Song Zhiyu looked at the stack of land deeds in her hand, a slight smile playing on her lips. Most of them had been obtained from Shen Feng.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, and a servant from the outer courtyard rushed in, "Miss, Madam is here."

Song Zhiyu was not surprised at all. Granny Li had served Shen's mother for many years and was more important to Shen's mother than her own daughter.

Sure enough, Chen's mother, who had never set foot in her courtyard before, came nonetheless.

As soon as Chen's mother stepped into the courtyard, she was stunned by the scene before her.

She looked at the completely transformed Songxiyuan in disbelief, wondering if she had gone to the wrong place.

Today, Songxi Courtyard is no longer the dilapidated and gloomy place it once was. Instead, it resembles a delicate and ancient ink painting. Every brick, tile, plant, and tree in the courtyard is arranged in a pleasing and orderly manner, giving people a sense of tranquility and comfort.

With its red pillars and green tiles, and the fragrance of flowers, the moment Chen Mu stepped into the courtyard, dozens of delicate and elegant scents rushed into her nostrils, bringing a moment of peace to her long-troubled mind.

Walking along the winding path paved with bluestone slabs, Chen's mother immediately spotted Song Zhiyu sitting in the pavilion, leisurely sipping tea, seemingly unsurprised by her arrival.

Song Zhiyu sat upright on the stone bench, holding a book in one hand and gently tapping a teacup with the other. Her brows furrowed slightly at times and relaxed at others, but this did not diminish her beauty in the slightest.

Upon seeing Madam Shen, Song Zhiyu merely lifted her eyelids and glanced at her calmly, saying, "Madam, what brings you to my Songxi Courtyard?"

His calm and collected tone, as if addressing a stranger, made Chen's mother's heart tighten suddenly.

Upon hearing that cold "Madam," Madam Chen's legs went weak, and she almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, Qiu Yue caught her in time, and she managed to regain her balance.

"You won't even call me 'Mother' anymore?" Mother Shen looked hurt, which made her already pale and haggard face look even more sickly.

She momentarily forgot the purpose of her visit to Songxi Courtyard, clearly quite shaken by Song Zhi's words.

Ultimately, Song Zhiyu was her daughter, whom she had carried for ten months and gave birth to. They were connected by blood. No matter how much she disliked Song Zhiyu's despicable character, she did not want to be treated so coldly.

Song Zhiyu was puzzled, wondering who Shen's mother was trying to impress with this injured act, but she wasn't buying it.

"Madam Shen, have you forgotten that you yourself said you didn't have a daughter like me, and told me not to call you mother? It seems that you have forgotten things now."

The people in this Marquis's mansion are really strange. They keep saying they don't acknowledge her status, yet they try to use that so-called status to suppress her. They're truly shameless.

As soon as she finished speaking, Mother Shen's face turned pale instantly. Long-lost memories returned, and she clearly remembered what she had said.

When Shen Jinshu fell into the water, everyone assumed it was Song Zhiyu who did it, and condemned her without any investigation.

At that time, Song Zhiyu begged her mother to give her a chance to explain, but her mother only coldly said, "Don't call me mother, I don't have such a vicious daughter as you," and then left angrily, resenting her for a long time.

Shen's mother had completely forgotten what she had said, but Song Zhiyu remembered it clearly and could not forget it for a moment.

"I was just angry and said those things without thinking, but you know, your mother has always cared about you..." Mother Shen's explanation seemed so pale and powerless under Song Zhiyu's cold gaze.

Song Zhiyu scoffed coldly, too lazy to listen to her sophistry, and asked her question word by word until she couldn't lift her head, "Is Madam Shen's concern just about suppressing me and stepping on me to promote your good daughter?"

Or perhaps, your concern stems from simultaneously enjoying my attempts to please you while simultaneously despising my lack of refinement?

"No, I didn't." Mother Shen shook her head, biting her lower lip until it turned white, but she couldn't refute it and could only repeat that sentence stammeringly.

Shocked and embarrassed by Song Zhiyu's words, she also felt somewhat wronged.

She suppressed Song Zhiyu in order to make her more outstanding and prevent her from being ridiculed by aristocratic families.

She belittled Song Zhiyu, saying she was inferior to Shu'er, only so that she could learn more from Shu'er, cultivate her character, and marry a good husband in the future.

Shen's mother believed that everything she did was for Song Zhiyu's good, but in Song Zhiyu's mouth, it all became her fault.

She felt wronged and upset.

Not wanting to hear her feeble excuses, Song Zhiyu changed the subject, looking down at the sachet tied to her waist, and asked abruptly, "Is the medicine sachet still working?"

She specially sought out various herbs that could regulate the body and sewed this medicine pouch stitch by stitch after learning that her mother was not sleeping well at night.

However, Chen's mother disliked her rough embroidery and poor material, so she casually threw the medicine pouch away and never wore it.

But now, this medicine pouch, with its faintly visible threads, is tied around Chen's mother's waist, completely out of place with her luxurious clothes.

It's truly remarkable that she managed to dig out this medicine pouch from some obscure corner just to appeal to people's emotions.

When Chen's mother saw Song Zhiyu mention the medicine pouch, she was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "It's very good. The medicine pouch you gave me is very useful. It has relieved a lot of the depression in my heart."

"But the threads on this medicine pouch are a bit torn. Could you make another one for Mother?"

"Throw away useless things, and the same goes for people. A broken mirror can never be mended, and I'm sure Madam Shen understands this principle." Song Zhiyu raised the corners of her lips, a gentle smile blooming on her face, but her words made Madam Shen feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

Song Zhiyu stood up, walked to the pavilion, looked at the clear, rippling lake, and decided to be frank, "Madam Shen's visit to my Songxi Courtyard today must be more than just a simple reunion."

"I have something to say to you." Mother Shen sighed, and seeing Song Zhiyu's heartless appearance, she frowned in displeasure. After a long silence, she finally revealed her purpose.

"Did you do what Li Mama did?" Li Mama has served her for many years and is extremely loyal to her. She would never make things difficult for Song Zhiyu for no reason, and she certainly wouldn't have the guts to burn down the ancestral hall.

After much deliberation, Mother Shen turned her attention to Song Zhiyu.

"Madam, are you referring to the incident where Granny Li brought me swill and forced me to drink it, but in the process of struggling with me, she unfortunately knocked over a candlestick, causing a fire that burned down the ancestral hall, and was beaten to death by the Marquis?"

The appearance of Granny Li was purely coincidental, and Song Zhiyu did not expect that Granny Li would give her such a big "surprise".

Mother Shen was taken aback, and the question that was on the tip of her tongue suddenly went back down, leaving her speechless.

Faced with Song Zhiyu's piercing gaze, which seemed to penetrate one's heart, Chen's mother was momentarily flustered and hurriedly changed the subject.