Zhenniang, The Three of Us (18)

Lan Shuyan looked at everything in front of her in disbelief.

She couldn't have imagined what the enormous mansion occupying an entire street, as described in the book, would be like.

Now that she saw the Song residence, she had imagined it.

The further the car drove in, the fewer people there were. The area around the Song residence was entirely owned by the Song family, and unauthorized pedestrians were prohibited from entering, making it very quiet.

The main gate of the Song family mansion still retains very traditional customs. Unless there is a major event, the main gate is not opened. The group stopped at the side gate.

Lan Shuyan, usually a very lively and confident person, involuntarily took a step back in this situation, turning her head in disbelief: "Your house is so big?"

Song San got out of the car.

Having returned from studying abroad, he adopted many Western mannerisms.

She wore shiny black leather shoes, a very fashionable white suit, and her hair was styled with expensive hairspray.

His smile was rather frivolous, but because of his dashing figure, this frivolity only made him more charming.

Hearing his girlfriend ask that, he immediately leaned in and grinned mischievously, "It's my house now, but it'll be yours soon~"

Lan Shuyan despised his glib tongue the most, and spat with a smile before pulling her friend's arm.

"Your home is your home, my home is my home. It belongs to whoever it is, so don't try to get too close!"

Whenever Zhang Ying needed something, Lan Shuyan would go with her, and naturally, Zhang Ying would accompany Lan Shuyan whenever she needed something.

Immediately echo their sentiments: "That's right! That's right!"

Song San couldn't help but smile. What he liked most about Lan Shuyan was her lightness and liveliness, which was completely different from those lifeless and conservative women.

He greeted the butler and led the woman inside. The butler was about to speak when he saw the woman he had brought back.

The three young men moved quickly and had already gone inside.

When Song San entered the house to pay his respects to his father without realizing it, he saw the whole family there, with a young woman dressed in indigo floral fabric and dressed in a traditional style sitting at the end.

The woman was the kind of old-fashioned woman he found most difficult to get along with, but when she turned to look at him, her face was as clear as an ink painting, which made him raise an eyebrow.

Never one to be serious, he couldn't help but tease, "Dad, where did this beautiful lady come from? I've never seen her before."

He felt that once he finished speaking, the woman would bury her head in her chest.

Women in large, secluded mansions are like that, like quails. Although Song San is impatient with them, he enjoys teasing them and watching their overreactions.

He waited to see how the woman would react, but she didn't react at all, nor did she look at him; instead, she looked away.

However, Master Song's fifth concubine coughed violently, as if she wanted to remind him of something.

Song San looked at his mother, but before he could understand what she meant, Master Song's face had already darkened.

"This is your wife!"

Song San: ...

Um?

...

The atmosphere froze for a moment, and Lan Shuyan, Zhang Ying, and Zhao Zhenniang stared at each other blankly.

Their expressions were so shocked, yet no one in the room had time to pay attention to them.

Song San was the first to react, looking at his father in disbelief: "Dad, when did I get a wife?"

Master Song lowered his eyes and said in a flat voice, "Of course there is. I arranged this marriage a long time ago."

Song San then remembered his childhood betrothal.

As a child, he was often teased by his older brothers about this marriage, which led to a natural resistance to it.

When he first saw Zhao Zhenniang, he felt neither good nor bad feelings.

Upon learning that she was his "little wife," Song San was instantly filled with nothing but anger.

He glanced at Zhao Zhenniang with disgust, then turned to his father and pleaded, "Dad, what era are we living in? Why are you still practicing arranged marriages!"

"How can an engagement between two people who have never even met be valid? I don't recognize this marriage!"

Mr. Song slammed his dragon-headed cane down heavily: "What era are we living in? Your father is no longer your father. The marriage is ordained by your parents and the matchmaker. How dare you disobey?"

Song San studied abroad and seriously learned some Western ways of life, which made him very rebellious.

