Seeing the old man's serious expression, everyone composed themselves and became serious as well.

"Does Father still remember where he put the calligraphy and paintings?"

"I told you I put it in the study! I'm not so old that I don't remember things!" Old Master Song banged his cane loudly, a nameless anger rising in his heart. He felt that the people present were not his descendants, but his debt collectors!

He's already made himself so clear, yet they still think he forgot where he put it—that's infuriating!

"Did Father search every corner of the study?"

"We've searched everywhere! We only called you all over because we couldn't find it!" Old Master Song was so angry his beard almost stood on end. These wretched children, they're all wretched children!

"We're preparing for my second brother's wedding, and everything's a mess. The servants who were cleaning the house probably just wandered off somewhere!" Luo Fu tried to smooth things over. As she spoke, she glanced at Lin Shi. Lin Shi kept her head down, as if she wanted the whole world to see her guilty conscience, which only fueled Luo Fu's anger.

I'm such a shameful mother-in-law!

"Impossible!" Old Master Song said firmly. "Those who serve me know my rules; they wouldn't just walk into my study and take my things. It must be one of you who took my calligraphy and paintings, intending to sell them for money!"

Although Old Master Song was old, his eyes were still as sharp as an eagle's. He scanned everyone present and finally his gaze fell on Lin, who kept bowing her head in an attempt to make herself less noticeable.

"Chengzhang's wife, tell me, do you know something?"

The old man's voice was like a thunderclap splitting the darkness, startling Lin Shi. She looked up in horror and met Old Master Song's gaze, then hurriedly looked at her daughter-in-law, Luo Fu.

She waved her hands repeatedly, "I don't know! I don't know, Father-in-law!"

"It was you! After you came to talk to me that day, I don't think I've seen that painting again!" With that, he pointed his cane at Luo Fu. "Tell me! What happened! Did you have your mother-in-law send me away and go into the study to steal the painting!"

Luo Fu cursed inwardly, thinking that her mother-in-law was utterly useless.

She didn't argue, but knelt on the ground and kept wiping away her tears with a handkerchief, saying, "It's my fault! But I did it all for my second brother and for our family!"

Song Hanzhi immediately denied it, saying, "What does my sister-in-law's theft have to do with me? I never instigated her to do such a thing!"

“You’ve never made me do this, but isn’t your marriage forcing me to do it? The family only provides five hundred taels, and two hundred of those taels will be spent just on wedding dresses for you and the bride! We also need to buy red silk and red lanterns, and prepare a banquet! Every single thing costs money!”

"Why does a wedding dress have to be so expensive?"

For ordinary families, a few taels of silver would be enough to buy a bolt of red cloth for a wedding, which they would then cut themselves at home. For families like theirs, spending twenty taels on a decent wedding dress was acceptable. Two hundred taels for two wedding gowns was simply too extravagant!

"The bride specifically requested that her wedding dress be made by a weaving shop in the capital!"

Zhiji was a renowned clothing shop in the capital, not only for the superb embroidery skills of its embroiderers but also for its annual collection of new dresses, setting trends among the noble ladies of the capital. Zhiji also held an annual embroidery competition to select the most outstanding embroiderers from among the common people. The winner not only received a generous prize but also gained widespread fame.

Therefore, among noble ladies in the capital, wearing clothes made by Zhiji seemed to have become a symbol of their status and position.

"The Lu family's daughter said that she only has one wedding in her life and wants to wear Zhiji's wedding dress on her wedding day," Luo Fu said, feeling wronged.

"Just buy it for her because she wants it! Don't you even know what kind of family we are in!"

“That Miss Lu is the niece of Consort Xian, who now holds immense power in the palace. Even our Consort Zhen has to rely on her for a living. How can I refuse her request!” Luo Fu kept wiping away her tears. “Our main branch of the family doesn’t have much money left. It looks like the wedding can’t go on. My mother and I are truly at our wits’ end!”

"That's no excuse for your theft!" Old Master Song roared. "Where is that painting now?"

Luo Fu bit her lower lip, afraid that they would find out that she had sold the calligraphy and painting for eight hundred taels and then pocketed three hundred taels.

"My granddaughter-in-law sold it to an art shop, using them as intermediaries to resell the painting."

Old Master Song was furious. He pointed his cane at his eldest son and said, "Go to the calligraphy and painting shop now and redeem the calligraphy and paintings! If you can't get them back, our whole family will be ruined!"

Song Chengzhang didn't understand why his father was so serious, but he still left quickly.

As soon as he left, Old Master Song took a few deep breaths and said, "Qingyuan, write the divorce papers. There will be no thieves in our family!"

Luo Fu's pupils contracted; only now did she truly feel fear.

"Grandfather, your granddaughter-in-law knows she was wrong! Please forgive me this time!"

Although Song Qingyuan didn't like Luo Fu, she was beautiful and came from a decent family. If he divorced her again, he feared he wouldn't be able to find another wife of similar qualities. Therefore, he was very hesitant.

"Grandfather, why did it have to come to this?" He looked at his wife's face. To be fair, Luo Fu's face was pitiful. Although the two had a rather unpleasant argument on their wedding day, they got along quite well after they slept together.

"Song Qingyuan!" Old Master Song was so angry he almost choked. His grandson was not obeying him at all! He couldn't accept it! "She's stealing! She's committed one of the seven grounds for divorce!"

"It's just a painting or calligraphy, why would Grandfather make you go to such lengths?" Song Qingyuan still couldn't understand his grandfather's behavior.

He's in this state now, why can't his grandfather consider his situation? If he divorces his wife, how can he remarry someone from a good family?

He doesn't want to marry a merchant's daughter, lest he tarnish his family's reputation!

"You! Are you trying to anger me to death?!" Old Master Song couldn't directly say that he had written poems reminiscing about the previous dynasty on the calligraphy and paintings, as that would damage his image in front of his descendants.

He can only hope that the painting has not yet been bought and is still in the art market!

However, Song Chengzhang returned empty-handed, bringing bad news: "The painting was sold as soon as it arrived at the art shop. The seller was anonymous, and the people at the art shop don't know who bought it."

Old Master Song aged instantly, like an ancient tree whose life force had been drained.

He stood up, his body hunched over, and looked at the sky outside.

He had spent his entire life striving, hoping the Song family would one day rise to prominence again. He never imagined the Song family would fall into ruin because of him!

He... he's really getting senile!