Chapter Thirty-One: Taking a Gamble for My Brother

She was dressed simply, yet exuded an imposing aura.

His gaze swept over the group of noble ladies, finally settling on Song Sangyu and the dirty purse on the ground.

“Sister Sangyu,”

Song Yiqiu spoke calmly.

"Sisters exchanging gifts is a beautiful thing. Even if you don't like it, you can politely decline. Is this how your mother taught you to treat guests, trampling someone's sincerity into the mud? Is this how you were raised as a daughter of the Song family?"

"Ladies, you certainly have excellent taste; you can tell the difference between good and bad embroidery at a glance. However, I think that although the stitches on the hibiscus flowers on this purse are immature, they are made with pure intention, and every stitch is sincere."

"It is much more valuable than some flashy but empty comments that just parrot others."

Her gaze swept over the ladies who were laughing the loudest, her expression suggestive.

The noble ladies turned pale under her gaze and awkwardly shut their mouths.

Before they left home, they were reminded by their families not to get into a conflict with the future Marquis of Yongjia, who would inherit the title.

Then, turning to Song Sangyu:

“Sister Sangyu, Sister Ruoling is young and innocent. We are giving you this purse out of sisterly affection. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to accept it.”

"Such trampling not only disgraces her, but also the Song family, and even more so, it reflects poorly on your upbringing, Miss Song! Is this how your mother has always taught you?"

She bent down, personally picked up the purse from the mud, carefully wiped away the stains with a clean handkerchief, and then handed it back to Song Ruoling, whose eyes were red-rimmed, her voice much gentler:

“Ruoling, this hibiscus flower embroidery is very spirited, and the color scheme is bold and unique. I like it very much. Don’t care about other people’s opinions, just keep your true self.”

As she bent down to pick up and return the purse, her sleeve almost imperceptibly brushed against the hem of He Jianren's skirt, who was standing beside Song Sangyu watching the show, and some fine white powder quietly settled on it.

Song Ruoling took the purse, looked at Song Yiqiu, her eyes filled with confusion.

Seeing that Song Yiqiu's attitude was firm and that she was in the right, the noble ladies dared not say anything more and reluctantly pulled Song Sangyu, whose face was pale, away.

After they left, Song Sanchun showed no gratitude. Instead, she pulled her sister behind her and coldly stared at Song Yiqiu.

"Young Miss, you've got some clever tricks up your sleeve. One of you plays the good cop, the other the bad cop, humiliating us while preserving your reputation for kindness and generosity. You've really got a good plan!"

Bai Mei was so angry that she immediately retorted:

"You! Miss Sanchun, do you have any sense of reason?! Last time, our young lady was almost beaten to death by family discipline, and today she kindly came to your rescue, and you..."

Song Yiqiu raised her hand to stop Bai Mei, looked calmly at Song Sanchun, and said only one sentence:

"Time will tell."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Song Ruoling lowered her head in grievance:

"Sister, have I gotten into trouble?"

Song Sanchun pinched her cheek:

"No, Ruoling is the best girl."

"Why...why..."

Song Sanchun took the purse from her, but the image of Song Yiqiu arguing with her flashed before his eyes.

Song Yiqiu... what exactly are you planning?

...

Even after walking a distance, Bai Mei was still furious:

"Miss! Why are you helping them? That Song Sanchun clearly..."

Song Yiqiu gazed into the distance and said in a low voice:

"I'm not helping them, I'm helping Aunt Yun."

She paused, as if she wanted to explain something, but was interrupted by a sudden commotion coming from behind the wall.

The eldest brother, Song Tianhan, came running over in a panic, grabbed Song Yiqiu's sleeve, and whispered:

“Yiqiu! My dear sister! What’s the situation with that chicken… that ‘Invincible General’? My friends can’t wait any longer, they insist on seeing it right now.”

"He even said that if I didn't let it out for a spin soon, it would mean I was just bragging and that the chicken was completely useless. Where would I put my face then!"

Song Yiqiu smiled reassuringly:

"Brother, don't worry, I was just about to come looking for you. Please come with me."

Before leaving, she glanced at He Jianren out of the corner of her eye, her gaze deep and unfathomable.

Song Tianhan had been anxiously waiting for someone to move the chicken coop covered with red cloth to the open space behind the house.

Several well-dressed spoiled young men were gathered there, discussing amongst themselves.

"Ha! Look at this cage! Look at its imposing presence! Even through the cloth, you can tell that what's inside is no ordinary item!"

"You're making it sound so impressive, but it's locked up so securely. Are you just bluffing? Brother Tianhan, can you at least show us what you're really like?"

"Exactly! Did you borrow this to make it look good? If you can't use it, just say so. We're not sore losers, why are you trying to be tough?"

...

Song Tianhan blushed deeply, nervously tugging at Song Yiqiu's sleeve, and whispered:

"Little sister... this... will this really work?"

Song Yiqiu stepped forward calmly, her gaze sweeping over the crowd:

"Since you gentlemen are so interested, how about we add a prize?"

Everyone looked at her.

Song Yiqiu smiled slightly:

"Let's bet on the fighting cocks that you gentlemen have brought. If my elder brother's 'Western Region War God' loses, all the fighting cocks that are defeated by it will belong to my elder brother."

The playboys were immediately intrigued; this bet was interesting!

Song Yiqiu changed the subject:

"But if, unfortunately, my older brother's chicken loses..."

She paused, then continued, "Everyone present today will receive a Western Region fighting rooster of equal quality! I, Song Yiqiu, keep my word!"

This is essentially a sure-fire way to make money.

If you win, you'll get all of Song Tianhan's spoils; if you lose, you'll still get a top-quality fighting rooster for free.

These spoiled brats, with their gambler's mentality, immediately had their eyes light up, exchanged glances, and readily agreed:

"Okay! It's a deal!"

Song Tianhan's palms were sweating with nervousness.

Song Yiqiu calmly took out the key, and amidst the expectant gazes of everyone, unlocked the brass lock and lifted the red cloth.

The rooster in the cage was instantly exposed to the sunlight, its feathers gleaming and its body exceptionally robust.

It held its head high, undaunted by the gaze of the crowd, and let out a high-pitched and loud cry.

"Good chicken!"

Some people couldn't help but cheer.

The betting begins.

The other playboys also brought along carefully raised fighting cocks, which were fierce and aggressive.

However, Song Yiqiu, a war god from the Western Regions who had been specially trained by Zhang Heze, was utterly no match for him.

It uses both its claws and beak, moves quickly and fiercely, and possesses unparalleled power.

Some were pinned to the ground by a single claw, some were pecked until they bled profusely, and some were worn down until they fainted...

In a short while, all the other fighting cocks on the field were defeated, either dead or injured, and a chorus of mournful cries filled the air.

From initial nervousness to shock, Song Tianhan eventually became arrogant and smug, laughing heartily with his hands on his hips.

"Hahaha! See that? This is my 'Invincible General'! Unstoppable! Who else? Who else dares to challenge me?"

Meanwhile, those spoiled brats, seeing their carefully trained fighting cocks either dead or crippled, looked ashamed and were filled with regret!