He grabbed Lan Shuyan's hand and went directly to the old man: "Dad, I can listen to anything you say, but not this."

"My son already has a girlfriend, and he will only marry her in this lifetime!"

The crowd erupted in uproar.

None of the three sons of the Song family were married, but Master Song had five concubines.

Among the five concubines, the third and fifth concubines, who gave birth to the second and third sons respectively, held the highest positions.

The fifth concubine was the youngest and had a son, so she was very favored in the mansion, which made the other concubines extremely envious.

Seeing her son arguing with the old man, she immediately covered her face with a handkerchief and watched the spectacle with amusement.

Fifth concubine secretly resented it, but couldn't show it on her face. She spoke up to smooth things over, saying, "Third son, don't be so hasty. Talk to your father properly."

His mother's words still carried weight, and Song San's emotions calmed down a bit. He glared fiercely at Zhao Zhenniang.

Since Zhao Zhenniang entered the mansion, she has been visited by Master Song, Madam Song, and several concubines in turn, so there has been no time to discuss serious matters.

Seeing that it would be too late to speak up now, he quickly stood up and said to the Song father and son, "I..."

However, before she could even speak, the butler rushed in from outside, his face beaming with joy, and said, "Master and Madam, the eldest young master is back too!"

Upon hearing that the eldest young master had returned, everyone stood up involuntarily, even Old Master Song's stern face broke into a smile: "The eldest son is back too! Quick! Quick! Let him in!"

The Song family had three sons, and the eldest was undoubtedly the most successful.

Although the Song family is still under the control of Master Song, it is clear to everyone that the Song family truly relies on the military power held by the eldest son of the Song family.

The concubines dared to challenge the fifth concubine, but they dared not be negligent in front of the first wife and the eldest son. They hurriedly got up to greet them, and even Song San retreated to the side obsequiously.

He even dared to argue with his father, but in front of his older brother, he didn't even dare to raise his voice.

The curtains were pulled back one by one, and Young Master Song, dressed in military uniform, walked into the room, waving to his adjutants.

The adjutant immediately presented a tray with obsequious flattery, tearing off the red cloth covering it to reveal a golden Buddha statue.

"This is a gift that our warlord specially brought back for you, sir and madam. Please accept it with pleasure!"

The butler, working in such a grand mansion, naturally had some sense and immediately went to fetch him.

This catch was quite a shock; his wrist slipped, and he almost stumbled. He exclaimed in astonishment, "So heavy?"

The eldest son of the Song family found a place to sit down and did not speak. His adjutant automatically took over the conversation.

"It's heavy, isn't it? It's solid pure gold!"

“Even the gold is nothing compared to this; it’s an old object that’s been around for a long time.”

"The warlord went through a lot of trouble to get these, so here they are to be presented to you two elders!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the room erupted in gasps of surprise.

Everyone circled around, eager to see the golden Buddha, and Zhao Zhenniang was also fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of it.

After everyone finished admiring it, the butler took it down. Young Master Song glanced at the people in the room and said, "Why are you all gathered here? Did you know I was coming back in advance?"

The topic was brought back to the original question. Old Master Song looked at his promising eldest son, then at his disappointing youngest son, and couldn't help but snort.

Seeing this, Zhao Zhenniang wanted to stand up and say something, but was interrupted again.

Seeing that no one spoke, the butler immediately explained the reason to the young master.

After hearing this, Song Da's cold face remained expressionless: "That's easy, just marry them both."

Song San was taken aback. He had studied abroad and his thinking had been greatly changed. He did not want to continue his old bad habits.

However, with his father and elder brother's orders in place, he, an ordinary student who had just studied abroad, had no way to disobey.

He glared fiercely at Zhao Zhenniang, hoping she would back down, and threatened, "Did you hear that? If you marry me, you can only be my concubine!"

Song Da interrupted him from behind: "What I mean is to make Miss Zhao the head, and your new lover the mistress."

Song San: ...

