands.

Song Yaoqing's eyes welled up with tears when she saw the first sentence of the letter.

"My dear Yaoqing, upon receiving this letter... your mother is no longer in this world..."

Song Yaoqing read the letter with trembling hands.

After reading the letter, he held his head and tried his best to suppress his tears.

In the letter, his mother told him that his father had left, that he deserved what he had done, and that Song Yaoqing should not look for him.

She also found a place to end her own life.

She has enjoyed all the good things in her life, she has been to the palace, and she has experienced all the honor and privilege one could have.

But she didn't live a comfortable life. She lived in constant fear, followed the wrong person, and did many bad things. She was not a good mother.

Song Yaoqing was implicated precisely because of parents like them.

Ding also said that Song Zhiqing was already able to support herself in Jiangnan, so there was no need to worry. Song Yaoqing just needed to take care of herself and didn't need to worry about them...

Song Yaoqing cried silently for a long time.

...

Six years ago, the things that King Wu had done came to light. Song Yaoqing, who was in Weiyuan Army, then learned that his third uncle, whom he had always followed, had been killed by King Wu and the former Marquis of Wu'an.

The entire family died at the hands of Cai Boju and the King of Wu.

His father, Song Kaishan, also knew about these things.

Song Yaoqing couldn't believe what she knew.

My third uncle... was killed by Cai Boju and the King of Wu. His father knew all this but didn't report it and instead enjoyed all the privileges his third uncle provided...

Song Yaoqing felt that everything around her had changed.

He was brought to the Weiyuan Army by his third uncle, who was in charge of supplies in the Weiyuan Army. Song Yaoqing followed him and learned a lot.

In Song Yaoqing's eyes, her third uncle was loyal, honest, and hated evil. Although he had some complaints about Song Kaishan, he treated Song Yaoqing very well.

And then there's my feisty and capable third aunt, my two lovely and pretty cousins, and my little cousin who always chases after me...

Song Yaoqing's energy and spirit vanished instantly.

He had received letters from Song Kaishan over the past six years, but he never replied to them. He hated Song Kaishan for being heartless and ungrateful.

He didn't know how to face those parents.

Song Kaishan's mother must have known about the things he did.

Later, he received a letter from Ding, who told him that they had moved to a manor in the suburbs of Beijing and that Song Yaoqing could go there to find them if he went back.

Later, Ms. Ding kept writing to him, telling him about their situation.

His father finally agreed to take up a hoe and work in the fields. Although he was bad at farm work, the people in the village were willing to teach him. However, his father had a bad temper and would often argue with people, and Ding could only follow behind and apologize to them.

In the letter, Ding also told Song Yaoqing that she had secretly bought Song Zhiqing back, but her father wanted to sell Song Zhiqing to a wealthy family as a concubine. She secretly let Song Zhiqing go and gave all the money she had secretly saved to Song Zhiqing.

Ding instructed Song Yaoqing to go to Jiangnan to look for Song Zhiqing if possible in the future.

"I heard she opened a shop outside Suzhou. Find her quietly and see how she's doing. If possible, help her out..."

Just watch from a distance, don't let your father know!

...

Song Yaoqing sat blankly in the courtyard for a while. He knew that his father was dead, and that his mother had killed him.

His mother did this for the sake of him and his sister.

Also, his mother must be gone too. She left the village partly to prevent news of Song Kaishan's death from spreading, and partly to find herself a quiet place...

Song Yaoqing stared blankly at everything in the courtyard.

His expression changed noticeably when he saw the patch of grass growing so well in the yard.

The weeds here are growing too thickly, below...

Song Yaoqing instinctively wanted to find a hoe to dig under the ground, but he stopped after finding the rusty hoe.

He knew that Song Kaishan was buried below.

If he digs out what's underneath, a lot of things will come to light.

His mother will definitely be considered a murderer, regardless of whether she is alive or not, she will be the villain in other people's eyes!

Song Kaishan is lying here... He deserves it!

Song Yaoqing immediately put down the hoe and turned to walk into the house.

The main hall was covered in dust. Ding had given away all the usable items in the house to the neighbors, leaving only some large pieces of furniture that were too heavy to move.

Song Yaoqing turned around and walked back to the room where the miscellaneous items were stored.

A large wooden barrel... and the ground next to the barrel was already covered with black mud.

Song Yaoqing learned that Song Kaishan must have lost his life here.

Looking into the courtyard again... Song Yaoqing seemed to see Ding Shi carefully digging a pit in the courtyard and burying Song Kaishan in it.

Song Yaoqing walked around the courtyard one more time and then left.

Before leaving, he told the village head that the Song family's land rent should be used by the people on the estate for farming, and the rent... should all be donated to the charity hall not far from here!

He will return to farming when he comes back from the Weiyuan Army.

After saying this, Song Yaoqing went into the city.

He was going to see his half-sister, Song Zhimian...

It's been many years since we last met. Now that she's the Regent's wife, is she still the same as before?

...

Song Zhimian was stunned for a long time after receiving Song Yaoqing's letter requesting to see her.

Song Yaoqing...

Oh, Song Kaishan's only son, born to Ding, and his relationship with her... was neither close nor distant.

Because he had been serving in the Weiyuan Army with Song Kaiyuan, he had some affection for his younger sister. At least every time he sent something to the capital, he would bring a portion for her.

"What's wrong? If you don't want to see her, then don't! She's not an important person!" Xiao Huaijin, who had somehow gotten close, affectionately nuzzled Song Zhimin's temple.

Song Zhimian blushed slightly, then turned and leaned against Xiao Huaijin's chest.

"Let's meet him! I want to hear what he has to say!"