Chapter 47 Leaving Home

When Zhang heard this, she covered her face and started crying. Song Yutang took her away, apologized to the old lady, and left.

Song Qiao's face turned red: "Nonsense, get out of here!"

"I won't leave. I am the legal wife of your Song family, who was brought into the family in a sedan chair. Why should I leave? If you want to favor your concubine and kill your wife, we can meet in the government office!"

"Second sister-in-law... calm down. If you have anything to say, talk to me nicely. Second brother is not that kind of person."

"You don't have to pretend to be a good person here! Don't think I don't know the little tricks in your mind! You want to use the division of the family to calculate the money of the eldest wife. Aren't you afraid that the eldest brother and his wife will come to you at night!"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Song Bai was so angry that his face turned red and his neck became thick. When had he ever plotted against Song Yumin? His kindness was really taken for granted!

Old Madam Song raised her head when she heard the voice and said, "Divide the family? Divide what family?"

Song Qiao: "Mom, don't listen to her nonsense, Chunhong, take your grandma back!"

Chunhong didn't dare to step forward, she whispered, "Madam, let's go back."

Song Qiao grabbed her arm and said, "If you want to argue, go back and do it. Don't embarrass yourself here."

"Shameful? Is there anything more shameful than a father-in-law sleeping with the concubine given by his daughter-in-law? If you're not ashamed, why should I be afraid?" Anyway, they have already fallen out today, so he might as well take the opportunity to make a scene.

"Old lady, you don't know yet, right? Your grandson is rebelling. Hahahaha!" Qin thought this was ridiculous and made herself laugh when she said it out loud.

Old Mrs. Song was stunned: "Who is plotting a rebellion?"

"Song Yuzhu! I heard that Xuzhou City is now under his jurisdiction."

Song Bai and Song Qiao looked unhappy. They had wanted to bring up this matter after the New Year, but they didn't expect that Qin suddenly went crazy today for some reason. It seemed that they couldn't split up this family even if they didn't want to.

"Is this true?" Old Mrs. Song asked her third son.

Song Bai nodded: "Yes."

"This... this is a serious crime punishable by the execution of nine generations of the clan! Yuzhu, were you joking with your father?" She also didn't believe that this little grandson could do such a big thing.

Song Yuzhu said calmly, "I didn't want to alarm my grandmother, but since my second aunt has spoken out, I won't hide it."

"I have indeed raised an army to rebel. If you are afraid, you can come with me to Xuzhou. I will send people to protect you." Although Jiangcheng County is also under the jurisdiction of Xuzhou, it is far away after all, and there will always be times when you cannot take care of it.

Qin crossed her arms and said, "I won't leave! Why should I leave? It's not my son who is plotting a rebellion."

Old Mrs. Song looked at Song Yuzhu, opened her mouth, and thought of her eldest son and daughter-in-law who had died tragically, but she couldn't say anything about his treasonous words.

After a while, she waved her hand and said, "Go back, I'm old and can't take care of so many things. If you want to divide the family, just discuss it among yourselves." After saying that, she looked tired and asked the maid in the room to send the guests away.

Song Bai shouted worriedly: "Mom..."

Qin said, "You can divide the family, but you can't let the third room take all the money that uncle left for Song Yumin!"

Song Yuzhu glanced at her second uncle and second aunt. It turned out that they were waiting here for today's incident.

Old Mrs. Song asked the maid to open the box and take out the money box that Song Lin had brought back. She did not touch a penny of the silver and money inside and returned it all to Song Yumin.

"Now that Yumin has recovered from his illness and is no longer a child who cannot distinguish right from wrong, let him manage the money himself and follow whoever he wants."

After leaving the old lady's yard, Song Bai supported his wife and looked at his second brother and sister-in-law with an uneasy look.

Song Qiao was too embarrassed to see his brother, so he said coldly, "Okay, now I've got what you wanted!"

"What do you mean by 'just as I wish'..." Qin wanted to argue, but Song Yufeng held her hand and said, "Mother, let's go back!" If they continued to argue, she was afraid that her father would really get angry.