Lan Shuyan: ...

Zhao Zhenniang: ...

Lan Shuyan is usually a person with a high sense of self-esteem, but she never expected to be picked over like pork while standing here, and she was so angry that she trembled.

Seeing her friend being humiliated like this, Zhang Ying also realized what was happening and glared angrily at Song Da.

"Isn't your Song family going too far? This isn't the world of your emperor's lackeys anymore; this is the world of the Three Principles of the People!"

As the warlord era progressed, the Three Principles of the People essentially failed. However, those who came from the same camp would still nominally respect the guiding principles to some extent.

Theoretically, this statement has some deterrent effect, but how much threat can it pose when it comes from a young girl?

Song Da gave a cold smile: "I didn't expect that Third Brother's little sweetheart is such a knowledgeable and good student."

Zhang Ying: ……

The two women's angry glares had no effect on Song Da. Everyone was silent, thinking that the matter would end there. But Zhao Zhenniang stood up.

"Wait! I have something to say!"

Song Da turned around, but didn't have a special impression of the woman. He only protected her because he respected the rules.

No matter how many women a man has outside, he can only have one wife. How can you break the rules?

Seeing Zhao Zhenniang step forward, Song Da, considering she was his future sister-in-law, behaved very politely: "Please speak."

After being interrupted so many times, Zhao Zhenniang finally had a chance to speak. What she had been wanting to say was—

“Master Song, the reason I’ve come today is actually to annul the engagement.”

Everyone present: ...

What?

...

As soon as she spoke, everyone's first thought was disbelief, especially Song San, who didn't think that the miller's daughter would give up her marriage to the Song family.

People at the bottom of society are the most cunning; seeing such immense wealth, how could they easily let go?

He immediately realized that this was a tactic used by the Zhao family's daughter to feign retreat, but he didn't expect that his father and brothers had already believed it.

Song Da raised his chin: "You don't need to think about anything else. The Song family is not a family that breaks its promises. Once we have made a marriage agreement, we will definitely keep it."

Zhao Zhenniang: ...

But she really did come to break off the engagement!

With the wedding approaching, not only was she anxious, but the villagers were too.

Under Zhao Zhenniang's leadership, the business of Zhao Family Village has been thriving over the years. People have become accustomed to having her in charge, and naturally, they have come to call her the "head of the family."

But now, the head of her own household is going to marry into another family.

Although it's a bit petty to speculate that the Song family has designs on their meager assets, if Zhao Zhenniang becomes a daughter-in-law of the Song family, their assets could indeed be easily incorporated into the Song family.

Can we still maintain the current lifestyle where everyone receives dividends and shares money?

I was very happy to have the Song family as a backer before, but now I'm a little scared when the Song family is mentioned.

Businesses cannot operate without partners, but they also cannot partner with overly powerful individuals, precisely because of this.

If a major power is brought in, it would be too easy for it to silently swallow up smaller powers if it had the will.

Faced with a leaderless crisis, the villagers also faced the biggest choice of their lives.

The three years Zhao Zhenniang spent in Zhao Family Village were the most fulfilling time of her life. Faced with the choice between getting married and continuing to be the head of the household, she didn't even need to choose.

Zhao Zhenniang took out a cloth bag from her bosom; this was what she had been carefully carrying all the way.

Open the cloth bag, and inside are two hundred silver dollars neatly arranged.

Although it's like a toenail compared to Song Da's golden Buddha, it still shows her sincerity.

“My father saved Master Song’s life back then. Master Song gave my daughter one hundred silver dollars for my father’s funeral expenses. He was very kind.”

"Both parties acted righteously and should not have been involved in any other entanglements. Seeking favors for personal gain will only make it difficult for a good relationship to develop."

"And now the world has changed, and the children of the new century should have free will."

"I have specially set aside two hundred silver dollars to repay Master Song for his kindness in giving me the money. I hope that the engagement between my daughter and your son can be called off."