Qin also knew when to quit, and after achieving her goal, she left with her sleeves swung.

Song Yuzhu supported Jiang Rong and said, "Mom, let's go back too." Song Yumin followed them like a little tail, holding the money box.

Only the brothers Song Qiao and Song Bai were left in the yard.

Song Bai asked coldly: "Second brother, are you going to your place or mine?"

"It's close to your study, let's go there..."

The two came to Song Bai's study. Song Bai asked the servant to grind ink and began to write the deed of separation of the property.

When a large family divides up, they have to open an ancestral hall and invite the elders. Although the Song family has a considerable fortune, the population is rather small, with only two brothers left in the direct branch.

The old man was gone, and the old lady didn't care. Although the remaining relatives were also surnamed Song, after all, there was a layer of separation, so there was no need to alarm them, so the division of the family was also simple. As long as the two brothers agreed, it would be fine.

"The business of the pharmacy has always been managed by my second brother. After the division, he will naturally be the one in charge. I will not interfere."

Song Qiao felt bad. Although he was a calculating person, he and Song Bai were brothers after all. He didn't want to plot against his brother.

"Third brother...why not..."

Song Bai said: "With the situation like this today, I can't separate even if I don't want to."

"Although I was in charge of the clinic's business in the past, I am not very good at business after all. You have also subsidized a lot of money over the years. From now on, you should hand it over to my second brother."

Song Bai was stunned. He didn't expect that Song Bai didn't even want the clinic anymore!

"You, how will you and your wife make a living in the future? And Yuzhu, he is grown up too, it will cost money to marry and have children..."

"Don't worry, second brother. I will open another clinic when we get to Xuzhou. The money I have saved over the years should be enough for us."

"As for Yumin, it depends on his own wishes. If he wants to stay, we won't stop him. What do you think, second brother?"

Song Qiao had nothing to say. The third brother had left the entire Song family to him and almost left him with nothing. It would be too much for him to make any more suggestions.

"Has it really come to this?"

Song Bai wrote the contract and put his fingerprints on it: "Although we have separated, we are still brothers. From now on, I will entrust my mother to you."

Song Qiao sighed heavily, rolled up his sleeves and pressed his handprints.

Although the two are still brothers, their relationship can never go back to the way it was before.

*

Song Bai returned to the backyard with the deed, and Jiang asked hurriedly, "What happened?"

"It's divided. I don't want anything."

Jiang Rong said, "If you don't want it, then don't want it. I still have a lot of dowry, enough for our family to spend."

"Dad and Mom, don't worry. I won't let you have any trouble when we get to Xuzhou." He controlled the Dongzhou Salt Field and had an annual revenue of at least one million taels. How could he let his parents starve?

Song Yumin, who was standing at the back, walked up timidly and said, "Uncle San, Aunt San, take this money and use it." As he spoke, he actually handed the money box to Song Bai.

"I want to go with you..."

Song Bai touched his head with emotion and returned the money box to him: "Good boy, keep the money yourself. Since you are willing to follow your uncle, your uncle will take you with him in a few days."

On New Year’s Eve, it was the first time that the Song family did not celebrate the New Year together.

Four people set off firecrackers and cooked dumplings in the small courtyard. The lively atmosphere was even more cozy than before.

In the past, they had to eat at the old lady's yard during the Chinese New Year. Old Lady Song disliked Song Yuzhu, which made Jiang Rong feel uneasy and unable to eat well.

This year I celebrate the New Year in my own yard and can eat whatever I want. There is no more comfortable day than this.

Only Song Bai looked a little depressed. After all, Song Qiao was his brother and Old Lady Song was his mother. If he chose his small family, he would have to abandon the big family.

Song Yuzhu knew that his father was in trouble, so the two of them drank a glass of wine together for the first time.

This wine is a medicinal wine soaked with old ginseng and wolfberry. It is very strong. Song Yuzhu choked and her face turned red after drinking it in one gulp.

Jiang Rong clapped her hands and laughed: "Zhu'er, your drinking capacity is really inherited from your father."

Song Bai drank and his face turned red like a shrimp.

After three rounds of drinks, Song Bai finally opened his heart, put his arm around his son's shoulders and said, "Yuzhu, Dad knows you are better than me! My son was able to practice medicine at the age of ten. He is a very smart person and will naturally not do stupid things."

"Your father believes in you and supports you. No matter how far you go, I...your mother and I will always be behind you. We will never abandon you and let you go on alone..."

Song Yuzhu smiled until her eyes turned red: "Thank you, Dad, thank you, Mom..."

Jiang Rong said, "Okay, you two are drunk, go and have some rest."

*

In a blink of an eye, it was the third day of the New Year. Song Bai packed all the things he wanted to take away, which filled three boxes in total and could be taken away in a carriage.

Early in the morning, Liu Yanzi and Liang Yidao came with people to pick up Song Yuzhu. The carriage stopped at the door of Song's house, and soon Song Yuzhu came out supporting a pregnant woman.

Soon after, Song Quan directed the servants to come out carrying boxes and crates, followed by maids and servants...

Liu Yanzi was stunned: "Master, why are you bringing so many people?"

"This is my mother, that's my father, and my cousin. I want to take them back to Xuzhou."

Song Quan scratched his head and said shyly: "This... this is my wife and my girl."

Xiaomei stood timidly behind Song Quan. Her little red jacket made her face look rosy, and she looked so pretty.

When Song Quan came back, he told his family that he wanted to marry Xiaomei. At first, Song Dayi disagreed, but later there was a sudden split in the family.

The second son has to follow Song Yuzhu, and he doesn’t know when he will be able to come back, so just let him go.

Song Quan told Xiaomei about this and said he would marry her as his principal wife and was also willing to accept Niuniu.

Xiaomei nodded with a red face, packed her bag and followed Song Quan.

Liu Yanzi patted Song Quan on the shoulder and said, "You are so lucky!"

There were not enough carriages, so Song Qiao quickly asked someone to rush out two more from the mansion.

The two brothers stood at the door and said goodbye to each other.

"Tell mother that I'm leaving..." In the morning, Song Bai went to the old lady's yard to say goodbye, but was refused entry.

Song Qiao nodded with red eyes: "The journey is long and the mountains are high... Take care of yourself. If you have any problems, write a letter to your family. No matter what time it is, this is your home, and I am also your second brother!"

"Oh." Song Bai wiped his tears, turned around and got on the carriage. The convoy slowly drove out of the city.

Normally, a horse-drawn carriage would take three days to reach Xuzhou.

However, there was a seven-month pregnant woman on this trip, so the convoy had to slow down.

Song Yuzhu and her parents were sitting in a horse-drawn carriage. The journey was bumpy, so in order to make Shang Jiangrong more comfortable, the carriage was covered with thick cushions.

The convoy arrived outside the gate of Xuzhou on the morning of the fourth day.

When the soldiers guarding the city saw the token in Liu Yanzi's hand, they immediately opened the city gate and respectfully welcomed them into the city.

Jiang Rong and Song Bai simultaneously lifted a corner of the car curtain and looked outside.

The spacious and clean streets, the vendors hawking their wares, and the dazzling array of shops dazzled the two. This state capital is indeed much more prosperous than the county town!

Song Bai said excitedly: "There should be a pharmacy in our family in Xuzhou City. I remember my second brother has been here before." After saying that, he looked a little lonely. After all, he had already separated from the second branch, and the pharmacy had nothing to do with him.

Jiang Rong held his hand and comforted him: "Let's open a clinic here in the future. Maybe we can run into our second brother again."

The carriage stopped at the entrance of Louwailou, and Song Yuzhu and Song Bai helped Jiang Rong get off the carriage.

"Mom, this is the Louwailou I was talking about."

Xu Bing, Xiang Yu and others hurried out of the restaurant to greet them: "Master, you are finally back!"

Seeing Xu Bing's serious expression, Song Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat: "But what happened?"

Xu Bing said: "News came from the capital that the imperial court has sent a large army to Xuzhou to quell the rebellion!"

(End of this chapter)